The Pixie Dust Fan Podcast: Food Fights (This or That, Round 2)

Fran and Carrie are back with Round 2 of their AI-powered This or That debates, and this time it’s all about food. Carrie also recaps a quick split stay at Cabana Bay and Port Orleans Riverside, plus a surprisingly generous fixed-price dinner in EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion.

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.

Welcome back

Fran: You know, Carrie, I was listening to somebody else’s podcast, and their intro… okay, truth be told, it’s Stan Solo. And he’s like, “Well, hello there, and welcome to another episode of the Solo Show.”

Carrie: We always start with “Hi, Carrie.”

Fran: Okay, but okay, so here we go. Take two. Welcome to another episode of the Pixie Dust Fan Podcast! How you doing, everybody? Woohoo! I feel like we need to come in with as much enthusiasm as Stan does. He’s always very animated.

Carrie: Okay, well, we’ll put that on our to-do list to work it out.

Fran: Yes, yes. And how are you doing this week, Miss Carrie?

Carrie: I’m great. Like Tony the Tiger, great.

Fran: You’re back from some travels.

Carrie: Yeah, I was away for a couple of days. Now I’m home.

Fran: Look at you, just jet setting for a couple of days. Let me go here, let me go there. And where were you? You did a split stay, even though you were only gone for a very short time.

Carrie’s split stay: Cabana Bay and Port Orleans Riverside

Carrie: Yeah, I did two nights at Universal. I stayed at Cabana Bay, and I really enjoyed it. I really, really liked the vibe there, a lot. And then I did two nights at Port Orleans Riverside, and then I came home to my cats.

Fran: So four days, four nights.

Carrie: That’s it. And it was very rainy. I arrived at Universal the one day, and the next day I went into Universal Studios. The only attraction that’s really Carrie-friendly is…

Fran: E.T.

Carrie: Is E.T. So I did E.T., and I did the Animal Actors show, or whatever it’s called. The little show where they have all the cats and dogs running all over the place, and skunks and porcupines and bunnies and turtles.

Fran: Oh, fun. So that’s Carrie-friendly.

Carrie: So I did those attractions. I waited about 45 minutes to go on E.T., but I was like, well, what else am I going to do? I walked around a little bit, and I had a Voodoo Doughnut. I’ve been into the shop and looked at them before, but I don’t think I’d ever actually eaten one. I’d also never stayed at Cabana Bay. I’ve been there, but I’d never stayed there. And I’d never seen the Animal Actors show before, so that was my first time too.

Fran: They’re good, the doughnuts. So there were a few firsts for you on this trip.

Carrie: Yeah. I bought a resort refillable mug at Cabana Bay, because why not? Even though I was only there for two days, I was like, I’m going to drink more than $19.99 in coffee.

But I really liked Cabana Bay, a lot. I was not surprised, but sort of surprised. The vibe is excellent. It’s such a good place to hang out. The weather wasn’t the nicest when I was there, and you could see families kind of chilling out. The way it’s laid out, there’s so much inside space for people if they need it. And then the pool areas are incredible, with the sandy beach and the lazy river. It’s just a little lazy river, but it’s still a lazy river. I walked around, took some pictures and checked out the amenities. They have a really cool arcade area, and the bowling alley’s fun. I really, really liked it. I will definitely stay there again.

Fran: To kind of chill out, for sure.

Carrie: Yeah, it’s a good chill-out place.

Fran: And I love their food court there. It’s so big and spacious, you never have a problem getting a table, and they have good options.

Carrie: Yeah, I ate in the food court. I had breakfast and dinner in there, and it was good. Because of the weather, I didn’t go too far. I was going to go to Volcano Bay and maybe float the lazy river, but with the weather, I just kind of laid low.

Fran: Nice. And then Port Orleans Riverside. And it rained?

Carrie: And it rained, yeah, it definitely rained.

Drinks at GEO-82 and a surprise-value dinner in Japan

Carrie: I went to EPCOT one night, and we had our umbrellas. I went to GEO-82, which I’d never been to before, and then to a restaurant in the Japan Pavilion I’d never been to either. I’ve been to Teppan Edo, but this is the restaurant at the very front of the Japan Pavilion, and it overlooks the lagoon, so you can see the fireworks and everything from there. I’ll have to look up the name.

But anyway, GEO-82 has got some pretty sweet vibes. No children are allowed, so sorry to any children who are listening. You have to be 18 plus. It’s still loud, like any Disney restaurant, but a little toned down. It was very busy. I had a non-alcoholic drink, and we had munchies, which were very good. The drinks are expensive, like $24 to $28, but the person I was traveling with said they’re excellent quality. They’re not novelty drinks, they’re very well-crafted drinks. It was her fourth or fifth time at GEO-82 and my very first time, but I would definitely go back.

Fran: Okay, maybe I’ll put that on my to-do list for November.

Carrie: Well, I think we were going to try to go when we were there in May, but we just didn’t fit it in.

Fran: Right. We did say we were going to, but we didn’t. We fit in other stuff.

Carrie: Yeah. I was looking at how they have the dessert party, but it’s expensive, like $100 and something. But now that I’ve been in there, I definitely would do it.

Fran: Now you’re like, okay, I’d spend that.

Carrie: Oh yeah, definitely. Now that I’ve seen the space, not that I would do it all the time, but I’d put it on, like, a splurge list. I’d probably rather do that than go for tea at the Grand Floridian. The space is very small, so wherever you were sitting, you’d have an excellent seat, and the vibes would be fun. I think we should put that on our future to-do list.

Fran: Yeah, why not? We’ll do it.

Carrie: And at the Japanese restaurant, which I can’t remember the name of, we ended up getting the fixed-price menu. It was $65 each. You get a drink off the menu. It can’t be an alcoholic drink, but it can be any drink under $20. We got this lemonade where she poured some purple stuff in it and made it look all fun. That was a $12 drink, and it was included with our meal. Then you got to pick three things, and then you got dessert.

For my first, I got small plates: edamame, pickled vegetables and something else. My travel partner got the salmon, and if you’d put a scoop of potatoes and a couple of green beans on it, it would have been an entree.

Fran: Okay, that’s how big it was.

Carrie: That’s how big her salmon was. For my second, I got a roll, like a dragon roll or something, and it was a full roll. And my third was udon, a noodle soup. My travel buddy had her salmon, which again was like an entree, and then two plates of sushi and sashimi, different types of fish. Very big portions.

Fran: Wow.

Carrie: Humongous. And then for dessert, she got the mochi, which was three mochi balls, and I got a mango cake. It was a full piece of cake. We literally thought that for $65 we were going to get tastings.

Fran: Like samples, yeah.

Carrie: Everything we got was, I believe, the full order you’d get if you ordered it off the menu. So it’s like the best-kept secret, which now I’m telling everybody. They have sushi, obviously, but they also have rice and meat dishes and noodle dishes, all kinds of dishes to choose from. So even if you don’t want to eat raw fish, you could definitely find stuff to order. We’d gone to GEO-82 about two hours before and nibbled there, and we were ready to explode by the time we were done.

Fran: That’s a good value.

Carrie: We were far from finishing our food, and we felt kind of bad that we left stuff behind, but it’s an excellent, excellent deal. And I should say, for both of these, we literally arrived at Disney that day. We checked in, did a little bit of work, unpacked, and we made these reservations at 4 o’clock.

Fran: Isn’t that the best?

Carrie: We got a 7:45 reservation for dinner, and we were there during the fireworks. They dimmed the lights and played the music. I joked that it was probably the most romantic dinner I’ve ever had at EPCOT.

Fran: That’s amazing.

Carrie: It was excellent, and we made it all on a whim the day of. We figured maybe we’d catch the fireworks when we were leaving. I think the Japan Pavilion has a third tier, a really fancy Japanese restaurant, so I was kind of wondering if they were going to rush us. But they didn’t. It was treated like you were at the Top of the World or somewhere like that. We were obviously pausing, because we were full, and then the fireworks came on and we were taking our sweet time eating. They weren’t pushing our next course in front of us or anything. They were really paying attention to where we were at, and they brought us our dessert after the fireworks.

Fran: That’s so nice, because sometimes in places like that, you feel like they’re rushing you through, especially if you’re already kind of full. There’s nothing worse than them bringing you food that you can’t enjoy.

Carrie: I expected they would. I was assuming they’d be throwing food at us while we were still eating the first bit, like the ginormous piece of salmon. I’m telling you…

Fran: Throw a scoop of potatoes on it…

Carrie: …and a couple of asparagus, and call it an entree. It was really good. When we realized the drink was included, and we couldn’t figure out what we really wanted, the menu let us try a bunch of things. I’d definitely go back. It was an excellent experience, and the food was really good.

First thoughts on the Disney Believe

Carrie: So that was it. And then we got to hear a few things about the new cruise ship, the Believe.

Fran: So what did you think about the Believe?

Carrie: I don’t know. I haven’t been on the last two, so I haven’t really experienced the Treasure or…

Fran: Right, the Destiny.

Carrie: The Destiny. And this is kind of just another one in that realm. I think it’ll be okay. I like how they’re changing things up and doing different themes. I think it’s kind of weird that they’re doing another Frozen dinner show, but I guess there’s another Frozen movie and a whole new generation of Frozen fans just waiting for that.

But I like that it’s different. The thing I liked the most was that the entertainment venue, the disco, is going to be called Gazelle’s, and it’s going to be Zootopia themed. That’s probably my favorite part of what was announced.

Fran: Me too. Shocking. I was listening to the livestream with one ear, like, yeah, yeah, Frozen, blah, blah, blah. And then I heard Zootopia and I was like, what?

Carrie: Yeah, that is it. But for me, the Treasure has a cat lounge. You’re not going to beat that in my books. I don’t care what you do to these lounges, there’s one that’s themed to cats. I’ve had the chance to tour the Treasure, and there are cats all over that ship. There are Lion King motifs and cats all over the place. I was doing a little cat scavenger hunt when I was on it. So when I judge something I haven’t truly experienced, it’s by its level of Muppets and cats, to suit the fandoms I appreciate the most.

Fran: Exactly.

Carrie: But Zootopia was cool. I like that a lot.

Fran: That’s awesome. And now you’re home, to the real cat.

This or That, Round 2: Food Fights

Fran: Well, it’s funny that you were talking about food, because that’s our topic for today. We’re continuing our saga of the AI battle of This or That. Last week, we told everyone we’d asked the AIs: what do people fight about when it comes to Disney? What are the big debates? It broke them up into different sections for us, and last week we did the big ones. This week, for Round 2, we’ve got some interesting ones, Carrie. This is Food Fights.

Carrie: Okay, I got it.

Fran: So we’ve got 10 questions, a this or that. What would we choose, and why?

1. Dole Whip or churro?

Fran: I know exactly what you’re going to ask me: are we talking Walt Disney World or Disneyland? So the first question is, Dole Whip or churro? And you’re going to ask, is it a Disneyland churro or a Walt Disney World churro?

Carrie: Well, I’ll just make some assumptions then, because churro quality varies drastically between the two Magic Kingdom parks in North America. I can’t speak for churros around the world. I’m going to pick a Dole Whip, because a Dole Whip is a Dole Whip is a Dole Whip. How about you?

Fran: I’m going to pick a Dole Whip as well. However, that battle is very different in Disneyland for me. Not just because the churro is better in Disneyland, which we have agreed on, but because in Disneyland you can eat your Dole Whip in the Tiki Room, which you can’t do in Walt Disney World. So for me, the Dole Whip experience in Disneyland is better, because you get a show with it, too.

Carrie: And they have the Tropical Hideaway now, so whether you eat it in the show or have one after, you have a whole lounge area, a quick service, where you can have your Dole Whip. It gives the Dole Whip…

Fran: The attention it deserves.

Carrie: Yes. Instead of a little order window at Magic Kingdom.

Fran: Well, and then you’ve got to sit in the sun, and there’s not a lot of places to sit around there.

Carrie: Well, it actually has a proper quick service now. Before, it used to just be the little window. That’s where you get the Orange Bird ones now. So they do have a proper quick service, I shouldn’t say that.

Fran: They do, but there are no seats there. It’s still just a window. They have, like, three little tables next to it, but that’s it. At Disneyland, it’s nestled right in between the Tiki Room and the Jungle Cruise. It’s just perfection, really.

Carrie: It kind of is. Good point. I like your additions to that discussion.

Fran: And I feel a little bit like in Walt Disney World, they keep trying to do too much to the Dole Whip. Just leave it alone. Plain Dole Whip.

Carrie: Well, at Disneyland they do the same. They have special flavors and different swirls.

Fran: And with the alcohol in it. Just leave it alone! Okay, so I don’t even know if we answered that one.

Carrie: We did. Dole Whip.

2. Mickey pretzel or Mickey ice cream bar?

Fran: Let’s go on to number two. Mickey pretzel or Mickey ice cream bar?

Fran: I’m picking a Mickey pretzel all the time, because I love pretzels.

Carrie: Same. I like the dip. But whoa, you’re picking the pretzel over the ice cream?

Fran: I am. You know why? Because while I do like ice cream, ice cream does not like me. And I also make a mess whenever I eat ice cream. A couple of weeks ago, my nephew Andrew and I went to Dairy Queen one night, and I got a cone. I was like, I haven’t had a dipped cone in forever, because I usually get the Blizzard. So we eat the cones sitting outside the Dairy Queen. We get home, I take off my purse, I go to get my phone out, and it’s covered in chocolate. I’m like, what the heck is all over my phone? Apparently I’d been dropping the outer shell of my cone into my purse.

Carrie: Oh, no.

Fran: This is what happens to me. My dad would always say to me, “How do you miss a mouth that size?” But I’m forever dropping things, especially ice cream. That’s why I never eat ice cream bars in the parks. It will melt, and I’ll be wearing half of it before I’m done.

And for the pretzel, you like the cheese. I don’t ever eat the cheese. I’m a traditionalist. I want a little bit of mustard on the side.

Carrie: I’m good with any kind of dip, to be honest. I like the pretzel plain by itself, but I like being able to add to it, because after four or five bites it almost feels a bit dry. It’s so salty, so I like to have something to dip it in, whether it’s mustard or any of the dips they offer.

Fran: You know what I don’t like? The ones that they stuff, with cream cheese or whatever. It’s like messing around with the Dole Whip. People just want a regular pretzel with cheese or whatever they want, but nothing stuffed in it. No jalapeno-encrusted, stuffed, cheese-infused pretzels.

Carrie: Agreed. Nothing inside.

Fran: Just a regular pretzel shaped like Mickey Mouse, preferably. So we’re both saying Mickey pretzel.

3. Mickey waffles or Tonga Toast?

Fran: All right, are you ready for number three?

Carrie: Absolutely.

Fran: Mickey waffles or Tonga Toast? Tonga Toast is what they serve at Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Carrie: I don’t think that’s fair, really. Tonga Toast is Tonga Toast, and we’re comparing it to something where, how many millions of Mickey waffles get eaten a day?

Fran: Yes, and you can get Mickey waffles pretty much anywhere.

Carrie: If I had all the time in the world, would I take the extra step and go get Tonga Toast? Absolutely, because it’s delicious. But I’m going to say Mickey waffles, just on the sheer availability of being able to eat them every day from your quick service.

Fran: Well, it’s funny, wait till you hear the next question. But I’m with you. I actually don’t get the hype for Tonga Toast. I’ve had it a couple of times, and it’s one of those meals where the first two bites are delicious, and by the third bite it almost feels too heavy and overwhelming.

Carrie: Too much. Yeah, I can see that.

Fran: It’s basically French toast with cinnamon and banana stuffed in the middle, and syrup over top. But it’s ginormous. The bread itself is like five inches tall.

Carrie: Like half a loaf of bread.

Fran: It’s huge! The first two or three bites, I really, really love, and by the fourth bite I’m overwhelmed by it.

Carrie: You need to pair it with something greasy, like bacon or sausages.

Fran: Yeah. Now, are you talking plain Mickey waffles or the churro Mickey waffles?

Carrie: Either one. I’d probably like a plain waffle best. I know the churro ones are good, but I’m going to put syrup on them anyway, and I feel like the churro ones are just extra sugar. I’d rather eat a churro at Disneyland, by choice.

Fran: Click my heels and get me to Disneyland.

Carrie: Although I will say, I remember the churro fries at Disneyland. Remember those? Those were yummy.

Fran: Those were very yummy. Didn’t we have churro fries at Disney Springs once? We split them, and you could dip them in Dole Whip.

Carrie: Yeah, maybe. I can almost see the place. It was the little place next to the water.

Fran: Now of course I can’t remember the name of it, but I believe we did have them there, and those were better than the churros in the park.

4. Character dining or quick service to save time?

Fran: Number four, Carrie. Character dining, or quick service to save time?

Carrie: Oh, I’m definitely picking quick service.

Fran: Really?

Carrie: Yeah. Why do I want to go and hug characters and take pictures with them if I don’t really want to?

Fran: So character dining is not your thing. It’s not your jam.

Carrie: Not really, no. I want to go eat because of the food, not because of the character interactions.

Fran: For me, it’s hard. I don’t eat quick service to save time. It’s usually just about what I like to eat. And I feel like at the character dining buffets, a lot of it’s the same kind of food. So if it was character dining at Topolino’s for breakfast versus a quick service breakfast, I’d take Topolino’s, because that breakfast is very yummy.

But character dining as in Chef Mickey’s, versus eating at Contempo Cafe and getting a bounty platter? I don’t know, because I do like getting pictures with the characters.

Carrie: Yeah, I don’t.

Fran: I do. I like pictures with the characters, and I never want to line up for them. So this is an easy way for me to get an updated picture with Mickey.

Carrie: That’s what it’s all about.

Fran: Right? And I love being able to decide what I’m eating at the buffets. I could get a whole plate of tater tots if I wanted.

Carrie: Or shrimp.

Fran: Or your shrimp, whatever you want. So I’m going to say character dining. This is the first one where we’re different.

5. Cinderella’s Royal Table: worth it or skip?

Fran: I think we’ve talked about this one on the podcast before. Cinderella’s Royal Table: worth it, or skip?

Carrie: Oh, there’s no “that”?

Fran: That’s it. It’s not this or that, as in compare it to another restaurant. It’s should you do it or not.

Carrie: Well, from what I just said, it’s a no. Why would I do it? If we’re going even deeper, I’d much rather meet fluffy characters than face characters. Bring on Winnie the Pooh and friends, bring me to the Crystal Palace, where I can hug teddy bears instead of face characters. So I’d say no, because of the cost, for someone who doesn’t really care about characters. It was nice that we got to go and experience it, and I’m not saying I wouldn’t go back. I would if somebody really wanted to go, but it’s not a priority for me.

Fran: So I didn’t realize there’s a tier system for your dislike of pictures with characters, and face characters are at the bottom. You don’t want to see people without a mask on?

Carrie: Well, they’ve got to talk to you. The princess is telling you she flew in on a magic carpet or whatever. It’s much easier to do sign language with fluffy characters than to actually have to talk to a princess.

Fran: So it’s not that you can see their faces. It’s that there’s a conversation.

Carrie: You’ve got to interact with them differently. If I did have to tier them, yeah.

Fran: I never really thought about that. With the characters that don’t talk, you just go in for the hug, get the picture and sit down.

Carrie: And they’re cute. They make the little kissing noise when they give you hugs. Versus a prince asking about our Prince Charming or whatever. It’s just weird.

Fran: That is true. Okay, so for me, I’d skip Cinderella’s Royal Table, unless your goal is to get inside the castle. You can meet those princesses anywhere. For the price, you’re really paying to get inside that castle. Although I will say the dessert was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. So if you’ve got extra money to throw at the experience, it’s worth it. But for regular people on their first visit who want to meet Cinderella, I’ll tell you where else you can meet her. I don’t think you need to spend that kind of money on a meal.

Carrie: Agreed.

6. Space 220: worth it or overhyped?

Fran: All right, now we’ve got another restaurant that’s a worth it or overhyped. This one’s kind of surprising. I would never have thought to ask it. Space 220: worth it or overhyped?

Carrie: I think it’s worth it. I liked it. I’ve been a couple of times, and I would go back to Space 220 before I’d go back to Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Fran: Same. I think it’s worth it too. The experience is fun and immersive, the food was good, and I thought it was reasonably priced for the experience. It wasn’t over the top. It’s fun for the kids when you get in that little elevator that takes you to space, and then you walk in and see those big windows.

Carrie: It’s pretty fun.

Fran: It is. I like it. I think it’s worth it.

7. EPCOT festival snacking or a sit-down meal in World Showcase?

Fran: Now, this one is fun because of what you just did on your trip, Carrie. EPCOT festival snacking, or a sit-down meal in World Showcase?

Carrie: It’s very interesting. I’m going to pick a sit-down meal in World Showcase, because generally speaking, you always have good intentions about what you’re going to snack on, but you never meet those expectations.

Fran: Yes, agreed.

Carrie: You say, I’m going to eat 12 snacks, and you get through four and you’re full. And you think, when I come back in a couple of days, I’ll eat some more. Whether it’s because you get full or because the lines are crazy. You see a 50-person line at one of the booths and you’re like, no, maybe when I’m back in two days, and then you don’t do it in two days. So I’d pick a really nice sit-down meal and enjoy it. And there are lots of places around World Showcase I haven’t eaten at, because I’m a creature of habit, so I still have a few more places to try.

Fran: Same. I’d rather have a sit-down meal too. I feel differently depending on the time of year. I don’t mind festival snacking in February, but I have a hard time in September, when it’s a thousand degrees outside and I’m not hungry. And to your point about the lines, I love getting that little steak in Canada. It’s always so good. But there’s a 50-person line and it’s a thousand degrees. A, I don’t want to wait in that line, and B, I’m not going to feel like eating it. You get the cheddar cheese soup and it’s 100 degrees out. I can’t do it.

With a sit-down meal, it’s air-conditioned, I get to sit, and I don’t have to look for a garbage can to eat on. There was something I ate at one of the festivals once, I don’t know whether it was a rib or something, and I ended up wearing half of it. It’s not made for standing, and I’m not coordinated enough to stand and eat like that.

Carrie: And the lines are sometimes so bad. There could be something you really, really want. Out of the 40 things to try, it’s in your top five, and you don’t even try it because there’s a 60-person line. The booths that aren’t in World Showcase often have easier lines, and they might have a little bit of seating.

And people will say the snacks add up, but if you got a fancier drink, an entree and dessert at a sit-down, you could probably try seven or eight things at the festival for the same money. So pricing isn’t really the reason to do one over the other. You just have this romantic idea of walking around World Showcase with your little passport in hand, stamping until the ink runs dry in the stampers, and then you try two things.

Fran: And then you’re done. You’ve been there for seven days, and you’ve tried two things.

Carrie: Or the creature of habit in me wants a shaved ice, and then you’re not hungry enough for the stuff you were looking forward to.

Fran: It’s hard to force yourself to try something different when you know what you like. You’re like, I already know I’m going to love this, so why would I try something new? That’s what we’ve been working on the last couple of years, trying something new every time we go, and we’re doing pretty good at it. We should figure out where we want to do our next sit-down in EPCOT, some place we haven’t done.

Carrie: Yeah, for sure.

8. Popcorn bucket collector, or it’s just a bucket?

Fran: All right, question number eight. Popcorn bucket collector, or it’s just a bucket? Are you into it or no?

Carrie: I’m going to buy a bucket every time. I’m just going to buy the bucket to buy the bucket, whether I’m collecting it or not. You just need to have it. So, bucket all the way. You can refill it too.

Fran: But are you talking about just the refillable buckets, not the novelty ones?

Carrie: Yeah, I’m talking about the refillable buckets. That’s how I understood it.

Fran: Well, it says “popcorn bucket collector, or it’s just a bucket,” so I guess it’s probably the buckets it’s talking about. They’ve always had those, even though they’ve got the ones shaped like things now. I think if you’re going to eat more than one bucket of popcorn, it doesn’t make sense not to buy it. The refills are pretty cheap, a fraction of the cost. And there’s just something special about Disney popcorn. I’m not a huge popcorn person, but it’s like movie theater popcorn. It tastes so good.

And the other thing is, that bucket is very good protection if you buy something fragile. Say you buy a mug or an ornament. You can wrap it in your clothes and stick it in the bucket inside your suitcase, and it protects it that little bit extra.

Carrie: Before I started going so often and ended up with way too many buckets, I used to put my trip memories in it. Your receipts, your tickets, whatever. I’d throw it all in a bucket, put the lid on and put it in the cupboard. You can use it as a little time capsule for your trip.

Fran: Oh, what a good idea.

Carrie: But I’ve had so many buckets over the years, I got rid of a bunch of them a little while ago. I think I kept a Muppet one.

Fran: Of course, as you would.

Carrie: But even if I’m not going to refill it, I often buy the bucket just to buy the bucket, because I think the art on it is cute. Even if you bring it home and love it for a little while, and then it turns into a bucket in the garden, it doesn’t matter.

Fran: They’re fun. They make a fun souvenir that’s not expensive, and they’re very reusable.

9. Refillable resort mug: great value or never use it enough?

Fran: All right, the next question is the refillable resort mug. Great value, or never use it enough?

Carrie: Oh, it’s a great value.

Fran: See, I’m the opposite. And it’s funny, because you were saying you bought the one at Universal for two days. So you know it’s a good value when Carrie’s buying it for two days.

Carrie: I think it depends. You drink tea and make tea in your room all the time, so I can see it not working for you. But if you like coffee… If we stayed at the Contemporary and went for breakfast every morning, I’m going to buy a coffee, so I’m paying $3.50 or $4 for a coffee every morning. So right there alone…

Fran: It’s paid for itself.

Carrie: And then I get to bring home a mug that’s cute.

Fran: It’s cute, and it’s a perfect travel mug. It fits perfectly in your car cup holder. For me, because I drink water and tea, it doesn’t make sense. I bring my tea bags from home because I don’t really like the tea they have, and I make tea in the room. So it wouldn’t be worth it for me. But if you’re a pop drinker, if you drink fountain pop or coffee and stuff like that, then absolutely it’s worth it.

Carrie: Sometimes with just coffee I’d barely be breaking even. I never drink pop, but with the mug I’ll have one or two pops, or I’ll make a hot chocolate or a cafe mocha. I drink a little more than I normally would because I have the mug. And I use it for ice water. It depends on how close you are to a machine. If I’m not close to one, I won’t buy it. But if it’s close, I fill it with ice water and bring it to the room every night, so I have ice water to drink. So there’s value in that too, if the refill stations line up with where you’re staying. I don’t buy it every time, but if it’s going to work, I do buy one, even just for the coffee.

Fran: Oh, absolutely. And then you get a great souvenir to bring home.

Carrie: Because those are cute.

10. The grey stuff: delicious or overrated?

Fran: They’re very cute. All right, Carrie, we’re on question number 10, the last one. And it’s a hard one.

Carrie: Oh, really?

Fran: It’s really hard. The grey stuff: delicious or overrated?

Carrie: I’ve never bought the grey stuff on purpose. There’s nothing that’s ever attracted me to even try it. I have tried it, because our friend Jamie tries it every time we go to Disneyland, since they always have a new one. But there’s nothing that makes me want it. When I found out it existed, I was like, oh, isn’t that funny? Whoever thought of that should get a raise. But it’s not for me.

Fran: I’m the opposite. I think it’s delicious. It’s like cookies and cream.

Carrie: Sure, it’s delicious, but…

Fran: It’s delicious, and how fun is that? When I heard they were serving the grey stuff at the restaurant, I was one of those people who was like, oh my gosh, this is awesome! The grey stuff from the movie!

Carrie: Can you get it outside the restaurant at Walt Disney World, in other places?

Fran: They have a grey stuff cupcake over at Gaston’s. I know people are all like, “I’ve got to go to Gaston’s to get the cinnamon bun,” but you’re missing out if you don’t get the cupcake. That is a good cupcake.

Carrie: Maybe we’ll have to give that a try. At Disneyland, they have seasonal versions for Halloween or Christmas or whatever, but I didn’t know you could get it at Gaston’s in cupcake form.

Fran: You can.

Carrie: So if it’s in front of me, I’m going to eat it, and I’ll think it’s delicious. But there’s no draw. Nothing’s drawing me to go find it.

Fran: Okay, well, that was our 10-round food fight, Carrie. These are good questions. They really make you talk about things differently. And wait till the next one: Ride Wars. I can’t wait to go through those with you.

Carrie: The rides we never go on.

Fran: Yeah, exactly.

Our pixie dust this week

Fran: All right, Carrie, we’re at that time of the podcast where we share something that brought us joy this week. What was your pixie dust?

Carrie: Hmm. What was my pixie dust? It’s kind of hard, because I was at Walt Disney World, but a rainy Walt Disney World. I think my pixie dust is my EPCOT date with our friend. I’d never traveled with her or bunked with her before, or really spent much time with her in the park, and we just had a delightful time. It was a lot of fun, and she pushed me. I told her some things I hadn’t done, and she got on that app…

Fran: Booking you up.

Carrie: Booking experiences for me. And again, it was one of the most romantic meals I’ve ever had at EPCOT. We were really only in the park for a couple of hours that evening, but it was fun, and it was probably my favorite part of the trip. How about you? What’s your pixie dust?

Fran: My last trip to Walt Disney World with my nephew was for an event. We were only there about five days, and it was jam-packed with events that we had to go to. And after that trip, he kept saying to me, “We didn’t really get to spend a lot of time together doing things.” So my pixie dust is that my nephew said to me, “Hey, want to go together in February?” So believe it or not, I’ve booked a trip this far in advance.

Carrie: Oh my goodness.

Fran: I don’t really have the hotels or anything yet. When I say I’ve booked a trip, I mean in my brain I’ve marked off those days. But Andrew and I are going to do Walt Disney World together in February.

Carrie: That’s awesome. Love it.

Fran: And it was his idea. I’m super excited. It’ll be nice to get away with him, and he’s super excited too. I think he really enjoyed being there as an adult. And because I was working at some things, he got to go off on his own. He’d never really experienced Disney solo, just going and doing whatever he wanted. He had a taste of it, and now he’s like, yeah, I want to do that again. I really want to explore more.

Carrie: It was a different pace and a different vibe than he’d probably experienced before.

Fran: Yeah. So he’s super excited to try it again, and we’re doing it. That was my pixie dust.

Carrie: That’s cool. Very cool. Love it.

Thanks for listening

Fran: Well, if you’ve made it all the way to the end of the podcast, thank you so much for listening, and keep the feedback coming. We’re happy to hear it. If you’re listening to us on a player that allows ratings and reviews, please leave us one. It helps other people discover our podcast. And we’ll be back in a couple of weeks with Ride Wars. I’m excited for that one, Carrie.

Carrie: Oh, dear.

Fran: Thanks for listening!

Fran and Carrie: Bye!