Come along with Dominique and Laura as they chat their way through The International Food and Wine Festival happening Fall 2021 at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. Sit back and relax as the girls chat all things snacking, shopping, and more!
Come along with Dominique and Laura as they chat their way through The International Food and Wine Festival happening Fall 2021 at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. Sit back and relax as the girls chat all things snacking, shopping, and more!
Dominique Mastrototoro 0:06
Hey, Laura, it is so good to be back and sitting down chatting with you. I'm so excited for our next episode. I hope everybody listening is as well. And today in honor of the festival that's happening right now at EPCOT we're going to chat with you guys about the International Food and Wine Festival.
Laura 0:27
Yeah, I'm really excited if people didn't pick up from our hints last week, we like food.
Dominique Mastrototoro 0:33
You know? Are you sweet? Are you salty? Does that come out in your personality?
Hmm.
Laura 0:39
It might.
Dominique Mastrototoro 0:40
Well, we'll see what we talk about later on.
Laura 0:43
How many Margarita is can you handle at one time? Like that's your endurance level? Right?
Dominique Mastrototoro 0:49
I think that's a very important thing. Are you a grazer? Are you a meal person?
Laura 0:55
Oh, yeah. I I think there's definitely something to be said about who you are and what food you like. And the lifestyle you live. I think it's all very closely related, right?
Dominique Mastrototoro 1:06
110% Yeah. Um, so before we get into that,
Laura 1:10
we're gonna have a segment that if we need to use it, we'll use it we're gonna call it wrong lever Kronk. And it's just if we misspoke or you know, said something wrong, or said something confusing, whatever it could be. We're just gonna come on the next episode and shout it out. Shawn was very clear to me, that we kept calling Liberty Square frontier land. So the river of poo in the cement, not the literal river of poo, is in Liberty Square, not frontier land. So there you go. That's what it is. And my other side real quick thing is if you go to the boardwalk hotel, which is Dominque's favorite, it is kind of themed off of the Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, that old school feel. And I said, does that remind you of me? Because that's where I'm from. I'm really not from Jersey. I'm from Philly. And some people like to really draw that line. So I just wanted to go on and say, I'm not inappropriately claiming jersey. I love the Jersey Shore. Yes, I was born in Philly. Okay, let's go on with our episode.
Dominique Mastrototoro 2:14
I do love that. The thing that we had to correct is about poop. So we can talk about that in two episodes. So yeah. Yeah. This is not an episode about that. But I appreciate that that's what we had to go back and correct. Yeah. So thank you, to Sean and Laura, for bringing that to our attention.
Laura 2:36
Yeah. So now want to have our facts straight.
Dominique Mastrototoro 2:40
Let's circle back to the good stuff. Yeah. Food and Wine. I think what's especially exciting about this year's festival in 2021 is since the reopening of the parks, this is the first one that hasn't been called a taste of. So the festivals that have happened up to this point, it was a taste of the Flower and Garden Festival. And this one now is truly the International Food and Wine Festival. Yes, there are some changes. And we're going to talk about those as we go back and forth with our experiences at prior festivals. But I do think it's it's a fun sign, knowing that we're returning to normal and having that sense of normalcy in something at its core as simple as a food event.
Laura 3:32
Yes, I agree. And one of the things and you have the exact date, I don't have it in front of me. One of the things for this year that was a little bit more exciting is the festival is extended. It's almost like the year of Food and Wine Festival. So we kind of got to get back to something quote unquote, normal. And then we got it for a little longer. So I just pulled the date of it started on July 15. And it's running until November 30 this year, and it usually doesn't kick off till August.
Dominique Mastrototoro 4:03
It's either late August or beginning of September.
Laura 4:06
Yeah. So we got you know, we got a little extra which I thought was kind of cool for this year.
Dominique Mastrototoro 4:12
yeah, it is, um, I'm excited to go back. This is gonna be my first Food and Wine Festival since 2017.
Laura 4:22
Okay,
Dominique Mastrototoro 4:23
I'm very excited. I first went to food and wine in October of 2012. That was my first is my first event really at Epcot. And because we had always gotten in summer, which some people refer to as diet Epcot. Because there's no festivals in this summer.
Laura 4:45
Yeah, right. And it's too hot to eat, but right another story.
Unknown Speaker 4:50
So because of school and my mom's schedule and my schedule we'd always got in summer never experienced any of the festivals that they had to offer. So when we went in October of 2012 I was very excited about the Food and Wine Festival. We used to watch a show called the two. Back in the day it had Clinton Kelly and Carla Hall and Michael Symon. If you guys watch Food Network, you'll be familiar with those names. Or if you watched what not to wear back in the day, but they used to do a live episode of The Chew at the Food and Wine Festival. And that was like my goal in life was to be in that live audience at Epcot, when like Mickey and Minnie would come out and their chef's outfit and interact with the hosts. And it was totally cheesy, but that was like I'm gonna enter every contest I can I'm gonna get us there . And then sadly, they canceled the show. Oh, no. And I never do it. And all my life dreams were crushed. Oh, no. What was your first experience with it?
Laura 5:55
So technically, our first trip in 2016 was the Food and Wine Festival. But if you listen, last week, you heard how I was my very first trip when I was 26. And I knew nothing about Disney, except that there was a Disney World and I always wanted to go. So I didn't like understand that there was a festival we did like a day in Epcot. And that was it, you know, like moved along. And then the next time we would have gone back would have been 2018 with Hallie. And so one of the things was, I had seen Haley loves Remy, and Hallie is my sister for anyone that doesn't know. And there was I had seen like a Remy out in France. And I was like, oh, there's a Remy. So we went and looked for it a trip before the Food and Wine Festival. This was like we were there earlier that year. And they were like, Oh, that's just out for food and wine. And that's when I started clicking like, Oh, this is a thing that happens every year. So we'll have to come back. And when we came back in fall of 2018, Haley, and I made a point to at least kind of like go through and see what it was about. So, you know, the first time I was there and had no clue. And I know that would make a lot of people feel really sad. And it makes me feel really sad too. But yeah, I had, we had no clue that that was like a thing or a yearly event or an event that like I didn't realize Disney events lasted months and months, which makes so much sense because people are traveling from all over the world. But like, you know, and at home festivals, like a week, right? Maybe
Dominique Mastrototoro 7:27
it is. And I Oh, yeah. I do appreciate what you said about just not knowing and that's what we're here for to just talk about our experiences and share that with you guys who are listening because someone out there might be listening, because they enjoyed our favorites last week, and they loved the movies, but they had no idea that Disney did an event that's very much toward geared towards adults. It's obviously you know, anyone can eat all that stuff. But the flavor profiles are very much geared towards an older palette. Oh, yeah. So I think it is cool to let people know that these events are out there and they exist. And you you can go for months and months without having to be like I need to get there at this specific date. It's really, you know, up to you, which is cool. Yeah. And the other thing like you said about you and Hallie, just passing through and even if you didn't necessarily take part in every booth, the way that you approach the festival can be different for everybody. I know. For me when I attend a festival, whether it's food and wine, whether it's flowering garden, whether it's festival of the arts or the holidays, just giving you guys a little taste of all the ones we're talking about. Yeah, future podcast. I know. It's like a very coordinated effort on my part. If you haven't been able to tell from just one episode, I'm very type a I think Laura is a little type A as well, you know, I don't want to call her out.
Laura 9:04
No, no, it's okay. It's true.
Dominique Mastrototoro 9:08
So as soon as I get into the park, whether I enter from the International gateway by boardwalk, or from the front entrance, I had right to the park maps. That's where you can pick up your passport. I flip through my passport book, I make a mental sometimes also a physical list of all of the things that I know I want to try that trip. Yeah. And I also kind of map it out in terms of location. So I don't want to be going from one end of the park to the other because I want this food and that drink. I try to make it flow so I feel like I'm also enjoying the park itself and not just stuffing my face with delicious food. I'm also doing that. Yeah, it is also good. I make a little game out of it. And my ultimate goal is to complete my whole book, which for me means having something from every booth. They, Laura and I were reminiscing about this earlier, when we were mapping out this episode, and we miss the stamps that you used to get you used to take your passport up, and when you would order and pay, they would stamp your book for that country or that food booths, items. After they transitioned from stamps, it was stickers. So in the center of every book would be some stickers and you would be able to put those in on your own. And now it's just nothing bring your own pen, sign your own book, I still get to eat all the delicious food, but there was just something really gratifying about getting a silly little Yeah, yeah. I mean that you didn't get anything for it. It was just like, when you finished it, you got an extra stamp. Yeah. But I felt like I was on a mission with those.
Laura 11:04
Oh, yeah, it makes it a little bit more personal. I never experienced the stamps, I experienced the sticker. And from a mom perspective, because depending on your kids age, food and wine can get a little maybe boring for kids depending on their age, and what they like to eat and what they'd rather be doing. So like I could pick up an extra little guide and hand it to Bellamy and she could just play with the stickers. So like even on that level, it was like here, distract yourself with these stickers. Don't touch mom's book, though, because mom's book is very specific. But like I liked it was it was almost like a little bit of a family thing because you're like, Okay, you know, here you play with these stickers. And then we're gonna go through and if they're a little older, they can help you find the sticker for like the country you are in or whatever. So yeah, bring your own pen. I didn't realize that I didn't have a pen. So I had to earlier this year, I had to like mentally remember what I ate. It was only three things. So I did remember. It was a very hot day. So I didn't make it far. But um, yeah, I was when I opened it. And I was like, there is not a sticker. What but they did have Hold on. What do you remember what it was called? In the middle there? celebrate your epic curiosity. And it's a little Remy. If you want savory or sweet, go this way, like a little map. What would you call that? And it'll take you to an endpoint and choose your own adventure and choose your own adventure. Yeah, and there's there's only four options at the end. It's very small. But I did think that was cute. Definitely missed the sticker. So I guess that's personal opinion.
Dominique Mastrototoro 12:40
We'll put this on Instagram, I will have to know Are you a sticker fiend?
Laura 12:44
yeah, they're good.
Dominique Mastrototoro 12:46
So how do you kind of approach the festival? Or who would eat all the things person as well? I know you've got some picky eaters in your family.
Laura 12:53
Yeah. So I don't think I've ever been able to do the festival in a quite the organized way you have. And for someone that's type A, that does make me sad. So Shawn is not a big eater. So when we talk about going to Epcot for food that's so boring to him, like he's like, I don't know why we could do anything else. Like, why would you want to walk around me and he will amuse me and go through and he will share food with me if it's something that he thinks sounds interesting, but he's not like, super excited for it. Hallie, my sister is someone that loves food like me, she's also a vegetarian. So Hallie and I have sat down. And I believe this, it might not have been for food and wine, it may have been for Flower and Garden a couple years ago, we did sit on a bench and look at like, what she could eat. And so what we could split, and kind of went through that way. So I have done it organized, but it's definitely from a different perspective. And then, of course, she knows, like, I might stop at a booth for something, even if it's like meat based that she just won't eat or whatever. But I kind of, I kind of need a partner because even those even though those plates are small, they're big. If you're eating throughout the day, I would get farther on my list. If I was splitting a plate, you know what I mean? Because it can get a lot especially if it's hot. And especially if you're like throwing in a beer, throwing it a wine but like especially a beer that can like really kind of bloat you. I'm like out after like three countries so I haven't like fully just like gone and I think one day I want to do just a trick where it's like, I'm going there for four days to go to Epcot. And this is and I'm like making a plan. But it's just it's a little different on our family and with a kid if Belle is with us. It can get boring. It can get hot. You have to find funny things. One of the stands I had like pizza one time, and we were it was like a margarita pizza. So it sounded, you know, like really fancy, but it was just it was like it's pizza here. Just like take this. And that worked for her. But she's like, you know, she only wants two bites of things. And Shawn is also picky about what he eats. So not only is he not a big eater, he's picky. So it's just me. It's just me and the vegetarian, go, going through the countries trying to see what we can eat.
Dominique Mastrototoro 15:27
If anyone out there wants to sponsor Laura and I just go eat in Epcot, I will gladly take that sponsor.
Laura 15:35
Yes, please. We will do that any day
Dominique Mastrototoro 15:37
Snacks around the world for the sake of our craft, we will do that for you guys. Know, I know. I mean, it makes sense that for kids, it could be tough to kind of keep them engaged, because they're not having that like, Oh my gosh, but when we get here, we're gonna get the bow buttons. And when we get here, we're gonna get a firefly moonshine, which is my favorite Flower and Garden. Um, do you guys do I know you've referenced it a little bit saying that that's what you saw with Hallie when you didn't know what was happening. Do you guys do the scavenger hunts with Belle?
Laura 16:11
So we haven't yet she's, she'll be four this December. So she's a little over three and a half. I think at this point, we'd be getting to a good age. Um, when we went with so we take a we try to COVID changed a little bit, right. But we were taking a fall trip where it was Sean, myself, Bellamy and Haillie. And so we were hitting like a boo to you. And we were also hitting the festival. And so Haillie and I have made a point to do the scavenger hunt one, like I think one of the years we did it, but Belle was definitely still too young. I do think at this point, it would be something to interest her. Because she does love Remy she had I grabbed the book this year for the scavenger hunt because I wanted I wanted the little ceramic that you in. And she thought it was really cute. She wasn't with me. She was like, oh, cool, Remy. So I think she's getting to an age where that could be like a distracting point. Like, listen, today's and EPCOT day for mom. She's drinking some wine and eating some food. You go find Remy will go to Magic Kingdom tomorrow, you know? Um, so I think that would be thing and Haillie genuinely loves things like that. I lose interest after about like four countries, if I can't find the you know what I mean? Like, if I can't find it, or like, I've had a lot of wine, you know, whatever it could be, whatever the reasons would be why I would become disinterested. You know that with that? It's definitely I think that that is a nice thing for kids.
Dominique Mastrototoro 17:39
And that's why I just need to insert myself into like you and Haillie's vacations. I'll eat all the food with you. But like Haillie, I also really appreciate those things. Yeah, we have done I think all of them. We did a festival of the arts, they have Figment hidden in different paintings. Right, which is really fun. Um, quick aside, I actually found one while waiting in line for characters at the 10K. We were like standing in line to meet Esmeralda and Quasimodo, and I was like, Oh, hey.
Yeah. But they do that Flower and Garden? I'm blanking on the Oh, they do the bee. Yeah. And then if you're there on Easter, they do the Easter egg hunt, which is really fun. And then like Laura referenced Flower and Garden at I'm sorry, food and wine is Remy. And they do different Christmas wreaths at the festival of the holidays. Oh, cool. And for me, it's actually been a really cool way to experience new parts of the countries that I wouldn't typically go in.
Laura 18:48
It's easy to just walk by
Dominique Mastrototoro 18:50
yeah, that aren't the shops or the food when we were trying to find them. And kind of like you said, like, you get frustrated. You're like, Oh, my gosh, this is supposed to be for kids. Why is this? Well, why is that egg on the top of the building? Yeah, um, but it forces you to really go in and walk through the countries and slow down. And as someone who has been a lot, I sometimes find that I get into Epcot, and I'm like, I'm going to get my Maple popcorn. I'm going to get this from Italy. I'm going and you get very robotic about the whole thing. And the scavenger hunt very much forces you to like, take a beat, take a breath and explore things. Yeah, in a way that's different. And so I think for adults, it is fun. And again, and we were joking about this yesterday when we were brainstorming is Who doesn't love a free prize at the end?
Laura 19:42
Yeah, I mean, it's not really free but yeah, I feel sorry.
Dominique Mastrototoro 19:45
don't kill my dreams. Okay, I'm just like when you get a free shirt in college, but really had to pay to go to college.
Laura 19:53
Right, right. That's not free. It costs a lot of money. Give me my free. We have In between my house and my mom's house, we have to Walt Disney World blankets because and animal kingdom one year, if you spent $50, you paid $15 for the blanket that originally cost $50. And for some reason my mom got two of them. And we were like, Mom, they literally were not free. We, we great. It's great. Look, it's a blanket. I'm like,
Dominique Mastrototoro 20:26
we have about four of those. Because we are also those people. Yeah, we're like, but it's normally 40. Right? I don't I just pay the 15. If I wanted it at another time, I'd have to pay 40. Right.
Laura 20:40
I tell Sean just throughout life, always. I'm like, I saved us money. And he's like, I'm sorry, you spent $15. You're not understanding I'm like, but I could have spent 40. And he's like, No, no, no, no one taught you math. You went to fashion marketing school, and they taught you retail math. And so this is not the same. This is not a savings. And I'm like, no, it's it's definitely saving. On a side note, if you have a child and you're doing like the first year photos, like every month, you know, people do photos. We use that for a couple of the backgrounds, which was really cute. So it was just like an easy like, let's lay this out, lay the one month old on the blanket, snap a picture Move, move across our day, and yeah, they're cute. Um, quick thing before I forget, I just remembered a couple years ago, Sean and I did and it was summertime, it was June or July, we went down for an anniversary trip and we did one of the tours. And I can't remember specifically what which tour it was. But I will ask Sean and put it in our wrong lever trunk section next time. And so they took us to one of the warehouses and I got to see all of the Remy's. They were being like repaint it to go out next fall. And they were all on a table and it was like part of the tour where like you had to leave your phone you couldn't bring your phone in or anything. Which I totally respected. I did not have my phone. I did not take a picture. But I was like my sister would have loved that. So she was excited when I told her I got to see all the roommates and they were getting, you know touched up for the year and getting ready to go out. So it was very cute.
Dominique Mastrototoro 22:13
That's very cute. Um, I just love stuff like that. And I love how Disney themes. Everything in terms of the event like we were talking about Emile's Fromage Montage Yes. Yes. More food and wine. And so if you again, if you pay more any money. I'm fine. I think maybe talking it out. I'm finally getting finally understanding how I go spending money. Yes, I'm finally understanding what people have been telling me all this time. Yeah. But it's usually Yes, it is. Disney math is very different than any other math. Yeah. It's five items. And it's themed to whatever that festival is. So obviously for Fromage montage and Emile and Ratatouille. They're rats so they eat cheese. Yeah. So this one is all cheese based dishes, which I am so here for and I cannot wait for. And again at the end, you get what they call a completer Prize. Side note, you've just paid for all these things. But you get one free prize.
Laura 23:26
Yeah. We won't total it for you.
Dominique Mastrototoro 23:30
It's not important. It's Yeah, it's not important. Just do it. Have fun. Yeah. And at the end, it is usually another specialty food item but it does come with a small souvenir for this one. I believe it's a tiny cup as well. It was a little cup for garden greens. Yeah. And this one is filled with I believe Strawberry.
Laura 23:50
Strawberry something. Yeah, strawberry cheesecake. Yeah. It's like a little stemless wine glasses. What it reminded me of Yeah,
Dominique Mastrototoro 23:57
yes, I have mine on my desk to collect knickknacks. And it brings me joy. So I like that when you're buying your five items to complete the mission. Just remember that it will bring you joy.
Laura 24:09
Yes, at the end, you will be happy. You'll be happy as we were discussing this yesterday, as we were kind of planning this podcast out I expressed to you that I had one of the three items I ate earlier this year at the Food and Wine Festival was one of the meals from Fromage Montage. And I didn't get it stamp but I said I didn't care because I would eat 14 million of them. So if anyone's down there go to the Greece stand. What are they call them? What is not a pavillion because it's just the little cart right? Yeah, yeah. Okay, thank you. So go to the Greece food booth and get the grilled cheese and it's just like, almost burnt cheese with honey and pistachios on top. It was so good. It was so good. And like if it hadn't been so hot, I honestly was gonna go get another one and eat it right then. But I it was too hot and I literally missed the rain by one second getting to my bus so it was better that I didn't but guys go eat all the cheese if any of the other four are half as good as that that's all I need in life. I can't wait I'll just wait my my antacids and eat my way. Good. You need like a day just to do that just that. Just today we're gonna eat the five cheese items.
Dominique Mastrototoro 25:34
I don't from a nutritionist standpoint, I don't know if I would ever recommend that. But no, if you're short on time, yes,
Laura 25:43
but I was gonna tell you I think one of them hold on I'm referencing one of them Dominique is is the corned beef corner route and that has protein that's not cheese protein. So I think I think it might fit your nutritional.
Dominique Mastrototoro 26:01
I just count as a protein. All right, if my red container then I am all here for
Laura 26:08
it has corned beef, we're probably gonna have to say it's only half a red, we're probably gonna
Dominique Mastrototoro 26:15
seeing as you're having five blues, I'll I'll take it. Yeah. You know what all I need in life is protein and vegetables. That way, all the other stuff just goes down easy
Laura 26:29
Yeah, keeps moving.
Dominique Mastrototoro 26:32
So you already kind of send this about, which is something I've experienced too, when I tried to eat all the things is the heat will kill you. And sometimes I end up just wanting like a cold drink or a soft serve or whatever their dessert is. I'm typically not team sweet. Like I'm usually team salty. Um, if you follow my husband on Instagram, you know, he loves donuts and probably seven donuts a day for the rest of his life.
Laura 27:03
And so again, when Yeah, the only person in America that like lost weight during the pandemic, and we were like, Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Dominique Mastrototoro 27:14
But we love him and keep him around. We're gonna keep him. But I'm like the I'm like, give me a bagel. And cream cheese or a big like, I love that doughy salty flavor. And it's so sad because sometimes I just I want to go and eat my way through the festival. But you get one of those days, that's hot. And I make it like you said I'm I'm one or two countries deep, but the thought of like, eating food is just exhausting.
Laura 27:44
Oh, yeah, that's, um, that's a real thing. You need like, you need like four to five days to get through everything. Like I'm always jealous of the people that live down in Florida, because they just get to do it in small bites. And I'm like trying to get it down. But the this suite does seem to go down a little bit better in the heat. Yep. I'm also more of a salty person. Until I'm not on every person on many levels. Just took a turn real fast. Yeah, no, no, let's get into it. Um, if Sean where here he'd be like, yeah, she's miserable. Um, oh. Yeah. Yeah, the heat is awful. Oh my god, that'll set me off. Um, but it can be hard to get those. It can be hard to get those down once you're like, because you literally think about taking in salt and like the salt holding on to your water and needing more water. And if this if you guys ever see a visual like, this is my water bottle that I take everywhere. This is 36 ounces. And you could get through this and half a day. Oh, yeah. Easily walking through. So yeah, I say sweet or salty. I don't have an answer.
Dominique Mastrototoro 29:06
Well, I appreciate the that the later hours are coming back at the parks. Hmm. Obviously I haven't been for food and wine yet this year. But when we were there in April, it was really nice. Going into Epcot at like 8:30pm and we probably ate more in those two and a half hours than we did during any other day. Because it was gone. It was still Well, I mean, I was still in taking shorts. But I didn't have that. Like I'm dripping sweat. And I mean you if you follow me and you know me like I 90 degrees is my jam. I am a son, baby, but I just I also like my food and if I can't eat my food because it's too hot. We're gonna have some hangry
Laura 29:55
Oh yeah. hangry times on our hands. Yeah. hangry sweaty times.
Dominique Mastrototoro 29:59
Nobody wants that. But you know what I do like to do when I get really hot at festivals or Disney in general
Laura 30:10
Don't talk to me, you know, my Instagram my Instagram @distanetodisney. If you're on my Instagram, go check it out. Um, I got in trouble our last trip,
Dominique Mastrototoro 30:24
because I tried to bring me into it as well, guys.
to it
Laura 30:29
I facetimed you, I'm going to be honest, I had already bought it by the time I FaceTime you, but you could have told me to return that, thank goodness. So it was too hot. It was the same hot day that I was there that I've already talked about hiding the shade and eating the cheese. And it was that same day and instead I went shopping and I came home with a Dooney and Bourke bag that I was told was like one of the last ones and it was it was one of the last ones Gosh darn it. I now have it and it's beautiful.
Dominique Mastrototoro 30:59
It's like It's like I said, when you're in Disney. You just have to do the things that bring you joy.
Laura 31:05
it's Disney math, and it made me happy. And that's the equate. That's the equal you're looking for. And Disney not it made me happy. Sean was like, You can't keep buying purses you use like a like a backpack, like a diaper bag. And I was like, when you're a girl, you're either a shoe girl or a purse girl. I'm a purse girl. And you can't take that for me just because I'm a mom. So I am buying this bag and two festival specific magic bands. That's it anyway. What do you buy when you're there?
Dominique Mastrototoro 31:38
So I think I texted you the picture of the damage I did night one
Laura 31:43
Yes.
Dominique Mastrototoro 31:45
April, and I don't know, I think I think all of the past year and not being able to go into a store and touch things. Yeah. I mean, online shopping is great and dangerous and like whatever. But there's something to be said about going into a store and physically seeing something and be like I need you. And I don't I don't really know what happened. I was in the store that's over by the bBeauty and the Beast Theater in Hollywood studios, the one on the corner. And I somehow came out with a pair of passholder ears, a new loungefly, two Alex and Ani and a new her universe dress.
Laura 32:28
Yeah, but that sounds like a great day.
Dominique Mastrototoro 32:30
It's fantastic. And I love it and I use that loungefly my Park bag. I also thought it would be the only one I bought that trip I actually bought two.
Laura 32:37
They're so easy. And it's like when you buy a bag and just me like Shawn, how are you? Back home? Yeah, we love you. And it's like, I'm gonna put it in my suitcase and then I'm going to put clean clothes in the bag like it's part of the packing now part of the packing. It's just it's a different way to organize your packing like it's not a big deal. And he doesn't think that that but I've never not gotten my merchandise home from Disney. I will say and this is you're all going to think I'm lying, but it is true. In my head. I try not to come home with a lot of the merchandise because I have a kid that clutters my house anyway and so there's not many places that I can cutely display the things I want like things get put in cabinet so they don't get broken or like things like that. So I try to not come home with the festival specific merchandise. But like, if I'm like the thing that will always pull me in is a mug a coffee mug? Yes, so cute. But a coffee mug I will always make room for I love coffee. And I love mugs. So like if I were to say like, what do I go to the parks for? Like, what's the thing that you have to have, like, at this point, it would have to be a coffee mug, like you're gonna I'm gonna buy it. I'm going to, I'm going to buy it and I'm going to get harassed by Sean for it, but I'm going to buy it.
Dominique Mastrototoro 34:10
I appreciate that I little fun fact, I used to work at a Disney Store, back in college, and just shortly after, and I would I would wait until they went down to like $1 and then use my cast member discount and buy like 30 of them. To the point when Justin and I moved in with each other and I didn't have anywhere to store them. I literally had to buy two giant like 30 gallon tubs to hold my mug collection.
Laura 34:37
Uh huh.
Dominique Mastrototoro 34:39
So I no longer let myself buy my mugs I don't know what's in that bin maybe once we are able to unpack them and I see what that will allow myself again. Yeah, um, for me and you know this, we've had this conversation. It's a spirit jersey. I wear them, they stay in my closet 12 months a year living in Massachusetts, you just never know what fun whether you're gonna get. Yeah, it's 90 today and it was like 57 a week ago, right? Um, so I do genuinely wear them. I remember when I got my very first one, I was like, Oh, that's that was kind of silly. I'm never gonna wear it outside the parks. And then one time, I just threw it on to like, run to the grocery store or something. And it's a game changer. I wear mine all the time. with jeans with shorts, leggings. So, spiritually, Jersey, and then because God forbid I pick one answer, you know, please, it's pins. I'm a sucker for pins. We have, again, nowhere to display them because they're all in a bad right now. Yeah, but my mom has a really nice display. She actually one year, they haven't sold these since. And it makes me sad. She bought a giant, like an oversized dish towel at Food and Wine Festival. And it has Remy and the tower, the Eiffel Tower and cheese. But it's it has a border, and then it just has that image in the center. Okay, she puts her pins in all of the white space on the side of our fireplace. So like every time you walk by, and she just keeps all the pins there. So like, yeah, this ones are up all the time. And so every time you walk by you kind of are like, oh, remember the time we did this? Or or remember the time we did that? Yeah. So I like I enjoy the pins, because they're, like you said about clutter and having a kid, there's something that you know isn't necessarily going to clutter and or get broken. Because you can put them somewhere that they're, they're safe, but still close to your heart. Right?
Laura 36:50
Yeah. And they for the most part, they won't come down like unless, like, you know, like a kid's not going to get to them unless they're like really trying. Like, I think that's nice. I have not allowed myself to start any specific Disney collection because I am type A and a little OCD and I would just overrun our house with things. So I have not allowed myself to like start a collection. But if Belle wants to do something, then I'll look through her. Um,
Dominique Mastrototoro 37:19
I fully support her in anything she wants to do not financially, but emotionally.
Laura 37:24
Yeah, she appreciated that. she appreciates that. She will we'll have to see what she's into. I'd be curious to see like, what makes her really happy. Um, but those spirit jerseys are so cute. I don't wear them enough. Like I own a lot of them. I always forget to grab them. I literally just bought a new one. Because like, I don't know if it was a Halloween one. And I had to have it. But I also put we'll have to post a picture. I was trying to figure out what size to get it so I put an old one on. And I think they're out for this season because it was just like, all belly. Like, I wasn't even kind of loose. Like Yeah, I would just wear it to be ironic, but I'll have to send you the picture. Or we can post it it was just like, Oh, she's really pregnant
Dominique Mastrototoro 38:13
I could see them not being flattering. After a certain point of pregnancy. Like it's even been very useful in the beginning if you're trying to like hide it. But I could see that after a certain point that's just not, I mean, there's no stretch festival, but there's no get there oversized cotton, right shirts, which again, is someone born in 1986 was the first 10 years of my life we write oversized shirts and bike shorts. So the fact that I get to relive that but it's like fashionable
Laura 38:45
Yeah,it's on purpose.
Dominique Mastrototoro 38:46
I'm here for it. I'm very scared for it.
Laura 38:49
So yeah, I love them. They are good. I have to pull them out more but I think I might be shown was like do not buy one to fit you this year. And I was like no no, no, I'm just I'm figuring out which one is going to fit me all the time. Like calm down it's going to be worn for more than one season. So now I just have to actually wear it so I don't get in trouble so
Dominique Mastrototoro 39:07
This has me so excited to go down I I'm so excited for the festival Fun fact that Laura and I will actually be there at the same time in September so we're gonna see each other and take pictures and probably hop on Instagram and annoy you guys. So if you see us in the parks, say hi. Be sure to follow us like she said @distancetodisney for Laura and @pushupsandpixiedust for Dominique. If you guys have been enjoying these first two episodes, like subscribe, feel free to leave a review all of that good stuff. And we're gonna get this edited and start working on episode three.
I'm excited. Thank you guys so much for tuning in anything else you want to share?
Laura 39:55
No, I think that's everything. Thank you guys were really blown away by this support we got for our first episode and that's all from you guys. But you know, that's nothing we could have produced on our own. So I guess just to thank you for all the love and support and like genuine support, not just like coolio, you did a podcast so yeah, thanks guys. I'm I'm really excited to bring you more I know we're, we have too many ideas in our head so don't worry we're not gonna burn out. Yeah. Thank you guys so much. Yeah, I'm so good. See ya.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai