#I was excited to eat my ice cream but thankfully i noticed the packaging before eating it lol

[newtness532]

why would you put the frozen lava cake with the ice creams? also why do you have to microwave it for 30 seconds at 750w but 35 seconds at 800w? that doesn't make any sense

[writingbeary]

One Chip Challenge

Note: 

Set around Year 2020

Words in italics are in English

You can watch ATEEZ’ challenge here!

────────── ♔ ──────────

The production crew drove ATEEZ downtown for a shoot. Minyoung really enjoyed recording their previous challenges even with the randomness of each mission, she particularly enjoyed their first challenge because she got to see San pretend to be an old man and she took every opportunity to tease him about it.

Looking around, she saw that there were mostly food shops around the street they will be filming in. There’s a row of coffee shops on one side and an ice cream shop in front.

When the staff told them that they’ll be eating ice cream today, everyone could see how excited and happy she is.

“Are you that happy?” Hongjoong laughed as he watched the girl literally bounce in place.

“Of course! We’re having ice cream. Finally, I can eat some!” Minyoung said smiling brightly.

“But knowing the staff, they’ll make us do something ridiculous before we could eat anything.” Wooyoung noted looking at the crew who were still setting up their filming equipment.

“Our babies are so happy when they heard icecream.” Yunho chuckled noticing both Minyoung and Jongho practically beaming.

“If the challenge is to quickly finish the icecream then Minyoung can win this easily.” Mingi wondered outloud as he was getting his mic set-up

“Especially if Wooyoung-hyung decides to take a bite out of hers again.” Jongho quipped

“Yah. I swear you guys never let me forget that. I won’t do it!” Wooyoung groaned as the incident was brought up again. It has been a year since it happened but it’s still consistently being brought up to tease him.

“That’s true.” Seonghwa laughed remembering something “Ever since that happened, he would always ask Minyoung before eating any of her stuff.”

Yeosang agreed chuckling, adding on “Last time, Minyoung was eating chips in the waiting room then Wooyoung asked if he could eat one.”

“What did you do to him?” Mingi, looked at Minyoung and asked her laughing

“I didn’t do anything though?” Minyoung pouted “It wasn’t really a huge deal but I might have been really down that day that I got emotional.”

“Mintokki cried. That’s what happened.” San grinned piping in “Our crybaby bunny”

“I didn’t cry!” Minyoung protested pouting “I just got teary-eyed is all.” making the whole group laugh

The staff handed a box to Minyoung and told her to open it. She looked at the box suspiciously, scared that something would pop up as soon as she opens it, before peeking at the contents inside. Her confused look as she read the label before gasping “Omo. We’re ruined.”

“Why? Why? What is it?” Jongho asked as he stood up taking the box to check "What’s that? First, it looks like a coal.”

“Huh? Let me see.” Mingi followed as he took the item from Jongho’s hands.

“Ah it’s chips.” Jongho finally reading the label

“Ah! I know this one. “ Mingi held the product and explained to the other members “These are the spiciest chips in the world!”

“Oh! This is the One Chip Challenge! One Chip Challenge!” San stated excitedly

“You said we’re getting icecream.” Minyoung pouted at the staff while they assure her that she will get to eat ice cream but today’s mission involves the famous spiciest snack.

The teams were made by the staff: Mingi and Jongho, Hongjoong and Seonghwa, San and Wooyoung, and Yunho and Yeosang. Since they were odd in number, the staff decided to give an extra benefits for the team that wins the pre-game and partners up with Minyoung.

Minyoung was grouped together with Wooyoung and San after they won rock, paper, and scissors against the other teams.

“I heard these chips are really spicy.” Minyoung said as she stared at the chips already scared at the thought of eating them.

“I watched some videos and the people who tried it really drank milk from the jug.” San nodded patting Wooyoung’s and Minyoung’s backs as the two of them would be the ones eating the chip.

“Minyoung-ah, are you really sure about this?” Hongjoong asked the girl as she volunteered to eat the chip with Wooyoung.

“I am scared. I’m bad with spicy stuff but if I take the challenge then we’ll get the easiest order.” Minyoung let out a sigh before smiling at the leader and turning to San “Just make sure to order fast oppa. I believe in you.”

“Of course! I’ll do it faster than anyone.” San grinned nodding

“Wow. The chip is totally black.” Mingi exclaimed as Jongho opens his pack to attempt the mission.

“It just smells salty though.” Mingi described the chip to the other members.

“Omo. From afar, it just looks like chocolate bark.” Minyoung squinted staring at the chip

“Are you thinking of anyone right now?” Seonghwa asked as Jongho was quiet, looking as if he was contemplating all of his life choices at the moment.

“This is really scary. How bad can it really be?” Minyoung mumbled holding unto her team’s arms, scared for both Jongho who will try it first and for her who will eventually try it.

“Why are your hands trembling?” Seonghwa chuckled seeing the youngest fidgeting “Ah. I have the seasoning in my hand.” before he tried the seasoning left on his fingers, his shocked expression evoking scared laughter from the rest of the members.

“I just tasted maybe 3 spices but my tongue is..prickling.” Jongho described as he tried to ease up a bit before starting the challenge.

“Waah. Even with just that?” Minyoung gasped. She then held unto a bottle of milk ready in case anyone will need it.

As the first team started their challenge, Minyoung’s eyes were trained on Jongho’s face watching his expression turn into a slight grimace. “How spicy is that?”

“How spicy is it? Can you tell us?” Hongjoong asked curious as Jongho usually could handle spicy food but looks as if he is having a hard time

“I have hiccups right now.” Jongho managed to say before hiccuping.

“Oh no. How could you? Wow!” Wooyoung exclaimed half amazed and scared

“Mingi-oppa! Hurry! Jongho’s crying right now.” Minyoung called out to Mingi who was having a hard time remembering what toppings they needed to get.

Thankfully, Mingi finished paying for the order and running out with 6.8 seconds left on the timer. Having been successful in the attempt, it was now Team 2’s turn to try.

“Yah. Seonghwa, what will you do?” Hongjoong asked laughing as he finds the situation scary yet amusing. The former could only let out a forced smile as he steels his resolve to eat. Out of the two of them, Seonghwa could eat spicy food better than Hongjoong so he decided to be the one to eat the chip. Besides, Hongjoong could probably order the food better since he is more fluent in English between the two of them.

“To be honest, the second I smelled it I thought that it can’t be that spicy. In all my life, I’ve eaten plenty of spicy stuff but this is the first time I got hiccups from eating something.” Jongho confessed still feeling the aftertaste in his mouth.

“Jongho-yah. Do you think I’ll die eating it?” Minyoung asked already terrified evoking laughter from the production staff

“Young-ah. You really should just do the ordering and let San-hyung eat.” Jongho said seriously making Minyoung gasp “Okay. I’ll eat and die honorably then.” laughing awkwardly

“It’s that bad?” Seonghwa sighed, laughing to himself trying to keep his mind off it. “When I first saw this I thought the day might come when I’d have to eat it.”

“Me too!” Wooyoung and Yunho agreed thinking the same

“I guess that day’s finally here.” Seonghwa sighed as he opened the packet taking a deep breath before placing the chip in his mouth. Minyoung immediately hugging Seonghwa as he chewed on the chip.

“Omo. Oppa what to do” Minyoung rubbed his back trying to comfort him as he tries to hold it out “Seonghwa-oppa’s ears are red right now.”

“Hyung, cry if you need to.” Wooyoung looked on as the eldest describes the feeling. As soon as Hongjoong stopped the timer, Minyoung immediately gave Seonghwa the bottle of milk.

“Wooyoung-oppa..what do we do?” Minyoung asked as she held up the packaging of chip, glaring at it while Wooyoung could only smile awkwardly realizing they’ll be trying it next. “Minyoung-ah..”

“Don’t worry you two. I’m gonna order faster than anyone else.” San promised the two patting their arms “When the icecream’s ready, I’ll feed you both. Hang in there okay?”

Both Minyoung and Wooyoung let out an almost sorrowful laugh not knowing how to react before starting the challenge. The two of them kept quiet trying to take their minds off the taste.

The cameras zoomed in on Minyoung’s face as it turned red and tears spilled out from her eyes. “Save me please.” She managed to say before wriggling around and doing whatever she could to hold on, while waiting for San. Wooyoung holding on better as he kept quiet concentrating on anything else but the the chip.

“Yah. Youngie’s dying!” Mingi laughed but felt sorry for the poor girl who is now hugging Jongho tightly, who patted her back comfortingly knowing how it feels firsthand.

“I’m done!” San ran out stopping the clock with 30 seconds to spare.

“I think Wooyoung endured it best so far.” Yeosang noted seeing his friend walking around while waiting for the ice cream. “How is it? Can’t you describe it for a bit?”

“Don’t talk to me.” Wooyoung cut him off feeling sensitive as his tongue has gone numb

“Can’t you tell from how Minyoung looks right now?” Yunho chuckled as he pointed to the girl who looked about ready to bite onto something just to alleviate the pain.

Luckily the icecream came soon after, San delivering his promise to the two and feeding them quickly.

“Our Young-Young did well.” Seonghwa chuckled as the two scarf down the icecream trying to remove the aftertaste of the chip.

The three teammates shared their icecream glad they completed it successfully. The production staff letting the group order another one since they have more members that's sharing one cup.

“San-oppa. Don’t even think about trying it.” Minyoung warned the male looking seriously “It’s just pure pain.” San could only nod patting her back.

When Yunho and Yeosang started the challenge, they were surprised that Yunho seemed to be holding on well and more when he licked the leftover seasoning from his fingers.

“Yunho, your ears are starting to get red.” San pointed out laughing

“Yeah. It’s starting to get spicy” Yunho replied but maintaining his poker face as the members laugh

Everyone but the last team failed due to their complicated order. As they were wrapping up the episode, everyone complimented the maker of the chip for having made the product.

“The icecream works like magic. I just had a little and I’m fine already.” Yunho nodded as he took another bite.

“This is once in a lifetime experience. Don’t try it anymore.” Seonghwa concluded evoking laughter from the staff and members

“Like Seonghwa-oppa said, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. But that once could end up badly. Don’t try this at home. We somehow made it through but it’s really hard.” Minyoung nodded still teary-eyed and sniffing a bit.

“Seriously! Everyone watching this episode at home. Don’t try this at home. Really don’t” Wooyoung looked straight into the camera warning the viewers, still shaken up by the taste of the chip ending the episode.

────────── ♔ ──────────

ATEEZ Minyoung Masterlist

Disclaimer: This is just a work of fiction. Any portrayal of real people is a combination based on what we could see on cameras and imagination of the author. This is purely fan fiction written for entertainment. Thank you for understanding.

━━━━━━ʕ ˵• ₒ •˵ ʔ━━━━━━

Writing Beary Corner

To the anon that suggested to do an episode of Hello82. Thanks! ♡ i hope you get to read this and well enjoy this one haha

-Mimi

18

[humanlighthouse]

hello i am here and i have heihua kiss prompts!! either 8. Laying a gentle kiss to the back of the other’s hand. (+bonus if hurt/comfort!) or 23. A kiss that tastes of the food/dessert they are eating. xoxo

Hello friend!! I went with the second prompt, you will notice a theme in there perhaps :D I hope you like it! This was cross-posted here for better readability~

 __________ 

For their young master’s birthday celebration, the Xie clan went all out, as was expected. 

It was a grandiose event, with only the finest of culinary delicacies, the prettiest of dancers, and the best of everything that could be drunk. Everyone of importance in the antiques and less-legally-acquired antiques business was there, in black tie - or almost everyone. Xie Yuchen’s smile never quite reached his eyes but he shook sweaty palm after sweaty palm and posed for the required photos with a level of patience that should honestly count toward his general karma. Thankfully, by midnight, the young master was deemed properly toasted to, fed and celebrated, and the guests bid their goodbyes at last.  

Xie Yuchen closed his bedroom door behind him and rested his forehead against the wood panel. 

Here’s to another year. 

Shrugging off his jacket, he walked into his closet. His own face stared at him from three different angles as he loosened his tie. He wasn’t tired yet, but he should probably change anyway. He crossed the room toward his pajama closet, looking for something comfortable. There had been enough showing off for one night, so he pushed aside the silk co-ords. Maybe the velvet robe. He took it off the hanger, running a manicured hand over the fabric. No. Too hot for the season. He dropped it on a chair. When he turned back toward the closet, he noticed a midnight blue sleeve peeking out from behind where the robe had hung, in the darkest part of the closet. His only hoodie. 

There was an idea. 

He stared at it for a long moment, before grabbing the garment and shrugging it on over his dress shirt and wool-blend pants. He swapped his leather shoes for crepe-soled boots and turned the lights off. 

Less than five minutes later, he exited the manor, having successfully avoided every single person in it. He had had to duck behind a vase at some point so a maid didn’t see him, and for the first time that evening, he had laughed, albeit silently. There would be no real consequences, no consequences at all, even, if he was found out, but it was exciting to sneak out. He snapped a face mask onto his ears, checked again that he hadn’t been spotted, and walked down the street and away from the gates. 

As he walked, Xie Yuchen wrestled his phone out of his pants pocket. With the ease of habit, he created a throwaway account, and then pulled up the webpage of his favorite fast food place. The closest one would be too suspicious - he had been there only last month. Selecting the next one over, he submitted his order and paid. By the time he arrived, his number was first on the list, and a greasy bag of treats awaited him. 

This restaurant was farther from his house but closer to the river. It was warm enough, that evening, that groups were scattered here and there along the riverside. Xie Yuchen found one empty spot with a decently clean bench to sit on, and dug into the bag. 

The city lights twinkled over the water’s surface, ever changing - stop lights turning red and green and red again, car blinkers sparkling to life, office neons buzzing in the distance. There were people laughing nearby. He listened to what he could of their inept conversation as he chewed, salt and fat heavy on his tongue. Usually he would be annoyed at the forced proximity, at the unwanted company of these strangers sharing beers and laughs, but not tonight, for some reason. 

Still, it was better to be alone after the night he’d had. Enough socialization for one day. Even after an entire burger and most of a large serving of fries, he didn’t have the energy to keep up the usual pretense. Maybe if he was there with a friend it would be different, but he didn’t have that many of those. Wu Xie certainly counted as one, but according to the birthday card he had sent, he was off raiding a secret spot in the South with his boyfriends this week and wouldn’t be back for a while. Xie Yuchen hoped it was code for something else. At least one of them would be having fun tonight. 

He finished the fries and crumpled the greasy paper, throwing it back into the mostly empty bag. The only thing left was what he had been looking forward to: a tub of soft-serve ice cream doused with an extra helping of chocolate fudge. He rummaged around the bag for the plastic spoon and popped open the container, inhaling the sweet scent with a smile of anticipated delight. That would almost make up for tonight. 

He carefully chose the ratio of chocolate to ice. That first spoonful was always the best one. He brought it to his mouth and closed his eyes. The fudge melted onto his tongue, vanilla ice cream following right behind, hot then cold, and delicious. He couldn’t help but let out a small moan. 

“That good, uh?”

Long legs folded beside his on the bench and for one short second Xiao Hua was tempted to throw the ice cream tub into the river and pretend this never happened. 

It was too late. Hei Xiazi had seen him, and he would never let him live this down now. 

Oh sure, the man had seen him in more compromising situations, technically speaking, but from the way he smiled at Xie Yuchen’s face, Xie Yuchen knew that his guilt was obvious. He was screwed. Hei Xiazi had just hit blackmailing gold.

“Gimme a taste if it’s that good,” he asked with a jerk of his chin toward Xie Yuchen’s ice cream.

Xie Yuchen frowned and moved the tub away from him. He had expected a few days of grace before the demands started, at least. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked in return. 

The man’s attire was ridiculous, even by his low standards. Under his usual leather jacket, the one he always wore, the one Xie Yuchen could recognize the stink of from miles away, he wore a tank top and a black polyester tie, haphazardly tied around nothing and dangling well under his belt. He looked like a cheap gigolo. Maybe that was his new side gig. Xie Yuchen made a mental note to inquire about that. 

“Well, you see, I was on my way to wish a friend a happy birthday, maybe a little later than I should have, admittedly, but what’s a little night visit between friends? Except, what should I see when I arrive at their home, but a shady silhouette sneaking out of it! Very suspicious, you’ll admit. I felt that it was my duty to make sure that the interloper was properly identified.”

“What bullshit are you sprouting now?” asked Xie Yuchen, eyes narrowed. 

“I followed you,” replied Hei Xiazi with a satisfied smile.

“No you didn’t.”

“How would you know?”

“Because I checked. You ran into me here by pure chance and extrapolated the rest,” he guessed.

The smile fell from Hei Xiazi’s face, but the humor stayed in his voice. 

“Yeah, okay I did.”

Xie Yuchen huffed a laugh and turned back to his ice cream before it melted. 

“I really was on my way to you, though,” continued Hei Xiazi. “Look, I even have a gift and all.”

When he turned, Xie Yuchen found himself faced with a brightly patterned square. The gift wasn’t badly wrapped, Hei Xiazi’s fingers were certainly skilled enough for it, but it had been done with the tackiest paper Xie Yuchen had ever seen. There had been plenty of gifts at the party earlier, covered in gold-embroidered fabrics and satin, tucked into leather boxes and glossy bags, but this was the first that Xie Yuchen had wanted to open all night. It was the only one of those that seemed … heartfelt. 

He quickly ate another spoonful of ice cream instead. It was probably just another joke. 

“What’s in it?” he asked after a minute.

Hei Xiazi was still holding it out to him, and probably would until he relented. Sighing, Xie Yuchen took the package. 

“Open it later.”

At the strangeness of his voice, Xie Yuchen raised his head and looked at Hei Xiazi. The lights were playing on his face, and with those stupid glasses he could never be sure of anything, but it almost looked like he was blushing. The man was looking toward the river, not at him, so Xie Yuchen allowed himself to stare.

In his hand, the ice cream tub was cold and slightly wet with condensation, and the sweetness of chocolate remained in his mouth. There were still people laughing nearby, in riotous bursts, but he found that he didn’t envy them anymore. 

It was his birthday, and Xie Yuchen was going to celebrate it the way he wanted.

“Hey,” he called.

With a hum, Hei Xiazi turned, just enough for Xie Yuchen to grab his face and kiss him. He startled but didn’t pull away, rather turned his head aside to deepen the kiss, hands curling around Xie Yuchen’s waist and into his hair. His clever tongue swiped at Xie Yuchen’s lips and he licked into his mouth when they opened. 

“Wow, you were right,” he exclaimed when they broke for air. “That is good ice cream!”

With a roll of his eyes, Xie Yuchen handed the tub to him. It was a day to indulge in guilty pleasures, it seemed. 

[samthemarvelfan]

One Last Time: Part 1 of 2

Summary: ModernAU! Mini Series! With her best friend’s wedding around the corner, Ella Monroe is bound to run into people from her past. While she may have left her old life behind, it seems as though her heart hasn’t.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC,(can be read as Y/N) Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson

Warnings: Swearing, heavy angst, infidelity, mentions of drinking.

A/N: Hi guys! This idea came to me at about 3 am last Thursday and I’ve been fine tuning it since. It’s a long one again, (sorry!) so strap in! <3

@iheartsebastianstan @jjlizz @stuckysbabe @sk493494 @lefoutoir @nickangel13 @marvelismysafezone @lilulo-12 @warmvanillafeels @star-spangled-beard-burn @ravenesque @pinknerdpanda @wintersoldierissucharide @snapcapquartet @ellen-reincarnated1967 @unlistedpond @my-drowning-in-time (strikethrough means the tag didn’t work! I’m sorry!) Tags are OPEN! Just send an ask :)

“So there’s no one you wanna bring?” Wanda asked through your speaker.

You’d put her on speaker phone when you entered the hotel room. Walking through checking for any imperfections, you continued your conversation.

“Wan, honestly it’s fine. I told you I didn’t need a plus-one when you sent the invites out...a year ago.”

She chuckled, “I know, I guess I was just holding out for a miracle.”

You rolled your eyes, “Ha-ha.” You said sardonically. “Well, before I’m insulted anymore, I’m gonna go get ready for your rehearsal dinner.”

“I’m only teasing you, Els. You’re not the only person coming solo...” she spoke. Wanda was your best friend, and you knew what she was doing. She was baiting you.

“Wan...” you scold.

“I’m just saying! There’s a few people who also declined the plus-one!” She feigned her innocence.

A sigh escaped you, “Are you gonna get to the point?”

She paused, “Well like, I don’t know...Bucky for example, he’s coming solo too.”

“And there it is.” You said flatly.

“There what is?” She asked.

You flopped on the bed, placing the phone on your chest. “Wanda, I don’t care that he’s going to be there. I don’t care if he’s going solo. I don’t care to see him.”

“Ella...” she said, her voice full of pity.

“No, no, no. Don’t you ‘Ella’ me,” you mock, “I’m fine, Wan. I haven’t seen him in what, 5 years? I doubt he’s even thinking about me being there, and before this conversation I sure as hell wasn’t thinking about him.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire. You thought.

She sighed, “I just...I know he hurt you. More than that, I know you, Els. I don’t want you to get wrapped up in the past when you see him. I want you to actually enjoy the weekend, not avoid Bucky the whole time you’re in town.”

You heard her say hello to someone, “Oh Els, Vis just got here, I’ll see you tonight?” She said, the excitement apparent in her voice.

“Yes you will, love you!” You pressed end on the call, and let out a puff of air.

You’d be damned if your evening was going to be ruined by Bucky Barnes.

6 Years Earlier:

“So are you guys dating or what?” Wanda asked you, gripping her mug excitedly.

You felt embarrassment rise to you face, “I...I think so? Who knows with him, he’s never actually asked me out on a date before tonight.”

She rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee, “Ella...the guy is obsessed with you. I see the way you guys are together, he’s a different person around you.”

You smiled to yourself, “I like him, Wan. I like him so fucking much,” you laugh. “He’s so kind, and he’s funny, and he remembers everything. I told him one time—one time, what my favorite ice cream was. Remember when I had the flu a few weeks back? He sent me a whole get-well package, Ben and Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns ice cream included.”

You fidgeted with the straw in you iced coffee as Wanda looked at you. The smile on her face screamed excitement, but it didn’t match the concern in her eyes.

“What is it?” You ask, before sipping your drink.

She shook her head softly, “Nothing, Els.” She fibbed.

“Wanda...” you chastised.

She sighed, “I just don’t wanna see you get hurt. That’s all.”

You gave her a look of confusion, and she continued.

“I’ve known Bucky since college, and he’s a great friend. He’s loyal, and he’s kind, and he’d give you the shirt off his back in a second.”

“Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming...” you said cautiously.

“He’s never been a one-girl kinda guy. Any relationship he’s ever had has been...short-lived at best. I hope that’s not the case any more, is all. You’re my best friend on the planet and you don’t deserve that.”

Nodding, you take in her words. Bucky had asked if you wanted to grab dinner from your favorite pizza place and then head to the park for a picnic dinner. That sounds like a date, right?

“He makes me feel safe, Wan. Like I can be myself around him and he’ll always have my back. I’ve never felt like that with anybody.” You smile softly to yourself.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you think he doesn’t like you, truth be told I’ve never seen him act like he does with you with anyone else either, it’s like you put a spell on the guy.”

You let out a chuckle, “We can only hope!”

You looked fucking good.

You’d never been one to be that confident, but tonight you couldn’t help it. The dress you’d picked was perfect; deep green, velvet and long sleeves. All with black heels to match.

The ride to the restaurant was quick. Wanda thankfully was savvy enough to keep everything within the same 5 blocks.

As you entered, you were handed a glass of champagne, which it took a lot of control not o guzzle down in one swig.

This place was stunning. Marble floors, golden sconces, and dark wood accents. It even had an incredible view of the water, and a patio jetting out so you could enjoy the stars and views of the city.

“Ella?” A strong voice called behind you.

You spun and saw Steve with a cheeky grin on his face. “Steve, oh my God, hi!”

You embraced him without hesitation, “Holy shit, Els. I almost didn’t recognize you, you look amazing.”

He kissed your cheek as you rubbed a hand on his back. “This is nuts, what’s it been...3 years?” You ask.

He laughed, “I think so, the uh, the September Foundation Gala! That was the last project you worked on with us, right?”

You pursed you’re lips into a forced smile, and nodded. “Yeah, yeah I think so.”

A few years back, you’d been working for Stark Industries as the Liaison for Logistical Affairs; AKA the calmer of all the shit storms.

You’d proposed the Grant program to your boss/CEO of the company Tony Stark, and he actually went for it. The September Foundation is—was your baby.

“We miss you over there, the org is thriving. It’s all thanks to you ya know, you may have left us, but you inspired a lot of greatness while you were there.” Steve said earnestly.

You smiled earnestly, “Rogers I am way to sober to be this sentimental.”

He laughed, “Come on, I’ll get you a drink.”

Some time later you’d seen nearly all of your old friends.

Nat was pregnant, due to pop any second. She and Sam were expecting twins—a boy and a girl.

“I can’t believe this!” You shout, caressing her tummy.

“You? Shit, I still think there’s four or five of them in there with how big I am.” She gestured to her stomach.

You shook your head in protest, “Stop that, you are literally glowing.”

“I’m just glad Wanda, in her ever-modern wisdom mind you, decided against a bridal party.” The air quotes really added to the sarcasm.

Sam quirked an eyebrow, “Wait, I thought this was a rehearsal dinner. Y’all are telling me it’s just gonna be the two of ‘em standing up there tomorrow?”

You nod, “Yup. I think this is more of a celebration dinner with her closest pals, but that’s a little wordy for an invite.”

Nat chuckled, “It’s a little weird, but...so is Wanda.”

“Speak of the devil...” Wanda said approaching your circle of friends.

She hugged everyone, and announced that the buffet was open as was the bar.

“Open bar? Wanda you’re an angel.” Sam joked.

“Oh no, no, no. I can’t drink now or for the foreseeable future, but what I can do is eat. Let go.” Nat joked pushing Sam towards the buffet station.

“Ella, come here.” Wanda pulled you gently towards the side of the room.

“You look gorgeous.” You said. Taking in her stunning off-white gown. A little taste before the big reveal tomorrow night.

“I love you for that, but listen, Bucky just got here and I—“

“Wanda...” you say seriously.

“Ella, will you just listen? He asked me if you were here...”

Your breathing hitched, “And what did you tell him?”

She rolled her eyes, “What the fuck was I supposed to tell him? No? Of course I told him you were here. He’s at the bar with Steve.”

Surprise, surprise. You thought to yourself.

Who does he think he is? Asking if you’re here. As if he has some fucking right to even ask that. More importantly, why does he care?

Shaking your head subtly, you turn your attention back to Wanda.

“Listen to me, this is your night. Stop worrying about everyone else and enjoy your last night as a free woman.” You joked.

She rubbed your shoulder, “I can’t help it. I worry about you.”

Wanda has always had your back. She was there to pick up the pieces when Bucky left you behind. She was the one who let you mope on her couch for damn near a month before you finally slapped some sense into yourself.

“I’m grown up now, Mom,” you chided. “Time to push me out of the nest.”

She sighed, “If you need me at all, you better come find me.”

After a quick nod, and another promise, Wanda went to go mingle with Vis by her side.

The war in your head was waging fiercely. You wanted to avoid him, shield yourself from those painful memories at all cost.

But you also wanted to show him what he’d missed out on. How happy you are, how good you looked, and how much better off you are.

Without him.

You seemed to be walking on eggshells, drifting across the stone floor of the rented-out restaurant. It was only a matter of time until you were noticed.

“Ella! Come here, I got you another shot of Jameson.” Steve’s booming voice called out over the various groups of people.

Fuck, fuck, fuck me. Your internal monologue griped.

You looked to Steve, seeing he was standing alone. “Thank God...” you whisper to yourself.

Steve pulled you to him, placing a hand on the small of your back. The warm sensation made you blush.

“Steve, you know what this stuff does to me.” You chastised playfully.

He nodded, “Indeed I do, and you know what this stuff does to me.” He held up a shot of what you assume is tequila, “So we’ll be in the same boat.”

You shrugged, “As long as we’re in that boat together.”

Steve winked at you, and with that, you both tossed down the shots with ease.

The night went smoothly for a few hours. You had done shots with the bride-to-be, eaten some delicious pasta, and danced the night away with Sam and Steve.

You also had not seen Bucky anywhere.

Maybe he left. Maybe he’d asked Wanda if you were here so he’d know whether to stick around or not. Maybe he truly didn’t wanna see you, or maybe he didn’t have the fucking balls too.

5 Years Earlier:

You’d been trying to get in touch with Bucky all day. You’d gotten the job with Stark Industries and couldn’t wait to share the news with him!

After a third call to his cell left unanswered, you’d figured he was sleeping or playing video games so you decided just to wait until you got home to tell him.

You’d been living together for about a month, and it’s made life so much easier. Bucky made life so much easier.

He was so caring and so kind. He’d make breakfast on Sunday’s, a day you both had off, and he’d never let you leave without a goodbye kiss. He was truly the perfect boyfriend.

Your keys jingled in the lock, only to find it unlocked.

“Buck? Babe?” You called out into the apartment.

Dropping your bag on the bench near the door as usual, you didn’t even bother taking off your shoes as you couldn’t wait to tell him the news.

“Babe? I have the best news! Where are you?” You call out, finally hearing the music playing softly in the bedroom.

You open the door slowly, assuming he’s sleeping. Instead you see Bucky shirtless, resting against the headboard with one arm behind his head.

“Buck?” You call softly.

His eyes spring open at your voice calling out to him, and he stumbles out of the bed. “Ella? What are you—“

“Hey I didn’t find any—who the hell is this?”

All at once, it was as if time stood still.

There was a half-naked woman standing in your bedroom. Her hair was mussed and she walked to stand by Bucky like she’s known him her whole life.

“Who the hell am I? Bitch, you’re in my house! What the fuck is this, James?” You shout.

You’re enraged. Your hurt. It’s evident by the shaking of your body, and the tears forming in your eyes.

“Ella, I can expla—“

“She’s got 3 seconds to get out of my house before I break her fucking jaw.” You spoke to no one in particular, cutting him off.

The blonde grabbed a pile of clothing from the floor and left without another word.

“Ella...” Bucky said walking towards you. He was in just his boxers, a sight that usually made your mouth water, now made you ill.

“Do not fucking touch me.”

He put his hands on his hips, and hung his head low. What could he say? Nothing.

“I didn’t—“

“You didn’t what, James? Hmm?” You ask, your throat pained from holding back tears.

He shifted from foot to foot. “I didn’t think you’d be back this early.”

Wow.

His words dropped onto your heart like a boulder. You felt like you were going to be sick any second.

“Get out.” You seethed.

His eyes got wide, “Please, Doll. Please let me—“

“Get out of my fucking house!” You scream.

When he was gone, what followed was like a scene from a movie. You shredded any remnants of Bucky you could find.

Albums? Snapped in half. Clothes? Destroyed. Photos? Smashed. Anything he’d touched or bought you? Thrown out.

You should have listened. Trusted friends who had your best interests at heart. But no, you let this manipulative son of a bitch into you home, you body, and heart.

The only thing you hadn’t thrown out? His letters.

He’d written you dozens. All claiming he loved you, missed you, wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.

Liar. You thought to yourself.

The memories that flooded your mind made you head start to spin.

Or maybe that was the booze.

After 10, the restaurant had been cleared of tables and turned into a private club with a dance floor.

Only Wanda...

You found Steve next to you, “I’m gonna get some air!” You shout over the music.

Steve nodded, “Want me to go with you?” He asked.

You shook your head, “No, no I’m good. I’ll be right back!”

Weaving in and out of couples and groups, you made your way to the door which led to the private patio.

The cool air kissed your skin, and you relished in the relief. The air was so clean as opposed to the sweaty mess happening inside right now.

You leaned against the railing and looked out over the water. The quiet night helped silence your mind, ironically.

Inhaling deeply, you closed your eyes. Intending to get a few moments of peace, until soft footsteps got your attention.

“I was wondering how long you were gonna avoid me.”

Part Two!

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

A non fan’s “VIP” experience at the Witness tour

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the biggest Katy fan to say the least.... but my 60 year old mother is, and after being financially unable to attend any of Katy’s past tours, nothing was stopping her from seeing Sydney’s opening night of this one, even if Witness wasn’t her favourite album. Likewise, as this was a mother’s day gift, nothing was stopping me getting her the best sitting tickets in the place. I also want to make a quick note to say that a lot of the negative stuff I have to say is at the start of this post with the positive being down the bottom, so if you’re going to attack me for ‘being a hater’, read the whole thing first.

So we showed up at 6:30, right when the VIPs were being let in. Getting in was no issue. The staff checked our tickets, gave the bumbag full of VIP stuff, reminded us we have $10 worth of food and $10 drink on the VIP vouchers (which tbh is pretty generous, typically it’s $5 each) and directed us in. Once in, the plan was to get food, drink, merchandise and have plenty of time to spare inside considering part of this VIP package was supposed “shortened VIP lines”. Likewise, according to the email I received, non VIP ticket holders were not meant to be let in until 7. None of that went to plan...

We started at the closest food and drinks place... except it wasn’t a proper food place, just a chocolate, chips and drink place. According to security, there was only 2 proper food places; on the very top floor and on the bottom floor on the other side of the arena. Mum and I then modified our plan to get drink there, then the merchandise which was right in front of that place and finally the food. So we hop in the VIP line and some guy comes and tells us that it’s quicker just to get in the normal line, so we do, much to the employee at the counter’s dismay. I don’t know if he was double booked jobs wise for this event or was only meant to set up, but he was adamant that he had somewhere else to be and demanded to know why we were in his line. After a second group was sent to the line, he called over the bloke who directed us there and told him off. He also seemed unaware that VIP ticket holders were told that the $10 drinks voucher could be used on alcohol as my mum tried to get a wine.

So that was all an annoyance, but it was quickly cleared up and we got our drinks and went to the VIP merchandise line. By this point it was 6:45. Like I previously mentioned, non VIP ticket holders were let in a lot earlier than the time indicated on the email I got meaning that the normal line had hundreds of people waiting... and yet it still moved faster than the VIP line which had no more than 10 people. Granted, there was only one guy doing the VIP line which seems silly given how slowly it was going. Anyway, it hit 7 and quite literally only 2 people had been served in the VIP line so I said to mum that I’d grab the food considering that had to be done before the show too. She was reluctant as she hates using the bank card, but she also didn’t want to get the food so that was that.

I decided to go around the arena to the stall on the same floor we were on. While there, I went through a massive line, was held up through a fight because one of the cashiers wouldn’t accept cash when he should have and then had to call over the boss for my order because the cashier thought the vouchers I had were homemade and I was trying to steal the food. All up, it took about 25 minutes from the moment I left the merch line to get the food and come back. None of that really bugged me; I only put it in to put the timing of what I say next and to put something I say later into perspective. My mother was only just reaching the front of the VIP merch line when I got back.

All up, we got to our seats at about 7:35. Zedd was running late and started at 7:45 so we didn’t miss anything. Speaking of Zedd, he was alright. Took me a few songs to realise he wasn’t just playing his own stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Honestly though? Literally nearly every single arena show in Australia has a DJ for the opening act regardless of who the main act is so he was kinda meh for me. I will give him that he had a lot of energy though.

After Zedd, I went to eat my half of the rolls I had brought. From the minute I bit into them, it was clear both through taste and smell that something was off. Literally the small/taste of vomit was all around me and mum could tell. We chucked them out immediately and I prayed that I wouldn’t end up with food poisoning today. And before someone makes a comment about concert food, this is far from the first time buying these rolls there and typically they are fine, though typically I buy them from the upstairs place, so lesson to be learned there. Anyway, I decided to go up, buy more drinks and an ice cream each to get the taste out of my mouth. When getting that, the barrister decided trying to watch the concert for herself was more important than my order. Thankfully her boss was there and made a comment about how I’d probably like to see the show too considering the money I paid, to which she scowled.

Anyway, I got in halfway through Katy’s first song. The first thing I noticed about the show is how little time she spent on the side of the stage we were on which was a little disappointing given how much we had paid for those tickets. I mean, I get it, the walkway was on the other side, but I feel if both sides are paying the same amount of money, there should be equal viewing... then again, I suppose you could argue that because we had the b side stage on our side, that should make up for it.

I’m going to be honest with you, the second half of the concert was far superior to the first to the point it felt like 2 different shows to me. Perhaps this is because I’m not a fan, but the first half felt underwhelming at best and awkward at worst. Watching Katy sing Teenage Dream in what I could only describe as a ‘40 year old business mother’ outfit while girls who looked like they jumped straight out of her California Girls music video danced around her was weird. Even her in the same outfit without the jacket felt younger and probably would have fit the song better. Likewise, her having an extended skit with the superbowl shark felt like a strange attempt to be like “Yeah look at me! I know all the memes and can laugh at myself!”. And her ‘being angry’ at Australian culture really just made me go “... do you really not have enough hits that you have to fill your time with this?”. But once again, maybe I’m just not getting the joke because this is not my fandom. I will however say that I think the effort Katy went to to recognise her band and dancers was great and a trend I hope continues with all artists.

For me the show really started to pick up with Deja Vu. The visuals went from meh to anywhere from cool to gorgeous for the rest of the night. The stage work, including the dancer on the pole felt like they added to the arrangements. Hell, even the parts in between acts felt more engaging and exciting.

My personal favourite moment of the show was watching as she sung Wide Awake sitting on that planet making her way to the b stage. It looked absolutely gorgeous and felt creative to the point where it’s definitely one of the best ways I’ve seen an artist go to their b stage. And while I wished she would have sung Thinking Of You over See Me Into You after hearing that she did for some shows this tour, the moments kept coming. Watching Katy reach out her arm first to hold her fans hands, inviting an 8 year old girl on stage and especially reassuring the girl that she could be a singer if she wanted was heartwarming. Hell even cracking a joke about drugs after hearing that 8 year old say she saw a kangaroo jump on its head felt genuine in a way the first half didn’t. Quite frankly, the only thing I would have changed about the second half of her set is that with it being the final encore song, I wish that she would have sung the majority of Firework on the main stage, only going up the runway at the end rather than doing 90% of the song there.

All up, if I had to compare it to the concerts I typically go to, I’d have to say that the first half felt like Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour; very business minded and very clear that she was trying to prove/achieve something whereas the second half felt more heart filled mixed with energetic, almost reminiscent of the Speak Now tour. In terms of whether I’d go again, if mum wanted to, I’d probably tag along. However, I’d be reluctant to buy VIP tickets again.

[twentysomethinginorlando]

Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Showcase 2018

New Post has been published on https://twentysomethinginorlando.com/fairy-tale-wedding-showcase/

Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Showcase 2018

Disclaimer before any of my relatives freak out: I am not currently engaged or planning a wedding, but I like research. 

A few months ago, the Disney Ever After blog announced the 2018 Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Showcase, a miniature expo designed to show off all the magical wedding options Disney has to offer. I read a few reviews of previous years and figured why not? It sounded fun. There were two ticket options- one that included just the Expo for $45, and one that included the Expo and a Happily Ever After dessert party for $90. I considered doing the dessert party, but we wound up deciding it made more sense to do the less expensive one, and buy a second ticket for Jay. 

Somehow, I didn’t think Duffy would need one. 

Before the Expo, they were having an Open House at the Wedding Pavillion at the Grand Floridian Resort. Neither of us were off work in time to make it, since we didn’t want to take the whole day off, but I really wasn’t concerned. I’ve wandered all over the Grand Floridian. If there’s nothing going on, you can literally walk right up to the Pavilion and stare in the glass doors. 

I did manage to get out of work early enough to get to the Contemporary Resort around 2:30 p.m., and Jay was joining me when he got off work at 3:15 p.m. The night before we had put together last minute Disneybounds, and I was super excited. I had my Meg dress and Wonder Woman boots on and he was going to be Hercules. (I would like to state for the record that this was another case of Jay saying no one would get it, and me proving him wrong, as multiple people told us how great we looked.) I got checked in and sat down to wait for the doors to open. The name tag was already falling off my dress; it wouldn’t stick, so I put it on Duffy instead. 

The doors opened about five minutes after three. The Expo was set up in the Fantasia ballroom with vendors up against the walls, and tables spread in the center. It was a really low lighting setup, which, from what I saw online, was different from previous years. I started to wander with no real plan in mind, after dropping off my raffle ticket. I didn’t want to talk to anyone until Jay arrived, so I focused on taking photos and somehow found myself in line for raw cookie dough. Pretty awesome line to accidentally wind up in! 

The room was divided into four themed sections: Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Tangled, and Classic Fairy Tale. Basically, what this meant were there were four decor examples scattered about the room, in addition to the light projections on the walls and the Cinderella Coach. 

I had read online about spa treatments so I wandered over to the Senses booth. They were doing mini facials and make-up as samples of what you could have done for your wedding. I figured I’d save that for last since I didn’t want to mess up the make-up I was already wearing before pictures. 

The well has actual running water!

I wandered around a bit more before heading out to wait for Jay. I didn’t want to miss anything but being by myself just felt awkward, and trying to handle the backpack, camera, and Bear all at once was getting tricky. I had jumped in line for the bar but realized I didn’t have a hand to find my ID with. Thankfully, he wasn’t far away, and arrived about ten minutes later. We checked him in and grabbed his wrist band. I proposed starting with the alcohol and then working our way around the room in a circle, and he agreed. 

There was the big open bar with the wine options, and a smaller table to one side with shot glass samples of mixed drinks. I grabbed the “Cinderella’s Glass Slipper”, which was a blue drink with vodka. Jay got the pink mai-tai since he prefers rum, and then we both jumped in the line for wine. One of the men pouring the drinks explained that all the drinks had ties to Disney. Some were from family wineries with Disney connections, including one owned by Lily’s family, and others were from Disney properties like Skywalker Ranch. My favorite was the Fairy Tale Cuvee Champagne, which is apparently created exclusively for Disney weddings. There were no limits on how much you could have, and I noticed they were filling Jay’s glasses higher than they were filling mine. To be fair, I was carrying a Duffy Bear. I had two glasses and he had three, the first time through the line, and we went back twice. 

Rather than going to the next booth, we crossed the room to start our loop next to the stage at the cake displays. Not intentionally because we wanted cake or anything. They had about seven different pictures of cakes, and four or five on display. I don’t understand how anyone eats something so pretty! We waited our turn for samples. You got to choose what cake base you wanted, and then the icing. I got Marble with Cookies and Cream, while Jay opted for Chocolate with Churro icing.  

I have long said the only things I care about with a wedding are the cake, the dress, and the photos, so I jumped in line to talk to cake artist. He explained that all the cakes are three tiers and they feed about fifty people. 

“That’s great. Now can you make it look like him?” 

I held up Duffy.  

Apparently, they aren’t allowed to do actual Disney characters because they’d never get them 100% right and Disney wants them to always look perfect. I’m very curious about the chocolate Chip and Dale on the table then, but that’s fine. He suggested making the cake look like Duffy’s fur, and I asked if ears could go on it too. The answer was yes! 

The next booth was a bunch of food samplings. They had chicken pot pie, Sheppard’s pie, mac and cheese, and something with fish. I grabbed the chicken pot pie and glared at Jay as he got the mac and cheese. Stupid dairy allergy. (For the record, I acknowledge chicken pot pie is likely not dairy free, but I can do it in small doses. Cheese is about the worst thing on the planet for a Chelsea.) 

The next table had a painter who apparently can be on site for the ceremony or reception, and paints as the day goes on for a memorable keepsake. Sounds awesome, but we kept walking and trying to balance our food to eat it. The next booth was all food as well, but for some reason it was all cauliflower themed. While I understand they were trying to be different… cauliflower? Jay doesn’t eat vegetables in general, but even I won’t touch cauliflower. We moved on. 

Next to the cauliflower food booth was the beautiful Tangled wedding display table, complete with Snuggly Duckling sign and chocolate frying pans. Out of all of the décor sections, Tangled was definitely my favorite. It looked the most like the movie. 

The next table was actually more in the middle of the floor than on the sides like everyone else. They had a frame photo prop like you see in the parks with Photopass, and we stopped to see what the deal was. There were two different kinds of cameras on the table from HP Sprocket. Essentially, they’re modern versions of the Polaroid camera and you can have them out for guests to document the wedding day. They took our picture with the photo frame and it printed out as a sticker.  

Apparently, this was the photo section because the next area was a display of different photo offerings. We skipped that. There’s not really anything Disney can tell me about photo printing other than prices, but there were some beautiful options. 

We couldn’t figure out what the next booth was, so Jay jumped in the long line while I went to find out. It was a virtual photo booth, sort of like a second generation to a green screen. Instead of a traditional photo booth with a background, they had different options you could choose from. For the Expo, they had all four parks represented in about twenty options. Normally your guests would have four photos to choose from, that you picked out ahead of time. They promised me they could get the Jungle Cruise. I actually picked one that wasn’t from any of the parks but seemed the most fitting. 

Now we were back at the doors and moved over to what was probably the first booth most people hit, the Honeymoon planning service. I talked to the girl for a minute. She herself had gotten married about a year ago, and now was getting to help other people. 

The next booth was for Vero Beach, the resort about two hours south of Orlando that everyone forgets about. They also do weddings there, and had their actual wedding planner at the Expo. She explained both the indoor and outdoor venue options, and handed me what was probably the thickest packet of information I got all day. 

We spent a long time talking to Alex at the Disney Cruise Line section. He was super informative and didn’t mind taking the time to answer all my questions. Disney Cruise Line weddings are surprisingly some of the most affordable Disney weddings, with the basic package starting right at $3,000 for up to eight guests. However, they are some of the most limited. Where the sky is the limit of what options you want at a Walt Disney World wedding, the Cruise Line weddings have a set number of options. I was told I could bring all my Duffys though, as my own decorations, so there’s that at least. (His eyes got a little wider when Jay mentioned there are fifty of them.) 

Disney Springs had the next table, most importantly with chocolate samples from the Ganachery as examples of add-ons you could do for your guests. 

The next booth was a display from Themes Come True, which is a service that provides anything printed you could possibly need for your wedding. I should have taken more pictures but the graphic designer in me was too busy geeking out. They had everything from Haunted Mansion Stretch Room invitations to programs that looked like park Times Guides. 

We had made it back to where we started and jumped in line for our second pass at the bar before we headed past the spa booth to another food station. 

This food station was slightly less strange than the cauliflower one, but I’m still surprised by the choice. Given I haven’t actually been to that many weddings, but soup just doesn’t seem like something you were serve, much less in little goblets. Jay got a sampling of one that I honestly don’t remember what it was, but it was frozen with nitrogen. They had four options and it all looked fancy- I’m just not a soup person. 

We had reached another decor section, this time dedicated to Snow White. There was a wishing well with actual running water and a beautiful table of red roses and mirrors. Next to it was the Zales Jewelry table with samples of their Enchanted Jewelry collection. It was all super pretty, but none of it seemed wedding themed, unless maybe it’s for the bridesmaids or to go with the dress? One of the women asked who my inner princess was and I said, “Wonder Woman.” Somehow, I don’t think that was the answer they were looking for. 

The final food station was the one I had hit first, the cookie dough. They had four flavors to try in a cup or a cone, and it  was all oat based, whatever that means. (It did feel a lot thicker than the Wonderland Cookie Dough that I’m used to.) We went back for seconds, thirds in my case. 

Around the cookie dough was the Beauty and the Beast section covered in red roses and gold accents, complete with Cogsworth. 

Next to the stage was another cake display, this time modeling Disney’s famous projection technology. They took the magic they use to project pictures onto Cinderella Castle and scaled it down for a wedding cake. It’s gorgeous. 

At some of the tables in the center of the room, they had Disney wedding consultants on hand to meet with couples to discuss their plans. Jay and I didn’t want to waste their time, but it had only taken us about an hour and twenty minutes to get all the way around the room. There were still raffles left, so I certainly wasn’t going anywhere. We took a few more passes at the food booths and found someone to take our picture together in front of the Cinderella Coach.  

Jay told me to go see about the facial while he took pictures, so I headed back to the spa booth only to find out you had to sign up and the list was a mile long. I’d really like to know why I wasn’t told that the first time I came by, or I would have signed up then. So, no facial for Chelsea. 

They announced the final raffle at 5:15 p.m., a two-night hotel stay for two. We hung around another half an hour or so hoping the spa would get to me, but no such luck. 

This was the first time I’d been to the Disney Wedding Showcase. I did read a few reviews of previous years, so it seems like they cut some things for this year, including the two classes they offered in the past. I definitely feel like there wasn’t enough to do for three hours, but I also didn’t meet with one of the planners to see how much time that would eat up or go over to the Open House at the Grand Floridian, although it started at 2 p.m. instead of 3 p.m., like the Showcase. I got a good feel for how expensive a Disney wedding can be, but I never saw a price in writing for anything. 

Well, that’s not entirely true. I never should have seen pricing. They didn’t have printed prices to hand out, but I found what I think is a Cast Member’s cheat sheet that they dropped with the exact pricing of the decor spreads. I’m not going to publish that information online, but feel free to email me at Chelsea@TwentySomethingInOlrando.com or message me on the Twenty Something in Orlando Facebook page and I’ll be happy to answer your questions as best I can. 

Honestly, I didn’t learn a whole lot that I couldn’t have found out on Disney’s wedding website. Seeing the stuff in person was way more fun, however and we got lots of free samples. A photo sticker, a digital photo with the background, chocolate, cake, food, and more. Plus, I’m fairly confident we each drank more than $45 worth of alcohol, at least at Disney pricing. It was definitely a cool way to spend an afternoon. 

Cost: $45 flat per person. 

Duration: The Showcase lasted three hours, but we could have left in two. We did skip the Grand Floridian Open House that would have added more time. 

Value: A lot of fun and pretty informative. I highly recommend it if you are planning a Disney Wedding, but I’m not sure I’ll need to do it again when the day comes. 

Add Ons: They had a $90 ticket option that included a fireworks dessert party. Some friends of ours did it, and it looked really cool. 

[twentysomethinginorlando]

Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Showcase 2018

New Post has been published on https://twentysomethinginorlando.com/fairy-tale-wedding-showcase/

Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Showcase 2018

Disclaimer before any of my relatives freak out: I am not currently engaged or planning a wedding, but I like research. 

A few months ago, the Disney Ever After blog announced the 2018 Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Showcase, a miniature expo designed to show off all the magical wedding options Disney has to offer. I read a few reviews of previous years and figured why not? It sounded fun. There were two ticket options- one that included just the Expo for $45, and one that included the Expo and a Happily Ever After dessert party for $90. I considered doing the dessert party, but we wound up deciding it made more sense to do the less expensive one, and buy a second ticket for Jay. 

Somehow, I didn’t think Duffy would need one. 

Before the Expo, they were having an Open House at the Wedding Pavillion at the Grand Floridian Resort. Neither of us were off work in time to make it, since we didn’t want to take the whole day off, but I really wasn’t concerned. I’ve wandered all over the Grand Floridian. If there’s nothing going on, you can literally walk right up to the Pavilion and stare in the glass doors. 

I did manage to get out of work early enough to get to the Contemporary Resort around 2:30 p.m., and Jay was joining me when he got off work at 3:15 p.m. The night before we had put together last minute Disneybounds, and I was super excited. I had my Meg dress and Wonder Woman boots on and he was going to be Hercules. (I would like to state for the record that this was another case of Jay saying no one would get it, and me proving him wrong, as multiple people told us how great we looked.) I got checked in and sat down to wait for the doors to open. The name tag was already falling off my dress; it wouldn’t stick, so I put it on Duffy instead. 

The doors opened about five minutes after three. The Expo was set up in the Fantasia ballroom with vendors up against the walls, and tables spread in the center. It was a really low lighting setup, which, from what I saw online, was different from previous years. I started to wander with no real plan in mind, after dropping off my raffle ticket. I didn’t want to talk to anyone until Jay arrived, so I focused on taking photos and somehow found myself in line for raw cookie dough. Pretty awesome line to accidentally wind up in! 

The room was divided into four themed sections: Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Tangled, and Classic Fairy Tale. Basically, what this meant were there were four decor examples scattered about the room, in addition to the light projections on the walls and the Cinderella Coach. 

I had read online about spa treatments so I wandered over to the Senses booth. They were doing mini facials and make-up as samples of what you could have done for your wedding. I figured I’d save that for last since I didn’t want to mess up the make-up I was already wearing before pictures. 

The well has actual running water!

I wandered around a bit more before heading out to wait for Jay. I didn’t want to miss anything but being by myself just felt awkward, and trying to handle the backpack, camera, and Bear all at once was getting tricky. I had jumped in line for the bar but realized I didn’t have a hand to find my ID with. Thankfully, he wasn’t far away, and arrived about ten minutes later. We checked him in and grabbed his wrist band. I proposed starting with the alcohol and then working our way around the room in a circle, and he agreed. 

There was the big open bar with the wine options, and a smaller table to one side with shot glass samples of mixed drinks. I grabbed the “Cinderella’s Glass Slipper”, which was a blue drink with vodka. Jay got the pink mai-tai since he prefers rum, and then we both jumped in the line for wine. One of the men pouring the drinks explained that all the drinks had ties to Disney. Some were from family wineries with Disney connections, including one owned by Lily’s family, and others were from Disney properties like Skywalker Ranch. My favorite was the Fairy Tale Cuvee Champagne, which is apparently created exclusively for Disney weddings. There were no limits on how much you could have, and I noticed they were filling Jay’s glasses higher than they were filling mine. To be fair, I was carrying a Duffy Bear. I had two glasses and he had three, the first time through the line, and we went back twice. 

Rather than going to the next booth, we crossed the room to start our loop next to the stage at the cake displays. Not intentionally because we wanted cake or anything. They had about seven different pictures of cakes, and four or five on display. I don’t understand how anyone eats something so pretty! We waited our turn for samples. You got to choose what cake base you wanted, and then the icing. I got Marble with Cookies and Cream, while Jay opted for Chocolate with Churro icing.  

I have long said the only things I care about with a wedding are the cake, the dress, and the photos, so I jumped in line to talk to cake artist. He explained that all the cakes are three tiers and they feed about fifty people. 

“That’s great. Now can you make it look like him?” 

I held up Duffy.  

Apparently, they aren’t allowed to do actual Disney characters because they’d never get them 100% right and Disney wants them to always look perfect. I’m very curious about the chocolate Chip and Dale on the table then, but that’s fine. He suggested making the cake look like Duffy’s fur, and I asked if ears could go on it too. The answer was yes! 

The next booth was a bunch of food samplings. They had chicken pot pie, Sheppard’s pie, mac and cheese, and something with fish. I grabbed the chicken pot pie and glared at Jay as he got the mac and cheese. Stupid dairy allergy. (For the record, I acknowledge chicken pot pie is likely not dairy free, but I can do it in small doses. Cheese is about the worst thing on the planet for a Chelsea.) 

The next table had a painter who apparently can be on site for the ceremony or reception, and paints as the day goes on for a memorable keepsake. Sounds awesome, but we kept walking and trying to balance our food to eat it. The next booth was all food as well, but for some reason it was all cauliflower themed. While I understand they were trying to be different… cauliflower? Jay doesn’t eat vegetables in general, but even I won’t touch cauliflower. We moved on. 

Next to the cauliflower food booth was the beautiful Tangled wedding display table, complete with Snuggly Duckling sign and chocolate frying pans. Out of all of the décor sections, Tangled was definitely my favorite. It looked the most like the movie. 

The next table was actually more in the middle of the floor than on the sides like everyone else. They had a frame photo prop like you see in the parks with Photopass, and we stopped to see what the deal was. There were two different kinds of cameras on the table from HP Sprocket. Essentially, they’re modern versions of the Polaroid camera and you can have them out for guests to document the wedding day. They took our picture with the photo frame and it printed out as a sticker.  

Apparently, this was the photo section because the next area was a display of different photo offerings. We skipped that. There’s not really anything Disney can tell me about photo printing other than prices, but there were some beautiful options. 

We couldn’t figure out what the next booth was, so Jay jumped in the long line while I went to find out. It was a virtual photo booth, sort of like a second generation to a green screen. Instead of a traditional photo booth with a background, they had different options you could choose from. For the Expo, they had all four parks represented in about twenty options. Normally your guests would have four photos to choose from, that you picked out ahead of time. They promised me they could get the Jungle Cruise. I actually picked one that wasn’t from any of the parks but seemed the most fitting. 

Now we were back at the doors and moved over to what was probably the first booth most people hit, the Honeymoon planning service. I talked to the girl for a minute. She herself had gotten married about a year ago, and now was getting to help other people. 

The next booth was for Vero Beach, the resort about two hours south of Orlando that everyone forgets about. They also do weddings there, and had their actual wedding planner at the Expo. She explained both the indoor and outdoor venue options, and handed me what was probably the thickest packet of information I got all day. 

We spent a long time talking to Alex at the Disney Cruise Line section. He was super informative and didn’t mind taking the time to answer all my questions. Disney Cruise Line weddings are surprisingly some of the most affordable Disney weddings, with the basic package starting right at $3,000 for up to eight guests. However, they are some of the most limited. Where the sky is the limit of what options you want at a Walt Disney World wedding, the Cruise Line weddings have a set number of options. I was told I could bring all my Duffys though, as my own decorations, so there’s that at least. (His eyes got a little wider when Jay mentioned there are fifty of them.) 

Disney Springs had the next table, most importantly with chocolate samples from the Ganachery as examples of add-ons you could do for your guests. 

The next booth was a display from Themes Come True, which is a service that provides anything printed you could possibly need for your wedding. I should have taken more pictures but the graphic designer in me was too busy geeking out. They had everything from Haunted Mansion Stretch Room invitations to programs that looked like park Times Guides. 

We had made it back to where we started and jumped in line for our second pass at the bar before we headed past the spa booth to another food station. 

This food station was slightly less strange than the cauliflower one, but I’m still surprised by the choice. Given I haven’t actually been to that many weddings, but soup just doesn’t seem like something you were serve, much less in little goblets. Jay got a sampling of one that I honestly don’t remember what it was, but it was frozen with nitrogen. They had four options and it all looked fancy- I’m just not a soup person. 

We had reached another decor section, this time dedicated to Snow White. There was a wishing well with actual running water and a beautiful table of red roses and mirrors. Next to it was the Zales Jewelry table with samples of their Enchanted Jewelry collection. It was all super pretty, but none of it seemed wedding themed, unless maybe it’s for the bridesmaids or to go with the dress? One of the women asked who my inner princess was and I said, “Wonder Woman.” Somehow, I don’t think that was the answer they were looking for. 

The final food station was the one I had hit first, the cookie dough. They had four flavors to try in a cup or a cone, and it  was all oat based, whatever that means. (It did feel a lot thicker than the Wonderland Cookie Dough that I’m used to.) We went back for seconds, thirds in my case. 

Around the cookie dough was the Beauty and the Beast section covered in red roses and gold accents, complete with Cogsworth. 

Next to the stage was another cake display, this time modeling Disney’s famous projection technology. They took the magic they use to project pictures onto Cinderella Castle and scaled it down for a wedding cake. It’s gorgeous. 

At some of the tables in the center of the room, they had Disney wedding consultants on hand to meet with couples to discuss their plans. Jay and I didn’t want to waste their time, but it had only taken us about an hour and twenty minutes to get all the way around the room. There were still raffles left, so I certainly wasn’t going anywhere. We took a few more passes at the food booths and found someone to take our picture together in front of the Cinderella Coach.  

Jay told me to go see about the facial while he took pictures, so I headed back to the spa booth only to find out you had to sign up and the list was a mile long. I’d really like to know why I wasn’t told that the first time I came by, or I would have signed up then. So, no facial for Chelsea. 

They announced the final raffle at 5:15 p.m., a two-night hotel stay for two. We hung around another half an hour or so hoping the spa would get to me, but no such luck. 

This was the first time I’d been to the Disney Wedding Showcase. I did read a few reviews of previous years, so it seems like they cut some things for this year, including the two classes they offered in the past. I definitely feel like there wasn’t enough to do for three hours, but I also didn’t meet with one of the planners to see how much time that would eat up or go over to the Open House at the Grand Floridian, although it started at 2 p.m. instead of 3 p.m., like the Showcase. I got a good feel for how expensive a Disney wedding can be, but I never saw a price in writing for anything. 

Well, that’s not entirely true. I never should have seen pricing. They didn’t have printed prices to hand out, but I found what I think is a Cast Member’s cheat sheet that they dropped with the exact pricing of the decor spreads. I’m not going to publish that information online, but feel free to email me at Chelsea@TwentySomethingInOlrando.com or message me on the Twenty Something in Orlando Facebook page and I’ll be happy to answer your questions as best I can. 

Honestly, I didn’t learn a whole lot that I couldn’t have found out on Disney’s wedding website. Seeing the stuff in person was way more fun, however and we got lots of free samples. A photo sticker, a digital photo with the background, chocolate, cake, food, and more. Plus, I’m fairly confident we each drank more than $45 worth of alcohol, at least at Disney pricing. It was definitely a cool way to spend an afternoon. 

Cost: $45 flat per person. 

Duration: The Showcase lasted three hours, but we could have left in two. We did skip the Grand Floridian Open House that would have added more time. 

Value: A lot of fun and pretty informative. I highly recommend it if you are planning a Disney Wedding, but I’m not sure I’ll need to do it again when the day comes. 

Add Ons: They had a $90 ticket option that included a fireworks dessert party. Some friends of ours did it, and it looked really cool. 

Stay up to date on all things Twenty Something in Orlando by subscribing to our newsletter or joining the Fan Club on Patreon! You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram!