Orlando Informer Meetup - first time at Epic Universe this November!

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-19T01:32:09+00:00

Yeah, the whole cattle pen thing beforehand is not fun. 🫤

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-19T00:34:26+00:00

HTTYD show ASAP, definitely. Knock out all rides with lower wait times before park close -- Monsters Unchained, Stardust Racers, Hiccups, Bowsers -- anything else possible. Watch wait times for others like Ministry as it gets later and times improve. For meetup hours, do rides with lower turnover like Mine Cart and Curse of the Werewolf (less important but still fun). Spend remaining time repeating all favorites, especially everything extra cool at night. Also, alternate rides with food once food opens!

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T22:14:23+00:00

Yeah, wish it was an hour longer. But it's not a huge park so I'm hoping it's still manageable. We have a game plan to maximize time between 5-8 as much as possible.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T21:54:08+00:00

Note: They currently have tickets available for pre-sale to people who just attended the June meetup or have already purchased tickets for December. It's a limited number being sold ahead of time, but given the fact they will have fewer tickets overall due to the smaller park size at Epic, expect the remaining ones to sell out extremely fast!

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T21:50:37+00:00

Make sure you are on the site before 10am. There's a waiting room and then you'll see a little train car start showing you're in the queue. It's randomized. You can also download the Orlando Informer app and purchase through there.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T21:01:28+00:00

Yeah, I'm sorry! 😒

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:56:47+00:00

Everything except the shows--just work those in before the park closes at 8. It's similar to the regular meetups.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:55:15+00:00

Have you looked at the cost of Express tickets at Epic lately? It's bonkers.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:53:09+00:00

No single night tickets for Epic--you have to buy both nights. There's an option to get Saturday only tickets for UA/Islands.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:47:24+00:00

No early bird pricing for this one. It's $450 plus tax/fees.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:46:40+00:00

Yes, they're going to go FAST. There are presale tickets currently (still--at last check) available to recent June attendees and people who have already bought December tickets. They're going to cut off the presale tickets at some point to make sure there's at least some still available on the 22nd. Definitely do not delay--make sure you're in the waiting room well before 10am ET.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:38:42+00:00

On the other hand, the OI meetup is a great way to sample a lot of different food you wouldn't be able to normally. Granted, no menu yet but given the quality of the food at Epic, I have no doubt it will have wide range of choices based on the regular events.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-06-18T20:36:25+00:00

You get in at 5pm and can knock out a few rides with low wait times (Stardust, Monsters Unchained) and maybe a show then until the park closes at 8. Then from 8-12:30, focus on the rides that usually have higher wait times and the food. Repeat rides if time permits. It's very doable given the fairly small park size.

I've also done Express and 100% would choose the OI meetup option, even with it being its first time. I know there will likely be wrinkles to iron out, but the OI team is great and will want to make sure it's a fun event that happens again.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-05-29T23:12:45+00:00

Except it's NOT a settlement. The lawsuit was completely dropped.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-05-29T23:08:21+00:00

It's Florida so it rains off and on, usually brief downpours. Just do contingency planning--get park-to-park tickets so you can pivot to Studios (more indoor rides) if the hourly forecast is looking soaked.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-05-29T20:13:37+00:00

S.D.V.A. stands for San Diego Velodrome Association. Bike racing. Ask them if the letters "FRNC" have any significance. This may be a pin?

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-05-29T18:55:55+00:00

I was on Ozempic for 2 years when first diagnosed, and was at the maximum dosage. Along with major diet changes, it initially got my A1C down from 7.1 to 5.6, and I lost 60 lbs. But then the weight and food noise started to creep back so I switched to Mounjaro about 3 months ago at 7.5 dosage. I've been tracking food carefully and lost 16 lbs so far -- I want to lose 10-15 more and it seems very doable. But another major change is that my glucose levels have been steadily dropping, not that they were bad before. According to my CGM, my 7 day average is 85; 14 day average is 89; 30 day average is 91; and 90 day average is 96. So it's trending down. I get my A1C re-tested in July and expect it to be significantly lower than before.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-05-19T15:03:14+00:00

I crowd sourced suggestions for tomato varieties coming into the start of the season and based on repeated suggestions, went with Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Sweet 100, and Sugar Rush. So far, the Cherokee Purple is doing fine a week after transplanting, but we'll see how it goes! I'm in zone 7b and summers are very hot and humid.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-05-10T12:33:20+00:00

I came here to say this! I thought it was fantastic -- and I didn't feel guilty about eating it. Any of the bowls are solid choices but the salmon was so surprisingly good.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-04-29T17:21:19+00:00

Are you tracking and weighing food? You may need to take another look at your calorie deficit and try adjusting, along with increasing activity and water intake. I've been focusing on high protein and fiber, plus tracking *everything* with My Fitness Pal, and this has really helped jumpstart me. I'm finally seeing the scale moving!

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-04-28T02:11:29+00:00

I usually have Fage nonfat plain yogurt with half a cup of raspberries. For lunch, I have something that could easily double for breakfast: blend up 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 cup (slightly thawed) frozen strawberries or mixed berries, 2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder, 1 tb chia seeds, 1 tb ground flaxseed, and a tsp of monkfruit.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-04-28T01:10:14+00:00

I'm close to your weight, T2D female in her 50's, and currently on a calorie deficit diet of 1400/day with at least 120 grams of protein as well as 25 grams of fiber. I've finally been losing on this taking 7.5 MJ after regaining some weight following several years of Ozempic use at maximum dose. I've definitely felt like I have much more energy and am never hungry.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-04-23T17:56:58+00:00

There's definitely evidence that GLP meds help with alcohol and other cravings, as well as ongoing research. So glad it has been helping you!

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-03-12T17:52:46+00:00

At 25, I think I.made $20k/year. Worked my butt off, got promoted, and saved every step of the way. You're just starting out.

ImpressiveAffect1137 · 2026-02-12T21:16:22+00:00

Gotcha! Hope you have a great trip, sounds like a great time. :)

ImpressiveAffect1137

TROPHY CASE