Long ago I hadn’t written a journal about my adventures, the very last one had been of my trip to NordicFuzzCon / Texas Furry Fiesta 2020, that was at the edge of the beginning of the pandemic, I remember we were even talking about it and we were wishing it didn’t arrive to our countries, we had no idea what was about to come and how long it was going to last.

I’m glad we’re going back little by little, and that events are coming back, that we can meet our friends from other countries and hug fursuiters again. I was missing all that so much.

Furry Weekend Atlanta 2022 was my first convention of the year, but not the post-pandemic one, I had attended last year BLFC, Anthro Northwest and MFF. I couldn’t make a journal about those conventions, I remember those times like extremely busy ones, the busiest times I’ve probably had, and I was even traveling all around and trying to catch everything, using my tablet as laptop and being very stressed. So one of my resolutions this year was organizing my times, not overworking, having everything on time without rushing nor stressing. It has been working, despite my queue is still increasing and sometimes I still can’t say “No” to some works, especially from characters I know I will enjoy to work on. But I will keep trying my best to clear my queue to not overwork anymore else.

I decided to write a journal about this trip because FWA was not my only stop, I also went to my first Disney Cruise and also to Orlando parks with friends. I was with Flurrabell, KOIDELCOYOTE, Kazan and Star. At first, this trip was only about going to the Disney Cruise, but then it happened that FWA was just a weekend later, so we decided to make the trip longer, and to add Orlando parks to our schedule.

Disney Cruise

I will just tell my review of being in a cruise by this giant company of the Mausie’s millionaire cousin, more than telling day by day what I was doing there.

One of my other resolutions this year, that was fulfilling successfully, was losing weight. I already lost 13 kilograms (28 pounds), by a better diet and of course doing exercise. But since the first moment we boarded the ship, and we went directly to the lunch buffet, I knew that diet was going to be ruined. Not just everything looked tasty, it was really tasty, I can’t tell something that was just “okay” or “not good”, everything I tried was excessively good, including deserts, even I’m not someone of eating too much sugar. Also their coffee was really good (I’m such a coffee drinker at any time even if it is hot). What made me very sad was seeing that everyone was serving food in their plates like tomorrow will never come, and wasting too much food because of course nobody was finishing what they served. I don’t know if it is something cultural from my country but I had never seen such a thing. It is understandable that we want to try a little of everything but I was used that people served just what they know they will eat. At least for me that part was kind of depressing, and I preferred to not focus on that and just enjoy my food, because it was delicious!
But back to the good news, I was surprised how even fruit was always fresh and sweet, I don’t know if they were selecting only the best fruits for the ship, and I don’t know how the heck they do to serve fresh fruit even in the very end of the trip after 4 days on the sea.
Dinner was always the best part, instead of buffet, it was a selection of gourmet dishes, it was a feast to the mouth.

At first, I thought a cruise was not going to be my thing, because I usually don’t go out of vacations to relax, if I want to relax, I prefer to stay home, I usually enjoy a lot exploring new places and having new experiences. But a Disney Cruise is something else, it is not just being locked in a 5-star hotel, it is to do lot of fun stuff in the ship. The theater plays were incredibly well produced like if I was seeing a Broadway show. We could find Disney characters in the ship and interact with them (not hugging them yet, tho), that is always a highlight for me when I go to Disney parks, because characters performances are very admirable, I always end up very inspired of performing as well as them when I’m in fursuit. There was a water slide in the ship, that, it was cute and very calm down, not very extreme, but the scenery from that tube was amazing. Also seeing lot of Disney art all over the place was great.

But definitely my highlights were the two stops the ship did. One of them was to Nassau, capital city of Bahamas. Very beautiful town, so colorful. We got to walk all over not even knowing where the heck we were going, but it was cool to walk around the city of a new country I had never been before.

The second stop was even cooler, it was the Disney’s private island, with bunch of things to do. There were two amazing water slides that I will always remember, I’m so much of going to thrilling rides that are very fast and those small slides have exactly that, I got to use them as many times as I could. And also we rented a pair of bicycles, that probably was my favorite part of the trip. Riding bicycles is one of my favorite activities, and doing it while I’m seeing great sceneries around it is one of those greatest things in life, I’m sure that’s something I will miss of being alive.

Among other things we got to do during the cruise was taking a class of How to draw Pluto, I think I’m such a cheater because I already know how to draw, but it was fun anyways. We also took some fursuit photos in the stateroom (since we couldn’t go out in fursuit in the ship). I tried the best lasagna bolognesa ever. I bought an expensive cocktail just because it included a straw with Remy (from Ratatouille), I didn’t even pay attention what the cocktail was, I just ordered it to get that straw. We got to dance in a silent disco, with headphones choosing our own channel of music, too much fun. Also working out with an amazing view to the ocean! Totally recommendable to do!

Now I can say that going in a cruise is not my favorite kind of vacation, I still prefer to be spontaneous and to explore all over; but it was a really great experience and I’m glad I got to live it, and as a big Disney fan, I was fanboying too much all time. So even if you don’t like cruises, but you’re a Disney fan, definitely recommendable to live it at least once. Especially for how amazing sunsets look on the sea, it may sound cheesy but it makes you drop some tears of happiness, and makes you thank to this life for being part of this world.

Orlando Parks

Not my first time at Disney Parks, I had been a couple of times before. My first time going to Disney Parks were in 2018, when I got to be Guest of Honor of Megaplex 2018, something that I’m still very grateful with all of them for being so nice with me during that convention.

For sure are very expensive! It was not a very casual decision to extend our vacations to go to parks, that was the reason why I opened for some commissions at the beginning of April.
We went to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

At Epcot we could try the new Ratatouille’s ride, which was amazing, I really loved it! A problem I was having especially this time at the parks, it was too hot outside and the indoor rides were not having regular air conditioner, they were having freezers!! And that change of temperatures were affecting me and I thought I was going to get sick, fortunately Flurrabell got some medicine for me and I could get better.

At Hollywood Studios I got to check for first time the Star Wars land, and also that new Mickey and Minnie ride that was very lovely. I still have that song from that ride stuck in my head. 🎵Nothing can’t stop us now! 🎵

Parks I had never visited before were the two Universal Studio parks. Rollercoasters there are amazing! From all my time in Disney parks I was missing something thrilling and extreme. Velocicoaster, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure and Hulk were my favorites. But I got to the conclusion that… I like more Disney parks for how cute everything is, how inspiring those parks are and to see the amazing performances by the Disney characters. But Universal’s rollercoasters are way better. I can’t say the same with the rest of rides from Universal, most of them were 3D rides that pretend you are in a rollercoaster, at first that was so cool, and actually the Ratatouille’s ride at Epcot is that, but at Universal 80% of the rides were that.

Furry Weekend Atlanta

But then it was already time for FWA!! My very first Furry Weekend Atlanta ever! Also my first time in Atlanta. (Being at the Atlanta’s airport doesn’t count)
Flurrabell and I arrived very late to the convention, it was already Friday when we arrived, I was speechless how amazing that hotel’s atrium looks, it’s very tall and impressive!
I slept a couple of hours and just waking up I was already in the Artist Alley taking commissions, so I had no time to even check the convention when it was already starting.

I didn’t announce anywhere I was attending FWA, I completely forgot about it, so I didn’t fill out my queue immediately as it usually happens at other conventions. There were some people who saw me in my table and asked shyly if I still had some slots, and I was doing nothing or I had only taken 1 or 2 by the time. Actually I filled completely out at the almost end of the convention. It was more relaxing to me to have not too much work and take more calm on each commission I was doing there.

I’m not a party boy but this convention I decided to go to some parties, which was very fun. Also I got to be at the dances in fursuit. I got to see people I had not seen in years, as well as people I was not expecting to see there which were very wonderful surprises. We got to talk very briefly with El Ranno, which was guest of honor that convention and he’s an artist I admire a really lot.

I got to see many people that I’m not going to risk myself to mention them, because I’m sure I will forget someone. Well okay, I will mention some few, but be aware I may forget to mention you, I’m sorry in advance, hehe. I got to see Scuffles, Nican, Mippt, Nic, Lava, Cross, Jano, DTZ and his beautiful new fursuit, Jib Kodi, tavimunk, Hiyu, Waffles (the blue raccoon, hehe, now I know many Waffles), Sentri, zipfox, zilchfox, Kipper, Plant Panda, Blazey… and way more!!

It was a fun convention, it was cool to be there for first time, everything was completely new for me, so it was a really good re-introduction of conventions for this year.

Brief Day in Atlanta

Advantage that our flight was late night on Monday is that we could spend a day more in Atlanta, since I had never been there, it was cool to know very briefly the city, or at least the tourist traps, like the two places we went: The World of Coca-Cola and the Atlanta’s Aquarium.

I like drinking Coke, since the last year I’ve been only drinking Coke Zero, because I got worried about drinking too much sugar but at the same time I can’t get rid of drinking it. I don’t consider myself fan of the brand as I know many people are, I just like the flavor of it (it is so strange for me the idea of being fan of a brand, but well, I’m Disney fan, I think that counts, anyway).

I had heard very recently the history of the Coca-Cola and I thought it was very interesting, so I was very excited that I was going to the city were the Coca-Cola was born and see all those things with my own eyes. But it was kind of disappointing to be honest, more than a museum of the brand, was more like a big advertising for the brand, telling us how the brand has given happiness to the world and showing why they are so cool. There was a brief history of it, but it was not too deep, and the format of the displays were kind of weird, not very comfortable to check around and read. The interesting part of the place was to try all the different types of soda from all over the world, there were very interesting ones, some others were disgusting, but that was also part of the experience. And after trying so many flavors of sodas, I can say that definitely the best one is Coca-Cola, and not because they brainwashed me. I truly don’t drink sodas at all than Coke. When I’m at a restaurant I usually order coffee, Coke or just water.

Definitely the Aquarium was 100 times better than the World of Coke, that’s for sure! It is a very impressive huge aquarium, they had sharks, shark whales, giant manta rays, otters, penguins, scary spider crabs, and a very cool dolphins show.

Also it was so cool to walk on a park that was dedicated to the Olympics from 1996. Those were the very first Olympic Games I have in my memory. I had born when the Barcelona ones but I was 3 years old when those happened, I have no memory of them. But the Atlanta’s ones I was 7 years old. So bad there are no souvenirs from those games anymore, hehe. I would have bought something from the weird Izzy mascot they had, just because memories.

But the real experience from the trip was about to happen and I was not aware of it!
We had checked our bags in the hotel’s bell desk, so we could walk all over Atlanta with no rush. At the time we went to pick them up it was already 7pm, our plan was going from the hotel to the metro station through the indoors Peachtree Center, that was very convenient to walk over some blocks of downtown without going out the streets at all. But at the time it was already closed, so we had to walk out the streets, while some hobos were asking us for money. When we arrived to the station, we went down the escalators and oh surprise! Those gates for the station were closed! So we had to find another entrance, fortunately it was crossing the street.
I need to mention that the subway station is very underground, like if you were going down to hell, and that exact time of the day the escalators for going down were off, and we were carrying each one a very heavy suitcase, a very heavy carry on, a very heavy messenger bag and a very heavy backpack. While we were in the half way of the stairs I was feeling I was about to give up and loose the big suitcase, but that would have caused an accident not only for my suitcase, but there were more people going down, so I took strength and concentration and I made it to the end of the stairs. I think I had never sweated as much as I did at that moment, not even when I’m in fursuit. Definitely not a recommendable experience, I wish nobody this, but for sure an experience now I get to talk about.

We had many layovers, more than I would have wished for, I just wanted to go back home, it was a flight Atlanta – New Orleans – Houston – Guadalajara. But well, the price for traveling cheap instead of searching for direct flights.

It was definitely a trip I wanted to share with the people who read my journals, or at least for myself to leave my memory on the internet data base. But if you are reading until this point, say Quack on the comments, because ducks are cool.

My next convention is BLFC in some few weeks, yaay! But it is one of my few conventions I’m planning this year, next one after that one is my local one: Confuror, in Guadalajara, Jalisco. México.

Thanks for reading this journal, I wish you all the best, and give you virtual panda hugs, with hope that those hugs turn real!

If you want to check some photos I took during this trip:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ka7j5envroer1gz/AABeNhRWJ8lrYW3eav2sglUfa?dl=0