QOTD 1: I am one of those who loves the WS. It's just a little snippet of other cultures all in one circular mile. I like interacting with the cast members from the different countries and seeing what they miss about their homes or love about America, etc. I've experienced all the set attractions but haven't seen all of the entertainment. I've been at Christmas, Food & Wine, and when there wasn't any festival (which I feel like it's going to a place where soon there will
always be a festival). I'm going to experience my first International
Festival of the Arts and Food & Garden next year and I'm so excited about those as well! It's on my bucket list to actually visit every country that is represented in the WS
For Maelstrom vs FEA, I only rode Maelstrom once. The first time I visited WDW I didn't even know it existed (I was a young, naive teen on a band trip), the second visit is when I rode it, and by my third visit it was closed. I liked it and I miss that it had a little more thrill than FEA and was also had a much shorter wait! I also have only ridden FEA once and I'm glad I've experienced it but I'm not in love. I think the queue is lovely and I enjoy Frozen but I would rather use a FP on Test Track or Soarin'.
My favorite pavilion varies. I do love Canada because I think it's beautifully done with the garden and the waterfall. If I want to just find a peaceful spot to hang out, I like the back area of the UK pavilion with the garden there. Morocco has a unique feel- it's one where if I'm in the back alleys, it feels like I could actually be in a Moroccan market place and I love that.
I think Illuminations is great and I try to see it at least once every trip. I like the holiday Peace on Earth tag, especially, and I listen to that soundtrack every holiday season.
QOTD 2: As I am incredibly lazy, I have a lot of quick meals up my sleeve. My favorites right now are a simple turkey sandwich on a Flatout low carb bread with some veggies and fruit on the side (maybe some low fat chips if I have the points). We also love to make our own WW friendly pizzas using Flatouts, pizza sauce, low fat mozzarella, and turkey pepperoni. For eating out, Chick Fil A and Panda Express are two of the places that have really good low-point options. Panera actually has a lot of fairly high point options so it isn't the easiest to eat when you're low on WW points. I also keep at least two pounds of pre-cooked shredded chicken in my freezer so that I can quickly defrost it and do something with it- chicken tacos, season it for a salad, quesadillas, etc. That's been really helpful to have around.