WolfieG

Thank you GodAtum! Don't worry there will be more in this TR. I think it is just my luck .

WolfieG

After a restful sleep, I woke up at about 6:30AM, ready to hit the ground running to go to the Magic Kingdom again! I took a shower, got ready in the usual way, called my mom, and had breakfast. By about ten to eight, I was ready to head downstairs to catch a shuttle to the Magic Kingdom! The shuttle arrived about ten minutes later and by about 8:25AM, we arrived at the Ticket & Transportation Center. After that point, I boarded the Express Monorail, and once I passed through security and the turnstiles, which went smoothly, I made it just in time for the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show and I was elated! First, the Mayor of Main Street gave us a warm welcome!


He was followed by the Citizens of Main Street.

As the Mayor and The Citizens of Main Street were greeting us in song, Casey Junior pulled into the Main Street USA Station! At this point, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Snow White, Alice, The Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Chip and Dale, Princess Tiana, Anastasia, Drizella, and Rafiki joined in the Welcome Show!


As always, the Welcome Show makes me feel pumped for my day, as it always adds a wonderful dose of Disney magic! With the Magic Kingdom now open for the day, my first priority was to beeline to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as I did not have a FP+ and figured that going at opening would give me the next best chance of getting a chance to ride it. Thankfully, this proved to be true as by the time I arrived, the standby wait was a very reasonable 25-minutes. What's more, I even had time to appreciate the impeccably detailed waiting areas, which made me feel transported to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs world!


The line moved quickly and this was also helped by the many thoughtful details and interactive queue elements throughout, like an interactive game where you could wash jewels as if you were in the Seven Dwarfs Mine, which was a lot of fun and added to the story!


As I was waiting, I met a couple visiting from the Raleigh, NC area, who were very nice. They were happy to talk about their many visits to WDW, including as early as when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971! They love WDW a lot and said that over the years, it keeps getting more and more impressive! I told them that I absolutely agree and that WDW definitely knows how to do park theming, as areas, like Fantasyland, which is one of my favorite land, has such immersive theming that you definitely feel like you are in the stories as opposed to just being in a theme park. After our wonderful conversation, we soon found ourselves onboard 7DMT about fifteen minutes later. Just like the first time I rode, I immensely enjoyed 7DMT's detail and its smoothness, which make it one of my favorite attractions. After that, I then rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh after a ten minute wait and enjoyed being a part of his adventures! After I exited The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, I was grateful that I rode 7DMT when I did, as by 9:38AM, the wait had increased from 25-minutes at opening to 60-minutes! After riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, it was time for a change of pace as I had a 9:10AM-10:10AM FP+ for Space Mountain. Once I passed The Mad Tea Party, I found myself crossing into Tomorrowland, as I could see the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover and Astro Orbiter.

I then arrived at Space Mountain at 9:40AM and I was able to walk right on.

Once I got in, I boarded my rocket and had a magical time blasting off into the galaxy! While I find it to be very bumpy and even a bit jostling at times, I find that you cannot beat Space Mountain's storyline and the twists and turns that hurtle you through space, making it one of my favorite attractions! Since it was nearing 10:00AM and I had an ADR at Be Our Guest for lunch at 10:30AM, I then decided to make my way back to Fantasyland. I then found myself back in Belle's Village, passing Enchanted Tales with Belle and Gaston's fountain.


It still was not quite time for lunch yet, so what better way to pass the time than enjoy an attraction? And what better attraction than Under the Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid, which is a lot of fun and also had a five minute wait to boot! Of course, I just had to stop and marvel Ariel's castle, which is absolutely impressive!

In addition, walking inside, I also loved the interior of the queue, which had an animatronic Scuttle trying his bestto tell the story of "The Little Mermaid," but ultimately forgetting the details. Nevertheless, I did not have much time to check it out, as I was onboard a clamshell within two minutes. As always, I enjoyed being a part of the story of "The Little Mermaid," hearing the classic songs, and the vivid animatronics, like Ariel and Ursla. While the ending portion of the attraction is a bit condensed, I love this attraction and since the wait was not long and I still had time until my ADR, how could I not ride again? Well, that was exactly what I did and I had a grand time!

With the time being around 10:20AM, I then headed back toward Belle's Village and stopped in Bonjour Village Gifts! I enjoyed seeing the diverse selection of "Beauty and the Beast" souvenirs, like a pretty realistic replica of Cogsworth . However, browsing the t-shirts, there was one t-shirt that called my name. It was a maroon t-shirt with Gaston with a beer mustache and a beer in hand, with "Cheers to me" written underneath. I loved it as it was funny and a wonderful depiction of Gaston. Checkout was friendly, smooth, and seamless and thanks to ApplePay, I was able to make the transaction very quick! At about 10:30AM, I arrived at the front of the castle, where Andrew from Orlando, who was very welcoming and eager to please, greeted me. He was able to pull up my ADR with no issue and I was giddy to be entering the stunning and jaw dropping Beast's Castle!


I then found myself inside The Beast's Castle, where another CM asked me if I wanted to check out the more detailed queue or bypass right to ordering my food. Not one to refuse taking in detail, I decided to check out the more detailed queue.

While I was waiting, I enjoyed the wisecracking banter of the animatronic knights, who definitely add to the atmosphere!

It was now my turn to order and while I cannot remember the CM's name, though it may have been Chris, I remember he was from Miami, FL. He was very friendly and efficient. While I was ordering my Nicoise Salad with tuna and no egg and a Diet Coke to drink, we had a pleasant chat about South Florida, as I love the area and he was happy to talk about it. He knew of Highland Beach, the area where my grandparents once had a winter condo, as he mentioned passing through it going to Boca Raton and Delray Beach, and said it is a marvelous area! I told him I absolutely agreed and hoped to be living in South Florida one day! He also invited his fellow CM to chat with us, as he was also from Miami. After our wonderful conversation and placing my order, I then received my rose, which would help the CMs find me when it came time to receive my meal. I first found myself in The Grand Ballroom, which was very elegant! In there, I was greeted by a friendly middle age female CM, who asked me where I wanted to sit? I told her that I had no preference and would be happy to sit anywhere. She invited me to stay in The Castle Gallery, as there were many seats available and she thought that I would like it. I was happy to accept her suggestion and at the same time, she also invited me to check out the restaurant, so I took some pictures, starting with The Grand Ballroom.

I finally arrived at The Castle Gallery, which was opulent and whimsical, with its figurine of Belle and The Beast dancing and paintings recalling the tale as old as time!

I then found a plush booth towards the rear of the dining room and settled there, ready to relax and tuck into my lunch after I got my beverage. A little later, I received my sumptuous lunch, which was delivered on one of The Beast's signature trolleys, making for an elegant delivery. I also had the pleasure of meeting a very sweet CM, whose name escapes me at the moment (but I remember it started with an I). However, I do remember that she was from the Dominican Republic. She could not have been sweeter and went to great lengths to make sure that my meal was fit for royalty! In addition, we also had a wonderful conversation about the Dominican Republic, as she was happy to tell me about what it was like and I shared about how I wanted to visit, as my friend/neighbor loves visiting the beach of Sosua, located near Puerto Plata and my Great Uncle's lady friend is from Santo Domingo, where this CM happened to be from. She said that both areas were beautiful and that when I have the chance, I should definitely visit them! Before she left, she took a wonderful photo of me and made sure all was well.

I then tucked into my sumptuous lunch, with moist, soft, and peppery seared tuna, crisp field greens, ripe tomatoes, salty and briny olives, and sweet peppers. The portion was not bad at all and while it seems a bit pricey compared to other quick service establishments at WDW, it was still an excellent value as the food was absolutely excellent!

After enjoying my exquisite meal, Chef Matt then came by to ascertain my satisfaction. I told him that everything was excellent and I also inquired if this was really quick-service food? I feel this way as I have noticed that Disney QS is definitely better than most fast food joints in the real world quality-wise and the only thing quick about it is the speed of service. Chef Matt was thankful for my comment and he told me that my observations were excellent, as WDW definitely tries to serve fresh and high quality food, as it adds to the experience. After conversing with Matt, I then left Be Our Guest, happily satisfied thanks to my excellent and filling lunch. Did Be Our Guest pass the test? They sure did and with flying colors to boot, as the service was top-notch and the food was delicious! After lunch, I headed back to Belle's Village, as I was hoping to meet Gaston. Well, I must say that no one is as popular as Gaston, as sadly, his meet and greet before I think about noon was already closed. Sandy, a very sweet CM from Clermont, FL, who was managing the line, agreed that there is no one as popular as Gaston and she felt bad, but I told her not to worry and that I would try to come back for Gaston's meet and greet at 1:30PM. She was happy about this and advised me to come back at around 1:00PM, as this would help me get a spot in line. I thanked her and made my way to Mickey's Phillarmagic, which is one of my favorite attractions.

After entering the theater with a warm welcome from Goofy and Minnie, my luck helped me to get a seat right in the center of the theater, making for a perfect view! While Donald Duck does try on Mickey's sorcerer hat even though he is told not to, I still kind of feel bad for him that it seems throughout the film, he almost the but of everyone's jokes. However, I love how well all of the classic Disney films, like "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," and "Peter Pan mesh together . Also, I love the sensory experiences, like when the wine bottles are uncorked while Lumiere is singing "Be Our Guest." Afterwards, I then rode Peter Pan's Flight after walking right on, thanks to my FP+ for 11:50AM-12:50PM and I had the pleasure of seeing Peter Pan battle the dastardly Captain Hook! Next, I visited the "Tangled" themed area, which has pretty cool theming, even though the area is not huge.




Next, I enjoyed a ride on Dumbo with a lovely family from Kentucky! Since it was getting closer to 1:00PM, I decided to make another attempt at meeting Gaston. Thankfully, luck was on my side as the line was not long at all and was not closed. Sandy, the CM who I meet earlier, mentioned that she was very happy to see that I made it back to meet Gaston. In addition to Sandy, I meet Jeff from Pompano Beach, FL, another CM who was managing the line. He said hello to me and the city on his nametag piqued my interest, as I have visited Deerfield Beach, FL, one town north of Pompano Beach twice in 2015. We talked about our love of these areas, as we both knew them well and Jeff was especially amazed by my knowledge of South Florida. After chatting with Jeff, I met an Australian couple about my age who were also visiting other U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Nashville and had a fun time! They said that they were having an amazing time and they said how much they love the theming of New Fantasyland. However, they wished that in addition to Gaston, they could add the Bimbettes as meetable characters. While I do not think it will happen, it would still be an amazing thing, even if they only did it on limited occasions. Hey, I could dream you know . Time flew and Gaston came to the meet and greet area and he was walking, he greeted everyone and even admired my shirt, which had Gaston on it by saying, "Like your shirt" and I was fan-girling inside. Since I had arrived early, my wait was not long at all and I soon had the pleasure of meeting the man himself! When I met him, he asked how I was doing and I told him that I was doing very well! He was very happy and being his pleasantly narcissistic self, he said that I was "the fourth most handsome guy in the world," as while looking toward his fountain with me, mentioned that he was the most handsome guy in the world. I was not at all offended, as considering the many gentlemen in the world, being in fourth place is not at all bad in my book! In addition, he also talked about how elated he was by my shirt, as I was wearing his likeness. In addition, we also showed off our muscles!

With Gaston's meet and greet being worth the wait as always, I was over the moon and since 2:00PM was nearing, I then made my way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, as I had a FP+ for 12:50PM-1:50PM. While I was a little worried that I would not have my FP+ as I was a little wait, based on reading Disboards and other forums, my worries went away as typically, there is a grace period for slightly late arrivals. Thankfully, after arriving at about 1:55PM, this proved to be the case as my MagicBand scanned with no problems and I was riding the wildest ride in the wilderness! Next, I wanted to see if Haunted Mansion had a long line, as I was interested in riding. Unfortunately, the standby wait was 45-minutes, so I passed since I figured the waits would decrease a little later. In the meantime, I got a photo of Liberty Square in its colonial splendor.

Where will I go next? Find out in my next installment.

-Check out my other TRs:
Enjoying South Florida in Summer! JFK-FLL and back in C+/Y August 2015
JFK-PBI and back in Delta Y January 2015
JFK-MCO on Delta in Y January 2014

WolfieG

While in Liberty Square, I decided to visit the Hall of Presidents, as I had heard good things about it and it had minimal waits. In the lobby of The Hall of Presidents, the colonial splendor of Liberty Square extended, thanks to the architecture and the portraits of various Presidents.


Finally, I had the chance to see The Hall of Presidents, which may not always be the most exciting attraction to some, but proved to be interesting for me, as I am a history buff and I am also into politics. Anyway, I enjoyed this attraction as not only did I get some time off of my feet, which were starting to get a little tired, it also was a nice overview of how the United States became the great nation that it is today throughout our history under many different Presidents. Also, the animatronics of all 44 Presidents and Morgan Freeman's narration definitely added to the attraction. While this may not be the most complex attraction, this is something that I would definitely see again. After visiting The Hall of Presidents, it was amazing to realize that so far, I had gotten a lot done and that the day was still fairly young, as it was nearing 3:00PM. Since I was still a little tired, I decided to take it easy for a bit and enjoy the Festival of Fantasy Parade again, which I enjoyed a couple of days ago thanks to its vivid and colorful floats, memorable music, and combination of classic characters! I sat somewhere near a bench in the middle of Liberty Square, which had the perfect vantage point of the parade. Once again, I had an awesome time enjoying the Festival of Fantasy Parade and I even got a good picture of the Maleficent float breathing fire.

After the Festival of Fantasy Parade, I then checked again to see if the wait for the Haunted Mansion had decreased, as I wanted to ride it. Thankfully, this proved to be the case as the standby line wait time had decreased from 45-minutes to 30-minutes.

Since the line was not too long, I took advantage of the opportunity and queued for the Haunted Mansion. Along the way, I had fun enjoying the humorous tombstones.

About fifteen minutes later, I found myself entering the stretch room, which made me even more excited to possibly be the one-thousandth happy haunt! About five minutes later, I boarded my doom buggy and enjoyed being spooked silly by the axe-wielding bride as well as all of the ghosts dancing and having a grand old time in the ballroom. What's more, "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" is such a catchy song! After riding the Haunted Mansion, I took a couple of pictures, including one of the tomb of Bluebeard and his seven loving wives as well as one of me in front of the Haunted Mansion thanks to a very funny Photopass CM named AJ from Orlando.


Not wanting to do too much, as the day was becoming a bit exhausting, I decided to take it a little slower, as I did not want to make myself too tired. With that in mind, I made my way over to Adventureland, as I wanted to see Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, as it is a classic yet relaxing attraction. I knew I had entered the tropics when I saw the queue, which included the exterior, with its thatched pagoda-like roof as well as the small and relaxing waterfall, graced by tiki figures.


About two minutes later, I was inside The Enchanted Tiki Room and enjoyed hearing Jose, Fritz, Pierre, and all of the tiki-birds, flowers, and tikis singing classics like "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room." While I was still quite tired, this attraction recharged me a little bit as I had a chance to sit down for a bit. Before I had planned on leaving the Magic Kingdom, as I had thought about getting dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill at the Grand Floridian, I decided to try a round of A Pirate's Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas as I had heard great things about it and wanted to try at least one interactive game on this trip. I made my way to the Cartography Shop, where I was assisted by Taylor, a bubbly young College CM from Texas. She gave me my talisman and assigned me Blackbeard's Adventure! Unfortunately, I had trouble with the game initially, as I was still very tired, which made me feel a bit foggy and as a result, it made it a little harder to decipher the stylized map and find the points needed to guide me through the game. Thankfully, CMs and other players were able to help me and find the first point for the sand dollar on Blackbeard's Adventure, which on a pole near Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. Thanks to all of the clues, it was a cinch to find Blackbeard's Treasure from that point on and I found it! After the game, I then thanked Taylor, who asked me if I enjoyed the game and I gave her a resounding yes, as it was a lot of fun! I would have played it again, but tiredness and hunger were still sapping my energy. Since I was near Pecos Bill, I decided to eat dinner there instead of going to the Grand Floridian, as it would be far easier and I enjoyed the food and service there when I dined there a couple of days back. Inside, I was greeted by Ed, the same CM who had helped me along with Benji, the Manager when I ordered my meal. Ed said that Benji was in a meeting, so he offered to due his best to help me order what I ordered just like the last time. This was a Chicken Fajita Platter with the plain rice being substituted for cilantro rice, no flour tortillas, and he also offered me two bags of tortilla chips which were corn-based on the side just like the time I was here two days ago (even though they normally cost extra on the menu), and advised that while my meal would take a couple of extra minutes to cook, this would be because he wanted to prepare the grilled chicken on a separate grill and with a fresh bag of spices, as he wanted to prevent cross-contamination. Also, I decided to try something different and ordered a Strawberry Slush featuring Odwalla, as I figured that would cool me down after the long day, as I felt a bit hot.

After I ordered my food, I found a table in the middle of the dining room, which was themed like a hacienda with terra cotta floors and warm colors. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal once again, as I found everything to be delicious, thanks to the grilled chicken being moist, juicy, and perfectly spiced, the rice was fluffy, the black beans were well cooked, and the tortilla chips offered on the side were crispy and pleasantly salty. I also enjoyed the sides I got from the toppings bar, like a balanced and not spicy tomato salsa, a slightly spicy salsa verde, a filling and slightly spicy corn salsa, and some salty shredded cheese, which I used to make makeshift nachos again! I also loved the Strawberry Slush, which was frosty and not too icy in texture and had the perfect balance of sweet and sour taste thanks to the strawberries. Overall, I felt a lot better thanks to this meal, as I was sated, refreshed, and not as tired as before. Since I did not plan on really doing anything as I was finished for the day, I decided to meet Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in Liberty Square, as I enjoyed watching "The Princess and the Frog" and had never met them before. Since they were meeting at about 6:00PM, I decided to join the line and meet them. About fifteen minutes later, I had the pleasure of meeting Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. They were absolutely wonderful, as Tiana was very sweet and exuded a true Southern charm and Prince Naveen was laid-back and a little comical. Princess Tiana first asked where I was from and I told her that I was from New York. Being a restauranteur, she asked me if the pizza in New York is as good as they say? I told her that the pizza in New York is as good as they say and she then asked what pizza toppings I like? I told her that I enjoy mushrooms. I asked Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen what toppings they like on their pizza and she said that she likes mushrooms, crushed flies, and a dash of Tabasco sauce while he said that he likes mushrooms on his pizza. We talked about our lives and I admired them, as I told Princess Tiana she is a lovely person and very hard working and I told Prince Naveen how he is loyal and laid-back. They were both thankful and Princess Tiana playfully teased Prince Naveen about someone admiring her hard work, but he took it in stride . Afterwards, we got a couple of wonderful pictures.


After our wonderful meet and greet, I told Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen that they could come visit me in New York anytime and that I would be happy to take them on a culinary tour of New York to try the many delicacies, including pizza. In return, they invited me to visit New Orleans anytime and that they would treat me to a meal fit for a prince (or king), including delicacies like etoufee, gumbo, and crawfish! I thanked them for this offer and our wonderful time together and bid them farewell, then making my way to the exit of the Magic Kingdom, after an exciting and magical day.

-Check out my other TRs:
Enjoying South Florida in Summer! JFK-FLL and back in C+/Y August 2015
JFK-PBI and back in Delta Y January 2015
JFK-MCO on Delta in Y January 2014

WolfieG

After a magical day at the Magic Kingdom, I figured that I would spend the evening in a more relaxing fashion. And what a better way to do that than enjoying some retail therapy at Disney Springs? With that in mind, I walked over to the Magic Kingdom monorail station, as a monorail was about to arrive and a resort monorail would enable me to get over to Disney's Contemporary Resort, where I would catch a Disney Springs-bound bus. Once I got on the monorail, it was a very quick ride and I was at the Contemporary Resort, where I was able to board a bus that was just departing for Disney Springs. Talk about perfect timing! Onboard, a middle-age woman named Karen along with her son Dylan, who were staying at the Bay Lake Tower, invited me to sit with them. I was very thankful and I enjoyed talking with her and her son, especially because I found out that they were from the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. This was amazing as while I am from Central Nassau County, I am very familiar with Brooklyn as I have many friends and family members living there, especially neighborhoods more south in Brooklyn like Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, and yes, Marine Park. Additionally, I also enjoy the borough itself. Karen also knew the area where I reside, as she has friends living near where I live. We both agreed that despite where they live and the surrounding area being physically further from Manhattan, they don't feel that far away as they are only about 40 minutes from Midtown Manhattan by subway or express bus. Also, we talked about the many great restaurants in their area that I have been to, like Mill Basin Kosher Deli and La Villa Pizza in Mill Basin, Roll-N-Roaster, an old-time roast beef sandwich fast food restaurant on Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay that dates back to 1971, Randazzo's Clam Bar, also in Sheepshead Bay, which serves seafood and red-sauce Italian, and Garguilio's in Coney Island for Italian. Next, Karen asked about how my travels from New York were and how I got to Florida? Coincidentally, we both left for WDW on the same day and both flew JetBlue out of JFK (talk about it being a small world). However, there were some differences. While I told her that I left on JetBlue 483, the 9:39AM flight to MCO, which was delayed an hour due to the rain and car accident outside Terminal 5 delaying everything, she and her son left on the 7:00AM flight to MCO. She said they left at about 4:30AM and had a very quick 20-minute drive from Marine Park via the Belt Parkway eastbound. She felt bad that I had a delay, but said that the rain delayed their flight slightly too. We then talked about our evening plans and Karen and Dylan planned to meet a friend of hers at Bongo's for dinner. I asked her how it was, as I had never been and she said that it was pretty good. I told her that I planned to shop and visit Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC for some gluten-free/egg-free treats. She loved my evening plans and we wished each other a good night, as our interesting conversation made the just-under 20-minute ride to Disney Springs fly! After disembarking the bus, I walked through the Marketplace section of Disney Springs, and I could not help admire that compared to my previous visits, I felt that the newer layout definitely took advantage of the lake's natural beauty!

I walked further, with the first stop of my journey being Erin McKenna's for some egg-free/gluten-free goodies to take back to my room for later. As I kept walking through The Landing section of Disney Springs, I loved the touches that made it have a small town feel, like the brick work and warm lighting.

I then entered Erin McKenna's a little before 7:30PM, which was vibrant, trendy, and old-school, with touches like white walls with red lips adorning the right side of the bakery, a pink wall adorning the rear wall, and old school globe lamps hanging over the display cases, with many tantalizing allergy-free and kosher treats!

With all of the different baked-goods available, my decision was tough. Ultimately, I was assisted by an enthusiastic male employee, who was happy to recommend a Chocolate and a Vanilla Cupcake, a Vanilla glazed donut, and a chocolate chip cookie. While I did not plan on eating all of the goodies immediately or even all of them on the same night, I was excited to try them, as I had fond memories of them in the past, as they tasted delicious and made it possible for me to have foods that I usually cannot eat due to egg and wheat allergies. After an excellent experience shopping at Erin McKenna's NYC, I then made my way over to World of Disney, where I planned to do more shopping. However, I could not help but stop for a band, who happened to be playing a very jazzy cover of "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" by Natalie Cole in front of Fulton's Crab House.

After enjoying some music in front of Fulton's, I then arrived at the World of Disney, which happens to be one of my favorite souvenir stores at WDW!

Once I arrived in World of Disney, I was in awe, as there were many types of souvenirs to look at as well as amazing theming throughout the store, including figures of various animated features. While I was browsing, my mom called me, as she was curious as to what I was up to? I told her that I was in World of Disney, looking at various souvenirs, like plush toys as well as dog toys. I told mom that I would call her back in a few minutes, as I wanted to take pictures of the dog toys and plush Mickey I found and what she thought. Ultimately, mom decided that of all the dog toys available (with a far better selection than my 2014 trip), she texted me that she liked the Minnie bow dog squeaky toys I found and a plush Mickey I found for her the best, so I decided to buy two Minnie bow dog squeaky toys (this was before we got Zaava, our third Affenpinscher in March) and a plush Mickey. When it came time to check out, I was assisted by Barb, a bubbly and efficient older CM from Neenah, WI. I told her that I was planning to use ApplePay to take care of my purchases. She said that while she has never used it, she heard that it works well as it is easy and tends to be more secure than using a credit card alone. In addition, she said that I was the first person who used ApplePay that year, which made me feel pretty special and in disbelief, as I thought that ApplePay would have caught on more by now. After a pleasurable transaction with Barb and a wonderful time at Disney Springs, I decided to head back to my room, as it was almost 9:00PM and I was beginning to feel tired again. After I arrived back at the Buena Vista Palace, I decided to unwind before bed by watching some Fox News and tucking into my treats from Erin McKenna's NYC. I enjoyed the chocolate cupcake, with a moist and fluffy center with a bold hint of chocolate as well as a velvety, sweet, and robust chocolate frosting and half of the chocolate chip cookie, which was pleasantly crumbly and had melty semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I did not try the other treats that night, as I did not want to get too much of a sugar rush, so I put the rest of the treats away. I then decided to lie down for a bit on the bed, as I was very tired, but I ended up falling asleep at about 10:30PM and I did not wake up again until 1:00AM the next morning. I woke up, realizing I forgot to brush my teeth, so I made sure to do that and then I went back to sleep shortly after, excited to be exploring the wilderness that day at Disney's Animal Kingdom!

-Check out my other TRs:
Enjoying South Florida in Summer! JFK-FLL and back in C+/Y August 2015
JFK-PBI and back in Delta Y January 2015
JFK-MCO on Delta in Y January 2014

GodAtum

I am shocked you travelled to Disney on your own, you are brave! I couldnt even imagine anyone doing that, as it might seem very lonely! I would feel out of place and a afraid I might be seen as a bit suspicious. But according to reddit, it seems ok as long as you arent a middle-age balding man with creepy mustache and a trench coat.

WolfieG

Thank you! Don't be shocked it is not a bad way to go. While it is nice to be able to travel with someone, going solo has it advantages, like being able to do things on your own clock and not having to rush. For me, the stimulation and meeting other people helps me not feel lonely. Of course it is OK to WDW as it is meant for everyone. You are too much GodAtum!

WolfieG

After going back to sleep waking up at about 1:00AM, I got to enjoy more shut-eye and I woke up again at about 6:00AM. After waking up, I got ready by brushing my teeth, taking a shower, getting dressed, and then having breakfast. I could not believe my last park day had arrived, as it was Thursday, January 14th, 2016, one day before I would return home to the real world. However, I knew it was going to be an awesome day, as I was looking forward to a wild time at Disney's Animal Kingdom and much later that day, I would be ending my trip with dinner at Cape May Cafe, where I enjoyed a wonderful seafood buffet dinner on my trip in 2014 and would enjoy once again! Once I was ready, I boarded a bus bound for Disney's Animal Kingdom at about 8:10AM and I was on my way. Thirty minutes later, I arrived at the Animal Kingdom. After getting my bag check, I did not have to go through the metal detector, as unlike my previous park days, I was not randomly selected. According to my camera's time stamp, I was at the front entrance by 8:42AM.

Since I was not in too much of a rush thanks to my first FP+ being at 9:20AM for DINOSAUR, I took it kind of slow, meandering through the many paths of the lush Oasis, with its flowing waterfalls and magnificent rock work. I first spotted some Black Swans and if I am not mistaken, Herons.


After exploring the Oasis, I made my way towards Discovery Island, where a perky CM named Andy from Orlando took this very nice photo of me in front of the Tree of Life!

After that, I then stopped by The Wilderness Explorers clubhouse, where a couple of very sweet and enthusiastic female CMs gave me all the gear I needed for my adventure, including my wilderness pin, my wilderness explorers book for collecting badges, and they also taught me the call of the wilderness, which was "Caw, Caw, Roar" as well as the hand sign, which was a W made with my fingers. Thanks to these lovely CMs, I was ready to join the ranks of Russell, Dug, and Carl from "Up" and earned my first badge, which was a Wilderness Explorer Call Badge!

After earning visiting The Oasis and becoming a Wilderness Explorer, my first stop was to go to the FP+ kiosk, as I wanted to change around a couple of my reservations in order to make the day even less rushed. Thanks to the assistance of a couple of chipper and helpful CMs, I was able to keep my Dinosaur FP+ for 9:20AM-10:20AM, but I pushed back my Kilimanjaro Safari FP+ from 11:10AM-12:10PM to 10:25AM-11:25AM. Finally, I decided to cancel my Flights of Wonder FP+, as I did not need it as it is able to accommodate a large number of guests at a time due to being a theater attraction, making FP+ not as needed in this case. Instead, I made my FP+ for Expedition Everest at 11:35AM-12:35PM, as it would allow me to ride Expedition Everest a second time!

In my Times Guide, I noticed that Dug and Russell from "Up" were meeting (how could I not meet the original Wilderness Explorers? Also, they were a lot of fun on my 2014 visit ), so I decided to make that my first stop of the day, as I was not in a rush and had at least twenty minutes until my first FP+. Along the way, I got a majestic picture of the Tree of Life!

In addition, I also found flamingos on Discovery Island, which in turn earned me a Flamingo Badge. Next, at about seven minutes after opening according to my camera, I arrived at the queue for Russell and Dug's meet and greet, which did not have too long of a line at all. A quick five minutes later, I had the pleasure of meeting Dug and Russell, who were a lot of fun and were honored to have me as a new Wilderness Explorer and hugged me as if I were an old friend!




What's more? Dug and Russell signed my Wilderness Explorers Handbook and to cap off our awesome meet and greet, we all made hand-gestures in the shape of the W for the Wilderness Explorers call (well, Dug could not, as he has paws, but his enthusiastic spirit was there nevertheless!)! After having a grand old time meeting Dug and Russell and still having about five minutes until the start of my FP+ for Dinosaur, I decided to pass the time by seeing It's Tough to be a Bug, as it is a lot of fun and had a mere five minute wait until the next show.

At the entrance of the queue, I could not help but notice that Adam, the CM positioned there, was from Mineola, NY. This was very intriguing as where he was from is only about ten to fifteen minutes west of where I live. When we started chatting, I mentioned that I know Mineola very well, as I have been there due to having friends living there and the fact that it is also the County Seat of Nassau County, NY. He told me that he knew where I live well too, as he knows that I am not far from many places for shopping and dining as well as Eisenhower Park. Adam told me that while there are things he misses about Long Island, he is glad to be working at Walt Disney World and is glad to be living in Florida! Time flew and before I knew it, he admitted me, along with some other guests into the base of the Tree of Life, where we would shrink down to the size of insects. While inside the Tree of Life, I could not help but admire the bug parodies of various musicals, like The King and I, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, and Annie!


We were then ushered into the theater, where Flik, the emcee, instructed us to don our bug-eyes (or whatever they call them) so we could become "honorary bugs." Once we completed this step, Flik introduced the show, along with his friends such as Chili, a tarantula and Clair de Room, a stink bug, who first showed us methods of how insects defend themselves. However, Hopper, the menacing and intimidating villain of "A Bug's Life," was furious that we were in the theater and in a sad but true fashion, educated us on how we perceive insects as monsters and resort to methods of control like spraying. At this time, I also moved a bit as while I don't mind the special effects like black widows coming down in the theater or the sensation of the fly swatters, the hornet stings are scary and poke quite a bit. Thankfully, Hopper was eaten by a chameleon and Flik came back, demonstrating how important insects are to society with a song performed by various insects and how important they are in society, like insects to pollinate flowers and remove waste. This is a message I can agree with, except for mosquitos, which seem like they are just there to bite. All in all, I enjoy seeing It's Tough to be a Bug, as it is funny, breaks the fourth dimension with its other effects, and has an excellent message in conveying that while insects may be small, they are undoubtedly important in the animal kingdom. After seeing It's Tough to be a Bug, I also stopped at the Wilderness Explorers station nearby, where I earned my insect badge. After this, it was time for my first FP+ at Dinosaur, so I made my way over to Dinoland U.S.A. and arrived there at 9:41AM.


I also walked the Cretaceous Trail, which had a larger-than-life and whimsical feel, thanks to its many knick-knacks decorating it, along with a dinosaur.


Finally, it was time to ride Dinosaur!

As I entered the FP+ line, an older female CM joked that I was perfect food for the carnivorous dinosaurs, as I was young and meaty! This made me feel a little apprehensive; as not unlike the Weird Al song "Jurassic Park," I was worried the carnivorous dinosaurs would harm me, as they sure don't act like Barney and they think that I'm their dinner, not their friend. Nevertheless, I was excited to help save the Iguanodon. I was onboard in less than five minutes, seated next to a couple of young ladies and we were off to help save the Iguanodon! I enjoyed the premise of this ride and did not mind the herky-jerky motions of the ride, as it made it all the more exciting in our escape from the carnivorous dinosaurs. Thankfully, I did not get eaten and in the gift shop, an older male CM, along with his younger female coworker, who were very funny, told me that I had two things in my favor. The first was that I did not eat BBQ, like Flame Tree, for breakfast, which meant that I did not smell of barbecue, which helped me not be detected as food. The second thing in my favor was that I was wearing a Who t-shirt from their 50th Anniversary Tour, which I saw at Nassau Coliseum in May 2015, as the dinosaurs love rocking out to Roger Daltrey (hey, who could blame them?). After joking around with these two CMs in the gift-shop, I was ready to take on more of the Animal Kingdom! I then decided to explore Dinoland U.S.A., which I find to be corny, but fitting with its carnival theme. My next plan was to ride Primeval Whirl, as while it is not the best attraction in my book, I still find it to be a lot of fun.

I waited about ten minutes and soon enough, I found myself riding Primeval Whirl. The turns are sharp and the ride is fast, but it is still a fun ride as it illustrates the history of the dinosaurs in a cool and fun way. By the time I disembarked, it was about 10:20AM, so I decided to ride Expedition Everest and explore Asia, as I was not that far away. According to my camera, I was nearing Expedition Everest at 10:28AM and seeing it in action got my adrenaline pumping!


Once at Expedition Everest, I joined the Single Rider Line and I was onboard in less than five minutes! I loved riding Expedition Everest, as I find it to be exhilarating and well themed, as the storyline of escaping the Yeti in the Himalayas makes the attraction amazing! What's more? When the attraction stops briefly, you have killer views of other spots on Disney Property and even a little bit of Downtown Orlando. Since the Single Rider Line was still open, I decided to ride again and had an amazing time once again! Since I still wanted to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris, I decided to explore Asia a little bit en-route and take in its immersive theming, which is reminiscent of nations in mainland Asia near the Himalayas, like India and Nepal.


On my way to Kilimanjaro Safaris through Asia, I was stopped in my tracks by some orangutans just hanging around!



After riding Expedition Everest, I was about to make my way to Kilimanjaro Safaris when suddenly; I was stopped in my tracks by a show I had never enjoyed before. The show that I was stopped by was Flights of Wonder and boy, did it live up to its name! I say this as I loved seeing how the birds, including an Owl, Bald Eagle, a Parrott, a Falcon, and a Macaw used their actual survival techniques and demonstrated their intellect. Also, the guides added to the show too as they were humorous and taught the valuable lesson on how every little positive thing we do for the environment helps to make it a better place to prevent the extinction of species. All in all, I thought that Flights of Wonder was a great show and I would definitely see it again the next time I visit the Animal Kingdom! Here are some pictures, as they are indeed worth a thousand words.









The day was still young and I was looking forward to doing more, including enjoying a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris!

-Check out my other TRs:
Enjoying South Florida in Summer! JFK-FLL and back in C+/Y August 2015
JFK-PBI and back in Delta Y January 2015
JFK-MCO on Delta in Y January 2014

WolfieG

Hello again everyone! Hope you have had a Happy Thanksgiving! I left off from my morning at Animal Kingdom, just having enjoyed Flights of Wonder and from that point on, I was on my way to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris.


I made it to Kilimanjaro Safaris and it was fairly busy, with a standby wait of 45-minutes at 11:25AM. Thankfully, my FP+ enabled me to board SIMBA-1, my safari vehicle in about ten minutes.


















After having a wild time riding Kilimanjaro Safaris, I then made my way towards the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and before that, I visited the Warden's Station, as I had the chance to earn two more badges for Wilderness Explorers. I first earned a Safari Badge, but my next badge, which was the African Culture Badge, proved to be far more memorable. Why? Well, I had the pleasure of meeting Memory, a cultural representative CM from Namibia, who was very sweet and eager to share information about her country as well learn about my experiences in the U.S. I asked her more about Namibia and she said that it is a beautiful country, as it has diverse landscapes. These include encompassing the Kalahari Desert, a coastal desert, the capital city of Windhoek, and even savannah, making for excellent wildlife-spotting opportunities. She was curious about what the landscape of where I was from was like, so I told her that Long Island, along with most of the Metro New York City area, are largely developed and on Long Island, there used to be more pine barrens in Suffolk County but many of them have been developed for commercial and residential use. In addition, she was curious if I knew anyone from Namibia or any other country in Southern Africa. I told her that my friend's mother and her parents were South African Jews, as his mother was born there after her parents went there after the Holocaust from The Netherlands. This impressed Memory and mentioned that she knew a little bit about Jews in South Africa and even said that there were a few Jews in Namibia, which I never knew. I had an amazing time talking with Memory and would have talked to her all day, but there was still more to see. After a wonderful time talking with Memory, I finally arrived at the entrance to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail!

I first spotted some Colobus Monkeys.

Next, I spotted a Duiker, a type of antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa.

I also spotted Taveta Golden Weavers (pictured if you look closely) and Black Crakes, which helped me earn the Birding Badge.

Then, I saw some Cichlids, which are a type of freshwater fish commonly found in Africa and also South America.

I then spotted some Meerkats.

Finally, I spotted a couple of Gorillas (hard to see, but I saw them) and I earned my Gorilla Badge!

I decided to head back to Discovery Island for lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, as it is one of my favorite counter service restaurants. However, on the way there, I noticed that Flik from "A Bug's Life" was meeting. Since his line was not long and I had not met him before, as he was not there on my previous trips in 2012 and 2014, I decided to line up. To my surprise and delight, I bumped into Tim and Tori , a couple from Cleveland, OH I met two days prior at Epcot while waiting to meet Baymax. They were in line ahead of me and we were delighted to see each other and while we were conversing, I found out that they would be getting engaged on this trip! I could not have been happier for them and even offered to buy them lunch and/or a drink, as I wanted to spread a little pixie dust for them. They were very thankful, but politely declined, as they had other plans. We ended up talking about "A Bug's Life" while we were waiting and how much we loved watching it. Tim and Tori's turn passed and I wished them a lot of happiness for their future together as well as an awesome time for the rest of their trip. Anyway, my turn came and I was very excited to meet Flik. He was very excited too and we gave each other a huge hug! I also admired him for his bravery in saving the colony from Hopper and thanked him for hosting me at It's Tough to be a Bug. Flik was very grateful and made hand gestures showing his gratitude. We had a lot of fun together and got this fantastic picture! All in all, it was wonderful to meet Flik and I hope to meet him again the next time I am in WDW.

After meeting Flik, I continued to make my way towards Flame Tree BBQ, but not without making one last stop at some musical instrument that was like a xylophone that made a sound of tat-tat-dong-dong, thus meriting me my Music Badge. I would have played more Wilderness Explorers, but I decided to end it there for the day, as I planned to do one last attraction after lunch, as I needed to get ready for dinner and was hoping to get an afternoon swim in, as the temperatures were in the 70s and the skies were sunny. Finally, I arrived at Flame Tree BBQ.

It was about 1:00PM and I think I waited about ten minutes, as unsurprisingly, it was crowded. A friendly and helpful male CM handed me an Allergy Menu, as I mentioned to him that I am allergic to eggs and wheat. I found the Allergy Menu to be very easy to use and I knew what I wanted, which was the 1/2 Chicken Platter, as I have loved it based on past experiences. The CM added that not unlike other times I have been to Flame Tree, I would be able to substitute sides for the Cole Slaw and Baked Beans. In addition, I changed my last FP+ from Expedition Everest to Festival of the Lion King from 1:45PM-2:45PM, as I wanted to see it, since I did not get to see it on my last trip as it was closed. A short time later, I was assisted by two very friendly, eager to please, and accommodating CMs, including a young female from Orlando (her name escapes me I'm sorry) and a Manager, who looked and sounded almost like Governor John Kasich (R-OH) (ironically, the male CM was from Ohio). Thanks to their help, I was able to order a 1/2 BBQ Chicken Platter with a side of French Fries and two bags of grapes to substitute for the cole slaw and baked beans. About ten minutes later, I received my meal and I also got a couple of cups of BBQ sauce on the side. As always, Flame Tree BBQ was outstanding, as I found the BBQ chicken to be juicy, tender, and pleasantly smoky. I also enjoyed the French Fries, which were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside as well as the grapes, which were pleasantly firm in texture and tart. I washed down my meal with a well-brewed unsweetened iced tea!

For my last attraction of the day, it was time to see Festival of the Lion King! I arrived there at about ten to two and I did not have to wait long, as I arrived just in time for the next show.

Along with other guests, I entered the theater and I was pumped, as "The Lion King" is one of my favorite Disney movies. Inside, when all of the sections were assigned by the emcees and I was in the Warthog section, so I had to gesture my fingers like tusks and make snorting noises when called upon. All in all, I thought Festival of the Lion King and would highly recommend it! I loved the classic music from "The Lion King" and other favorites, like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (I especially liked the singer who did "Be Prepared," who had an amazing set of pipes!). In addition, I also loved the floats (particularly the Simba and Pumbaa floats), the tumble monkeys who did amazing acrobatics, and the pyrotechnics. All in all, it was an amazing show and I would definitely see it again!

After a fantastic day of touring, I decided to end my day after Festival of the Lion King, as it was nearly 3:00PM and I wanted to get back to my room to have enough time to get ready for my ADR at Cape May Cafe and possibly swim. However, on my way out, I decided to stop for a refreshing treat sold at Tamu Tamu Refreshments that was once only sold at the Magic Kingdom. This treat is known as a Pineapple Whip. I was assisted by a friendly and efficient female CM and I decided to order a Pineapple Dole Whip Cup. Only a minute later I received my Dole Whip Cup, which was cool, creamy, sweet, and slightly tangy, making for a fantastic snack!

I then exited the park and it was close to 3:00PM, so I spent a magical six hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom. While the Magic Kingdom and Epcot would probably be my top two Disney theme parks, I have to admit that Animal Kingdom is getting higher and higher on my top Disney theme park radar and with all of the improvements that they have made and are making (i.e. River of Lights), I am looking forward to Disney's Animal Kingdom becoming a solid one day theme park and for me, even a two day, as in my book, I cannot rush the Animal Kingdom. At about 3:05PM, I boarded a bus back to my hotel and I arrived there 20 minutes later. What would I do next until my 6:45PM ADR at Cape May Cafe?

-Check out my other TRs:
Enjoying South Florida in Summer! JFK-FLL and back in C+/Y August 2015
JFK-PBI and back in Delta Y January 2015
JFK-MCO on Delta in Y January 2014

WolfieG

Anyway, after arriving back at the Buena Vista Palace at a little before 3:30PM with an amazing day at Disney's Animal Kingdom behind me, I had planned to go swimming, as I thought that the weather would still be good. Unfortunately, this did not quite pan out as planned because it was overcast and windy, which would make it a bit cool for swimming, despite the fact that temperatures were in the low 70s. Instead of swimming, I decided to do some packing, as I wanted to get a lot of it out of the way so I would be able to be more relaxed on the day I went back to the real world, which would be in about 24-hours. Also, I was planning to meet a fellow Disney enthusiast from a WDW fansite from Wisconsin at Epcot for the morning before I headed to the airport, so I wanted to just be able to focus on that. While I was doing that, I also called my mom to touch base with her and we talked about my day, she wished me a good dinner at Cape May Cafe, and we agreed to talk later that night. After doing some packing and talking to mom, I then rested until about 5:15PM. Before I left, I got ready for dinner and then left my room, catching a Epcot/Disney's Hollywood Studios bound bus at about 5:40PM, as going to one of those two theme parks would put me closer to Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. The friendly and helpful driver asked where I wanted to go and I told him that I wanted to go to Disney's Hollywood Studios, as I would be able to catch a resort launch to the Epcot Resorts. Aside from myself, there was one other couple onboard heading to Epcot, where we stopped first. As we were riding, the sun was setting and by 6:05PM, I was at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Time was definitely on my side, as a Friendship Boat was docked right as I arrived at the Studios.

At 6:10PM, we left Disney's Hollywood Studios, bound for Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Disney's Boardwalk Resort, and Epcot.

The ride was very relaxing and ten minutes after we left the Studios, we were arriving at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts.

After stopping at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts, we then passed the brightly lit and festive Boardwalk en-route to the next stop, which was Disney's Yacht and Beach Club.


By 6:27PM, I could see the Yacht and Beach Club's lighthouse, meaning that we were on approach.

At 6:30PM, I arrived at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club! I was excited, as when I ate at Cape May Cafe on my January 2014 trip, I thoroughly enjoyed it, as the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the value for the money was fantastic. What's more? I love the Yacht and Beach Club's theming, as I find that it is upscale and laid-back at the same time. Anyway, I started off by taking in a view of Disney's Boardwalk at the dock enjoying the balmy air.

I then made my way up the up the dock, marveling at the Yacht and Beach Club's architecture, which was evocative of a New England beach resort and enhanced by the lighting used at night.

Next, I passed by Stormalong Bay, which is the pool complex shared by Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. This would have to be the feature that compels me most (aside from the dining opportunities and proximity to Epcot), as it is like a mini-waterpark, with a large pool, sand beaches, lazy rivers, and slides. When I have the chance, I would definitely stay at this hotel and with Stormalong Bay, there is a shot I would visit WDW and not even go to a park.


Since my ADR time was approaching, I entered the lobby of Disney's Beach Club, which was ornate yet minimalist at the same time, making for a luxurious and laid-back feel. I especially loved the chandelier, which was large and had lamps sticking out from the top and a half globe shaped bottom, adding to the upscale and cozy feel of the lobby.

At about 6:40PM, five minutes before my ADR, I decided to go to the podium to see if my table was ready. The CM, whose name escapes me at the moment, was very friendly and welcoming. He checked me in and told me that while my table was not ready, he said that it would be no longer than a ten minute wait and that I would receive a text once my table was ready. With that time, I explored the rest of the resort, checked out its gift shop, and also used the ATM, as I needed to withdraw some cash. The time went by quickly and at about 6:50PM, I received a text that my table was ready. I was escorted to a booth towards the back of the dining room by the same friendly and welcoming CM who I met earlier. As I was entering, I was hoping to see some CMs who I previously met at Cape May Cafe on my 2014 trip, like James, my waiter when I dined at Cape May for the first time and Genesis, another waiter. I knew I would see Chef Robert, as I had spoken to a Manager before this trip who told me he would be working that night as well as from the CM, who told me that he would come to my table to help me. Once I was seated I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel from Orlando, a very kind and polite middle-age waitress who would be serving me. I placed my order for a Diet Coke to drink and since she also knew about my food allergy, she offered to bring out Chef Robert. As promised, Chef Robert came out and he actually remembered me by face, which was amazing! We were happy to see each other again and just like last time, I found him to be welcoming and very conscientious as he escorted me around the buffet, pointing out what I could and could not eat. He told me that the salads and cheeses were fine, but the bread was off limits for obvious reasons. The meats, shrimp, crab, paella, and most of the sides were fine, but the salmon on the buffet contained breadcrumbs, so he offered to make me as much salmon without breadcrumbs as I wanted. Also, the brussel sprouts on the buffet contained a derivative of eggs, so he offered to make me a fresh batch that I could eat. All in all, I was ready for an excellent meal once again! After Rachael promptly returned with my Diet Coke, we chatted for a bit and since I was curious, I asked her if she knew James, the waiter who served me on my previous trip? She said that she indeed knew him, but he was no longer working at Cape May, as he received a transfer for his position to Cinderella's Royal Table in the middle of 2014 and later left Disney for a job as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Orlando. I told her how wonderful that was and that made her happy . However, Rachel would not disappoint and proved to be a fantastic waitress throughout the evening, as she was very kind, personable, attentive as she made sure my Diet Coke never went empty and my plates were cleared in a timely fashion, and was on point! After chatting with Rachel for a bit, I started with my first course, which included an assortment of cheeses, which made for an excellent start. My plate included (in a clockwise direction) a spicy and buttery pepper jack cheese, four sticks of a salty Italian cheese that I did not recall the name of, mild and creamy goat cheese, nutty Swiss cheese, mild Colby Jack Cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese.

Next, I had some salads, which were all delicious. I had a Watermelon Salad with Feta, which worked well as the sweet and delicate watermelon cubes meshed well with the briny and salty Feta Cheese. I also enjoyed a wild rice based salad with tomatoes, which had nutty and filling grains of wild rice and sweet, ripe, and pleasantly acidic grape tomatoes. Also, I enjoyed some salty and piquant olives.

I then enjoyed some more salads, including a Greek Salad with crisp greens, cool and refreshing cucumber, ripe and sweet tomatoes, salty and briny Feta, and a vinaigrette dressing as well as an Ambrosia Salad, with mild field greens, tangy and sweet dried cranberries, mild goat cheese, and crisp walnuts.

As I heading to scope the buffet for some more items, a tall, young male with short dark hair wearing a plaid button-down shirt and jeans called my name and said hi. While I did not remember him at first as it was out of context, but it turns out it was Scott, who I knew well as he almost always delivered pizza from Lontza Pizza in Greenvale, NY to the LIU-Post College Republicans, where I was the Public Relations Person during my Senior Year of college and always provided us with fantastic service. We were ecstatic to see each other again and to my surprise and delight, he invited me to join his family, including his Aunt and Uncle along with his Cousin and her daughter at their table. I was very thankful and excited, as I got to meet a face from the past and I would not have to dine alone. In addition, Rachel, my waitress, was happy to accommodate me and moved with me so she would be able to serve me there.
After going to his table, I had the pleasure of meeting his family, including his lovely Aunt and Uncle from Port Orange, FL, outside of Daytona Beach and his very nice Cousin and niece. After first meeting them, we conversed about a variety of topics throughout the meal. We chatted mainly about Disney, living in Florida, conservative politics (it worked as everyone at the table, except for Scott's cousin and niece, had conservative political views), and more topics, making for a fun and interesting meal! Rachel then brought me Salmon, which was fantastic as it was moist, flakey, slightly zesty from the added herbs, and cooked to the right doneness, as it was not overcooked.

Rachel then arrived with some Brussels Sprouts and Stewed Tomatoes. At this time I also met Patsy from Orlando, a middle-aged waitress with glasses and blonde hair who was very sweet and like Rachel, also provided excellent service to our table. This Brussels Sprouts and Stewed Tomatoes were excellent, as I enjoyed the earthy and smokey Brussels sprouts meshed with the sweet and pleasantly acidic tomatoes.

After enjoying my Salmon and Brussels Sprouts with Stewed Tomatoes and having a wonderful time with Scott and his family, Rachel then came back to see if I wanted anymore Salmon and Brussels Sprouts? I thanked her, but told her that I was fine, as I was planning to enjoy some other foods. I went up to the buffet and as I was going up, I said hi to Genesis, a waiter who I met on my January 2014 trip. We were both happy to see each other and he even remembered me a little bit, which was very nice. We did not chat long as he had to serve his tables, but it was cool nevertheless. After that, I got a plate of pleasantly sweet and meaty Crab Legs, earthy and well-cooked Red Potatoes, and slightly spicy cocktail sauce.

I was stuffed, but Rachel still had a surprise in store! Not unlike the last time I dined here, Rachel offered me an assortment of desserts from Babycakes, which worked out well as I could not eat the desserts they had on the buffet. I was very thankful, as Disney definitely keeps their diners with allergies in mind and having Babycakes desserts at many of the restaurants is no exception! Sadly, Scott and his family had to head back before I received my dessert, so I thanked them, wished them well, and agreed to keep in touch as we had exchanged contact information. I hope they are doing well and who knows, maybe our paths will cross again soon? Anyway, I received my Babycakes, which came in very nice packaging, as I told Rachel that I was very full! This worked out perfectly as I was able to take home all of my treats, which included a Cinnamon Sugar Donut and four Mini Brownie Cupcakes, which were gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, and kosher.

Before I received the check, I had the pleasure of chatting with Rachel for a bit. She inquired about my trip and I told her that I had an amazing time, but would be heading home the next day. Rachel was happy that I had an amazing time, but also curious about how I would be getting home. Since I believe getting there is half the fun, I told her that I would be flying home to New York-JFK, on jetBlue and also came in on jetBlue. She said that she had never been on jetBlue, but heard good things about them and hoped to try them one day. I told her they were very good and that she would like them for their legroom, free entertainment, free snacks/beverages, and friendly service. She said that she had flown to EWR and ATL and found them both to be very busy! As for airlines, she used Delta (I also like them) and United (never used) and she told me that she found both airlines to be fine. She advised me to allow plenty of time flying home, as she said that MCO is notorious for long security lines! I told her not to worry, as I arranged for a 1:30PM pick-up for my 5:30PM flight, just in case things go awry. Rachel told me not to worry and that I had more than enough time. We also chatted about her employment with WDW and she told me that she had been with Disney since the 1990s, working mainly at Cape May Cafe. Out of curiosity, I asked her if there were any major differences with Cape May Cafe then and now? She said no, save for the fact that in the early-1990s, they had soft-serve ice cream available at dinner. I said that while it would have been nice if they still had ice cream, we both agreed that we understood Disney's rationale, as Beaches and Cream is not far away and I guess they were worried about competition. Who knows? After our great conversation, I took care of the bill, which came out to about $50 in change with a well-deserved tip, as once again, the service at Cape May Cafe was fantastic! As I left, Rachel and Patsy thanked me, wished me a magical evening, and a safe trip home. Once again, Cape May Cafe was fantastic and I would definitely return again! After leaving Cape May Cafe, I walked around the hotel for a bit just taking in the atmosphere and at about a little after 10:00PM, I boarded a bus for Disney Springs, arriving there at about 10:30PM. I walked around Disney Springs for a bit and then crossed the pedestrian walkway over Buena Vista Drive, arriving at my hotel at about 11:00PM. Before I went to my room, I stopped at the BoardEZ airline boarding pass computer in the lobby, where I was able to print my boarding pass. I got ready for bed and then called my mom to chat with her for about half an hour. I also contacted the fellow Disney enthusiast from Wisconsin, as sadly, I realized that this was not going to work out as planned, as I still had some packing to do and because I was out later than anticipated, I wanted to make sure that I got enough sleep so I would not be too tired. With that in mind, I plugged my phone in for a charge and then cancelled my FP+ reservations for Epcot the next morning before going to sleep at a little after 11:30PM. While I was a bit sad to be leaving Disney World, I was looking forward to coming home to my mom, my then two (now three) dogs, and my guinea pigs . I then drifted off to sleep, wondering what the next day would be like?

-Check out my other TRs:
Enjoying South Florida in Summer! JFK-FLL and back in C+/Y August 2015
JFK-PBI and back in Delta Y January 2015
JFK-MCO on Delta in Y January 2014

WolfieG

Orlando-New York-John F. Kennedy International (1/15/2016):
a) Before Airport:
After my fantastic dinner the night before, I arrived back at the Buena Vista Palace at about 11:00PM. Before going back to my room, I stopped BoardEZ airline boarding pass computer in the lobby, where I was able to print my boarding pass.

Back at my room, I got ready for bed and then called my mom to chat with her for about half an hour. I also contacted the fellow Disney enthusiast from Wisconsin, as sadly, I realized that this was not going to work out as planned, as I still had some packing to do and because I was out later than anticipated, I wanted to make sure that I got enough sleep so I would not be too tired. With that in mind, I plugged my phone in for a charge and then cancelled my FP+ reservations for Epcot the next morning before going to sleep at a little after 11:30PM. After about nine hours of sleep, I woke up at about 8:30AM on Friday, January 15th, 2016. The first thing I did was call my mom to let her know that all was well and that despite the heavy rain that was affecting the Orlando area, I should be home on time as my flight home was scheduled to depart on schedule. After talking for a bit, I told her I would call her later and that I loved her and could not wait to see her! Next, I saw I received a voicemail from the Disney enthusiast I was supposed to meet that morning and she told me not to worry about being unable to make it. I called her and she said she was taking shelter in The Land Pavilion, as the rain was very heavy. I told her that I wished I could have met her and wished her a magical time. Next, I brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, finished packing, showered, and got dressed. I figured that for lunch, I would go to Disney Springs to walk around a bit if the rain subsided and grab lunch there. Sadly, at around 11:00AM, the rain was still very heavy, so I scrapped those plans. Instead, I decided to order a Grilled Chicken Salad from One80 Sportgrill & Bar, as it would be convenient and I could eat in my room and relax. Before I went to One80, I called the Front Desk, as I wanted to request a late checkout since my ride would not be at the hotel until 1:30PM and my request was granted. I then went to One80, where Maureen, the same friendly and accommodating hostess I met when I had breakfast there the previous Tuesday, was happy to put in my takeout order for a Grilled Chicken Salad, which was a bit pricey at $15 in change. Nevertheless, I received my salad and went back to my room to enjoy it and found it to be very good, with tender and juicy grilled chicken, crisp mixed greens, crisp cucumbers, crunchy Macadamia Nuts, ripe and sweet tomato slices, and a sweet and pleasantly acidic balsamic vinaigrette. I also washed it down with a Diet A&W Root Beer, which came from my case I got at Publix.

Overall, it was a very good lunch and it was nice to be able to relax for a bit until I had to leave. In addition, the weather was getting much nicer, as the sun came out and the temperatures rose to a high of 75 degrees. Since it was a little after 1:00PM, I gathered all of my belongings and called the Front Desk to checkout. I then left Room 356 and went to the lobby, where I called my mom and spoke to her for about half an hour, until a black Lincoln Town Car from Tiffany Towncar arrived at about 1:20PM, ten minutes before my scheduled pick up time.

b) Getting to Airport:
At 1:20PM, my ride, a black Lincoln Town Car from Tiffany Towncar had arrived.

I was greeted my Salim, who was my driver for the journey back to Orlando International Airport and I found him to be very jovial and professional. After Salim opened the door for me and loaded my bags into the trunk, we left the Buena Vista Palace a little before 1:30PM. At this time, I took a selfie as the reality of leaving Disney was setting in.

We first turned right at the end of Hotel Plaza Boulevard to get onto FL-535.

From there, we got onto Interstate 4 to head north (technically east but I-4 runs north-south in the Orlando area before heading west to Tampa and east to Daytona Beach) towards Orlando.

After that, we got onto I-4 northbound and we conversed. Salim asked about my trip to Disney and I told him that I had a wonderful time! He was happy to hear this and in addition, he added that I came at the best time, as I had good weather and the crowds were not too high. I talked about all of the different things, like what I did and where I ate and he felt that my trip could not have been better! The ride was flying by and less than ten minutes after we entered I-4, we reached Exit 72: FL-528/Beachline Expressway east towards Orlando International Airport and Cape Canaveral.


We entered the Beachline Expressway (FL-528) and headed east.


Time was still flying and by 1:48PM according to my iPhone's timestamp, we were only a mile away from Exit 11: FL-436 (Semoran Blvd) north and Orlando International Airport.

We then left the Beachline Expressway (FL-528) to exit for MCO.

After, we were on approach for Airside A, where jetBlue operates from.


En-route to the terminal, I spotted the tail of an AM Boeing 737, a Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800 heading to PTY, a Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800, an Avianca Airbus A320, a Volaris Airbus A320, and a B6 Embraer E-190 at the 20s gates of Airside A.

By 1:50PM, we arrived in front of Airside A and I thanked Salim for a fantastic ride. Once again, Tiffany Towncar proved to be fantastic as their drivers (Masud and Salim on this trip) provided excellent service, the cars were clean and well-kept, and the price for what you get is not bad at all.

**Flight Information:
Origin Airport: Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, FL
Destination Airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, NY
Airline and Flight Number: Jetblue Airways 1684
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Registration: N504JB aka "Shades of Blue"
Cabin, Seat: Economy, 7F
Scheduled Departure/Actual Departure: 5:24PM/5:59PM
Scheduled Arrival/Actual Arrival: 8:00PM/7:58PM
Origin Airport Terminal, Gate: Airside A, Gate 5
Destination Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 5, Gate 4



c) At Airport:
At the curb, a helpful jetBlue representative told me that the inside check-in lines were shorter than the curbside check-in lines, so I followed their advice and found this to be true.

I think I waited about three minutes and I was assisted by Iris, a friendly and professional check-in agent. We talked about how popular the JFK-MCO route is and she agreed, as B6, DL, and to a smaller extent, AA, have full (or close to it) planes on this route, which is no surprise as Orlando is one of the most popular destinations. About two minutes later, Iris tagged my bag for New York-JFK and had me on my way. I enjoyed the atmosphere of MCO as I made my way to security, as I find it to be bright, inviting, and very clean.

On the way, I passed the Food Court, where I was tempted to get a Grilled Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-A for my pre-flight meal, but realized that this would not work as I would have to leave security again and did not want to do that, as MCO is notorious for long security lines.


I passed the departure and arrival board, with its many flights to/from various destinations both in the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and the many stores that made MCO more like a shopping mall with gates.



Finally, I made my way to security for Gates 1-59 and from what I could see, the line may have just been longer than the line for any attraction or character meet and greet during my trip to Walt Disney World.

After a smooth ride to the airport and a quick check-in, I was greeted with a long wait at security. Thankfully, I had more than enough time to make my flight, so I did not bother with purchasing jetBlue's Even More Speed like I did when I left from JFK. Thankfully, the wait was not boring, as I met a very nice family from Syracuse, NY with a 19-year old daughter, an 11-year old son, and a 2-year old daughter. During our time in line, we talked about our vacations, like how they went to WDW and stayed at Disney's Beach Club for three days to participate in the Marathon and then went on a Disney Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Curious, I asked them how the cruise was and they said they loved it, as they felt the theming was fantastic, the service was tops, and they loved all of the activities they had. I told them about my trip and how I was able to do many things at the parks and eat well, and they said that I definitely made the most of my trip, as we looked at each other's pictures. We then talked about how we would be getting home and I said that I would be flying home to JFK on jetBlue, as I got a convenient flight time and JFK is close to home. The family from Syracuse said that while it is further away, they would be flying to LGA on jetBlue and rent a car to drive the four hours back to Syracuse, as even with the drive, they would get home earlier than the flight offered to Syracuse, NY. Time went by a little quicker thanks to their company and exactly an hour later, I cleared security and I found the agents to be very friendly, thorough, and efficient. Not only did my hour-long wait at security exceed any of the lines for attractions or character meet and greets on this trip to WDW, it also beat my previous record of a 45-minute wait at LGA when I flew to PBI with my mom on DL in August 2012. With security out of the way, I boarded the fake monorail to get to Gates 1-29.


While we were en-route to the gates, I plane spotted and saw N729JB aka "If You Can Read This, You're Blue Close", a B6 Airbus A320-200 at Gate 3 that arrived from EWR as B6127 and was departing for New York-LaGuardia as B61198 and N775JB in the JetBlue Honors Our Veterans livery (I also saw this aircraft at JFK too when I left on 1/10/2016), another Airbus A320-200 at Gate 5 that arrived from New York-JFK as B6483 and was departing for New York-LaGuardia as B6398 (coincidentally, this aircraft was doing the same city pairing as the aircraft I arrived on).

I also spotted an Avianca Airbus A320-200, which I also saw earlier when I was en-route to the terminal.

At this time, I also called my mom to let her know that I cleared security after an hour, but I had to leave her a message, as she did not answer her cellphone or home phone. After arriving at Gates 1-29, I disembarked and started plane spotting at Gates 20-29, first passing through the open and airy atrium.

Along the way, I passed the food court for Gates 1-29, which looked very nice.

I then went to Gates 20-29, where I spotted F9 Airbus A320-200s, including N203FR at Gate 15, which arrived from CVG as F91166 and was departing for IND as F91201, N507JT aka "Blue Crew," a B6 Airbus A320-200 at Gate 11 that was departing for BOS as B6952, and a jetBlue Embraer E-190.

After spotting for a little bit in the 20s gates, I received a notification that my flight was going to be delayed by 25-minutes, as the aircraft, which was coming from SJU, departed behind schedule due to bad weather. I was a little concerned as I would probably not be able to do the AirTrain to the LIRR at JFK, as there is only hourly train service to the station nearest my home outside of AM/PM peak hours and by the time I got my bag, I would miss my train due to bad timing, so I figured that in the worst case scenario, I would have to use a car service or an Uber from JFK to my home. After this, my mom called and I told her that in addition to waiting an hour to get through security, my flight would be slightly delayed. She was a little concerned, as she was worried I would get home late. I told her that if I could not make the AirTrain, I would use a car service and mom said if that was the case, not to worry about it, as she just wanted me to get home safe and sound, even if it would cost $60 one way. We chatted for a bit and then we agreed to talk closer to departure, so we hung up and I continued to plane spot, now heading to Gates 1-9. While I was there, I decided to inquire about availability on B6284 to JFK, which was the flight before B61684, my flight, but there were no seats available. So at this point, I hoped for the best, planning to continue to plane spot and have dinner before my flight. I first spotted N775JB in the JetBlue Honors Our Veterans livery, an Airbus A320-200 at Gate 5 that arrived from JFK as B6483 and was departing for LGA as B6398 along with N566JB aka "Blue Suede Shoes" on the tarmac, which was departing for PVD.

I then went further down the concourse to a seat between Gates 7 and 9, where I continued to plane spot and first saw an AA Boeing 737-800 in the old colors.

Followed by a DL Boeing 757-200.

I then saw an AA Boeing 757-200 in the new colors.

I saw another AA Boeing 757-200 in the old colors.

Followed by a UA Boeing 757-200.

Despite a record-breaking wait at security and a slight delay of my flight's departure time, I was having a grand-old time relaxing at MCO and plane spotting . I stayed at a seat between Gates 7 and 9 and saw some more action, including a B6 Airbus A320-200 followed by an AA Boeing 737-800 in the old colors taxiing to their gates.

This was followed by N729JB aka "If You Can Read This, You're Blue Close," a B6 Airbus A320-200 departing for LGA as B61198.

I then decided to walk around a little bit and saw N763JB aka "Unforgettably Blue" at Gate 6, a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 that arrived from BOS as B6451 and was departing for JFK as B6284.

I then caught a glimpse of an NK A320 in the new yellow livery.

I then spotted N701FR at Gate 12, a F9 Airbus A321 that arrived from DTW as F91211 and was departing for PHL as F91218.

I then saw N705JT aka "Blue Crew” again, a B6 Airbus A320-200 bound for BOS as B6952 taxiing to the runway parallel to an American Airlines aircraft in the new colors.

N705JT taxiing, AA, and an aircraft landing

An AA Boeing 757-200 on arrival and Silver Airways on departure.

I then saw N358JB aka "Blue's On First," a B6 Embraer E-190 arriving from DCA as B61223 followed by an American Airlines Boeing 757-200 in the new colors.

I also saw N358JB park at Gate 4 along with N701FR, the Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 at Gate 12 that I saw earlier in the background.

I went by Gate 3, where I met the very nice family from Syracuse, NY again. We chatted for a bit about Disney until they had to depart. While their names escape me at this time, I hope they are doing well and before they boarded, they gave me a chocolate coin from the Pirate Party on the Disney Cruise and I was very thankful for that.

We bid each other farewell and wished each other safe journeys home before parting ways. Since it was 4:00PM and I still had an hour and a half until my flight's boarding time, I decided to spot some more before I would have dinner. I first spotted N763JB aka "Unforgettably Blue” again, a B6 Airbus A320-200 taxiing to take off for JFK as B6284 and I also spotted an AA aircraft (I think a 757) in the new colors taxiing along with a SW Boeing 737 landing in the background.

I then saw N806JB aka "Objects in Mirror Are Bluer Than They Appear," a B6 Airbus A320-200 operating as B6733 to SJU following N626NK, a NK Airbus A320 operating as NK534 to CLE.

In a clockwise fashion, I also saw N806JB following N626NK, along with N763JB aka "Unforgettably Blue," a B6 Airbus A320-200 taxiing to depart for New York-JFK along with the nose of N358JB aka "Blue's On First," a B6 Embraer E-190 at Gate 4 that was departing for DCA as B62224 after arriving from DCA as B61223.

Finally, I spotted an EK Boeing 777-200LR operating as EK220 to DXB. I thought this was pretty amazing as not only does MCO have a lot of nonstop service to U.S. cities, Canada, Latin America, and Europe, but they also have a flight to the Middle East, allowing for greater connectivity to other Middle Eastern and Asian cities. Overall, it is amazing to see how much MCO has grown!

Since time was beginning to run out, I decided to have dinner at On the Border, as I don't mind Tex-Mex cuisine and thought it was the best of all the options in terminal.

It was crowded and I would have to wait a little long for a table, so I asked if I could sit at the bar and the host was happy to escort me there. The atmosphere was bright and lively, with large windows bringing in plenty of natural light and many people dining there.

I was assisted by Liz, the bartender, who was very friendly, attentive, and efficient. After perusing the menu, I decided to order Chicken Fajitas, with a substitute of corn tortillas for flour tortillas along with a Diet Coke to drink. While I was waiting for my meal, I had a nice time chatting with fellow travelers, including a businessman traveling back to PHL and a lady, who was re-routed from PNS due to bad weather there and traveling home to SEA. She was supposed to fly home to SEA via HOU on UA from PNS, but flew on Silver Airways to MCO and then to SEA on Alaska Airlines. I told her that I had never been on Alaska and she said that they are a very good airline! I told her I heard that and that one day, I would use them when I had the chance. About twenty minutes later, I received my Chicken Fajitas, which were large in portion size and presented nicely in the traditional way, with the grilled chicken, onions, and peppers sizzling on a skillet and the sides on another plate. I thought the food was very good, as the grilled chicken was well seasoned, moist and tender, the sautéed peppers were crisp, the onions were sweet and caramelized, the rice was fluffy and pleasantly salty, the pico de gallo was sweet, salty, and crisp, and the corn tortillas were earthy and well cooked.

Overall, I thought this meal, which set me back a reasonable $20 in change (especially for an airport) with everything, was very good as the quality was very good and the portion was large. Feeling stuffed from my meal, I headed to Gate 5, where my flight would be departing from.

At this point, I was happy to find out that since the aircraft operating our flight was a little early arriving from SJU, B61684 to JFK, the flight I would be on, had its departure time pushed back from 5:50PM to 5:38PM, now only 14 minutes behind our scheduled departure time as opposed to 26 minutes behind and would result in an arrival time of 8:09PM, only nine minutes behind schedule at worst. In effect, this pushed boarding back to 5:08PM, so I called my mom to let her know that I would be boarding earlier than scheduled and that I would probably be able to use the AirTrain to the LIRR, which would save money in my case.


Mom was very happy to hear that I would be home earlier, but told me not to worry just in case I had to use a car service. We told each other how much we loved each other and I then used the restroom before heading to the gate. After that, I went to Gate 5 where despite the flight screen reading LGA, the gate agent announced that the plane at our gate had just arrived from SJU and would be departing for JFK as B61684 and to disregard what the gate screen read.

As I waited to board B61684 to JFK, I spotted N504JB aka "Shades of Blue," the jetBlue Airbus A320-200 that would be operating our flight.

I also spotted N504JB at Gate 5 along with N274JB, a B6 Embraer E-190 taxiing to the gate.

At about 5:30PM, my zone was called for boarding and I was greeted by Ed, our gate agent, who was polite and professional. I walked down the jetway to board N504JB via doorway 1L, ready to head home.

d) B61684: MCO-JFK:
After walking down the jetway from Gate 5 to board N504JB aka "Shades of Blue" back to New York-JFK, I boarded the aircraft via doorway 1L and was welcomed aboard by Gio, who was very friendly in welcoming me aboard. I made my way down the aisle to seat 7F and my first impressions of the aircraft were that it was in close to perfect shape and very clean, making it better than the aircraft I flew in on. Not unlike my flight in, I found the width and pitch of the seat to be excellent, as I had more than enough room to stretch out my legs and I made myself comfortable.

As I was getting situated, I met my seat mates, including Jessica, a young lady from Merrick, NY, a town about 15-minutes south of where I live as well as Sarah, a young lady from Australia, who was taking a long flight route home by connecting at JFK to a flight on Etihad Airways to AUH and then to Australia. Talk about taking the long way home like the English rock band Supertramp. Both Jessica and myself were pretty amazed at Sarah's long journey, but she said that she did not mind, as she was saving a lot of money versus flying direct from JFK. While I chatted with Sarah at points during the flight, Jessica, while cordial, mostly kept to herself and was busy on her MacBook. Tim,another FA greeted me and thanked me for flying jetBlue. As all of these things were going on, we pushed back at 5:39PM according to my iPhone and while that was happening, I spotted N274, a B6 Embraer E-190 once again parked at Gate 3.

As we were pushing back, Captain Sean Horton coming on the PA to announce that our estimated flight time would be 2 hours and 6 minutes and that we were third in line to take off. Then, Gio did the safety announcements by demonstrating all of the emergency situations that could arise.

As we were taxiing to the runway, I spotted a B6 Airbus A320 parked at Gate 4 and an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 at Gate 10 operating as Alaska 19 to SEA.

We then taxied behind two other aircraft and at 5:59PM, we took off to the west.



We continued to fly west over the suburbs of Orlando as the sun set.

While my five previous flights on the MCO-JFK route have flown northeast to about Daytona Beach or Jacksonville, our flight home took a different twist as we flew west towards the Gulf of Mexico. According to my iPhone, the picture I took at 6:10PM below was of Brooksville, FL, located north of Tampa. I was able to get location information on my phone as while my phone was in Airplane Mode, I was hooked up to jetBlue's inflight wifi, which was available onboard this aircraft. As you can see, I was able to get a shot of the Gulf of Mexico and Brooksville as the sun was setting.

As we were flying, I watched TV and after flipping through the channels, I tuned to the Food Channel and watched Guy's Grocery Games. The episode they were doing was on who could make the best barbecue dish, which piqued my interest as American BBQ happens to be one of my favorite cuisines.

While I was relaxing and watching TV, we continued to fly along the West Coast of Florida, reentering the mainland northwest of Gainesville, FL and continuing to the southeast over Georgia. Then, at about 6:30PM, Tim and another very nice middle age female FA, whose name I did not get, took orders for beverages and I decided on a Diet Coke. Gio and Tim followed a few minutes later with our beverages and the snack basket. I chose a bag of Popcorners and a bag of Terra Blue Chips and continued to relax while watching TV. At 6:50PM, according to my iPhone, we were over Vance, SC, where I could see Charleston, SC, to the east.

After Guy's Grocery Games, I watched an episode looking at various aspects of the Disney Cruise Line, including yes, the food, with Food Network celebrities like Amanda Freitag, Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, and more Food Network celebrities and their families. Overall, the Disney Cruise Line looked like a lot of fun, as it combines the aspects of a Disney theme park with the relaxation of a cruise, so it is definitely something I would love to try in the future. I would not have minded being in the scene below with Captain Mickey, Captain Donald, and Captain Pluto!

As I was watching the special on the Disney Cruise Line, we continued to make good time as we flow along the coastlines of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. At 7:33PM and at 37,000 feet, we were already flying over the border of Maryland and Delaware. At this time, Captain Sean Horton announced that we would begin our descent to JFK. After the announcement, the Disney Cruise Line special ended and since there was nothing else I wanted to watch, I decided to switch to Sirius XM Radio and listened to The Bridge, where I enjoyed listening to "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel.

About ten minutes later, we were flying parallel to the Jersey Shore at an altitude of 11,754 feet and a speed of 417 mph.

At 7:47PM (lucky aircraft number haha!), the captain announced that we would begin our final descent into JFK. After that, the aircraft went to the northeast, leaving the Jersey Shore. We continued to fly northeast and I knew we were getting close, as I felt my ears pop a little bit and I could see Brooklyn, along with The Rockaways and Southern Queens.

We continued to fly to the northeast and crossed over The Rockaways, just west of Breezy Point and Jacob Riis Park.

We flew over Jamaica Bay and then the aircraft turned more to the east, flying over the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, and Canarsie before crossing into Queens and flying over the Howard Beach neighborhood.

We then flew parallel to the Nassau Expressway (NY-878) and the Belt Parkway before we landed.

At 7:58PM, we made a smooth landing onto Runway 13L, arriving two minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time of 8:00PM. I was very happy, as this timing was not bad at all considering our slight departure delay and thanks to our on-time, if not slightly early arrival, I knew that I would have a good shot of being able to use the AirTrain to the LIRR. Once we touched down, we passed Terminals 8 and 7 before nearing Terminal 5. As we were taxiing to the gate, I spotted N606JB aka "Idlewild Blue," a B6 Airbus A320-200 parked at Gate 6 that was heading to PSP as B6149 along with two other jetBlue Airbus A320-200s and an Aer Lingus Airbus A330-200 operating as EI108 to DUB.

As we were taxiing, I called my mom to let her know that the flight went very well and that I would be able to use the AirTrain, as I would have enough time to make it since I arrived early enough. Mom was very happy to hear that I landed and before we hung up, as the plane was parking, mom instructed me to call her as soon as I was on the train, as she needed to know what time the train would arrive so she could pick me up at the station. We then said I love you to each other and I hung up, as the aircraft finally parked at Gate 4. I then disembarked with the other passengers and thanked Gio and Tim, who were standing near the exit and thanked them for an excellent flight. They thanked me in return, wished me a good night, and said that they hoped to see me again soon.

e) Arrival:
I exited N504JB aka "Shades of Blue via doorway 1L and crossed the jetway into Terminal 5, which was very nice as always and busy! Not wanting to waste time, I made my way to the baggage claim.

I then passed through the center of the departures area of Terminal 5.

I then took the escalator downstairs and found out that checked bags from my flight would be available at Baggage Claim 1.

I made my way to Baggage Claim 1.

I waited about ten minutes until my suitcase came off the belt, which was not bad at all, as it was a little quicker than previous jetBlue flights and just as quick as Delta's baggage delivery times, which usually average about 10-15 minutes in my experience. Both jetBlue and Delta's baggage delivery times are far faster than American in my experience, as they took about 30-45 minutes to deliver my bag when I used them. With my checked bag ready, I proceeded to take the elevator up to the T5 Skywalk leading to the AirTrain and T5 parking garage. My timing worked out perfectly, as I arrived at the Terminal 5 AirTrain platform two minutes before a Jamaica Station bound train was arriving and it was not even 8:40PM yet.

Two minutes later, the AirTrain, which is a people mover comprised of three lines connecting JFK's terminals to long term parking, Howard Beach for the A subway line to Manhattan and The Rockaways, and Jamaica Station for the LIRR as well as the E, J, and Z subway lines to Brooklyn and Manhattan, arrived on Track 1. I boarded and watched the world go by, first passing by Terminal 5 after we left the Terminal 5 AirTrain Station.

We then stopped at Terminal 7, where I spotted a BA Airbus A318, which was heading to LCY, where British Airways operates an all First Class route to appeal to businesspeople traveling between NYC and London. I also spotted a British Airways Boeing 747-400, which was operating as BA172 to LHR.



I then spotted some AA action at Terminal 8, which was our next stop.
[IMG]http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c264/Wolf_German/Other%20WDW%202016%20Pictures/IMG_2009_zps2xcivjjg.jpg[?IMG]


After stopping at Terminal 8, our final stop before Jamaica Station was Federal Circle Station, which serves as the stop for rental cars, hotel shuttles, and cargo area shuttles.

After Federal Circle, it was a smooth and quick ride northbound to Jamaica Station as we left JFK Airport and passed on the elevated rail that runs along the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) until it turns right to go east and terminate at Jamaica Station. About ten minutes after I left Terminal 5, I arrived at Jamaica Station and it was 8:50PM, meaning I had thirteen minutes until the 9:03PM train to Huntington would arrive. Unfortunately, I had a little trouble getting a Metrocard from the machine, as it would not take bills over a certain amount. Thankfully, I saw an AirTrain employee and he was very helpful, as he was able to give me the correct change as well as a Metrocard for $5, which is needed to enter/exit the AirTrain JFK when taking it from Jamaica or Howard Beach (it is free within the airport though). This ate a little bit of my time, as by the time I went through the turnstiles into Jamaica Station, it was already 8:55PM. Not wanting to cut it close, I decided to buy my ticket on the train, even if it cost a little more. Relieved, I made my way to Track 7, where my train to Huntington would arrive from its origin of New York-Penn Station. All I could hope for now was that Ozzy Osbourne was not driving the train, as it would be a crazy train ride if you know what I mean!


At 9:03PM, my train to Huntington arrived on Track 7.

While I was waiting, I called my mom to let her know that I would be arriving in Westbury, the closest station to my home at 9:29PM and she was very excited, as she knew I would be home soon! The train arrived on time and I was relieved to have made it, as not only did the AirTrain work well for me, it also saved me $40 versus using a car service or an Uber in my case.

The train was fairly crowded with commuters, but thankfully, I still managed to get a seat. The ride was relaxing and very quick as we stopped in New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Mineola, Carle Place, and finally Westbury, which was my stop. Overall, I thought that the AirTrain JFK to the LIRR worked very well, as it was convenient, fast, and not too expensive, as it cost me $21 total ($16 for the LIRR and $5 to enter Jamaica Station) versus about $60 for a car service or an Uber to my house, saving me just under $40 and taking only ten minutes longer than if I were to take a car service to my house, taking 40 minutes total from Terminal 5 to the Westbury LIRR. While the AirTrain works well for many people, I would advise you to check the AirTrain and the LIRR/Subways for any irregular operations, as you do not want to miss your flight. Also, the AirTrain may not work as well for you if you are traveling with many people (charges by the person versus per vehicle) or if you have a lot of baggage. Still, the AirTrain worked very well for me and I would definitely use it again if I were flying to/from JFK if it were convenient.

After I went down to the street, I saw my mom's car and she was very excited and happy to see me again, as she hugged me profusely and said how happy she was that I was home. After getting in the car, we drove two minutes back to our home and I was very excited to also see my two dogs and six guinea pigs again! I miss Walt Disney World, but I hope to return soon when I become a Floridian. I thank all of you for reading this TR and I hope you all have an awesome weekend!

f)B61684 Impressions/Ratings:
Once again, jetBlue proved to be as good, if not better than I remembered. Gio, Tim, and the female FA I did not get the name of provided excellent service, as they were professional, polite, and personable. Also, I found that jetBlue’s legroom is by far the best of any standard economy seat on a U.S. carrier, with 34 inches of legroom on the A320s (33 inches on the newer aircraft, but still good) and the width was good too, making the flight extremely comfortable. There was a good selection of free snacks and beverages and you could take as much as you wanted, so that definitely added to the flight. What’s more? The free IFE was the icing on the cake! Unlike B6483, my flight in, I found that this aircraft was not only very clean, but had much less wear and tear, making the aircraft look like it was in near perfect condition. Overall, jetBlue remains an excellent airline in my book and they are definitely among my top choices for preferred airline when available.
Service: 20/20 (Excellent service! FAs were polite, professional, and personable)
Plane Cleanliness/Condition: 19/20 (Plane was clean and in much better shape than the one that operated B6483)
Snacks: 20/20 (Excellent selection of free snacks and the whole can of drink of your choice can't be beat!)
Seat Comfort: 20/20 (Best standard economy seats of any US carrier)
IFE: 20/20 (Excellent selection of TV channels and Sirius XM channels)
**Overall grade: 99/100 (A)

Annalisa12

I loved it in my 30s.

miamiflyer8

People even go to WDW for their honeymoon so the ignorance of some people is amazing

mkjr

Not sure if this was intended to sound condescending. One might argue that what we do on FT is a little ignorant. I mean, some people think a airline is a glorified bus that only takes you from A to B.

Great TR WolfieG.

I hope that one day my disabled daughter can travel on her own and make her own adventures!

PWMTrav

Man, I am really looking forward to my trip to WDW later this month. This trip report did not help me be productive at work over the last 30 minutes

Glad you had a good time.

dctravels74

Thanks for the TR, am bringing my family middle of next month so it was very useful to me.