WolfieG

Hello again everyone! Hope you are all doing well and having a great Labor Day Weekend! Anyway, I decided to take advantage of my Winter Break from mid-December 2015 to late January 2016 and since I had not been to Walt Disney World in a while, I seized the opportunity and saved up for this trip. In case you are new to my reports, I am a college graduate with a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. However, because opportunities are limited in those fields, I am taking pre-requesite courses to go to graduate school to become a PA or RN (more job demand/more certainty upon finishing school that a job will be available than a PA from advisors and people in those fields I spoke to) as I feel these jobs would be the right fit for me. In addition to my studies, I work part time and I am into being with friends and family, travel, classic rock, automobiles, swimming, history, politics, and Disney!

New York John F. Kennedy International-Orlando (1/10/2016):
a)Before Airport:
While I had wanted to go with a close friend or my mom, that was not able to come to fruition as they would be unable to join me. My close friend would be busy working while my mom has to be home due to the fact that she needs to watch our two Affenpinschers (or Monkey-like terriers in German), Gwendolyn and Arabella. I would have gladly waited for mom to join me, but she wanted me to go as she wants me to have a good time! Plus, I am no stranger to traveling solo, and Disney World is no exception, as I went solo in January 2014 and had a magical time! With that in mind, I decided to do some research and found that January 10th-15th would work the best as those dates fall after the Disney Marathon, making for less crowded touring based on my four experiences traveling to WDW in January 2005, January 2011, January 2012, and January 2014. I also want to add that this trip will be one day shorter than my January 2014 trip because sometime in the not so distant future, there is a good chance that I will be within 3 hours driving distance of WDW in Southeast Florida, making many WDW trips possible! I checked flights from JFK/LGA-Orlando, hotels, and tickets being booked separately as well as package deals. I checked Disney Value Resorts, Disney Moderate Resorts, the Hilton DTD (which was sold out), Buena Vista Palace, B-Resort, and even the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which had a cheaper than normal package deal on Expedia. I also did calculations on whether the DDP would save me money, and based on my dining plans, it did not, so I decided to not go for a package with the Dining Plan. I found many good deals, but one stood out above the rest!
The package deal I found was through jetBlue Getaways, and it included air, hotel, and 6-Day Magic Your Way Tickets (I did not add the Park Hopper as I have never used it, as I tend to only go to one park per day) for $1200 in change, which was a great deal! The accomodations were at the Buena Vista Palace, which I was very happy with as I have had many excellent experiences at that hotel (I stayed there in January 2005, November 2007, and January 2012), as I find it to be upscale and relaxing without the high Disney Deluxe Resort price-tag. While I knew that it was undergoing massive renovations to the main pool, lobby, and restaurants and was becoming a Hilton property (I don't mind, I like Hiltons), I decided to take a risk as the renovations would not be as disruptive in the main tower, they had an agreement with a neighboring hotel to use their pool (there is another pool by the Spa, but it is small), and the price was excellent! I got great flight times as well, as my flight out, jetBlue 483, leaves JFK at 9:29AM and arrives at MCO at 12:29PM, meaning that I will be able to enjoy my first day. Going home, jetBlue 1684 leaves MCO at 5:30PM and arrives at JFK at 8:06PM, meaning I could enjoy my last day as well. In addition, while I had been on jetBlue many times before and they are my next most used airline to Delta, I had not used them in six years, as they were never the cheapest when I needed to use them until this point. I liked jetBlue a lot when I last used them, so I was interested to see if they were still as good as I remembered. Also, I did not rent a car due to the high underage fees and because it was not necessary for my situation. This trip also marked my next-to-last trip from New York (I had to go to South Florida with mom in March 2016 for a few days to house-hunt one last time), as I will be relocating to South Florida soon with my mom soon since we found a very nice home!
After a great Fall semester at Stony Brook, I still had to take care of a few last minute things before my trip. The first thing was that since the 30-day FastPass+ window opened up (60-days at Disney-owned hotels), I booked my FP+ Reservations and tinkered with them until I had them perfect. I made sure the time worked well along my Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs). I booked FP+ Reservations for the following dates. I opted not to go to DHS as while I love it, there was not much to do at the time due to a lot of construction and I wanted to focus on the other parks as I did not have much time.





For my final steps, I then called JetBlue, as I wanted to confirm my room requests at the Buena Vista Palace. Since I found out they were renovating a small section of rooms to minimize disruption, I emphasized to the lovely agent on the phone that my first choice would be a renovated room if available, even though it would be on a lower floor. If that was not available, I requested a non-renovated room, which is still very nice on a higher floor for my second choice. I was thankful for the agent's help and I am glad that things are starting to come together for my trip. I also booked ground transportation from Tiffany Towncar, who will pick me up after my flight arrives and take me back to MCO at 1:30PM on 1/15, which will allow me plenty of time to make my flight, in case the security lines were long. Finally, I also ordered a MagicBand to take full advantage of the FP+ system.
Time went by quickly and by the time Saturday, January 9th, 2016, arrived, I could not believe I had only one day until I went to Walt Disney World. Since I was mostly done preparing for my trip, I wanted to take mom to do something fun since she would not be able to join me on this trip. We had the perfect idea, as I had won a $50 gift card to The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market in NYC, as I took a survey and was my luck was good, as I was the randomly selected lucky winner! We like to go there a lot, as both me and my mom enjoy walking around there to enjoy the sights and of course, to pig out on delicious sushi sold at The Lobster Place, which is a seafood market in Chelsea Market. I woke up at about 9:00AM, which worked out perfectly as I was able to get ready and since it was just about 24 hours until my flight departed, I used the jetBlue application on my iPhone to check in.









After three minutes, I was checked-in.After waiting for mom, we left for Chelsea Market at about 10:15AM and about one hour and fifteen minutes later using the Long Island Expressway and Midtown Tunnel (I-495) westbound, we found a close parking space near the corner of 8th Avenue on W. 17th Street, making for a quick walk to Chelsea Market. When we arrived at Chelsea Market, we found it to be not too crowded for a Saturday and with my $50 gift certificate in tow, we made our way over to The Lobster Place immediately! We went to the sushi counter, where the friendly and efficient sushi chefs prepared eight pieces of Salmon Sashimi for my mother as well as a Spicy Tuna Roll without mayonnaise for me, as I am allergic to egg and some regular Spicy Tuna Rolls contain mayo, unless you request them to be prepared otherwise, which never hurts. I also picked up a prepared box with two pieces of Salmon Nigiri, two pieces of Tuna Nigiri, two California Rolls, and two Salmon Rolls. When we received all of the sushi, we found all of it to be delicious and high quality as always!
After our large and filling meal, we decided to walk around Chelsea Market a little more, until we had our fill and decided to head home, but not without making a couple of stops at the Best Market (aka Best Yet) for some groceries and a nearby Chase Bank. After about an hour ride via the Midtown Tunnel and Long Island Expressway (I-495) eastbound, the Northern State Parkway eastbound, and the Meadowbrook Parkway southbound, we arrived at the Best Market in East Meadow, where we picked up some provisions. I then went to the Chase Bank, where I took out some cash so I would have some as backup for things like tips for the drivers from Tiffany Towncar. We then headed home, where I took my dogs in the backyard for some fun and then continued to prepare for my trip, like putting my iPhone and iPad in the chargers as they needed juice. Later, I had dinner and then got ready, as I wanted to be prepared for bed. After I was ready, I then went downstairs to watch some reruns of My 600 Lb Life and Untold Stories of the E.R. with mom, which are shows we both enjoy. While we were doing that, I also got the dogs ready for bed. After watching some TV, I decided to call jetBlue, as I was concerned that the impending rain for Sunday, January 10th, 2016, would lead to irregular operations. Thankfully, a lovely lady at jetBlue's phone headquarters and based in Orlando told me that the weather on both ends would not cause any problems and that my flight would depart as usual.
With that peace of mind, I went to sleep at about 11:00PM, not waking up until my phone went off at 4:45AM! Soon, it would be time to go to Disney!
After waking up and getting ready in the usual way, I took my iPhone and iPad out of their chargers and packed them. Next, I had a couple of pieces of bread with melted cheese, coffee with milk and two Splendas, a glass of orange juice, and a banana for breakfast. I also put my electric toothbrush (and its components) and night retainers into my backpack. Also, I checked my flight status and was scheduled to leave on time. I then spent time with my dogs and guinea pigs until about 6:00AM.

**Flight Information:**
Origin Airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, NY
Destination Airport: Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, FL
Airline and Flight Number: JetBlue Airways (B6) 483
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Registration: N589JB aka "Blue Skies Ahead"
Cabin, Seat: Economy, 14F
Scheduled Departure/Actual Departure: 9:29AM/10:35AM
Scheduled Arrival/Actual Arrival: 12:29PM/1:19PM
Departure Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 5, Gate 22
Arrival Airport Terminal, Gate: Airside A, Gate 7

*SPECIAL NOTES:
-First time flying jetBlue on the JFK-MCO route roundtrip (I have used B6 many other times when flying from JFK to PBI, FLL, and SFO (this was on a school trip in 2008), but when going to JFK-MCO the other five times, I used DL 4/5 other times and AA once)
-Sixth time visiting WDW (I visited in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, and now 2016)

b)Getting to Airport:
At 6:00AM, mom told me she wanted to take me to JFK fifteen minutes earlier than our original 6:30AM departure time, as the weather was very rainy. After putting my checked bag and backpack into my mom's car, we made our way to John F. Kennedy International Airport. At first, the ride started fine, as we got on the Meadowbrook Parkway southbound towards Jones Beach. Unfortunately, due to worse visibility thanks to the rain, my mom missed the westbound exit towards New York for the Southern State Parkway and had to exit at Exit M6E: Southern State Parkway east towards Eastern LI. From there, I told her to take the Southern State Parkway about 3/4 mile east to Exit 24N: Merrick Avenue north towards Westbury, where she was able to exit and go around to reenter the Southern State Parkway to go west towards New York. The rain was still pouring and despite the fact that there was little traffic on the road, we both agreed that the Southern State could use better lighting along it, despite the fact that we pay such high taxes! Anyway, we soon reached the point of the parkway where it splits into the Cross Island Parkway north towards Whitestone Bridge, LaGuardia Airport and the Belt Parkway west towards Brooklyn, JFK Airport. We continued down the Belt Parkway and made to Exit 20: Kennedy Airport via JFK Expressway by about 6:50AM. Unfortunately, the mostly smooth ride ended once we got closer to Terminal 5, which is the jetBlue Terminal. We had no idea there would be such gridlock going this way, which surprised me as I have dropped off my friend/neighbor many times at this terminal when he flies to the Dominican Republic and have even done it the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve and it was never as horrendous as this. My anxiety was building up, but there was nothing I could have done, except get rebooked on the next flight. If I would have known beforehand, I would have asked mom to have dropped me off at Terminal 4 (Delta and other carriers) or Terminal 8 (American) and I would used the AirTrain over to Terminal 5. Once we got closer to Terminal 5 about forty minutes later, I advised mom to drop me off on the Arrivals level as opposed to the departures level, as I learned from Peter Greenberg, a travel writer, that this can save time in some cases. Mom did not quite understand at first, but she appreciated this tip very much after she saw the greater number of cars heading for the Departures level. When we arrived, we hugged each other good-bye and I gathered my things, anxious but still hopeful of making the flight.

c)At Airport:
After entering Terminal 5, I made my way upstairs via the escalator to the Departure Level as quickly as OJ Simpson did in the old Hertz commercials. While the check-in line looked lengthy, I waited only about ten minutes. While I was waiting, I could see that the security line was much longer than usual (compared to other times in this terminal or at Delta Terminals 2 and 4 at JFK) and since I still had the opportunity, I purchased Even More Speed via the jetBlue application, which would grant me access to the Pre-Check line in order to increase the chances of making my flight for an additional $10 (free if you have an Even More Space Seat or higher fare). The check-in area was quite busy but despite this, I only waited about ten minutes, which was not as bad as I had anticipated given the circumstances.



When my turn came, I was helped by Ashley, a very polite and professional agent. As she was checking my bag, inspecting my drivers license and boarding pass, and reprinting my boarding pass to reflect my Even More Speed purchase, we talked about how long it took to get to the terminal. Ashley mentioned she had heard about the unusually high congestion outside the terminal too and said that some of her coworkers were affected by the traffic, which was likely due to a car accident. By 7:50AM, I was on my way to security and thankfully, the purchase of Even More Speed proved to be the best decision I made that morning, as I was through security in seven minutes and assisted by Officer Gordon, who was very friendly and enjoyed a laugh with me after my Nasacort and 3-ounce bottle of saline nose drops set off the metal detector. By a little after 8:00AM, I was in the secure area of the terminal and far less anxious than I was, as I knew I would make my flight! Since I have not been in Terminal 5 in a while, I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I loved the modern feel, spaciousness, many amenities, and that it is not too spread out (I'm looking at you Delta Terminal 4 at JFK ).
-Flight Information:

-Center of Terminal 5:

-Exhibit on the workings of a jet engine:


While I only had about a little under an hour until boarding, meaning that I would not get to plane spot and/or explore T5 as much as I wanted to, I still took advantage of the time I had . I first passed by Gate 22, where I spotted two jetBlue Airbus A320s and a LAN Boeing 767-300.

I spotted two more jetBlue Airbus A320s, including N775JB on the left in JetBlue Honors Our Veterans livery:

I kept exploring the 20s gates of Terminal 5, passing the Airspace Lounge.

I got further down, nearing Gates 26 and 27 and I passed the Aer Lingus Lounge on the left.

When I arrived at Gate 28, I spotted N584JB aka "Blue Fox", a B6 Airbus A320-200 that arrived from STI as B6336 and was departing for UVF (Saint Lucia) as B6881:

I also passed the NY Minute shop, which had a nice assortment of goods relating to NYC. Hey, who says Walt Disney World is the only place where you can exit through the gift shop?

However, my heart's desire was to check out the T5 Rooftop for a bit, which I had heard great things about such as decent spotting opportunities, a good place to relax, and also a post-security pet relief area if you are traveling with your four-legged friends.

Despite the rain, I remained dry since the T5 Rooftop is partially covered.

While there, I was able to see part of Terminal 7. Thanks to this fact, I spotted a BA Boeing 747-400 bound for LHR and a CX Boeing 777-300 heading to HKG. In addition, I also spotted the nose of a B6 Embraer E190.

Overall, I loved the T5 Rooftop, as it provides an out-of-the ordinary way to wait for your flight and a place for pets to burn off steam and relieve themselves before they fly. All in all, it's a wonderful idea and I wish more airports had it! Since it was getting closer to 8:30AM and the free snacks alone would not fill me up, I decided to head to the food court. On my way to the food court, I spotted a TAM Boeing 767-300.

I then arrived at the food court.

I had originally wanted to go to Lucy's Asian Kitchen for an Asian inspired bowl, but they were not open yet, so I went to Cheeburger Cheeburger, which is a tried and true option for me. I used the easy-to-use touchscreen to order a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with all of the vegetable toppings plus mustard and I also picked up a bottle of water. Since there was no option for no bun, I let the friendly and helpful employee cooking the food know and he was happy to take my request! While I was waiting, my mother called. She let me know that she got home OK despite the rain and that by the terminal exit, there was indeed a car accident, as my check-in agent Ashley had mentioned. I told her that I was glad to have gotten through the terminal very quickly considering the circumstances and I agreed with her, as she was glad too! I then received my food, paid about $10-$11 in change for it. I continued to talk to my mother until about 8:50AM, which was about when my plane was scheduled to board. I told her not to worry about picking me up at JFK when I came home, as I knew how stressful it was for her to drive me to JFK and that I would either use the AirTrain to LIRR or a car service depending upon my timing when I came home, so she would not have to drive. Mom was very thankful and she wished me a wonderful trip before I got off the phone, as boarding time was near at Gate 22, where my flight left from.

Here's a B6 Embraer E190 and the TAM Boeing 767-300 I saw earlier.

Finally, the aircraft operating my flight, which was N589JB aka "Blue Skies Ahead," arrived at the gate for our departure.

After later research from FlightAware, where I like to look up aircraft registrations to find out where they are going when possible, I also witnessed the arrival of N238JB aka "Blue Clipper" at Gate 23, a B6 Embraer E190 that arrived from FLL as B61502 and would be departing for SRQ as B6163.

jetBlue action featuring N589JB aka "Blue Skies Ahead," another B6 Airbus A320, and N238JB aka "Blue Clipper."

While we boarded on time at about 8:54AM, Jetblue was experiencing irregular operations due to the weather as well as the car accident clogging up the traffic outside, as the pilot who was going to be operating the flight to Sarasota, FL, at Gate 23, was running late through security and the flight was going to be delayed. Also, our gate agent announced that for people who did not make the flight due to terminal delays, another flight at about 10:30AM would be available for them to be rebooked on. However, I was excited to fly on Jetblue again because while they are my second most used airline behind Delta, I have not been on them since August 2009, as Delta since then has always been cheaper to the various destinations I fly to (including MCO). While I don't mind flying Delta as I like their front-line staff (flight attendants, check-in agents, and the like), the usually good condition and cleanliness of their aircraft, their many flights out of NYC (JFK and LGA), and their reliability, I was excited to fly on Jetblue again as I wanted to see if they were still as good as I remembered. When boarding, which was organized and quick, was called for my row, James, the gate agent, scanned my boarding pass and wished me a good flight in a cheerful tone.

d)B6483: JFK-MCO:
After making my way down the jetway, I was very excited to be heading back to WDW and entered the aircraft via Doorway 1L, where I was warmly greeted by Alicia, a friendly, middle-aged flight attendant. As I walked down the aisle, I found the aircraft to be clean and well maintained, but with some wear and tear. I settled in Seat 14F, which was very comfortable and had plenty of legroom.

And a legroom shot

After I got settled, I met my seat mates, who included Lenny, a young man from Roslyn, not far from where I live as well as a middle-aged Orthodox Jewish man, who rested most of the flight. I then spotted some aircraft, including N238JB aka "Blue Clipper" at Gate 23 ready to head to SRQ as B6163, albeit delayed.

We had to wait to push back a little bit, but the flight attendants did the safety announcements and we pushed back at about 9:34AM. Unfortunately, Captain John announced that due to the bad weather as well as the congestion outside of the terminal, we would be delayed departing. He stated that there were still people in the long security lines and that if they could not make the flight, there was another flight at 10:30AM available for them and that they would be rebooked on it. While being delayed is not the best thing, it could have been worse as it gave me time to plane spot and watch some TV. I first watched some CNN, which piqued my interest as they were covering the 2016 Presidential Election.

We pushed back at 9:34AM and I said goodbye to N238JB, another B6 Embraer E190, a B6 Airbus A320, and two B6 Airbus A321s.

We then headed towards the back of the airport, where we positioned ourselves to line up for take off. Due to runway maintenance and the weather, the airport was very congested with arrivals and many departures! We first passed Terminal 8, with a lot of AA action.

And this unmarked Boeing 747 with an open nose.

Followed by N913JB aka "Blue Kid on the Block," a B6 Airbus A321 heading to SDQ as B6409.


We then passed the B6 hangar.

I then spotted some DL action, including a DL Boeing 767-300.

Followed by an AA Boeing 737-800 in old colors, a DL Airbus A320 taking off, and a DL tail.

At this time, Captain John announced that due to a long wait caused by nine planes ahead of us and runway work, he would be shutting one engine to conserve fuel as we moved. I then spotted a DL Boeing 757-200.

We then passed the General Aviation Building.

About a little over an hour past our scheduled departure time, we finally arrived at Runway 13R and I had a good view of the Broad Channel Bridge and The Rockaways.


At 10:35AM, I felt the thrust from the jet engines and we took off quickly, turning right to head southbound, where we were greeted by endless diamond skies (not unlike those Princess Jasmine sings about in "A Whole New World").

From there, we soon hit about 10,000 feet and it was at this point I found this aircraft had FlyFi, Jetblue's free wifi service, which was pretty sweet! With FlyFi activated, I emailed Tiffany Towncar to let them know I would be running late, even though they were tracking my flight, as I did not want them to think anything bad happened to me. While that was happening, I also watched South Park, which included the episodes "Damien," Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000," and "Jakovasaurs."

While I was watching South Park, I enjoyed my grilled chicken sandwich from Cheeburger Cheeburger, which I found to be on the large side portion-wise and tender, moist, and juicy along with crisp and fresh vegetable toppings. We flew along the Atlantic coastline after taking off and since it was turbulent, snacks were not served until a little later in the flight as the fasten seatbelt sign was on until we reached North Carolina.

A little before that point, Ryan, a young, enthusiastic female flight attendant took our beverage orders using a notepad and I ordered a Diet Coke with no ice. She then came back with our beverages and after that, Tara, another accommodating flight attendant came back with Alicia to bring snacks, which was when I selected a bag of Terra Blue Chips and a bag of Popcorners.
I
enjoyed my snack and since nothing else was on television, I decided to watch Sunday House Call on Fox News with Dr. Marc Siegel and Dr. David Samadi, which was interesting as they were talking about ways in which the cold weather could be dangerous for the body and advised tips, like how to be careful when shoveling snow, which was useful.

While I was watching, I chatted more with Lenny and we talked about Roslyn a bit, like how we love the various restaurants in town such as Kotobuki, an excellent sushi restaurant. We also talked about where we were traveling to. Lenny mentioned that he was traveling to Costa Rica and was connecting in Orlando, but he was concerned as due to the flight's late arrival, he would not make his connecting flight. When Ryan came by, Lenny inquired about the connecting flight and he was reassured that if they did not hold it, which she said there was a chance of, they would be able to put him on the next flight. After chatting with Lenny for a bit, I then used the lavatory since we would be landing soon as it was nearing 1:00PM. I arrived back at my seat and sadly, Ryan informed Lenny that he would not make his flight as it would still be departing on schedule and not waiting for other passengers, which was a shame.However, Ryan did inform him that the gate agent awaiting our flight would be able to rebook him onto the next flight, so I hope Lenny made it to Costa Rica after all. At about 1:00PM, we began our descent into the Orlando area, entering Florida near Daytona Beach and flying I-4 most of the way. Before I knew it, I could see that we were on approach to Orlando and I could see that we were flying over the Central Florida Greenway (FL-417).

Finally, we were landing in Orlando and I was excited beyond belief!



We touched down in Orlando at 1:19PM, about 50 minutes behind our scheduled time, but it could have been worse as I could have not been there at all. When we were cleared to use handheld electronic devices, I called my mom to let her know I arrived safe and sound and she wished me a wonderful time! As I deplaned, I thanked Ryan and Alicia, who were stationed at the front of the plane and they wished me a great trip! Despite the delay, I enjoyed this flight on JetBlue due to the ample legroom, excellent service, and TV, which was a bonus in my book!

e)Arrival:
After I disembarked at Airside A, Gate 7, I made my way to the fake monorail for the Main Terminal.


While I was onboard, I spotted some more aircraft, which included an XA-GOL, an Aeromexico Boeing 737-700 at Gate 24 that arrived from Mexico City as Aeromexico Flight 434 and was heading back to Mexico City as Aeromexico Flight 435, XA-VOM aka "Margarita," a Volaris Airbus A319 at Gate 25 that arrived from Mexico City as Volaris Flight 980 and was heading back to Mexico City as Volaris Flight 981.

-And I took this selfie:

About five minutes after I disembarked my plane, I was at the Main Terminal, where I made my way down the escalator to Baggage Claim 9.

I had a little trouble finding Masud, my driver from Tiffany Towncar, but we found each other. Not unlike my previous experience with Tiffany, I found Masud to be excellent, as he was very friendly, polite, professional, and intent on providing first class service! Before we went to his car, we headed over to Baggage Claim 9.

Ten minutes later, Masud had my suitcase and Masud escorted me to his black Lincoln Towncar, which was parked right outside the exit from the ground transportation area one level below the baggage claim. This was not unlike the previous time I arrived in Orlando, as I presume that the people manning the outside exit allowed him to park there, as he was friendly with them due to picking up at MCO many times. Nevertheless, it meant a much shorter walk for me, so I was happy! While we were outside, I also took off my vest and sweatshirt, as it was a balmy 70 degrees, which felt warm but wonderful! I then entered the rear-seat of his Lincoln Town Car and stretched out in its commodious rear seat.

Masud left the airport to go northbound in his clean and well maintained Towncar in order to access the Beachline Expressway (FL-528) westbound towards Orlando.

While we were driving, we talked about our travels, like where we have been and what airlines we liked/disliked. Masud told me he had traveled with his family to much of the Middle East and India, which sounded cool, even though it can be uneasy at times. This was also fitting as Masud mentioned he was of Indian and Pakistani heritage and immigrated to the U.S., first to Chicago and then to Orlando, where he began working for Tiffany since they started in 1998, which was pretty cool!
When he said this, I told him that I wanted to travel there, plus Israel, as I want to discover my roots. Masud said that while he had not been to Israel yet, he wanted to go there as he heard it was a beautiful country! We also talked airlines and I mentioned I liked Delta and JetBlue best, as I feel they have the best operations of the U.S. carriers. Masud agreed, especially on Delta, as he flew them many times and felt the same way. He also said that he liked Emirates, as he felt they had an amazing hard product with luxurious seats and impeccable service! I mentioned that since I have never flown outside of the U.S., I have never used them, but would like to fly them as I had heard amazing things about them. We made good time, first passing the Florida Mall, not far from Exit 4: Florida’s Turnpike (FL-91)/US 17/US 92/US 441.

We then reached Exit 2: Universal Blvd, Orangewood Blvd, where we would detour for a bit to go to the Lake Cay Commons Publix.

Finally, we arrived at the Lake Cay Commons Publix, which had a convenient location and a rather palatial looking exterior.

Since I only had 20 minutes, I made a list of what I needed about four days before my trip using Publix's handy iPhone application, as it helped keep tabs on what I needed and provided the aisles for the items based on the store I was visiting. I was excited to go into Publix, as I have always enjoyed shopping at their stores in the Orlando area and in South Florida, as their stores are immaculate with a very nice atmosphere, have excellent customer service, have great produce, an excellent deli, and fair prices in my book (as their regular prices are comparable (sometimes slightly cheaper) than what I pay for groceries at home and competitive sale prices). While I had never been to this Publix before as I usually used the Regency Village Publix (near the Premium Outlets) or the Publix at FL-535/US-192 across from the Target in Kissimmee, this average-sized Publix made an excellent first impression, as it had a very welcoming and bright atmosphere and impeccable cleanliness!

I first visited the deli, where Charlotte, a warm and enthusiastic middle-aged lady, sliced me 1/2 a pound of Boar's Head Three Pepper Colby Jack Cheese, which salty, creamy, and very piquant. She loved that I love the spice of the cheese, as she said that not everyone likes it as it is too hot for their tastes. She got a fresh block of cheese and gave a sample slice, which was wonderful. After Charlotte gave me my cheese, I was on my way to continue shopping, where I picked up very nice strawberries from Florida, blueberries, bananas, Publix Orange Juice with Calcium (it's delicious and cheaper than national brands in my book and Consumer Reports's too!), a 12-pack of Diet A&W on sale, two more large dog leashes for my dogs (I first discovered their dog leashes in a Deerfield Beach Publix when I was visiting the area in August and when I bought the first two, mom found that they were very high quality and durable for the reasonable $5.29 price when she used them on our dogs), and two insulated Publix bags, which Joseph, an enthusiastic young associate led me to find. With all of my groceries gathered, I went to check out with Eddie, who was very friendly, patient, and efficient along with Johann, his bagger who bagged my groceries to perfection. After a pleasurable experience at Publix, I was in the car again fifteen minutes after I arrived and Masud loved it, as most clients take a little longer, which he understands. Masud was impressed that I mentioned the list helped me expedite my shopping. We then left Publix, turning right to head southbound on Universal Blvd to access the Beachline Expressway (FL-528) westbound towards Interstate 4.

Once on the Beachline, we headed west for about two miles and arrived at the interchange for I-4 west towards Tampa.

Traffic on I-4 was light and soon enough, we were at Exit 68: FL-535: Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista.

We exited I-4 and turned right to head to the Hotel Plaza Boulevard entrance to Walt Disney World! Finally, we had entered Disney property and we were on approach to the Buena Vista Palace!

Since the Buena Vista Palace's regular lobby was being renovated, a makeshift check-in area had been moved to an unused conference room (I knew about this from JetBlue Getaways, as they warned me beforehand.). Masud dropped me off at that entrance and I thanked him for a wonderful ride, as a cheerful bellhop took all of my bags except my Dakine backpack inside. Once again, I thought Tiffany Towncar was excellent, as Masud proved to be an excellent driver, the car was in excellent condition, and the value for the price at $117 roundtrip with a free grocery stop was great! I was excited to be back at the Walt Disney World Resort and I headed inside to the Buena Vista Palace’s makeshift lobby, ready to check-in!

f)B6483 Impressions/Ratings:
Overall, jetBlue proved to be as good, if not better than I remembered. Ryan, Tara, and Alicia, the flight attendants on this flight 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! If there was one slight criticism of my flight, it would be that while N589JB aka “Blue Skies Ahead,” the A320 that operated my flight was flightworthy and mostly clean, it would be that this aircraft was showing its age due to some visible wear and tear. This was in comparison to some newer/refurbished Delta aircraft, which seemed like they were in better shape. However, it seems that jetBlue is remedying this, as they brought in newer aircraft, like A321s with and without Mint (their First Class product) and will be refurbishing their A320s from 2017-2019 (http://www.airlinesanddestinations.c...nally-planned/) , so I look forward to trying it. In addition, I thought jetBlue did a decent job handling our delay, as they did their best to keep us informed, had alternate options available, and did their best to get us to MCO on time. 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: 17/20 (Plane was clean, but there was some wear and tear)
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: 97/100 (A)

-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

offerendum

Always interesting to see American cars. It�s this opulent 90s style.

FlightNurse

With your undergrad degree's one would assume you would be a Lawyer.. In regards to your current schooling, A PA (Physician Assistant) or RN (Registered Nurse) are two completely different jobs. One is a mid-level medical provider, the other one care's for patients. They both have job security, just depends on what interests you. I'm Partial to the RN (Been one for 19 yrs) but there is nothing wrong with being a PA either.

Interesting report so far..

WolfieG

Hi FlightNurse! Cool username by the way! Hmmm...I never saw it that way, but I could see why. While law interests me and I even took some Law courses as part of my minor and loved them, I don't feel like I am cut out to be a lawyer. I am not opposed to being a Physician's Assistant, but I realized that being a Registered Nurse would work out better for me at this point and I still need to take classes anyway, so I will have time to figure everything out. Congratulations on 19 years as being a Registered Nurse and keep doing an awesome job! Thank you for your kind words on my report and don't worry, there will be more interesting stories!

WolfieG

I cannot agree more offerendum! While all cars/trucks/SUVs/et al. have their pros and cons in my opinion, I have a soft-spot for the Lincoln Town Cars as while they may not be the most exciting cars on the road, they are definitely great highway cruisers, as they have a plush ride, are comfortable, and very reliable. I could agree that it's an opulent 90's style, as while the Town Car I was in was a 2003-2011 model, it is a simpler type of luxury (kind of like Benzes from the early 90's) that some other luxury automakers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi moved away from as those cars became more complex and more expensive than say, a Town Car. Love your observation offerendum!

offerendum

They ent a little bit over the top.....A luxury car is taday often more expensive than a normal flat.

WolfieG

Very true offerendum!

mkjr

Great TR.

I liked the BVP hotel. Close to DTD and yet a very reasonable cost. Unfortunately I despise the MB and FP+ system that we have not been back to WDW in over 2 years despite that our daughter has so much fun there. This past march we were in Hong Kong dis so she got her fix still.

In fact, we probably were at WDW once every year or twice with AP's since 2000 so I hope disney notices, but they probably won't give a crap.

My little sis is a pediatric oncology nurse. I think she is an RN but lately has been helping with more procedures.

WolfieG

Hi mkjr! I cannot agree more the BVP is an excellent hotel as it is very reasonably priced and close to DTD (now Disney Springs). It looks like it is even nicer (not that it wasn't already) now thanks to the renovation. I am sorry that you are not a fan of the MB and FP+ systems in place, but I definitely understand why it may not be for some people. It is a shame you have not been back in a while, as it is as awesome as ever in my opinion, but I have heard Hong Kong dis is supposed to be fun as well and Mystic Manor is supposed to be an amazing attraction. Who knows, if my travels ever take me to Hong Kong, I may have to make a side trip to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort! Cool a pediatric oncology nurse is an awesome job. I think they start you off in a more general setting, like the ER first but you can then do a specialty if I am not mistaken. Nothing wrong with doing many different jobs if you ask me!

WolfieG

When I arrived at the Buena Vista Palace, it was 2:39PM and while the line at check-in looked lengthy due to many conventioneers from KPMG, an accounting company staying at the hotel, I only waited about ten minutes as many representatives were on hand to check guests in.

Also, the front-desk manager checked the line and talked to guests, reminding them politely to have IDs and credit cards ready beforehand to help expedite the check-in process. I was helped by Daisy, a personable and polite lady from Northern New Jersey and New Hyde Park, NY. While she said I would have to wait a bit as she wanted to fulfill my request for a room with a king bed, she asked for my phone number so she could text me when my room was ready. I was happy to give her my phone number and when I did, she immediately recognized the (516) area code, as she revealed to me that she used to live in New Hyde Park, which is about fifteen minutes west of where I lived and we had a pleasant conversation about Long Island. Now checked in, I waited in the lobby and about twenty minutes after I checked in, I was assigned Room 356, which was on the same floor as the Lobby, but well away from it as it was on a separate hallway separated by a door from the lobby and the last room in that hallway, which turned out to be nice, as it was very private! While I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to be on a higher floor as I had requested that, I was still glad as the location of my room was very private and I could see that it was very clean and in excellent condition.


After settling in a little bit, I called my mother and let her know all was well before I got ready to head to the pool, as this day had the best temperatures and sunny skies, making for perfect swimming conditions. Since the Main Pool was closed for renovations as they are enhancing it and even adding a lazy river, I was directed to the Spa Pool, which while smaller, was very nice, as it was well maintained and had pleasantly warm water. While I could have also had the bellboy drive me to the Hilton DTD to use their pool according to Daisy, this pool worked fine for my purposes. I ended up swimming close to 40 laps and after that, I relaxed by the pool for a little bit.
After an invigorating swim, I went back to my room to take a relaxing shower and to get ready for dinner at Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. After getting ready, I decided to think about heading over to the Magic Kingdom before dinner, as I would have time until my 8:45PM ADR at Chef Mickey's and had to stop by The Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) anyway, as the ticket on my package was a will-call ticket. I checked for FP+ reservations before I went, but there were none.At about ten to six, I headed to the bus stop, where I caught a bus for the Magic Kingdom. I was the only passenger onboard and I chatted with my driver, who was very bubbly and about fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the TTC. Here are some pics from the ride over.


There, I headed to a ticket window, where there was no line and I was assisted by CM Patrick from North Carolina, who was very friendly and efficient. He had no issues using the information from the printed itinerary and in no time, he had my admission linked to my MagicBand as well as a backup admission ticket. He wished me a magical evening and with my admission ready, I boarded the Express Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. After disembarking the monorail, I went through security and scanned my MagicBand, which were quick and easy! After I passed the turnstiles, I was overjoyed to be hearing Disney music and seeing this magical sight in the distance!


After basking in the atmosphere of Main Street USA, my plan of action was to head to Adventureland.

After reveling in the atmosphere, I made my way to Adventureland, where I first decided to ride The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, which had a five-minute wait.

While the posted wait time was five minutes, in less than five minutes, I was high in the sky and soaring on a magic carpet to Agrabah! I even got a pleasant spritz of water from a camel, which felt delightful and the ride may have been as smooth as any jet I have flown on haha! After soaring on a magic carpet, I decided to ride The Jungle Cruise, which I had never been on before and while the posted wait was 25 minutes, I was on in about fifteen minutes.




While I was waiting, one of the lovely female skippers complimented me on my Billy Joel 8.4.2015 Nassau Coliseum Closing Concert t-shirt, which made me feel awesome. After boarding my boat for the Jungle Cruise, I was laughing at Skipper Ashton's funny if not corny humor and enjoying the animals and civilians along our journey. Here are some pictures:







After sighting many different animals and enjoying funny jokes aboard the Jungle Cruise, I needed to use the restroom, so I went to the nearby restrooms along the passageway linking Adventureland and Frontierland. Once I finished, I could hear that the Main Street Electrical Parade was passing through, so I decided to see if I could get a spot. I managed to get a spot on the porch along the path in Frontierland, thanks to Debbie, a very sweet lady from Indiana, who was visiting with her baby granddaughter, Minnie. We had a wonderful time chatting about Disney and I enjoyed watching MSEP, as I love the many characters, bright lights, floats, and retro synthesizers playing "Baroque Hoedown."


Since it was still only 7:40PM and my ADR was not for another hour, I decided to ride Pirates of the Caribbean, which is one of my favorite attractions and only had a five-minute wait to boot.

I was on the ride in no time and marveled at the storyline as well as the amazing animatronics. Since there was no wait, I decided to ride once more. Since the time for my Chef Mickey’s ADR was nearing, I decided to head out of the park, but not without stopping for Wishes .


By the time Wishes was over, it was 8:15PM and I made my way to the exit, amazed at how much I got done at the Magic Kingdom in little time and what a magical time I had!

After leaving the Magic Kingdom, I walked along the pathway connecting the exit Magic Kingdom to Disney's Contemporary Resort. While it cooled down a bit from the 70-degree temperatures during the day into the mid-60s, it was still a beautiful night to be outside! About ten minutes later, I arrived at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, where I got an elevator straight to the fourth floor. After I made it to the fourth floor, it was 8:30PM and I made my way to the podium of Chef Mickey's, where an enthusiastic hostess checked me in. I then took some pictures with the Mickey statue thanks to a bubbly photographer and then waited with other families who were as excited as I was.

About twenty minutes after I checked in, I was escorted to my table by Taylor from New Zealand, another hostess, who was lovely and we chatted a bit about how much I loved Chef Mickey's and how I make sure to go there on all of my trips, as it is a wonderful way to start off my trip and has become a tradition of sorts for me. Taylor also confirmed that I had food allergies to eggs and wheat and made sure to get Chef Eric in addition to my waiter, Kenny from Nashville, TN. After I was seated at a table near the outer rim of the buffet, Kenny, my waiter, came to greet me. My first impressions were that he was excellent, as he was very welcoming and eager to please. He took my order for a Diet Coke as my beverage, offered to take pictures of me with the characters when he was able to, and got Chef Eric, who would help me with my food allergies. The timing of my arrival was perfect, as the characters were on the other side of the restaurant, so I would have time to scope my options and eat. In addition, I should also note that I knew of Chef Eric before, as I called Chef Mickey's earlier the previous week and spoke to Chef Joachim, who had helped me on previous trip in January 2014 and was excellent! At that time, not only did I have my food allergies to deal with, I also was combatting high triglycerides, so he also had to make sure that I avoided fats high in saturated fats, which was easier than I expected. While my high triglycerides are gone, I am still careful to avoid red meat and fried foods (they are OK once in a while though). Chef Joachim informed me that Chef Eric would help me and that I was in good hands, so I had nothing to worry about. When Chef Eric came, I found him to be personable and very knowledgeable, not unlike Chef Joachim on my previous trip. We walked the buffet and found that I was able to have most items, so I would not go hungry. One main difference between 2014 and 2016 was that while sushi was available both times, the Spicy Tuna Rolls and California Rolls they had did not have mayonnaise, so I was able to enjoy them. Chef Eric did warn me about the soy sauce in the sushi, but that was fine for me as despite my wheat allergies, soy sauce is OK for me as it is a trace amount of gluten. For dessert, most of the pastries and cakes were off-limits, but that was fine as the ice cream was egg-free and that is always a delicious option. If that was not enough, Chef Eric offered to bring me gluten free/egg free baked goods on request, which was an awesome touch! Overall, Chef Eric proved to be excellent at accommodating my needs and as always, there was plenty to eat. With my options sorted out, I started at the salad bar, where I chose crisp and leafy greens, sharp and salty cubes of cheddar, a light and filling mozzarella and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar, pleasantly spicy Spicy Tuna Rolls, and savory California Rolls . Not unlike my previous meals here, I thought that the food was high quality, fresh, and well prepared.

After I finished this first plate, I then put on my Goofy hat, which actually dates back to my first trip to Walt Disney World in January 2005, to get into the spirit of Chef Mickey's. While he was not ready for my section yet, Goofy walked by and gave me a thumb up of approval and Kenny, my waiter, loved how I got into the spirit. Soon after this, Donald stopped by and busted my chops a little, as I was not depicting his likeness. I told him not to worry and that he was still the #1 duck in my book . This made Donald very happy and we hugged each other and had a grand old time seeing each other.

Next, I had the pleasure of meeting Pluto. He could not get over my Goofy ears and he gave me a huge hug!


After enjoying some delicious food and having a wonderful time meeting Donald Duck and Pluto, The Big Cheese aka Mickey Mouse came to visit me! What a blast this was! Mickey Mouse welcomed me as if I were an old friend and made me feel like an honored guest! He admired my Goofy ears and we hugged each other, happy to be in each other's company. He truly is the leader of the club who is made for you and me!

After meeting Mickey Mouse, I then had some more food, which included some moist, juicy, and well-spiced chicken, tender carved turkey, well cooked broccoli, and fluffy rice.

When Kenny came by, we chatted for a bit about our lives and he wanted to know how old he thought I was since somehow, we got to the subject of age. I told him he looked 21, but he revealed that he was going to be 51 that February, which was pretty unbelievable. Since I did not see Minnie Mouse, I asked Kenny where she was. Unfortunately, he revealed that because she had to help take down Christmas decorations, she had to miss dinner tonight, which was a shame, as I really wanted to meet her. Luckily, Kenny told me that the next morning, she wanted to meet me at Storybook Circus in the Magic Kingdom along with Daisy Duck, so I had a new stop on my touring agenda at the Magic Kingdom as I wanted to make sure to meet her . Kenny also reassured me that 99.9% of the time, Minnie Mouse is present at Chef Mickey's, so in case anyone is considering eating at Chef Mickey's, I do not want you to worry as your chances of meeting everyone at Chef Mickey's are very high and these things can happen. After chatting with Kenny, I decided to get some more food since Goofy was still on the other side of Chef Mickey's. I got some more moist and tender carved turkey, flakey and mild salmon in a sweet, fruity, and tangy mango sauce, more well cooked broccoli, and sweet and well-cooked carrots.

Next up, I had the chance to meet Goofy, who was head over heels to see that I was in my Goofy hat. We had a wonderful time playing with ears, hugging each other, and fist bumping each other!




After having a wonderful time meeting Donald Duck, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy, I decided to take a little break before dessert since I was very full from my dinner. While I was taking a break, I had the pleasure of saying hi to all the characters as they stopped by again, making for many wonderful interactions. Once I interacted with the characters, I decided to get some swirl soft-serve ice cream with chocolate sauce on top. This was delicious, with smooth and creamy ice cream with a sweet and bold chocolate sauce to complement it.

Since I was full, I decided to use the restroom and pay the check. While the service has always been excellent at Chef Mickey's and other WDW restaurants I have frequented, Kenny was no exception as he was very friendly, efficient, helpful, and always kept my Diet Coke refilled and when I left him a slightly over 20% tip to reflect his excellent service, he almost didn't want to take it as he seemed surprised. Nevertheless, I insisted and he was very thankful. I thanked him for a wonderful evening and that I hoped to see him again. Once again, Chef Mickey's did not disappoint as the character interaction was amazing, the service was friendly and accommodating, and the food was delicious!
With a wonderful start to my first day at WDW, I went downstairs to the lobby and caught a Disney Springs bus, which had just arrived. The driver was friendly and welcoming and while onboard, the magic continued as I enjoyed the electronica versions of "Hakuna Matata" and "For the First Time in Forever" played over the speakers while en-route. After I arrived at Disney Springs, I made my way to the newly built pedestrian bridge that crossed over Buena Vista Drive to the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels (formerly known as the Downtown Disney Resort Area). I loved using the new pedestrian bridge, as it was a lot less risky than worrying about crossing Buena Vista Drive and also improved automotive traffic flow since there is no longer a pedestrian crossing. After I arrived at the Buena Vista Palace, I got ready for bed, called my mom, and was in bed at about 11:30PM, overjoyed by my first day and excited to be back at the Magic Kingdom again in the morning!

-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 getting a good night's sleep from my wonderful first day, I woke up at 5:45AM, ready to take on the Magic Kingdom! After getting ready, I ate a breakfast of gluten free bread with Boar's Head Three Pepper Colby Jack along with strawberries, a banana, and orange juice. I then checked the weather and it was 50 degrees that morning reaching a mild high of 64 degrees, which was very nice but just a bit cool to swim, which would rule at the possibility of taking an afternoon break by the pool. Undeterred, I put on my sweatshirt and gathered my belongings, leaving the room at about 7:45AM to head to the bus stop. While I walking, I called my mother to make sure all was well. Unfortunately, due to heavy winds in our area, my mom reported that our house lost power and she was in the living room, huddled in a blanket to keep warm along with our dogs. I felt terrible and while the outage had already been reported to PSEG, our electric company, mom still wanted me to call them once more to make sure we got our power back quickly. Before the bus came, I called PSEG and the representative was very apologetic and said that power crews were already in our neighborhood, as there were other outages in our area. She said that the power would be restored around 9:00AM, which was a bit of a wait, but it was what had to be done. I called mom back and while she was a bit disappointed, she was very thankful nevertheless and since she did not want me to dwell on this issue too much, she told me to have fun and that she would call me as soon as she received power, which was a fair deal! While there was no one at the bus stop as there were mostly conventioneers staying at my hotel, I enjoyed the 80's music they played over the speakers, such as "I'll Stop the World and Melt With You" by Modern English, which made the wait pleasurable. At about 8:05AM, my chariot to the Magic Kingdom awaited me and I could not have been more excited!

Despite the fact that there was no one else who boarded at my stop, the bus was nearly packed with people who boarded for the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios at other resorts on my route. Thankfully, I still got a seat up front and in no time flat, we were on our way to the TTC! At close to 8:20AM, we were approaching this happy sign!

As we were pulling into the TTC, my mother called. She was very happy to report that power was restored to our home and that PSEG crews came, as she would now have electricity and not worry about the cold. I told her that I had arrived at the TTC and that I was on my way to the Magic Kingdom. She was excited and while I was speaking to her, I learned from CMs making announcements that due to maintenance, the Express Monorail would not be operating until 9:30AM and to use the ferry or shuttle buses instead if you wanted to be in time for opening. Since a ferry was arriving, I made my way over to the dock to await its arrival.

In addition, she also told me that our friend who also breeds Affenpinschers (the same type of dogs we have) and Papillons in Montana approved of my idea to surprise her 3-year old granddaughter with some Disney magic. My idea was that since her granddaughter is a huge Frozen fan, I wanted to buy a Frozen related hat or other piece of clothing and have Anna and Elsa sign it when I met them again, as I knew that she would love it without a doubt. She should be receiving it at the end of this week as while her grandma/our friend received the hat, she will be getting when she sleeps over with her grandma at the end of the week. Anyway, mom told me that she gave the all clear and that I should proceed with my plan. Mom also asked when I would call her back and I told her that I would shoot for the afternoon, as I wanted to make sure she did not feel lonely. Mom thanked and told me to have a wonderful day and I thanked her, right as I was about to board the Richard F. Irvine, the ferry that would transport us to the Magic Kingdom.

Once I was onboard the ferry, I made my way to the upper deck without hesitation, as I love getting fresh air and enjoying the views of the Magic Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom Resorts, and the other scenery. While I was on the upper deck, I met a very nice family visiting from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. While we were sailing to the Magic Kingdom, we somehow reached the topic of weather while conversing, as we both agreed that the weather in Orlando was far better than from our respective locales. While I said that it was in the 30s in the New York area, they told me that it was six degrees below zero when they left! While I am used to the cold, I do not know if it has ever gotten that cold in recent history in the New York area and I will admit, I agree with what this family said that 30 degree temperatures are nowhere near as bad as below zero temperatures. Still, I am a warm weather person. After more conversing about our areas, they asked me if I could take a family picture of them on the father's iPhone 6 Plus. I was very happy to do so and got quite a few pictures, which they loved. I then asked them if they could take a picture of me and they were happy to oblige.

At about 8:45AM, the Richard F. Irvine docked at the Magic Kingdom, where I then went through security and the admission turnstiles. Walking down Main Street USA, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven as I was making my way towards Cinderella Castle.


After arriving in Fantasyland, my first order of business was to ride Peter Pan’s Flight.

My wait was short and in no time flat, I was off to Neverland with Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, the Darling Family, Captain Hook, and Smee. I had a lot of fun riding this classic attraction and made my way to 7DMT for my 9:20AM-10:20AM FP+ reservation.


By the time I arrived at 7DMT, it was 9:23AM and the standby wait was already 45 minutes! After admiring the detail and rock work that they put into the queue, I was onboard the mine train about five minutes after I entered the FP+ line. I hate to say it, but I think many sources, like The Unofficial Guide, sell this attraction a bit short as I loved 7DMT and it has become one of my favorite attractions. I loved the smoothness of the coaster, the pleasant side-by-side motions, the animatronic dwarfs singing "Heigh-Ho," and of course, The Seven Dwarfs dancing with Snow White as The Evil Queen eerily watches at their door!
After riding through The Seven Dwarfs mine and visiting their cottage, I then decided to visit Belle's Village and The Beast's castle.


After arriving at the Magic Kingdom, it was now 9:38AM and I was very happy that I was able to ride two amazing attractions and visit The Beast's Castle and Belle's Village. My first order of business was to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which is one of my favorite attractions.



I was greeted by a posted wait of a mere 10 minutes but walked on in about five minutes. Soon enough, I was soaring into the crystal clear skies on the lovable flying pachyderm they call Dumbo.

After a blissful ride on Dumbo, my next plan of action was to visit Pete's Silly Sideshow, where I would have the pleasure of meeting Minnie and Daisy!

Since it was 9:55AM, Pete's Silly Sideshow was not open yet, so I had about five minutes to wait until it opened. However, there were not many people, which would make for a short wait. What's more, the temperatures were beginning to climb, so I took off my vest and sweatshirt. While I was waiting, I took in the amazing and lively theming, like the introduction announcements by Pete for the different characters and the bright artwork. Not too much time later, the doors opened and all of the guests were ushered inside, where we were greeted by very bubbly cast members, including an older CM named Rosie. I loved being inside this circus tent and in no time flat, I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Daisy Fortuna, who was happy to show me my fortune with her crystal ball, which indicated that my future would be a good one!


After learning my fortune from Daisy Fortuna, I then went over to visit the marvelous Minnie Magnifique, who was ecstatic to see me and show off her trained poodles. She lovingly embraced me with a huge hug and warmed my heart!


After a magnificent time meeting Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck at Pete's Silly Sideshow, I was on my way to have more fun, but not before scanning my Magicband to the reader held by one of the CMs, which was pretty cool as my PhotoPass photos were stored on it, which I found to be much easier than carrying around the PhotoPass cards like in the past. Once I left Pete's Silly Sideshow, I then decided to ride The Barnstormer, as it is fun ride and it had a mere five minute standby wait.

Five minutes later, I was flying onboard The Great Goofini's propeller plane and while this roller coaster is tame compared to say, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, or even 7DMT, it is still a lot of fun nonetheless and makes for a very good beginner coaster. Once I rode the The Barnstormer, I then made my way to the Fantasyland stop of the Walt Disney World Railroad after my time in Fantasyland, which is a truly enchanting place. However, I wanted to head to Frontierland and Adventureland, as there were more attractions I wanted to visit and more characters I wanted to meet.



I then arrived in Frontierland after passing Main Street USA.

Once I entered Frontierland, I then walked to Adventureland with one thing on my mind.

That one thing on my mind was to meet Aladdin and Jasmine, as they are among my favorite Disney characters. It was around 11:00AM and lucky for me, it was the perfect time to line up as Elizabeth, the wonderful cast member who was handling the line, advised me that they would be coming out at 11:20AM. While I was waiting along with the other guests, I had a ball chatting with Elizabeth, who was another one of the wonderful CMs I met. She was engaging, as we conversed about Aladdin as that is both one of our favorite movies and she also asked me if I liked Wolverine from X-Men, as it was kind of an inside joke between us . I also chatted with other people in line who were very nice, like a lady who brought a large board to be signed by Aladdin and Jasmine (as well as other characters) for her friend who just got married, a mother and daughter visiting from the Houston, TX, and a family with two boys dressed as pirates and a girl dressed as Queen Elsa. I also admired the new greeting area they had integrated with the Agrabah Bazzar souvenir shop, as I really felt like I was in Agrabah. While the waiting was not the hardest part as the time went by quickly, I was soon invited by Aladdin and Jasmine into their meet and greet. They were absolutely wonderful and when they saw I was wearing my t-shirt with The Genie in the middle and "I am here" on the top and "What are your other two wishes?" on the bottom, they got even more excited. They loved that I was a genie fan and inquired if I knew the rules of the genie? I answered that I did and that genies could not kill, bring people back from the dead, or make people fall in love. They were impressed and Jasmine asked what I liked best about The Genie? It was not a hard thought and I mentioned that he is a very loyal friend. Aladdin and Jasmine agreed and Aladdin added, "that he never had a friend like him!" Aladdin and Jasmine then asked what my two wishes were, since Genie was there. It took some thought, but I said that I wished for my mother to be with me on this trip and since I could not quite think of the second wish, with Aladdin's help I decided to make my second wish to free the genies.


After our amazing interaction, I thanked Aladdin and Jasmine for having me and what an honor it was to see them! Princess Jasmine also told me to keep an eye out for Abu, as they said he was somewhere off in the marketplace. I happily agreed and was soon on my way, ready to find Abu and head to Frontierland, to ride Big Thunder Mountain as I had a FP+ for 11:35AM-12:35PM. I arrived at BTMRR at 11:35AM, where the standby wait was 40 minutes. However, thanks to my FP+, I was on in less than five minutes.

While I was waiting to board, I talked to a lovely couple from Richmond, VA. As we were talking about where we were from, they mentioned that they had family on Long Island in Suffolk County, which was pretty cool as I am a Long Islander from Nassau County. We also talked about rock and roll, as they mentioned that they are huge fans of Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Soon enough, we were ready to board the wildest ride in the wilderness and before we said goodbye, they said "God bless you" and I returned their kind words back! Once onboard, I had a grand old time riding "the wildest ride in wilderness!" After riding BTMRR, I also got a couple of cool pictures in front of it.


After a fun morning in Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Frontierland, I felt hungry, so I decided to head to Pecos Bill, as I was intrigued by their new Tex-Mex menu.


arrived at the entrance of Pecos Bill, where I was greeted by two bubbly female CMs, who were happy to have me and hand out a menu, which I wanted to peruse as I was hoping to try the Chicken Fajitas, as those were calling my name. Ed, a very friendly and helpful older CM who was a cashier, was happy to take me over and try to answer my question as to whether the tortillas used for the fajitas were corn-based (which I can do as while I am allergic to most grains, I am not allergic to corn and rice) or flour-based? While Ed did not know, he was able to use his earpiece (or whatever those speakers the CMs have (it's not a walkie-talkie as it's not as large) to summon Benji from Pendleton, IN, who proved to be another one of the fabulous CMs I encountered as he was very friendly, polite, hard-working, and determined to make my experience the best he could be. He had the ingredient book with him and he inquired what I wanted to eat as well as my allergies?
I told him that I wanted the Chicken Fajita, but my main concern was about the tortilla as well as the fact that I was allergic to all grains except corn and rice as well as eggs. With that in mind, he immediately turned to the ingredients page for the tortillas. Unfortunately, they were out as they were flour-based. Since Benji still wanted me to be able to eat the fajitas, he looked to see if there were any other allergens. With the exception of egg in an ingredient to flavor the cilantro-rice, they fajitas sans tortillas were fine. In addition to substituting the cilantro rice for plain rice, he also offered me two bags of tortilla chips which were corn-based on the side (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. I also got a Diet Coke to drink. With my order ready, Ed processed it with the POS system and I used my iPhone 6 with Apple Pay to pay for my meal, as it is handy and can be more secure than using a credit card alone. I was thankful for Benji's fantastic service and excited for my meal and while I was waiting, I chatted with Benji, telling him how WDW has been excellent all the times I have been there about accommodating my food allergies and that he was definitely no exception. He also revealed that he was only working at WDW for three months, which surprised me as he seemed very experienced! When I complimented him on the fact that he did not seem new at all, he revealed to me that WDW trained him very well and I happily agreed, as I feel that they definitely do a great job at keeping the standards high! Since Benji wanted to go check on my food and had to take care of other business, we ended the conversation there and I chatted with some other CMs.
A short time before I received my food, I met a lovely lady named Debbie, who was visiting from Mineola, NY, which is located about two towns west of where I live. This excited us both as we were both Long Islanders and in addition, she was visiting with her husband and two children for their 17th Anniversary (based on her pin)(Mazel-tov! ) and for the WDW Marathon, which they like to do every year. Somehow, we ended up talking about transportation a little bit, as I mentioned how I live two stops on the same LIRR line. At that point, I added that she also lives near a station (Mineola) with some of the best LIRR service, as it is frequent due to the station being busy as well as being served by four lines, which include the Port Jefferson line, the Ronkonkoma line, the Oyster Bay line, and some Montauk line trains. She mentioned that she loves being not too far from the Mineola LIRR, as she is easily able to go to points like NYC and even Jamaica, for the Airtrain to JFK Airport. Since she brought up the Airtrain and I was contemplating using it for when I came home from my trip, I asked her how it was and she said it worked well, as it was quick, inexpensive, and enabled her to avoid road traffic. When she asked how I got to FL, I told her I flew on JetBlue from JFK and she said they used JetBlue too and that they liked using them, although they departed from LGA and were flying back to JFK. Debbie had to head back to her family, but I congratulated her once again on her anniversary and wished them a magical time! About fifteen minutes later, I had my meal, which looked delicious! In addition, I could not help taking pictures of the Texas flag hanging near the counter as well as the large toppings bar, which was well stocked with different types of salsa, cheese, guacamole, and more.


While I loved the very nice atmosphere inside of Pecos Bill, which felt like a Western hacienda with the dark yet warm colors as well as the brownish I think terra cotta floor tiles, I decided to head to the outside seating area, as it was a beautiful day and I wanted to bask in the sun. In addition to looking delicious, I found the meal to be large in portion size and it tasted as good as, if not better than it looked, as the grilled chicken was 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 later to add on to some tortilla chips along with salsa to make makeshift nachos (sorry I forgot to take a pic ).

While I was eating, I chatted with a very nice mixed-generation family visiting from Atlanta, GA for a bit, which made me feel like I was not alone. After enjoying this delicious and copious meal, I then used the restroom and decided to call my mom, as I wanted to check up on her. While I was doing that, I decided to see what wait times were like for various attractions, but with Haunted Mansion clocking in at a 45-minute standby wait, I decided to take a little break, as I knew that if I waited a little bit, the wait times would die down. So I walked around the Magic Kingdom for a little bit and called my mom, who was doing well and she wanted to know how I was doing? I told her that I was having a wonderful day, as I was full from my delicious lunch and had the chance to do a lot in the morning. Mom was very happy to hear this and she wanted to know my plans for later in the day? I told her that I planned to get a Pineapple Float from Aloha Isle in Adventureland, see the Festival of Fantasy parade, and then take an afternoon break at The Grand Floridian for a little bit. After that, I planned to return to the MK for my FP+ with Anna and Elsa at 5:00PM-6:00PM, more attractions, and Wishes! After talking, we ended the conversation as mom wanted me to have a good time and I agreed to call her later.

-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

I then decided to relax by walking around the Magic Kingdom for a bit and took some pictures in front of Cinderella Castle.


While I was in the area, I also found a very bubbly female PhotoPass photographer, who got an excellent photo of me in front of the castle.

After visiting Cinderella's Castle, I had a hankering for a Pineapple Float from Aloha Isle. Somehow, I ended up taking the wrong path, as I was walking through Liberty Square. While I was en-route to Adventureland, I saw the marvelous Liberty Square Riverboat.

After stopping to marvel the Liberty Square Riverboat, I walked to Adventureland via the walkway connecting Frontierland to Advenutreland and I soon found myself at this oasis in the desert...er Adventureland haha!

I liked the new location of Aloha Isle, as it was near The Enchanted Tiki Room and had more counters, which was beneficial as it is very popular and allowed more room for lines to form. After lining up, I was soon helped by Angie, who was a sweet and patient CM from Puerto Rico. We chatted for Puerto Rico a little bit, as I had never been there and was interested in going. She said it is beautiful without a doubt and that I would love it, but it is very hot! After our conversation, I received my Pineapple Float and asked an older couple if I could join them at a nearby table, and they were happy to oblige as I took a quick picture of my treat, which had a base of sweet, sour, and refreshing pineapple juice along with a generous helping of cool, creamy, sweet, and slightly tangy Pineapple Dole Whip.

Their names were Herbert and Annie and they were a couple in their 60s from Ontario, Canada. They were happy to have me sitting with them and we conversed about many things, like where we were from and our travels. Somehow, we reach the topic that we both traveled on Sunday and encountered weather delays, as we were both affected by the rain. While they flew from Toronto, I flew from New York-JFK. They said that I lucked out, as I was only delayed about an hour while they were delayed about 4 hours and got into Orlando at 9:30PM! . We both agreed that despite the delays, we were still lucky to be able to get to Walt Disney World and not miss our trips. Annie and Herbert also mentioned that they would not be in WDW long, as they were heading down to Fort Lauderdale to visit some friends and then to go on a Caribbean cruise out of Port Everglades. I then mentioned how much I loved the area, as I have been to Fort Lauderdale and vicinity many times, as both sets of grandparents used to snowbird in the area, with my maternal grandparents snowbirding in Highland Beach, FL, next to Boca and Delray Beach and my paternal grandparents snowbirding in Davie, in the Western suburbs of Fort Lauderdale. I also asked if in addition to Fort Lauderdale, if they had been to a nearby town called Deerfield Beach, as that is another area I loved. They said yes and said how they loved it, as it was laid back, with a beautiful public beach and good restaurants, like The Whale's Rib, a seafood shack featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, which we both felt was excellent! After talking about Florida, they talked about their kids, including their daughter, who lives in Dallas, TX, who is a professor at a university. They remarked how inexpensive Texas was compared to Canada or other U.S. states, like New York, as their daughter is able to rent an apartment for $600/month. However, they added that finding a job is hard and that she is lucky to have one, as they understood how hard it is to find a job in this economy, even though things are getting slightly better. This hit home with me as I am still taking classes in order to get a better job, as I am finding that with a mere B.A. in Sociology, jobs are few and far between. However, Herbert and Annie knew I was doing well and told me to keep going at it, as they knew I would make it! Since the Festival of Fantasy Parade time was nearing, I asked Herbert and Annie if they wanted to join me for the parade? They politely declined as they wanted to relax for a little bit, but thanked me anyway and told me to enjoy the parade. I did not want to leave, but they told me not to worry. With that in mind, I thanked them for a wonderful time and made my way to Main Street USA and thanks to a very nice young family from Orlando, FL and New Orleans, LA, I snagged a spot on the sidewalk across the street from the Starbucks. While I was waiting, I chatted with the family I just met and was also entertained by The Dapper Dans, who performed for us while we were waiting. I also met Brian, a very enthusiastic and pleasantly sassy PhotoPass photographer from Indiana. Soon enough, I knew the parade was starting, as the marching band and the Grand Marshals, who I think were from Florida, made their way down Main Street USA.




The parade then started, with elegant dancers leading the palatial rose lined float, which featured Belle and the Beast, Cinderella and her prince, Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna.





Then, the colorful and elaborate “Tangled” float followed.



Princess Ariel’s under-the-sea inspired float was the next float to follow.


Captain Hook's pirate ship followed, with Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook, and Tinkerbell onboard with Smee, Tick Tock, and some Lost Boys following along.





Next, Princess Merida's musical, whimsical, and colorful bagpipe float came down Main Street USA.

After Merida's float passed, the imposing, beautiful, and scary Maleficent in dragon-form float was next. The float was also flanked by: The Good Fairies, Prince Phillip, and stilt-walkers. I mean, how could you not love the fire-breathing? I did not get a picture of the flames, but I did get a picture another day. In the meantime, here are the pictures I managed to get.





After being pleasantly startled by the Maleficent stilt walkers and marveling at the Maleficent float, Snow White, The Seven Dwarfs, Jiminy Cricket, Alice, The White Rabbit, and The Mad Hatter came by.

Pinocchio, Donald and Daisy Duck, and Pluto then rode in their float, which was large and colorful fusion of Monstro the Whale, Dumbo, and Fantasia figurines.


Then Goofy, Chip, and Dale danced their way down Main Street USA.

Finally, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse came by hot-air balloon!


The Festival of Fantasy Parade was then complete.

Wow, I must say that the Festival of Fantasy Parade is amazing and one of Disney's best parades in my opinion! I loved the designs of the floats, especially the Tangled, Peter Pan, Maleficent, Mickey and Friends, and Pinocchio floats. What's an excellent parade without music you ask? Well, I loved the "Festival of Fantasy" song, which was interluded with classic Disney music, like "Beauty and the Beast," "For the First Time in Forever," and "I've Got No Strings" among other songs. All in all, I thought the Festival of Fantasy Parade was awesome and I would definitely see it again! Since I felt in need of a break, I decided to leave the Magic Kingdom for a little bit and visit the Grand Floridian, as I wanted to explore it again after loving it from my last trip. After exiting the Magic Kingdom, I saw that a ferry bound for the Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village was arriving, so I lined up to board. After a relaxing ride on the ferry, I found myself enjoying the grandeur at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort by about 4:00PM.


While I was there, I decided to text the two pictures above that I took to my mom and then call her, as I wanted to check in on her. She picked up and was happy to hear from me, as she loved that my day was going very well. In addition, when I added to my text to inquire how she liked the Grand Floridian's lobby, she remarked that she loved it and would love to stay there one day. I happily agreed, as I would love to stay there myself as it is without a doubt a luxurious resort with top-notch service and amenities, which reflect why it received a ****1/2/***** for Overall Quality and a 93/100 room quality rating, which are both excellent and only shy of the Four Seasons, which receives a *****/***** and a 98/100 room quality rating. Also, I told mom how much she would love the Grand Floridian's fitness center and she agreed, as she heard it is the best of all the WDW Resorts. I told her that we will try to stay there one day and hopefully, I will be able to get a Florida Resident Discount once I get down here. After chatting for a bit, we decided to talk later and I got back to resting.

After resting for a bit, I decided to use the wifi to download the Disney Shopping application, as I wanted to see where I could find a Frozen hat for our friend's three-year old granddaughter, who is a huge fan of "Frozen." We know this friend of ours through various Affenpinscher breeders, as she breeds Affenpinschers and Papillons in Montana and ended up becoming fast friends with her, which has been awesome! Anyway, after typing in frozen hat on the shopping application, I found a light-blue cap with Let It Go written across it, which would be perfect for Queen Elsa and Princess Anna to autograph for her. It also said that it was available and in stock at The Emporium at the Magic Kingdom, making for a convenient spot to purchase it. I rested a little longer and at about ten of five, I decided to head back to the Magic Kingdom, since I felt rested and left the Grand Floridian’s second floor mezzanine for the monorail platform.

About five minutes later, Monorail Peach arrived after stopping at the TTC and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort as Monorail Silver was operating as an Express Monorail bound for the TTC.

Onboard, a couple of young ladies invited me to sit with them. When we met, they told me that they were Disneyland CMs and were visiting WDW for the first time, as they had never been before. They were staying at Disney's Pop Century Resort and were visiting all of the parks. While they absolutely loved WDW, they told me that Disneyland has the key advantage of being able to get around more easily, as you do not have to use resort transportation to get from the hotels to the parks as Disneyland is much smaller in size. I told them I have never been to Disneyland, but would love to visit as it is significant in Disney's history and it has some attractions not found at WDW, like The Matterhorn at DL and Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at DCA. They were happy and I also added that I just came from taking a break at the Grand Floridian, as I feel even taking a small break when you can is the best way to recharge your batteries from touring the parks, even though I am a young man as I find that the parks can be overstimulating. The ladies agreed that they felt the same way and were just coming from an afternoon break they were taking at the Pop Century. After the monorail arrived, we bid each other farewell and I made my way back to the security checkpoint and I was excited for my evening at the Magic 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

WolfieG

Upon my first observation, I noticed that there was a greater police/security presence than in the past, as I noticed an Orange County Police car along with a couple of officers stationed near the entrance to the security checkpoint. In addition, like earlier in the day, I also noticed that the outside security company doing the secondary security check, which is random and also at the other parks, was operational. When I got to the line, I met a jovial and funny security officer named Mike from Queens, NY. I told him that I was from an area not too far from where he is from, as I am about 20 minutes from the Nassau County/Queens border and that I love visiting Queens. He checked my things and all was well, but he was curious about my Otterbox Drybox that I sometimes use, which is sealed box that I use to keep my iPhone 6 in while I am doing high action activities or activities at/near water, as I want to protect my phone from any damage. He was impressed, as he loved that I make sure my phone is protected and out of the way as he feels it is an investment, which is the way I feel. With my security check complete, I made my way to the secondary security check, which went very well as the officers could not have been nicer and they were very thorough as they checked my wallet, camera, and iPhone 6, since those materials have metals and you have to take out metals. All in all, I found that with this time included, I do not mind the secondary security checks as I feel that they don't add that much time and it keeps things safer, which is important as I know Disney has safety as one of their main priorities along with creating magic. With both security checks complete, I entered Main Street USA, where I witnessed the Flag Retreat for the first time. At this twenty-minute ceremony, which is held at 5:00PM everyday, if not almost everyday, members of the WDW Security team lower the flag and then fold it for the day. Patriotic music like "God Bless America" and "The Star Spangled Banner" were performed and of course, Veterans from different branches of service were honored. I am glad that I had the chance to see the flag retreat and I would definitely see it again, as it is an outstanding tradition that is patriotic and uplifting .



After the patriotic and true to tradition Flag Retreat, my next stop before meeting Anna and Elsa for my 5:00PM-6:00PM FP+ was at The Emporium, where I was going to buy a light-blue baseball cap with Let It Go written across the front. I had a little trouble finding at first, but Lauren, a friendly and helpful CM from Texas, helped me find it and also took care of my purchase, which was fast and easy, thanks to being able to use Apple Pay once again! With that out of my way, it was now time to head to Fantasyland to meet Queen Elsa and Princess Anna at Princess Fairytale Hall.

I arrived at Princess Fairytale Hall at about 5:30PM. While the Standby wait was 55 minutes, which is not as bad as it had been when they first debuted in 2014, when they commanded 4-5 hour waits at times! I first had the pleasure of meeting Queen Elsa, who was slightly demure but could not have been sweeter! She welcomed me and talked about life in Arandelle. She asked me if I minded the cold weather and/or snow and I told her that while I don't mind the cold and feel that snow is beautiful, I am not a fan of the snow as in my experience, it makes it difficult to get around. Elsa was not the least bit offended and was quite understanding, stating that Sven, their loyal reindeer friend, makes it easier as he is easily able to navigate the snowy conditions, helping her, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf and that I should get a reindeer like Sven, as he would help me navigate the snow more easily. She wanted to know if I gave warm hugs and I was happy to oblige and she felt my hug was very warm, as she said that I am able to give warm hugs just like Olaf. Elsa's hug and her sweet remark warmed my heart and I joked that maybe I am Olaf's human alter-ego and she giggled a little bit. Before we took our photo, I told her about my friend's granddaughter, who is a huge "Frozen" fan and had the chance to meet them on a previous trip in Spring 2015, but would not be able to come back for a while, so I wanted to spread some magic for them. Queen Elsa loved this and was happy to sign her hat, right before we took this beautiful picture.

I then had the pleasure of meeting Princess Anna, who could not have been more bubbly and chatty! Anna first inquired about my well being, and I told her that I was doing very well! I then asked her and she said that she was doing well too, as she was happy to be with her sister. We gave each other a huge hug and she agreed with Elsa that my hugs were just like Olaf's (aww shucks). Anna also told me that after revoking their trade deal with The Southern Isles, they made a trade deal with The Northern Isles, which was going well. In addition, she said how thanks to her sister's ice powers, she was able to combine chocolate, one of their favorite foods with ice and cream to make ice cream (mmmmm). After having a long chat with Anna, who is more talkative than I am (and I am already talkative), she was happy to sign the hat for my friend's granddaughter and we had a grand time!

After my wonderful interaction with Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, I felt absolutely love struck! I then decided to visit It's a Small World, where the standby wait was 25 minutes.

I did not mind, as the wait was not overly long and I was not in a rush, as I was excited to be riding "the happiest cruise that ever sailed." Thankfully, the line was moving quickly and within five minutes, I was not that far from the line leading to the loading area. About ten minutes after this point in line, I was sailing through It's A Small World. The ride was relaxing and of course, how could you not love The Sherman Brothers infamous "It's a Small World" song, with its positive and upbeat message, which is sung by animatronic children representing many different nations in our small world (pun intended). After riding this classic, which is always a favorite of mine, the sun had already set and the time was close to 6:30PM.

I then went to ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and while the standby wait was 30 minutes, my actual wait was far less than the posted time. About five minutes later, I was about to ride my very own honey (or hunny) pot off into The Hundred Acre Wood.

After riding The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, I decided to skip the Main Street Electrical Parade, as I would not be able to make it to the other side of the park and get a decent spot. In addition, I saw it the night before and while I love it, I decided the time would be better focused on visiting more attractions until Wishes at 8:00PM. As I was heading to Space Mountain, I first visited The Mad Tea Party.

I was on in less than five minutes, despite the posted time. Once I got into my teacup, I spun my teacup around and around. Thankfully, I did not get too dizzy and I had a lot of fun! My next move was to ride Space Mountain. With the time now 7:00PM, I had about an hour until Wishes. Unfortunately, the standby wait for Space Mountain was long, as it was 75 minutes. I decided to do something else and come back a little later, as I knew the wait would decrease closer to closing. Thankfully, I found that The Incredibles Super Dance Party. I had a grand time dancing to fun music like "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon, and "The Cha Cha Slide." I also had the pleasure of dancing with Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible, and Frozone!


After kicking off my dancing shoes, my feet were pleasantly exhausted, so I decided to head over to Space Mountain to see if the wait time had decreased? Thankfully, the wait declined from 75 minutes about twenty minutes ago to a far shorter 25 minutes.

I had a marvelous time hurling through the mountains of space and by the time I got off, it was 7:40PM. I decided to make Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin my last ride of the night.

While the posted wait was ten minutes, I was very lucky to be able to walk right on and board my ride vehicle. I had an awesome time riding as I hoped to become a space ranger, but I fell below my previous record, with about 67,000 points, yielding me the status of Level 3-Planetary Pilot. Since I still had time until Wishes and there was still no wait to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, I decided to ride again. I continued to have fun and this time, I earned 114,000 points, slightly above my previous record, but still at Level 4-Space Scout, which is not bad at all! After riding Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, I made my way from Tomorrowland to the hub near Cinderella's Castle, where I got a nice spot on the southeastern side of the castle, not far from the bridge connecting the central hub to Tomorrowland. As the show started, I was able to catch a glimpse of Tinkerbell flying overhead, gracing the Magic Kingdom with her pixie dust.

After Tinkerbell graced the Magic Kingdom with her pixie dust, I then proceeded to enjoy Wishes again and as always, it was phenomenal, as I enjoyed the fireworks, the music, and the combination of classic Disney characters!


After enjoying Wishes, I realized that like with anything in life, all good things must come to an end, as the Magic Kingdom was now closed for the day. Thankfully, I was determined to let the magic continue, as I was planning to enjoy dinner either at Trader Sam's at Disney's Polynesian Village or Gasparilla Island Grill, a tried and true counter service restaurant at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, which I have fond memories of from my 2014 trip. I began to make my way to the exit. Since it was so crowded, it ended up taking a bit of time, but don't worry, I was not in too much of a rush as I wanted to enjoy the magic of being in the Magic Kingdom at night. Here is a shot looking back at the bridge leading to Tomorrowland.

A short time later, I was further along my route, as I was closer to the southern portion of the hub around Cinderella's Castle.

Before I knew it, I was heading southbound towards the exit down Main Street USA.


After walking through the gridlock, I was at the front of the Magic Kingdom by about 8:30PM. From this point, I exited the Magic Kingdom and made my way to the Resort Launch dock for Disney's Grand Floridian and Disney's Polynesian Village Resorts. My timing proved to be perfect, as a resort launch was just about to arrive. While I was waiting, I met Sarah and Rob, a couple who had just gotten engaged and were visiting from Westchester County, NY. I was happy to congratulate them and we were very happy to meet each other! We then boarded the resort launch, where we prepared for a relaxing ride to the Grand Floridian and Polynesian. Onboard, we chatted about our good experiences at Disney restaurants, the wonderful attractions, and even other travel related topics, like our favorite and least favorite airlines. We both liked Delta and jetBlue, they thought United was OK (I never used them, but they did), and we both agreed that Spirit was terrible, as they charge fees for everything and have little legroom. I also asked them about Trader Sam's, as I was hoping to try it. They said it was great and they were lucky to try it, but they said that the wait times were high! Since this proved to be the case, I decided to go to Gasparilla Island Grill at the Grand Floridian, as I liked it a lot on my previous visit in January 2014. I could see we were on approach to the dock of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.

When the resort launch docked at the GF, I disembarked and wished Sarah and Rob a magical trip and congratulated them once again on their engagement. I then walked the Grand Floridian's well-manicured and whimsical grounds, soon finding myself at Gasparilla Island Grill once again.

Once inside, I found it to be the same as the last time, as it was immaculate, cheerful, and upscale, with nice tables, plush booths in muted dark green upholstery, and mostly light green and light yellow walls making for a cheerful and upscale atmosphere.

While I was planning on getting the make your own salad with grilled chicken, I noticed the special sandwich was a Cajun Salmon Sandwich, which had me hooked haha! At the counter, the I found the head chef and her coworkers, whose names escape me at the moment, to be very friendly and accommodating, as they were very knowledgeable about my allergies and were happy to work with me so that I could have the dish. I decided that I wanted the Cajun Salmon Sandwich, so after consulting the ingredients, the head chef was happy to make it for me, as she was able to make it with no bun and no remoulade sauce. She also wanted to make sure there was a bun I could eat, as sometimes, the Disney CS restaurants have buns that I could eat as they are egg free and gluten free, which is what I need. A case in which this was true was at Cosmic Ray's in January 2014, where they used an Ener-G bun with my Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Sadly, the head chef informed that they only had Udi's buns, which we both agreed would not work, as while they are gluten-free, they contain egg. With that in mind, the head chef decided to put the salmon on a bed of greens, which would work perfectly. In addition, I chose fries for my side. Next, I picked up a Perrier to drink and I paid. At the register, I was assisted by Kim, from Saigon, Vietnam, who was very friendly and happy to help me . Unfortunately, she had a little trouble with the POS (point-of-sale system), as it was not able to account for modifications, like allergies. Thankfully, her coworker, who also happened to be Vietnamese, was able to help her override the system. The price came out to about $13 in change, which may seem high at first, but would not be bad at all, as the quality was high and the portion was generous. With my meal paid for, I took a seat at one of the solo tables with a booth facing seat towards the back of the restaurant after I got utensils and condiments, like ketchup and Tabasco. I relaxed for a little bit and soon enough, a bubbly food runner delivered my food, which looked delicious!

I found this dinner to be excellent, as the salmon was perfectly cooked, as it was moist and flakey, with a pleasant char on the outside as well as the piquant flavor of cajun spices. In addition, I also found that the pepper slices were sweet and crunchy and the greens the salmon was served on were crisp. What's more? I also enjoyed the French Fries, which were crispy and salty on the outside and pleasantly fluffy on the inside. After my satisfying dinner, I went to thank the chefs, as I was very grateful and they were very grateful that I enjoyed my dinner too! While we were chatting, I met another delightful CM named Kathy, who was from Birmingham, England. She wanted to know how my experience was and I was happy to tell her it was excellent, as I thought that the CMs made me feel like a high roller (even though I am far from it) and the food was absolutely delicious! Kathy was very happy and we talked about other topics, like where we were from. I told her I was from Long Island, not far from NYC. While she had not been to Long Island, she had been to NYC and loved it, as she loved the many things to do and its liveliness. In return, I told her that except for my parents going to London before my time and before they were married, I had never been to England, but that I would love to go, as it is a wonderful country and Kathy could not agree more! She also asked me if I was visiting other restaurants on my visit and I said yes, as I was visiting various other CSs and Teppan Edo and Cape May Cafe for future TSs. She said those choices were excellent and that I would love them! I told her that while I love those restaurants, I still hoped to return to Gasparilla Island Grill one day and she hoped so too. After our wonderful conversation, we wished each other a magical night and I headed to the Grand Floridian's bus stop, where I immediately boarded a Disney Springs-bound bus. By about 10:40PM, I arrived at Disney Springs. I crossed the pedestrian bridge and walked to the Buena Vista Palace, where I headed to my room. Once I got to my room, I got ready for bed, called my mom, and went to sleep at about 11:30PM, planning to sleep late as I had later FP+ reservations at Epcot. I was very happy, as I had another magical day and I was looking forward to another magical day at Epcot!

-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

mkjr

Super impressed by the staff at pacos bill who made sure all dietary issues were accommodated. That was great to hear. Same with Gasparilla Island Grill. Be sure to send Disney a note about that hard work. They will certainly appreciate it!!

miamiflyer8

Thanks for sharing. Some people believe WDW is only for those under 10 but that's clearly not the case as someone who grew up Florida.