Traveling party
Myself – 51
DW – 52
DD – 22
Plan:
My daughter is graduating from college in Montgomery, AL. As part of her schooling, she took part in a Great Books honors program. To complete the program, she needed to author a thesis and then defend it. Both my wife and I wanted to be there for her. The other thing is that she will be staying in Montgomery, and we spent a day looking at apartments for her. Our original plan was to then take her to Orlando on Saturday to go to Jellyrolls. As we discussed it further, we decided to extend the trip one day and add in a day at the Magic Kingdom.
4/12 – Fly from Milwaukee to Atlanta
Drive from Atlanta to Montgomery
Look at apartments
Check into hotel
Thesis defense
Pack daughter and head back to hotel
4/13 – Drive from Montgomery to Atlanta
Fly to Orlando
Uber to All-Star Music
Check-In
Disney Springs
Rest / pool?
Jellyrolls
4/14 – Magic Kingdom
4/15 – Uber to airport
Actual:
4/12 – My wife and I got up early to drive to the airport and I had reserved at a parking lot at a hotel across from the airport. We had a little bit of a wait to catch a shuttle, but we were there in enough time. My wife had previously gotten pre-check and after our last time traveling, I decided to get it also and we had no issues getting through security. Our flight left on time and there were no issues. Once we landed, we made it over to our rental car. I had reserved a small car, but for some reason, were upgrade to a minivan, which was a bit much for the two of us. We hit the road and stopped at Waffle House for brunch.
When we got to Montgomery, my wife and I started looking at several apartments that we had set up appointments to look at. We looked at three different apartments and saw one that looked to be a good fit. Once my daughter got off work, we had an appointment to look at one more, which my wife had high hopes for, but when we looked at it, it was not that great. There was still time before my daughter needed to get ready for her presentation, so we took her back to the first one to show her that apartment.
After looking at apartments, we dropped our daughter off, so she could get ready, and we could head to our hotel, check in and change. When we were first planning the trip, I made a reservation for a hotel room, but did not plan on our daughter staying with us for the night. After we made our plan reservations, I tried to change rooms and there were none with two queen beds, so I had to change hotels and it was about 20 minutes from where my daughter goes to school. We had to rush to make it back in time.
My daughter was the first to present and there were three others presenting, and we stayed for all of them. Before the last presentation, we were discussing what to do for dinner and looking at Chick-Fil-A, but most of them close at 9pm. The final presentation ended shortly before 9, so I quickly placed a mobile order and rushed over there, while my wife helped my daughter pack. When I got back, they were almost ready, and we ate in the car on our way back to the hotel. Once we got to the hotel, we all went to sleep.
4/13 – Our alarms went off early, so that we could drive back to Atlanta for our flight to Orlando. There were no issues with dropping off our vehicle and making our flight. Even though our daughter did not have Pre-Check, she made it to the gate shortly after we got there. The flight out of the gate before us had not boarded yet, and I went to go grab breakfast. As I was walking back, my wife texted about paying to upgrade our boarding. We were flying Southwest and when it was time to check in, we were in a parking garage and received a C group. I told her to do it and we were bumped to A7. When our flight was called, we were quickly boarded and had a nice flight.
After getting off the plan, we quickly made our way out and ordered a ride from Uber. The driver picked us up quickly and we headed to our hotel. We did not receive the room ready text, so while my wife and daughter changed in the restroom, I made sure that we were checked in. When they were ready, we dropped our luggage off with bell services and headed to the busses. There was a short wait for the bus to Disney Springs arrived, so my wife and daughter went into the gift store to look for Mickey ears for a friend. Our room ready text came while we were waiting, but we decided to go ahead and go to Disney Springs.
We arrived at Disney Springs and started looking at some of the shops. Since we had not really had anything to eat, we were starting to get hungry and started discussing where we would like to eat. My wife mentioned seeing if Polite Pig had burgers, so I pulled up the menu and they do not, but I knew about D-Luxe Burger and mentioned that. We continued doing some shopping, and I purchased a new hat, since I had accidentally left mine at home despite my wife telling me to be sure to pack one. After we looked at all the stores we wanted to, we decided to go to D-luxe Burger. We ended up splitting a barbecued burger and half order of fries. This was a new restaurant for us, and we all really enjoyed it.
When we had finished eating, we took the bus back to our hotel and made our way to our room. We had a short amount of time to rest and get ready for the evening. Since there is no direct way to get from All-Star Music to Boardwalk and our daughter had not been on the sky way, we decided to take a bus to Hollywood Springs, take the skyway to EPCOT, and then walk over to the Boardwalk. They were boarding multiple groups on the skyway, which we had not experienced and thought it was odd, since there were few people ridding. We had about a 20-minute wait before the doors opened and there were a few groups ahead of us to get in. Once the doors opened, we quickly found a seat in the second row. Both my wife and I had been there, and we figured that our daughter would enjoy it. The place ended up being packed by the time the show started. As always, we enjoyed it and could have stayed longer, but we needed to get back to get up early for rope drop the next morning.
The plan to get back was to take a bus to Disney Springs and then from Disney Springs to our hotel. When we got to the bust stop, the next bus was not going to arrive for another 20 minutes and then we had no idea how long we would have to wait for another bus. It was decided that we would rather be moving and headed back to the skyway. We had about 15 minutes for the skyway closed for the night. It was strange when we arrived at the Caribbean Beach Resort station, because there were only a handful of cast members there and had to explain we were trying to catch a bus to our hotel before getting on the line to Hollywood Studios. We made it to Hollywood Studios, and I realized that we could have taken a boat from the Boardwalk instead of going the long way. They were loading up the final busses to the hotel and we made it back for the night.
Steps: 19,781
4/13 This was our one day to sleep in, we all got up at 6am, so that we could get ready, grab a quick breakfast, and get to the park for rope drop. Before we left our room, I placed a mobile order for breakfast and got everything set to get a spot in the virtual queue for Tron with BG1. There was no need to mobile order, as there were only a few people at the restaurant. For breakfast, we split a pancake bounty platter and a side of scrambled eggs, which was more than enough food for the three of us. Before we headed to the bus, my wife wanted to check in for our Southwest flight home and we got boarding group B7. The time to join the virtual queue came up and I quickly clicked the button to join and received a message that I did not have a valid park ticket. I quickly realized that I had clicked on Guardians and not Tron. Even with the mishap, I was able to get boarding group 89 for my daughter and me.
The bus arrived shortly, and we made our way to the Magic Kingdom. We made it quickly through the security check and there were only a few groups ahead of us at the taps. There was a short wait for them to let us in the park and we made our way down Main Street. As we approached the group stopped at the rope to Fantasyland, my daughter thought it was the line for Cheshire Café. As we were waiting, I made the decision to head to SDMT first instead of PPF, since we were closer to the front. There was plenty of room between us and other groups in the area, but the lady that was waiting behind us kept creeping up and I wanted to ask if she wanted to join or group because of how close she was. There were a few times that I did back up to make some more space.
When they dropped the rope, it was like being swept up into a mad storm, with people moving every which way and being run into with strollers. We made our way to SDMT and walked through the queue with minimal wait. Once we enjoyed our ride, we headed to the next attraction that we rarely do because of the wait, PPF. There was a line, but it continued to move, so was not too bad. We rode both attractions in about 40 minutes. The wait for IASW was only a 5-minute wait, but the wait times for Jungle Cruise was jumping quickly, and we headed over there. The line for the Jungle Cruise used most of the queue, but like PPF continued to move, so did not seem too bad. We had a great skipper that had some new jokes and presented old jokes with new twists.
Another of our favorite attractions is Pirates of the Caribbean. The line once again looked long, but once again, kept moving and we enjoyed our cruise with the Pirates. My wife wanted to try the Nutella and fruit waffle, so I placed a mobile order at Sleepy Hollow. We found a table in the shade in a quiet area, and I headed over to pick up our order. There was a short wait, but it would have been longer to wait in line. While we were taking a break, my daughter mentioned that if we had time, she would like to ride the Liberty Belle, since we had never done that. Once they finished eating, we headed out and the Liberty Belle was boarding, so we got on board for a trip around Tom Sawyer Island. It was a relaxing trip and when we got off, we headed to the Haunted Mansion, but the wait time was 45 minutes, so we decided to come back later.
Wait times at all the attractions were getting high, except for Winnie the Pooh, and my daughter said that she wanted to be sure to ride that and meet Pooh and Tigger. When we got there, Pooh and Tigger were just heading out to take a break. It was fun to see the character interactions with each of the guests as we waited for our turn. After visiting the characters, we got in line for the attraction and enjoyed our ride. Next up was the Teacups. My wife gets bad motion sickness, and my daughter loves to spin the teacup, so I usually ride with my wife without spinning and let my daughter go by herself. When it was time for us to ride, there were not enough teacups for us. We tried to sit all three in one, but it was too tight. I made the decision to not ride, and as I was heading to the exit, mentioned that there were not enough teacups. The cast member asked if I wanted to wait for the next cycle and being frustrated, I said no, as I did not want to make my wife and daughter wait for me to ride by myself. As I got over the frustration, I came to the realization that my daughter could ride with me, and we could spin the teacup. Once the cycle was over, my daughter joined me, and we were taken to the LL entry and on our ride, had the teacup spinning good. Both of us were laughing and having an enjoyable time.
Once we got off, we need to spend some time to stop the world from spinning and get some water, so we got a Cheshire tail and took a few minutes to rest. Another thing that my daughter wanted to do was meet the stepsisters from Cinderella. They were scheduled to come out shortly by the Cinderella fountain. We walked over there and waited for a brief time in the shade, enjoying watching the makeovers from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique as the came out. When the characters came out, there were only a few people over there, and it was great to see how they interacted and stayed in character. We had only had snacks since breakfast and were starting to get hungry. I placed a mobile order at Casey’s for a foot long hot dog and an order of fries. While I went to pick up the order, my wife and daughter found a bench on the porch of the Crystal Palace. Once again, we all split it and had plenty to eat.
Another character that my daughter wanted to meet was Mulan. She was scheduled to appear at the patio of the Main Street Theater before the parade. Main Street was already starting to fill up with people to watch the parade, but we were able to make our way to the patio before Mulan came out. There were only several groups ahead of my daughter. The girl in front of my daughter gave Mulan a flower, which she gave to the attendant to hold. It was a new bed for Cri-Kee, which was truly cute. The wait to meet Mickey was showing as 10 minutes, and that was one thing that my wife really wanted to do, so we went and met him. As we were waiting, the bg for Tron was called and my daughter decided to not ride and stay with my wife.
The parade was just starting as we exited our meeting with Mickey, so rather than fight the crowds to make it to Tomorrowland, I decided to take the train. I was able to watch the parade from the station and the train arrived after the parade ended and the crowds cleared, so I could have just walked. It was nice to take the train, since I could not remember riding it and it felt good to get off my feet. One thing I forgot is that there is no Tomorrowland station, like at Disneyland. I got off at Fantasyland and I knew there was a path from the station to Tron, but did not know where it was, so I made a right and ended up taking the long way around. On my way to Tron, I stopped to get a Mickey ice cream bar, which hit the spot.
I made it to Tron with enough time and I really enjoyed the ride. When I got off, my wife had texted me that they were heading to the Tomorrowland Speedway, so I headed over there. By the time that I got there, they were off and getting some water at Cosmic Ray’s. During the time that I was off, they did some shopping, rode Dumbo, and the Speedway. We grabbed some water and a table outside to rest a bit. As we were sitting there both my wife and daughter started dozing and the Speedway was a walk on, so I headed over there. When I returned, they were ready to go, and we headed over to Buzz. The line was long, but it continued to move. Our scores were not even close, I beat them hands down.
We were all starting to get tired and started discussing what we wanted to do before we left for the day. The other attractions that we really wanted to do were Dumbo and the Haunted Mansion. After Buzz, we headed up to Dumbo, using the shortcut, which I figured where it was when I rode Tron. When we got to Dumbo, there was no wait. I rode with my wife and our daughter was in front of us. We considered meeting the characters at the Big Top, but the wait was still too long. Then we hiked over to Haunted Mansion. The line was to the gate, but for us, this is an attraction we must go on. The wait was about 30 minutes and once again it felt good to get off our feet during the ride. I mentioned that I would like to go on IASM, and that turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes.
The line for IASM was about 20 minutes and when we got to the boarding area, they put the three of us in the front row together. What we did not realize, is that there is no leg room in the front row. My wife had knee replacement surgery last year and my ankles were killing me from an injury I had years ago. The ride was torture trying to find a position that we were not in pain. We have learned to never take the front row from now on. Another semi-tradition for my daughter and I is to ride the carousel. There was no wait, so we took a quick spin. My daughter had mentioned wanting to meet Repunzel and the wait time was showing as 20 minutes. We asked if she still wanted to do that, but at this point she was so exhausted that she was starting to shut down.
We made the decision not to stay for the fireworks, since we were all exhausted, but wanted to get something to eat before going. My wife decided that we should go to Pecos Bill’s and split the fajita platter. It was shortly before HEA and most people were on Main Street to watch the show, so it was nice and quiet in that area of the park as we walked. As we started approaching the restraint, I was afraid that they were closed, since it looked so empty, but they were still open. I quickly placed the order, and it was served quickly. Once again, the three of us split one platter and we also ordered a side of chips and churro bites.
After we finished eating, we made our way to the exit and just as we were leaving Adventureland, the 15-minute announcement for HEA was made. Normally we would have stayed for the fireworks, but with all the early travel and having to get up early again the next morning, we decided to leave and beat the crowds. Even with Main Street packed, we were able to easily make it out of the park and just after we left, the fireworks started. We were able to watch about half of the fireworks and the music was piped in but was soft and hard to hear sometimes. Our bus arrived and we made the journey back to our hotel.
Back at the hotel, the pool area was busy. They were showing High School musical 3 and there was a large group playing Marco Polo. I slowly made my way back to the room, which fortunately was away from the pool in the quiet area. After some discussion, we decided to move our pickup time from 4 am to 3:30 am. We finished packing and then headed to bed.
Steps: 22,826
4/14 My alarm did not wake me, so my wife woke me up at about 3:10am. Fortunately, I had most everything packed and was able to finish and make it down before our driver arrived. Our driver got us to the airport with out issue and we said goodbye to our daughter at the TSA checkpoint, since she was flying back to Montgomery. When my wife and I arrived at the Precheck there was a line since they had not yet opened. We could have gone right through the regular line but did not want to take off our shoes and other things. Once they opened, we were quickly through and to our gate. I had time to watch a movie while waiting for our flight. I needed to get up and walk a bit and got some breakfast at Jimmy John’s. There were no issues on our flight, and I napped for most of the trip.
Final thoughts:
I am glad that I was able to come down and be there for my daughter’s thesis defense and that we stayed to hear all of them.
It was an exhausting trip getting up at about 3:30 most mornings to catch a flight.
I would stay at the All-Star Music resort, it fit our needs and it was nice to have early entry.
We love going to Jellyrolls and always have a blast there.
It was nice to be able to do attractions that we do not normally go on.
Lines seemed long but were constantly moving. Which made them not seem long.
I did not find that Tron was too short of a ride, and I would ride it again.
It was interesting how many comments I got about my shirt, which was the stretching room portraits, but with the muppets.
