Greetings fellow Disney-obsessed travelers! Yes, M and I just returned from a 5-night stay at CSR last month, but we are already in the early stages of planning our next trip! This time it's looking like it will work out to be a day trip, but there's a possibility of turning it into a one-night stay.
You may be thinking, "But B, you live in NEW JERSEY! How are you going to take a DAY TRIP to Disney???"
I'm glad you asked. You may recall from our previous reports that M and I both grew up in Florida. She was born and raised there and I lived there for 18 years. M's parents still live in Florida, about a 2.5 hour drive away from the Mouse. As it turns out, our work schedules will almost definitely (*fingers crossed!*) allow us to visit them for Thanksgiving! And what's a weekend trip to Florida without at least a day at WDW??
The Cast
Me (B)
Wednesday, 11/25
Afternoon/evening (depending on if M gets off early or not. I'm off this day): Take either a bus or a train from New York to Philadelphia. See below to provide help with this if you're willing and able.
Night: Stay at the Wyndham Garden Hotel Phildelphia Airport
Thursday, 11/26
4:00 am: Wake up, throw on clothes, drag ourselves and our luggage down to the complimentary airport shuttle
6:35am: Flight with one stop (with no plane change)
11:10am: Land Jacksonville, get picked up by someone in M's family
Afternoon: Eat Thanksgiving lunch! We always do a late lunch instead of dinner. It's become tradition to have veggie lasagna since M and I are vegetarians and her family is Italian. Yay!
Evening: Sit around in food comas
Friday, 11/27
Morning: Might be a Disney day. We'd leave around 5:00 to make rope drop somewhere.
Night: Maybe we'll stay somewhere cheap offsite (we have APs so parking fees aren't an issue), or maybe we'll head back to M's parents' house
Saturday, 11/28
Morning: Either we'll already be in Orlando/LBV from staying the night before or we'll make this our day trip day.
Night: Drive back to M's parents' house
Sunday, 11/29
3:30 am: Leave the house for JAX
6:00 am: Direct flight to Newark
8:22am: Land and take an Uber home. Probably take a nap. Go back to the real world
Here's where I need your help:
You may be thinking, "But B, you live in NEW JERSEY! How are you going to take a DAY TRIP to Disney???"
I'm glad you asked. You may recall from our previous reports that M and I both grew up in Florida. She was born and raised there and I lived there for 18 years. M's parents still live in Florida, about a 2.5 hour drive away from the Mouse. As it turns out, our work schedules will almost definitely (*fingers crossed!*) allow us to visit them for Thanksgiving! And what's a weekend trip to Florida without at least a day at WDW??
The Cast
Me (B)
- Mid-20s
- Opera/classical singer and voice/piano teacher
- MDE avatar: Snow White
- Favorite Disney movie: Mulan
- Favorite park: Epcot
- Favorite rides: Test Track, Vegetable Boat Ride (aka Living with the Land), Teacups, RIP Maelstrom
- Mid-20s
- Fiction writer and academic administrator
- MDE avatar: Elsa
- Favorite Disney movie: Frozen or Mulan
- Favorite park: Epcot
- Favorite rides: Vegetable Boat Ride, RIP Maelstrom
Wednesday, 11/25
Afternoon/evening (depending on if M gets off early or not. I'm off this day): Take either a bus or a train from New York to Philadelphia. See below to provide help with this if you're willing and able.
Night: Stay at the Wyndham Garden Hotel Phildelphia Airport
Thursday, 11/26
4:00 am: Wake up, throw on clothes, drag ourselves and our luggage down to the complimentary airport shuttle
6:35am: Flight with one stop (with no plane change)
11:10am: Land Jacksonville, get picked up by someone in M's family
Afternoon: Eat Thanksgiving lunch! We always do a late lunch instead of dinner. It's become tradition to have veggie lasagna since M and I are vegetarians and her family is Italian. Yay!
Evening: Sit around in food comas
Friday, 11/27
Morning: Might be a Disney day. We'd leave around 5:00 to make rope drop somewhere.
Night: Maybe we'll stay somewhere cheap offsite (we have APs so parking fees aren't an issue), or maybe we'll head back to M's parents' house
Saturday, 11/28
Morning: Either we'll already be in Orlando/LBV from staying the night before or we'll make this our day trip day.
Night: Drive back to M's parents' house
Sunday, 11/29
3:30 am: Leave the house for JAX
6:00 am: Direct flight to Newark
8:22am: Land and take an Uber home. Probably take a nap. Go back to the real world
Here's where I need your help:
- Any advice on crowd levels and general craziness on the day after Thanksgiving v. the Saturday after? In 2013 we were in both MK and Epcot the day after; MK was miserably crowded and Epcot was nearly empty. We've never been the Saturday after.
- People who have experience traveling between Philly and NYC: I know this isn't specifically Disney related, but do you prefer NJ Transit, Megabus, Amtrak, or something else to get between the two? Any info on fares (Megabus seems to be the cheapest option), travel time, reliability, comfort, etc., would be appreciated.
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