Pre-Trip I don't have a plan.... I don't even have a pla. (Former cast member returning for the first time in 5 years!)

Magicians.... I am back.

After a 5 (!!!!!!!!) year long Disney hiatus post-COVID, I am returning to bubble for a trip that i'm actually excited about (I took my dad for father's day a few years ago. He and my stepmom lived in Melbourne at the time, so it was an easy drive over for a quick F+G day, but I don't really count it.) (I also went last October on a whirlwind trip with one of my best friends who travels drastically differently than I do ((read: every meal we ate was character table service. All of them. Every. Single. One.)) with a torn ACL, so while I had fun, that does NOT rank on my top trips list and I don't count it. It's my life, I'm allowed.)

(Father's Day 2022)

Me last year in my Disney rented wheelchair while my friend pushed me because my knee held up for 1 half day Animal Kingdom trip (honestly, what a park to waste a knee on)

What have I been up to since then? Well, I think the last time I posted here, I was working in luxury travel. As most of you can probably deduce, that job ended in 2020. I transitioned into the tech/startup world and helped build the sales department of a fairly large startup from the ground up and am now running a sales and marketing operations team for an investment company. It's been a wild ride! I was 24 when the pandemic started, so a fresh baby relative to life and just got caught up in... well... catching up! There's no guide book for coming of age in an "unprecedented event."

I was keeping up with the news of Disney and reopening plans (I was an AP when they shut the parks down) and honestly, nothing about the "new" Disney thrilled me. To be fair, it still doesn't. I always swore up and down that I wouldn't go back until the dining plan was reinstated, but after the death of a nephew, ACL repair surgery, a car accident and a generally garbage year, I took the quick trip with my friend in 2024 which REALLY solidified that I wouldn't go back until the dining plan was reinstated. And even then, it would be once or twice a year with my niece and nephew (Oh yeah, they've also shown up during this hiatus. Nephew, who I will call S1, is 3 and niece, who I will call S2, will be 1 in April!)

S1 and I walking into a baseball game together this year. This is the WORST photo of myself that I have ever seen but the sweetest memory. I have it framed in my house

So anyway, I wasn't planning on going UNTIL... I got a wedding invitation from my former roommate (and still dear, dear friend) from when I was a cast member to her wedding on March 15th. I was worried that the timing wouldn't work out for my boyfriend to come with me (Oh yeah, also new, almost 4 years now! And he hates Disney, BUT he loves me!) because he's a musician that will be wrapping up Mardi Gras season and ALSO an accountant who specializes in tax, so we're really cutting the time between his two spring busy seasons in half. We looked at the calendar and he can join!!! To be totally honest, I had expected to bring my mom, stay at Pop, do a park commando two days with a wedding interruption and then fly back exhausted, but when A said he could join, my plans changed!

Kind of.... My current plan is.... I have no plan. I don't even have a pla.

This is where I need your help, dear Magicians. I have about 10 different "possible" plans JUST for lodging. I am massively overthinking this and need some guiding knowledge!

 

[meg0039]

So, this trip is going to be... complex. Far too complex for less than 72 hours spent in Florida (maybe... more to come.)

My friend's wedding is at 5:30 PM on March 15th in Howie-in-the-Hills (about an hour drive from property.) A (my boyfriend) has made the executive decision to rent a car, which is honestly very wise.

Here's where we start to get tricky. I will be in Cabo March 3 - 8 celebrating my best friend's birthday. I've also got some PTO in February for Mardi Gras and PTO in April for our annual post-tax season 30A trip (luckily that house has been booked and paid for for about a year, so I don't have to think about how much money three months of travel is costing me......... A and I do split but sometimes I opt to splurge more than he would and we don't have joint bank accounts, so I will absolutely cover the upgrade to a beachfront house in Seaside on my own dime.) My job is full time, 40 hours a week IN office, with very little flexibility for remote (sickness, weather, extenuating circumstances are obviously allowed) but with all of that PTO, I hesitate to take time off for this trip. My boss is INCREDIBLY chill and probably wouldn't say anything, but I don't want to push my luck.

Southwest does a direct from Birmingham to Orlando that runs twice daily, once early morning and once around 6 PM that lands at 9 PM and then the return will depart MCO at 7 AM, blech

My current plan is to work, head straight to the airport, take the flight in, check in... somewhere, go to Hollywood Studios on Saturday morning to sob hysterically through say goodbye to my dear loves, the Muppets, and take A to Galaxy's Edge (I hate Star Wars, he hates Disney, we compromise), Oga's Cantina, lunch... somewhere, come back to wherever we're staying, go to the wedding, back in the bubble around 9-ish(?) and then hit a few monorail line lounges in our formal garb (mostly because I want to twirl around in the Grand lobby in a pretty dress). We'll take our time Sunday morning, meet an old friend of mine for breakfast (leaning heavily toward Ale & Compass or Trattoria al Forno, but will be influenced by where we stay), head to Epcot to drink and ride Figment, hopefully squeeze in a nap and then dinner...... somewhere. Take the horrific 5 AM flight out Monday and I'll be at the office by 10.

At dinner tonight, we discussed pushing that Monday flight later and trying to find a flight that arrives at MCO around 6:00. Delta and American don't have anything appealing and United is over $1,000, so we may stick with Southwest, but who knows!

 

[meg0039]

Which brings me to the first thing that I am begging for help with.... where the HECK do we stay?!

I personally have a few priorities:

• King bed - We are both horrendous sleepers and a queen sized bed just ain't cutting it. This CAN be negotiable for the right place, but it's really important to me
• Transportation that makes sense. By that I mean, how do we get to Hollywood Studios and Epcot with the least amount of pain. I know the answer to this but my credit card HATES the answer to this
• QS dining that is open until 11 for our arrival evening (MAJOR plus if I can get french fries)
• Hotel lounge that is open late for our arrival evening

As I mentioned, my mom and I are cool with Pop (I was actually a manager there for a while) and All Stars but since A is going with me, I want something slightly nicer (okay let's be honest, I've been out here pricing out the two story club level rooms at the Boardwalk) while taking budget into account. Here's what i've considered, with pricing:

Port Orleans French Quarter - King Room - $2,129.50 - This is one of my favorite resorts on property and I know A would love the theming, that price is just NUTS. It was available with a discount previously but every time I've checked recently the discount is gone. This checks off the king bed, dining location and lounge requirements, but it doesn't make the most logistical sense. It's small, it's quiet, I don't know if it's a $2,100 weekend

Coronado Springs - Tower Resort View Club Level - $2,988.90 - Okay i'm not going to lie..... I hate the Animal Kingdom area resorts. I don't like the location, the busses are a nightmare, generally just icky to me. BUT I have heard phenomenal things about this club level. We're kind of strange when it comes to eating (really two small meals and one big one kind of people) but we LOVE to eat and drink well. Thinking about the way we eat is actually why i'm not opting for the dining plan, even though I know that I blamed it for why i'm not coming back.... Anyway, to me, the only pro this has is the club level lounge but that is a HUGE pro. Ah that AND that I think we're going to do Jiko Sunday night (maybe? Who knows? Not me!) Does anyone know how requesting a king here goes?

Swan Reserve - Standard View King Room - $1,967.08 - I know this makes the most sense. I know. BUT, we'll have to pay $40 per night per parking, bumping it up to right around the same price as PoFQ. But with that price, we get to be walking distance to BOTH Hollywood Studios and Epcot, which is huge to me.

Saratoga Springs - Deluxe Studio - $1,739.18 - This is by far the most affordable option (confirmed DVC rentals, FTW!) and I honestly adore Saratoga, but it's one queen. I know, that is being SO picky, but after my knee surgery I need some stretching out space. I also know that not sharing a bed is an option, which we've done in the past with no issue. We will have a car rented and I love a Minnie Van, so I could make transportation not be an issue..... I may be talking myself into this one.... we'll see.


Dining? Who knows? Not me! All I have loosely is somewhere Boardwalk adjacent (maybe! Or Maybe G Flo cafe! Who knows!) for breakfast on Sunday and Jiko (maybe) for dinner on Sunday.... past that I got nuthin'.

 

[Zipadeelady]

If Hollywood Studios and Epcot are your desired parks, stay at a Skyliner resort, such as Rivera, Caribbean, or POP. Choose two queen beds to cut your cost instead of one King.

 

[meg0039]

If Hollywood Studios and Epcot are your desired parks, stay at a Skyliner resort, such as Rivera, Caribbean, or POP. Choose two queen beds to cut your cost instead of one King.

In a WILD twist of fate, I ended up finding a confirmed reservation at the Grand (!!!!!!!!!!) for half the price of anywhere else.

We adjusted our flights to get into Tampa midday, going to grab lunch w my Godmother in TPA and then head to property, should be there by 6:00!