It’s 1,206 miles to Orlando. We've got 4 full carryons, half a pack of sunscreen, it's 93 degrees out and we're wearing face masks. HIT IT. ...
We just returned from a 9-day, 8-night Orlandoan vacation that encompassed six parks, 3 hotels, and even a local escape room. I'll hit the highlights of each (see below for links to each section). Suffice it to say that despite the August heat and the added stresses of traveling in the COVID-19 era, this was one of the loveliest, most serendipitous and relaxing Orlando vacations my family has ever had. Some might call it luck or pixie dust: I’d call it Providence. We prayed for God to “smooth the way” for us on this long-awaited trip, and He graciously did.
Summertime! The livin' was easy, the weather was hot but tolerable, and the crowds were low. Although my 13-year-old daughter managed to concuss herself less than 3 days before our departure (life lesson: do not play soccer while wearing a cardboard box that covers you from shoulders to knees and pins your arms to your sides, even if your friends think it’s hilarious) and had to sit out a few of the rougher experiences, she experienced no headaches or other symptoms on the trip.
The timing of this vacation – planned back in November as "something to look forward to" during our long and isolated winter – turned out to be the decisive factor, and I’m incredibly grateful that we got to do it now, after most things were reopened, but before they’re slated to dramatically change. I’m anxious about the upcoming cost increases, the naked nickel-and-diming of guests, the fact that the stratification of hotel amenities between deluxes and other hotel categories is now creeping inexorably into the park touring experience, the increased need to spend in-park time glued to one’s phone, the loss of DME, and the disincentivizing of onsite stays – not to mention, we never know what tomorrow may bring in terms of new viruses or variants that could restrict our travel. When those factors are combined with the fact that my children are both teenagers now, I fear that the Disney magic may be starting to slip away for all of us, and that other destinations will increasingly capture our attention in the future. As a result, I was glad we were able to enjoy one last trip, before the craziness of the 50th or the introduction of new and untested pay-to-play Fastpass systems, where the parks were quieter and touring was a bit simpler and more relaxing, like in the old days.
For an overview of our travel between Buffalo, NY and Orlando, and ground transportation, click here.
For the Universal leg of our trip with visits to both parks and stays at Hard Rock Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort, click here.
For the WDW leg of our trip with trips to all parks and a stay at the Dolphin Hotel, click here.
For an overview of the Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom on August 24th, click here.
[*NOTE: At the request of my children, who are old enough that they want to have some control over their online "presence," I'll be deleting all of the "people photos" in this trip report after a few days.]
[UPDATE: Photos deleted on 9/1/21.]
We just returned from a 9-day, 8-night Orlandoan vacation that encompassed six parks, 3 hotels, and even a local escape room. I'll hit the highlights of each (see below for links to each section). Suffice it to say that despite the August heat and the added stresses of traveling in the COVID-19 era, this was one of the loveliest, most serendipitous and relaxing Orlando vacations my family has ever had. Some might call it luck or pixie dust: I’d call it Providence. We prayed for God to “smooth the way” for us on this long-awaited trip, and He graciously did.
Summertime! The livin' was easy, the weather was hot but tolerable, and the crowds were low. Although my 13-year-old daughter managed to concuss herself less than 3 days before our departure (life lesson: do not play soccer while wearing a cardboard box that covers you from shoulders to knees and pins your arms to your sides, even if your friends think it’s hilarious) and had to sit out a few of the rougher experiences, she experienced no headaches or other symptoms on the trip.
The timing of this vacation – planned back in November as "something to look forward to" during our long and isolated winter – turned out to be the decisive factor, and I’m incredibly grateful that we got to do it now, after most things were reopened, but before they’re slated to dramatically change. I’m anxious about the upcoming cost increases, the naked nickel-and-diming of guests, the fact that the stratification of hotel amenities between deluxes and other hotel categories is now creeping inexorably into the park touring experience, the increased need to spend in-park time glued to one’s phone, the loss of DME, and the disincentivizing of onsite stays – not to mention, we never know what tomorrow may bring in terms of new viruses or variants that could restrict our travel. When those factors are combined with the fact that my children are both teenagers now, I fear that the Disney magic may be starting to slip away for all of us, and that other destinations will increasingly capture our attention in the future. As a result, I was glad we were able to enjoy one last trip, before the craziness of the 50th or the introduction of new and untested pay-to-play Fastpass systems, where the parks were quieter and touring was a bit simpler and more relaxing, like in the old days.
For an overview of our travel between Buffalo, NY and Orlando, and ground transportation, click here.
For the Universal leg of our trip with visits to both parks and stays at Hard Rock Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort, click here.
For the WDW leg of our trip with trips to all parks and a stay at the Dolphin Hotel, click here.
For an overview of the Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom on August 24th, click here.
[*NOTE: At the request of my children, who are old enough that they want to have some control over their online "presence," I'll be deleting all of the "people photos" in this trip report after a few days.]
[UPDATE: Photos deleted on 9/1/21.]
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I tell people I write for an audience of nine (and their clerks).
