It's Still Disney Magic to Me! A January 2016 Trip Report (PTR included too) Complete

[disneywlf]

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 5
After riding Expedition Everest, I was about to make my way to Kilimanjaro Safaris when suddenly, I was stopped in my tracks by a show I had never enjoyed before. The show that I was stopped by was Flights of Wonder and boy, did it live up to its name! I say this as I loved seeing how the birds, including an Owl, Bald Eagle, a Parrott, a Falcon, and a Macaw used their actual survival techniques and demonstrated their intellect. Also, the guides added to the show too as they were humorous and taught the valuable lesson on how every little positive thing we do for the environment helps to make it a better place to prevent the extinction of species. All in all, I thought that Flights of Wonder was a great show and I would definitely see it again the next time I visit the Animal Kingdom! Here are some pictures, as they are indeed worth a thousand words.







After being amazed by Flights of Wonder, it was now close to a quarter after eleven, so it was time for me to head to Africa for a wild time at Kilimanjaro Safaris!

 

[disneywlf]

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 6
After Flights of Wonder, I made my way to Africa, where the amazing theming made me feel like I was in Africa!



Once I passed through Harambe, Kilimanjaro Safaris was fairly busy, with a standby wait of 45-minutes at 11:25AM. Thankfully, my FP+ enabled me to board SIMBA-1, my safari vehicle in about ten minutes.


Here is the first part of my pictures from my safari!





Don't worry, there will be more pictures in my next installment .

 

[disneywlf]

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 7
Here are more pictures from my safari aboard SIMBA-1!










My safari adventures continue in my next installment!

 

[disneywlf]

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 8
Here is the last set of pictures from my safari!




After having a wild time riding Kilimanjaro Safaris, I then made my way towards the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and before that, I visited the Warden's Station, as I had the chance to earn two more badges for Wilderness Explorers. I first earned a Safari Badge, but my next badge, which was the African Culture Badge, proved to be far more memorable. Why? Well, I had the pleasure of meeting Memory, a cultural representative CM from Namibia, who was very sweet and eager to share information about her country as well learn about my experiences in the U.S. I asked her more about Namibia and she said that it is a beautiful country, as it has diverse landscapes. These include encompassing the Kalahari Desert, a coastal desert, the capital city of Windhoek, and even savannah, making for excellent wildlife-spotting opportunities. She was curious about what the landscape of where I was from was like, so I told her that Long Island, along with most of the Metro New York City area, are largely developed and on Long Island, there used to be more pine barrens in Suffolk County but many of them have been developed for commercial and residential use. In addition, she was curious if I knew anyone from Namibia or any other country in Southern Africa. I told her that my friend's mother and her parents were South African Jews, as his mother was born there after her parents went there after the Holocaust from The Netherlands. This impressed Memory and mentioned that she knew a little bit about Jews in South Africa and even said that there were a few Jews in Namibia, which I never knew . I had an amazing time talking with Memory and would have talked to her all day, but there was still more to see. After a wonderful time talking with Memory, I finally arrived at the entrance to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail!

I first spotted some Colobus Monkeys and learned that sadly, along with mandrills and gorillas, are hunted for bushmeat. Nevertheless, they looked pretty cool, with black and white hair on their bodies and a black mask.

Next, I spotted a Duiker, a type of antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa.

I also spotted Taveta Golden Weavers (pictured) and Black Crakes, which helped me earn the Birding Badge!

Then, I saw some Cichlids, which are a type of freshwater fish commonly found in Africa and also South America.

What other types of wildlife will I find on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail? Find out in my next installment .

 

[disneywlf]

The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 9
As I continued walking the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, I then spotted some Meerkats.

Finally, I spotted a couple of Gorillas (hard to see, but I saw them) and I earned my Gorilla Badge!

Since my stomach was beginning to growl not unlike the many beasts inhabiting Disney's Animal Kingdom, I decided to head back to Discovery Island for lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, as it is one of my favorite counter service restaurants. However, on the way there, I noticed that Flik from "A Bug's Life" was meeting. Since his line was not long and I had not met him before, as he was not there on my previous trips in 2012 and 2014, I decided to line up. To my surprise and delight, I bumped into Tim and Tori , a couple from Cleveland, OH I met two days prior at Epcot while waiting to meet Baymax. They were in line ahead of me and we were delighted to see each other and while we were conversing, I found out that they would be getting engaged on this trip! I could not have been happier for them and even offered to buy them lunch and/or a drink, as I wanted to spread a little pixie dust for them. They were very thankful, but politely declined, as they had other plans. We ended up talking about "A Bug's Life" while we were waiting and how much we loved watching it. Tori added that she was a huge fan of Princess Dot and wished she could meet her, but sadly, she is not a meetable character. Nevertheless, she could not wait to meet Flik! Tim and Tori's turn passed and I wished them a lot of happiness for their future together as well as an awesome time for the rest of their trip. Anyway, my turn came and I was very excited to meet Flik. He was very excited too and we gave each other a huge hug! I also admired him for his bravery in saving the colony from Hopper and thanked him for hosting me at It's Tough to be a Bug. Flik was very grateful and made hand gestures showing his gratitude. We had a lot of fun together and got this fantastic picture! All in all, it was wonderful to meet Flik and I hope to meet him again the next time I am in WDW.

After meeting Flik, I continued to make my way towards Flame Tree BBQ, but not without making one last stop at some musical instrument that was like a xylophone that made a sound of tat-tat-dong-dong, thus meriting me my Music Badge. I would have played more Wilderness Explorers, but I decided to end it there for the day, as I planned to do one last attraction after lunch, as I needed to get ready for dinner and was hoping to get an afternoon swim in, as the temperatures were in the 70s and the skies were sunny. Finally, I arrived at Flame Tree BBQ.

It was about 1:00PM and I think I waited about ten minutes, as unsurprisingly, it was crowded. A friendly and helpful male CM handed me an Allergy Menu, as I mentioned to him that I am allergic to eggs and wheat. I found the Allergy Menu to be very easy to use and I knew what I wanted, which was the 1/2 Chicken Platter, as I have loved it based on past experiences. The CM added that not unlike other times I have been to Flame Tree, I would be able to substitute sides for the Cole Slaw and Baked Beans. In addition, I changed my last FP+ from Expedition Everest to Festival of the Lion King from 1:45PM-2:45PM, as I wanted to see it, since I did not get to see it on my last trip as it was closed. A short time later, I was assisted by two very friendly,eager to please, and accommodating CMs, including a young female from Orlando (her name escapes me I'm sorry) and a Manager, who looked and sounded almost like Governor John Kasich (R-OH) (ironically, the male CM was from Ohio). Thanks to their help, I was able to order a 1/2 BBQ Chicken Platter with a side of French Fries and two bags of grapes to substitute for the cole slaw and baked beans. About ten minutes later, I received my meal and I also got a couple of cups of BBQ sauce on the side. As always, Flame Tree BBQ was outstanding, as I found the BBQ chicken to be juicy, tender, and pleasantly smokey. I also enjoyed the French Fries, which were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside as well as the grapes, which were pleasantly firm in texture and tart. I washed down my meal with a well-brewed unsweetened iced tea!

For my last attraction of the day, it was time to see Festival of the Lion King! I arrived there at about ten to two and I did not have to wait long, as I arrived just in time for the next show.

Along with other guests, I entered the theater and I was pumped, as "The Lion King" is one of my favorite Disney movies. Inside, when all of the sections were assigned by the emcees and I was in the Warthog section, so I had to gesture my fingers like tusks and make snorting noises when called upon. All in all, I thought Festival of the Lion King and would highly recommend it! I loved the classic music from "The Lion King" and other favorites, like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (I especially liked the singer who did "Be Prepared," who had an amazing set of pipes!). In addition, I also loved the floats (particularly the Simba and Pumbaa floats), the tumble monkeys who did amazing acrobatics, and the pyrotechnics. All in all, it was an amazing show and I would definitely see it again!


After a fantastic day of touring, I decided to end my day after Festival of the Lion King, as it was nearly 3:00PM and I wanted to get back to my room to have enough time to get ready for my ADR at Cape May Cafe and possibly swim. However, on my way out, I decided to stop for a refreshing treat sold at Tamu Tamu Refreshments that was once only sold at the Magic Kingdom. That my fellow DISers is a Pineapple Whip!

I was assisted by a friendly and efficient female CM and I decided to order a Pineapple Dole Whip Cup. Only a minute later I received my Dole Whip Cup, which was cool, creamy, sweet, and slightly tangy, making for a fantastic snack!

I then exited the park and it was close to 3:00PM, so I spent a magical six hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom. While the Magic Kingdom and Epcot would probably be my top two Disney theme parks, I have to admit that Animal Kingdom is getting higher and higher on my top Disney theme park radar and with all of the improvements that they have made and are making (i.e. River of Lights), I am looking forward to Disney's Animal Kingdom becoming a solid one day theme park and for me, even a two day, as in my book, I cannot rush the Animal Kingdom. At about 3:05PM, I boarded a bus back to my hotel and I arrived there 20 minutes later. What would I do next until my 6:45PM ADR at Cape May Cafe? Find out in my next installment!

 

[SarahDisney]

I read the last few updates on my phone and kept forgetting to come back on the computer to comment ... sounds like you had a great time at Animal Kingdom!
I've never seen Flights of Wonder, but you make it sound like an interesting show and your pictures are fantastic. I also love your pictures from the safari - it looks like you saw a lot of animals out and about!
Festival of the Lion King is one of my favorite shows ... it really is amazing and they have some very talented performers. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

 

[fallonkendra]

I had fallen so far behind on your trip report, but I'm all caught up again! It sounds like you had an awesome day at Animal Kingdom! I'd have to say I have a tie for my favourite park, between the two kingdoms.

We skipped the Flights of Wonder show (I'm terrified of birds), but I might need to add it to our must-do list for our next trip after seeing your pictures! I also need to add Flame Tree BBQ to our list, that chicken looks great!

I was blown away by how good Festival of the Lion King was, I was not expecting that at all when we saw it!

Can't wait to see your food pictures from Cape May!

 

[disneywlf]

I read the last few updates on my phone and kept forgetting to come back on the computer to comment ... sounds like you had a great time at Animal Kingdom!
I've never seen Flights of Wonder, but you make it sound like an interesting show and your pictures are fantastic. I also love your pictures from the safari - it looks like you saw a lot of animals out and about!
Festival of the Lion King is one of my favorite shows ... it really is amazing and they have some very talented performers. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Don't worry about it SarahDisney I will admit I have fallen a little bit behind on my TR myself, as life has been very busy lately. The Animal Kingdom was amazing and I can't wait to check out all of the new additions when I return to WDW . Flights of Wonder is an absolutely amazing, if not slightly under appreciated show and I highly recommend that you check it out . Thank you I am very thankful to have gotten amazing safari pictures, as sometimes, it is not always easy. That is awesome I think I have to agree with you that Festival of Lion King is one of my favorite shows too, as the talent is phenomenal!

I had fallen so far behind on your trip report, but I'm all caught up again! It sounds like you had an awesome day at Animal Kingdom! I'd have to say I have a tie for my favourite park, between the two kingdoms.

We skipped the Flights of Wonder show (I'm terrified of birds), but I might need to add it to our must-do list for our next trip after seeing your pictures! I also need to add Flame Tree BBQ to our list, that chicken looks great!

I was blown away by how good Festival of the Lion King was, I was not expecting that at all when we saw it!

Can't wait to see your food pictures from Cape May!

Hi fallonkendra I am glad to see you again! Don't worry about it I will admit that because I have been so busy, I have fallen behind myself on updating. No doubt about it I had an awesome day at the Animal Kingdom! Nothing wrong with the two kingdoms tying for favorite theme park and for me, Animal Kingdom is vying more and more for that title, but Magic Kingdom will always be my number one! Don't be afraid the birds are trained and if you sit with enough distance, you will not be near the birds. Thank you Flame Tree BBQ's chicken was fantastic and it tasted even better than it looked! I felt the exact same way you did about Festival of the Lion King and I definitely hope to see it again! Thank you I should be at my Cape May update soon!

​

 

[disneywlf]

It truly is a small world after all Part 1
Before I begin this segment of the trip report, I just wanted to let you know that I named this segment after something special happened to me while I was dining at Cape May Cafe, so please stay tuned as that surprise will be revealed soon . Anyway, after arriving back at the Buena Vista Palace at a little before 3:30PM with an amazing day at Disney's Animal Kingdom behind me, I had planned to go swimming, as I thought that the weather would still be good. Unfortunately, this did not quite pan out as planned because it was overcast and windy, which would make it a bit cool for swimming, despite the fact that temperatures were in the low 70s. Instead of swimming, I decided to do some packing, as I wanted to get a lot of it out of the way so I would be able to be more relaxed on the day I went back to the real world, which would be in about 24-hours. Also, I was planning to meet a female DISer from Wisconsin at Epcot for the morning before I headed to the airport, so I wanted to just be able to focus on that. While I was doing that, I also called my mom to touch base with her and we talked about my day, she wished me a good dinner at Cape May Cafe, and we agreed to talk later that night. After doing some packing and talking to mom, I then rested until about 5:15PM. Before I left, I got ready for dinner and then left my room, catching a Epcot/Disney's Hollywood Studios bound bus at about 5:40PM, as going to one of those two theme parks would put me closer to Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. The friendly and helpful driver asked where I wanted to go and I told him that I wanted to go to Disney's Hollywood Studios, as I would be able to catch a resort launch to the Epcot Resorts. Aside from myself, there was one other couple onboard heading to Epcot, where we stopped first. As we were riding, the sun was setting and by 6:05PM, I was at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Time was definitely on my side, as a Friendship Boat was docked right as I arrived at the Studios.

At 6:10PM, we left Disney's Hollywood Studios, bound for Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Disney's Boardwalk Resort, and Epcot.

The ride was very relaxing and ten minutes after we left the Studios, we were arriving at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts.

After stopping at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resorts, we then passed the brightly-lit and festive Boardwalk en-route to the next stop, which was Disney's Yacht and Beach Club!


By 6:27PM, I could see the Yacht and Beach Club's lighthouse, meaning that we were on approach.

At 6:30PM, I arrived at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club! I was excited, as when I ate at Cape May Cafe on my January 2014 trip, I thoroughly enjoyed it, as the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the value for the money was fantastic. What's more? I love the Yacht and Beach Club's theming, as I find that it is upscale and laid-back at the same time. Anyway, I started off by taking in a view of Disney's Boardwalk at the dock enjoying the balmy air.

I then made my way up the up the dock, marveling at the Yacht and Beach Club's architecture, which was evocative of a New England beach resort and enhanced by the lighting used at night.

Next, I passed by Stormalong Bay, which is the pool complex shared by Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. This would have to be the feature that compels me most (aside from the dining opportunities and proximity to Epcot), as it is like a mini-waterpark, with a large pool, sand beaches, lazy rivers, and slides. When I have the chance, I would definitely stay at this hotel and with Stormalong Bay, there is a shot I would visit WDW and not even go to a park.


Since my ADR time was approaching, I entered the lobby of Disney's Beach Club, which was ornate yet minimalist at the same time, making for a luxurious and laid-back feel. I especially loved the chandelier, which was large and had lamps sticking out from the top and a half globe shaped bottom, adding to the upscale and cozy feel of the lobby.

At about 6:40PM, five minutes before my ADR, I decided to go to the podium to see if my table was ready. The CM, whose name escapes me at the moment, was very friendly and welcoming. He checked me in and told me that while my table was not ready, he said that it would be no longer than a ten minute wait and that I would receive a text once my table was ready. With that time, I explored the rest of the resort, checked out its gift shop, and also used the ATM, as I needed to withdraw some cash. The time went by quickly and at about 6:50PM, I received a text that my table was ready . What would be the surprise that awaits me at Cape May Cafe? Find out in my next installment!

 

[disneywlf]

It truly is a small world after all Part 1
About five minutes after my ADR time, I went back to Cape May Cafe.

I was escorted to a booth towards the back of the dining room by the same friendly and welcoming CM who I met earlier. As I was entering, I was hoping to see some CMs who I previously met at Cape May Cafe on my 2014 trip, like James, my waiter when I dined at Cape May for the first time and Genesis, another waiter. I knew I would see Chef Robert, as I had spoken to a Manager before this trip who told me he would be working that night as well as from the CM, who told me that he would come to my table to help me. Once I was seated I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel from Orlando, a very kind and polite middle-age waitress who would be serving me. I placed my order for a Diet Coke to drink and since she also knew about my food allergy, she offered to bring out Chef Robert. As promised, Chef Robert came out and he actually remembered me by face, which was amazing! We were happy to see each other again and just like last time, I found him to be welcoming and very conscientious as he escorted me around the buffet, pointing out what I could and could not eat. He told me that the salads and cheeses were fine, but the bread was off limits for obvious reasons. The meats, shrimp, crab, paella, and most of the sides were fine, but the salmon on the buffet contained bread crumbs, so he offered to make me as much salmon without bread crumbs as I wanted. Also, the brussel sprouts on the buffet contained a derivative of eggs, so he offered to make me a fresh batch that I could eat . All in all, I was ready for an excellent meal once again! After Rachael promptly returned with my Diet Coke, we chatted for a bit and since I was curious, I asked her if she knew James, the waiter who served me on my previous trip? She said that she indeed knew him, but he was no longer working at Cape May, as he received a transfer for his position to Cinderella's Royal Table in the middle of 2014 and later left Disney for a job as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Orlando. I told her how wonderful that was and that made her happy . However, Rachel would not disappoint and proved to be a fantastic waitress throughout the evening, as she was very kind, personable, attentive as she made sure my Diet Coke never went empty and my plates were cleared in a timely fashion, and was on point! After chatting with Rachel for a bit, I started with my first course, which included an assortment of cheeses which made for an excellent start. My plate included (in a clockwise direction) a spicy and buttery pepper jack cheese, four sticks of a salty Italian cheese that I did not recall the name of, mild and creamy goat cheese, nutty swiss cheese, mild Colby Jack Cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese.

Next, I had some salads, which were all delicious. I had a Watermelon Salad with Feta, which worked well as the sweet and delicate watermelon cubes meshed well with the briny and salty Feta Cheese. I also enjoyed a wild rice based salad with tomatoes, which had nutty and filling grains of wild rice and sweet, ripe, and pleasantly acidic grape tomatoes. Also, I enjoyed some salty and piquant olives .

I then enjoyed some more salads, including a Greek Salad with crisp greens, cool and refreshing cucumber, ripe and sweet tomatoes, salty and briny Feta, and a vinaigrette dressing as well as an Ambrosia Salad, with mild field greens, tangy and sweet dried cranberries, mild goat cheese, and crisp walnuts.

Remember I said that there would be a surprise? Well, as I heading to scope the buffet for some more items, a tall, young male with short dark hair wearing a plaid button-down shirt and jeans called my name and said hi. While I did not remember him at first as it was out of context, but it turns out it was Scott, who I knew well as he almost always delivered pizza from Lontza Pizza in Greenvale, NY to the LIU-Post College Republicans, where I was the Public Relations Person during my Senior Year of college and always provided us with fantastic service. We were ecstatic to see each other again and to my surprise and delight, he invited me to join his family, including his Aunt and Uncle along with his Cousin and her daughter at their table. I was very thankful and excited, as I got to meet a face from the past and I would not have to dine alone . In addition, Rachel, my waitress, was happy to accommodate me and moved with me so she would be able to serve me there. Before we went to the table, we took this awesome picture!

After going to his table, I had the pleasure of meeting his family, including his lovely Aunt and Uncle from Port Orange, FL, outside of Daytona Beach and his very nice Cousin and niece. After first meeting them, we conversed about a variety of topics throughout the meal. We chatted mainly about Disney, living in Florida, conservative politics (it worked as everyone at the table, except for Scott's cousin and niece, had conservative political views), and more topics, making for a fun and interesting meal! Rachel then brought me Salmon, which was fantastic as it was moist, flakey, slightly zesty from the added herbs, and cooked to the right doneness, as it was not overcooked.

Rachel then arrived with some Brussels Sprouts and Stewed Tomatoes. At this time I also met Patsy from Orlando, a middle-aged waitress with glasses and blonde hair who was very sweet and like Rachel, also provided excellent service to our table. This Brussels Sprouts and Stewed Tomatoes were excellent, as I enjoyed the earthy and smokey Brussels sprouts meshed with the sweet and pleasantly acidic tomatoes.

After enjoying my Salmon and Brussels Sprouts with Stewed Tomatoes and having a wonderful time with Scott and his family, Rachel then came back to see if I wanted anymore Salmon and Brussels Sprouts? I thanked her, but told her that I was fine, as I was planning to enjoy some other foods. I went up to the buffet and as I was going up, I said hi to Genesis, a waiter who I met on my January 2014 trip. We were both happy to see each other and he even remembered me a little bit, which was very nice . We did not chat long as he had to serve his tables, but it was cool nevertheless. After that, I got a plate of pleasantly sweet and meaty Crab Legs, earthy and well-cooked Red Potatoes, and slightly spicy and tomatoey cocktail sauce.

I was stuffed, but Rachel still had a surprise in store! Not unlike the last time I dined here, Rachel offered me an assortment of desserts from Babycakes, which worked out well as I could not eat the desserts they had on the buffet. I was very thankful, as Disney definitely keeps their diners with allergies in mind and having Babycakes desserts at many of the restaurants is no exception! Sadly, Scott and his family had to head back before I received my dessert, so I thanked them, wished them well, and agreed to keep in touch as we had exchanged contact information. I hope they are doing well and who knows, maybe our paths will cross again soon? Anyway, I received my Babycakes, which came in very nice packaging, as I told Rachel that I was very full! This worked out perfectly as I was able to take home all of my treats, which included a Cinnamon Sugar Donut and four Mini Brownie Cupcakes, which were gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, and kosher.

Before I received the check, I had the pleasure of chatting with Rachel for a bit. She inquired about my trip and I told her that I had an amazing time, but would be heading home the next day. Rachel was happy that I had an amazing time, but also curious about how I would be getting home. Since I believe getting there is half the fun, I told her that I would be flying home to New York-JFK, on jetBlue and also came in on jetBlue. She said that she had never been on jetBlue, but heard good things about them and hoped to try them one day. I told her they were very good and that she would like them for their legroom, free entertainment, free snacks/beverages, and friendly service. She said that she had flown to Newark Airport in New Jersey and Atlanta and found them both to be very busy! As for airlines, she used Delta (I also like them) and United (never used) and she told me that she found both airlines to be fine. She advised me to allow plenty of time flying home, as she said that Orlando is notorious for long security lines! I told her not to worry, as I arranged for a 1:30PM pick-up for my 5:30PM flight, just in case things go awry. Rachel told me not to worry and that I had more than enough time. We also chatted about her employment with WDW and she told me that she had been with Disney since the 1990s, working mainly at Cape May Cafe. Out of curiosity, I asked her if there were any major differences with Cape May Cafe then and now? She said no, save for the fact that in the early-1990s, they had soft-serve ice cream available at dinner. I said that while it would have been nice if they still had ice cream, we both agreed that we understood Disney's rationale, as Beaches and Cream is not far away and I guess they were worried about competition. Who knows? After our great conversation, I took care of the bill, which came out to about $50 in change with a well-deserved tip, as once again, the service at Cape May Cafe was fantastic! As I left, Rachel and Patsy thanked me, wished me a magical evening, and a safe trip home. Once again, Cape May Cafe was fantastic and I would definitely return again! After leaving Cape May Cafe, I walked around the hotel for a bit just taking in the atmosphere and at about a little after 10:00PM, I boarded a bus for Disney Springs, arriving there at about 10:30PM. I walked around Disney Springs for a bit and then crossed the pedestrian walkway over Buena Vista Drive, arriving at my hotel at about 11:00PM. Before I went to my room, I stopped at the BoardEZ airline boarding pass computer in the lobby, where I was able to print my boarding pass. I got ready for bed and then called my mom to chat with her for about half an hour. Also, along with @SarahDisney and her sister (we did not get to meet as our paths did not cross, but I thank them for being active readers of my TR! ), I was hoping to meet another DISer, who was a young female from Wisconsin if I am not mistaken the next morning at Epcot. Sadly, I realized that this was not going to work out as planned, as I still had some packing to do and because I was out later than anticipated, I was tired. With this in mind, I sent the DISer I was supposed to meet a text, put in my phone to charge, and then canceled my FP+ reservations for that day, as I needed to get a little more sleep.

While I was a bit sad to be leaving Disney World, I was looking forward to coming home to my mom, my then two (now three) dogs, and my guinea pigs . I then drifted off to sleep, wondering what the next day would be like? What surprises will await on my day of travel? Find out in my next installment.

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 1
After about nine hours of sleep, I woke up at about 8:30AM on Friday, January 15th, 2016. The first thing I did was call my mom to let her know that all was well and that despite the heavy rain that was affecting the Orlando area, I should be home on time as my flight home was scheduled to depart on schedule. After talking for a bit, I told her I would call her later and that I loved her and could not wait to see her! Next, I saw I received a voicemail from the DISer I was supposed to meet that morning and she told me not to worry about being unable to make it. I called her and she said she was taking shelter in The Land Pavilion, as the rain was very heavy. I told her that I wished I could have met her and wished her a magical time. Next, I brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, finished packing, showered, and got dressed. I figured that for lunch, I would go to Disney Springs to walk around a bit if the rain subsided and grab lunch there. Sadly, at around 11:00AM, the rain was still very heavy, so I scrapped those plans. Instead, I decided to order a Grilled Chicken Salad from One80 Sportgrill & Bar, as it would be convenient and I could eat in my room and relax. Before I went to One80, I called the Front Desk, as I wanted to request a late checkout since my ride would not be at the hotel until 1:30PM and my request was granted. I then went to One80, where Maureen, the same friendly and accommodating hostess I met when I had breakfast there the previous Tuesday, was happy to put in my takeout order for a Grilled Chicken Salad, which was a bit pricey at $15 in change. Nevertheless, I received my salad and went back to my room to enjoy it and found it to be very good, with tender and juicy grilled chicken, crisp mixed greens, crisp cucumbers, crunchy Macadamia Nuts, ripe and sweet tomato slices, and a sweet and pleasantly acidic balsamic vinaigrette. I also washed it down with a Diet A&W Root Beer, which came from my case I got at Publix.

Overall, it was a very good lunch and it was nice to be able to relax for a bit until I had to leave. In addition, the weather was getting much nicer, as the sun came out and the temperatures rose to a high of 75 degrees. Since it was a little after 1:00PM, I gathered all of my belongings and called the Front Desk to checkout. I then left Room 356 and went to the lobby, where I called my mom and spoke to her for about half an hour, until a black Lincoln Town Car from Tiffany Towncar arrived at about 1:20PM, ten minutes before my scheduled pick up time. I was greeted my Salim, who was my driver for the journey back to Orlando International Airport and I found him to be very jovial and professional.

After Salim opened the door for me and loaded my bags into the trunk, we left the Buena Vista Palace a little before 1:30PM. At this time, I took a selfie as the reality of leaving Disney was setting in.

About two minutes later after turning right onto FL-535 from Hotel Plaza Boulevard, we were approaching the interchange for Interstate 4 to go north towards Orlando.

After that, we got onto I-4 northbound and we conversed. Salim asked about my trip to Disney and I told him that I had a wonderful time! He was happy to hear this and in addition, he added that I came at the best time, as I had good weather and the crowds were not too high. I talked about all of the different things, like what I did and where I ate and he felt that my trip could not have been better! The ride was flying by and less than ten minutes after we entered I-4, we reached Exit 72: FL-528/Beachline Expressway east towards Orlando International Airport and Cape Canaveral.

Once we got onto the Beachline Expressway (FL-528), we talked about living in Florida, as I told him that I would be living in South Florida with my mom, as we want a change of pace and New York is very expensive, while Florida is significantly cheaper and delivers a better quality of life. Salim said that South Florida is a great place to live and compared to New York, it is indeed a lot cheaper, as our property taxes would be a lot lower and our upkeep on the house would be cheaper. Salim also added that because there are a lot of senior citizens in Florida, they tend to be more politcally active and if the politicians did something that would make things worse, they would not stand for it. I said that this is a good thing, as I believe that citizens should be more active in politics, as it would help communicate what the voters want. I know it sounds like wishful thinking, but we agreed that voting is important. Anyway, time was still flying and by 1:48PM according to my iPhone's timestamp, we were only a mile away from Exit 11: FL-436 (Semoran Blvd) north and Orlando International Airport . We finally arrived at Orlando International Airport and en-route to the terminal, I spotted the tail of an AeroMexico Boeing 737, a Copa Airlines Boeing 737-800 heading to Panama City, Panama, a Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800, an Avianca Airbus A320, a Volaris Airbus A320, and a jetBlue Embraer E-190 at the 20s gates of Airside A. By 1:50PM, we arrived in front of Airside A and I thanked Salim for a fantastic ride. Once again, Tiffany Towncar proved to be fantastic as their drivers (Masud and Salim on this trip) provided excellent service, the cars were clean and well-kept, and the price for what you get is not bad at all. A helpful jetBlue representative told me that the inside check-in lines were shorter than the curbside check-in lines, so I followed their advice and found this to be true .

I think I waited about three minutes and I was assisted by Iris, a friendly and professional check-in agent. We talked about how popular the JFK-MCO route is and she agreed, as both jetBlue, Delta, and to a smaller extent, AA, have full (or close to it) planes on this route, which is no surprise as Orlando is one of the most popular destinations. About two minutes later, Iris tagged my bag for New York-JFK and had me on my way. I enjoyed the atmosphere of MCO as I made my way to security, as I find it to be bright, inviting, and very clean.

On the way, I passed the Food Court, where I was tempted to get a Grilled Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-A for my pre-flight meal, but realized that this would not work as I would have to leave security again and did not want to do that, as MCO is notorious for long security lines.

I passed the departure and arrival board, with its many flights to/from various destinations both in the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and the many stores that made MCO more like a shopping mall with gates.

Finally, I made my way to security for Gates 1-59 and from what I could see, the line may have just been longer than the line for any attraction or character meet and greet during my trip to Walt Disney World.

How long will I wait? Find out in my next installment.

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 2
After a smooth ride to the airport and a quick check-in, I was greeted with a long wait at security. Thankfully, I had more than enough time to make my flight, so I did not bother with purchasing jetBlue's Even More Speed like I did when I left from JFK. Thankfully, the wait was not boring, as I met a very nice family from Syracuse, NY with a 19-year old daughter, an 11-year old son, and a 2-year old daughter. During our time in line, we talked about our vacations, like how they went to WDW and stayed at Disney's Beach Club for three days to participate in the Marathon and then went on a Disney Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Curious, I asked them how the cruise was and they said they loved it, as they felt the theming was fantastic, the service was tops, and they loved all of the activities they had. I told them about my trip and how I was able to do many things at the parks and eat well, and they said that I definitely made the most of my trip, as we looked at each other's pictures. We then talked about how we would be getting home and I said that I would be flying home to New York-JFK on jetBlue, as I got a convenient flight time and JFK is close to home. The family from Syracuse said that while it is further away, they would be flying to New York-LaGuardia on jetBlue and rent a car to drive the four hours back to Syracuse, as even with the drive, they would get home earlier than the flight offered to Syracuse, NY. Time went by a little quicker thanks to their company and exactly an hour later, I cleared security and I found the agents to be very friendly, thorough, and efficient. Not only did my hour-long wait at security exceed any of the lines for attractions or character meet and greets on this trip to WDW, it also beat my previous record of a 45-minute wait at New York-LaGuardia when I flew to West Palm Beach, FL with my mom. With security out of the way, I boarded the fake monorail to get to Gates 1-29.

While we were en-route to the gates, I plane spotted and saw N729JB aka "If You Can Read This, You're Blue Close", a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 at Gate 3 that arrived from Newark, NJ as jetBlue 127 and was departing for New York-LaGuardia as jetBlue 1198 and N775JB in the JetBlue Honors Our Veterans livery (I also saw this aircraft at JFK too when I left on 1/10/2016), another Airbus A320-200 at Gate 5 that arrived from New York-JFK as jetBlue 483 and was departing for New York-LaGuardia as jetBlue 398 (coincidentally, this aircraft was doing the same city pairing as the aircraft I arrived on).

I also spotted an Avianca Airbus A320-200, which I also saw earlier when I was en-route to the terminal.

At this time, I also called my mom to let her know that I cleared security after an hour, but I had to leave her a message, as she did not answer her cellphone or home phone. After arriving at Gates 1-29, I disembarked and started plane spotting at Gates 20-29. It was there that I saw two Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200s, including N203FR at Gate 15, which arrived from Cincinnati, OH as Frontier 1166 and was departing for Indianapolis, IN as Frontier 1201, N507JT aka "Blue Crew," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 at Gate 11 that was departing for Boston as jetBlue 952, and a jetBlue Embraer E-190.

After spotting for a little bit in the 20s gates, I received a notification that my flight was going to be delayed by 25-minutes, as the aircraft, which was coming from San Juan, Puerto Rico, departed behind schedule due to bad weather. I was a little concerned as I would probably not be able to do the AirTrain to the LIRR at JFK, as there is only hourly train service to the station nearest my home outside of AM/PM peak hours and by the time I got my bag, I would miss my train due to bad timing, so I figured that in the worst case scenario, I would have to use a car service or an Uber from JFK to my home. After this, my mom called and I told her that in addition to waiting an hour to get through security, my flight would be slightly delayed. She was a little concerned, as she was worried I would get home late. I told her that if I could not make the AirTrain, I would use a car service and mom said if that was the case, not to worry about it as she just wanted me to get home safe and sound, even if it would cost $60 one way. We chatted for a bit and then we agreed to talk closer to departure, so we hung up and I continued to plane spot, now heading to Gates 1-9. While I was there, I decided to inquire about availability on jetBlue Flight 284 to JFK, which was the flight before jetBlue 1684, my flight, but there were no seats available. So at this point, I hoped for the best, planning to continue to plane spot and have dinner before my flight. I first spotted N775JB in the JetBlue Honors Our Veterans livery, an Airbus A320-200 at Gate 5 that arrived from New York-JFK as jetBlue 483 and was departing for New York-LaGuardia as jetBlue 398 along with N566JB aka "Blue Suede Shoes" on the tarmac, which was departing for Providence, RI.

I then went further down the concourse to a seat between Gates 7 and 9, where I continued to plane spot and first saw an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 in the old colors.

This was followed by a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200 taking off.

Then I spotted an American Airlines Boeing 757-200 in the new colors.

Followed by a United Airlines Boeing 737-800

I then spotted a United Airlines Boeing 757-200.

After spotting these aircraft, I continued to spot some more .

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 3
Despite a record-breaking wait at security and a slight delay of my flight's departure time, I was having a grand-old time relaxing at MCO and plane spotting . I stayed at a seat between Gates 7 and 9 and saw some more action, including a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 followed by an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 in the old colors taxiing to their gates.

This was followed by N729JB aka "If You Can Read This, You're Blue Close," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 departing for New York-LaGuardia as jetBlue 1198.

I then decided to walk around a little bit and saw N763JB aka "Unforgettably Blue" at Gate 6, a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 that arrived from Boston as jetBlue 451 and was departing for New York-JFK as jetBlue 284.

I then caught a glimpse of a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 in the new yellow livery.

I then spotted N701FR at Gate 12, a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 that arrived from Detroit as Frontier 1211 and was departing for Philadelphia as Frontier 1218.

I then saw N705JT aka "Blue Crew," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 bound for Boston as jetBlue 952 taxiing to the runway parallel to an American Airlines aircraft in the new colors.

I then saw N358JB aka "Blue's On First," a jetBlue Embraer E-190 arriving from Washington-Reagan as jetBlue 1223 followed by an American Airlines Boeing 757-200 in the new colors.

I also saw N358JB park at Gate 4 along with N701FR, the Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 at Gate 12 that I saw earlier in the background.

I went by Gate 3, where I met the very nice family from Syracuse, NY again. We chatted for a bit about Disney until they had to depart. While their names escape me at this time, I hope they are doing well and before they boarded, they gave me a chocolate coin from the Pirate Party on the Disney Cruise and I was very thankful for that.

We bid each other farewell and wished each other safe journeys home before parting ways. Since it was 4:00PM and I still had an hour and a half until my flight's boarding time, I decided to spot some more before I would have dinner. I first spotted N763JB aka "Unforgettably Blue," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 taxiing to take-off for New York-JFK as jetBlue 284 and I also spotted an American Airlines aircraft (I think a 757) in the new colors taxiing along with a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 landing in the background.

However, I would not be done spotting just yet. Find out what other aircraft I spotted in the next installment .

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 4
Since I still had some time until boarding, I continued to plane spot for a little bit until I decided to eat. I saw N806JB aka "Objects in Mirror Are Bluer Than They Appear," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 operating as jetBlue 733 to San Juan, Puerto Rico following N626NK (see the Disney reference in this aircraft's registration?), a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 operating as Spirit 534 to Cleveland, OH.

In a clockwise fashion, I also saw N806JB following N626NK, along with N763JB aka "Unforgettably Blue," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 taxiing to depart for New York-JFK along with the nose of N358JB aka "Blue's On First," a jetBlue Embraer E-190 at Gate 4 that was departing for Washington-Reagan as jetBlue 2224 after arriving from Washington-Reagan as jetBlue 1223.

Finally, I spotted an Emirates Boeing 777-200LR operating as Emirates 220 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I thought this was pretty amazing as not only does MCO have a lot of nonstop service to U.S. cities, Canada, Latin America, and Europe, but they also have a flight to the Middle East, allowing for greater connectivity to other Middle Eastern and Asian cities. Overall, it is amazing to see how much MCO has grown!

Since time was beginning to run out, I decided to have dinner at On the Border, as I don't mind Tex-Mex cuisine and thought it was the best of all the options in terminal.

It was crowded and I would have to wait a little long for a table, so I asked if I could sit at the bar and the host was happy to escort me there. The atmosphere was bright and lively, with large windows bringing in plenty of natural light and many people dining there.

I was assisted by Liz, the bartender, who was very friendly, attentive, and efficient. After perusing the menu, I decided to order Chicken Fajitas, with a substitute of corn tortillas for flour tortillas along with a Diet Coke to drink. While I was waiting for my meal, I had a nice time chatting with fellow travelers, including a businessman traveling back to Philadelphia and a lady, who was re-routed from Pensacola, FL, due to bad weather there and traveling home to Seattle. She was supposed to fly home to Seattle via Houston on United, but flew on Silver Airways to Orlando and then to Seattle on Alaska Airlines. I told her that I had never been on Alaska and she said that they are a very good airline! I told her I heard that and that one day, I would use them when I had the chance. About twenty minutes later, I received my Chicken Fajitas, which were large in portion size and presented nicely in the traditional way, with the grilled chicken, onions, and peppers sizzling on a skillet and the sides on another plate. I thought the food was very good, as the grilled chicken was well seasoned, moist and tender, the sautéed peppers were crisp, the onions were sweet and caramelized, the rice was fluffy and pleasantly salty, the pico de gallo was sweet, salty, and crisp, and the corn tortillas were earthy and well cooked.

Overall, I thought this meal, which set me back a reasonable $20 in change (especially for an airport) with everything, was very good as the quality was very good and the portion was large. Feeling stuffed from my meal, I headed to Gate 5, where my flight would be departing from.

At this point, I was happy to find out that since the aircraft operating our flight was a little early arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, jetBlue 1684 to New York-JFK, the flight I would be on, had its departure time pushed back from 5:50PM to 5:38PM, now only 14 minutes behind our scheduled departure time as opposed to 26 minutes behind and would result in an arrival time of 8:09PM, only nine minutes behind schedule at worst. In effect, this pushed boarding back to 5:08PM, so I called my mom to let her know that I would be boarding earlier than scheduled and that I would probably be able to use the AirTrain to the LIRR, which would save money in my case. Mom was very happy to hear that I would be home earlier, but told me not to worry just in case I had to use a car service. We told each other how much we loved each other and I then used the restroom before heading to the gate. After that, I went to Gate 5 where despite the flight screen reading New York-LGA, the gate agent announced that the plane at our gate had just arrived from San Juan and would be departing for New York-JFK as jetBlue 1684 and to disregard what the gate screen read.

As I waited to board jetBlue 1684 to New York-JFK, I spotted N504JB aka "Shades of Blue," the jetBlue Airbus A320-200 that would be operating our flight.

I also spotted N504JB at Gate 5 along with N274JB, a jetBlue Embraer E-190 taxiing to the gate.

At about 5:30PM, my zone was called for boarding and I was greeted by gate agent Ed, who was polite and professional. I walked down the jetway to board N504JB via doorway 1L, ready to head home. Until my next installment, here are my flight stats for those travel nerds out there!
**Flight Information:
Origin Airport: Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando, FL
Destination Airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York, NY
Airline and Flight Number: Jetblue Airways 1684
Aircraft: Airbus A320-200
Registration: N504JB aka "Shades of Blue"
Cabin, Seat: Economy, 7F
Scheduled Departure/Actual Departure: 5:24PM/5:59PM
Scheduled Arrival/Actual Arrival: 8:00PM/7:58PM
Origin Airport Terminal, Gate: Airside A, Gate 5
Destination Airport Terminal, Gate: Terminal 5, Gate 4

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 5
After walking down the jetway from Gate 5 to board N504JB aka "Shades of Blue" back to New York-JFK, I boarded the aircraft via doorway 1L and was welcomed aboard by Gio, who was very friendly in welcoming me aboard. I made my way down the aisle to seat 7F and my first impressions of the aircraft were that it was in close to perfect shape and very clean, making it better than the aircraft I flew in on. Not unlike my flight in, I found the width and pitch of the seat to be excellent, as I had more than enough room to stretch out my legs and I made myself comfortable.

As I was getting situated, I met my seat mates, including Jessica, a young lady from Merrick, NY, a town about 15-minutes south of where I live as well as Sarah, a young lady from Australia, who was taking a long flight route home by connecting at JFK to a flight on Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and then to Australia. Talk about taking the long way home like the English rock band Supertramp. Both Jessica and myself were pretty amazed at Sarah's long journey, but she said that she did not mind, as she was saving a lot of money versus flying direct from JFK. While I chatted with Sarah at points during the flight, Jessica, while cordial, mostly kept to herself and was busy on her MacBook. I was then greeted by Tim, another FA who thanked me for flying jetBlue and was very welcoming. As all of these things were going on, we pushed back at 5:39PM according to my iPhone and while that was happening, I spotted N274, a jetBlue Embraer E-190 once again parked at Gate 3.

As we were pushing back, Captain Sean Horton coming on the PA to announce that our estimated flight time would be 2 hours and 6 minutes and that we were third in line to take off. Then, Gio did the safety announcements by demonstrating all of the emergency situations that could arise.

As we were taxiing to the runway, I spotted a jetBlue Airbus A320 parked at Gate 4 and an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 at Gate 10 operating as Alaska 19 to Seattle.
We then taxied behind two other aircraft and at 5:59PM, we took off to the west.



We continued to fly west over the suburbs of Orlando as the sun set.

While my five previous flights on the MCO-JFK route have flown northeast to about Daytona Beach or Jacksonville, our flight home took a different twist as we flew west towards the Gulf of Mexico. According to my iPhone, the picture I took at 6:10PM below was of Brooksville, FL, located north of Tampa. I was able to get location information on my phone as while my phone was in Airplane Mode, I was hooked up to jetBlue's inflight wifi, which was available onboard this aircraft. As you can see, I was able to get a shot of the Gulf of Mexico and Brooksville as the sun was setting.

As we were flying, I watched TV and after flipping through the channels, I tuned to the Food Channel and watched Guy's Grocery Games. The episode they were doing was on who could make the best barbecue dish, which piqued my interest as American BBQ happens to be one of my favorite cuisines.

While I was relaxing and watching TV, we continued to fly along the West Coast of Florida, reentering the mainland northwest of Gainesville, FL and continuing to the southeast over Georgia. Then, at about 6:30PM, Tim and another very nice middle-age female FA, whose name I did not get, took orders for beverages and I decided on a Diet Coke. Gio and Tim followed a few minutes later with our beverages and the snack basket. I chose a bag of Popcorners and a bag of Terra Blue Chips and continued to relax while I had my snack .

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 6
I continued to enjoy my snack and watch Guy's Grocery Games and from time to time, I checked the inflight map on the IFE and I could see that we were making good time, as we were nearing South Carolina. At 6:50PM, according to my iPhone, we were over Vance, SC, where I could see Charleston, SC, to the east.

After Guy's Grocery Games, I watched an episode looking at various aspects of the Disney Cruise Line, including yes, the food, with Food Network celebrities like Amanda Freitag, Jeff Mauro, Katie Lee, and more Food Network celebrities and their families. Overall, the Disney Cruise Line looked like a lot of fun, as it combines the aspects of a Disney theme park with the relaxation of a cruise, so it is definitely something I would love to try in the future. I would not have minded being in the scene below with Captain Mickey, Captain Donald, and Captain Pluto!

As I was watching the special on the Disney Cruise Line, we continued to make good time as we flow along the coastlines of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. At 7:33PM and at 37,000 feet, we were already flying over the border of Maryland and Delaware. At this time, Captain Sean Horton announced that we would begin our descent to JFK. After the announcement, the Disney Cruise Line special ended and since there was nothing else I wanted to watch, I decided to switch to Sirius XM Radio and listened to The Bridge, where I enjoyed listening to "Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" by Billy Joel .

About ten minutes later, we were flying parallel to the Jersey Shore at an altitude of 11,754 feet and a speed of 417 mph.

At 7:47PM (lucky aircraft number haha!), the captain announced that we would begin our final descent into JFK. After that, the aircraft went to the northeast, leaving the Jersey Shore. We continued to fly northeast and I knew we were getting close, as I felt my ears pop a little bit and I could see Brooklyn, along with The Rockaways and Southern Queens.

We continued to fly to the northeast and crossed over The Rockaways, just west of Breezy Point and Jacob Riis Park.

We flew over Jamaica Bay and then the aircraft turned more to the east, flying over the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, and Canarsie before crossing into Queens and flying over the Howard Beach neighborhood.

We then flew parallel to the Nassau Expressway and Belt Parkway before we landed.

At 7:58PM, we made a smooth landing onto Runway 13L, arriving two minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time of 8:00PM. I was very happy, as this timing was not bad at all considering our slight departure delay and thanks to our on-time, if not slightly early arrival, I knew that I would have a good shot of being able to use the AirTrain to the LIRR. Once we touched down, we passed Terminals 8 and 7 before nearing Terminal 5. As we were taxiing to the gate, I spotted N606JB aka "Idlewild Blue," a jetBlue Airbus A320-200 parked at Gate 6 that was heading to Palm Springs, CA as jetBlue 149 along with two other jetBlue Airbus A320-200s and an Aer Lingus Airbus A330-200 operating as Aer Lingus 108 to Dublin, Ireland.

As we were taxiing, I called my mom to let her know that the flight went very well and that I would be able to use the AirTrain, as I would have enough time to make it since I arrived early enough. Mom was very happy to hear that I landed and before we hung up, as the plane was parking, mom instructed me to call her as soon as I was on the train, as she needed to know what time the train would arrive so she could pick me up at the station. We then said I love you to each other and I hung up, as the aircraft finally parked at Gate 4. I then disembarked with the other passengers and thanked Gio and Tim, who were standing near the exit and thanked them for an excellent flight. They thanked me in return, wished me a good night, and said that they hoped to see me again soon. I exited N504JB aka "Shades of Blue via doorway 1L and crossed the jetway into Terminal 5, which was very nice as always and busy! Not wanting to waste time, I made my way to the baggage claim.

Will I still be able to make the AirTrain? Find out in my next installment.

 

[disneywlf]

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's home to New York I go Part 7
After a fantastic flight home on jetBlue 1684 from Orlando, my only hope afterward was that I would be able to claim my checked bag in a timely fashion, as I wanted to be able to make the AirTrain to connect to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). Once I got off the plane, I made my way to the baggage claim, first passing through the center of the departures area of Terminal 5.

I then took the escalator downstairs and found out that checked bags from my flight would be available at Baggage Claim 1.

I made my way to Baggage Claim 1.

I waited about ten minutes until my suitcase came off the belt, which was not bad at all, as it was a little quicker than previous jetBlue flights and just as quick as Delta's baggage delivery times, which usually average about 10-15 minutes in my experience. Both jetBlue and Delta's baggage delivery times are far faster than American in my experience, as they took about 30-45 minutes to deliver my bag when I used them . With my checked bag ready, I proceeded to take the elevator up to the T5 Skywalk leading to the AirTrain and T5 parking garage. The walk was long, but not that bad. My timing worked out perfectly, as I arrived at the Terminal 5 AirTrain platform two minutes before a Jamaica Station bound train was arriving and it was not even 8:40PM yet. Two minutes later, the AirTrain, which is a people mover comprised of three lines connecting JFK's terminals to long term parking, Howard Beach for the A subway line to Manhattan and The Rockaways, and Jamaica Station for the LIRR as well as the E, J, and Z subway lines to Brooklyn and Manhattan, arrived on Track 1. I boarded and watched the world go by, first passing by Terminal 5 after we left the Terminal 5 AirTrain Station.

We then stopped at Terminal 7, where I spotted a British Airways Airbus A318, which was heading to London-City, where British Airways operates an all First Class route to appeal to businesspeople traveling between NYC and London. I also spotted a British Airways Boeing 747-400, which was operating as British Airways 172 to London-Heathrow.

I then spotted some American Airlines action at Terminal 8, which was our next stop.

After stopping at Terminal 8, our final stop before Jamaica Station was Federal Circle Station, which serves as the stop for rental cars, hotel shuttles, and cargo area shuttles.

After Federal Circle, it was a smooth and quick ride northbound to Jamaica Station as we left JFK Airport and passed on the elevated rail that runs along the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) until it turns right to go east and terminate at Jamaica Station. About ten minutes after I left Terminal 5, I arrived at Jamaica Station and it was 8:50PM, meaning I had thirteen minutes until the 9:03PM train to Huntington would arrive. Unfortunately, I had a little trouble getting a Metrocard from the machine as it would not take bills over a certain amount. Thankfully, I saw an AirTrain employee and he was very helpful, as he was able to give me the correct change as well as a Metrocard for $5, which is needed to enter/exit the AirTrain JFK when taking it from Jamaica or Howard Beach (it is free within the airport though). This ate a little bit of my time as by the time I went through the turnstiles into Jamaica Station, it was already 8:55PM. Not wanting to cut it close, I decided to buy my ticket on the train, even if it cost a little more. Relieved, I made my way to Track 7, where my train to Huntington would arrive from its origin of New York-Penn Station. All I could hope for now was that Ozzy Osbourne was not driving the train, as it would be a crazy train ride if you know what I mean!

While I was waiting, I called my mom to let her know that I would be arriving in Westbury, the closest station to my home at 9:29PM and she was very excited, as she knew I would be home soon! The train arrived on time and I was relieved to have made it, as not only did the AirTrain work well for me, it also saved me $40 versus using a car service or an Uber in my case.

The train was fairly crowded with commuters, but thankfully, I still managed to get a seat. While it was not quite the WDW Railroad, the ride was relaxing and very quick as we stopped in New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Mineola, Carle Place, and finally Westbury, which was my stop. Overall, I thought that the AirTrain JFK to the LIRR worked very well, as it was convenient, fast, and not too expensive, as it cost me $21 total ($16 for the LIRR and $5 to enter Jamaica Station) versus about $60 for a car service or an Uber to my house, saving me just under $40 and taking only ten minutes longer than if I were to take a car service to my house, taking 40 minutes total from Terminal 5 to the Westbury LIRR. While the AirTrain works well for many people, I would advise you to check the AirTrain and the LIRR/Subways for any irregular operations, as you do not want to miss your flight. Also, the AirTrain may not work as well for you if you are traveling with many people (charges by the person versus per vehicle) or if you have a lot of baggage. Still, the AirTrain worked very well for me and I would definitely use it again if I were flying to/from JFK if it were convenient.

After I went down to the street, I saw my mom's car and she was very excited and happy to see me again, as she hugged me profusely and said how happy she was that I was home. After getting in the car, we drove two minutes back to our home and I was very excited to also see my two dogs and six guinea pigs again!
I miss Walt Disney World, but I hope to return soon when I become a Floridian. While this may be the end of the TR, I still hope to do a reflection of some statistics from my trip as well as a day by day overview, so please stay tuned. Thank you again for reading my TR and hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

 

[SarahDisney]

Sounds like you had great service and food at Cape May. And so cool that you ran into someone you know from home - that's always fun!

I'm a little sad that we didn't get to meet you on the trip, but I've enjoyed getting to read along with your adventures! Sounds like you had a great trip overall, and I hope you get to go back and have another awesome trip soon!

 

[disneywlf]

Sounds like you had great service and food at Cape May. And so cool that you ran into someone you know from home - that's always fun!

I'm a little sad that we didn't get to meet you on the trip, but I've enjoyed getting to read along with your adventures! Sounds like you had a great trip overall, and I hope you get to go back and have another awesome trip soon!

Thank you Sarah! I cannot agree more on the food and service at Cape May and for those reasons, it is one of my favorite places to dine at WDW. While I did not recognize him at first as I had not seen him in a while, it was definitely amazing to run into Scott!

Same here, I wish we could have met as I knew we would have had a lot of fun together and I feel the same way reading along with your adventures and I can't wait to read more about them! Thank you I could not have asked for a better trip and I look forward to another awesome trip soon!

 

[disneywlf]

Trip Statistics
Just for fun, I also decided to look at some statistics of my trip, like the characters I met, the types of attractions I enjoyed, and the types of restaurants I visited. Anyway, here are trip statistics.

1. For my first chart, I looked at the types of characters I met. I based the categories of characters from the character section of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2016 by Bob Sehlinger. I made a couple of changes to the Miscellaneous category, as it was a bit ambiguous, so I split it into "Big Hero 6" Characters, Pixar Characters, and Hundred Acre Wood Characters. Out of the 24 characters I met, the most characters I met were in the category Mickey and His Posse at 33.3% followed by Disney Royalty (Princesses, Princes, Suitors, and Such) at 29.2%. The category that had the least amount of characters that I met were in the category "Big Hero 6" Characters, which is due to the fact that currently, Baymax is the only meetable "Big Hero 6" character at WDW.

2. For the second chart, I looked at the types of restaurants I visited. I based the categories of restaurant from the categories at www.disneyworld.com. I only examined restaurants at WDW venues, so I cannot count my meals at One80 Sportgrill & Bar at the Buena Vista Palace, where I enjoyed a buffet breakfast on Tuesday, January 12th and lunch on Friday, January 15th. Of the ten restaurants I visited, the most common type of restaurants I visited were Quick Service, American at 50%. I visited the following types of restaurants once each, taking up 10% each five times: Buffet/Family Style, American, Seafood; Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining; Quick Service, Mexican; Table Service, Japanese; and Quick Service, Fast Casual, American, French.

3. For my final chart, I looked at the types of attractions I visited. I based the categories of attractions at Walt Disney World on a USA Today article I found online, as the categories made a lot of sense (http://traveltips.usatoday.com/names-descriptions-florida-disney-world-rides-54098.html-Attractions). However, I added two categories for Live Shows and 3-D Shows. In all, I visited 49 attractions. Based on my findings, the types of attractions that I visited the most were Rides for Everyone
(i.e. Dumbo, the Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Spaceship Earth, World Showcase and Future World Pavilions, Toy Story Mania, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Wilderness Explorers etc.) at 57.1%. The category Live Shows was a distant second at 20.4%. I visited 3-D Shows the least at 4.1%, which is due to the fact that are only three 3-D Shows at WDW right now, and I visited two out of the three 3-D shows.