Disney World – Day 1 (October 2022)

Her First Plane Ride

When it comes to weather, October can be really hard to predict in the Mid-Atlantic Region. In previous years, the AC would be running until almost Halloween, and others it goes from “warm days and cool nights” to Winter before Columbus Day Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This particular October was starting out on the cooler side, unusual even for Virginia, and it made dressing for the flight a bit complicated since we were leaving a cold environment and flying into a state whose only season is Summer. In the past, I’ve visited the Great Alligator Feeding Grounds God’s Waiting Room Sunshine State in early Spring, the Fourth of July and September…and it was always HOT AS BALLS HELL. So, we all dressed in layers expecting to shed some clothes once we walked off the plane at Orlando International Airport (MCO).

Since we live minutes from Dulles International Airport (IAD), the original plan was to fly from there, taking advantage of the finally opened Phase 2 of the Metro’s Silver Line. However, 1) plane fares tend to be more expensive since it’s an international airport, and 2) the Metro didn’t open Phase 2 until November.¹ So, “Plan B” involved flying out of Reagan National Airport (DCA), and while it wasn’t exactly next door, the fares were cheaper and flight times more flexible. While we didn’t prepare a moment-by-moment plan for touring Disney World, we planned out our days on a more general basis, taking travel time, navigating the intricacies of two airports, securing the rental car, and getting to the hotel into account (not to mention a potentially tired and cranky six-year-old). All that being said, we planned the flights for early afternoon, sparing us getting up at the crack of dawn and arriving at our destinations with time to unpack and decompress.

Though self-checking baggage could’ve been worse…

The Metro ride to DCA was fairly uneventful, but figuring out JetBlue’s kiosks was another matter. I’ve flown JetBlue in the distant past and remember it being fairly pleasant. This time, the one thing JetBlue didn’t warn us about was checking bags becoming more of a DIY experience. It took a little figuring out on how to properly tag our suitcases and get them where they needed to be loaded onto our plane. This and making sure Farrah’s own Minnie Mouse mini suitcase was with us the whole time (something she was excited to take on her trip, but somehow lugging it around became our job).

Once luggage was squared away and en route to the plane (hopefully), the next big hurdle was security. Whenever I fly, I make it a point to streamline my carry-on stuff as much as possible because 1) I don’t like lugging a heavy bag around an endless airport, and 2) I’m paranoid about my stuff. The most nerve-wracking travel experience for me is going through the security check. Between yanking out anything electronic to sit on top of my travel bag for all the world to see and taking my shoes off, I’m convinced that sooner or later I’ll be that statistic of someone running off with my things while I stand there in my socks.

However, this time was a little different because I’ve never traveled with a child before. It was a surreal experience watching the TSA agent ask Farrah key questions to ensure we were her parents and that she wasn’t being kidnapped. Farrah took it in slightly nervous but good stride. I was relieved since she used to yell “HELP!” at the top of her lungs when she didn’t like being carried around at grocery stores. There’s nothing that makes a white man freeze in public more than everyone scrutinizing him while holding his brown daughter as she’s making a scene.

Farrah was all excited about the plane ride and trying to take in all of the different people, sounds, sights, and the big plane sitting at the gate. The flight took off on time with fortunately readily-available wifi, so she could spend the flight watching her cartoons on the way down. On the other hand, Michelle spent the flight in an anxious knot since she really doesn’t enjoy flying…at all.

Dude, Where’s My Car?

Back when we made reservations, I set up one for a mid-size rental car with a car seat for the kiddo. This is important because unlike previous trips, I needed to keep a child safe, and was feeling somewhat good about the fact that the rental agency provided car seats…and the car.

Once we wound through the bowels of the airport and collected our bars, we finally found the rental car counters like cheese at the end of a crowded maze. The attendant seemed a little off and wasn’t quite sure about our reservation, even though I gave her all the information for it. I also couldn’t help noticing that the pickup area seemed a bit…chaotic with other attendants trying to answer questions for other customers who looked just as perplexed as we did. Finally, the woman helping us shrugged and said that there wasn’t an available mid-size car, but instead just pick whatever car was available and go with that (for the same rate as what we reserved). Of course, I asked about the kid’s car seat we requested, and she looked back at us like a deer caught in headlights.

Not feeling terribly confident about the rental car services, we strolled along until we found a Volkswagen Tiguan that seemed to fit the bill for us.²

Rental car issues resolved and ready to get settled, we hopped in the vehicle and made way to the hotel. As I mentioned earlier, Florida was living up to its reputation of only two types of weather – hot as Hell or hurricanes. And compared to the chilly Autumn weather we experienced just mere hours earlier, it felt like we took a two-month step back into heat and humidity. Of course, just days earlier, Hurricane Ian decided to make landfall and cross over just a stone’s throw from Orlando. The road signs all the way to the hotel said the same thing – toll road fees were lifted due to the still receding flood waters, debris and damage…except we didn’t see any. Sure, there were some remaining pools of water here and there, but otherwise, it looked like they got a little rain and that was it. By comparison, the DC area shuts down for days if we get even just the bare edge of a hurricane going up the coast.

A Nice Place to Stay

Back when we were planning for the trip, we kicked options back and forth about where to stay. For those who’ve never been, Disney’s Florida campus is gigantic – almost 50 square miles, making it a little smaller than size of Washington, DC (approximately 60 square miles). So, the big question was to stay at a Disney resort or off campus. There were some persuasive pros and cons to either option – staying at a resort (which I did last time) is convenient, but more expensive. Staying off campus was cheaper, but meant more driving around. In the end, we decided to stay at an off-campus hotel to save a little money, and most of the hotels are on the border of the Disney property, so we weren’t very far away.

During the planning stages, picking the hotel was left up to me, and that was…well, a bit of a risk. Besides the fact that there were A LOT of hotels and options to choose from, my history with picking hotels is what the fuck was he thinking not-so-great questionable at best (my reputation amounts to “it looked good to me on Expedia”). For example, I once picked a hotel that looked pretty decent and convenient. Once arriving there, it turned out to be way further away from the festivities we were there for, perpetually stank of pot, the wifi was spotty at best, looked as if it hadn’t been cleaned in…ever, and there was a certain “element” of guests staying there. To clarify, one evening I stepped out and run down to the front desk. En route, as I neared a turn in the hallway, I heard several male voices speaking what sounded like Russian or some kind of Eastern European language. As I turned the corner, three big hairy guys were gabbing away and one quickly pulled his hand back from the other with the definitive “snap” of a plastic bag being grabbed. I was fairly certain I interrupted some kind of “deal” while all I could think as they glared at me was “…and this is how I die…” Fortunately and obviously I survived that experience, but spent the rest of my stay there making sure to announce myself with plenty of noise before any turns.

In the end, we opted for reserving a one-bedroom suite at the Sonesta ES Suites, barely a mile or two from the Disney campus. Unlike previous hotel choices, this one seemed a good pick. Although it was a little smaller than advertised, it made for a nice place to stay – a king-size bed, walk-in size closet area, a “living room” with a fold out bed (if needed) and a kitchenette with a stove, dishwasher, and microwave oven. If there was any one complaint about the room, it was that they only provided one set of dishes, silverware and cups/mugs, so you were cleaning everything after every meal.

It’s a BIG Town Center

After unpacking, making a run to the literally next-door grocery store to stock up on a few things, and relax for a few, evening was creeping up and bellies were rumbling. Part of the trip research was finding the local answer to the growing phenomena known as the “town center.” Over the past 30 years, there’s been a heavy flirtation with planned communities (such as Reston, Virginia and Columbia, Maryland). The concept is developing a town with a deliberate mix of neighborhoods/communities, green space/parks, and commercial areas. A big piece of this is the “town center” as a commercial/retail hub that act as a central social and event venue. Since the 1990s, town centers have been popping up all over the DC Metropolitan area , not to mention the country.³

Never one to overlook a money maker when they see one, Disney got on board with the whole “town center” concept and opened up their own – Disney Springs. Just a short drive from our hotel on the edge of the Disney campus, we wandered over to one of the biggest town centers I’ve ever seen. We spent a little time exploring the place, dipping into a few stores until growling stomachs convinced us to find something to eat. Being tired, we were a big indecisive about what we wanted, plus some of the restaurants we eyed were either a little on the pricey side, involved long waits to get a table, or were without “child friendly” menus. We finally settled on D-Luxe Burger for satisfying if not the best burgers ever made. Fed and tired, we returned to the hotel and collapsed.

1 Phase 1 of the Metro’s Silver Line took years to finally open after construction was completed – a mix of inspection failure regarding final issues and ensuring available funds for operating the new train line. The Metro Authority kept moving the opening date to the right so many times that children born after breaking ground on the train line might graduate from high school before it opened. Phase 2 proved to be much of the same.
2 In the best interest of pleading the fifth staying out of trouble, I will simply say that we resolved the car seat issue as quickly as we could, and leave it at that.
3 Although I’ve called Reston home for quite a while, my first encounter with Reston Town Center goes back to long before I moved there. One night in 1994, I went there with a couple of friends to check out the then new town center, eat at its now former Uno’s Pizza, and saw Pulp Fiction.