"Second Star to the Right and Straight 'til Disney":
Good morning everyone!
Hope you are all doing well and having a wonderful weekend. To all those who are celebrating, be it fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and of course, the parents who wear both hats like my Mother (who by and large raised me on her own), Happy Father's Day!
Believe it or not, it has been over a year since I visited the Magic Kingdom and DHS. Unfortunately, I have been super busy with work, which is why I have not had a chance to go on the DIS. After booking my trip to Disney, all I had to do was wait and lo and behold, Saturday, November 20th, 2021 arrived!
This meant only thing. It meant that I had one day until I would go to WDW for the first time in over 3-years at the time of the trip
. Since I had to work a shift at the hotel from 7:00AM-3:00AM, I awakened at 4:45AM, as I needed to get ready and make the approximately 40-minute commute from my home to work in Northern Palm Beach County. After getting ready and having breakfast, I left home at about 6:15AM, making a smooth and quick drive from my home to work via I-95 northbound. Since the drive went a bit quicker than expected, I clocked in about five minutes early and reported for my shift. From about 7:00AM to a little after 9:00AM, I completed my morning tasks, until I took my AM break for a little bit since it was not busy. At that time, I went on my phone to see if there was any availability for Chef Mickey's, as I learned they were doing a socially distanced character meal and loved eating there in the past as it as an excellent way to make the Fab Five, they have high quality food, and of course, a festive atmosphere! Unfortunately, I had not had any luck getting ADRs for the evening of Sunday, November 21st, 2021, as I wanted to end my planned evening at the MK with a nice meal. Undeterred, I decided to check availability for Chef Mickey's one last time for that evening and to my luck, I obtained a reservation for 9:25PM for 2 guests. Now, the reason I booked for two guests is that while I was traveling solo, I learned from a CM as well as a guidebook that a lot of the restaurants at WDW tend to have an easier time booking tables for even numbers of guests. With this in mind, I was advised to still make the reservation and say that I was by myself, as I would at least have a table. Since I considered myself very lucky as Chef Mickey's is a hot ticket meal, I went ahead and booked my ADR!
After this point, I continued to perform the remainder of my duties and as the day went by, my hotel got a bit busier, so I had many guests to take care of, making my day that much more exciting! Once 3:00PM rolled around, I thought I was finished but since it continued to be busy, I ended up staying an extra ten minutes to assist my coworker so he would not be overwhelmed. With all of our guests attended to, I left work at about 3:10PM, then taking I-95 southbound towards my home. As I was driving home, I touched base with my Mother, who asked me if I wanted to meet her at the Target on Hagen Ranch Rd in Boynton Beach? We needed to get some groceries and other supplies for the house as well as couple of items for my trip, so I was happy to oblige. I then continued on I-95 southbound, passing through Northern and Central Palm Beach County until I reached Boynton Beach, then leaving the highway at Exit 57: FL-804 (Boynton Beach Boulevard). Once I exited I-95, I turned right to head west on Boynton Beach Blvd (FL-804), driving past the various shopping centers and communities lining the road, until I hit the intersection of Boynton Beach Blvd and Hagen Ranch Rd, where I made a left and then entered the parking lot of Target. Once there, I was very happy to see my Mom and while there, we picked up groceries, supplies for the house, and toiletries for my trip. With our Target run done, we then drove ten minutes to our home in nearby Delray Beach. Once at home, I then prepped a delicious dinner of some kosher Italian Sausage I found at Target (I keep Kosher at home but outside the home, I am more lenient), peppers, and gluten-free pasta. After dinner, I spent time with my Mother and dogs and also packed my suitcase with clothes and toiletries for my trip as well my drawstring bag, which I would use while touring the parks with a sweatshirt in case it got cooler at night as well as my digital camera (while I mainly use my iPhone which is fabulous for taking photos, there is still nothing like a good old fashioned digital camera in some cases). Since packing took a bit of time, I got ready for bed and ended up not going to sleep until about 10:30PM, meaning I would only get about four hours of sleep, as I wanted to be up at 2:30AM so I could hit the road by 4:00AM (it's about a 2.5-3 hour drive from my residence to WDW) to get to the park around opening and possibly check in at my hotel. As I fell asleep, I thought about all of the changes that were occurring at WDW due to COVID-19 and economic factors, like supply chain issues. I knew to expect changes due to social distancing, like no character greetings like in the old days (though these returned in the Spring of 2022 Thank G-d! ) and wearing the masks in certain spots, but naturally, was concerned of negative changes like reports that the CMs were not giving service up to the Disney standard (thankfully, this was not the case in my experience as all of the CMs I met were fabulous) and the parks not being kept up as well (thankfully, the parks were in good shape and for the most part, pretty clean, if not quite up to the standard pre-COVID, which I will explain about later). However, mostly, I was excited just to be back at WDW! For the time I was asleep, I slept well and by 2:30AM, my phone's alarm went off, awakening me. Unfortunately, I was still very tired, so I played the dangerous game of lying down for a few minutes and did not awaken again until 3:45AM
. I knew this would throw my plans off a bit somewhat, as I figured that if at best if I left by 5:00AM, I would be in the Orlando area at around 8:00AM, leaving me with not much time as I would still need to park, clear security to enter the park, and get to the Magic Kingdom from the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). Since I was all packed, all I had to do was get ready and eat a small breakfast before hitting the road, it was not too difficult getting ready and right before 5:00AM, I already loaded my suitcase and drawstring bag into the trunk of my Kia. Also, I grabbed some water bottles and cans of La Croix Sparkling Water, so I would be able to bring some water into the parks to stay hydrated. Just before I left, my Mother woke up, so we hugged each other goodbye and I bid my dogs a fond farewell. Now ready to go, I got into my car, connecting my iPhone to Apple CarPlay so I could enable navigation for my trip as well as Spotify, with "The Ultimate Disney Roadtrip Playlist," which features a robust collection of songs from various Disney features to set the mood for my trip
.
As always, I found the Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce Service Plaza to be a fantastic stop, thanks to its convenience as well as how clean and kept up it is, even with the many people that use it. About five minutes after I entered the Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce Service Plaza, I then went back to my car, seeing that the time was 6:07AM. This meant that I had about 116-miles left to drive and a drive time of 1:39 to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), which meant that if I continued to make good time, I would be there by 7:46AM.
Now done at the service plaza, I merged back onto the Florida's Turnpike, passing through the rest of St. Lucie County and then continuing northbound through swaths of uncharted land and farmland in Indian River County, where I then saw the sun rise while I was driving. As the sun rose and the sky brightened, revealing gorgeous clear skies, I then found myself driving even further as I had passed even more swaths of uncharted land and farmland in Okeechobee County, Indian River County again, and the southern portion of Osceola County. Since my arrival time was now later at past the eight o'clock hour, I decided to take it a little slower than planned and stop at my hotel, where I would drop off my bags, park my car, and get an Uber or Lyft to/from the Magic Kingdom as it would be cheaper and easier than parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). I figured worst case scenario, I could make up for lost time by purchasing a Lightning Lane to get on certain attractions. The drive continued to go smoothly and by about 7:30AM, I was already in the Kissimmee and Orlando areas. Making excellent time on my drive, I was already leaving the Turnpike from Exit 251: FL-417 (Central Florida GreeneWay)-Tampa, Daytona Beach, Orlando International Airport. While I have traveled to the Orlando area many times, this routing was a little new for me, as I had never used this exit before, so I was a bit confused. My GPS first instructed me to stay in the right two lanes to head onto the Central Florida GreeneWay (FL-417) northbound towards Orlando International Airport and Sanford. The ramp would then fork, so I was then instructed to use the left fork to merge onto the Central Florida Greeneway (FL-417) southbound towards Tampa. I continued on the Greeneway for about the next four miles, passing through the Hunters Creek area of Orlando with its many communities and shopping centers until I reached Exit 6: International Drive to FL-536/FL-535/I-4 east to Epcot, Disney Springs. I then followed the ramp to turn right to head north on International Drive, now seeing large hotels and other buildings in the distance, meaning I was getting that much closer to the tourist bubble haha! With my drive coming close to an end, I followed International Drive northbound to Daryl Carter Parkway and turned left, driving one mile past the back of the Regency Village shopping center on the eastbound side of Daryl Carter Parkway. I had been to Regency Village before, and went to the Publix in that shopping center on my trips to WDW in January 2011, January 2012, and January 2014. However, I was seeing this area of Orlando from a new perspective since I had never driven in this area and saw points of interest I had not seen before, like the Bluegreen The Fountains Resort, which appeared to be vacation rentals as well as a recently opened if not new Target on the westbound side of Daryl Carter Parkway. Anyway I digress. After passing over Interstate 4 and seeing the towering and grand Hilton Grand Vacations Club Parc Soleil Orlando close ahead, I then reached the intersection of Daryl Carter Parkway and Palm Parkway. At this intersection, I then made a left to head southbound on Palm Parkway, with less than a half mile to go! I could not believe I was that much closer to WDW and with that excitement building up, I was finally turning left into the complex where the Hilton Garden Inn was located, which is shared by a few other hotels.
By 7:49AM, I had arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista/Orlando.
I then parked my car and lucked out, as I got a space fairly close to the lobby.
With the time being ten to eight, I unloaded my suitcase and daybag, then headed into the lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn to store my suitcase while I was touring the Magic Kingdom for the day and to check in for my reservation. As I approached the seven story building, I could see that it had somewhat of a Mediterranean style, as it had a reddish tile roof as well as warm yellow paint along most of the building. In addition, there was a small fountain as well as lush palms in front of both the Hilton Garden Inn and neighboring Homewood Suites by Hilton, adding a small touch of tranquility.
When I walked into the Hilton Garden Inn's lobby, the interior definitely contrasted from the exterior, as it was rustic, yet modern, with a circular and hoop shaped chandelier hanging in the center of the lobby.
In addition, on the left side of the entryway, I could see a fireplace as well as teal and yellow and sand colored couches, making the lobby feel even more cozy.
Taking in the scene of the lobby as well as the exterior, the property looked well maintained and very clean! I then walked up to the Front Desk, where I was greeted by Guest Services Manager Renee and her assistant, Jeff. They were both very warm and welcoming, making for an excellent first impression! They noticed on my reservation that I worked for the same chain where I work, so we talked about our industry for a bit. They asked how I liked the hospitality industry and I told them that I love it, as I enjoy taking care of guests, my coworkers, and of course, the fact that no two days are the same! They loved that answer and Renee revealed she had been in the industry for 31 years! I congratulated her and told her that I hoped that G-d willing, I would be in the industry for a long time. Renee and Jeff then told me that I would have a room on the 7th floor, which was the top floor and honored my request to the letter. However, since it was so early and the hotel was sold out the night before, it would not be ready until later in the day. This would be no issue, as they would be able to store my suitcase until I returned and the room would be ready well before I would return from the Magic Kingdom and Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort, so this worked well. They asked about my plans for the day and I told them I would be visiting the Magic Kingdom and then having dinner at Chef Mickey's. Renee and Jeff said my plans sounded amazing and said that if possible, to get
Genie+, to save time on waiting in lines since the parks were more crowded than usual. I was with them, as while I was only planning on getting a Lightning Lane reservation for 7DMT (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train), I would be delaying my entry into the Magic Kingdom due to my late start this morning. Since I was a little hungry as I had not eaten for close to four hours, I asked about breakfast at the hotel and I learned that while the Hilton Garden Inn does not do a free breakfast, I could purchase a ticket to the Homewood Suites next door and partake in their breakfast for $4.95. I decided to purchase a ticket for breakfast and now on my way, Renee and Jeff wished me a wonderful day! On my way out of the Hilton Garden Inn, I could not help but notice this advertisement for WDW, indicating that yes, I was that close to the magic!
I then walked next door to the Homewood Suites by Hilton, which looked somewhat similar in appearance to the Hilton Garden Inn, but slightly different thanks to stonework on the lower halves of the beams holding up the port cochere, which made it slightly more rustic looking than the Hilton Garden Inn.
Once inside, I then turned left past the Homewood's Lobby to head into the Dining Room. At the Hostess stand, I was then greeted by Colleen, who was cheerful and efficient. She invited me to sit anywhere I wished, so I took her up on her offer and found myself a seat near the window, so I could take in the scenery. Unsurprisingly, the dining room was packed with guests!
I then checked out the dining room, which had an even more rustic character on the inside than the Hilton Garden Inn, with its centerpiece being a tall fireplace dividing the dining room from the lobby. In addition, three hoop shaped chandeliers, similar but not quite the same as the ones at the Hilton Garden Inn due to light fixtures that differed in shape made the dining room almost rustic chic.
I then proceeded to the Breakfast Buffet, which was well stocked, clean, and had a good selection of food. I opted for some Turkey Sausage Patties (this worked out perfectly since I do not eat pork due to keeping somewhat kosher), Breakfast Potatoes, Grits, and Orange Juice. If I may make a Disney joke and I remember this from the time I ate at the Crystal Palace Character Breakfast back in March 2018, Piglet would have still breathed a sigh of relief at my breakfast this morning, as there was not a pork product to be found. Once at the table, I then quelled the rumbly in my tummy (what can I say, I couldn't resist another Winnie the Pooh reference) with tender and juicy sausage patties, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and salty breakfast potatoes, and sweet and tangy orange juice. While still very good, the grits were a bit soupy in texture but had a slightly salty flavor that was on point.
I also played around a bit with my digital camera to get a feel of it and got a couple of selfies, as it had a selfie mode.
After my delicious breakfast, I then opened the Disney World app and got Genie+ suggestions. Since I was running late as the time was 8:59AM, I decided to purchase the Genie+ for $15.00, the price at the time of my trip and an Individual Lightning Lane (ILL) for $9.00 from 3:15PM-4:15PM for 7DMT, so I could get as much done in the Magic Kingdom as possible. While I was at it, I reviewed my daily plans, including my ILL for 7DMT and later that evening, my 9:25PM reservation for Chef Mickey's. With my Genie+ reservations made and now full again from breakfast, I then went to the lobby, where I then switched to the Lyft app and hailed a Lyft to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). Five minutes later, my Lyft arrived in the form of a 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla and I was overjoyed, as I would be heading back to the Magic Kingdom for the first time in over three years! What would my day be like? Find out soon!