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

[disneywlf]

Hi everyone! My name is Wolf German and I am happy to report that from January 10th-15th,2016, I will be going to Walt Disney World for the sixth time God willing! In case you have not met me before, I am a 23 year old college graduate as of December 2014 living in Nassau County, NY, on Long Island, about 40-50 minutes outside of New York City. While I graduated with a degree in Sociology/Political Science from LIU-Post in Brookville, NY, I am continuing my studies to go into the medical field (likely an RN) by taking some necessary prerequisite courses that I did not take undergraduate at SUNY-Stony Brook in Stony Brook, NY, as it is the best for what I need before I go to graduate school. In addition to my studies, I secret-shop part time and I am into being with friends and family, travel (including WDW of course! ), swimming, classic rock (I could not resist referencing "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" by Billy Joel in the title, as I am a huge Billy Joel fan), automobiles, history, politics, and of course, Disney!
-Taken in January 2014 at Epcot:

Favorite Character: Tough call, but I am going to go with Mickey Mouse
Favorite Movie: Tie between Aladdin/Beauty and the Beast
Favorite Park: Magic Kingdom
Favorite Attractions: Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo, Mickey's Phillarmagic, Tower of Terror, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, and Soarin' to name a few

 

[disneywlf]

How?
While I had wanted to go with a close friend or my mom, that was not able to come to fruition as they would be unable to join me. My close friend would be busy working while my mom has to be home due to the fact that she needs to watch our two Affenpinschers (or Monkey-like terriers in German), Gwendolyn and Arabella. I would have gladly waited for mom to join me, but she wanted me to go as she wants me to have a good time! Plus, I am no stranger to traveling solo, and Disney World is no exception, as I went solo in January 2014 and had a magical time! With that in mind, I decided to do some research and found that January 10th-15th would work the best as those dates fall after the Disney Marathon, making for less crowded touring based on my four experiences traveling to WDW in January 2005, January 2011, January 2012, and January 2014. I also want to add that this trip will be one day shorter than my January 2014 trip because sometime in the not so distant future, there is a good chance that I will be within 3 hours driving distance of WDW in Southeast Florida, making many WDW trips possible! I checked flights from JFK/LGA-Orlando, hotels, and tickets being booked separately as well as package deals. I checked Disney Value Resorts, Disney Moderate Resorts, the Hilton DTD (which was sold out), Buena Vista Palace, B-Resort, and even the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which had a cheaper than normal package deal on Expedia. I also did calculations on whether the DDP would save me money, and based on my dining plans, it did not, so I decided to not go for a package with the Dining Plan. I found many good deals, but one stood out above the rest!
The package deal I found was through jetBlue Getaways, and it included air, hotel, and 6-Day Magic Your Way Tickets (I did not add the Park Hopper as I have never used it, as I tend to only go to one park per day) for $1200 in change, which was a great deal! The accomodations were at the Buena Vista Palace, which I was very happy with as I have had many excellent experiences at that hotel (I stayed there in January 2005, November 2007, and January 2012), as I find it to be upscale and relaxing without the high Disney Deluxe Resort price-tag. While I knew that it was undergoing massive renovations to the main pool, lobby, and restaurants and was becoming a Hilton property (I don't mind, I like Hiltons ), I decided to take a risk as the renovations would not be as disruptive in the main tower, they had an agreement with a neighboring hotel to use their pool (there is another pool by the Spa, but it is small), and the price was excellent! I got great flight times as well, as my flight out, jetBlue 483, leaves JFK at 9:29AM and arrives at MCO at 12:29PM, meaning that I will be able to enjoy my first day. Going home, jetBlue 1684 leaves MCO at 5:30PM and arrives at JFK at 8:06PM, meaning I could enjoy my last day as well. I will not be renting a car due to the high underage fees and it is not necessary for my situation. Instead, I will be using Tiffany Town Car to (with a free stop at Publix for provisions)/from my hotel as they proved to be an excellent car service when I last used them. Also, I find that the buses work well for getting around WDW, so that is good. Worst case scenario, there is always Uber . I can't wait to go to Walt Disney World and I am counting down the days!

 

[disneywlf]

While my itinerary is not finalized, I have made ADRs and have decided which days I will visit the parks. I cannot make FP+ reservations yet as I need to wait until the 30-day mark, as I am not staying at a Disney property. Due to little time and the fact that there are not as many attractions, I may not go to DHS as my Unofficial Guide advises against it if you have little time, even though I like it. This means I will likely be focusing on the other parks and waiting for the work at DHS to be complete. Here are my plans so far:

1. Sunday, January 10th, 2016:
-6:00AM-6:30AM: Leave home for a 30 minute drive to New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport.
-9:29AM: Depart jetBlue 483 to Orlando
-12:29PM: Arrive in Orlando
-Early Afternoon: Get a ride from Tiffany Town Car, stop at Publix, and check in at Buena Vista Palace
-Depending on weather, either swim or go to a park, possibly Magic Kingdom
-8:45PM: ADR at Chef Mickey's (I find this to be a fabulous place to meet the Fab Five, the food, while not gourmet, is solid, service is excellent, and it is a festive way to start my trip. Don't worry about the late seating time, they don't rush you as the closing time is the last seating IME.)

2. Monday, January 11th, 2016:
-Magic Kingdom from 9AM-about 3:30PM
-Swim if weather is nice
-DTD night?

3. Tuesday, January 12th, 2016:
-Epcot
-6:10PM: ADR at Teppan Edo (The food was delicious, I loved the hibachi show, the service was friendly and accommodating for my food allergies to eggs/wheat, and it was lively and not too pricey.)

4. Wednesday, January 13th, 2016:
-Magic Kingdom from 9AM-about 1PM
-Swim or rest depending upon weather
-Magic Kingdom for nighttime entertainment

5. Thursday, January 14th, 2016:
-Animal Kingdom
-ADR at Cape May Cafe at 6:45PM (I loved the seafood, the service, atmosphere, and value for the money based on my last experience here!)

6. Friday, January 15th, 2016:
-Maybe a park?
-Leave for MCO at about 2:00PM-2:30PM?
-Fly home on jetBlue 1684 at 5:30PM, arriving JFK at 8:06PM

If any DISers will be in the area, I would be happy to meet you if you are in WDW and I can't wait until my trip!

 

[disneywlf]

Hello again everyone! After a great Fall semester taking necessary classes at SUNY-Stony Brook, I am now off until my next semester in late January. This means that I can take a little break and start preparing for my next trip to Walt Disney World! First, I called JetBlue, as I wanted to confirm my room requests at the Buena Vista Palace. Since I found out they were renovating a small section of rooms to minimize disruption, I emphasized to the lovely agent on the phone that my first choice would be a renovated room if available, even though it would be on a lower floor. If that was not available, I requested a non-renovated room, which is still very nice on a higher floor for my second choice. I was thankful for the agent's help and I am glad that things are starting to come together for my trip. I also booked ground transportation from Tiffany Towncar, who will pick me up after my flight arrives and take me back to MCO at 1:30PM on 1/15, which will allow me plenty of time to make my flight, in case security lines are long. Since last Friday, December 11th, 2015, I became eligible to make Fastpass+ Reservations via MDE and thankfully, I was pretty much able to find all of the attractions I wanted, including the hard to get FP+ to meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall after trying for a few days. I kept checking MDE everyday and on Monday, December 14th, 2015, I got an FP+ to meet Anna and Elsa at 5:00PM-6:00PM . I can't believe I had this stroke of good luck and without further adieu, I will now reveal my ADRs and FP+s for everyone, as these reflect my plans that are closer to being finalized.

**Sunday, January 10th, 2016: I will leave for an approximately 25-30 minute drive to JFK around 6:30AM-7:00AM with a ride from my mom, to ensure that I arrive with enough time for my 9:29AM flight to Orlando. I will be flying on JetBlue Flight 483 to MCO, scheduled to depart at 9:29AM and arrive at 12:29PM. I am hoping Queen Elsa does not unleash her magical powers on the NYC area haha, as I want to be able to get to Orlando (my luck was good in 2005, 2012, and 2014, but my trip got pushed back one day in 2011 due to heavy snow). I will then meet my driver from Tiffany Towncar, who will stop at Publix so I can pick up provisions for my room and drive me to my hotel. Assuming all goes well, I should be at the Buena Vista Palace by 2:00PM. After checking in and getting settled, I will go swimming or go to a park (probably the Magic Kingdom) depending upon the weather. Finally, I will have dinner at Chef Mickey's at 8:45PM, making for a magical start to my vacation!

**Monday, January 11th, 2016: I plan to head to the Magic Kingdom in time for park opening. As depicted above, I have an FP+ for 7DMT from 9:20AM-10:20AM, so I plan to make Peter Pan's Flight my first attraction before 7DMT, as it tends to develop long lines. After those two attractions, I will enjoy the rest of Fantasyland until my FP+ for BTMRR at 11:35AM-12:35PM and have lunch after that, planning to leave the Magic Kingdom at about 1:00PM-1:30PM for a midday break until about 4:00PM, when I will return to the MK to meet Anna and Elsa at 5:00PM-6:00PM, enjoy some more attractions, and see the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes.

**Tuesday, January 12th, 2016: Since Soarin' is closed and I made my FP+ reservations for slightly later in the day, I will leave for the park later, taking the time to sleep in, enjoy my one breakfast buffet visit at the hotel, and swim if the weather is good. Since I will be full from the breakfast buffet, I will have a snack in the afternoon and enjoy my FP+ reservations, tour World Showcase, enjoy dinner at Teppan Edo at 6:10PM, and see Illuminations to cap off the day.

**Wednesday, January 13th, 2016: I plan to arrive at the Magic Kingdom at opening once again, first heading to 7DMT. Next, I will go to Space Mountain for my FP+ at 9:10AM-10:10AM. I will then enjoy other attractions in Tomorrowland until my ADR at Be Our Guest at 10:30AM. After that, I will enjoy attractions in Fantasyland until my FP+ at 11:50AM-12:50PM for Peter Pan's Flight. I will also visit Liberty Square, ride BTMRR at 12:50PM-1:50PM, and enjoy Adventureland until the Festival of Fantasy Parade. After that, I will probably end the day here, swim, and visit Disney Springs later.

**Thursday, January 14th, 2016: I will head to the Animal Kingdom in time for opening, where I will start my day riding Expedition Everest. This will be followed by a FP+ riding Dinosaur at 9:20AM-10:20AM, which I have not been on before as well as a show of Flights of Wonder, which I have not seen before but I am looking forward to it! I plan to see Finding Nemo-The Musical, and while it says 11:00AM on my itinerary, I will probably see it later in the day. I will then ride Kilimanjaro Safaris at 11:10AM-12:10PM on my FP+, have lunch, and enjoy other attractions until closing. After that, I will head over to Disney's Beach Club Resort and check out that area for awhile until my 6:45PM ADR at Cape May Cafe. After dinner, I will head back to my room, where I will pack to head home the next day and get everything ready so I will be able to leave smoothly.

Friday, January 15th, 2016 : Today is the day I head home, but not without a last dose of Disney magic . I plan to arrive at Epcot at opening, so I will be able to enjoy attractions in Future World I missed on my first day in Epcot, as well as revisit old favorites. I made FP+ reservations for Test Track at 9:00AM-10:00AM, Turtle Talk With Crush at 10:00AM-11:00AM, and Spaceship Earth at 11:40AM-12:40PM. I plan to have lunch at Sunshine Seasons and make Spaceship Earth my last attraction before I head back to my room, where I will do one last check to make sure I have all of my belongings before my pick up to MCO from Tiffany at 1:30PM. While I lucked out on my last trip even with arriving early due to a 10 minute wait to check in and a 15 minute wait at security, I still don't want to take chances and worry about missing my flight. My flight home, JetBlue 1684, leaves at 5:30PM and arrives at JFK at 8:06PM, where my mom will pick me up once again, very happy to have me home!

As always, if anyone wants to meet me while I am in WDW, please let me know and I will do my best to do so, as I am always happy to meet new people!

 

[SarahDisney]

I love that you referenced a Billy Joel song in the title!

Your plans look great. Hopefully I'll see you in Magic Kingdom on January 11th - I'll be running around the park all day, but I'll be on the lookout for you and hopefully our paths will cross!

 

[disneywlf]

I love that you referenced a Billy Joel song in the title!

Your plans look great. Hopefully I'll see you in Magic Kingdom on January 11th - I'll be running around the park all day, but I'll be on the lookout for you and hopefully our paths will cross!

Thank you Sarah! I figured that using "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" would be a great song to reference in the title as it works and it is one of my favorite Billy Joel songs . I hope to see you in the Magic Kingdom on the 11th too and based on your plans, it seems like you will be wasting no time . I will probably take a break midday around 1, but will be back at 5ish to meet Anna and Elsa . Hoping our paths will cross and I can't wait until this trip!

 

[disneywlf]

Update
I can't believe there are only 11 days until my trip to Walt Disney World! Since I was last online, I have been riding the crazy train a little bit, not unlike Ozzy Osbourne. One reason for this was that on Thursday, December 24th, 2015, my maternal grandmother, who I was very close to, passed away due to Stage 4 Alzheimer's as well as a cancerous squamous cell on her face . The funeral was Sunday, December 27th, 2015, at Beth Moses Cemetery in Pinelawn. We had to wait until Sunday as the grave diggers do not dig on Christmas and being Jewish, we cannot bury on Shabbat, so we had to wait. I almost thought about cancelling this trip, as I was not sure about going right after her death, but since I am not a direct mourner like my mother and my uncle, I am still able to travel and with my mother's reassurance, she told me that my grandma would want me to go on my trip as life goes on. In addition, my grandmother's brother and my great uncle, whom I love very much, is also taking a much needed vacation with his lady friend to Deerfield Beach, FL (I love this area!) around the same time I will be in WDW (I offered to join for a bit and extend my trip, but he wants to be with his lady friend, which is understandable ). Another ironic thing with the timing of my grandmother's death was that she passed a year and twenty days after her husband and my grandpa, who lived to be almost 98! In the end, I am going to forever miss my grandma, but I am at least glad that she is out of pain and hopefully, she will bless me during my trip.
-Me with my grandparents at their former winter home in Highland Beach, FL, taken in January 2008:

Another thing that was on the crazy train was that we had to take care of car insurance stuff with Allstate, as my mom had a car accident on our way to Rockleigh, NJ (in Northeast Bergen County) to visit my grandma (ironically, the week before she died) on the exit ramp for Exit 7S: I-95 South: George Washington Bridge, Trenton from I-87/Major Deegan Expressway in The Bronx. We were making a legal lane change to correctly place ourselves for the bridge, however, as we were changing, a truck hit the left-side rear quarter panel of my mother's 2013 Mercedes-Benz C3004MATIC. We were not hurt thankfully and I managed to get the license plate of the truck since I was not driving, so we were on our way as there was no place to stop as we were on the exit ramp, so we made the claim when we got to NJ. While it took some time to sort things out, we finally got the car into the body shop yesterday, where it will be repaired over the next 2 weeks, as they have to get a manufacturer part. Thankfully, mom has a very nice 2015 Toyota Avalon from Enterprise courtesy of our insurance. We find the Avalon to be very comfortable, if not a bit floaty (mom likes sportier cars). In addition, we had a couple of my mother's long time friends pay us a shiva call, which was very nice! Right now, things have calmed down for a bit, so I am hoping things stay like this for the time being.
On a lighter note, I have been preparing for my trip as I count down the days. Since the weather in Orlando can vary at this time of year, I have packed clothing for different types of weather. So far, I have packed five pairs of shorts, four pairs of track pants, five pairs of boxers, a couple of bathing suits, and flip-flops. I will be wearing a down vest and sweatshirt in addition to a t-shirt, track pants, and sneakers, so I will have these items with me too. JetBlue normally charges for checked luggage as of late on their base fares, I will be packing a checked bag like I normally do since I get a complimentary checked bag with my jetBlue Getaways Package. Speaking of weather and flying, it looks like the weather should be decent on both ends. Flying out of NYC, the average high will be 47 with a low of 36. Sky conditions look like they may be a little rainy, but the chance of precipitation right now is 30%, which is not that high and in the worst case scenario, rain will not delay me as much as snow.

In Florida, it looks like I will have very nice weather for my trip! On the day I arrive, the high will be 79 and the low will be 64, with only a 20% chance of precipitation. While skies look overcast, the temperatures make for fine pool weather, so I plan to take advantage of the pool on my arrival day. As for Monday, January 11th through Wednesday January 13th, 2016? Temperatures are looking to be in the 70s with lows in the high 50s-mid 60s, making for weather that is warm but not too hot! The only day it looks like it will rain will be Tuesday, the 12th, but I am not worried as I will be in Epcot, which is the best park on a rainy day (but all of the parks are awesome on rainy day ) and it's only a 40% chance.

The only things I have to do before this trip are to continue packing and purchase a couple of toiletries to pack as well. I can't wait to have a magical time in Walt Disney World again and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

 

[disneywlf]

One week to go from today! Almost done packing. I just have to add t-shirts and go to Walmart tomorrow to pick up a couple of items for my toiletry bag, like toothpaste. I can't wait!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandma, but I'm glad you're still going on your trip - I'm sure that's what she would have wanted you to do!

Only 1 week to go!! So exciting!!!

 

[ursalita]

Hi! Following along. Looking forward to hearing all about it. Sorry to hear about your grandmother but like Sarah said, I'm sure she'd want you to enjoy Disney.

 

[disneywlf]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandma, but I'm glad you're still going on your trip - I'm sure that's what she would have wanted you to do!

Only 1 week to go!! So exciting!!!

Thank you Sarah! I'm sorry that she is not with me anymore, however, she was in a lot of pain, so I am at least glad that she is not suffering anymore. I cannot agree more with you and I think she would be glad that I am going on my trip, as that is what she would want me to do. I cannot believe my trip is getting closer and I am counting down the days . Hope you and Beth have a great time and best of luck at the marathon!

Hi! Following along. Looking forward to hearing all about it. Sorry to hear about your grandmother but like Sarah said, I'm sure she'd want you to enjoy Disney.

Thank you ursalita! Glad to have you onboard for my PTR, which will soon become a TR. Thank you again for your kind words and I absolutely agree with you and Sarah, my grandmother would want me to enjoy Disney! Look forward to posting more!

 

[disneywlf]

Less than two days to go!
Well, I have less than two days ago and I cannot believe that soon enough, I will be on a JetBlue Airbus A320 bound for Orlando and better yet, having a magical time in Walt Disney World! I am completely packed, save for the fact that I need to throw my toothbrush and a manual razor into my toiletry bag. I also received the MagicBand I ordered, since I do not get one as I am not staying in a Disney-owned hotel. However, that is OK and I look forward to using it to take advantage of the FP+ system, which was just going into effect on my last trip and I found that it worked well. I can't wait and I look forward to being in WDW!

 

[Trixie15]

Your trip is tomorrow!! Have fun!!

 

[disneywlf]

Thank you Trixie15! I can't wait!

 

[disneywlf]

Tomorrow is the day!
Hi everyone! I am finally packed and ready to go. I have done all I have needed to get ready and will be in bed soon, as I will need to be up around 5:00AM tomorrow, as I will be leaving for JFK Airport at around 6:30AM. My mom will be driving me and I am also happy to report that since last Tuesday, she got her car back as they finally fixed the damage and the car looks like the day it left the dealership, so that is awesome! I plan to continue this PTR as a TR, as I feel that will be easier to manage, as I can continue the story right from here. I don't think I will be posting anything before I get home as I want to save everything for after that point, but I will be checking Disboards from time to time, so please feel free to drop me a line at anytime . Can't believe the time is near and I will be heading to Neverland, oops I mean Walt Disney World, second star to the right straight until morning.

 

[disneywlf]

I'm Back!
Hi everyone! Just wanted to let all of you know that I got back last night and I could not have had a better time! While I am bummed not to be at Walt Disney World right now, I am still glad to be home with my mother and my pets . As far as the trip goes, I thought that WDW was as good as if not better than it has ever been, as the service was excellent across the board, I had many fantastic character interactions, went on many amazing attractions, ate like a prince (I mean king haha ), and found that the parks were immaculate and well maintained. Anyway, I should be starting this TR by the beginning of the week and I look forward to relieving the memories of my trip by writing this report. Also, I messaged the moderator to move this PTR to TR, so it should be moved within a day or two. Thank you again and I look forward to having everyone onboard for my PTR/TR!

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay! I'm so glad to hear you had a good time and I'm looking forward to reading all about it!

 

[disneywlf]

Thank you Sarah! I should be posting by tomorrow the latest (though I hope to start today preferably), so you won't have to wait too long hopefully . Can't wait to read your TR too!

 

[disneywlf]

Table of Contents:
Introduction
How?
Preliminary Itinerary
Finalized Plans
Update
Less than two days to go!
Blue Skies Are Definitely Ahead...Despite A Bumpy Start Part 1 (1/9/2016-1/10/2016 (Departure Day))
Blue Skies Are Definitely Ahead...Despite A Bumpy Start Part 2 (1/10/2016)
Blue Skies Are Definitely Ahead...Despite A Bumpy Start Part 3 (1/10/2016)
On My Way to the Magic (1/10/2016)
I Know I Finally Made it to the Magic
Dinner at Mickey's Part 1
Dinner at Mickey's Part 2
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 1
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 2
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 3
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 4
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 5
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 6
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 7
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 8
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 9
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 10
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 11
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 Part 12
It's time to make the Magic! Visiting the Magic Kingdom 1/11/2016 with a magical end!
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 1
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 2
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 3
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 4
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 5
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 6
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 7
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 8
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 9
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 10
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 11
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 12
Around the World in 10 hours: Epcot 1/12/2016 Part 13
Can't Get Enough of the Magic Kingdom 1/13/2016 Part 1
Can't Get Enough of the Magic Kingdom 1/13/2016 Part 2
Can't Get Enough of the Magic Kingdom 1/13/2016 Part 3
Can't Get Enough of the Magic Kingdom 1/13/2016 Part 4
Can't Get Enough of the Magic Kingdom 1/13/2016 Part 5
The Quest for Gluten Free Goodies, Minnie Mouse Bow Dog Toys, and more at Disney Springs 1/13/2016
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 1
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 2
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 3
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 4
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 5
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 6
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 7
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/14/2016 Part 8
The Wilderness Must Be Explored! Animal Kingdom 1/15/2016 Part 9
It truly is a small world after all Part 1
It truly is a small world after all Part 2
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 1
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 2
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 3
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 4
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 5
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 6
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho it's home to New York I go Part 7
Trip Statistics
My Trip In a Nutshell

 

[disneywlf]

Blue Skies Are Definitely Ahead...Despite A Bumpy Start Part 1 (1/9/2016-1/10/2016 (Departure Day)):
After Saturday, January 9th, 2016, arrived, I could not believe I had only one day until I went to Walt Disney World. Since I was mostly done preparing for my trip, I wanted to take mom to do something fun since she would not be able to join me on this trip . We had the perfect idea, as I had won a $50 gift card to The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market in NYC, as I took a survey and was my luck was good, as I was the randomly selected lucky winner! We like to go there a lot, as both me and my mom enjoy walking around there to enjoy the sights and of course, to pig out on delicious sushi sold at The Lobster Place, which is a seafood market in Chelsea Market. I woke up at about 9:00AM, which worked out perfectly as I was able to get ready and since it was just about 24 hours until my flight departed, I used the jetBlue application on my iPhone to check in.

After waiting for mom, we left for Chelsea Market at about 10:15AM and about one hour and fifteen minutes later using the Long Island Expressway and Midtown Tunnel (I-495) westbound, we found a close parking space near the corner of 8th Avenue on W. 17th Street, making for a quick walk to Chelsea Market. When we arrived at Chelsea Market, we found it to be not too crowded for a Saturday and with my $50 gift certificate in tow, we made our way over to The Lobster Place immediately! We went to the sushi counter, where the friendly and efficient sushi chefs prepared eight pieces of Salmon Sashimi for my mother as well as a Spicy Tuna Roll without mayonnaise for me, as I am allergic to egg and some regular Spicy Tuna Rolls contain mayo, unless you request them to be prepared otherwise, which never hurts . I also picked up a prepared box with two pieces of Salmon Nigiri, two pieces of Tuna Nigiri, two California Rolls, and two Salmon Rolls. When we received all of the sushi, we found all of it to be delicious and high quality as always!
After our large and filling meal, we decided to walk around Chelsea Market a little more, until we had our fill and decided to head home, but not without making a couple of stops at the Best Market (aka Best Yet) for some groceries and a nearby Chase Bank. After about an hour ride via the Midtown Tunnel and Long Island Expressway (I-495) eastbound, the Northern State Parkway eastbound, and the Meadowbrook Parkway southbound, we arrived at the Best Market in East Meadow, where we picked up some provisions. I then went to the Chase Bank, where I took out some cash so I would have some as backup for things like tips for the drivers from Tiffany Towncar. We then headed home, where I took my dogs in the backyard for some fun and then continued to prepare for my trip, like putting my iPhone and iPad in the chargers as they needed juice. Later, I had dinner and then got ready, as I wanted to be prepared for bed. After I was ready, I then went downstairs to watch some reruns of My 600 Lb Life and Untold Stories of the E.R. with mom, which are shows we both enjoy. While we were doing that, I also got the dogs ready for bed. After watching some TV, I decided to call jetBlue, as I was concerned that the impending rain for Sunday, January 10th, 2016, would lead to irregular operations. Thankfully, a lovely lady at jetBlue's phone headquarters and based in Orlando told me that the weather on both ends would not cause any problems and that my flight would depart as usual.
With that peace of mind, I went to sleep at about 11:00PM, not waking up until my phone went off at 4:45AM! Soon, it would be time to go to Disney! After waking up and getting ready in the usual way, I took my iPhone and iPad out of their chargers and packed them. Next, I had a couple of pieces of bread with melted cheese, coffee with milk and two Splendas, a glass of orange juice, and a banana for breakfast. I also put my electric toothbrush (and its components) and night retainers into my backpack. Also, I checked my flight status and was scheduled to leave on time. I then spent time with my dogs and guinea pigs until about 6:00AM. At this time, mom told me she wanted to take me to JFK fifteen minutes earlier than our original 6:30AM departure time, as the weather was very rainy. After putting my checked bag and backpack into my mom's car, we made our way to John F. Kennedy International Airport. At first, the ride started fine, as we got on the Meadowbrook Parkway southbound towards Jones Beach. Unfortunately, due to worse visibility thanks to the rain, my mom missed the westbound exit towards New York for the Southern State Parkway and had to exit at Exit M6E: Southern State Parkway east towards Eastern LI. From there, I told her to take the Southern State Parkway about 3/4 mile east to Exit 24N: Merrick Avenue north towards Westbury, where she was able to exit and go around to reenter the Southern State Parkway to go west towards New York. The rain was still pouring and despite the fact that there was little traffic on the road, we both agreed that the Southern State could use better lighting along it, despite the fact that we pay such high taxes! Thankfully, we won't have to deal with the tough driving in the NYC area much longer as we will soon be moving to Florida and within driving distance from WDW. Anyway, we soon reached the point of the parkway where it splits into the Cross Island Parkway north towards Whitestone Bridge, LaGuardia Airport and the Belt Parkway west towards Brooklyn, JFK Airport. We continued down the Belt Parkway and made to Exit 20: Kennedy Airport via JFK Expressway by about 6:50AM .
Unfortunately, the mostly smooth ride ended once we got closer to Terminal 5, which is the jetBlue Terminal. We had no idea there would be such gridlock going this way, which surprised me as I have dropped off my friend/neighbor many times at this terminal when he flies to the Dominican Republic and have even done it the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve and it was never as horrendous as this. My anxiety was building up, but there was nothing I could have done, except get rebooked on the next flight. If I would have known beforehand, I would have asked mom to have dropped me off at Terminal 4 (Delta and other carriers) or Terminal 8 (American) and I would used the AirTrain over to Terminal 5. Once we got closer to Terminal 5 about forty minutes later, I advised mom to drop me off on the Arrivals level as opposed to the departures level, as I learned from Peter Greenberg, a travel writer, that this can save time in some cases. Mom did not quite understand at first, but she appreciated this tip very much after she saw the greater number of cars heading for the Departures level. When we arrived, we hugged each other good-bye and I gathered my things, anxious but still hopeful of making the flight.
Will I make my flight? Find out in the next thread!