They should have put you on a bus and you would have gotten there quicker.Day 1, Part 2: Look Ma, I’m Flying a Plane!
We last left off after landing in Tampa due to storms over Orlando and limited fuel.
I fortunately had a great seat buddy so we chatted to pass the time while waiting. While we weren’t allowed to go into the terminal to hang out, they did let people off who would find alternative transport to where they were going. There were actually a handful of people who did that, I was surprised.
We had landed in Tampa just before 10:30, and after about an hour around 11:40 the pilot came out to announce that MCO had been shut down due to the weather. I checked the radar on my phone, and the storm system was traveling practically due east and was just stuck over MCO. Ugh.
The pilot noted MCO was expected to reopen in about an hour and said that since a ton of planes had to be diverted like us, he would do his best to be one of the first to take off so we wouldn’t have any more delays.
Then, he did something amazing. He announced that anyone, little kids and big kids alike, were welcome to come into the cockpit to check things out.
Of course a line of kids built quickly, all the while I was debating if I wanted to be that adult and be the big kid who checked out the cockpit.
Well, spoiler alert, I did.
It was so ridiculously cool, not only did they let me come in, but the pilot got up and let me sit in his seat!
This pilot was amazing (and to be blunt, really hot!), and when I mentioned how jealous my dad would be once he heard I got to do this, he asked if I had a phone to get a picture. I told him I did, but I left it at my seat. Well, he asked which seat I was in and actually ran back to grab my phone from my seat and then came back and took a bunch of pictures for me! Such an awesome guy.
I chatted with both pilot and the copilot for a bit about all the instruments in there before a line of other “big kids” started to form.
It was a great way to pass the time, and such an awesome experience, totally made up for the fact that we landed at the wrong airport.
Finally, about two hours after landing in Tampa, at 12:36, we pushed back from the gate and were on our way! Well, on our way to wait some more. Ha!
We taxied out to the runway, and then just sat. Apparently there was a loooong line of planes ahead of us, it actually took about an hour before it was our turn, but finally around 1:30 it was our turn to take off!
The flight from Tampa to Orlando was uneventful…for the whole thing, which was welcome.
The pilot came on the intercom during the flight to tell us "don't worry folks, we won't charge you for this extra stop. This is a Jetblue special, two stops for the price of one!" HA!
When we landed he came on again and totally deadpan goes "well, we're here"
Seriously, this guy was awesome.
The passengers on the plane were pretty great too, no one seemed too upset and once we landed someone goes "now that was the longest two hour flight I've ever been on!"
We arrived in Orlando around 2:00, and I booked it off the plane, fortunately I was sitting in the second row so I made a quick escape. I was worried about how crazy DME would be with all the diverted planes landing around the same time.
Well, I was right to be concerned. Upon exiting the plane I found myself in a sea of bodies. Seriously, it was elbow to elbow in the terminal, and most weren’t wearing masks. I was very thankful at that point that I was fully vaccinated!
I’m guessing with all the diverted flights there just weren't planes for people to board yet, plus the planes that had just arrived were dumping even more people out into the terminal, but boy, it was a mess. I’ve never seen so many people in there.
After getting through that I made my way quickly down to DME. Upon getting off the elevator on the first floor I was in for a shock, the line was crazy long. I’ve seen videos of long DME lines, but this one looked much longer. Ugh.
I made my way to the end of the line and crossed my fingers it wouldn’t be more than an hour. Well, I lucked out, even though the line was super long, it only took 35 minutes to get to the check-in, and once in my resort line, only 10 minutes to board the bus. The bus left shortly after boarding, so in the end not horrible, just a shock to see that many people!
Next up: I'm Finally Back in Disney World!
Don't feel guilty. Many of those people who are in line don't have boarding passes because they didn't know that they needed them.
She was getting into character.
The CM's used to put on more of a show, being mean and grilling the passengers. But it must have scared too many children, so they toned it down.
She was getting into character.
That would have been nice if they had done that for Baseline. It was nice that they were doing that for some of the counter service restaurants.
The Friendship boats always seem to get really hot later in the day. But sometimes walking is hotter. The Skyliner is a fun way to travel, too.
They really should do the same thing as Woody's Lunch box.... And that is super annoying! Technically you can go and sit and never order anything from there.
) it was time to head out to my next adventure! 
. It was so much more pleasant! DJ Rex has lots of fun things to say and there were so many details I missed when wall to wall people. There weren't seats at the bar though ... that is awesome! I wonder if the demand will ever settle down to a more manageable/pleasant level. Haven't tried the charcuterie or the beer -- managed to snag a res for Oct so may check those out then!
