Earlier in 2019, we scoured the calendar for a weekend that would work to take a short getaway. I didn't think it was going to happen at first, but I'm so glad everything worked out and fell into place!
We also had several reasons for this trip - the number one reason being that we had some extra DVC points to use! Among other reasons, we also wanted to get Brayden's AP activated and take him to see the new Lightning McQueen Racing Academy (which turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip)! More on that in the next post, though...
We left on a Friday, I worked until noon that day, then we drove to New Orleans to catch a 6 p.m. flight. We knew our Friday would be long but we didn't care - we were going to Disney!!
We arrived at MCO around 9 p.m. and headed straight for Magical Express. Due to the time change, our bodies thought it was technically 8 p.m. and we hadn't eaten dinner yet. Although none of us were starving, we definitely wanted to eat dinner somewhere.
Magical Express was technically a ghost town which meant we were the first one on our bus! This also meant we got to sit for a while....a long while....and wait on the bus to fill up a bit more before taking off. Whomp whomp.
Finally though, we were off! We were also super excited to discover that Old Key West was our first stop! YAY!
Welcome Home! Best feeling in the world!
On our way to Old Key West, we received a text that included our room number. Since this was a new resort to us, (and it's BIG) we were completely lost. After attempting to figure out our way on a map, I asked a cast member at the hospitality house which way we should start walking. She asked if we'd ever stayed there and when we told her no, she asked us to wait. Minutes later (and much to my surprise), a very friendly bellman wearing a navy blue name tag (you know, those extra special ones) pulled up on a golf cart to take us to our room!! Along the way, he also gave us a "tour" of the resort which was super nice. What a special touch!
By this time, it was approaching 10:45 p.m. and we still hadn't eaten dinner. While waiting at the hospitality house earlier, we asked about dinner and they recommended calling out a pizza. Even though we had a long day and yes, I know it was late, we decided to take a bus to Disney Springs for two reason - #1 was to activate Brayden's AP so we wouldn't have to wait in line the following morning at the parks to do so and #2 we saw that Blaze Pizza was open until midnight or 12:30 a.m. and we really wanted to try it!
So, off to Disney Springs we went!
Since it was so late, Disney Springs was rather empty and I loved it! After asking about activating AP's at Guest Services, we were directed to the new ticketing location just down the way. Brayden loved playing on the colored bean bags by the TV in the back corner while we activated his ticket!
Finally, it was time to eat dinner! Jason ordered a pizza for himself and I ordered a pizza for Brayden and I to share. It was SO good, y'all!
I also found out that there's a Blaze pizza about an hour up the road from where I live! What a fun little way to have a piece of Disney at home with you!! I'll definitely visit in the near future!
The best part of all of this is that Brayden took a super late nap on the plane, he slept the entire flight, and he was good to go for the evening! We were shocked and pleasantly surprised to say the least! Yes, we were those parents who had our toddler at Disney Springs at midnight. It's vacation - YOLO!
Have you ever spent a late night at Disney Springs? What's your favorite quick service location at Disney Springs?
I enjoy getting to Disney late at night. It's like you have that little bit of "Bonus time" before the magic starts!
ReplyDeleteI use to think that certain Magical Express buses went to certain resorts, but based on this post and my last few experiences I think they just fill them up regardless. They probably only have those lines at the airport just to keep track of who's going where.