“The Stressful Trip Home” - Disney Trip: Part 8 (The Lost Blog)

I was set to publish this blog post last year. 

I had the photos and notes (which I keep on my iPhone) ready to go. 

The issue is that I had so much fun on my first trip to Walt Disney World that I didn’t want to ruin the vibe of my seven-part “Disney Trip” blog series. So my written account of our trip to Orlando ended during the 11 p.m. hour on April 15, 2019. 

Until now. 

After an action-packed day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Epcot Theme Park, and Magic Kingdom, we arrived back at our hotel room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort at 1:07 a.m. 

The resort is REALLY quiet at 1 a.m.:

Our return flight to Omaha was scheduled for 9:15 a.m. 

I took a shower and downed a couple Benadryl, hoping to get some rest before an early drive to Orlando International Airport. I also got my suitcase packed up for the next morning. 

Neil, Theresa, and the kids went to Walmart for supplies (diapers, formula) after we closed down the Magic Kingdom. 

Our room at the Art of Animation Resort had a drippy tub faucet during the duration of our stay. I had to use a lot of force to get the valve to fully shut. I figured the washers inside needed to be replaced. 

To that point, we got a knock on our door a few minutes before we left for the airport. It was a member of the maintenance staff coming to check the faucet. 

Bridget and I departed the resort parking lot in the black Chevy Impala we had rented at a decent time. We wanted to leave plenty of time to get our bags checked and wind our way through security. 

But we needed to fuel up the rental before we turned the vehicle back in at the airport. That mission delayed our arrival at Orlando International Airport due to the fact that we missed the exit for our gas station (causing us to have to wind around the airport and circle back). 

I’ve gotta say, I’m getting stressed as I write this. Readers of this blog might remember the stressful airport experience we had during our INBOUND 2019 trip (chronicled in the post “Where’s My Shoe?” - INBOUND Trip: Part 5). 

Anyhow, we finally did get our rental car turned in and bags checked at the Frontier counter. A few minutes later, Neil dropped off Theresa, the kids, and all their luggage while he returned the rental car (at an offsite rental office). We helped them get checked in at the Frontier counter too.

Then we all made our way to the security checkpoint. 

This is a random picture of my foot and bag at Orlando International Airport: 

A year has passed and I still don’t know *exactly* why it took so long to get through security. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion (even though we selected the line that the agent suggested was moving “faster”). 

I was the first member of our travel party to make it through security. So I put my shoes back on, put my iPad back in my Osprey messenger bag, and waited for the others.  

Bridget, Theresa, and the kids were behind me (Neil was still in the process of returning their rental at that point). As you can imagine, they had a lot of items to be scanned and checked. So Bridget told me to go ahead and make my way to our gate.

A few minutes later, anxiety set in. 

The terminals at Orlando International Airport are connected by “People Movers” — railcars on elevated tracks that run outside the terminals. 

I got on what I thought was the correct People Mover for our terminal. I was the only person in the car, and my solitude caused a moment of doubt as the bright morning sun shone through. 

I felt like I should have waited to go with everyone else. I certainly didn’t want to end up off the beaten track. I even texted Bridget my concern as I waited for the People Mover to stop at its next destination. 

Thankfully, I ended up at the right place, but I still hadn’t heard from Bridget. A large throng of travelers were gathered around our gate, and it was getting close the point where they were going to start boarding.  

We typically fly on Southwest — and enjoy the experience. The reason we chose Frontier in this particular instance was because it was supposed to be a direct flight back to Omaha. 

Unfortunately, that direct flight was cancelled, and we ended up on a plane that had started the morning in New York City, stopped in Orlando, went to Las Vegas, and then headed to Omaha. 

It was a packed flight. 

Bridget, Theresa, and the kids eventually made it to the terminal. Bridget’s backpack had been selected for extra screening because she had a can of cashews in it — and that caused a considerable delay. They also did a thorough screening of Anson’s stroller, including taking off the removable beverage holder. We didn’t even know they had done that until they handed it back to Theresa just before she left the security area. It was a mess.

By the time Bridget and Theresa arrived at the gate with the kids, people had already started boarding. To make matters worse, Neil was nowhere to be seen. He texted that he was still stuck in security, but he wasn’t going to mention he had a flight to catch, because a guy in front of him who had done that experienced “extra slow” screening.

The five of us were going to go ahead and board the plane (hoping Neil would make it in time). However, Theresa couldn’t board with Anson (who wasn’t quite 2 years old at that time) because he was slated to go on via Neil’s ticket. 

So, Theresa had to stay in the terminal with Anson while Bridget and I boarded with Blaise and Scotland (who were both confused by everything that was going on). 

Bridget waited with Scotland and Blaise at their seats while I made our way to the row we were sitting in. 

There was a middle-aged woman sitting in our row of three seats. She was in the aisle seat, had her tray down with a drink sitting atop it, and seemed completely “put off” when I politely asked to get through to my window seat. 

I think she thought she was going to get the row to herself. I’m not sure why she thought that. The flight attendants kept announcing it was a full flight. But whatever. 

Neil eventually made it to the gate, and he, Theresa, and Anson were able to board. Bridget made her way to her seat between me and the grumpy woman. Bridget tried to explain the situation to the lady, but she didn’t seem to care. 

I must admit, I wasn’t excited about a lengthy flight to Las Vegas (approximately five hours). My stomach was a mess because of the morning’s festivities, and the seats on the Frontier plane were as hard as a rock. 

My “travel book” to read was “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” by Ashlee Vance (and it is excellent). I opened up my book hoping to be able to gear down and settle in for the flight. 

It just wasn’t destined to be a relaxing experience. 

My nephew Anson (who was recently diagnosed with autism) has an uncanny ability to pick up on stressful situations, and the morning’s stress — combined with the change in air pressure — caused the little guy to cry and fuss when we reached cruising altitude. 

The woman sitting next to Bridget said, “People really need to control their children.” 

Bridget replied, “That happens to be my nephew and it was a stressful morning for him. I don’t know what your problem is, but it needs to stop.” 

I was just sitting there wishing I could disappear into the background. I opened up the breathing app on my Apple Watch, practiced deep breathing, and tried to relax. 

(Why can’t people just show a little grace?)

Bridget and I spent the next hour discussing our business, taking notes on revenue streams we were working to develop (I had just rebuilt her website for BeAResumeWriter.com before we left, and we were talking about some other things that needed to be updated.) 

A short time after our discussion, the woman pressed the button for the flight attendant, and asked if there were any other open seats she could go sit in. 

The attendant told her there weren’t any available. (What part of “this is a full flight” did she not understand?)

It was at this point when “nature called,” and I really needed to use the restroom. But I figured if I asked to leave the row it would cause an issue with the woman. I’m a person who tries to avoid conflict as a general rule.

So, I decided I’d hold it until we arrived at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. 

I was really uncomfortable the last two hours of the flight. I tried to concentrate on my book, reading about the formative years of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. I avoided looking at my watch. I also tried not to jostle around too much (which was hard in the plane’s uncomfortable seats). 

I took this picture of the Hoover Dam (I didn’t know what it was at the time) as I was trying to distract myself from my bladder discomfort: 

Bridget told us later she'd considered going up to Anson’s row, getting him from Neil, and putting him on her lap for the duration of the flight to annoy the lady. 

When we finally landed in Las Vegas, the woman pushed her way forward — past people patiently waiting in front of her — and worked her way off the plane in a huff. 

I was just happy to visit a restroom. 

We grabbed lunch from Ruby’s Diner in the airport and ate it by our gate. I had the Bacon Cheeseburger with fries. I was super hungry at that point (we really didn’t have much to eat in the morning). Sadly, I didn’t get any pictures of lunch (only the sign). 

None of us took many pictures that day. I wish I had more to share. 

Thankfully, the flight to Omaha was uneventful (and a lot shorter).  

The reason I decided to publish this blog post now is that we’re in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Walt Disney World is closed and analysts are speculating whether it’ll be fall before the attraction reopens. Trips are being canceled and there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen to tourism the next 12 months. 

Neil and Theresa just had to cancel a trip they had planned to Disney World (their third) at the end of this month. They are hoping to be able to go in December. 

It’s disheartening thinking joyous places like Disney World could be closed another year until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available to the public. 

As a result, I’m truly thankful Bridget decided to surprise me with a trip to Walt Disney World in 2019 — something we’d considered doing a number of times the past 20 years. 

(It would have sucked if she’d tried to surprise me with a Disney World trip this year.)

On that particular day, the stressful trip home dialed down the glow of an otherwise perfect trip, but just for a moment. 

That’s pretty much how life goes anyway, right?  

I think this quote from Flynn Rider (in the Disney movie “Tangled”) sums our trip up well: “And for that one moment, everything was perfect… and then that moment ended.” 

I can’t wait until the day we can enjoy more of these moments in the future!

Read my entire “Disney Trip” blog series!

> “Surprise! We’re Going on Vacation!” - Disney Trip: Part 1 

> “Could it be Magic?” - Disney Trip: Part 2 

> “Hope ‘Springs’ Eternal” - Disney Trip: Part 3 

> “Slinky Dog Day Afternoon” - Disney Trip: Part 4 

> “Life’s a Beach” - Disney Trip: Part 5 

> “McDonald’s and Chuck E. Cheese Had a Baby” - Disney Trip: Part 6 

> “We Have to Finish Strong!” - Disney Trip: Part 7

Previous post: A Quarantine Life: Random Thoughts on Life in a Crisis 

“We Have to Finish Strong!” - Disney Trip: Part 7

This is it...

Like a big budget Disney extravaganza at your local multiplex, this is the final act of our trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. 

After a couple days off (Saturday and Sunday), I was happy to get back to the park. 

We woke up early to head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. No one in our group had been to this park before. 

Our first stop was DinoLand U.S.A.

My nephew Blaise is a big dinosaur fan and a big fan of the “Jurassic Park” movies. 

The first ride we went on was DINOSAUR. In the ride, you hop in cars that look like all-terrain vehicles, and head through a twisty-turny world full of (indoors) fun of animatronic dinosaurs. 

It is something akin in feel to “Jurassic Park.” I thought it was pretty fun. I went on it twice. The car jerks you around on a track and lurches up and down at certain points. 

My nephew didn’t like it so much. There were parts of the ride that were kind of reminiscent of the “Tower of Terror” ride we had gone on at Hollywood Studios, so that might have thrown him off. 

After the ride, we went to the nearby playground (“The Boneyard Dig Site”). This might have been the kids’ favorite part of the park. At the very least, I’m betting it was Anson’s favorite place — he had a great time on the slides. 

The playground is huge — a half-acre in size. Adjacent to the playground (across a suspension bridge) was the “Fossil Fun Site”... I walked with Blaise and Scotland to the dig site, which involved uncovering eggs in a pit of brown gravel. 

It looked kind of messy. Since we had a long day ahead of us, I didn’t want the kids to get a bunch of crud in their shoes and socks. So I shooed us back to the rest of the group. 

My niece and nephews probably could have killed a few hours at the playground, and Theresa and I contemplated going on the Primeval Whirl ride (which is basically a roller coaster where the car spins at certain intervals. But ultimately, we weren’t willing to stand in line an hour to ride it.

Our next stop was the Rainforest Cafe for our 10:45 a.m. “lunch” reservation. Many of you have likely visited a Rainforest Cafe before. This one was by the entrance to Animal Kingdom. You had to go in and out this special entrance because — as one persnickety staff member made abundantly clear — you were technically “leaving” the park when you ate there. 

I’ve eaten at Rainforest Cafes a couple times, so I was happy to have lunch there. 

While we waited, a scuba diver appeared in one of the gift shop fish tanks. We couldn’t tell if he was looking for something, or trying to clean something. You can see him in the background of this picture:

We thought a 10:45 a.m. “lunch” reservation was a little early, but it was ultimately a little after 11 a.m. by the time our party was called to be seated.

I had the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and fries (I ate a lot of hamburgers on this trip) for $18.99. It included “Smokin’ Mojo BBQ Sauce, Cheddar, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle, and Onion.” Bridget had a bowl of the Amazon Corn Chowder (roasted corn, red bell peppers, chunky potatoes, bacon, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips) for $8.25 and the Crustacean Crab Dip (served warm with crabmeat, peppers, onions, and tomatoes, for $13.99).

It was a good time for lunch, and our group was feeling refreshed. 

After lunch, we saw this skywriter spelling the word “LOVE” in the sky. So, I guess love was in the air at Animal Kingdom. 

We stopped to get our picture taken with Mickey and Minnie in safari gear at Adventurers Outpost. Our group enjoyed watching Anson interact with Mickey and Minnie during our park visits. 

In this picture (and basically every other picture taken there), Anson chose to hug Mickey instead of pose:

Mickey was hilarious about this. Anson wouldn’t let go, and Mickey was super patient. And this photo of Anson with Minnie is equally sweet.

After the brief photo shoot, we were headed to Pandora, because we had a FastPass+ for the Na’vi River Journey (based on the movie “Avatar”). 

Fun fact: Now that Disney owns 21st Century Fox, James Cameron’s “Avatar” series of films is controlled by the Mouse. I would expect more rides and attractions related to this movie in the future. 

The Na’vi River Journey ride involved sitting in a boat and floating through a cavernous world featuring the glowing inhabitants of Pandora. It was something akin to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride we went on at Magic Kingdom. 

(In the days since our return from Disney World, I have been told by multiple people that the “Avatar Flight of Passage” ride is very cool. We didn’t check it out, but will put it on the agenda for a future visit.)

We were starting to notice how crowded Animal Kingdom was on that particular day. 

Our next FastPass adventure was the Kilimanjaro Safaris. While we waited for our FastPass+ time, we stopped off to get some snacks at Zuri’s Sweet Shop.

I got one of these marshmallow hippos. (I’ve collected hippos since I was a kid. This one I ate.)

Blaise got a Rice Krispie Mickey Mouse. We actually still have part of his Rice Krispie treat in a plastic food storage container Bridget brought with her to the park. (A Pro Tip she read about online before our trip. It came in handy when the kids didn't finish a treat, so we didn’t have to throw it away.)

Scotland chose a bundle of suckers (which were surprisingly difficult to separate). Anson had one of suckers. 

The Kilimanjaro Safari ride was fun. Attendees sat in back of a canvas covered truck while the driver narrated along the way. 

We saw animals like giraffes on the safari.

And hippos.

The ride was a leisurely one, because the animals would frequently wander near the vehicle, or even into the road in front of us. That would mean we’d have to stop and wait for them to cross. It was neat.

After the safari, Bridget bought Blaise, Scotland, and me ice cream sandwiches. We ate them while Neil and Theresa grabbed coffee at a Starbucks in the park. 

Then Scotland got her face painted. 

It was around 4 p.m. at that point. We weren’t sure what to do next. Theresa had mentioned to me earlier in the trip that she hoped maybe we could sneak over to Epcot during our stay. 

So that’s where we headed next.

I saw a Tesla Model 3 charging in the lot. 

A short monorail ride took us to Epcot. We happened to be visiting during the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival (March 6 to June 3, 2019), so there were a lot of terrific flower beds strewn throughout the park. 

Epcot has a much different feel than the other three parks at Disney World. 

Theresa mentioned that the whole “vibe” of the park felt more like it was geared toward adults. I would tend to agree with that. 

Epcot is more spread out than the other parks — and is wrapped around a large lake (“The World Showcase Lagoon”) that centers the complex. The park is strewn with areas designed to look like various locales around the world. 

I should also note that at Epcot and Animal Kingdom they had these penguins made out of trash. I thought they were kind of cool. 

The ride that Neil and Theresa wanted us to experience was one called “Soarin.’” 

It is an indoor simulation where you are on seats that “hang” off the floor. Participants are in front of a large video screen, and you swoop and swirl around various wonders of the world. 

Neil asked me what I thought of the “smells” they pumped out during the ride. Honestly, I didn’t notice the smells, but I thought the ride was terrific. 

I went on the ride with Scotland. We got this selfie (which turned out incredibly blurry). 

After everyone got through taking flight on “Soarin’,” we headed to dinner at the Liberty Inn. It was one of the few places at Epcot in the Disney app that offered mobile ordering. It was a long walk from Soarin’ — at the far end of the park.

I had the All-American Burger and fries for $12.99. It was a flame-broiled 1/3 pound Angus burger with Vermont sharp cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pickle on a brioche bun.

The Barbecue Pork Sandwich ($10.49) Neil ordered had onion straws on it (I see that on the menu I’m looking at online now, but that wasn’t disclosed on the mobile ordering menu), so he gave it to me (they made him a new one). 

We sat and ate across from the Garden Rocks ampitheatre, which hosts the “Garden Rock Concert Series.” The band “Night Ranger” was performing, and we got to hear “Sister Christian” while we ate. 

The end of the concert signaled the park was about to close. The closing show at the park is called “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” and involves a globe that moves across the lake and fireworks (the show is set to end its 20-year run on Sept. 30). 

It was a nice show, but I can understand why they want to revamp it. 

Sadly, our long stay at Epcot meant we couldn’t return for the “Rivers of Light” closing ceremony at Animal Kingdom. Blaise wasn’t happy about that fact. Don’t worry, buddy. I’m confident you’ll see it someday! (Except it won’t be the same — they’re changing to “Rivers of Light: We Are One” on May 24, 2019.)

It was only 9:20 p.m., so we did have time to return for another visit to Magic Kingdom (which is open until midnight). Three parks in one day!

Bridget’s first order of business was to get another Odwalla Frozen Mint Julep Lemonade from Casey’s Corner. I told you, she had like six of these during our trip. (She did find a recipe online to try and make her own at some point.) 

We decided to go to get a “Tangled”-theme picture near Rapunzel’s Tower. We held a lantern depicting one of the gleaming glowing lanterns Rapunzel yearned to see in the movie. 

The kids had crashed a short time before and were sleeping (Blaise and Scotland in the stroller, Anson in the baby carrier Neil was wearing). 

As Neil and Theresa were getting ready to have their picture taken, Blaise suddenly woke up, jumped out of the stroller — while half-asleep — looked confused, and then posed for the picture.

He's obviously a high-functioning sleepwalker. 

We laughed about it for about 15 minutes. It was like, “Picture? I don’t want to miss a picture!” And then he immediately climbed back into the stroller and promptly passed out again.

When we were done with pictures, we contemplated another ride. It was almost 11:30 p.m.

We came very close to going on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (a family roller coaster), but the wait times were pretty long. 

I was super tired at that point, wished there was room for me in the stroller, and was ready to get to bed. 

But Bridget was like: “We have to finish strong!” (She literally said that. Multiple times actually.)

So the two of us headed over to the “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” rollercoaster in Frontierland while Neil, Theresa, and the sleeping kids went to look in some of the shops on Main Street. We joined them in one of the shops as the clock struck midnight.

We closed down Disney’s Magic Kingdom on a high note. 

Friends have told me how much they’ve enjoyed this “Disney Trip” series. I wish we could visit Disney and write about it every month. (There are people who actually do that. And vloggers too. We’ve enjoyed watching some of their live streams on YouTube since we’ve returned to the “real world.”)

Here’s hoping that happens sooner than we think, because...

...when you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you! 

Previous post: “McDonald’s and Chuck E. Cheese Had a Baby” — Disney Trip: Part 6