Getting There is Half the Fun

Between baggage fees and rising gas prices, traveling to WDW feels more expensive than ever. So once you've made the decision to go, picked out your hotel, and mentally made your ADRs, you're left with the all-important task of deciding HOW you'll get there. If you don't live in Florida or on the West coast, odds are you're left with deciding whether to fly or drive. I've done both:

By Land: There is one important criteria for traveling by vehicle: everyone in the car must get along. Otherwise, this will be the most unpleasant experience of your life. The nice thing about driving, however, is that it becomes a trip all on its own. When my family drove to WDW (from New England), we stopped in Hershey, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the seventh circle of hell known as South of the Border. The car broke down, we stayed in cheap hotels, and it was definitely a memorable experience, for better or worse. Of course, unless you can take the extra vacation days required to make a road trip happen, this may not be the best option for you. And there's something very depressing about driving home - you've had a nice trip down while everyone anticipates visiting WDW, you have a great time in WDW, and then you're stuck in a tin can for two days with nothing but the interstate ahead of you and a pile of unread emails waiting at home.

By Air: If given the option, I'd prefer to travel by air. I'm not a huge fan of flying or airports, but it's so much easier to get to your destination in a few hours rather than a few days. And as far as airports go, MCO is pretty nice. It's cleaner than most, and I like to think of the shuttle between the terminals as the first of many monorail rides I'll be experiencing. From there, we usually rent a car and drive to our resort hotel, where we'll use the shuttle buses for most of the trip, but having a car allows for extra mobility when you're visting another resort for dinner or pool-hopping. And then when it's time to leave (boo), you don't have to worry about catching a shuttle or whether the taxi will be on time. You can just pack up the car and head back to reality.

How do you usually travel to WDW?
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Related Links:
* Golden Oak: My House is Better Than Yours
* Right Down the Middle of Main Street USA
* Two Hotels, Five Rooms

A Disney Date with Me

Welcome to those of you joining me from The Disney Point and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the final stop on our Magical Blogorail.

I've never been in WDW for Valentine's Day, but if I was, this is what would be on my to-do list:

Watch the Sunrise over Bay Lake: You need to be staying in one of the nearby hotels, of course, but what a romantic way to start the day. 

Do a Backstage Tour: This is a great way to have a memorable experience with a loved one, while also learning something new about the parks. And by "loved one," I mean me. 

Stroll through the World Showcase: It probably goes without saying, but a casual stroll through the Showcase allows you and your beloved to experience different cultures, food, and spirits from around the world. And by "your beloved," I mean me, and by "spirits," I mean "go easy on the margaritas."

The Spa at Saratoga Springs: The Grand Floridian spa is under renovations, but Saratoga Springs is open, and ready to massage you. And by "you," I mean me. 

Dinner at Victoria & Albert's: If you're looking to impress your date, there's no better way than with a five-star, six-course dinner. And by "your date," I mean me.

Get Married: Hey, if things are going along smoothly, why not?

Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Black this month. We will be back March 13th with an all new theme. Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney news, photos and stories. If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail website to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.


Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:


1st Stop ~ Manda’s Disney Blog
2nd Stop ~ Mommy Mouseketeer
3rd Stop ~ The Magical Mouse Pad
4th Stop ~ The Disney Point
Final Stop ~ The Disney Chick
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Related Links:
* Give the Gift of Disney
* Three Disney Characters I'd Rather Spend Valentine's Day With
* Finding Zen in WDW

Golden Oak: My House is Better than Yours.

Guys, remember when I told you that I was moving to Golden Oak, the exclusive residential community inside Walt Disney World, so that I could enjoy the magic of the parks year-round without having to subject myself to the indignities of air travel and - shudder - being jostled by commoners?

Well, prepare to get jealous, because Disney just released a fancy new CGI video of how awesome my new home will be:

 

It's the assisted-living-facility-meets-country-club home of my dreams! And yours too. It's the home of my dreams and your dreams. And did you see that freshly squeezed orange juice? Freshly. Squeezed. If that's not worth 1.4 million dollars, I don't know what is.

And a golf course designed by Tom Fazio! TOM. FREAKING. FAZIO. While I don't actually play golf, I know that he is important, because he has a Wikipedia page, and so you should be impressed.

Plus, my very own Four Seasons hotel with my very own rooftop bar to watch the fireworks! Wishes, every night! Just one of the many perks for me, from Disney, because I have lots of money. And you don't, but you shouldn't feel bad about that. If everyone could live at Golden Oak, then it would just be like one of those atrocious DVC properties. Have you seen those things? The people there actually park their own cars. Have you ever heard of such nonsense?

Yes, I suppose all this beautiful land could have been used to build another theme park. By why build something everyone can enjoy when you could build something that only a few people can enjoy, assuming they are rich and can pay you for the privilege?

Maybe, maybe, if I'm feeling generous I will let you come visit. But I'll have to insist that you remove those Mickey ears before you come in - good heavens, what will the butler think?

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Related Links:
* The World Just Became a Little More Terrifying
* Golden Oak: If You're Not Rich Then Why Are You Reading This?
* Two Hotels, Five Rooms