Quick trip to Disney. Sometimes the best trips are the ones that are not over planned.
Last month, over Memorial Day weekend, Scott and I decided we needed a quick getaway. We wanted a few days away from our normal routine, so we booked a trip to Orlando and headed off for a three day adventure.
One of the highlights started before we even arrived. Instead of driving, we took the Brightline train from South Florida to Orlando. We traveled first class, which included food and beverages, and it made the entire journey feel relaxed from the moment we boarded. Rather than fighting traffic on I 95, we sat back, enjoyed the ride, and arrived at the Orlando station near the airport around noon.
Gaylord Palms Resort & Epcot Center
Our home for the weekend was the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. Since our room was not quite ready when we arrived, we checked our bags with the hotel and grabbed an Uber to Epcot.
The funny thing is that I completely misunderstood what Epcot was.
We had not been to Disney in almost 25 years, and Disney has changed quite a bit since our last visit. One thing we learned is that when purchasing tickets online, you need to reserve the first park you plan to visit each day After that, you can hop between parks, but that initial reservation is required. It also was not a cheap excursion. We paid $551 for a two day pass!
Since neither of us had ever visited Epcot, that became our first stop. For some reason, I thought Epcot revolved around the giant globe and that everything was located inside. Instead, we discovered that much of the park is built around a large lake, with different countries represented around the waterfront. Each country features its own food, shopping, and attractions.
If you haven’t been to Epcot before, the “jist” of the park is to travel around the world and experience different countries. If you go clockwise, Mexico will be first, then Germany, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Philadelphia, France, Canada and Britain. I’m sure I forgot one, but those are the ones I remember most.
We wandered through several areas, shared a giant pretzel in Germany, and tried to grab a beer. The lines were fairly long, and neither of us was particularly motivated to spend the afternoon standing in them.
We did ride Spaceship Earth inside the iconic globe and also experienced Soarin’, which takes you on a simulated flight across famous locations. It reminded me of Wings Over Washington in Seattle and was one of the highlights of the day.
The only problem was the heat. By about five o’clock, after not eating much and spending hours in the Florida sun, I was ready to call it a day. We headed back to the resort to relax.
Epic Lightening Storm
The Gaylord Palms is a beautiful property with tropical grounds, winding pathways, and several pools. Unfortunately, every pool seemed packed, so we skipped the swimming and opted for showers and dinner instead.
Before dinner, we walked the property to check everything out. The shopping and restaurants feel like you are in a mall. They also have a market cafe, where you can buy groceries such as wine, beer, salads and other essentials.
That evening we had appetizers and a cocktail at the Old Hickory Steak House. While it was all delicious, the bill wasn’t for the faint of heart. We each had a cocktail and we ordered the shrimp cocktail and four Rockefeller oysters and that bill was $125!
For dinner we opted for a more casual place and ate at Wreckers, one of the resort restaurants. After dinner we grabbed a bottle of wine and watched an incredible lightning storm from our room. Be sure to watch our YouTube episode for the amazing footage! (link at the end of this blog). The show Mother Nature put on was every bit as entertaining as anything we saw at Disney.
Disney Studios
The next morning we headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We immediately grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich at Starbucks to start the day.
Scott and I managed one ride before making our way to Rise of the Resistance, the popular Star Wars attraction. After waiting in line for about 45 minutes, the ride broke down. We found ourselves stuck inside a maze of waiting areas while Disney employees worked through the issue.
Eventually, Scott and I decided enough was enough. We located an exit and made our escape.
Surprisingly, the most memorable part of that day was not a ride at all. It was the transportation system connecting the parks.
Magic Kingdom
We left Hollywood Studios and took Disney tram to Epcot. From Epcot, we boarded the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. From there, we hopped onto a ferry that carried us across the water to Magic Kingdom.
The journey felt like an attraction itself.
Between the trams, monorails, and ferry boats, getting from one park to another became part of the adventure.
Once at Magic Kingdom, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and walked around enjoying the atmosphere. Scott eventually convinced me to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
He described it as a simple ride. His definition of simple and mine are apparently very different. For a few minutes I found myself on a roller coaster wondering why I had listened to him in the first place. Fortunately, it was short, and I survived. By that point, we were ready to head back to the hotel for a quieter evening.
Final Night at the Gaylord Resort
That night we had dinner at Moors, which is a giant boat. The atmosphere was fantastic, the food was excellent, and the service was outstanding. I highly recommend it!
The resort itself deserves a mention. The grounds are lush and tropical, complete with winding waterways, beautiful landscaping, and even a few baby alligators. They also offer an evening light show that we unfortunately missed while enjoying dinner. It reminded me a lot of our Portugal Trip at Lumen Hotel.
Would I stay there again? Absolutely.
Heading Home
After three days, we boarded the Brightline back to Fort Lauderdale and enjoyed another smooth, comfortable ride home.
This was never intended to be a Disney review. In fact, Disney was almost secondary to the real purpose of the trip. Sometimes you just need to get away for a few days, stay somewhere different, enjoy good food, and spend time together without worrying about schedules and responsibilities.
For us, this Memorial Day weekend escape accomplished exactly that. It was simple, relaxing, and exactly what we needed.
As always, thank you for following our journey. There are big changes coming up for my career and I’m excited to bring you along the journey. Be sure to follow us and me on Instagram and Facebook for regular updates.
Cheers, Scott and Ally