The “World’s 48th Biggest Disney Blog” is back at Walt Disney World, and for the next 12 nights, we will be blogging live from the action before we move to Universal Orlando.
But first, a big shout out to the couple in row 14 of the Virgin Atlantic flight from Manchester this morning who somehow managed to board the flight with enough hand luggage to fill three overhead lockers denying other passengers the opportunity to store their personal belongings. Obviously, overhead space was not enough, and they also felt the need to recline fully their seats the whole journey. A delightful couple to travel with!
Apart from the idiots in front, the journey on Virgin was overall good. We flew in Premium Economy, and it had improved from our last Premium Economy experience from Manchester. The flight departed and arrived on time. The plane was comfortable, and the service was excellent. Food overall was ok, but the afternoon tea was delicious. Mrs. Modernlifeisgood is now gluten-free, and her meal was unfortunately not great. Quick apology to Jess, who ended up with the content of my Coke Glass on her lap….ooops!
Our flight this morning left Manchester at 9:55, which was the earliest we have departed for Orlando. We landed just after 2 pm and prepared for the inevitable long waits at American immigration. However, there were no lines, and we walked straight through an empty immigration hall, collected our bags, and was at Disney’s Magical Express all within 20 minutes. From today’s experience, it certainly seems to be beneficial to get early flight times.
Unfortunately, the “Sunshine State” was not living up to its name today. Storms followed us on our journey to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and continued for most of the afternoon. By evening the weather had started to improve but the temperature was surprisingly cool.
Despite being based in the UK, this year we booked our vacation on the American Disney Website. Booking through the US website allowed us to take advantage of the US Free Dining Package which was available to book in early 2019. The vacation was considerably cheaper than the advertised UK price. Disney advertises different offers to different markets at different times of the year. There is nothing stopping you taking advantage of these offers. The booking of the US package has been without incident, and we would certainly do it again. It is worth nothing that at other times of the year US packages are more expensive.
This is the first time we have stayed at Wilderness Lodge, and the resort looks great. The lobby is awe-inspiring, and there is a good selection of eateries and shops around the lobby. We had a bite to eat at the Roaring Fork, and again, the Gluten Free meal was not great. We are hoping/expecting this will be a one-off.
Wilderness Lodge has beautiful grounds and we have spent an hour walking around exploring the resort. The resort looks like it will be a great base for the next 12 nights. The closeness to the Magic Kingdom should be a big advantage.
As always, on a first night, we are too tired to do anymore than resort exploration. Tomorrow morning we are off to Epcot for an early morning FastPass on Test Track. We will of course be blogging our daily adventures here on Modern Life is Good.
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