For our annual vacation this year we decided to visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida for a week. This trip report contains entries on why we’re going, how we got there, where we stayed and what we did at the Mouse House.

Previous Posts:

Yeti Up, Yet’s Go- Why we’re going to WDW
Why I spent $160 on Delta Airlines- planning our trip to WDW
Review: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Review: WDW Magic Bands-A new way to stay, play and pay

When it came to getting plane tickets I had waffled between buying and using miles. Adding that third ticket just really puts a crimp in the bank account, and so does spending the extra miles. I hadn’t pulled the trigger, but then one wonderful Saturday morning I got the text I was waiting for, an amazing deal from The Flight Deal. This was a deal for sure. For some reason Delta Airlines was selling most domestic coach and first class tickets through end of schedule for tens of dollars. Yes that’s right tens of dollars. Let me just say if you don’t follow these guys on Twitter and Facebook you’re missing out. By the time I was able to jump on this deal I could not snag first class, but I was able to get three tickets for about $160 tax included, for all three tickets, not per. This really was a great great bonus for us. I tried to let some friends know about this deal, but it was complicated to book, and when I was finally done booking it, the deal was gone.

Now we had tickets in hand and the planning could really start. Since I’m not a regular Delta flier anymore, this would be a new experience for me. I do fly them on occasion, but it’s maybe once or twice a year. Since I’m MVP Gold on Alaska Airlines, and they offer some reciprocal benefits on Delta (although with their current love quarrel) the benefits are becoming fewer and fewer. Thankfully the one that was really important to us was the two free checked bags per passenger which was still in affect. The other perk was the ever so slight chance of a day of departure upgrade, which I’m told you have a better chance of seeing a Yeti then getting on Delta as an Alaska MVP.

Finally our day of departure was here, three passengers, four checked bags, a stroller and three carryons. We do not pack light. But when you’re going to the mouse house and staying on property, without a car, it sure does makes sense to bring goodies from home. It’s a lot cheaper to bring sunblock and snacks then they are to purchase on property. Check in at the airport and security were a snap even without Precheck, not sure how our trusted traveler numbers were not on our reservation, but we made it through pretty easy. Having Precheck since the inception about two years ago has been great, and in that time I’ve only not had it twice, this was one of them. Having to due the full security dance was a pain, but thankfully it was fast. Then came the comical upgrade list, on a plane with 36 seats up front, how can there be 80 plus people on the list. Ha ha we were 81 and 82 respectively. No we didn’t make it into first.

The flight itself to Atlanta and onwards to Orlando, were great, I must say that the Delta staff were excellent. They were friendly and funny and really did a good job serving everyone. They did three or four water and drink services which was nice, and also served pretzels, cookies and peanuts. My favorite carrier American Airlines doesn’t do that, and I think besides a few carriers like Jetblue and Southwest I don’t know anyone who does. Sure it’s not much but at least they offer something besides buy on board. On top of that most if not all planes have wifi, and in our case the 767 to Atlanta and the 757 to Orlando had in seat entertainment that had free tv and radio and also pay per view movies. For a curious almost three year old, this can provide hours of entrainment even when all she may do is turn it off and on.

Otherwise there’s not much else to say about the actual flight itself. We got to Orlando on time, the flight attendants were excellent and our little princess slept and entertained herself quite a bit, so we all had a pleasant trip across the country.

To make that trip pleasant for her and all of our surrounding passengers, we made sure to do a few things. For the week prior to the trip we prepped her about the plane ride and security. Since she’s flown so much in her short little life, she was somewhat ready. But making sure she knew what was coming was important. We also made sure to being her favorite Hello Kitty blanket from home, and let her pick out which stuffed animals would make the trip. We also brought some new activities ( coloring books, movies, tv shows and games) on the iPad. Since she only gets to use it on special occasions, the novelty has not worn off yet. We had also bought her some special headphones last year, and she knows that she gets to use them on planes, so that always helps. Lastly, we brought snacks, this is a must. We brought stuff she likes, and we also let her pick out a few, again getting the little ones involved in the process helps out immensely in their little minds.

Stay tuned for reviews on our stay at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, the new Magic Bands and some of the fun activities we did during our weeklong stay.