OUR 2023 DISNEY WISH AND DISNEY WORLD LAND AND SEA EXTRAVAGANZA: DAY 1! (ARRIVAL DAY AND DISNEY SPRINGS!!)

What is being up y’all? I’m back with yet another report about yet another awesome trip that I took with my super cool fam squad.

But this time? It’s so much more.

There’s boats.

There’s theme parks.

There’s hotels.

There’s restaurants.

There’s like a crap-ton of family and friends.

There’s a whole bunch of cancelled and delayed air travel.

It’s a lot you guys.

And I kind of want to get into it now but we should probably get the details out of the way so we all know what’s going on here.

So what was this trip, exactly?

Well, I am glad you asked anonymous reader. This was A TRIP, y’all.

“Epic,” one might say.

“Enormous,” another might declare.

“Stop with the adjectives,” most might plead.

Point taken. And yeah, it ended up that way but it wasn’t always planned to be the trip it became.

Honestly, the backstory of this trip goes way way back. Initially, this was going to be an early 2022 cruise on the Disney Dream for the four of us. But as we saw more and more come out about the Wish and things like graduations and graduation trips to Walt Disney World and college and everything started taking hold, things shifted. So we settled on a summer cruse on the Wish.

But even after we decided on a summer cruise on the Disney Wish, things still kept kind of evolving. It went from a 4 night cruise to a 4 night cruise with 3 days / 2 nights at Walt Disney World at the end.

And the length of the trip just kept getting, like longer. A couple months ago, the airline cancelled our flight home and the only good option available had us going out a day later. Which meant, fake cry, we had to stay an extra day in Walt Disney World. And then. AND THEN. Our flight going down was cancelled. Which meant we had to, stage direction: feign sadness, go down a day earlier.

And the trip wasn’t the only thing that got bigger. Our group went from the four of us to nineteen people total on the cruise. Yeah, nineteen:

• The four of us (Wayne, Nickie, Myles, Owen)
• The Pittmans (Stephanie, Mikey, Sophia, and Scarlett)
• The Falzones (Tony, Larissa, and Mia)
• The O’Learys (Robyn, Terry, Jimmy, and Maryanne)
• The Marquados (Steve, Liz, Jack, and Lucy)

Annnnd…while the O’Learys weren’t going to be joining us in Walt Disney World because they ended up doing Universal the weekend before, my brother Jeff and my niece Shannon were going to meet us for a couple days at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

So oof, a total of 21 people.

Yeah, right? I told you.

Epic.

Oh and did I mention this all took place in August? Because yeah. It did. August. In Florida. And the Bahamas.

How the crud did I ever tell a story before Simpsons gifs existed?

Let’s get it started. IN HERRRRRRRE.

Our 2023 Disney Land and Sea Extravaganza: Day 1

We were leaving on a Saturday. And though our flight was at 9:30AM, we were still up at around 6:00 because we had some stuff to get in order. We had some last-minute things to pack and we had to change the sheets and do some final clean-up since my mom would be spending the night tonight and my mother-in-law would be coming in the next day, both to watch the house and take care of these fluffy fluffkins while we were gone.

Aw, puppers.

And yeah, last-minute packing. Given this was a hot – very hot – location we would be visiting in the summer, the items we were packing were also items we were wearing regularly. Which meant we were packing right up until we were out the door. Given that, I decided to make myself a list to ensure I didn’t forget anything. And I mean, not to brag or anything, but this was a hella-sweet packing list.

Yup. Eight tank tops, four bathing suits, four pairs of shoes, and two co-ords. I’m a lot.

After we finished packing and got the house in order, Nickie called up a Lyft. So we got all our luggage out and onto the sidewalk.

That “Owen” bag btw? Full of alcohol for the cruise.

Dude has a problem.

As we were waiting for the Lyft, we were made to feel very guilty about this whole situation.

He’s mastered the whole sad puppy thing but don’t let him fool you. My boy is calculated AF.

By 7:20, we were on the road heading towards Logan Airport.

It was a nice car. And it was kept at a NICE temperature.

Nice.

When we got to the airport, we checked our bags and made our way through security relatively quickly though a couple of our bags did get pulled aside.

Turns out bringing a torch cigar lighter in a carry-on is a big no-no. You would think something called a TORCH would be totally fine to bring into a tin can crammed with people thousands of feet in the air.

I am an idiot.

Is what I am saying to you now.

We were finally let go by security and the man with the rubber glove was surprisingly gentle. So we found our gate and decided to find some breakfast.

We walked past a Starbucks, but a couple of us – not naming names – said they wanted something else. So we made the long walk down the hallway to see what else was available. There was a market, a Peet’s, but nothing else really grabbed anyone. So we walked back to Starbucks (https://www.starbucks.com/) we passed all those moments ago.

Life. It’s a giant circle.

I ordered a Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew and a Turkey Bacon, Cheddar, and Egg White sandwich.

Yeah. My moments of trying to be healthy were fleeting. I was doing all I could.

We ate our breakfasts near the gate and were sitting in our seats by 9:15. Given that these were last-minute tickets, things weren’t as optimal as they usually are. Not only did we have a connection but Nickie and I were a couple rows back from the kids so we didn’t really get to sit next to them.

Wait. Did I say things weren’t optimal?

Ha, I’m kidding. You know I love you kids.

The first leg of our flight was a little over two hours to Charlotte. I passed the time reading my new Michelle Obama book (thanks Mom!) and eating those unassumingly awesome airplane cookies.

It was a pretty quick, uneventful flight and we landed in Charlotte around noon. We had about 45 minutes until we took off for Florida but it ended up being the case that we were on the same aircraft at the same gate. So we had some time to grab some lunch before getting back on and in our new seats.

Time to grab some lunch.

Across from our gate was a Wow Bao so we stopped in there.

We put in our orders and grabbed some drinks from the fridge. And while we were waiting to be rung up, we started chatting with the dude behind the register. We obviously made some sort of connection because when we showed him our drinks to be rung up, he said not to worry about them.

Yeah, man. Free Cokes.

We are charming, obvs. Or I guess maybe that guy was just a really nice guy. Either way…

Dude really put the “zero” in my Coke Zero.

Get it? Because it costed zero dollars.

These are the jokes, folks.

Nickie ordered some potstickers I forgot to take a picture of because I am the terriblest. And the boys and I split a 6-pack of Baos – 2 cheeseburgers for Owen, and a teriyaki chicken and spicy Mongolian beef each for me and Myles.

While we were sitting at our gate eating our lunch, Nickie and I gave the boys their cruise bags.

Inside, they found custom sunglasses Nickie ordered for everyone we were traveling with, some bandanas for pirate night, candy (duh, of course), and…

I know. Vacationing with us is kind of the best.

And while we weren’t lucky enough to get full cruise bags for ourselves, Nickie DID stop by the store in the airport to buy me these bits of awesome.

Albanese makes a pretty good sour worm, guys. I like how each worm is two different flavors and these taste a little more sour than a Trolli. Good stuff. Though I don’t understand why anyone would want a pink grapefruit flavored anything. Grapefruit-flavored things are like a tool of the devil.

While Nickie and I were again in a row without the boys on this leg of the flight, they were at least in the row in front of us this time.

Which was good. Because it meant I could flick Myles’s ear throughout the flight.

Nickie and I passed a lot of the time playing Rummy 500.

And yes, those are Garfield Halloween Adventure playing cards. Which may be the best playing cards ever created.

Also as you may have noticed in the picture above, we ordered some drinks – a Goose Island IPA for me, a white wine for Nickie. And like, it must have been “Be Nice to the Goodys” day because our flight attendant told us our drinks were on American Airlines today.

Yup. More free drinks.

#blessed

The boys passed the time watching movies on their phones. Owen went with Toy Story, which was obvs squad an incredible choice.

We landed a little before 3PM and soon enough – we were on the first ride of the trip. The monorail to go grab our luggage!

Nickie ordered a Lyft XL and much like many of the Lyfts we have ordered in Orlando, this one had some seatback games to play while we made our way over to our next destination. Which we appreciate because we like to avoid conversation whenever we can games.

Someday, we will win the daily prize.

Someday, Lyft.

While not much could pull us away from seatback trivia, there was one sign we passed at around 3:45PM that could…

We made it, you guys!

So, like I said, today ended up being kind of a bonus day. Our original plan before our flight was cancelled was to stay in the airport hotel the night before the cruise. This was still our plan for tomorrow but since we had the bonus day anyways, we decided to stay at a Disney Springs area hotel for the night before heading back to the airport tomorrow.

Which was exciting. We didn’t have any Disney Springs time planned for the trip originally so I guess the universe was like, “but how will you spend ALL your money?”

So here we were.

Our home for Night 1 was the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista. Which is a location we have stayed at before and is definitely an affordable yet super nice, comfortable, and clean place to stay in the Disney World area.

And the lobby smells hella-good.

Plus, thanks random lady for totally posing for my photo. You’re a natural and the camera loves you.

And guys, there’s a Joffrey’s Coffee in the lobby.

And you know what that means you guys, right?

That’s right. Donuts.

Oh. And coffee I guess too.

We checked in and went immediately up to our room.

But we didn’t stay too long. We had some Disney Springs to get to.

So out we went. On our way, we passed the pool. Which looked inviting.

On account of we were on the surface of the sun.

But past that was one of if not the main reason to stay at the Wyndham. The walk to Disney Springs.

Place is literally across the street.

And within like 7 minutes? We were there.

Dinner was our main objective but I had to stop and take this picture of Ember and Wade from Elemental.

On account of that movie was fantastic and don’t let anyone else tell you any different.

Dinner tonight was at a location none of us had ever eaten at before – the Edison!

Everyone says the vibe of the Edison is all steampunk and what not…

But I mean, it definitely felt more like “Albert fixing the clock in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” to me.

We, of course as one is to do if that one is in fact me, started off with drinks. I ordered myself a Cold-Fashioned (Horse Shoulder Straight Bourbon, Cold Brew, Faretti Biscotti Liqueur, Cinnamon Black Walnut & Chocolate Bitters).

And man oh man, was that a good drink. I mean of course it was. Bourbon. Cold Brew. Whatever the heck Faretti Biscotti Liqueur is. It had it all.

We also ordered some starters for the table. The DB “Clothesline” Candied Bacon (made with Maple and Black Pepper and served with pickles) and the Prodigious Pretzel (served with pimento cheese and whole grain mustard).

And both were delicious. Out of the two, I probably preferred the bacon slightly more. On account of its bacon. But that pimento cheese was leh-git.

For our entrée, Nickie and I split the Edison Burger (Signature Beef Blend of Sirloin, Short Rib, and Brisket topped with White Cheddar, Crispy Onions, Smoked Bacon, Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato, Special Sauce, with Fries).

Which was a tasty burger. Loaded with all kinds of flavor. Not like my favorite burger in Walt Disney World or anything (looking at you, Steakhouse 71), but a pretty good one for sure.

Especially when paired with a Bud Light.

All in all, it was a pretty great dinner at the Edison. And. AND. They were setting up for a live jazz concert that was gonna be broadcast live on the radio.

So that was super exciting. We couldn’t wait to see the show and get our jazz on until…

Oh.

What? Oh we’re leaving?

Gotcha.

I guess we’re leaving.

But I’m sure the concert was real nice.

Look how pretty.

No no…not that one.

Oh yeah. That’s the stuff.

It was 6:30PM at this point so we obvs squad had some time before we had to get to bed. Time to hit the shops. First stop? DisneyStyle.

I always like looking around DisneyStyle. I mean, they often have a lot of things you might be able to find at stores like World of Disney or the Emporium, but sometimes they have unique stuff going on. Plus, place is all sorts of prettytown.

Plus, they had some new Nightmare Before Christmas merch out in front to kick off the Halloween season.

Which begins in August at Walt Disney World.

And I am here for it.

And if you don’t believe me, I mean look at this lighted mural. It’s all sorts o’ spooky.

Also though? That’s crazy you didn’t believe me. What the hell dude.

After DisneyStyle, we walked over to both the Marvel Super Hero Headquarters…

…and Star Wars Galactic Outpost.

Because of course we did.

Love that Galactic Outpost. And while we were there, one of the cast members working the store commented on how much she loved my Fox and the Hound tank top, recalling a memory she had with another guest who also loved Fox and the Hound. She said this guest has returned many times and actually invited her to his graduation next year. And I think she said she was bringing him a stuffed Copper.

Which is awesome no? I mean, imagine making such a connection with someone like that. I don’t know. It just made me believe in humanity again.

Then I walked back out into the Florida heat.

And I was like…eff people.

Kidding. I kid. It was a super sweet story. And I am inspired to make more connections with more humans moving forward.

As of right now, we hadn’t purchased anything and like that was kind of the overall plan tonight. It was our first night so we didn’t want to impulse buy anything before seeing everything we could see.

We stopped in at a couple more stores – Lilly Pulitzer for Nickie and Tommy Bahama for me – but still, no purchases made.

We were really growing up.

Speaking of – it was time for a couple grown-up beverages. A Black Cherry White Claw for me and a Bud Light for Nickie.

While a lot of tonight was just sort of us walking around, meandering and what not, taking in the sights, we did have a specific must-do destination.

And that destination?

GIDEON’S!!

For those that aren’t in the know, Gideon’s is a very VERY popular cookie spot. Like, they make these incredibly huge, soft, over-the-top cookies. And yeah, it’s popular. When we walked up to the front, the girl at the door told us it was about an hour wait.

Which we were 100% on board with.

But honestly, when we looked at the line, it definitely didn’t look like an hour.

We had definitely seen longer lines.

And we were right. We got in line at 7:13PM and we were through the door at 7:34. 20 minutes.

Which I guess is still a long time to wait for cookies.

Said someone who has never tried Gideon’s.

The inside of Gideon’s is all gothic-looking. Very Wednesday in there.

But these guys. These were the stars of the show.

And one cool thing about Gideon’s is they offer a special cookie of the month. And the cookie this month was the one all the way over to the left – the Peanut Butter Cold Brew Cookie. This thing was literally calling to me all the way up in Boston.

It was like, “Waynnnnne…..wayynnnne. Come and get me. I’m a coooooookie.”

So yeah, that’s what I got. Because when a cookie talks? You listen.

Look at this fella. Gideon’s describes is as a Peanut Butter Cookie laced with Freshly Ground Espresso and fully covered in chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces!

Gideon’s put that exclamation point in their description.

And it was totally valid. Because guys. This cookie.

I also paired it with their actual Peanut Butter Cold Brew Coffee (as did Myles, who btw also got the same cookie).

I’ve had this coffee before so I knew it was gonna be awesome going in. And it was. Awesome. This thing tastes like legit peanut butter but in, like, coffee form. I’ve said it before but so many peanut butter flavored things taste like…peanut butter flavor. There is usually something fake-ish about it. This thing tastes like legit peanut butter.

This was also Myles’s first foray into the whole Peanut Butter Cold Brew Coffee situation and he, too, is now a fan.

Nickie went with the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip (a Vanilla Bean Cookie blended with Real Bananas,  mix of Dark and Semisweet Chocolates, Candied Walnuts, and finely crushed Banana Chips.)

Which she loved…and I can confirm it was good as well. Because I tasted it.

You know, for research. The things I do for you guys.

Owen went with the Original Chocolate Chip, which is always a good call. Like, this is a solid chocolate chip cookie.

Such good cookies. But as I finished my last bite of mine, I saw everyone else wrapping up half of their cookies to take back to the room. And I was like, “oh ok. I’m disgusting. I get it now.” I will say though – I was definitely feeling that cookie. Thing sits.

But eh, no regerts.  

Just had to keep moving is all. I’m sure a spin around World of Disney will totally work that cookie off.

Right?

RIGHT???

Place.

Was.

Hopping.

And again you guys – Happy Halloween!

So much insanely cute Halloween stuff out. It was hard not to buy anything but I mean, how on Earth would I bring that giant pumpkin on the cruise?

At this point, it was getting late and we wanted to try and get in some pool time before going to bed. So we headed back towards the bridge, taking one last look back at Disney Springs before heading back to the Wyndham.

And, thankfully, the pool was still open. We quickly changed into our suits and made our way down.

Nice, right? I don’t know. I mean, I am always gonna advocate The pool water was actually kind of cold. Which, spoiler alert, is not something you are gonna hear me say a lot on this trip. We did a little swimming. We did a little hot tubbing. We were L-I-V-I-N-G.

We went upstairs at around 9:30PM after the hotel employee came around telling us they were closing up. He also said they normally close at 9PM but let everyone hang out a little longer, which was nice.

Also, while he was telling us things were closing up, some guy asked him, “Hey do you know who won the Jake Paul fight” and all the warm fuzzy feelings about humanity I developed from earlier were immediately replaced by feelings of despair.

But yeah, that was Day 1. I know. No cruise. No parks. No other peeps. But guys, this was a bonus day. And I dunno – I think we made the most of it.

That all being said, I am SO excited to really get into in Day 2 when all the people show up and then Day 3, when we actually get on the ship.

Yup – you still have two more posts before we see the ship.

You’re welcome.

See you guys on Day 2!

Next post – Day 2