Pop Up Trip

Sometimes last-minute travel opportunities pop up, and if you can make it work, go for it!  My youngest son and I recently had the opportunity to join my aunt and her friend on a last-minute trip to Walt Disney World.  There were some great deals on flights (be sure to check dates for low fares), and the theme park calendar was showing availability at all parks!  Would he have to miss school?  Yes.  But he’s only in fifth grade, and I know he can easily make up any missed work.  So I booked our flights, bought our park tickets, made our park reservations, and packed our bags!

We arrived in Orlando and took an Uber from the airport to our Walt Disney World Resort.  It was my first time staying at Saratoga Springs, which is just a quick boat ride from Disney Springs!  We stayed in a two-bedroom villa (that sleeps 9) with a full kitchen and washer & dryer.  There was more than enough room for all of us, and my son loved his pull down stable-themed bed!

While we waited for our room to be ready (check in is 4pm), we hopped on a boat for quick ride over to Disney Springs and had lunch at the Rainforest Café.  After lunch, we did a little shopping and enjoyed the Christmas music and decorations.  Once our room was ready, we headed back to the resort and got a lift on a golf cart to our villa building in Congress Park (a great location near the bus stop).

Did you know that on-site guests can get into the parks 30 minutes early?  That’s 30 minutes before the scheduled opening time, every day at every park!  We took advantage of this perk the next day and arrived at Magic Kingdom 30 minutes before the park opened to the public.  We were able to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain (back to back) all in our first hour at the park!  We wanted to be sure and fit everything in because Magic Kingdom was closing early for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (a separate ticketed event on select nights) – if you’re interested in this event, be sure to buy your tickets early because they do sell out!

The next day we arrived early at Epcot (taking advantage of early entry again!) and headed straight to Test Track, which turned out to be one of my son’s favorites.  He loved designing his vehicle and seeing how it performed compared to the others.  That morning at 7am (while still at our resort), I purchased Individual Lightning Lanes for Epcot’s newest ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.  I also joined the virtual queue from the park that afternoon and secured a boarding group so we could ride it twice!  If you’re confused by terms like Individual Lightning Lane or virtual queue, you’re not alone… a travel agent can be super helpful in guiding you through all things Disney!

One of the most memorable events for me this trip was the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.  Each night at Epcot in December, a celebrity narrator tells the story of Christmas while an orchestra and choirs perform.  Daymond John from Shark Tank did an awesome job as the narrator, and the entire production was a great way to celebrate the season.  I loved it!  We wrapped up the night watching Harmonious, the nighttime fireworks spectacular at World Showcase Lagoon.

Our final two days were spent at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, possibly my two favorite parks!  It changes every visit, lol.  I’m so glad I had this special one-on-one time with my youngest and we were able to make lots of magical memories together.  If you’re interested in planning a pop-up trip to Walt Disney World, our agents at Pineapple Escapes are here to help!   

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