Same Trip, Different Plans

By Preston Young, MBA

January has come again, and just like the previous 3 Januaries (except for that one year we pushed it back to February because I got Covid), we were off to Disney! While we may have been going to the same destination, this trip felt different than the others, but in a good way. We had a great time, and really designed this trip to align with the things we knew we cared about along with trying some new things.

Rachel and I invited her sister and her sister’s boyfriend to come join us, along with another couple we are friends with. This worked really well because her sister was there for the first 5 days of the trip and our friends were there for the second 4 days of the trip. This was our friend Kevins first time going to Disney and seeing his eyes widen as we walked into the parks, finished rides, and ate desert after dinner was really fun. 

We stayed in one of their value resorts because you can’t beat the cost for the amount of time we actually spend in the room, which outside of sleeping is maybe 2 hours a day, the transportation to and from the park is easy as busses pick us up from the front of the hotel and there’s a food court, which we utilized every morning for breakfast. 

The things about visiting Disney is that there are a crippling amount of choices to make, but if you’re looking for easy access to and from the parks along with other amenities, staying on property is at the top of our list. 

When I said this trip was different in a good way, the largest difference was where we decided to dine. There are so many things I enjoy about being in Disney, but lets be real, I’m there for the food! We ate at so many new places, including inside the Castle, Space 220 (new as of 2021), Hollywood Brown Derby, and one of my new favorites, California Grill. California grill is located on the 15th floor of one of their nicer hotels. Outside the restaurant are these long patios, also called viewing decks where you have a perfect view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. The timing of our reservation could not have been any better, as right before desert, the fireworks were starting, and we brought our drinks out on the deck and watched the show. Heck, this was one of my favorite meals that week too!

It was an exhausting week, every day we were up at 6am, getting ready for the day and then walking 25,000+ steps. Watching a 20 minute show mid day, just to sit down and relax is a great feeling but hopping in your bed at the end of the night after a shower is one of the best feelings. 

The annual Disney trip never disappoints, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I think my duty to convince Paul and Jill to take Kyle and Ryan starts now, as they are almost at that perfect age.

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