Rome - Airline Shenanigans

27 October, 2024

We were completely packed and watching some football on television, planning to leave the house at 18:30 for our 20:40 flight that would put is in Rome the next evening at 18:00. We had a two hour layover to make our connection to London, then on to Rome. Two hours is just long enough to connect comfortably through KCLT without being excessively long. Travel clothes were ready and a reminder was set to hit the shower at 17:30.

At 14:18 I received an email.

Our flight was delayed until 21:11 with a projected arrival in KCLT at 22:22. Thirty minutes shaved off, still a manageable connection.

About 15 minutes later another alert - delayed an additional 15 minutes. Not good, but still manageable.

10 minutes later another 15 minute delay.

This isn't looking good.

Check the American Airlines app to see what our options are. There's a flight at 18:15. It's now 14:45. I can't change it in the app. Call reservations – 1 hour hold time. Damn.

It's now 15:15. Change in plans – head to the airport ASAP to see if we can take the earlier flight. Quick showers, dressed, and out the door. Arrive at the airport at 16:30. Get to the counter – no seats available and our original flight is now delayed until 22:15. It's not looking good for our connection to London, but the agent offers encouragement and offers that the flight from CLT to LHR is often 20-30 minutes delayed since it's the last of the day. We complete check-in and headed back home for a couple of hours. No need to sit at the gate when we can sit at home.

At 20:30 we're back at the airport and at the gate. I watch the display as we sit and entertain ourselves. The projected departure time is now 22:30. Might be able to squeak by with that, given our position on the assistance list in Charlotte and the decreased crowds this time of night, but I'm far from relaxed.

Sigh of releif

Then the departure time backs up ten minutes to 22:20. By 21:30 it has gained back ten more minutes and sits at 22:10. At least it's progress. At 21:35 the doors open and the passengers pour into the gate. The gate agent asks everyone to prepare for expedited boarding.

By 10:00 we are in our seats, the doors are secured, and we're pushing back from the gate. The captain announces that we should arrive at the gate in Charlotte by 22:50, thanks to the lack of traffic at this hour. He delivers on his promise and by 23:00 we're moving briskly through the concourse, headed to the D gates, where our plane is being prepared for departure. Our group is called for boarding at 23:25 and we're soon in our seats, getting organized for the long overnight flight to London.

Headed to London

I keep a close eye on the American app for our luggage status. Each bag changes in turn from "unloaded in Charlotte" to "loaded in Charlotte" and I settle back in my seat; the chaos is gone. Flight attendants come by to introduce themselves and ask for our drink and dinner orders. Carry-ons are stowed, seat and entertainment controls are studied, and noise-cancelling headphones are activated.

As predicted, we're about 20 minutes late pushing back, a "catering issue" is the offered excuse. The captain says tailwinds are forecast to be more favorable than planned, so we should arrive a few minutes early. With an original layover of 2:30 for our flight to Rome we're in excellent shape. Dinner service begins as soon as we reach altitude, and by 02:00 it's time for sleep. I manage several hours of decent rest in hour-long chunks before the aroma of breakfast gets my attention. Per usual, the breakfast is "useful." The ham and eggs were decent, accompanied by a fairly nice croissant and a bit of under-ripe fruit.

28 October, 2024

British Air Photo

Arrival at Heathrow was uneventful and we changed terminals via bus, remaining "airside." After mandatory stops for Cadbury chocolates and other necessities, we make it to our gate in plenty of time for our British Airways flight to Rome. I purchased business class tickets and was disappointed to discover that the BA "Club Europe" configuration consists of 3x3 seats with the middle seats occupied by an oversized armrest. You don't get extra seat width, and whomever is in the window seat is forced to squeeze past this immovable obstacle, which then wedges them against the window. The service and food are significantly upgraded from the economy class experience, but the seating would be much better if they just left the center seat vacant instead of giving the space away to a barrier. The flight attendants were among the best I've encountered in over 40 years of air travel, unfortunately they can't compensate for the physical discomfort of this seating configuration. It's bad enough that it will discourage me from booking this level of service in the future.

Dome of St. Peter's

Despite the lack of physical comfort (economy seats labeled as business class hardly deliver a business class experience) the flight to Rome wasn't a disaster.  Our luggage arrived, there were no delays, and the arrival process in Rome was seamless. We gathered our bags from the carousel, met the driver we booked through Transfeero, and zipped through the twilight to our hotel, jet-lagged but excited about exploring a new city. As we pulled up in front of our hotel I was absolutely stunned by the view. I've seen countless photos of St Peter's Bassillica over the years, but nothing prepared me for seeing it with my own eyes. After sixteen hours of travel this really drove home that we were in Rome. Checking in to Starhotels Michelangelo was trouble-free and handled quickly by their polite and efficient staff. We were delighted to find out we were the beneficiaries of a complimentary upgrade to a suite! A bellman assisted with our luggage and presented the features of our room and all the controls. The Nespresso machine was certain to get a healthy workout. I found myself short on change, with only €50 notes in my wallet. I went down to the bar and ordered a beer to get some change while my wife showered off the residue of travel. I was thrilled to discover they were pouring Moretti LaRossa, as red beers are some of my favorites for their deep caramelized malt flavors. After finishing my beer I located the bellman who assisted us and extended my thanks before retreating to the room for a shower before collapsing into bed.

Moretti LaRossa - deliziosa!

Disney - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Back to Home We Go!

10 February, 2024

Our first crew departed Orlando on a 10:00 flight, which means they were up and on the way to the airport before the rest of us were even out of bed. 

The driving crew departed for home around 8:00, about the time the rest of us met for breakfast and consulted on the balances remaining on our Disney Dining cards. 

Six of us had a 16:05 flight, so we left on the Mears Express Shuttle at noon. The balance of the crew had an early evening flight, so they spent the day enjoying the areas outside the theme parks and eating their way through the remaining card balances

We had a glitch-free trip back home, in stark contrast to the cancellations and near-misses that popped up at the beginning of the trip.

Unfortunately we did face one final snag before we made it home. We arrived to a dead car battery in the airport parking lot. Luckily airport security is equipped with jumper boxes and, after a brief wait for their arrival, we were up and running.

Yes, a trip of this scope with extended family was a bit daunting, but dividing into smaller groups and weaving through the week with a couple of planned meetings and avoiding the urge to have everyone do everything together all the time made it quite manageable. Sometimes this can produce some FOMO among members of a large party, but there's not much you can do to mitigate that issue.

As far as the overall Disney experience, as I mentioned in a previous post, it has now devolved to a logistics exercise that forces you to rely on a marginal piece of software that produces inconsistent results. In an age of rising prices they now demand a premium add-on if you have any hope of enjoying more than a few attractions over the course of a day. In 1982 a single-park, single-day adult ticket was $15. Adjusted for inflation that's just short of $50 in 2025. Disney now charges as much as $189 for the same ticket, if you want to visit the Magic Kingdom. When you factor in modern usage restrictions (expiration windows, non-transferability of multi-day tickets, change fees, etc.) buying a ticket to Disney is comparable to buying tickets for airline travel. 

I found this quote a while back from a blog specializing in Disney Park News when I was investigating after-hours events:

"The sad truth is that the everyday Walt Disney World experience isn’t very enjoyable anymore. The parks are overcrowded and wait times are longer than ever, which would indicate that Disney has not expanded the park lineups enough over time to match the crowd levels they see. There is also so much early planning and reservation luck involved in getting FastPasses or that coveted seat at a popular restaurant, not to mention that more often than not it is miserably hot and some of the newer lands don’t offer much in the way of shade (at this point, I assume you are tired of hearing me berate Toy Story Land by now.) This is only going to get worse come August 29th and the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios."

This hits the nail on the head. With over fifteen visits to Walt Disney World, going back to 1975, I have some spectacular memories. From my step-dad marching down Main Street behind the band, to a 10th Anniversary trip with my wife (no kids!) - my oldest son's wedding, and watching the pure joy and amazement on my grandson's face, among dozens and dozens of core memories in my index.

But it's just not fun anymore. It's not crowded, it's overcrowded. Waits aren't long, they're soul-crushing. By the time you spend nearly an hour waiting for each attraction, add in a bit of occasional recovery time, a bathroom break or two, and time to eat something, you're not enjoying good value. People will still come to Disney – once. Die hards will continue to come at any cost. It's the less than fanatic Disney guest that will drift away. By the time I pay for the least expensive room, tickets, inexpensive food, a modest amount for drinks, and assume I don't spend anything for Lightning Lane (or Genie+ or whatever "added feature" is being offered) a week for two at Disney is going to cost somewhere north of $3,500, depending upon taxes and fees. For the same week (November 1, 2025 in this example) I can book an inside cabin on the newest ship offered by Royal Caribbean, pay for internet, and spend $500 less without having to fight crowds and heat. No, they're not identical experiences, but if they want to keep me as a customer there has to be value – and paying more to do more walking, more waiting, and fight crowds isn't a value proposition for me. I know others will tolerate all of this, and more, just to be in the Disney bubble, but the magic just isn't there for me any more.

Yes, I'll go back, but I have a list of other experiences that take precedence.

Pardon me while I vent a little.

The big news of the last week in the cruise industry is the proposed loyalty program revamp floated by Carnival. It has been met with outright hostility by most, including reports of death threats towards some public-facing Carnival representatives and blatant abuse of call-center staff.

It would appear that Carnival has discovered their "New Coke" moment - and now we wait to see how it plays out. (In the case of the Coke debacle, they blinked - handing an uncontested win to Pepsi.)

Emotions are running high, much higher than Carnival anticipated based on the observations of a consumer lacking any degree of inside access to the industry - and rightfully so. The connection people feel (or, likely, felt, at this point) is visceral. They've spent years patronizing a company and building a bond they felt was reciprocal, while failing to recognize that companies function on financial statements and "shareholder value" without regard for emotion.

People are pledging to jump ship, others are exploring other options in the industry. Competitors are using the opportunity to leverage the mis-step to their own advantage in their marketing, hoping to capitalize on the animosity and attract disenchanted former Carnival loyalists.

It's obvious from this site that we're largely "Loyal to Royal" and enjoy the perks we're afforded by the Crown and Anchor program. I'm sure I'd be a bit miffed if they decided to modify their program to a transactional, "what have you done for me lately" structure, but for the disappointment to rise to the level of personal threats is absurd. Unfortunately we're living in a world of entitlement, immediate gratification, and fundamental human disconnection.

I haven't tried to figure out what we'll be missing with the Carnival revamp. A free drink? A discount on an onboard purchase? Whatever it might be, it won't have a significant impact on us. We cruise because we enjoy the experience and the ability to design our own vacation within a vacation. On a cruise you can stay in your cabin 24x7 if you want, or you can just shower, sleep, and spend 18+ hours a day roaming the ship. (Obviously most of us pick something between those two extremes - the flexibility is the salient point.)

Will we take fewer Carnival cruises? Don't know.

Will we give another cruise line a try? Perhaps - this debacle has made me aware of the level-matching program offered by MSC, so perhaps we give them a try. (I find their website to be an absolute disaster from a planning/exploration/research standpoint, but perhaps my user experience will improve.)

One thing is glaringly obvious - people have forgotten how to be thoughtful and kind.

The person who answers the phone in the call center has as much to do with corporate decision making as they do with choosing your dinner menu. Yes, they're a point of customer contact - but people should be able to communicate their disappointment without debasing themselves by devolving to ad-hominem attacks.

Feel free to express disappointment and dismay, state your intent to take your business elsewhere, but do so calmly, respectfully, and direct your ire appropriately. Carefully selected vocabulary is much more effective than high volume profanity - people actually process it instead of tuning it out.

Has Carnival made a monumental mis-step? Absolutely. Just as Coke lost loyal consumers with "New Coke", despite bringing back "Old Coke" - Carnival will suffer a drop in numbers and their reputation will be forever scarred.

All because they have "too many loyal customers."

How this is a problem and not a point of pride is beyond me. I suppose when your focus is "shareholder value" and not corporate vigor things can get a bit yumpy in the C-level offices.

Disney - Magic Kingdom Redux

9 February, 2024

Our last day in the parks.

A chance to hit the rides that we missed the first day in Magic Kingdom, and revisit a couple of favorites.  We bounced from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to under the sea in Ariel's Grotto and took a ride on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which has become my grandson's favorite thrill ride. He holds his hands up and screams "fun screams" as the ride progresses. I'm not sure how many times he rode the Mine Train this visit, but I've seen no less than four different ride photos of him. We have another coaster-freak in the family, and for that I am happy. When I was about five years old we visited Carowinds and I rode my first coaster, the Carolina Goldrusher. One section of the track, over water, was banked, and this absolutely terrified 5 year-old me. I avoided coasters like the plague for the better part of a decade until we went to Six Flags over Georgia and I rode the Mindbender with my cousins. I was completely hooked at that point and haven't passed up a coaster since.

We made another pass at Buzz Lightyear and I fell well-short of becoming a Galactic Hero, but still managed to post a respectable Cosmic Commando-level score. We exited Buzz to a south Florida rain shower and weren't in the mood for a soaking, so we went around the corner to the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor to wait things out. My wife still owes everyone in the crowd an order of churros, by the way. It's been a while since I visited the Laugh Floor, so it provided good comic relief.

We wrapped up the day with a final ride on TRON, which had a shorter wait than our previous ride thanks to the marginal afternoon weather. I may grow bored of the ride someday, but that day is far in to the future at the moment.

After we said farewell to TRON we made our way to  Crystal Palace for dinner with Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet. While the buffet at Crystal Palace is a bit of a mess from a flow standpoint, and the desserts can be a bit messy at times, the food tends to be a step above most of what you find in the parks.

Disney - Hollywood Studios, take 2

8 February, 2024

Chinese Theater

We grabbed a quick nibble at the hotel, just enough to get us through a couple of hours, and hopped the bus back over to Hollywood Studios. The one thing the Disney App handles well on a consistent basis are the ride wait times. A quick glance indicated that Mickey & Minnie was reasonably short, and our companions for the day, daughter and future son-in-law, hadn't experienced the chaos of Goofy driving a locomotive, so we made our way down Hollywood Boulevard to the Chinese Theater.

We had an early lunch in the SciFi Drive-In, which is probably our favorite dining venue in MGM/Hollywood Studios. Some of us remember the days when the wait staff interacted enthusiastically with the movie loop, interjecting exclamations and responses at appropriate times as they moved around the theater. I haven't been able to get an explanation for the lack of interaction I've seen in the past decade or so. Did management put a kibosh on the practice, or did it just fade out as staff turned over? Given the attention to detail in all things Disney, I can't imagine that management and training would allow anything to "just fade out" without a decision being made at some level. After we finished our lunch, which we found up to our expectations, we made our way back over to Galaxy's Edge, to join in the battle against The First Order again in "Rise of the Resistance."

TIE Fighter

This time I was looking for detail  and trying to figure out how the Imagineers pulled off some of their tricks. Not only did I manage to unravel a few of their secrets, I noticed details that slipped past me the first time through. There are still many twists and tricks that have yet to reveal their secrets to me, but I'm sure they'll be discovered in due time. I really can't adequately express how well this attraction is presented, it upholds the quality that you expect from Disney and Lucasfilm/Skywalker Studios in every respect. The bar has been raised so high with this attraction they will have to knock everything out of the park with every future attraction to keep from losing face. It will be interesting to watch going forward, that is for certain. After we successfully escaped The First Order (again) we checked the app and saw that Toy Story Mania had a relatively short wait. Since we hadn't ridden it yet, and had no plans to return to the Studios this trip, we headed that way.

Andy's Room

Andy's bedroom has been one of my favorite queue experiences since it first opened. There are so many obscure elements I'm still noticing new things seventeen years later. The ride itself is an absolute blast and, for a ride without much motion, it will get your heart racing and blood pumping as you race the clock and compete against your ride companion. The game is easy enough for anyone to have a degree of success, and challenging enough that more skilled players have their work cut out for them to push their scores to the highest levels. I could easily spend an hour on this attraction without getting bored. The fact that there are lots of air effects and excellent air conditioning make it an ideal place to spend time on a sweltering Florida day. 

Our second, and final, full group activity was scheduled that evening, dinner at the Hoop De Doo Review. One of our party has dietary restrictions and the chef came out to talk to her. Everything was arranged and they directed my wife and I to a side entry so we could be seated before the crowd entered. The size of our group required two large adjacent tables. Our servers were efficient and polite, but given the frenetic pace in the dining room to get a couple of hundred people fed in time for an interactive show to begin, they don't have much time for pleasantries. Your response to their questions will often get you a humorous jibe, but don't be offended if there off to their next task before you can utter a response. At the end of service the individual with dietary restrictions was admonished harshly for attempting to wrap some of their uneaten food, which was perplexing given that it was prepared specifically for them and was headed for the garbage if it didn't leave with them. It's not as if they ordered an extra serving to squirrel away, this was food that had been served and partially consumed. The manager (and I use that term loosely) then hovered over their shoulder for an extended period. All in all, a very UN-Disney-like experience that soured the show for the entire table.

What's the worst that could happen?

Meanwhile, I'm sitting at my table, enjoying the show, blissfully ignorant of the specter hovering over my shoulder. Just as the show transitions to one of the audience participation segments I feel a tap on my shoulder and I'm spun around (chair and all) to face one of the performers. I decided then and there to jump in with both feet and just go with whatever happened. I figured as long as I kept my clothes on nothing could happen that would be insufferable.

Fortunately my participation was limited to an in-seat vocal accompaniment. I only had to deliver a single short line on cue from the cast member who drug me in to the middle of things.  Others ended up on stage and in various costumes (including my grandson, who ended up on stage in the role of The Sheriff.) The key point to remember is that everyone is there for a good time, and going with the flow may cause a little embarrassment, but it is short-lived, and your family (especially the kids) will absolutely love it. I think one of the worst things we do to ourselves as young adults is worry about the opinions of others. The reality is when you jump in with both feet for aomething like this most people are going to cheer you on, and no one is going to chide you for it.

EPCOT and Victoria & Albert's

 7 February 2024

Spaceship Earth, SLJ-style

Hump day. After two days of going strong we needed a breather. My wife opted to stay behind for rest and extended ice therapy on her ankle so I made my way to EPCOT for our time slot on Guardians of the Galaxy with #2 son and #3 nephew. I'm not a particular fan of the movie franchise, but when Disney spends as much time building an attraction this large I'm not about to pass it up.

When we arrived at the park we tried to sneak in a ride on Soarin', but the app completely botched our Lighting Lane slots. Just one of many failures in the system that happened over the course of the week. While I applaud the integration of technology, especially when it improves the guest experience, it did very little to improve our experience while introducing a massive amount of annoyance and frustration. As a computer scientist it reminds me of a senior project that wasn't tested very well. One moment you could see a subset of your group, the next time you might see a completely different subset, and a third time you were likely to see another subset consisting of some from the first group and some from the second group. But you could never see your entire group at once. When you tried to use Genie or  Lightning features it would allow you to add someone to one attraction, but not another, and the same problem would occur with another person, but in reverse. And no, those people didn't already have reservations for attractions that caused the problem. As I told Disney in a survey they sent me for the app:

"Visiting Walt Disney World is no longer magical. These days you purchase a $100+ scratch-off and then try to navigate the worst app in history to game the worst system ever devised only to end up frustrated and disappointed. Bring back the ticket books, this sucks. Enough with the Genie, LightningLane, Virtual Queue, Standby, extra cheese, supersize nonsense. You've made things so complicated that a visit is no longer fun, it's an exercise in logistics and planning."

Grinning on Guardians

As lousy as the app is, Guardians of the Galaxy is as good as the app is bad. Unfortunately I only had one opportunity to ride, and there was so much to take in it's all a blur. For a non-inversion coaster it is just off the charts. You'll get a random musical accompaniment (I've learned this, not experienced it) as you zip through the ride. If you're not grinning ear-to-ear throughout this adventure then I suggest having yourself screened for a stroke. The next time I'm back in EPCOT I'll do everything I can to ride this at least twice, just so I can get a better grasp on what happens. 

After Guardians we reconnected with the rest of our party at The Seas with Nemo & Friends. This aquarium is larger in diameter than Spaceship Earth (the "EPCOT ball") and holds 5.7 million gallons - which now makes it the second largest saltwater tank in the world, behind the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005. It houses over 2,000 animals from dozens of species. If you're a certified SCUBA diver you can sign up to dive the aquarium: Disney Dive Quest The last time I participated all proceeds from the program benefitted the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund – Disney did not profit from the program at all. I have no reason to believe that this has changed, but have not heard definitively. In addition to the actual dive you get a full pre-dive presentation and briefing and a backstage tour unavailable anywhere else.  All dive gear is provided (if you're human, they have a shorty that will fit you) but they do allow personal dive masks, if you like. This is primarily a consideration for those who have prescription masks, but if you prefer to use your own, you may. I took mine both times. The rules are stringent to protect the animals, but the staff is purely Disney in their enforcement – they'll tell you how it is, but in such a polite manner you won't even consider being offended.

After visiting Nemo I made my way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. #2 son had never eaten at Victoria & Albert's, and we had reservations. 

Miyazaki A5 Wagyu

I tried to get reservations in the Queen Victoria Room, but it was fully booked. Fortunately we were able to enjoy the same menu in the main dining room. This option was not available in the past and, while the service is elevated in the QV room, thanks to the guest/server ratio, service in the main dining room is still among the best you will ever experience. The Chef's Dégustation Menu consisted of 11 courses, including desserts. The courses consist of caviar, king crab, quail, Wagyu beef, venison, and lamb, to name a few ingredients. Each dish is thoughtfully conceived, sourced, created, and presented. I've eaten here more times than I care to admit, and I have never had a single bite that was disappointing. 

Sunset over Bay Lake

Disney - Birthday Breakfast & Hollywood Studios

 6 February, 2024

The day started with semi-controlled chaos in the form of breakfast with Chef Mickey and the gang. This venue offers buffet service, which I think is the next best thing to the family-style service at Ohana. (For the record, Ohana has the absolute best breakfast in my opinion.) Crystal Palace is another buffet option, but not organized quite as well as Chef Mickey. Regular table service restaurants don't  represent good value in my book.

The motliest of crews

Somehow we managed to get through breakfast without a single breakdown or dramatic outburst. The kids ate well, and were fascinated by Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto. All the parents ate a good meal as well, which is quite amazing in and of itself. On our way out we faced the most challenging part of the entire trip - obtaining a group photo. We were dressed in our "official" trip shirts, color coded per generation. Within the year our group would have grown by two. After the photo session we scattered out over the parks. For my group it was a day at Hollywood Studios (which I still refer to as "MGM" in conversation.) Having missed Galaxy's Edge on our previous trip I was quite eager to see what all the excitement was about.

When we arrived we made a bit of a beeline to Micky & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Housed in the Chinese Theater and former home to The Great Movie Ride, this is the first attraction to feature Mickey and is based on one of the original animations. The ride itself uses the vehicles from the Great Movie Ride with some cosmetic changes and the addition of a locomotive element. Goofy is driving the locomotive, so you can easily imagine the shenanigans that ensue. All the elements of suspense and surprise are lighthearted, and the only "ominous" element concerns a rain storm; I can't imagine it startling a child. When we exited Runaway Railway the wait times for Star Tours were reasonable, so we made a beeline to the Ewok village.

Stylish space tourist eyewear

With over 250 possible story lines, randomly selected, the probability of experiencing the same sequence twice is pretty slim. This, along with being a member of the "original" Star Wars generation (I was 9 when it first hit theaters, and my neighbor's aunt managed the local cinema - which means I saw it more times that summer than I can count) makes Star Tours one of my favorite attractions in the entire Disney universe. I've quit trying to remember the storylines on Star Tours and just sit back and enjoy the ride. The humor is dry, self-deprecating, and filled with puns. If you're a Dad and you don't chuckle your way through the dialog someone needs to check you for a pulse.

The Market

Wow. Disney has raised the bar. In their first new "land" since ToonTown Fair (which was pretty simple to execute in the grand scheme of things) the level of detail is off the charts. It feels as if you've been transported to Jakku or Tatooine, just more humid. The shops, the refreshments, and the restaurants are pulled right from the movie screen. You can even enjoy blue or green milk with a shot of rum (blue) or tequila (green) from the Milk Stand, but for a more immersive experience I'm told Oga's Cantina is worth a visit. We were waiting for our time slot at Rise, so we enjoyed one of the stage shows while we sipped our "milk."

Since Rise is still fairly new I'll try to avoid spoilers while still providing meaningful impressions and information on the experience.

Captured!

You enter the turnstiles in a rocky, rugged facade and are directed through a series of dark, cool tunnels. A welcome environment on a warm Florida day! At the end of the tunnels you are directed to a shuttle by a member of the Resistance, and you board through clamshell doors. Inside the shuttle it's standing room only, and you can watch everything going on outside through large "windows." Your shuttle gets captured by The First Order and you find yourself exiting the shuttle onto the deck of what appears to be a First Order battle cruiser. You're processed as a prisoner and placed in a cell with several other prisoners to await your fate. Without offering any detail I'll wrap this up by saying you move through an experience that gives you more than you could ever anticipate and eager to return so you can catch everything you missed the first time. Obviously we were able to escape The First Order and returned safely home, but things were pretty touch-and-go for a while!

After escaping The First Order we thought we should vacate Galaxy's Edge in case we were on a "wanted" list. There were Stormtrooper patrols all over and we didn't want to risk being identified as fugitives. We had a late lunch reservation at the 50's Prime Time Café, and Mom will fuss if you're late, so we scurried over for a bite to eat. The Prime Time Café offers meat and two veg-type meals, along with great desserts and a full bar. The servers will give you chores and fuss at you for putting your elbows on the table. You won't find anything on the menu that will be the "best you've ever had" – but everything on the menu is quite good.

Spinning with Aliens

We made our way over to the Alien Spinning Saucers. The little green guys from ToyStory guide you on a spinning and looping ride under a shaded canopy that is exciting enough to keep you entertained but sedate enough to be suitable for all ages. The kids will be cackling and howling and the adults will be smiling and laughing at the kids. It produces a nice breeze, which combined with the shade, gives you another respite from the Florida heat. I definitely wouldn't take a spin with the Aliens on my own, but if you have small children in your group who are fans of Toy Story they will absolutely love this attraction. Just be prepared for a stream of alien one-liners from all the young dads waiting in line with you.

Everyone was running out of steam at this point, so we ducked in to MuppetVision 3D on our way back to the exit, which appears to be getting a bit long in the tooth. We heard rumor that it would be closing and the area re-themed for Monsters, Inc, and now this has been confirmed and more specific plans have been released. "Monstropolis" (my place-keeper) will feature a suspended coaster themed after the door vault as well as a theater production with shopping and dining areas. The Muppets will take over Rockin' Roller Coaster from Aerosmith. MuppetVision is scheduled to close on June 7, but a timeline for Aerosmith to depart has not been announced. Reports indicate that the new coaster theme will be a rock music festival, which will provide greater flexibility as compared to the current single-band theme.

Balloons available at the exit.

Disney - Magic Kingdom Day 1

5 February, 2024

One significant advantage of staying at the Contemporary Resort is the close proximity of The Magic
Kingdom. If there were an entrance in Tomorrowland you could be there in just a couple of minutes (hey, Disney - how about a back gate like the International Gate at EPCOT?) As it is, the walk to the entry is just a few minutes more, and you enter as Walt intended, with train whistles and popcorn scents before emerging onto Main Street USA where Cinderella's Castle towers over the hub, inviting you to "choose your adventure" Note to Disney neophytes: The maps are deliberately skewed in scale to try and direct traffic flow - hence Adventure- and Frontier- lands appear much larger than Tomorrowland in an effort to generate a clockwise traffic flow.  After a quick breakfast in the counter-service lobby restaurant we headed over to the park.

Carousel of Progress

We had passes for TRON later in the day, so we checked the Disney App (much more on that to come in a later post) for attraction wait times and headed to the perennial favorite, Carousel of Progress. Always a good place to take a cool break from the Florida heat, this day it was more an homage to Walt and a touchstone to past visits. It made it's debut at the 1964 World's Fair before moving to Disneyland in 1967 and making it's debut at the Magic Kingdom in 1975.

Upon exiting the Carousel it's a short walk across the plaza to the boarding area for Tomorrowland Transit Authority, or the "PeopleMover" for the older among us, who first experienced it as the "WEDway PeopleMover" - theoretically a continuous ride, the lines never stop moving (except when the ride is interrupted) and generally kid-friendly as long as they don't get spooked in the dark.

By the time we were coming off the PeopleMover the crowds were thickening in Tomorrowland and we had a midafternoon reservation at Skipper Canteen, so we made our way across the hub to Adventureland. The line for another sentimental favorite, Pirates of the Caribbean, was short enough that we could easily make our reservation time at Skipper, so we spent a few minutes with Captains Sparrow and Barbossa before checking in at the Canteen.

This was our second time ever eating at Skipper Canteen, and it was as good as the first time. A cool libation after wading through crowds for several hours was quite refreshing. Our server was suitably punny in Jungle Cruise fashion and the food was on-point. Our ride time for TRON was approaching, so we wrapped things up and headed back across the hub to meet the rest of our party.

TRON is probably the best attraction in the Disney lineup. The line experience is entertaining and exceptionally well done. Lockers are provided to store personal items (don't bother trying to figure out the entry/exit flow the first time - just enjoy the experience) and the plot presentation is enough for those who have no knowledge of the origin story without being overbearing. 

Loading Area

After navigating the first stage of the line you enter a more traditional queue with displays overhead showing the results of current races. At the end of the queue you're separated in groups of two and given a position to stand in behind the boarding gates.When the gate opens one person walks between the light cycles to board from the other side. After climing on the cycle you pull the handlebars towards you to lower the clamshell on your back. There's a test cycle outside the attraction that I highly suggest you "try on" before waiting in line to make sure you can sit comfortably. Bulk, height, and flexibility all impact your comfort, and those of us past a certain age aren't as flexible as we may have been in the past! The ride was developed originally for Tokyo Disney, which tends to have guests of smaller stature. The primary issue I had was my calves, but I found a way to make it work. Once you're loaded and everyone is secure the coaster zips around the corner to the launch platform, where the fun begins!

My daughter and me.

The initial linear launch takes you out of the building, through a banked turn over the approach/exit paths to the attraction, and then back into the building before zipping you through an array of drops and banks with vivid visual effects. The from launch to end the trip is just under two minutes – fairly short even for a thrill coaster, but the overall presentation is worth it, in my opinion. I don't think I'd wait an extended period for future rides unless I was with someone who had never ridden before, but if you have Extended Magic or can get a Lightning Pass (or whatever the current incarnation of "line jumping" happens to be) then go for it. It's not the best coaster I've ever ridden, but it's far from the worst.

When we finished with TRON we made our way back to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, where the lines were now down to just a few minutes. The original incarnation of the attraction was "If You Had Wings" sponsored by the now defunct Eastern Airlines. After Eastern pulled sponsorship in 1987 Disney stripped all mentions of corporate identity and rebranded it "If You Could Fly" which survived until 1989. Not long after, Delta Airlines signed on and it became "Delta Dreamflight" for about six years. When Delta pulled their sponsorship Disney rebranded it once more as "Take Flight" and operated it until 1998. Later that same year it reopened as Buzz Lightyear, which is now the longest operating attraction in that space.

Respectable

"Buzz" - as we call it - is always great fun, largely due to the competitiveness of our group. Some of us
have identified the highest-scoring elements in the game and almost always rank at least near the higher end of "Space Ace" if we don't make it to "Cosmic Commando." I've never seen anyone approach "Galactic Hero" and I'm pretty sure Buzz himself is the only one to reach that rank.

By this point all of the "littles" were reaching the end of their rope and the grandparents weren't far behind. We collected everyone and headed for the gate and the short stroll back to the hotel. After much-needed showers most of the adults convened at the snack bar for munchies, my grandson and his uncle (my younger son) visited the arcade (this turned in to an almost nightly ritual, which I didn't learn of until the last couple of nights of the trip) and everyone shared a general outline of their plans for the next day. With a group as large as ours it was logistically impossible for everyone to do everything together, but the next morning our first group activity was on the books - a character breakfast for the Matriarch's birthday!

Fireworks from our balcony.

Disney - Party of 23

4 February, 2024

My Mom thought it would be fun to take her great-great grandchildren to DisneyWorld. Which included their parents, and their grandparents, and her grandchildren who weren't yet married, and their fiancés, as appropriate.

First time visitor!

That's a group of 23. 

Six of the group were age six or younger. It was the first trip for several. It was the third visit, at age 5 for one of the great-great-grandchildren. One generation up we had a 31 year-old on his first visit. I've lost count of the exact number of times I've been to Walt Disney World, but this trip put me close to twenty trips over the past 50 years.

Yes, it was as chaotic as you are imagining. We engaged the services of Kimmy Spencer at Academy Travel to help coordinate rooms and dining arrangements. I'm not sure how she accomplished it, but all of our group arrangements were handled perfectly, and each room ended up with several hundred dollars in Disney Dining Cards by the time everything was finalized.

On our way!

Most of us flew, from three different locations. A few drove. One came a few days later. We invaded Lake Buena Vista from multiple angles. Flights were cancelled and seats re-booked – but we all arrived within a few hours of our original plans. There were six of us traveling together on two reservations. When we arrived in Charlotte for our connection we discovered the original flight had been cancelled and two of us had confirmed seats on the next flight to Orlando. Since one of the party of four was my three year old grand-nephew we began planning to forfeit our seats in favor of him, so he and his mother could avoid an extended evening. I approached the gate agent, Angel T. and barely had time to explain the situation before he had everything sorted out, including seat assignments. What started out to be a potentially disastrous situation simply disappeared.

We used Mears Connect for the transfer from Orlando International to The Contemporary Resort. While Mears operated Disney's Magical Express when that service was offered, and Mears has always provided good service, long before Magical Express was a thing, the visitor experience just isn't the same. With Magical Express your Disney experience started as soon as you boarded the coach at the airport, and now it's delayed until you arrive on-property. Without too much difficulty we got everyone checked in to their rooms (six rooms in the Contemporary main tower and an apartment in the Bay Lake Tower) and all the accounts sorted out.

With one in an orthopedic boot and one celebrating her 78th birthday, we arranged for ScooterBug to deliver units to the hotel prior to our arrival. Disney rents motorized carts within the parks, but they accommodate electric scooters in all guest areas. If you find yourself in need of a ride, having your "own" device will save incalculable steps and avoid pain and exhaustion by the end of the day.

Balcony view

Panama Canal - Disembark and Flight Home

 21 November, 2023

Port of Los Angeles

We arrived in the port of Los Angeles sometime in the wee hours of the morning. The noise of maneuvering, along with the random clanks and thuds related to securing the ship to the pier, usually wake me up early enough to go back to sleep before my alarm sounds – but not today. My alarm rousted me from bed, and the day began. Up and showered, the challenge of "fit these last few items in your backpack" began. I triumphed yet again, I just had to remember where I stashed everything so I could transfer it to a suitcase when we arrived in the terminal later. 

The last breakfast...

We had our cabin vacated and were in the dining room for breakfast by 7:30. One last order of Eggs Benedict for the road, and it did not disappoint. Departure morning in the dining room is always a bit harried. The crew is trying to get everyone served and out of the dining room so they can complete their changeover duties, others might have to present themselves at immigration, and there are always passengers who need a bit more assistance to navigate the process. Nevertheless the staff handles everything well, even if they don't have time to make small talk. 

Immigration and customs was quick and efficient. A few perfunctory questions (No, we don't have any live plants or animals...) and we were standing at the curb calling our driver from Saferide Transport. Based on my lack of familiarity with the port and the inherent randomness of shared ride services I opted to book a car in advance. This provided both peace of mind with scheduling and a guarantee that there would be adequate room for our luggage. A quick phone call confirmed that he was on site and making his way through the line of traffic to our location. While we were waiting I overheard several people negotiating transportation to the airport via cab at rates that exceeded the fee we paid, and others attempting to book Uber and Lyft rides with little success. Our driver arrived a few minutes later and loaded our luggage while we situated ourselves. In just a few more minutes we found ourselves among the chaos of morning traffic in Los Angeles.

Johnny and Roy?

The trip to the airport was uneventful and the 20 mile trip took about 45 minutes, which I didn't consider bad at all. On the way to the airport we took in as much as we could, as our only other trip to LA was in ~2000 for a long weekend at Disneyland. Imagine my excitement when I spotted an ambulance with "51" on the side. (No, it wasn't LA County, it was LA City, but LA County doesn't have a Station 51 - the "Emergency!" station is actually LA County Station 127) I immediately transformed into 8 year old me and had difficulty containing myself. 

Curbside check-in of our luggage was seamless, as was our stop at the desk. They directed us to the transportation assistance area, where we found a well organized team. There were quite a few people in need of assistance and they juggled the schedules and the needs of the customers with efficiency. We arrived at our gate with enough time to grab a coffee from Starbucks (thankfully online ordering was an option and I didn't have to wait in line with a couple of dozen people.)

We boarded our flight to Charlotte without issue and settled in for the first phase of "re-entry." About an hour in to the flight we were just getting started on lunch when the clichéd announcement sounded overhead asking for anyone with medical training to come to the rear galley to assist a passenger in distress. Technically speaking I can only function at the EMT level when I'm not at work, since my scope of practice is granted by our medical director, so I wasn't eager to respond – but my wife gave me a nudge and I unfastened my seatbelt and trekked down the aisle to the rear galley.

When I arrived at the rear galley I was third in a line of three. The lead flight attendant asked the first person what his background was – a physical therapist. The second person responded that she was a cardiologist. I said I was a paramedic and the cardiologist shoved me out front and proclaimed "He's your guy." I didn't see anyone horizontal, didn't smell any bodily secretions, and there wasn't anyone being restrained or acting out – so I wasn't quite sure why they asked for help.

Then they opened the door to the lavatory.

The flight attendand said he thought it was an overdose, and another flight attendant had the first aid kit opened up, Narcan at the ready. The person sitting in the lavatory (fully dressed, thankfully) was a bit altered, but breathing normally and their pupils weren't pinpoint, so I wasn't concerned about opioids. (The agency I work for sees an average of nearly two overdoses per day, so I'm familiar...) All their vitals were pleasantly normal, they were just a bit altered. They eventually admitted to eating "some" gummies to relax before the flight.

BINGO.

I've seen this many times, and it fit perfectly. The cardiologist was suggesting IV fluids until I pointed out that they would have to administer them, or agree to grant me privileges under her medical license. I assured her that time to metabolize the intoxicating substance was all that was needed. The Captain called from the cockpit, trying to figure out if he needed to divert to an intermediate airport, then the American Airlines doctor (I never even knew there was such a thing) called up from his office and I gave a complete report. He agreed with my assessment of the situation and suggested that the crew focus on managing the patient's activity (they wanted to do anything but sit quietly.) I ventured back to my seat over an hour later, to find my lunch tray cleared. 😐

Upon arrival in Charlotte an EMS crew boarded the plane and escorted the patient off. One of the Paramedics was a former co-worker of a medic that now works with me, so I introduced myself and gave him a brief report. The patient was much calmer by this point and they rode off through the airport on the EMS golf cart.

We located the gate for our final flight and the remainder of our journey home was entirely uneventful.

Panama Canal - Huatulco

17-20 November, 2023 

Not much to report from our stop in Huatulco, Mexico. It is a small, developing cruise ship port about 300 miles down the coast from the more well-known port of Acapulco (regular destination for The Love Boat and home of the world famous cliff divers) and 450 miles from Zihuatanejo, where Andy and Red set up their fishing charter business after leaving Shawshank. 😄

Huatulco

Huatulco is an established resort area that consists of nine separate bays and thirty six beaches. The area is beautiful, with a focus on eco-tourism and sustainable development. Unfortunately there are limited options available for those who are mobility-challenged other than a bus tour, shopping, dining, or bar-hopping. The SCUBA diving is reported to be exceptional and resort reviews range from "good" to "luxurious" while still on the affordable end of the spectrum. The local restaurant scene appears to be well developed and worthy of exploration.

Based on what we observed from the ship I sincerely hope they are able to maintain this focus and preserve the natural beauty while managing the popularity and prosperity of the region. We heard multiple reports that the locals were delightful and the area was pristine. A strong police presence tends to keep crime above petty theft almost non-existent and the are has a reputation of being quite safe for visitors.

It's on our list of potential future vacations, but that list keeps getting longer, so who knows?

The next three days were a smorgasbord of our traditional sea-day activities, with a bit more pool time mixed in. Knowing that my mornings of having my coffee poured and eggs cooked were growing short, I made sure to visit the dining room for breakfast, even if it meant I'd need to squeeze in an afternoon nap at some point (and, let's face it, a nap in the fresh air in a shady spot by the pool is pretty amazing!) 

Packing for our return home was uncomplicated, thanks to our restrained shopping and the only organizational concern being suitcase weight.

Our last three days aboard were idyllic, and served as excellent therapy for my wife's upcoming ankle surgery, scheduled just two weeks after our return.

Artificial ankle joint