Later this week, I will be heading down to Walt Disney World for a nice long eight-day vacation in the world.  My  wife and I have been planning this trip for over a year.  Today, I am posting some of the Florida/Walt Disney World related things that I am looking forward to during this vacation.

1. Warmer Weather

Those of us in the upstate NY area got to wake up to an inch of slushy/starting to melt snow.  Nothing gets me down more than snow and snow in November is not something I like seeing.  So, I decided to look at the weather for later in the week for Orlando.  Friday’s forecast: Partly Sunny and 74 degrees.  Temperatures early next week get into the mid 80’s.  I can live with one day of crappy weather knowing I’ll be in the warmth soon.

2.  Golfing at Walt Disney World

I like to golf when I can and the weather in good.  As much as snow in November gets me down, golfing in November cheers me up.  This past Friday, I went to local OfficeMax which doubles as a FedEx shipping station to ship my golf clubs down to Walt Disney World.  Shipping my golf clubs is saving me $140 each way.  It would have cost me $200 each way to take my golf clubs on the plane as an “oversized” bag.  FedEx, on the other hand, is only charging me $60 each way to ship my golf clubs.  Yeah, it will take a bit longer for my clubs to get there and back but when it 34 degrees and raining where I live….am I going to golfing anyway?  No way, I’m staying inside where it’s warm.

As a DVC member, I got a really nice rate for my round of golf at The Magnolia course….$69.  $69 for a championship level course heading into the height of the Florida golf season….yes, please!

3. Viewing the Festival of Fantasy Parade

I’m not a parade person.  I don’t like waiting for parade.  I don’t like standing still for too long because it bothers my feet.  Typically, when a parade is going on, I head for the headliner attractions and try to experience those while everyone is watching the parade.

That said, I have heard great things about the Festival of Fantasy Parade and that is one Disney best ever parades.  I like the fact that it brings back one of my favorite characters…Dumbo.  I love Dumbo.  I love the Dumbo movie.  Without Dumbo, there is no Walt Disney World in my opinion.

4. Enjoy Some Old Favorite Restaurants and Trying Some New Ones Too

By the end of this week, I will have had lunch at one of my favorite counter service locations….Contempo Cafe.  You can read more about love for this location by clicking the link in the previous sentence.  For dinner, we will be enjoying meals at Crystal Palace, Via Napoli, and Chef Mickey’s.  We will also be branching out to some new dining establishments like Yachtsman Steakhouse and Boatwright’s.  I look forward to the food as much as the parks when I go to Walt Disney World.

5. Just Being Able to Relax for a Week

Walt Disney World is the one place where my entire family is able to escape from the rest of the world and enter the “Disney Bubble.”  There are no concerns about work or sports practice or band practice.  Just “what do we want to do today.”  Now of course, some of our wants are constrained by dining reservations and, now, Fastpass+ reservations.  But we are not over-scheduled.  Our demands for time aren’t focused on other times.  Our demands for time are focused on ourselves and every now and again that where the demands for time need to be focused.

So with that, you will see at least one, maybe, two more blog posts before I go down to Walt Disney World.  You will be able see lots of pictures of my vacation on the Dad For Disney Facebook Group and on Twitter.  Once I return, there will be lots of posts on trip reports and reviews of attractions, parades, and dining experiences.

Thanks for reading!