Why I was MIA for a month & my Labor Day Weekend Disney Trip: Day 1

Why September Was a Disaster (But Still Magical)

Yeah, my immune system came with terms and conditions I DID NOT agree to... I want a refund.

So, you’re probably wondering, Michelle, why didn’t you post at all in September? Well… Disney didn’t kill me, but everything else tried. Weather so hot it could melt the rubber on my shoes, me injuring myself multiple times, and then I came back with COVID followed by a lovely case of Strep Throat. Let’s just say September was rough and I still have a cough that won't go away.

But we made it to Disney, and boy oh boy did we have an adventure!

Travel Day & Blizzard Beach

Even after all these years, the magic of driving under this sign still gets me hyper like a little kid that ate too much sugar!

We got up super early (5 AM!) and after a pleasant coffee fueled drive, we made it to Disney by 10 AM. We checked in almost immediately at Pop Century, dropped our bags, grabbed swimsuits, and headed straight to Blizzard Beach.

This was my first time at a Disney waterpark (my husband had been before). Honestly, I’m glad we got in the park for free—the slides would have been tough with my mobility issues, and some of the stairs nearly killed my knees. But the lazy river? Absolute favorite. There’s a section with a little house where a guy sneezes and blasts icy water from the chimney—so cold but hilarious. The decorations throughout the park were adorable too.

First-Day Injury: While getting out of a tube on the lazy river, my left-hand index finger got jammed. Ouch. It was swollen the rest of my trip and is still tinder as of today.

I feel ya Deku, I feel ya. (Don't get it? Check out the awesome anime, My Hero Academia.)

Also, locker rental was $12, towel rentals were free, and due to my anxiety of an iPhone + water=no phone thus pictures sadly.

Lunch at Lottawatta Lodge:

• Me: chicken fingers & fries (gluten-free, simple, tasty)

• Husband: Turkey sandwich

• Overall: good, but nothing fancy.

• Rating: 3 out of 5 goats - 🐐🐐🐐

Dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro

We left the water park a little early so we could shower and change to go to dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro located in the Caribbean Beach Resort. Dark clouds started coming in while we traveled on the Skyliner and a few minutes after we got to the restaurant it began pouring rain. We were about an hour early and due to the rain, we asked if they could seat us early, and they let us! Man was it a magical meal!

Highlights:

• Family-style meal with gluten-free options.

• Rum flight: 3 rums we’d never tried.

• Tapioca dinner rolls with guava butter & onion jam.

• Family plate: fish, chicken, pulled pork, sliced beef; cilantro-lime rice, black beans, sweet plantains, seasonal vegetables.

• Favorites: sliced beef with chimichurri, pulled pork with mango salsa.

• Least favorite: the fish & broccoli.

Rating: 4 out of 5 goats -🐐🐐🐐🐐

Murphy’s Law in Action

Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong..... and boy did it plague us the whole trip! However, Disney saved us each time.

As we ate our dinner, we noticed that the Skyliner had shut down for the night due to the storm. Now our conundrum is that there is not a bus that goes from the Caribbean Beach to Pop Century. After looking at our bus options, we ended up taking a bus to Animal Kingdom. The crazy part was we were the only people on the bus. Also, when we pulled into Animal Kingdom to get off and find the bus that was going to our hotel, a cast member told us that Animal Kingdom had closed early for a corporate event. The driver and the cast member talked for a few seconds then we were instructed to get back on the bus. Amazing bus driver saved the day by driving just the two of us back to Pop Century! A whole bus to ourselves with a seriously cool bus driver, you got to love how Disney goes above and beyond!

My observations of my stay at the Pop Century Restort: 

ADA accessible, clean, low bed, safe toilet & shower bars. Let's be honest though, this is a basic room at a value hotel so don't set your bar too high. Lobby renovations ongoing, but food court completed—perfect for breakfast and late-night snacks.

Rating: 4 out of 5 goats -🐐🐐🐐🐐

Stay tuned for what went right and wrong at Epcot and the tasty and not so tasty eats at the Food & Wine Festival!

Have you had a transit issue due to rain on a trip? Drop your story in the comments!