Over the past week, I’ve been out of the office and visiting some friends in the Sunshine State.
My girlfriend, Kenzie, and her son, Brantly, and I headed to Tampa Bay to visit some friends and get a tan.
I love Florida, but you can always bet that most of the day, there’s a high chance you will be stuck in traffic. It’s ridiculous how many people are stuffed together down here, and it makes you appreciate Leelanau. I don’t know how people do it every day.
After spending a few days in Tampa, Kenzie planned a surprise for Brantley, 4, taking him to Disney World for one day. She worked hard to make this happen for her little boy, and I was happy to tag along and support her during the hectic day.
When she told Brantley as we were arriving, he jumped out of his seat with the biggest smile.
The funny thing was that he kept on saying, “I know Disney is in Florida,” as if he already knew we were going.
We went to the Magic Kingdom, rode whimsical rides, and saw plenty of awesome skits.
Brantley’s favorite was Buzz Lightyear, and he even got to meet Woody and his sister, Jessie. We told him Buzz was busy in the castle, but maybe one day he could meet him.
It was certainly a magical experience for Brantley.
This was my second time going to Disney, first since I was 9 years old. I have to say the production value is off the charts, and the staff is extremely nice at the Magic Kingdom.
I rate it only four stars out of five because the food was average at best unless you wanted a four-course meal. The mobile app was okay, but it had trouble being accurate in terms of waiting times and GPS.
My favorite part was the Space Mountain ride. A roller coaster that twists and turns in outer space.
Kenzie hasn’t been there since she was 18-years-old. She reports it was unbelievably fun, but there has been a drop-off over the past decade. We aren’t sure if that’s just us getting older. She recommends getting a park hopper pass because most of the things you want to see can be done in half a day.
We are enjoying a few days at Daytona Beach before catching a flight and heading back north. One thing we talked about is that we are Michigan people with a hint of tropical in us.
We hope all of you stayed safe during the ice storm.
