Travel Diary: My FREE Disney Getaway and Night Out (sorta kinda)

It finally happened! Fully vaxxed card in hand, I had my first mid-pandemic getaway/trip. My hope was to do something more grand, but as the Summer months ran into Fall as I waited for a medical appointment that kept getting pushed back to provide a 2nd opinion regarding my ability to get vaccinated, I just went for it and got the shots on my own. Thankfully, it wasn't a risk I regretted. Unfortunately, by the time I completed the 21-day cycle for double vaccination, it was time for me to return to my 9-5 for in-person work (hybrid schedule). My window for an extended vacation had closed.

During the Summer, when I was still hopeful, I booked a show ticket to see one of my favorite music artists, Brian Culbertson, LIVE in Orlando, FL. Being the Disney addict that I am, it felt natural to combine the show with a few days nearby at Disney World. At the time, Disney was still not at capacity and protocols for safety were high, so I was comfortable with taking the risk (masked, of course). As time passed, however, the capacity limits were removed and the place is back to normal business with less protocols in place. There's also been a rise in violent incidents with guests getting into fights and violating strict Disney rules that everyone typically abided by pre-Covid. In addition to those issues, there's been controversy regarding their current practices with regard to access to rides and additional costs for things that used to FREE and the removal of free amenities altogether. I've been a passholder for the past decade and due to these combined negativities, I decided not to renew my pass. And then I opted not to purchase a ticket to one of the parks at all. It feels like the place is undergoing a lot of changes that aren't necessarily for the better, so it might be a good idea to let the dust settle for a while before going back.

Nonetheless, being in Orlando and NOT doing anything Disney-related just isn't part of my DNA. It's the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World and there was commemorative merchandise I wanted to get my hands on. So, being non-committal to the full Disney experience, I chose limited exposure via Disney Springs. It's on Disney property and gives you the feel of Disney World, but without the rides, characters and long lines or crowds. The plan was to pick up 50th Anniversary merch at the stores and sample the delicious food from the many vendors on the property, while immersed in holiday decor and Mickey branding. On the Sunday I went, however, it was packed as if it was a park, so I was unable to partake in my culinary plans. Parking was a struggle and grabbing a pretzel from Wetzel's Pretzels was the only thing on my list of tasties I was able to acquire. The pepperoni pretzel and lemonade was a treat as expected and, luckily, was one of the few places that had no line and had space that was sparsely populated. I found a table to park myself and take a few bites before the area became congested and the line for pretzels began to snake past me. My anxiety started to kick up, so I resigned myself to a bit of shopping before checking into my hotel. With it being the weekend, I had higher hopes for Monday, when I suspected the weekend crowd would be returning home or work.

On Monday, it was indeed better. I got there around 11am (DS opens at 10am) and the parking situation was a breeze. Surprisingly, there was still more people than I expected for that time of morning, but it was bearable and mostly sparse. Generally, folks spend their mornings at the parks and DS gets more populated mid-day and on. Sadly, some of the food items I pre-planned to sample throughout the day were either unavailable or I ran out of time due the early check-in time I had to keep for the Culbertson show. In any case, I found my saving grace in a bucket of Disney popcorn (with commemorative 50th popcorn bucket) and a yummy hot chocolate. For my viewing pleasure, I continued the Christmas Tree Stroll, photographing and filming a series of elaborately decorated and Disney-themed holiday trees spread out across the property. As a lover of all things Christmas, I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday decorations that were already up. There was more shopping, browsing, snacking (Dole Whip), walking and resting to enjoy the ambiance for no cost at all.

Besides food and shopping, the entire experience cost me nothing. It was like a day at the mall, but a very merry Disney mall. The weather was outstanding for being outdoors; crisp, sunny and clear blue skies; an ideal day. No hustle or bustle to be had; just relaxation for FREE! I didn't miss the rides or the characters and, although I had hoped to have time to tour some of the Disney hotel properties, my early check-in time meant I had to forgo that...and I didn't miss it at all.

Now, in addition to the free entry and experience at Disney Springs, I stayed in Orlando for two nights for FREE because of a reward nights program via IHG Rewards . The program is offered through IHG Hotels & Resorts (Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express/Crowne Plaza/Staybridge Suites/Candlewood Suites/Indigo). When you get the IHG Rewards Credit Card, you not only earn points when you use the card (you also have opportunities to double or triple your points), book stays at any hotel in the IHG brand family, and make payments to your card, but you're awarded one FREE night every year on the anniversary of when you joined. You then have a full year to use your free night. In addition to that, you can use your points to pay less on hotel rooms or redeem your points for additional free nights. I've had this card for about 6 years and I can say it's absolutely worth it if you like to travel, but don't want to pay a lot for hotel stays. I've stayed in NYC for a couple of nights for FREE and paid way less for stays in Orlando while visiting Disney with family and on other excursions.

For 2019, I earned my free reward night and was unable to use it in 2020 due to the pandemic. Because of the travel restrictions, IHG extended the time on free nights so they weren't lost. In 2020, I earned a free reward night that was due to expire this year. And in 2021 I earned another free anniversary night. So, in total, I had accumulated THREE FREE hotel night stays in my IHG account. For this getaway, I used TWO of them; Holiday Inn Disney Springs - Disney partner hotel (10 minute walk to Disney Springs) and Crowne Plaza Downtown Orlando. I drove my own car up and back, so besides gas and self-parking at the hotels, the lodging was completely FREE. Both hotels offered points and/or free amenities during my stay.

Keep in mind that there is a staff shortage everywhere, and it's no different for the hotel industry. There were some problems I've never had that were prevalent on this getaway, but I knew the reason why and tried not to let it ruin my experience. In normal times these hotels were always excellent places to stay. Overall, it was a nice time away and I'm glad I did it. Not only did I need a change of scenery after being cooped up at home (which I love) for so long, but I got my Disney itch scratched, had an amazing entertainment experience and got some well needed rest and pampering. It also broke me out of my anxiety about traveling in these current times. I was as safe as I could be and still managed to have fun, which only encourages me to venture out even more.

I still have one last reward night in my account and I'm already planning how to use it and my IHG points to save money on my next adventure!