A few weeks ago, we did something totally crazy (and fun and spontaneous). Just days before Christmas, we surprised our kids with a very quick, 24 hour trip from Seattle to Orlando, Florida with Walt Disney World Resort, Delta Airlines, and Delta Vacations to fly the inaugural new nonstop flight from SEA to MCO. How it went down was totally unexpected and how we pulled it off was completely spontaneous. The result? The kind of trip that we, and most importantly – the kids – will remember forever. Here’s that story.
Delta Airlines has been rapidly adding new, nonstop flights to sunshine from our home airport in Seattle to destinations such as Hawaii, and now Cancun, Mexico and Orlando, Florida. Disney and Delta invited us to be a part of the inaugural flight on December 19, 2015 to celebrate. The hitch? We had just 24 hours to fly to the other side of the country with two kids in tow, spend all day at Walt Disney World Resort, then fly home on at the early flight back home the next morning. Did I mention it was just days before Christmas?
After tossing it around a bit, weighing the pros and cons, my husband and I decided to go for it.
So on that Saturday night, we secretly packed just one, small carry-on bag, loaded it in the car, popped some popcorn and told the kids we were going out for our annual holiday tradition of driving the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. We drove around for about 15-20 minutes, weaving through the neighborhood illuminated by twinkling lights before my husband made the left turn to head down the hill. He then said to the kids, quietly snacking on popcorn in their jammies in the backseat, “Hey kids. I wonder what other places have really awesome Christmas lights?” I chimed in out of the blue and said, “You know what, I think Disney World in Florida has really amazing lights this time of year.” I turned around to see the kids looking at me with puzzled expressions on their faces. Then, I said, “Yes I think they do. Let’s go to the airport right now.” They laughed awkwardly, sort of looking a little unsure if we were serious or kidding. Then my husband kept driving and said, “I’m driving to the airport. We’re going to Orlando tonight!” They were so shocked, and my youngest insisted that it was not funny to joke around about taking a trip (We take our trips very seriously in our family).
But we were not joking. And we drove to the airport for the start of what would be a whirlwind 24 hour trip. A unforgettable moment for the family memory books. Here’s a quick snapshot of our whirlwind trip to Walt Disney World for 24 hours of adventure:
Book Now Seattle to Orlando // Walt Disney World
Look outside. If you live in Seattle or other cool regions of the country, there is no better time to book a trip and warm up then during these dark winter and spring months. Seattle peeps – if you are ready to escape the rain and plan your own vacation to a Walt Disney World, here are some helpful tips (and deals and links!) to help you book your family trip to Walt Disney World for mid-winter or spring break:
- Book a new nonstop flight: Delta Airlines now flies a new daily, nonstop flight from Seattle to Orlando, Florida. As of today’s writing, this flight departs daily at night, getting you into Orlando at a perfect time to start your day (or head to the hotel for a nap!) – just as the sunrise turns the Florida sky beautiful colors of gold and amber.
- Walt Disney World Vacations Deal: Delta Vacations is offering a great Walt Disney World package for families right now starting at $744 per person that includes:
- Round-trip airfare to Orlando
- 5 nights in a Disney Resort hotel,
- 5 day Magic Your Way base ticket
- Round-trip airport transportation aboard Disney’s Magical Express bus
- Offer dates: You must book by February 28, 2016 for travel between February 22 – June 11, 2016. Here’s the link to more details and to plan your dates of travel.
The good news? Five days will give you A LOT MORE time to explore Walt Disney Resort and the nonstop flight schedule and a Magic Your Way park-hopper will allow you to really maximize your five days. 
- Consider adding on a Disney cruise: One sure way to warm up your winter is to add on a tropical cruise aboard a Disney Cruise. Orlando (MCO) is the perfect airport destination to extend your trip for sun, sand, and adventure at sea with a Disney Cruise. It has been ages since our sailing with Disney Cruise Line, but our trip on the Disney Dream was an absolute dream and we’d take another Disney Cruise again in a heart beat. It’s a once in a lifetime trip.
What would you do with 24 hours in Walt Disney World Resort in 2016?
Editorial note and disclosure: We were hosted by Delta and Disney for this trip and received complimentary travel for review purposes. As always, opinions expressed here are our own.