Martinis, Magic, and the Great Sweatshirt Saga
Day One Girls Trip
I managed to snag a little bit of rest, relaxation, and some good old-fashioned girl fun. On March 3rd, my two friends and I hopped on a plane early enough to land at Disney by 11:00 AM. For this trip, we are staying at the Contemporary Bay Lake Towers—a huge thank you to Danielle for making this dream happen for me!
I’m not sure how many of you know this, but I have a superpower: I can smell everything with a sensitivity that borders on the paranormal. If you aren’t a Disney nerd, you might not know that they have specific scents pumped into each hotel, throughout the parks, and even on the rides. This "extra" sense is a big deal for me; I actually keep several Disney-scented candles around my house to keep the vibe alive. Well, the signature scent of the Contemporary hit me the moment those doors slid open, and I’m already planning to add it to my next candle order.
Check-in was seamless. While the bellman took our bags and Heather headed to the gym (the dedication!), Danielle and I made a bee-line for the bar at Steakhouse 71 to wait for our room.
We kicked things off with espresso martinis, buffalo wings, and a Caesar salad. Our first bartender was perfectly lovely, but things got interesting when a couple sat down next to us. They ordered the same martinis from the other bartender, but their glasses were noticeably... well, let's just say "extra large."
Being me, I couldn’t help but start some playful banter with both of them about the "size discrepancy." We were all laughing and poking fun at the situation, and that’s when we realized the second bartender, Shaz, was truly awesome. He leaned right into the jokes and, to our delight, hooked us up with the larger glasses for the rest of our rounds. We had a blast chatting with him as he kept the drinks (and the good vibes) flowing!
I also had a culinary breakthrough: I discovered that my lifelong disdain for blue cheese was actually just a disdain for bad blue cheese. The homemade dressing here was phenomenal—so good that I officially jumped ship from Team Ranch to Team Blue Cheese. When Heather finally joined us, Shaz made sure she was right in on the jokes and the drinks.
Once our room was ready, we decided to be responsible adults, cut ourselves off, and head up. The room is beautiful. Even though we didn't get the Magic Kingdom fireworks view we’d hoped for, the balcony view is stunning, overlooking the pool, the beach, and the lake. We can even see Epcot in the distance!
We got all prettied up to go explore the other monorail resorts. Our first stop was the Polynesian—it was magical and tropical, but also absolutely packed. Since there wasn't a seat in sight, we headed over to the Grand Floridian. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We snagged a table at the Enchanted Rose for more drinks and snacks, including those house-made truffle fries. Those fries are what dreams are made of—especially for someone like me who hasn’t had a fry in years!
Next, we hit Disney Springs. The weather was perfect as we wandered into World of Disney. Danielle and I both grabbed sweatshirts, which marks the official beginning of "Danielle’s Sweatshirt Story." I won’t give too much away yet, but let’s just say it involves a lot of "ooh, that’s soft" and maybe a little bit, but I don’t know. Stay tuned for the next update to see how this cozy obsession unfolds!
We ended the night enjoying a free concert. The band was incredible, and you all know I can’t help but dance—especially when they started playing "September." It got me in the perfect headspace for our Guardians of the Galaxy ride tomorrow (lightning lane is already secured!). To top off a perfect evening, I had the brilliant idea to head to the photo studio for some 80s JC Penney-style portraits.
It was a truly great start.
