November 2022
Guardians of the Galaxy - Cosmic Rewind

    Kelli and I wanted to head down again for the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. Our friend Mark also wanted to come along as he hadn't been there since high school. He knew we would be great guides. We made plans for an eight-day trip for November. As it turned out Kelli's sister and brother-in-law (also DVC members) planned a trip and our last three days will overlap with theirs. We decided to meet them for dinner for our last two nights. We will all be staying at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa in the Congress section, all on DVC points.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 

     We were set to leave out of Westchester County Airport at 8:30 AM, arriving at 11:30AM. We thought we were safe as Orlando International Airport would not close till 4 PM due to Hurricane Nicole. Jet Blue called my cell at 2:30 am telling us our flight was cancelled. I called and woke up Mark and we were able to rebook but not till early Saturday morning out of JFK at 7:30 AM. We would miss three whole days and miss the Christmas party. But we figured that would be cancelled anyway. We did get a notice later that our room #2247 was ready on the second floor of Congress Park. I called DVC who called the hotel to keep our room as is.

Thursday November 10, 2022 

     On Thursday it seemed most of the storm had passed by mid-day; so, I checked for flights. Kelli and I were then able to rebook for an afternoon flight on the Friday going out of Newark. Mark could not. Worst of all Disney did not cancel the Christmas Party and we would miss it. Mark will keep his Saturday flight for early morning out of JFK.

Friday November 11, 2022 

     We left very early for Newark airport at 10:54 am and had no traffic getting there. It started to rain halfway there. The economy lot was closed! But an attendant gave us a voucher to park at the daily parking Lot P4 for the Economy rate. This was lucky since we now parked in a covered garage out of the rain and could take their Air-Train to terminal A, avoiding any rain. 

     We were at the terminal at 12:15 PM. Newark did not have the TSA Precheck Lane open. While on line the fire alarm went off. Business as usual. Everyone carried on without regard to the alarm. Worst of all there was chaos as usual with the narrow security area. The wait was listed at 20 minutes, but it was a TSA lie and it took 45 minutes. We still had time and quickly ate at Ruby Tuesday having a cheeseburger and a bacon cheeseburger. 

     Our plane's name was Blue Betta Work, but it turned out to be It Don't Work. We scanned our boarding passes and were halfway down the gangway when the pilot walked by and said they have a flat tire, but maintenance works like NASCAR and will fix it in 20 minutes. Nope, it took one and a half hours. We heard one passenger say. "Looks like they lost the race." 

     We started re-boarding at 3:35pm. We had exit row seats but no TV, and Kelli had no seat in front of her to store her personal item so used mine and I put my computer bag in the overhead. Halfway through the flight we discovered TV's that fold up from the seats and foldable trays as well. We felt like dummies. 

    JetBlue just started using the new Terminal C. It was clean and bright, but it was a long walk to the luggage carousel. We asked how to get to Terminal A/B, and they said take the bus. There was major confusion outside as the bus stop was way past the signs for it  and it was an unmarked coach bus. The ride was incredibly long since it took a long time to both store everyone's luggage and get it back.

      The evening was getting later and later and was now almost 8 pm. Budget Rent a Car was the usual pain in the ass with check-in people trying to screw you and not answer questions that you ask. Shame on JetBlue for associating with this questionably company. We got our Camry, but phone service was lousy, so I had to remember the way to Disney as the phone GPS was worthless. We crossed under the Disney sign at 9:20 pm. We could not believe it took so long to get down here. 

      We had a very late dinner at Artist Pallet. Kelli had the kid's meatball with Polenta with sides of grapes and I had the Mango Rum-barbecued Pulled Pork sandwich. With a water the bill was $20.32. I checked in with the front desk to make sure everything was OK and that our magic bands worked. We also picked up our Garden Grocer order from bell services. Our room was 2247 and had a great view of the water and Disney Springs. It was too late to do anything, so we just relaxed on our balcony. We loved the Disney touch of having our name on the TV. How cool!

Saturday November 12, 2022 

     I was up just before 7 AM to make a lightning lane for the Mine Train for 3:20-4:20PM. Breakfast was on the balcony. Kelli and I did a relaxing Bird Walk in the morning, followed by a trip to Disney Springs for some shopping. We noticed some of the Christmas decorations such as Santa hats on the Carousel horses. We sat outside Ghirardelli till the stores opened at 10 AM. We did the large Disney store first. I bought both the Coke and Sprite Star Wars "Thermal Detonator" bottles at the Star Wars Trading post. With the 20% DVC discount they only came out to $4.80 each. 

     Mark texted that he was on his way to the resort. We met him at his door, 4th floor of the same building but on the opposite side. We gave him his Garden Grocer order and all three of us headed to the Magic Kingdom. We first ran into the Barbershop Quartet and listened for a bit. Mark took a picture of Kelli and I in front of the MK Christmas Tree.

      Lunch was at the Plaza Restaurant and our server's name was TJ. I tried the Marceline Mudslide - Breckenridge Vanilla Porter Beer, with Vanilla Ice Cream, garnished with Chocolate Syrup and whipped cream. Kelli and I both liked this twist on a mudslide. We all ordered the Soup of the day, a tomato and roasted pepper soup. Kelli had the BLT Salad with Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato, House-made Bacon, and Warm Bacon Dressing. Mark and I had the Seared Crab Cakes. Served with Apple Slaw and a Zesty Aïoli. The DVC discount saved us $7.28, and the bill was $80.93 before tip. Kelli said this was her best Plaza meal ever. 

     Our first ride using the lightning lane was Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Mark and I rode together. The ride stopped a few times, so I finally maxed out and scored 999,999. After visiting the restrooms, we made our way over to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Kelli sat this one out and Mark and I were quickly on and off. We always look for things we did not notice before. This time we found Marie (the cat), outside the Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant in Fantasyland. 

     Next up, again using lightning lane, was the Jungle Cruise (Jingle Cruise). We enjoyed the Christmas overlay to the ride and some of the new scenes added to the ride, including monkeys taking over Trader Sam's hut. Mark remarked on how fast and numerous the jokes were. I also like that the boat names were modified for Christmas. Our boat was Yule Log Lolly. We disembarked the ride and Mark was nowhere to be found. We found him back at the dock. His Magic Band popped off while getting off the boat and it managed to fall right between the dock and boat into the water. The Cast members were great. They gave him a certificate to replace his Magic band. We had to go to Main Street and find an exact replacement. Cast Member Amanda was great as she also helped him link the new band to his account. 

     Back at the top of Main Street we saw them shooting for the Christmas special. Only selected cast members could get close, but it was cool to be there the same day and we looked forward to seeing it on TV. We did Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor next. Funny and audience interactive as ever. This was followed by a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. As we walked behind the castle, Kelli Facetimed with our great niece and nephew, Maddie and Liam. We then did Peter Pan's Flight again using lightning lane followed by Mickey's PhilharMagic. 

     Columbia Harbour House was the choice for dinner. After getting our food we showed Mark the "secret place" to have a quieter, relaxing dinner. This was the less known seating upstairs. I had the Lobster Roll and tried the Happy Haunts Milk Shake - Blackberry Milk Shake topped with a purple chocolate glazed doughnut covered with black sprinkles and . Kelli had the Kids Chicken fingers with green beans and Mark chose the kids salmon with rice and green beans. We all enjoyed our meals.

     Next was another old classic, the Country Bears Jamboree. 

     Then, we made our way to Main Street, but were diverted by Cast Members backstage to the foot of Main Street. We made our way towards the castle till the crowds filled in. We enjoyed the Disney Enchantment fireworks and quickly left to catch a bus back to the resort to rest up for the next day.

Sunday, November 13, 2022 

     We woke at 6:00 am and had breakfast on the balcony as the sun rose. 

     At 7 AM on the dot, I made a Lightning Lane Entry for Avatar Flight of Passage for 1:00 PM and another for Kilimanjaro Safaris at 8:30 AM. 

     We headed for Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park and were on bus at 6:55 am for the 7:30 AM rope drop. 

     We crossed onto Discovery Island in front of the Tree of Life just as they started letting people to the lands. We made our way to Na'vi River Journey and introduced Mark to the world of Pandora.

     We back tracked to do It's Tough to be a Bug!, letting Mark enjoy the stingers and the crawling bug under your seat. We also enjoyed some of the animal carvings found in the Tree of Life.

     This was followed by our two-week Kilimanjaro Safaris using lightning lane. While on line I made another lightning lane for Expedition Everest. 

     We then made it to the 10 am show of the Festival of the Lion King. The performers were great as usual. 

     We made our way to Asia as it started to rain. Mark and I left Kelli under a protected area and we both enjoyed Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. Mark liked the broken tracks that stopped us on the coaster ride. We made the 11:30 show of Feathered Friends in Flight! It's remarkable on how many birds and other animals are trained to do this show. 

     Pocahontas came by in a boat at one of the bridges. We decide to have lunch at the Flame Tree Barbecue. We saw the back of Kevin after she passed while we were mobile ordering.

     Kelli and I shared the Smokehouse Chicken Salad, St. Louis Rib Dinner, 50th Anniversary Celebration Cupcake and the pumpkin spice Fall Festival Cupcake. Mark had pulled pork on a roll.  We all made our way down to the seating by the water. A few boats came by during our lunch featuring Dug and Russell: The Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe and even Santa Claus. We ended up sharing the Fall Festival cupcake but took the 50th Anniversary cupcake back to the room.

     It was time for Mark and I's Lightning Lane for Avatar Flight of Passage while Kelli shopped. We also rode Dinosaur using Lightning Lane before meeting up with Kelli. Mark stayed in the park to explore both the Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. 

     Kelli and I were on a bus back to the resort by 2:40 PM. We relaxed on our balcony and saw hundreds of Turkey Vultures migrating. I also watched a crazy Vikings - Bills game on TV. When Joan and Rich arrived, we met them at their room and gave them their groceries. 

     Later, after Mark got back from Animal Kingdom and freshened up, we drove to Animal Kingdom Lodge for our 7 PM Boma - Flavors of Africa ADR. We were early and explored the lodge and the outside area mainly only seeing the Pink-backed Pelicans. We checked in at the restaurant and we were seated at 6:53 PM The cost of the buffet is now $54, DVC discount saved 10%.

Here is the entire selection for tonight (this is rarely found published anywhere). Items do change daily

Boma - Flavors of Africa Dinner Menu 

Olive Oil Herb-crusted Potatoes 
Candied Fufu 
Sweet Corn Pudding with Spinach and Chakalaka Jam 
Senegalase Salmon with Yassa Sauce 
African Carved Strip Loin 
Spiced Pork Ribs with Tamarind-Honey Barbeque Sauce 
Bobotie - ground beef, lamb mushrooms and egg 
Durban-style Roasted Chicken Basmati Rice 
West African Black Eyed-peas and Stewed Tomatoes 
Spiced Green Beans with Golden Raisins 
Coconut-flavored Basmati Rice 
Ghanaian Oxtail Stew with Tamarind 
Butternut Squash Soup 
Sambal Chicken Corn Chowder 
Seafood Gumbo 
Harira - Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Lentils 
Avocado, Papaya and Grapefruit Salad 
Cole Slaw 
Pasta Salad 
Berbere Chickpea Salad 
Tabbouleh 
North African Cauliflower Salad 
Tunisian Couscous and Shrimp Salad 
Mixed Garden Greens 
Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato 
Chili Cilantro Vinaigrette 
Feta Cheese 
Buttermilk, lentil, cilantro dressing 
Watermelon 
Boma Fruit Salad 
Spiced Cottage Cheese with Pineapple Chutney 
Grapes 
Strawberries 
Hummus 
Sun-dried Tomato Hummus 
Coriander Hummus 
Lavosh (flat bread) 
Banana Bread Pudding 
Vanilla Sauce 
Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Mini Cupcakes 
Kenyan Coffee Tart 
Zebra Domes 
Passion Fruit Mousse 
Hazelnut Brownie Pineapple Financier

     We all enjoyed everything we tried. Standouts included Butternut Squash Soup, Spiced Green Beans with Golden Raisins, and the North African Cauliflower Salad. This is the 9th time here, and it's still great and never gets old.

Monday, November 14, 2022

     Joan and Rich will be joining us. At 7 AM I made a Lightning Lane Entry for Mark and Rich and myself, for the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for 11:20 AM. I could not wait to ride this brand-new attraction. All five of us caught the bus to enjoy the half hour early entry for deluxe hotel guests. We entered before 8:30 as Epcot opens to everyone else at 9 AM. 

     We enjoyed a ride on Soarin', followed by the Living with Land boat ride. I especially liked the gourd called Buddha's Hand. Its kind of a creepy looking fruit. I also liked that they had Wine and Food setups along the way. 

     Next was the movie, Awesome Planet with some great cinematography. This was a first for Joan, Rich, and Mark. 

     We walked over to the Seas Pavilion and rode The Seas with Nemo & Friends and enjoyed the Aquarium afterwards. 

     Pooh was out trying to catch butterflies at the Imagination Pavilion. 

     We rode Journey into Imagination with Figment followed by the Disney and Pixar short film festival. 

     Kelli and Joan shopped in Creations while Mark, Rich and I went to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind where our tour of the Wonders of Xandar was interrupted by a Celestial. We and the Guardians of the Galaxy then had to save the Galaxy. The new ride technology, an omni-coaster was awesome. It's a real roller coaster but the cars swivel and at times you go backwards, or sideways around sharp curves. It was a very smooth ride and exhilarating. Best of all the music for our ride was Earth, Wind and Fire's "September." 

     We were getting hungry and started to enjoy some of the Food and Wine Festival. First was a stop at Brew-wing inside the Odyssey building. I had to try the Sticky Wings with Peanut Sauce and Grape Jelly. Joan got an order of Garlic Parmesan Wings. We all shared both wings. The peanut wings were not as unusual as I thought, they were sort of like wings with a Thai peanut sauce with some sweet jelly adding to the experience. 

     We all made our way down to the world showcase. Kelli and I stopped at Kenya for some Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Beef Tenderloin with sweet Potato and Corn Mealie Pap and Kachumbari Slaw.

      Joan and Rich tried some of the Swiss Cheese dishes in "The Alps" along with a beer. At the German kiosk Kelli and I tried the Schöfferhofer Pineapple Hefeweizen beer, which we both liked. Joan and Rich got Schinkennudeln (pasta gratin with ham onions and cheese) and an Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce which they shared with all of us. 

     We then spent some time looking at the outdoor train sets.

I     n Italy, Kelli and I shared the Panna Cotta: Orange Blossom Panna Cotta with Seasonal Berries and the Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello. 

     We then all enjoyed the Voices of Liberty inside the American Pavilion. I was surprised I could take in my drink. 

     We caught the end of the Matsuriza Drummers in Japan. 

      We had a lot of time before our dinner reservation, so we all exited Epcot through the International Gateway and took a ride on the Skyway to the Caribbean Beach Resort and back. We shopped in the UK pavilion where I purchased some fudge made with Guinness. It was not as good as I imagined. Out back in the pavilion's garden we luckily found the band "Command Performance." They were great and it was the first time I ever heard Baba O'Reilly played live. 

     Mark and I tried for the Apple Cider Flight at Appleseed Orchard, but the line was too long. 

     At the Australia kiosk, I got the Roasted Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies and the Lamington: Yellow Cake with Raspberry Filling dipped in Chocolate and Coconut.

     The mariachi band was playing as we made our way to Norway. We all rode Frozen Ever After using Lightning Lane. With Genie plus, we were barely waiting on lines so far for this trip. We quickly looked in the Stave Church gallery which still featured Viking Lore. Kelli, Mark and I made our way into the Mexico Pavilion and perused the shops. Rich joined us. We had time so rode the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. We met Joan to sit and relax outside of Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe. I went in and grabbed a Viking Coffee - Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur and Kamora Coffee Liqueur along with a Kopparberg Mixed Fruit Tropical Cider. Both were good. 

     Dinner was at La Hacienda de San Angel where I had a Blood Orange Margarita - with tequila, orange liqueur, sweet-tart mix of blood orange, hint of rum and vanilla, with a Tajín chile-lime powder rim. Rich had the Classic Margarita. Mark, Rich, and I ordered the Flautas - Fired Tortillas filled with Chipotle Chicken, Potato, Cheese, and Ranchera Sauce. Kelli had the Pollo Poblano - Roasted Chicken Breast with Poblano Cream Sauce, served with Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, and Oyster Mushrooms. Joan ordered the Alambre de Res - Seared Tenderloin, Bacon, Poblano and Bell Peppers, Onions with Monterey Jack Cheese, with Salsa Verde, Rice with Beans, and Flour Tortillas. We shared the 50th Anniversary Celebration Fiesta Pyramid Dessert. A festively decorated Chocolate Pyramid filled with Mexican Chocolate Mousse and Toffee atop a traditional Tres Leches Cake and accompanied by Ice Cream. The Bill came out to $185.55 with the DVC discount before the tip. 

     We left the park at 7:30. A guy was passed out near our bus stop.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

     At 7 AM I made a Lightning Lane Entry for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for the five of us. Disney's Hollywood Studios opened at 8 am for deluxe resort guests and we arrived at 7:50 AM. We rope dropped Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. On the way there we saw a trash can spewing out bubbles, only in Disney. 

     Next was Toy Story Mania! I rode alone and had top score with 190,900. After a pitstop we all rode Kelli's favorite, Alien Swirling Saucers. They played Christmas music for the ride. 

     We saw Buzz Lightyear meeting folks wearing a Santa hat. Kelli brought some cute ears featuring Pluto and Runaway Railway. 

     We then enjoyed Muppet*Vision 3D. We went right into the theater having just missed the preshow. Mark and I went to do Star Tours: The Adventures Continue using the standby line. The others went to enjoy the Frozen Sing-along. This was the only time we spent some time on a line. The wait said 45 minutes, but we were on in 30. This ride featured the new characters including Kylo Ren, Maz Kanata, Finn, and Poe Dameron. We visited Jakku and joined the battle on Crait from The Last Jedi. 

     We met by the lake and the Christmas Tree. Lunch was at the Backlot Express. I had the Kids Chicken strips and a Rum Island Breeze - coconut rum, Bacardi superior rum, pineapple juice, lemonade, and grenadine. Kelli had the Southwest Chicken Salad with romaine mixed with roasted corn relish and diced tomatoes topped with pickled red onion, cheese, and topped with grilled chicken breast served with house-made jalapeño-lime ranch dressing. We shared a Red velvet Whoopie Pie with candy cane buttercream and holiday sprinkles. 

     Kelli and Joan went to shop while Rich, Mark and I walked through Walt Disney Presents and saw the extended trailer for Strange World in the Walt Disney theater. 

     We regrouped and made our way into the Black Spiral Outpost. We saw Chewbacca and Rey by the pod racers and checked in for our table for Oga's Cantina. 

     We were quickly let inside this small Star Wars bar and nightclub, complete with a robot DJ. Kelli ordered a Carbon Freeze - lemon lime Powerade, wild strawberry, blueberry, and green apple popping pearls. Mark, Rich, and I shared the Rancor Beer Flight with Souvenir Board with four Rancor Teeth The beers included: Bad Motivator IPA - Tropical India Pale Ale with Galaxy and Comet Hops Gamorrean Ale - Red Ale with Roasted Caramel, Hop Character, and Touch of Grapefruit Gold Squadron Lager - Golden Lager with Lavender and Plum Flavors | ABV 5.0% - IBU 18 Trandoshan Ale - Spiced Wheat Ale brewed with blood oranges Our excellent waitress, Ine gave a special presentation for the Rancor Beer Flight. She belted out "Ran Coooooooooor". She held that note for 16-17 seconds!

     All beers were good, and I love my Rancor teeth and board. It did take up a good chunk of luggage space, but it was well worth it. Thanks, Mark, for treating us. Kelli and I enjoyed the atmosphere of Oga's and the droid DJ. We will be back.

      It was time for our Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. We almost walked right on. Joan did scream a bit on the very short drop. But she was glad she rode it. 

      Next was Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run with Joan sitting this one out. Kelli decided to try it. She was glad she did but concentrated on firing the weapons as a gunner. Mark was a gunner as well. Rich and I piloted and this time I sat on the right and was the one to jump to lightspeed. Kelli said that even though it was a motion ride; as long as she concentrated on her task as a gunner she was fine. 

     We left Hollywood Studios a little before 3 pm to relax back at the resort before dinner. We all enjoyed relaxing on the Adirondack chairs by the water for a while. After freshening up we walked to Disney Springs at 5:15 for our 6 PM ADR at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant. Kelli and I took a picture in the back of the Christmas store. We saw a few of the decorated trees spread out amongst the springs, including a Nightmare Before Christmas Tree. 

     A Limpkin was found atop the Lego Sea Serpent. 

     We found some of the Disney decorated Christmas Tree. One was Nightmare Before Christmas themed.

     Once I checked in, we were seated quickly at Raglan Road. Rich and I enjoyed a Guinness. Our waitress was cute and could not pronounce the soup of the day correctly. She said it was Potato and Jim and we did not understand what is Jim. She meant Tomato and Gin! Mark and Joan tried the Chicken Pot Pie. Mark said it was the best meal of the trip. Rich enjoyed the Shepherd's Pie. Kelli and I both tried the soup, while I had the Kiss Before Shrimp - Pan seared shrimp, in a garlic & chili lemon butter sauce with sliced baguette. Kelli had the Beef in Bed - Smoked pulled beef short rib on buttermilk cheddar bread, roasted corn, smoked onion puree and crispy fried shallots. Kelli and I did well on ordering food this trip. We did not over order by having an appetizer or two for meals instead on entrees. We all split the Ger's Bread and Butter Pudding. Our waitress, Maria, showed us how to properly prepare it to eat. It came with both a Sauce Anglaise and a caramel sauce. DVC saved 10% and with tip the meal came out to $162.78.

     The restrooms at Raglan Road reminded me of the writings seen in the Black Spire Outpost. The ladies' room was marked Mná and the men's room Fír. I assumed Gaelic. We shopped a bit more including the Christmas store, Kelli was looking for a Christmas hoodie with Disney Characters she had seen in other stores, but not in her size. Unfortunately, they were out of her size, large. After walking back to the resort, we drove over to Artist Palette to pick up three Chocolate Croissants for the plane ride home tomorrow. Then finished packing.

Wednesday November 16, 2022 

     Kelli, Mark, and I were up early to do some birding around Saratoga Springs Resort starting around 7:30 am. I noticed that the path along the lake was marked in furlongs (as in a racehorse track) with white and gold posts. 

     We found a Great Blue Heron on its nest, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Limpkin, Black-and White Warbler, Northern Parula and Palm Warbler on our bird walk. 

     We packed our cars and headed over to nearby Brinson Park and Brownie Wise Park, both found on the northern shores of Lake Tohopekaliga for more birding. We found a Bald Eagle, a couple of Snail Kites and a pair of very obliging Sandhill Cranes. Other birds were a pair of Common Ground Doves, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron and a Northern Harrier. We the headed to the airport. 

New Terminal C at Orlando International Airport is an embarrassment to its architectural designers Wow, what a horrible way to build a new terminal. The terminal is traveler unfriendly, and their "Terminal Link" tram isn't even directly connected to the terminal. 

     We get to Orlando International Airport but must drop off our rental cars at terminal A/B even through our JetBlue flight leaves out of terminal C. An airport worker suggests taking the tram or Terminal Link. We need to go up three flights. Then had to lug our luggage quite a ways to the tram. The tram is nice, but it does not let you off at Terminal C. First you must navigate your way out of the tram station and into a parking garage (I'm not kidding). Then make your way through this huge parking garage. But now, you have to take the stairs or elevator up one flight to get you to an overhead walkway, walk over that and into a huge L shaped empty hallway that you have to transverse just to get to the beginning of the actual terminal. 

     After checking in you travel to the other side of the building to get to security just to have another empty area just to get to Palm Court. Here you can then travel a long walk to your gate. Terminal C SUCKS if you are traveling. Other than that, it is clean, airy, not crowded and the food court has an active video wall with changing scenery. 

     We ate at Shake Shack before heading to our gates. We say goodbye to Mark who is even further down the terminal for his flight. Each gate is far apart from one another. We wait and wait but I do not see our flight listed at our gate. I check the boards and it is now leaving at a different gate. No one from JetBlue was there to tell us. We informed other unfortunate JetBlue customers and they thank us. We then had to haul our carry-ons back to the food court, down another area to our new gate. While waiting for our flight, the fire alarm goes off and nobody moves. It seems that the airport workers are used to it as it goes off every day. To top it off the chair armrest chargers did not work. Thank God our flight was only 40 minutes late. Mark did not fare as well. His JetBlue plane had a problem with a door. They were told their flight might get cancelled. But they did find another plane at yet another gate. He didn't land at JFK till after 9 PM.

     Despite some issues, we did get a lot done in four days, though it was supposed to be a more relaxing 8-day trip. I was very happy to get on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and very happy Kelli tried Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. Oh by the way, the airport fire alarm also went off when Joan and Rich were headed home.

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