Last Minute Trip – Part 7 Summary

Planning | Travel | Animal Kingdom | Epcot | Magic Kingdom | Hollywood Studios | Summary

Our trip that was booked at the last minute (well, a week out) ended without too much drama.  After dropping off the rental car, we found the Southwest counter without any issues and checked in for our flight.  We dropped our bags off and headed to the food court for lunch.  After lunch, we headed through the TSA PreCheck line with no issues.  I noticed the regular security lines were pretty long though.  Then we headed on the mini monorail to our gate.

Train Between Main Terminal in Orlando and the A Gates
Train Between Main Terminal in Orlando and the A Gates

We found our gate and waited for boarding time.  Once the boarding time came, we lined up and found some seats together.  I had used the Southwest Early Bird check in on this flight as well so we could board early and get some seats close together.  Since the flights were pretty much free (we used Chase Ultimate Reward Points that we transferred to Southwest Rapid Reward points), the cost for the Early Bird Check in wasn’t too bad ($15 per person per flight).

Southwest Gates at Orlando Airport
Southwest Gates at Orlando Airport

We flew back into Reagan National airport, which always provides great views of the Nation’s Capital!  Once we landed, we grabbed our luggage and headed out to our car to return home.  

View of the Washington Monument while landing
View of the Washington Monument while landing

Our quick trip had come to an end. This was a trip that we booked less than a week out from when we traveled, which is a new one for us.  We usually plan our trips far in advance.  The trip didn’t cost very much, thanks to using our Disney Annual Passes that we had previously purchased, Chase Ultimate Reward Points that we used for free flights, and Hyatt Points that we used for a free hotel stay.  Our stash of reward points had definitely come in handy to help make this trip possible, but definitely didn’t cover the entire cost.  We did have to pay for the Southwest Early Bird Check in, food while we were on travel, and the rental car.   But everyone in the family agreed that this quick trip was worth the incidental expenses, and it gave us a chance to have fun before school and work priorities kicked in during the fall. 

 

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