Happily Adventures After | Home of HAA Disney

Hey Howdy HAA Everyone! 

Welcome back to the Happily Adventures After blog. Thanks for coming back for the last instalment of the Week in the World: April 2024!

In today’s post, we are recapping the final leg of our trip; our way home. Let me tell you, this was very eventful to say the least. We thought we were done with the never before seen/done activities but we were mistaken. It was quite the adventurous 3 days (which should be a 2 day journey). With this, let’s jump right back into the Week in the World; our last entry for April 2024’s trip!

16, 16, 16 Minutes Left Better Get it Done (How many of you again sang that lovely number from HSM 3)

As our trip came to a close, Monday, April 15/24 was left packing up and prepping for the next day’s early adventure. We had already extended our stay for an extra day of fun, so we understood what we needed to do; pack. My family and I got ourselves ready, oh so reluctantly, to head back home to Ontario, Canada. We were set to go for an 8am leave. Or so we said. We are generally 30 minutes late on travel days for driving because we get caught just enjoying the one little bit. 

As our journey drew to a close, we had a 9 and a half hour drive ahead of us (652 miles) via I-75 and would get there by 8pm. This was great timing! In bed for normal bedtime and up for the next day! 

That morning, we had some unexpected detours packing up. Looking at the clock, it said 7:45am as we began to pack up to leave. That 15 minutes came and went. We didn’t actually leave the resort until 11:15am. If you know driving and how strenuous it can be, you know that leaving this late for people who are not evening or night people does not work. My mom was a trooper on the way down and drove that distance overnight, while my cousin kept her up. We did not want to do that again, however, the late start really provide that this venture was going to be longer and later than we had hoped. 

As we drove, and drove, I fell asleep (shout out to my mom who stayed awake!) and we magically were able to make it to our first stop along I-75; Tifton, GA. We stopped for lunch around 2:30pm and got Panera. This was very tasty! My family and I, as we said before, really enjoy Panera’s offerings. This was no different. 

Back on the road, our next stopped planned was to take us to the McDougnah, GA. We really like to stop here as it is right before (or after depending on the way you are venturing) Atlanta, and before the traffic gets potentially heavy. We then realized we could continue to push it through Atlanta, especially so we could make it through before rush hour. We chose to then stop in Marietta, Ga which is on the northern side of Atlanta. Our plan was we stopped here for gas, dinner and a quick in and out bathroom break. Our plan was to also eat Wendy’s (Side note: I ate so much Wendy’s on this trip I’ve lost count of how many times we stopped and I’ve not eaten it since).

Moving into the road, as we approached Atlanta, we take the Macon Bypass and here’s where it gets fun…

Everything is NOT What It Seems (As in Wizards of Waverly Place!)

My mom, cousin and I are chatting and BAM, we here a pop. I thought it was a water-bottle we had that overheated and popped, or got crushed by someones feet as we shifted positions in the car. 

Nope, it’s a crack in my mom’s windshield. In the 7 years and countless road trips we have had that vehicle we have not ever experienced a cracked windshield (let along 1 car battery dying) on a trip. That is 2 events in 1 trip. What seemed out as a small crack quickly grew and grew. 

We knew we had to call for backup… JARVIS help us out (Actually it was my dad, he came to the rescue over the phone). 

As we spoke with my dad he began to research and arrange windshield repairs in our overnight stop; Knoxville, Tennessee. He was quickly searching and calling locations by our hotel which was the Embassy Suites Knoxville West. The crack in the windshield continue to get larger which made it evident that it needed to be promptly fixed and potentially required a windshield replacement. This means we would have to spend an extra night in Tennessee. This was not what we were expecting or wishing.

While he was on one end with the various windshield repair locations, I then got on the phone with the hotel. 

Let me say, we have stayed at Embassy Suites Knoxville West countless times. This (and the Homewood Suites Hamburg Place in Lexington, KY) hotel is one of the best hotels I and my family have stayed in in general. From the staff, location and physical building/rooms and lobby this hotel is exceptional. 

The Embassy Suites Knoxville West Front Desk staff were absolutely incredible at assisting us. I let the staff member on the phone that we were on our way and would be checking in at about 10pm EST. We however had encountered a problem with our windshield and needed an extra night in the hotel. The staff member who handled our situation was phenomenal. He said it would take a moment for him to situate us as the hotel was mostly booked for a convention. We understood this and waited.

The staff member came back and said that he was able to get us another night, with our 1 room (we wanted 2 rooms originally that connected however this was not able to occur due to the convention). It did raise our rate for the night. With a rebooked room, and an appointment at 10am to get the windshield checked out, we continued on our journey.

Well, Good Luck Charlie

With about 1.5 hours left in the drive we wanted to push through. That was until we hit Chattanooga, TN. All of a sudden, we needed a bathroom break in addition to the gas station. Though we knew the area of Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, when it is dark, it does not seem the safest. While my mom went to get gas, my cousin and I stayed in the car but looked for the safest location area us for this bathroom break. Sadly, we realized that this was not the best area to stop as we watched someone throw alcohol bottles at passing cars across the road. We attempted to find a new area to stop for a restroom break which was a couple of exits up. Moving swiftly through this area to find the best bathroom break, we stumbled on a Chick Fil A and went in to use the washroom and get some well deserved french fries. 

After our Chick-Fil-A stop, we continued on the 1.5 hour drive and arrived at the hotel at 10:21pm exactly; 2.5 hours after we had hoped,which is actually pretty good considered we left 3.5 hours after we had planned. My mom did some incredible driving and God was with us! 

As we checked into the hotel, we tag teamed bringing our stuff up, and going to the room. Once I punched the floor into the elevator, and made it to our floor, I realized that the staff member had upgraded us to the Premium Floor! This was so incredibly nice to have. Though the rooms are the same, our 2 room-2 Queen Bed Premium Suite with sofa bed, provided us with premium wifi, Keurig coffee, and complimentary non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks each day. This was in addition to the made to order breakfast and complimentary evening reception, featuring beer, wine, premium spirits and a light snack, that they provide at no extra charge. 

In total, our 2 night stay for the 2-room-2 Queen Bed Premium Suite with taxes (State and County) was;

• $775.63 USD or $1,093.64 CDN. 

This did include a $153.66 USD/$216.66 CDN charge for room service 

I will say, the stay was lovely as usually, but the charges of $621.97 USD/$876.98 CDN was not worth it overall for our 2 nigh stay. This price was exceptionally high for some reason. I can usually get, and did get for our original stay, was $215 USD per night including taxes and fees. The average of $310.99 USD/$438.49 CDN was not worth what we paid. 

After a very long and tumultuous travel day, this was a welcomed surprise. We thanked the front desk staff as we continued to bring in our items. My cousin ordered some DoorDash (Wendys again) and we headed off to bed.

Waking up the next morning, after a nice rest especially for my mom who trooped it out, we got ready for the day. I went to get some made to order breakfast for my family and I: pancakes, waffles, apple, Fruit loops, Coffee/Tea and hasbrowns. These items as always were very well done. 

My mom prepared what she needed to go (including our insurance) with my dad over the phone as she ate that wonderful breakfast! My cousin and I stayed in the hotel room, while my mom went over to the auto glass repair centre:

• Auto Glass Service part of Glass America on 11146 Outlet Drive, Tennessee

When she arrived, was super kind and helpful. The staff explained to her that the windshield crack was far too large and spread too much for them to do a quick repair. They also noted that they would have to replace the entire windshield using a very smelly adhesive. I am incredibly sensitive to smells which can cause a seizure, migraine and for me to pass out so this was not an option. They did say that the windshield was safe enough for us to drive home the remaining 9.5 hours drive and could be replaced at home. They also let us know that our auto insurance would not be covered through direct bill here however the windshield replacement would be extremely cheaper than if at home (I am talking $1,000 cheaper with the exchange), however it could be covered if we paid for it there and then submitted it to insurance later. 

The customer service provided from these individuals at Auto Glass Service was so incredible. They were lovely to deal with, and both of my parents said that they were lovely and could recommend them!

We Have the Suite Life

My mom came back to the Embassy Suites Knoxville West with the report to my cousin and I. After we digested this information, we looked at the time. It was in the afternoon, and we therefore could not do another drive that would take us overnight; that was not nice or kind to my mom no matter how much we wanted to get home. We then deduced that we needed to grab some lunch. 

We purchased lunch from the local Chick-Fil-A and Maple Street Biscuit Company on Kingston Pike. Our Chick-Fil-A was good, nothing unusual. The Maple Street Biscuit Company meal was very good according to my cousin. She ordered the Sweet Grace Waffle plate which comes with Chocolate Chip Waffle, Strawberries, Whipped Cream, Powdered Sugar & Maple Syrup. She said it was very good and would recommend it again!

After we enjoyed or lunch, my mom and I went for a walk around the hotel area and enjoyed our time together. We also watched some shows and just relaxed and recharged for the anticipation of the next day. 

At dinner, we order room service from Flying Spoon which is the in house restaurant at the Embassy Suites Knoxville West hotel. Open from 5pm-10pm for either room service or an sit down restaurant, we enjoyed our meal. I can’t honestly remember what we fully ordered and the menu is not online at this time. I do know our meal came to about $125 USD prior to tip, and was $153.66 USD/$216.66 CDN in total. 

The total for the meal was overcharged, but it was more about having fun. The wait staff who took our order and also brought us our meal was very kind and helpful. They promptly brought us our meal which was very hot and good to eat. Though we enjoyed eating in our beds and having a nice time, the price of the meal (made sense for the amount of food we had), was not however fully warranted. 

With that, we began to pack up and prepare ourselves for the next morning. We anticipated that we would leave the hotel at 8am the night morning and this time for real. We honestly at this point were all ready to get home, which was ok! It was a long travel day and trip! After packing and getting ready, we said our goodnights and headed to bed.

It’s the Best of Both Worlds

8am on the dot (ok, probably not on the dot), we left the Embassy Suites Knoxville West. 

We were able to check out with ease and head on our way home. I will be honest, the rest of the drive home was very uneventful nor stressful. We were all pretty quiet and just enjoyed our shows, music and books. We enjoyed our time in the car and made our usual stops; 

• Lexington KY Hamburg (Target stop for some water bottles, Starbucks coffee for the road, and again Wendy’s!) 
• Lima, OH (for Starbucks which was randomly not open at 3pm on a weekday) – Total side note: Thanks to my cousin, I found out that this city is where the show Glee is set here.

We made it to the USA/Canada Land Border at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, MI around 6:00pm. It took about 1hour to get through the border as it was very busy from weekday work traffic and normal travel. We made it through very quickly once talking to the CBSA and we were good to go!

We then made it through to Canada, dropped my cousin off at her house and was on our way home. I think we made it home around 9:30pm that day which was a very long day! We got home and were greeted with my dad and husband to say hi to! We told them all of our stories and thanked them both for their help along the way!

Overall it was a very fun trip, and filled with new fun adventures. We had a great time being together and enjoyed all of the various new things we did. 

Our trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, staying at Reunion Resort, was a testament to the magic of Disney and the thrills of Universal’s attractions. From heart-pounding rides to delightful culinary experiences and moments of relaxation, every aspect of our adventure was infused with the spirit of magic and wonder.

Well, that’s everything folks! Thank you for joining Happily Adventures After for this Week in the World, April 2024 trip recap! It has been so much fun! I look forward to continuing to share our Week in the World recaps for our upcoming trip in Summer and Fall 2024, soon our Happily Adventures After Top 10 countdown as well as other adventures we have outside of the Disney bubble. 

Thank you so much for coming along with us!

Have an incredible day and we will see ya real soon!

London

Reminders

Note: The Canadian Exchange rate quoted above is 1.41 CDN on 1 USD. This is what we paid at the time, not including credit card fees added, if applicable.