Phase 1 — The Florida Magic
Mar 10–13
Mar
10
Tue
Day 1 · Tokyo → Orlando
✈️
ZIPAIR ZG 714 — NRT → MCO
✓ Booked
▼
- Confirmation
- U3U4NI
- Departs
- Narita (NRT) · 14:30 JST
- Arrives
- Orlando (MCO) · ~14:40 EST
✨ Landing at 2:40 PM local means you'll clear customs and reach the Grand Floridian by ~5:30 PM — time for a nice resort dinner and early night to beat jet lag.
🚗
Hertz Pickup — MCO
✓ Booked
▼
- Reservation
- L5100779834
- Phone
- (407) 859-8400
Car stays with you the whole trip — resort parking, Port Charlotte, and the drive to MCO on the 17th.
🏨
Check In — Grand Floridian
✓ Booked
▼
✨ The Grand Floridian connects to Magic Kingdom by monorail and walking path. Fireworks are visible from the resort grounds.
Mar
11
Wed
Day 2 · Hollywood Studios 🎬
🎟️
Hollywood Studios — Premier Pass
✓ Booked
▼
- Must-do
- ⭐ Rise of the Resistance — do first
- Must-do
- 🚀 Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Must-do
- 🐕 Slinky Dog Dash
- Must-do
- 🗼 Tower of Terror
✨ Premier Pass on sale March 3rd — buy immediately when the app opens, they sell out.
🎬
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater — 3:50 PM
✓ Booked
▼
- Confirmation
- 356056438994
- Time
- 3:50 PM
- Package
- Includes reserved Fantasmic! seating
Sit in a vintage 1950s car under a fake starry sky watching campy old sci-fi movies. Pesto penne with shrimp is excellent for non-burger eaters.
🎇
Fantasmic! — Reserved Seating
⭐ Must-See
▼
Mickey battles Disney villains in a water/fireworks/projection spectacular. Reserved seating via dining package — no need to arrive early.
Mar
12
Thu
Day 3 · Magic Kingdom 🏰
🎟️
Magic Kingdom — Premier Pass
✓ Booked
▼
- Must-do
- ⚡ TRON Lightcycle Run — newest & fastest
- Must-do
- ⛏️ Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Must-do
- 👻 Haunted Mansion
- Must-do
- 🚀 Space Mountain
🍽️
Be Our Guest — 4:35 PM
✓ Booked
▼
- Confirmation
- 356056442900
- Time
- 4:35 PM
✨ Done by ~6 PM — 3.5 hours before fireworks. Plenty of time for more rides and a perfect spot on Main Street.
🎆
Happily Ever After Fireworks — 9:30 PM
⭐ Don't Miss
▼
Projections light up Cinderella Castle while fireworks burst overhead. Arrive on Main Street USA 30 min early for the full straight-shot view down to the castle.
✨ After the show, walk back to the Grand Floridian and wind down at Trader Sam's Grog Grotto.
Mar
13
Fri
Day 4 · Drive to Port Charlotte
🚗
▼
Orlando → Port Charlotte
- Route
- I-4 West → I-75 South
- Distance
- ~140 miles · ~2 hours
Phase 2 — Gulf Coast Refuel
Mar 13–17
Mar
13
Fri
Days 4–7 · Mom's Place
🏡
▼
Staying with Mom — Port Charlotte
- Day trip
- 🏖️ Siesta Key — world's softest sand
- Day trip
- 🐊 Myakka River State Park — alligator sightings
The perfect buffer between Disney and Vegas. Slow down, enjoy the Gulf Coast, let Meg experience real Florida.
Phase 3 — The Neon Desert
Mar 17–19
Mar
17
Tue
Day 8 · MCO → Las Vegas
🚗
Hertz Drop-off — MCO
✓ Booked
▼
- Reservation
- L5101994642
- Phone
- (407) 859-8400
- Drive
- Port Charlotte → MCO · ~2 hrs via I-75 N + FL-528
✈️
Southwest WN 3857 — MCO → LAS
✓ Booked
▼
- Confirmation
- C7SSW4
- Departs
- MCO · ~1:20 PM ET
- Arrives
- LAS (Harry Reid Intl) · ~3:40 PM PDT
- Seats
- 06A, 06B
- Guests
- Stephen Spencer Hooks, Merry Grace Gaffud Abelilla
✨ Drop Hertz, grab lunch at MCO, board WN 3857. Hit the Strip by evening.
🚗
Europcar Pickup — LAS
✓ Booked
▼
- Reservation
- FFX06FC72B
- Phone
- (702) 964-1320
- Drop-off
- LAX Fox Counter — March 24
This car takes you through Vegas, the drive to LA, and all the way to the airport for the return flight.
🏨
Check In — The Venetian Resort
✓ Booked
▼
- Reservation
- 73383592277406
- Provider
- Expedia
- Phone
- (702) 414-1000
- Dates
- Mar 17–19 · Checkout Mar 19
✨ Tonight's plan: Drop bags, walk the Strip after dark. The neon at night is the full Vegas experience and deserves its own evening.
Mar
18
Wed
Day 9 · Full Strip Day
🎰
▼
Walk the Strip
- Must-do
- ⛲ Bellagio Fountains — free, runs every 15–30 min
- Must-do
- 🛶 Venetian canals — walk the Grand Canal Shoppes
- Must-do
- 🏛️ Caesars Palace — the full lobby experience
- Must-do
- 🌸 The LINQ Promenade + High Roller
- Evening
- 🍽️ Dinner at Jaleo · 7:00 PM · The Cosmopolitan
✨ The Strip is best experienced on foot. Walk from TI south to MGM — you'll pass through Venetian, Caesars, Bellagio, Paris, and more without ever going outside.
🍽️
Dinner — Jaleo by José Andrés
Confirmed
▼
- Location
- Jaleo - The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas · 3708 Las Vegas Blvd S
- Time
- 7:00 PM · Reservation #46384-999811712
- Vibe
- Spanish tapas — shareable plates, great for trying lots of dishes
- Tips
- Order the jamón ibérico and the tortilla española. The cotton candy dessert is iconic.
✨ The Cosmopolitan is one of the best-designed casinos on the Strip — worth wandering after dinner.
Mar
19
Thu
Day 10 · Drive to LA
🚗
▼
Las Vegas → Los Angeles
- Drive
- ~270 miles · ~4.5 hours
- Detour
- 🌵 Cima Road (Mojave National Preserve) — take the Cima Road exit near Baker (~1 hr south of Vegas). Drive through one of the densest Joshua tree forests in the world. No fee, ~20-30 min out of the way. Back on I-15 and continue.
- Pit Stop
- 📸 Seven Magic Mountains — giant neon rock sculptures. Perfect IG moment.
- Optional
- 🤠 Calico Ghost Town — quick Old West mining town stop near Barstow (only if timing/energy is good).
Phase 4 — The Golden State
Mar 19–24
Mar
19
Thu
Day 10 · Arrive Los Angeles
🏨
Check In — Hotel Erwin Venice Beach
✓ Booked
▼
- Reservation
- 73383618332425
- Provider
- Expedia
- Dates
- Mar 19–24 · Checkout Mar 24
- Location
- 1697 Pacific Ave, Venice Beach, CA
Staying put the whole LA stretch — no hotel switches. 15 min to LAX on checkout morning.
👋
▼
Arrive LA · Visit Sister
Settle in, easy family evening before the LA days kick in.
Mar
20
Fri
Day 11 · 👨👩👧 Family Day
🔭
▼
Griffith Observatory + Hollywood
- Griffith Obs.
- Best skyline view in LA, free admission — the "La La Land" lookout
- Hollywood
- Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre
Mar
21
Sat
Day 12 · Flex Day
🎪
Venice Love Fest
Must-Do
▼
- What
- Free street festival — live music, local vendors, food, art, community vibes
- Where
- 12257 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles — full street closures, 4 blocks
- Don't miss
- 🎵 Live music stages · 🛍️ Local artists + makers · 🍜 LA food vendors
- Don't miss
- 🎨 Street art installations — Venice has some of the best murals in LA
- Info
- thevenicefest.com
✨ You're staying at Hotel Erwin Venice Beach — this is literally your backyard. Walk over and soak it all in.
🌊
▼
Venice Beach / Santa Monica
- Option A
- 🛹 Venice Beach boardwalk + Muscle Beach
- Option B
- 🎡 Santa Monica Pier + 3rd Street Promenade
- Option C
- 🌮 Chill with Sister
Mar
22
Sun
Day 13 · Final Flex
🌅
▼
Santa Monica / PCH to Malibu
Drive Pacific Coast Highway north to Malibu for jaw-dropping ocean views, or stay local for a final family dinner sendoff.
Mar
23
Mon
Day 14 · Disneyland 🏰
🚗
▼
Early Drive — Venice → Culver City → Anaheim
- Leg 1
- Venice → Culver City · ~20 min · Pick up Spencer's sister
- Leg 2
- Culver City → Anaheim · ~45–50 min (outbound, against traffic)
Leave Hotel Erwin around 7am. Against morning traffic going outbound — easy drive. Arrive at Disneyland well before park open.
🏰
Disneyland + California Adventure
⭐ Monday Pick
▼
- Must-do
- 🦸 Avengers Campus (CA Adventure)
- Must-do
- 🚗 Radiator Springs Racers
- Must-do
- 🏰 Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through
- Must-do
- 🎿 Matterhorn Bobsleds
✨ Monday is noticeably less crowded than Sunday. Compare the OG park to Walt Disney World — same magic, totally different character.
Mar
24
Tue
Day 15 · Fly Home ✈️
🚗
Europcar Drop-off — LAX
✓ Booked
▼
- Reservation
- FFX06FC72B
- Counter
- Fox · 5500 W Century Blvd, LAX
Drop the car before check-in. Allow extra time for shuttle to terminal.
✈️
Delta — LAX → HND (Tokyo)
✓ Confirmed
▼
- Confirmation
- HSCHHO
- Departs
- LAX · 11:10 AM PST
- Arrives
- HND (Haneda) · Mar 25, ~2:00 PM JST
- Guest
- Merry Grace Gaffud Abelilla
✨ Meg is back to work on the 27th — arrives with a full recovery day. 15 days well spent.
✈️
United UA 469 — LAX → SFO (Spencer)
✓ Confirmed
▼
- Confirmation
- JKSZWP
- Departs
- LAX · 1:15 PM PDT
- Arrives
- SFO · ~2:50 PM PDT
- Seat
- 21A
- Guest
- Stephen Spencer Hooks
Spencer stays in the US after the trip. Return to Tokyo: ZIPAIR ZG 025 SFO→NRT, April 19 at 4:45 PM PDT (seat 3A, conf 9K182L).