It's a SO-LO trip report! Oct 09, CR/YC, MNSSHP, F&W, and Independence! FINAL UPDATE!

[NateNLogansDad]

I love finding the Solo reports For me, it's only a pipe dream as my wife would leave me if I ever went without her Looking forward to some more updates!

 

[Big Kid]

What a wonderful trip report, Norybell. Both the writing and the photos are delightful. I don't know that I'll ever have or make the chance to take a solo trip so I admire those of you who do. Thanks for sharing.

 

[norybell]

Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I am enjoying your trip report! I stumbled upon it while trying to get some ideas for our next trip of adults only. I haven't read someone's trip report for years (Delswife - I think she was- was the funniest saga ever!).

I can't wait to read more!

Thanks, mickeymom! You're going to have so much fun on your adults-only trip! I'm may be in the opposite boat sometime in the next year or two, planning a trip with my 2-year-old niece, when I haven't been to Disney with kids in a gazillion years. Should be interesting...

Oh I love your report. Waiting [im]patiently for the next installment

Thanks! I promise you won't have to wait too long, I plan on posting the next installment later today. I was posting chapters daily at first, but I may try to slow down to every other day now, so my post-Disney afterglow lasts longer!

I love finding the Solo reports For me, it's only a pipe dream as my wife would leave me if I ever went without her Looking forward to some more updates!

Glad you found it! And I give you my wholehearted permission to enjoy a vicarious solo trip through me.

What a wonderful trip report, Norybell. Both the writing and the photos are delightful. I don't know that I'll ever have or make the chance to take a solo trip so I admire those of you who do. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Big Kid! Disney solo was really much, much easier and more fun than I even imagined it would be (and I spent a whole lot of time imagining it beforehand, so that's saying something!). There was only one moment, in the whole trip, when it was really difficult, and that moment luckily didn't happen until my last day (now you need to keep reading to find out what it was, don'tcha? ).

 

[norybell]

And I just noticed I'm over 100 posts!

(No need to chuckle, onelilspark and praisehisname...)

 

[norybell]

Cuz I know you’re loving the song lyrics…

Sung to the tune of “This Magic Moment”:

This magic kingdom,
So special and so fun,
Of my favorite places,
It’s the most fantastic one.
And I’m there solo,
No one to worry or to fault,
Castle shines in the sun,
And it’s all thanks to Walt.

Sweeter than wine,
Softer than a Dole Whip,
Everything I want I have,
When I am there on a trip.

***

My alarm went off way too early (7:00ish), but again, the Disney magic got me up and out of bed immediately (or almost immediately, anyway).

I went out to my balcony and saw this:

And yes, you get three sunrise photos, because I’m too lazy to choose!

What a wonderful way to start the day! We don’t have any outdoor space whatsoever at our apartment – no yard, no balcony, no fire escape, not even a stoop – so just the simple act of being able to step outside in my pajamas really makes a vacation for me (and is the whole reason I was splurging on deluxe hotels).

Just a few minutes later, someone knocked on my door. I’d decided to treat myself this first morning, and had ordered room service. There’s something I’d been craving, that I hadn’t had in years, and it was time to remedy that:

A Mickey waffle! It was delicious. The bacon, on the other hand…I’d heard plenty on these boards about the icky Disney bacon, but I still wasn’t prepared for just how icky it was. It tasted like rubbery plastic. Luckily, the waffle more than made up for it.

I put on Stacy while I showered and got ready. Well, I put her on for three loops, and then I got sick of her, so I switched to one of the other Disney-ad channels. Maybe the DVC one? Or the Adventures by Disney one? Or the Disney cruise one? Or the Disney commercials-for-upcoming-movies one? Because I never felt like watching real TV while I was there, I spent far too much time watching these channels. I wish they had a Disney channel where, instead of unfamiliar-to-me shows for tweens, they played Disney movies, one after another. Maybe they’re worried something like that would cut into their DVD sales. But it would be so nice to have something Disney to watch that wasn’t a short loop of promotional video. Oh well.

I was worried it’d be chilly again, but I took another trip out to the balcony (for crucial sunscreen-spray application) and thought it felt pretty nice out already. So I decided to risk further temperature issues and put on shorts and a T-shirt (for those of you keeping close track of my wardrobe choices; I know it’s fascinating!).

I took the walking path again, and got to the MK around 8:45. It was easy to work my way to the front of the crowd (this sort of thing is much easier when you’re solo, let me tell you!).

This plaque always gives me chills (good, warm-fuzzy chills of happiness, not spooky chills of impending doom, obviously):

After what felt like only a few minutes of iPhone Scrabble, the opening show began, and we were all rushing up Main Street to the next rope. A lot more people actually ran than I remembered in my last few trips, and this surprised me, because it wasn’t too busy. Since I’m a good girl and wasn’t about to flagrantly break the rules and run, I was about three people back at the Adventureland rope. I’m used to being in the front, but some deep breathing and repetition of my I’m-at-Disney-and-it’s-wonderful-and-this-tiny-thing-doesn’t-really-matter mantra helped me cope with it.

Obligatory castle shot:

Soon enough the rope was dropped, and I started the official Disney speed-walk to Splash Mountain. Like I said before (maybe?), I’m a super-fast walker, even when I’m not at Disney, so I overtook most of the people in front of me fairly quickly. Plus, most of them dispersed long before Splash Mountain; I was very surprised when a group in front of me ran from Main Street to the Adventureland rope, only to peel off and hit the Swiss Family Treehouse first thing…strange, right?

I love Magic Kingdom in the morning, when the park’s all quiet and there are barely any other people around. It’s so peaceful. I got so much done on this trip, I think that next time I’m there I might be able to override my natural, rush-to-the-first-ride impulses and just leisurely walk around after rope drop, taking pictures. We’ll see.

Anyway. After my excellent morning constitutional, I got a FP for this:

And then I walked right on to this, where I rode in the front (a less fast ride, I know, but a great view):

I think Big Thunder is the perfect ride to start the day with, in the morning. It’s so reviving and relaxing, at the same time.

Next I headed over to Fantasyland, where I rode Peter Pan and Pooh, two of my favorites. I would have loved Pooh so much when I was little! I know the late Mr. Toad has lots of fans, but I was never one of them…it was always too jarring for me. No pictures of these rides, for some reason. I guess I was on too much of a mission to get the Fantasyland biggies out of the way before things got busy. I had a plan later to walk around taking pics of all the things I hadn’t photographed earlier. Not sure what happened to that plan.

After I’d hit those three rides and had an FP for Splash, I no longer had a pre-determined direction. So I decided to go see some pirates. I reversed my earlier route and headed back to Adventureland (it’s amazing; with Space Mountain closed, I spent so much more time in this half of the park than the other). I saw these guys on the way:

They’ll start breathing fire any moment now…

Don’t worry, brother totems, I’ll put those fiery mouths out for you!

Then it was time for:

It was crazy how non-busy it was. The few people entering Pirates in front of me all went left, so I went right, and I was literally the only person in the queue for most of it. That’s a weird queue to be alone in. It was almost creepy!

On my way out, I saw pseudo-Johnny:

Do you see the look he’s giving me? He’s saying, Nory, d’you want to go out for a cup of Nescafe after I’m done teaching these whippersnappers how to be pirates? To which I replied, sorry, pseudo-Johnny, but I have a boyfriend!

I walked over to Jungle Cruise for another FP, but the wait time was only 5 minutes (i.e., walk-on), so I rode. It was fun, my skipper was pretty good.

Something seems wrong about seeing fake gators in Florida.

Next I took a little climb up into the Treehouse. I’ve always loved the Treehouse, so bear with me, I took a bunch of pictures:

Look, now it’s moving!

Is the ship’s wheel purely decorative, or does it serve some integral life-in-a-treehouse purpose?

If only I could get behind these ropes, and get rid of all the pesky guests walking by, this would be the perfect nap spot…

Where to next? East-northeast to Fantasyland!

And the view.

Climbing down again.

When I was little, my oldest younger sister and I used to “sneak out” of our room “late” at night (probably around 10:00), make cookie dough, and watch Swiss Family Robinson (on BETA!). We thought we were very adventurous.

This seems like a good time for a break, doesn’t it? Maybe some lunch? But where? (I am asking myself these questions both in the trip report, and in my current reality.)

Coming Soon: Lunch, Island Exploration, and Frustration over a Hat

 

[glennbo123]

Great update Nory! Loved the pictures, especially of/from the treehouse.

This plaque always gives me chills (good, warm-fuzzy chills of happiness, not spooky chills of impending doom, obviously)

I was very surprised when a group in front of me ran from Main Street to the Adventureland rope, only to peel off and hit the Swiss Family Treehouse first thing…strange, right?

That is very strange!

I think that next time I’m there I might be able to override my natural, rush-to-the-first-ride impulses and just leisurely walk around after rope drop, taking pictures. We’ll see.

Yeah, right!

 

[Tribilín]

Cuz I know you’re loving the song lyrics…

I'm enjoying them

On my way out, I saw pseudo-Johnny:

Do you see the look he’s giving me? He’s saying, Nory, d’you want to go out for a cup of Nescafe after I’m done teaching these whippersnappers how to be pirates? To which I replied, sorry, pseudo-Johnny, but I have a boyfriend!

Hmmmm.... I don't know, I think is more like a "I really need to switch to decaf, this early EMH are killing me!" look.

 

[onelilspark]

My very first trip to WDW (when I was just shy of 3) my favorite "ride" was the Treehouse. Apparently my parents kept asking me what I wanted to do, and that was it, so we did it over and over and over again

 

[mickeystoontown]

For some reason, I didn't get my email updates and I was waaaay behind. But, I'm all caught up again. You are so funny. I found myself laughing outloud a couple of times.

 

[praisehisname]

Gorgeous!!!

I want one now!!!

You really got a lot done. I'm thinking you ate lunch at CHH; am I right?

Denise

 

[Cinderella2004]

I love your trip report!!! The pictures are great too! I can't wait to read the rest......

 

[norybell]

Great update Nory! Loved the pictures, especially of/from the treehouse.

Thanks!

And maybe if I hit two rope drops at the MK next time? Then I can rush around the first morning, and slowly meander around the second? Of course, then I'd have to skip another park's rope-drop...hm. It is a dilemma, isn't it?

Hmmmm.... I don't know, I think is more like a "I really need to switch to decaf, this early EMH are killing me!" look.

Oh, c'mon, let me have my fantasy!

For some reason, I didn't get my email updates and I was waaaay behind. But, I'm all caught up again. You are so funny. I found myself laughing outloud a couple of times.

Yay, that makes me so happy to hear! I've started reading your TR, too, and I'm loving it so far, but I'm only about 1/100th of the way through!

You really got a lot done. I'm thinking you ate lunch at CHH; am I right?

Denise[/COLOR]

Maaaaybe...you'll just have to keep reading to find out! I was amazed by how much I got done, especially since I never felt rushed.

My very first trip to WDW (when I was just shy of 3) my favorite "ride" was the Treehouse. Apparently my parents kept asking me what I wanted to do, and that was it, so we did it over and over and over again

I think I was already deep into my IASW addiction by that age. Our poor parents!

I love your trip report!!! The pictures are great too! I can't wait to read the rest......

Thank you! And

 

[Coach K]

Can't wait for more of your report!! Love the photos-especially the ones of the food!!! This is getting me in the mood to take my own solo trip.

 

[Tribilín]

Oh, c'mon, let me have my fantasy!

Oh wait... you are totally right... sorry! It's hard to read expressions in pictures... you know, the 3D to 2D, effect

 

[nursegirl]

Loving this TR SO MUCH! My DH is actually bringing me - sans little pirates - in a few short months - and since he will be working the whole time I get to do the World solo!!!

We were there a month or so ago and I got that same tshirt 'cause its the cutest. You are really hitting home with the photos and the nostalgic references -- oh Swiss Family Robinson - definitely one of my most fav movies from back in the day. OK, I was crushing on the older bro until the end, its a weird film, right?

Anyway, can't wait to read more! I'm getting more confident about being on my own reading your TR. I've got an ADR at the Brown Derby for just me - I'm wanting the Cobb Salad and the grapefruit cake - so we'll see how I go! Thanks again for such a great TR.

 

[norybell]

Can't wait for more of your report!! Love the photos-especially the ones of the food!!! This is getting me in the mood to take my own solo trip.

Thanks! That waffle picture has kind of been torturing me, actually, because I want another one RIGHT NOW!

Oh wait... you are totally right... sorry! It's hard to read expressions in pictures... you know, the 3D to 2D, effect

Exactly!

Loving this TR SO MUCH! My DH is actually bringing me - sans little pirates - in a few short months - and since he will be working the whole time I get to do the World solo!!!

Thank you! It sounds like you'll have the perfect set-up: days to do what you want with, and evenings to tell someone about it! I'm jealous!

Anyway, can't wait to read more! I'm getting more confident about being on my own reading your TR. I've got an ADR at the Brown Derby for just me - I'm wanting the Cobb Salad and the grapefruit cake - so we'll see how I go! Thanks again for such a great TR.

Just wait until Day 3, when I may or may not have had that exact same meal...

 

[norybell]

So, to sum up, in Magic (Kingdom) Morning Part I, I woke up, ate a waffle, walked to the MK, FPd Splash, rode BTM, PP, Pooh, Pirates, JC, and walked through the Treehouse. I somehow managed to drag this out for over four pages in MS Word. I left you hanging with the chock-full-of-suspense question of where I’d have lunch.

In my current, sitting-at-my-desk reality, my usual lunch place was mysteriously closed, and I had to settle for a sandwich from the deli.

In my day at the Magic Kingdom, it was actually still a little too early for lunch. (As we would have said back in the ‘80s: Psych!) I grabbed a FP for BTMR, then headed here to see some ghosts:

I guess the happy haunts weren’t feeling too happy, because it was temporarily closed (I couldn’t help but think of the DIS thread about people’s ashes, but I won’t go there!). The CMs assured me it would be open for guests again in time for MNSSHP that night.

Since I was going to have to settle for a ghost-free morning, I decided I should go see my childhood friends one more time. After all, there was no one to stop me, no one to plead for mercy, and almost no one in the queue:

Even though I still love IASW, I now think this girl is a little creepy. She used to be one of my favorites when I was little. Does this mean I’ve matured in some way?

I also used to dislike all the non-doll characters. I thought they were wasted space, standing where another doll should have rightfully been. Now I find them a restful place for my eyes, in the midst of all the doll domination.

Dolls and non-dolls dancing together! Who says we can’t all get along?

OK, now it was 11:00 or so, and time for some lunch. I headed to my favorite MK counter service spot (Denise, how did you know?):

Columbia Harbour House, of course…in case that mysterious “Harbour Hou” wasn’t enough of a clue!

I ordered this:

Anchors Aweigh Sandwich - white tuna with lettuce and tomato on toasted multigrain bread

If I were a more experienced trip report writer, I would’ve turned the sandwich so you could see the tuna. I swear, it was in there. It wasn’t just toast.

I went upstairs to eat, of course, where it was totally deserted.

My view

My sandwich really hit the spot, nice and light and healthy and refreshing, and I had a very pleasant break, just relaxing and reading my book.

With lunch over, I decided it was time to begin an important part of my solo-trip plans: doing things at WDW I’d never done before. First up?

That’s right, in countless trips to the MK, I’d never crossed those treacherous seventy feet of water to get to the elusive Tom Sawyer Island. So I boarded the raft (the Becky Thatcher) and set off for a brand-new adventure.

In case you get lost in this portion of the trip report.

Oh no, graffiti!

Turns out TSI is really, really cool. It was still early enough that I had most of the trails all to myself. What a great place to use your imagination; I can’t wait to bring kids here someday. It’s a place where they could actually play. All the little details are extraordinary. And the views are excellent:

I toyed with the idea of riding this, another Disney attraction I’ve never experienced. But I never got around to it. I guess it’s good to save something for next time, right?

The barrel bridge was particularly fun. I was laughing at myself, hysterically, the whole way across. I mean, sure, you expect barrels to be difficult to walk over. But I didn’t expect Disney barrels to be quite so balance-challenging!

After a thorough exploration of the island (except for the caves – I decided to leave those to the kids), I headed back to the mainland on the Huck Finn. It was time to use my FP for this:

The night before, when I rode Splash solo, they put me in a row by myself. This time, they seated me (in the front) with another solo rider, Sylvia. Sylvia was hilarious. At first she wouldn’t step into the row; she was very vocal about her nervousness over the drop, and about getting wet. She said she hadn’t ridden Splash in years, since her daughter was a girl. I told her not to worry, that I’d warn her before all the drops, and that I’d just ridden it the night before and hadn’t gotten too wet. So she climbed into the log, and we had a lot of fun chatting through the whole ride.

Of course, it turns out I (unintentionally) completely lied to Sylvia. We got soaked. That kind of soaked where there’s not a dry square centimeter of your shirt you can use to wipe off your face. Sorry Sylvia! We laughed like crazy over it, though. This was when I learned that riding with a stranger can be super fun.

Sylvia and I parted ways after the ride ended, and I went here to dry off, where the FP line was a walk-through:

Nooooo, Mr. Cumulus Isobar, don’t make it rain, I’m enjoying the weather!

By now it must’ve been around 12:15 or so, and I was starting to feel a little worn out. It had been a pretty perfect morning, and I didn’t want to push it. I decided to leave the park for a while, so I could have a nice break before I returned for MNSSHP that night.

On my way out, I ran into a very friendly Photopass photographer – she said she loved being in the parks solo, too – and I got my first-ever Photopass pic. Please keep in mind I’d just had gallons of water thrown all over me, then ridden a roller coaster (a.k.a., a Magic Kingdom wash and blow dry):

Sorry for the low quality, it’s a screen shot. I refuse to pay exorbitant prices for a few photos of myself.

When I got to Main Street, I decided I should get BF a souvenir:

My BF’s parents are Ethiopian, so he has a very uncommon name. Meaning, as a child, he never got anything with his name on it. So I decided some Mickey ears were in order (cuz, you know, what thirtysomething man doesn’t pine for a pair of Mickey ears?). I placed my order (standard ears, script font, yellow thread) and paid, and they said that it should only take five or ten minutes. I decided to wait, and strolled around Main Street a bit more.

After 10 minutes my ears weren’t ready yet, so I hung around the Chapeau. I picked up the old-fashioned phone and listened to a whole conversation about something or other. I looked at every hat they had. I eventually started looking impatient on purpose, because by this point, far more than 10 minutes had passed. This whole time, no one in the shop even acknowledged me, which I thought was weird. I mean, it wasn’t busy or anything; in the entire time I was there, I think only one other group bought a hat. Finally, I asked where my ears were. The woman manning the embroidery machine was distinctly unfriendly. She dug around for a while, didn’t find my ears or any record of them. Then she looked at the ears she had just been working on, muttered something about a thread problem, tore them off the machine, and said it’d be another half hour. She had actually been working on my ears, and had no idea. Then instead of offering to fix them right away, she moved on to the next set in the queue. Harumph. I decided I’d pick them up later at MNSSHP.

Good-bye for now, beautiful Magic Kingdom!

Coming Soon: In Pursuit of Future Savings, I Take a Stroll through Dixie-Land

 

[Tribilín]

Great! A very nice morning at Magic Kingdom. You got a lot done and without a hurry.

I also have had very nice conversations with strangers on rides. As long as they can understand what I'm saying through my thick accent

Please keep in mind I’d just had gallons of water thrown all over me, then ridden a roller coaster (a.k.a., a Magic Kingdom wash and blow dry):

Oh you look great. LOL! By that time of the day I would be all sweaty, shorts and socks soaking wet and my face and shirt smeared with chocolate... mmmhh Mickey bars!

 

[A-Jay]

This is a great trip report. It's making me very anxious for my first solo trip in January. Can't wait for the next installment.

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Haven't read all the TR yet, but wanted to let you know there's one more reader on board!

And love your dog's pic in your Avatar!

The last 2 Sep were my first visits to WDW that lasted more than 2 days, and first times on site. Each trip was solo for 1/2, and with family for other 1/2. Both work, but especially the solo part!