“IF THIS IS A DREAM, I DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP!” – POP! Goes The Solo Trip **THE END**

[DisneyKid4Life]

Such wonderful pictures of the rainbow!! Thanks for sharing your fabulous trip with us! Have a great return trip in a few days! Thank goodness you accepted my friend request on Facebook so I can follow along and live vicariously yet again!

Thank you so much Staci and with your first post you still get a

I am absolutely delighted you have been here reading along. I hope to be able to get some updates onto FB for the upcoming trip. As long as that darn WiFi is working properly, it should be good!

 

[courtneybelle]

Hey Rob. I'm not sure how much DIS-ing I'm going to be doing over the next few days, what with packing and schoolwork and seeing Frozen. So if I don't talk to you before we both leave for our trips, I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY and I hope you enjoy every minute of your trip!!! Have a fabulous time at the parties and cruise, and say hello to Manta for me

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Hey Rob. I'm not sure how much DIS-ing I'm going to be doing over the next few days, what with packing and schoolwork and seeing Frozen. So if I don't talk to you before we both leave for our trips, I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY and I hope you enjoy every minute of your trip!!! Have a fabulous time at the parties and cruise, and say hello to Manta for me

Awww Courtney THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! That is so incredibly sweet.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

... Ok, yeah I just wanted to get to the top of the page...

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

THE MUST DO I DON'T WANT TO DO!
Day 7 – May 3, 2013



I didn't want to get up today. I hate getting up on Disney departure day.

I should be going to a park, not the airport. I should be riding the Monorail, not the Fake-O-Rail.

Honestly, for the money we’re spending, there should be a grief councilor on site to help us all get through this trauma.

I had watched many a group wheeling their suitcases away each morning ever so thankful it wasn't me.

I may have even had a laugh or two to myself at their expense.

Today it would be me. Stupid Karma!

I got showered and dressed and made my last journey over to Everything POP for some still free coffee.

While I was there I finally witnessed one of POP's spontaneous twists (and by spontaneous I mean completely planned).

I'm glad I got to see this before I left and it did make me smile, at least temporarily.

Before heading back to my room I took some final pictures around the food court.

Then, I walked back to my room for the final time.

I do believe the sign with my room number is the best Hidden Mickey of all time

(Think about it… Don’t worry... I’ll wait).

While I finished up my last bit of packing, I said goodbye to future wife one last time, since I clearly like to torture myself.

Ahhhhh my favourite. This woman is just perfection. Adorable!!!!

Once I finished my depressingly awful final packing, I loaded everything into the car and headed over to check out.

Just look at all the excited people waiting to head to the parks and make magic happen.

I hate them and wanted to hurt them.

Ok, not really, that's a bit extreme, but I did haul back out a little bit of this just to make myself feel better.

Entering in to the lobby I finally remembered to grab a photo of the welcome mat; ironic since I was leaving.

Check out completed, I drove away from POP for the last time (or at least until the next time).

I stopped to fill up the car en route to the airport, returned the car, and headed inside.

No matter how many times I go though this airport, it never fails to amaze me with how beautiful it is.

Before heading through the security line, I made one final stop since I clearly wasn't ready to leave Disney behind just yet.

Then it was off through security to head home, thus ending the solo trip I thought I would never take.

CONCLUDED NEXT POST
​

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

FINAL THOUGHTS



I don’t think I could even begin to summarize what ultimately became one of my most memorable, magical, and special trips to “The World” ever.

For someone that has been there dozens of times starting at approximately the age of 2, that is truly saying something.

For every lost wallet, there was the absolute most incredible and thrilling Fantasmic experience ever.

For every obnoxious family, there were wonderful CM’s reminding me how truly awesome they can be.

For every drop of rain, there was one spectacular rainbow that completely made me forget that it had even rained at all.

The thing I learned the most, or maybe more correctly had reinforced, can best be summarized by Walt himself…

“Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.”

And that could not have been made clearer to me than when I met that wonderful Disney loving man, 83 years young.

It really IS OK to be kid, and I plan on being a kid for as long as there is breath in my body, and probably even after there isn’t.

But in the end, this trip will always come down to that unforgettable moment in the middle of Main Street USA…

When during a quiet pause in the magnificence and emotion that is Wishes…

A child’s simple words moved me in a way unlike anything I had ever experienced…

And summarized exactly what Walt Disney World means to me.

”IF THIS IS A DREAM… I DON’T WANT TO WAKE UP!”





**************************************************


I sincerely can't tell you how much it meant to me to have all of you following along on this journey with me.

I really can’t.

I feel truly blessed to have you all here;

And to have made what I believe are genuine friendships apart from an internet message board is probably the biggest blessing of all.

I love writing, but in the end I’m finding it really hard to find the right words to express my supreme gratitude to you all.

Whether you were one of the over 1000 posts or just one of the over 100,000 views (both of which I am eternally grateful for);

Whether you posted one of the amazing comments that I so love reading, or simply followed along quietly,

SO MUCH!!!

I love and appreciate you all and I hope that if I do another Trip Report in the future, that many of you will do me the supreme honour of joining in there as well.

If/when the time comes, I will post a link right here. Well, not in this EXACT location, but in another post in this TR.

For anyone who’s ever dreamed of taking a solo trip to WDW, I hope this little story in some way convinces you to finally just do it.

We have our entire daily lives to be mature and responsible adults.

So go and find your inner child and embrace it;

Wear your Mickey ears proudly;

Eat that Mickey Bar, Dole Whip, or cupcake;

Buy that Disney balloon;

Get a hug from a character;

And always remember,

Walt Disney World IS a dream... and you don't have to wake up.

​

 

[marDgreen88]

I absolutely loved this TR, Rob. One of the best I've read in a while! That wrap-up post was just awesome. I'm glad you get to go back soon and I definitely look forward to another TR from you!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[khertz]

Departure day. I know exactly what you mean about kind of laughing to myself each morning as you see people leaving and knowing it's not you. And then when it IS you, it feels like a punch in the gut!

I truly enjoyed every minute of this TR, Rob! It's so great that you were able to take that solo trip that you never thought you would and have a wonderful time doing so. Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us! And I CAN'T WAIT for your birthday/Christmas extravaganza next month!!!

 

[JessM]

Departure day is just the worst! I feel the same way when you see everyone going out to enjoy the parks and you have to leave. You want to either punch them or throw a temper tantrum haha.

This was such a great trip report! Thanks for sharing your experiences, pictures and humor! Can't wait to read the next one!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

aw Rob, that concluding post had me tearing up.

I know you thanked us, but sincerely thank you for taking the time to write such a quality, humorous, informative, and memorable trip report

Leaving day is always sad, but on the plus side you are heading down again soon on what I am sure will be another amazing journey!

 

[missangelalexis]

I am sad to see your trip report come to an end! But a darn good TR it was Thank YOU for sharing with us! Only a week until your next adventure! I hope you have a wonderful time and a very happy birthday!! I hope there will be a new TR to accompany it when you get back?

 

[katt789]

What an awesome wrap up to the trip!!

Ive actually never seen the twist happen at Pop! Super cute!!

So glad that you did this solo trip and that you had a blast, it really did seem like a great first experience in the solo Disney world! Your stories and adventures were fantastic to read along with and I can't wait to share some of them with you in ONE MORE WEEEEKKA

 

[teekathepony]

Wonderful. Just wonderful Rob! The whole thing. The trip, the report, the wrap up, all of it. Your wrap up left me speechless and I have nothing else. I can not wait for the next one!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[dawnbu40]

Thank you for a wonderful TR! You truly captured the magic of Disney

 

[mrs mouse10712]

Thank you for such a magical trip report Rob!

I'm looking forward to hearing about your next trip

 

[JulieODC]

Awww, so sad to see your report end - it was fabulous!! (I'm about to get started on my first....thanks for the inspiration!)

 

[peachmermaid]

There really should be a grief counselor at every hotel.

I'm so glad to have found this TR, truly! I have loved every update & have even taken away a few things that I'd like to do myself! I hope you do write another TR about your upcoming trip which is in its single digits!!! No pressure though, I promise. I'm so glad that you got to take this trip that you never thought you would, that you had such a great time & that you shared it with us! Thank you!! Have a wonderful time enjoying the season in Walt Disney World!! I hope you're going to a Christmas party...they are so wonderful & magical. Here's hoping this trip is just as magical! (You'll be hanging out with Brenda & Em, so of course it will be!) xoxo!

 

[WDWaddictt]

I didn't post often...sorry! But I did really enjoy your TR! I am looking forward to reading more TRs from you!

Thank you for sharing!

From another fellow Canadian...

 

[annie170]

Thank you for a beautifully written trip report. You summed up a Disney departure very accurately.

Have a great time on your upcoming visit and I will be looking forward to your next trip report!