1/31 MM at DL: Went Solo and had a great time! Update in post #10

[bwvBound]

UPDATE on Friday, 2/1: I went solo and had a super great time. See post #10 for details.

Well done, DVC team, and Thank you!!

----- BELOW was typed on 1/31 before the event -----

My husband got pulled out to HI on sudden work request and my friends have been making squeaky noises about the high chance of rain. So ... I know I have one extra ticket but I might show up solo and have three extra.

I plan to enter security around 5:30p and then go straight to the check-in queue.

PM if you need/want my extra ticket(s) and can meet me between 5:30-6p local?

EDITED to add: Hmmm, if my friends cancel ... will I really want to drive the 91 to reach Disneyland this afternoon? I'm wavering. I might just tuck in at home and remain cozy through the wet weather. (I just did wet weather at the ProBowl. Not so ready to go another round ... just yet.)

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I ended up deciding not to go. My family that was coming with had a death on the other side of their family so had to cancel. I'm still a bit lacking in stamina following the flu and once I saw the rain and it was just going to be me? Nope, wasn't happening! I wish they had a later cancellation than they did for this event. But with deciding to send out tickets that apparently couldn't work either.

 

[bwvBound]

@KAT4DISNEY , I hope you feel better and fully recovered quickly! Yeah, I'm really shrinking back from driving the 91 alone in thunderstorms. Doesn't that sound like a truly bad idea??

I'm just a couple breaths from saying, "I'm staying home." (Meanwhile, I'm packing my overnight bag and soaking the horse's evening feed buckets for an early dinner?)

 

[bwvBound]

Rolling out the driveway with intent to show up solo.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

@KAT4DISNEY , I hope you feel better and fully recovered quickly! Yeah, I'm really shrinking back from driving the 91 alone in thunderstorms. Doesn't that sound like a truly bad idea??

I'm just a couple breaths from saying, "I'm staying home." (Meanwhile, I'm packing my overnight bag and soaking the horse's evening feed buckets for an early dinner?)

Thanks! And have fun!!

 

[bwvBound]

About to walk over to the parks ... weather is NOT looking too bad. Yippie!

 

[bwvBound]

Now in line at the park gate! If anyone needs those extra tickets look for a tall, solo woman wearing a yellow Mickey all-weather jacket.

 

[bwvBound]

I am in! received my meal voucher on entry This was easy!

 

[starry_solo]

Wish I had seen this earlier!

 

[bwvBound]

What a perfectly AWESOME evening! Soooooo glad I went. The event was perfectly executed ... and a complete "save" from the difficult Nov 2018 event at DCA. Phew!

Here is what I fit in:

• Ate dinner using my meal voucher on entry at the Galaxy Grill (near Submarines): Hamburger, Fries and a Frozen Slushy beverage with a fancy glow light. Together, after the the DVC discount, these were just a smidge below the $20 meal voucher. Not my normal fare but perfect! As I sat to eat, I watched the remaining daytime crowds and figured them to be pretty thick for a mid-week day with a heavy rain storm??
• Matterhorn, single rider, left side track. (This is my favorite ride ... great way to start my evening.)
• Submarines (aka Nemo). This was my Mom's favorite (long before Nemo) and was soooo lovely! Enjoyed meeting and chatting with fellow DVC owners in line.
• Small World ... wait ... it is closed. Bummer. (I walked all the way up to verify ... yep, closed.)
• Space Mountain? Nope, closed. (Again, I walked all the way up to verify. Still closed since the curious event of earlier this week?)
• Peter Pan? Waaaaay to long a line ... I'll try again after regular park closing. Instead, I hit the classic Fantasyland dark rides...
  • Snow White's Scary Adventures
  • Pinocchio's Daring Journey
  • Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
• Indiana Jones (entered the queue at 7:59p with the last of the day guests)
• Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road
• Meet the Execs. I thanked them for the event/s and for rolling back (revising) the 2020 point chart.
• (Ice Cream!)
  
• Mickey's Mix Magic Viewing from Main Street. (From the flyer: An after-dark dance party bursting with magical song tacks [sic], kaleidoscopic laser projections and exciting lightings and lasers that transform Disneyland Park into one of the greatest celebrations for Mickey and Minnie Mouse.)
• Pirates
• Winnie the Pooh? Nope, all of Critter Country was blocked off just beyond the Haunted Mansion.
• Haunted Mansion
• Jungle Cruise
• Tiki Room
• Peter Pan !!!! (My other favorite ride. Can I say that or must I choose just one ... please don't make me choose just one!)
• Alice in Wonderland
• Star Tours ... which ended in Galaxy's Edge. Many of us in the ride vehicle drew in a breath of recognition: just like the artist concepts we've seen for the new park expansion. How cool was that?!?
• Matterhorn ... now for the single rider, right side track. FWIW, I prefer the left but it is always good to check both!
• Shopping along Main Street
• Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln? Nope, closed. Oh, well ... I guess I could leave ... even if just a bit early ...

Hopped a bus to the Toy Story lot at 12:48a and was in bed by 1:15a at the Worldmark/Wyndham Dolphin Cove. Yeah. Almost perfect night (just missing the hubby ...).

Wish I had seen this earlier!

Awwww, I wish you had, too!

Once inside the park and mingling with the normal day-time guests, I gave away one ticket to a high-energy solo woman I met in a ride-queue and offered my remaining pair to two different couples just before park closing (both couples turned me down, too tired to stay to beyond park closing). I have no idea if the one ticket "worked" w/out showing DVC ID ... but we figured there was nothing to lose for trying.

 

[pineapplepalms]

Sounds like a fun night! Thanks for sharing. Hoping we can make it to a MM event sometime.

 

[Dean1953]

Were their any meet and greets last night?

 

[bwvBound]

Were their any meet and greets last night?

The schedule listed a 1-hour window for Meet the Execs, however, I believe the staff were available for at least 30 minutes prior to the published time.

Or did you mean characters ... ? If characters, there were plenty all over the park.

 

[Dean1953]

I meant character, specificity oogie boogie or other rare characters. I got a picture with Jack and Sally last October at MNSSHP and would like oogie boogie and would wait in line for it. I guess that I’ll find out Tuesday night.

 

[bwvBound]

I meant character, specificity oogie boogie or other rare characters. I got a picture with Jack and Sally last October at MNSSHP and would like oogie boogie and would wait in line for it. I guess that I’ll find out Tuesday night.

While I wasn't particularly looking for characters here are those I recall seeing as I wandered the park:

• All seven dwarves (together for photo purposes)
• Alice (in Wonderland) and the White Rabbit
• Captain Hook and Snee (?)
• Meeko (I'll guess Pocahontas was also nearby but I didn't her?)
• Jack Sparrow
• .... (end of my memory for now) ...

 

[dina444444]

While I wasn't particularly looking for characters here are those I recall seeing as I wandered the park:

• All seven dwarves (together for photo purposes)
• Alice (in Wonderland) and the White Rabbit
• Captain Hook and Snee (?)
• Meeko (I'll guess Pocahontas was also nearby but I didn't her?)
• Jack Sparrow
• .... (end of my memory for now) ...

Pocahontas was meeting with Meeko, they were switching off with John and governor ratcliffe. Angelica was also meeting where jack sparrow was. To the left of haunted mansion the bride was switching off with sally the tightrope walker. Stitch was in Tomorrowland, not sure who he was switching off with. Jane and Turk were meeting in Adventureland, don’t know who they switched off with. Also aurora and the fairy godmothers were meeting.

 

[bwvBound]

Pocahontas was meeting with Meeko, they were switching off with John and governor ratcliffe. Angelica was also meeting where jack sparrow was. To the left of haunted mansion the bride was switching off with sally the tightrope walker. Stitch was in Tomorrowland, not sure who he was switching off with. Jane and Turk were meeting in Adventureland, don’t know who they switched off with. Also aurora and the fairy godmothers were meeting.

Yes! Thank you!

And I saw Mary Poppins, Burt and two Penguins between the the Matterhorn and Pixie Hollow.

 

[LRdismom]

Just curious, was there any response from the Execs when you thanked them for revising the 2020 points charts?

 

[bwvBound]

Just curious, was there any response from the Execs when you thanked them for revising the 2020 points charts?

Mostly a sigh of relief and cheerful head nodding. The gal I spoke w/ was from West Coast Sales so not likely directly involved in the waves of events we experienced in January. We both agreed, "January was a difficult month for the DVC community. So glad we could be thankful for the 2020 point chart revision."

I figured my "thanking" was a "coded" message, received and understood. Good enough.

FWIW, the team at Hollywood Studios last Oct included a scribe (a junior staff taking notes). I've never seen that done at the CA events ... so we can only hope they have a roundtable to report their discussions before they forget??

Edited to add: Our initial contact had a funny moment in our early pleasantries. After, "Hi, Welcome, How are you?" she asked, "What is your home resort?" When I responded, "Saratoga," she said, "Oh, you've owned for a l-o-n-g time!"

I was surprised by that assumption, even it it true for me (15 years this spring). I wondered to myself, "Is that a trained response ... or true of most owners she meets?" Personally, and largely based on daily interaction in these forums, I expect many SSR owners to be opportunistic resale buyers. (Oh, but because of the gradual resale restrictions over time, these might not be attending the MM event ... OH! I got it. As I named only one resort and she knows I'm either direct or grandfathered ... she can safely assume we've owned since SSR was in active sales. Ok ... that makes sense.) Still funny to me in that curious, odd sort of way ...

 

[LRdismom]

Mostly a sigh of relief and cheerful head nodding. The gal I spoke w/ was from West Coast Sales so not likely directly involved in the waves of events we experienced in January. We both agreed, "January was a difficult month for the DVC community. So glad we could be thankful for the 2020 point chart revision."

I figured my "thanking" was a "coded" message, received and understood. Good enough.

FWIW, the team at Hollywood Studios last Oct included a scribe (a junior staff taking notes). I've never seen that done at the CA events ... so we can only hope they have a roundtable to report their discussions before they forget??

Edited to add: Our initial contact had a funny moment in our early pleasantries. After, "Hi, Welcome, How are you?" she asked, "What is your home resort?" When I responded, "Saratoga," she said, "Oh, you've owned for a l-o-n-g time!"

I was surprised by that assumption, even it it true for me (15 years this spring). I wondered to myself, "Is that a trained response ... or true of most owners she meets?" Personally, and largely based on daily interaction in these forums, I expect many SSR owners to be opportunistic resale buyers. (Oh, but because of the gradual resale restrictions over time, these might not be attending the MM event ... OH! I got it. As I named only one resort and she knows I'm either direct or grandfathered ... she can safely assume we've owned since SSR was in active sales. Ok ... that makes sense.) Still funny to me in that curious, odd sort of way ...

Thanks! Yes, it does seem that she discreetly acknowledged this whole debacle. Thank you for sharing!