A Commando on Valium - A 7 Day Solo Trip at AKL ***Update 3/23 page 19

[If U Had Wings]

And in honor of my very sleepy single digit dance this morning, I present to you the Solo Trip Pledge!

I love this idea! Is it wrong that I'm already starting a list for a trip I want to take more than a year from now?

• I will try to take a minimum of 20 Photopass pictures a day

Wow! Very ambitous!

• I won’t be afraid to go to Character Meet and Greets

I'm always a bit nervous to go to the meet and greets without kids with me. I feel like everyone is wondering who the big, old goof is in the line. Especially when they are face characters. (Except when I met Captain Jack last year. Go figure! Hoped right in line for him with no issues. )

• I will take the time to explore World Showcase and see some of the entertainment there

This is on my list for next year too.

• I will talk to the people around me in line and on my tours

I've been trying to do this more too. I'm pretty shy in person, but find people in Disney to be (for the most part) pretty friendly and chatty.

• I will make conversation with a CM

My trip last year and the one I just got back from I've been finding the cast members more friendly than in the past. So many of them started conversations with me.

 

[Quacktatty]

Two weeks from today I'll be spending some time at the park where this parade was once found

 

[2xcited2sleep]

LOVE your trip pledge! It's perfect!! My philosophy is that there is so much walking at WDW that it more than makes up for what I eat. We'll see if that proves to be true... And how nice that you can be on the look-out for some special things for your new home. Any ideas on what you want?

 

[Quacktatty]

I love this idea! Is it wrong that I'm already starting a list for a trip I want to take more than a year from now?

No way, I already have an October 2009 trip sketched out!!! I'm just waiting until I get a little closer to that time to see if I have the money and vacation days to use.

LOVE your trip pledge! It's perfect!! My philosophy is that there is so much walking at WDW that it more than makes up for what I eat. We'll see if that proves to be true... And how nice that you can be on the look-out for some special things for your new home. Any ideas on what you want?

I think I'd like to get some kind of print for my living room, but not sure what kind or how I would go about getting it home.

 

[Quacktatty]

ONE WEEK TO GO!!!!!!! This week is either going to fly by or go incredibly slow. I hope it's the former not the latter. I've been busy packing boxes for my move and I just went and bought a new bedroom set. I'm dropping money left and right, I'm surprised the credit card company hasn't red flagged me yet!

One week from today I will be on safari!

 

[Quacktatty]

So I'm just thinking through all of my current dining plans and wondering if what I have in mind is really what I want.

The two days in question are Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday, plans call for:
Breakfast - In Room Dining
Lunch - Captain Cooks (CS at the Poly)
Dinner - Cookes of Dublin or Earl of Sandwich (DTD)

On Wednesday, plans call for:
Breakfast - Resort
Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern - 1:10pm
Dinner - Kona Cafe - 9:20pm

I think what is bugging me is that my Kona reservation is so late. So, what I was thinking was that I could try and do a walk up reservation for Kona a late lunch. I will be doing the Fort Wilderness Segway tour that afternoon so I would anticipate arriving at Kona around 2:30 or 3:00, at which point I will be more than ready for some lunch. Then I will cancel my Kona plans for the next night and head back to AKL a little bit early, maybe even eat at the Jiko bar for dinner. What do you think? This is so late for me to make changes...but this one might be a good idea.

 

[Quacktatty]

Only 6 more days!!!!

But in one week I will be taking some updated photos of my favorite Mountain

 

[Quacktatty]

Hmm...it appears that nobody is reading my poor little pre-trip report anymore.

But regardless...5 days to go!!

1 week from today I will be watching this show at DHS:

 

[mmmbop]

• I won’t be afraid to go to Character Meet and Greets
• I will indulge in at least one alcoholic drink

I went to the princess one in Feb. Mind you, I was 21 at the time. Alone. I gave my photopass card to the CM and he took pictures of someone else's kid with the princesses. (Long story short, the little girl was the last one - besides me - and LOVED Cindy and Belle, but didn't want to meet Princess Aurora because her story was scary. So all the princesses gathered around her. And the photopass people took pictures of the princesses surrounding her. On my card. )

The princesses thought I was with her too. They apologized when they realized I was by myself. Another CM in Animal Kingdom took a picture of two random kids with Brer Bear. Oh well, I got my pictures!


My favorite drink was the habibi daquiri in Morocco. I think I liked it so much because it's fun to say



I hope you have a great time! I can't wait to finish the count down with you and read all about your trip!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I'm still reading! Woohoo for five days!!!!

 

[Quacktatty]

Yay, real live people! I was starting to feel so lonely.

I hope you have a great time! I can't wait to finish the count down with you and read all about your trip!

Welcome!

I'm still reading! Woohoo for five days!!!!

I can't freaking wait!!!!

 

[Quacktatty]

Here it is...I'm 5 days out (or really 4 1/2) and I've just made ONE more change. I had to reprint my itinerary and make up a new reference card, but I won't make any more changes after this one (I swear, really )

So here it is, the final(ish) itinerary:

Day 1 - Arrival and Favorites Day

• Arrive at MCO 9:45am
• DME to AKL hopefully by 11:00am
• Check-in and then head to DS hopefully by 12:00
• Pick up a Fastpass for Toy Story Mania and ride if the line permits
• AK until close (5pm)
• Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ
• DHS for approx 2 hours to use TSM Fastpass and get my TOT and RNRC fix
• MK for EMH until 11pm
• Dinner at Casey's

Day 2 - Backstage Safari, AK and DS

• Breakfast at Mara
• Backstage Safari - AK (8:30am)
• Lunch - Yak and Yeti (CS)
• AK until close
• Dinner back at the Resort - Mara or In Room Dining
• DS for EMH until I get tired

Day 3 - Segway Tour, DS, DTD

• Breakfast - In Room Dining or Mara
• DHS to ride Toy Story Mania and get a FastPass
• FW Segway tour (11am)
• To the Poly for lunch at Kona Cafe, 2:35pm
• DS until close
• DTD
• Dinner - Cookes of Dublin

Day 4 - MK

• Breakfast - Mara
• MK all day
• Lunch - Liberty Tree Tavern, 1:10pm
• Dinner - Columbia Harbor House

Day 5 - EP

• Breakfast - Mara
• EP all day
• Around the World Segway tour (9am)
• Lunch - Snack around the world
• Dinner - Teppan Edo, 8pm

Day 6 - AK, EP

• Breakfast - Mara
• AK until close
• Lunch - Flame Tree
• EP for EMH
• Dinner - Tangerine Cafe

Day 7 - DS, AK

• Check-out
• Breakfast - Mara
• DS for EMH
• AK until 1:00pm or 2:00pm if I can get a later ME pick up
• Lunch - Flame Tree
• ME to airport for 5:30pm flight
• Arrive home at 11:57pm

 

[Charleston Princess]

I'm still reading!!! I am looking forward to reading about your stay at AKL! I can never get enough AKL!

 

[*Emily*]

I'm still on board too. I did a dry run of your bundle packing method and HOLY JEEZ, it kicks butt! I went from having a full suitcase to it only being 1/3 full! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[If U Had Wings]

5 Days!! Whoo Hoo!

 

[Quacktatty]

I'm still reading!!! I am looking forward to reading about your stay at AKL! I can never get enough AKL!

I'm so excited for AKL. I have never been there but even the few pictures I have seen make it seem so wonderful. And I'm especially looking forward to waking up to the animals out my window every morning.

I'm still on board too. I did a dry run of your bundle packing method and HOLY JEEZ, it kicks butt! I went from having a full suitcase to it only being 1/3 full! Thanks so much for sharing!

Isn't it awesome? I can fit half a case of water in my suit case with plenty of room to spare. I'll never pack another way again.

5 Days!! Whoo Hoo!

 

[Quacktatty]

4 days!!!!!

I have very little left to do before I head out on Sunday morning. My last "big" errand is to run to the bank tomorrow during work and get some ones and fives for tips. Other than that I am D-U-N dun!

1 week from today I'll be here:

 

[2xcited2sleep]

1 week from today I'll be here:

Hopefully without the clouds. But either way, one week from today you'll be in WDW!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Hopefully without the clouds. But either way, one week from today you'll be in WDW!

I was just going to say the same thing! Great minds!!!

 

[Quacktatty]

That picture was from a rainy, gloomy, January day. But that was one of my most fun days since there were no crowds and I rode Buzz Lightyear nearly 15 times in a row!