A Whole New World - My Solo TR (May 12-15)!

[MickeyMaz]

Great trip report so far. Can't wait for more. I'm going down in a couple of weeks and would be interested in any solo traveling lessons you picked up while down there.

What did you do that you wished you passed on and what did you not do that you wished you did. And anything else you might have learned.

Thanks

 

[onelilspark]

Your ADR list looks nice! Have you ever tried the Tangierene Cafe? It's sooo good!


Also: I love Chestnut Hill. Such a pretty area of the city. *sigh* I miss Philly!

 

[manntra]

Yummmm isn't that margarita just divine!! I will be trying those tostadas next time!! I have heard they are delicious! I was there to strictly drink!! Actually was there for a dismeet! I had one of the blood orange and then the classic that came in a bucket. That one was also delicious!! I bought the Rosa Regale after rave reviews on here and it was also good. Wow this whole post is about alcohol!
Your ADR's look great....Good luck Oohhh and you are going to "the dark side!"

Tracy

 

[disneyj914]

Great trip report so far. Can't wait for more. I'm going down in a couple of weeks and would be interested in any solo traveling lessons you picked up while down there.

What did you do that you wished you passed on and what did you not do that you wished you did. And anything else you might have learned.

Thanks

Relax and have fun!!! I made a ton of plans, and when I got there, I realized that I there was a few attractions and shows that I didnt really want to see, but always did because "that's what you do at Disney" ie Spaceship Earth, it's a small world. I skipped these things that I've done every trip and just took more time to enjoy my faves and some new stuff.

Your ADR list looks nice! Have you ever tried the Tangierene Cafe? It's sooo good!


Also: I love Chestnut Hill. Such a pretty area of the city. *sigh* I miss Philly!

Thanks and I was able to get everything I wanted plus a lunch ressie at Le Cellier for our last day! I tried Tangierine Cafe on this trip and loved it! I will definitely we going back in December!

Yummmm isn't that margarita just divine!! I will be trying those tostadas next time!! I have heard they are delicious! I was there to strictly drink!! Actually was there for a dismeet! I had one of the blood orange and then the classic that came in a bucket. That one was also delicious!! I bought the Rosa Regale after rave reviews on here and it was also good. Wow this whole post is about alcohol!
Your ADR's look great....Good luck Oohhh and you are going to "the dark side!"

Tracy

The margarita was great, but I think next time I'll stick to beer and wine! The tostadas were amazing and I've been trying to recreate them here without much luck. PS....I'm a Harry Potter nut so there's no way I'm not going!

 

[disneyj914]

After I pulled myself away from Aladdin and Jasmine, it was time for dinner. Mo'rockin was playing, so I headed to Tangierine Cafe and grabbed a table outside. I had heard alot about this place, and it did not disappoint!!! I had the shawarma chicken platter, and it was fantastic, and it was enough to feed like three people!

After dinner, I made my way back over to France. I grabbed my last two wine samples, which were my least favorites. The red was a bordeaux and it wasn't bad, but the white was a chardonnay, which I hate. I took a sip and then just grabbed a seat in the garden and enjoyed my red.

Of course, I found a photopass photog and had some shots taken

I wandered through the shops and found a perfume that I fell in love with and had to buy!

The pic got upside down somehow, and I can't fix it!!! but its by Givenchy and its perfect for the summer. After shopping, I caught a showing of Impressions de France - so good - and then headed around back to Future World to use my Soarin FP. Saw these guys on the way...

I skipped past Canada and told myself I'd be back later but I never made it. Still haven't seen the new O'Canada, but I guess that leaves something for next time. On my way to Soarin, I found some more topiaries....

And took in the gorgeous views of EPCOT

I finally made it back to the Land and through the loooong queue of Soarin

I requested a seat in B1 and it was great.....I had a family next to me who was riding for the first time and they were so much fun to ride with! As a side note, I have to add that I am a complete nerd and I listen to the Soarin soundtrack on my drive to work everyday to motivate me! haha

After Soarin, it was getting pretty dark, so I headed back to World Showcase to find a spot (and some drinks) for Illuminations. I grabbed a French Kiss (pomegranate liqueur and champagne) in France and continued around the lagoon. I was thinking I wanted to watch the show in Italy, so I headed there but there was a private event going on. I kept going and ended up in Germany. After grabbing an Oktoberfest and a soft pretzel (pretzel und bier anyone?), I settled in to watch Illuminations. I never really got into the show before, but this time I really enjoyed it. The globe part is kind of boring to me, but I love the music.

I had plans to head to Canada, but decided to forgo that to get breakfast for the next morning! First, I headed to France and the Boulangerie, where I picked up some elephant ears and a coffee. Next, it was off to Kringla, to pick up another of my new loves, a cloudberry horn!

Fully supplied with pastries and nearing 10:30, I headed back to Future World to continue my autograph hunt at

Even though it seemed to be wayyy past their bed time, the Fab Five were excited and ready to go!

For some reason, I don't have a pic of Goofy!

I headed over to Mouse Gears to do some shopping, and gave in to a purchase I had been wanting to make all week.

In all honesty, I probably will never wear it, but I think its so cute!
Continued in the next post....

 

[disneyj914]

At this point, it was nearing 11pm, so I had decide where to head for my last ride....Soarin and The Seas or Mission:Space and Test Track. I went for thrills and headed towards the latter. Mission:Space was a walk-on and was great as usual. After that, I headed over to Test Track, which was surprisingly, also a walk-on. Here's some pics of the queue

AND A HIDDEN MICKEY!!!!

I got off Test Track at 11:55, considered sprinting to Soarin!, but decided to just head around on Test Track again. We were the last car of the night!!!! We begged to go around again, but they said no.

It was time to head back to POP, but I took a few pics on my way out.

Walking to the bus that night was rather bittersweet....I had a great day, but it was also my last full day. Tomorrow would be a half day at Animal Kingdom and then back to the real world

But for now, another great night of sleep at Pop Century! I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to check out in time to make my first rope drop of the week! I got to Animal Kingdom by about 8:40, perfect timing!!! We were all let in to the The Oasis and watched the opening show. I know alot of people like the changes with the opening show, but I like the old one better. I think more people could see and I loved seeing Mickey hanging out on the Tree of Life.

After the show, it was time for the marathon to Expedition Everest! And here was my view while walking there....

That little head you see is the woman holding the rope! Once we got there, I grabbed one of the first fast passes of the day and then headed in to line. I had the back car and got thrown around like crazy. So what to do next? That's right, get back in line again!

I waited for the front row and met a really nice woman who was also travelling by herself. And we both had the same idea about the front row....take as many pictures as you can!!

Ummm....there doesn't appear to be any track! (that's two Stacy quotes for those of you keeping track). After encountering the Yeti, I headed over to get a fast pass for an African safari, and ended up somewhere I never thought I'd be.

 

[WdwforLife]

Wow...amazing!

 

[YukiPhnx]

Ok, I'm finally caught up on your TR. Which I gotta say, is great for your first time!

I had to take notes as I went along too, haha.

I have that Tink shirt you wore on your first day! I also have the matching Minnie one

I can't believe you got all those characters at once. That is too cool. Do you remember what time you were there?

You found Stitch! I've read tons of TRs about the F&G Fest, but I've never seen Stitch. That is awesome.

Year of the Rat, huh? So you must be 26 this year. I only say this because I forgot how old you said you were.

Hm...Mulan looks Philipino. I hope I get a Chinese one when I'm there!

Wow, all 6 of those tastings cost $20 overall? That's such a great price!

Awwwww, Alice is too cute! You brought a mini clipboard!

I've never been a fan of fruit flavoured tea. It just feels like it masks the real flavour of the tea leaves. Maybe I'm just not used to it.

Wow, that Jasmine is REALLY pretty

I ate at the Tangierine Cafe on my last trip too. Love the naan bread.

Huh....maybe I should grab breakfast for the next day when I go to Epcot too...

Omg, that pink shirt is SOOO cute.

*gasp* They changed the AK rope drop show??? I think it's great to spot Mickey when he comes out near the Tree of Life. They still have that cute little list, right?

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[disneyj914]

Wow...amazing!

Hey, thanks for joining in!! Are you excited for your upcoming trip?? I'll be staying at CSR in December so I'll be following along to see how you like it? What part of Philly are you from?

Ok, I'm finally caught up on your TR. Which I gotta say, is great for your first time! Thanks, it's a lot more work than I thought it would be!

I had to take notes as I went along too, haha.

I have that Tink shirt you wore on your first day! I also have the matching Minnie one Disney store, $10, 2 days before my trip haha

I can't believe you got all those characters at once. That is too cool. Do you remember what time you were there? They're out on non-Fantasmic days starting at 4:50, and it was so much fun!

You found Stitch! I've read tons of TRs about the F&G Fest, but I've never seen Stitch. That is awesome.

Year of the Rat, huh? So you must be 26 this year. I only say this because I forgot how old you said you were. I'll be turning 26 in September!

Hm...Mulan looks Philipino. I hope I get a Chinese one when I'm there!

Wow, all 6 of those tastings cost $20 overall? That's such a great price! I love wine and it was definitely a great price! It was supposed to be 2 oz of each, but it definitey seemed like more than that!

Awwwww, Alice is too cute! You brought a mini clipboard! She was my favorite all week! The clipboard was so handy for those little character cards! I never would have thought of it without the Dis!

I've never been a fan of fruit flavoured tea. It just feels like it masks the real flavour of the tea leaves. Maybe I'm just not used to it.

Wow, that Jasmine is REALLY pretty

I ate at the Tangierine Cafe on my last trip too. Love the naan bread.

Huh....maybe I should grab breakfast for the next day when I go to Epcot too... Definitely! They have so much to choose from; i'm not a big breakfast eater, so a good pastry with coffee is wonderful!

Omg, that pink shirt is SOOO cute.

*gasp* They changed the AK rope drop show??? I think it's great to spot Mickey when he comes out near the Tree of Life. They still have that cute little list, right? Nope, it's just a really short thing right in front of the exit gates and then they walk everyone to Everest or the Safari, I was definitely disappointed as well.

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[WdwforLife]

Uuuhhhhh YES I'm excited! What kind of question is that?! This is this 5th time I'll be at CSR and I'm already starting my packing list!!! My trip is all paid off and all airfare is booked. It will be lost of fun! Woot free dining!

I live in Colmar up 309. Know where it's at??

 

[onelilspark]

I just booked a solo trip for December, so I'm reading with renewed interest I've never made RD at AK...perhaps I should! I do love Everest!

 

[Quacktatty]

I was on a solo trip about 10 days before you! We had a lot of similar experiences, except I had much better luck with the Single Rider Line.

Your F&G photos look just like mine except in reverse since I started in Canada instead of Mexico.

 

[disneyj914]

As I last left you, I was making the long journey from Asia to Africa! Here are some shots from along the way...

I had some time before I could grab another FP, so I headed for

There weren't a ton of animals around, but I did see this little guy

After walking the trail, I grabbed a FP for Kilimanjaro Safaris. I decided that I was tired and needed a little nourishment for my two-week safari, so I headed over to Tusker House to see if they were taking walk-ups. I had done this meal on my last trip with my Momma and we really enjoyed it. I waited for about 15 minutes and then went right in. Here's some pics from the wait

And some shots of the restaurant

My plate....clockwise from the right, scrambled eggs, apple bread pudding, tater tots and potato wedges, sausage, and fruit. Not much, but all really good. I would love to have the bread pudding and that wonderful juice every day!

After getting my fill of great food, juice, and a pot of coffee , it was time for the Festival of the Lion King. I love this show!!! The dancer that flies on the wire is my favorite...when I was little, I wanted to be her!

Then I wandered back to Africa

And grabbed a Lost on Safari before it was time for my safari

Those paper straws are so weird!!!

 

[disneyj914]

I headed back over to Kilimanjaro and had one of the best safaris ever!! Our guide was ehhhh....I think she was new, but I saw probably the most animals out of any safari. I've always heard that mid-day is not a great time to go, but I had lots of luck. We even had a baby rhino blocking our way for a while!

After my safari, I decided to use the Everest FP I had picked up earlier. On the way back, I ran into a photopass guy, so of course I stopped for a few.

I finally saw DeVine....she was really beautiful but I didn't get any good pics.

After Everest, I stopped by Yak n' Yeti because I needed a mango pie!! It was soooo goood, the crust was awesome! I also grabbed a Safari Amber Ale, and then made my way back towards the Tree of Life. I wandered down some of the trails and hit another Photopass person.

It was getting close to departure time and I knew I had some characters left to see so I headed back towards Camp Mickey-Minnie and met some new friends

Here's some pics from the walk-out aka, me wasting as much time as I could because I didn't wanna leave.

I ran in to these two crazy characters

And then took some final tree pics before leaving

I slowly made my way out through the Oasis and hopped on a bus back to POP!

 

[disneyj914]

I got back to POP with a little time to spare, which was perfect because I wanted to finally explore the resort a little before I left. I wandered around a got some great shots.....hope you have fun wandering around with me!

My birth year!

I grabbed a drink from Petals and then headed inside Classic Hall

And bought some final souvenirs

Before I knew it, my Magical Express bus had arrived and it was back to the Real World!!!!

 

[disneyj914]

First of all.....thank you everyone that has been reading along!!!! I hope you have all enjoyed my little trip to the best place on Earth! I wanted to end with my humble opinions on a few things about my trip.


1) Going solo - amazing!!!! Do it!!! I'm definitely planning another solo, I realized I just love the feeling of freedom that comes along with it! Whenever I got lonely, my obsessed w/ Disney mom was just a phone call or text away!

2) POP Century....I wasn't expecting much but it was a really nice place. The food court was awesome and all the theming was really fun! I would recommend for solos and couples....for families, the rooms are honestly really small, so if your kids aren't small, then it might be worth it to upgrade to a moderate. Depending on which building you are in, there can also be a bit of a walk to the main building. The gift shop was also amazing, more comparable to Mouse Gears than to any other hotel gift shop.

3) Unofficial Guide calendar and Lines - love them both!!! I changed my days around a couple days before my trip and I'm so glad I did!! The only day I had any crowds was EPCOT on Friday, and it was a "park to avoid" on that day. Lines was really helpful....especially with FP's; I knew whether or not I should trek across a park to get one beforehand.

4) Flower & Garden Festival - the flowers were pretty, but I wouldn't make a special trip to be there at that time. Now Food & Wine, that may be a different story!

and finallly.....my top 5 pics from the trip!!! They each bring back so many great memories!!!!

My love....in all its creepy glory!!

So pretty at night!!

Such a pretty country, especially with all the flowers!

Best character all week!

Where's the track??

Thanks again for stopping by and hopefully you'll join me for my pre-trip and trip reports for December!!!! Just think.....the whole fam celebrating Christmas with Mickey and Minnie!!! What will happen....think lots of drinking, eating, thrill rides, and Christmas spirit!

 

[onelilspark]

I'll jump over to your PTR, but I can't find the link. Did you start it yet?

I love your outfit on your AK day, it looks so comfortable for the parks!
I love the Precious Moments pin, so adorable!
Also, how'd you feel at night around Pop by yourself? I'm currently booked for my solo trip at All Star Movies (my goal is to stay at all Disney resorts at some point!) but I keep thinking of changing to POFQ because of the size...less walking around at night by myself. Did you feel safe at the value?

 

[Dsnygrl1205]

Awesome TR! You took some really beautiful pictures. I would love to do a solo trip but my DS would kill me if I went without him!

 

[Disney_Jill]

What a great trip report! Thank you for taking the time to post it and all the pictures. I took my first solo trip last week and was reading your trip report for tips, etc. You're right, going solo is great and its sooo nice to have some freedom to do whatever you want.

 

[MickeyMaz]

This was a really good time. You had such a great trip. Thanks!