And now for a change of plans-A Dec '18 Solo TR - COMPLETED 9/19

[cstorm65]

For breakfast I ended up eating my snowman macaron (delicious despite being a bit crushed!) and my chocolate mousse pastry (I think I also ate these out on the balcony – trying to soak in every last bit of that view). The pastry was a bit rich (I’ve had it before though), so I think in the future I’ll stick to the mini Mickey Mousse dome cake.

Desserts for breakfast at Disney really are the best!

​

Eventually we had to say goodbye to the rhinos, but I loved the overall experience. It was also super affordable. We had a bunch of kids on the tour who were super cute and excited! One of them knew more about rhinos than anyone else on the tour!

This sounds like a fun tour, especially since it was so affordable and I like these tour options that allow kids since so many of them don't. I can see it as a great one to do as a tour with kids, especially if those kids like animals!

I ended up getting the Honey Chicken, which was good. And for dessert I got the won-tons. I wasn’t as big a fan of those – it was best if you got a bite of everything together, which was hard to do since it was so big!

I love honey chicken, but we ate here several years ago and didn't have a great experience. It wasn't bad, but we didn't feel like the restaurant added much "Disney" to our experience. Also, I really like fried rice and it wasn't great here. The food other than that wasn't bad by any means, just nothing special. Also, the service wasn't very good either the day we were there. I think we need to try it again, but we'll see. There are so many other places we like!

​

One thing that was cool, was the server had refilled my drink shortly before I was finished eating. Then when he brought me the check he offered to bring a to-go cup, so I was able to bring the rest of my soda with me!

That's great service!!

​

Right before the show started I got the room ready text on my phone that my Boardwalk Villas studio was ready! I had requested an upper floor with partial Boardwalk View (looking over the entrance courtyard). So I furiously tried to see where it was – first floor, pool view. Uhh, nope nope nope! Guess I’d need to make a stop at the front desk and have my fingers crossed.

The moment you wait for on resort change days! Getting that text and frantically trying to figure out what your room location actually is!

But I don’t feel a need to do the show again! Just a bit too corny with the Up characters. I mean, I’m happy I did it, but just it’s one and done for me! I actually liked the Tree of Life bird show so much more!

I've heard this a lot from people about this show. They were glad they did it once, but it was nothing they would need to repeat!

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The safari was fun enough. Though we were on a truck with a bunch of cheerleaders, who could be a bit annoying, but at the same time they were also very excited about the animals, so I guess it could have been worse (but the driver had to tell them many many times to sit down, which was a bit tiresome)!

Better someone else getting in trouble than you! haha

​

We did end up with a big traffic jam at one point – I think the rhinos probably were in the roadway, so were stuck over by the elephant area (but not in a place where we could see the elephants).

I can't thing of a better place to get stuck in a traffic jam! Unless you have a Flight of Passage FP to get to or something!

Coming up - Checking into Boardwalk Villas - would I be successful in changing my room?

Hopefully!!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

OMG! Get out of town!!! I would LOVE that!

Wouldn't it be cool! I think Busch Gardens has something. I know @MeghanEmily has fed some giraffes on her honeymoon somewhere in the central Florida area!

LOVE the shirt!

Thanks! Another etsy purchase!

I've heard multiple people who use this! And I love Y&Y so maybe I should give it a try.

Oh most definitely! And you get $25 rewards in your birthday month, so it ends up being convenient and saving money!

Desserts for breakfast at Disney really are the best!

Aren't then awesome!

This sounds like a fun tour, especially since it was so affordable and I like these tour options that allow kids since so many of them don't. I can see it as a great one to do as a tour with kids, especially if those kids like animals!

Yeah, I think it was a great option for kids. Not too long and a good amount of interaction. It's 1-hour from start to finish, which includes the shuttle. And when you are out by the Rhinos there is still plenty to see. I'm sure your older boy would love it (and maybe even your younger guy once he's old enough)!

The moment you wait for on resort change days! Getting that text and frantically trying to figure out what your room location actually is!

No matter how much I try to prepare for figuring out where the room is, I still am always furiously checking Touring Plans room maps!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Day 3, Part 2 - Boardwalk Villas and DHS!

Then it was time to head over to the Boardwalk and hope I could get a better room! I know Zach was headed to Epcot, but I don’t remember if he went on the Boardwalk bus with me, or took a different Crescent Lake resort bus, or even an Epcot bus?

But whatever it was, I headed into the Boardwalk lobby. Thankfully they were able to switch me to a 3rd floor pool view! It wasn’t the partial boardwalk I hoped for, but overall it was a great location, since I was right by the elevators (though I never had any noise issues). I will probably request a similar location for my upcoming NYE trip - basically I think anything near the elevators puts you in a good spot since you don't have to worry about the insanely long hallways!

I checked at bell services before heading up and they said they’d send up my suitcases, though I think he must have not put it in right, because I had to call again and then they immediately came up.

Oh and before heading up, I stopped at the lobby stand and got some cookies and an ornament! I snacked on the cookies for the rest of the week!

Corridor photos-love the theming! (I know it’s silly but I really like the Disney hotel corridor carpets!)

Overall I liked the room. It was cozy and the view was actually very nice and private, though I didn’t end up using the balcony that much. (I didn’t love it as much as Jambo House, but I liked it enough to book it again for my upcoming NYE trip.)

I couldn’t get the pull down bed to drop down, so when the bell services guy came up, he helped me (the bed had 2 spots which you had to push in at the same time to get it to drop). I wasn’t actually going to use it, but wanted to check it out for the future. Though when I eventually wanted to put it back up and use the table, it never fully latched and despite all my pushing, it wouldn’t go in! So if I put any pressure on the table, it would start to flip down and I couldn't really use it - but that was fine, I didn't really need it at all. I haven’t had those issues with other Studios since then, so it must have been an individual room issue.

Oh well… I think I had a couple cookies as a snack (I liked the marble and checkerboards the most; the gingerbread pretzels were a bit strong, and I don’t like almonds, so skipped those ones).

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

And then it was time to head to Hollywood Studios! My first boat transport (well, first when I’m actually staying at one of those resorts – I’ve used them other times). I think it came promptly, but overall I really liked the boat transport. It also was easy to tell when one was on the way, so I could time things well (like if I didn’t see one already at Beach Club getting ready to come to Boardwalk, I would just walk to Epcot to save time).

Overall I liked the decorations at night in DHS. Lots of classic images that I’d recognize from actual main streets!

I had hoped to be able to ride both RnRC and ToT this evening, but I ended up realizing due to timing I really only had time for one.

First, I checked out Sunset Seasons, which I loved (I’m a sucker for a good projection show)! I also loved how it was totally continuous, so you didn’t have to wait forever to see all the shows. And the snoap was a fun touch! (I took some videos but don’t think those are necessary to share as other people have so much better quality!)

When I got to the end of Sunset Blvd, I decided to go with RnRC. Last year I remember it being pretty intense, but I wanted to see if that was still the case. And I had other ToT FPs for later in the week (spoiler – I never ended up using them).

In the end, I recognized, it still is too intense for me (and I had requested Row 1 which I think is supposed to be less rough). So, I don’t feel a real need to do it in the future!

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Afterwards, I headed over to Toy Story Land, which definitely is nice at night. (Of course my camera phone sucks at night; I actually just bought a new proper camera so I can take decent photos in Asia)

And time for my first ride on SDD. Overall, I liked it. It was a fun coaster. And Toy Story Land was very detailed, much better than the version at Disneyland Paris.

A weird issue with the photopass pictures as I got Slinky's head as well as my car! Though I think they must have upgraded the cameras because some of the early TRs I’d seen seemed to have lower quality SDD ride photos.

Also, Liesa, Kara, and Kari (@Steppesister @paradesintherain @Malia78 ) – notice anything familiar? Apparently that's my Slinky Dog Dash face?

Fun decorations!

I tried taking some stalker photos of Woody and Jessie as they were leaving their photo set (I didn’t want to wait in that line), and I liked their holiday clothes!

Coming up - Checking out the decorations at Yacht and Beach Club​

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I snacked on the cookies for the rest of the week!

Oh well… I think I had a couple cookies as a snack (I liked the marble and checkerboards the most; the gingerbread pretzels were a bit strong, and I don’t like almonds, so skipped those ones).

Ha I was going to ask you how you liked the cookies but you answered it on your own!

I think it came promptly, but overall I really liked the boat transport.

WOW soooo pretty at night! Definitely going to have to ride one of those boats at night now.

snoap

Hehehe snoap

I checked out Sunset Seasons, which I loved (I’m a sucker for a good projection show)!

Those colors are amazing! So fun and festive

I actually just bought a new proper camera so I can take decent photos in Asia)

Oooo what kind??

A weird issue with the photopass pictures as I got Slinky's head as well as my car!

Hahahaha it looks like Slinky was trying to take a selfie

 

[MeghanEmily]

Wouldn't it be cool! I think Busch Gardens has something. I know @MeghanEmily has fed some giraffes on her honeymoon somewhere in the central Florida area!

@Jenny Sanders and @Lesley Wake I'd also love a giraffe tour! Yes, we did something at Busch! It was actually pretty reasonably-priced, too, if I remember right...*goes to look it up*...yeah! It's only a 30-minute experience, but it's $39 per person. And I think it may have actually been less when we did it a couple years ago. They take you out on an open-air safari truck and the guides tell you about the animals, and then you see the giraffes and get to feed giraffes.

...But if you're really intense though and have a rental car and time to kill....I highly recommend taking the drive out to Dade City and going to the Giraffe Ranch. It's more expensive, especially if you splurge for the segwey tour like we did. But it's so great! I'd totally go back. It's run by these people who live on the property, and they're really interesting folks, down-to-earth, tell-it-like-it-is kinda people. They have all kinds of animals on this massive beautiful property, and they're certified as a zoo. They're super knowledgeable, and you really feel like they know how to treat their animals properly, etc. And they also do giraffe feeding as part of the experience. It's probably one of our favourite things we've done on vacation so far. I also recommend paying the extra bit for lemur feeding if you're interested, cuz the lemurs are adorable and hilarious!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Oooo what kind??

I got a Sony RX100. Just the first version, which was only a couple hundred refurbished on Amazon. I know the new ones have better features, but I'm not looking to get professional quality photos (and honestly I don't have enough time/energy to figure out how to use the fancy ones). I looked at the Lumix GX450, which has a flip touchscreen and may be easier to take selfies when I'm travelling alone, but is about $200 more. I'm charging the RX for the first time right now so I'll see how much I like it over the next couple days.

 

[cstorm65]

Afterwards, I headed over to Toy Story Land, which definitely is nice at night. (Of course my camera phone sucks at night; I actually just bought a new proper camera so I can take decent photos in Asia)

I can't wait until we get down to see Toy Story Land, especially at night! I know some people don't just love it, but we are super excited with the ages of our kids.

​

And time for my first ride on SDD. Overall, I liked it. It was a fun coaster. And Toy Story Land was very detailed, much better than the version at Disneyland Paris.

I'm so excited about this coaster. So is our oldest son too!

 

[Newsies]

But whatever it was, I headed into the Boardwalk lobby. Thankfully they were able to switch me to a 3rd floor pool view! It wasn’t the partial boardwalk I hoped for, but overall it was a great location, since I was right by the elevators (though I never had any noise issues). I will probably request a similar location for my upcoming NYE trip - basically I think anything near the elevators puts you in a good spot since you don't have to worry about the insanely long hallways!

That's great that they could move you! I'm glad you got a great location!

Overall I liked the decorations at night in DHS. Lots of classic images that I’d recognize from actual main streets!

Amazing pics of the Boardwalk and DHS at night! I love the pic of the ornaments coming out of the broom bucket!

First, I checked out Sunset Seasons, which I loved (I’m a sucker for a good projection show)! I also loved how it was totally continuous, so you didn’t have to wait forever to see all the shows. And the snoap was a fun touch! (I took some videos but don’t think those are necessary to share as other people have so much better quality!)

That sounds like a fun show!

And time for my first ride on SDD. Overall, I liked it. It was a fun coaster. And Toy Story Land was very detailed, much better than the version at Disneyland Paris.

So happy you liked SDD and TSL! It's so gorgeous at night!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I got a Sony RX100. Just the first version, which was only a couple hundred refurbished on Amazon. I know the new ones have better features, but I'm not looking to get professional quality photos (and honestly I don't have enough time/energy to figure out how to use the fancy ones). I looked at the Lumix GX450, which has a flip touchscreen and may be easier to take selfies when I'm travelling alone, but is about $200 more. I'm charging the RX for the first time right now so I'll see how much I like it over the next couple days.

Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like a nice night at DHS!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Glad you enjoyed the Rhino tour! We are doing the tour in September and I can't wait! Definitely wish they would take a photo with people and the rhino though!

Good thinking on asking for another room! DH didn't want to bother asking for another room and our trip this past week and he learned why he should have listened to me! lol I can't wait to stay here for one night in September! Did you have a specific view booked? Or was it standard? If it was standard and you don't mind me asking, what was the room number? I trust your judgment for a recommendation! lol

I agree about the Sunset Seasons projections, I loved how they were continuous!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Glad you enjoyed the Rhino tour! We are doing the tour in September and I can't wait! Definitely wish they would take a photo with people and the rhino though!

Good thinking on asking for another room! DH didn't want to bother asking for another room and our trip this past week and he learned why he should have listened to me! lol I can't wait to stay here for one night in September! Did you have a specific view booked? Or was it standard? If it was standard and you don't mind me asking, what was the room number? I trust your judgment for a recommendation! lol

I agree about the Sunset Seasons projections, I loved how they were continuous!

It was a Garden/Pool view in a Studio. It seems there aren't that many standard views and those are grabbed up immediately, so I couldn't get in on it. But I was pretty happy with my view!

 

[Cloe Colton]

It was a Garden/Pool view in a Studio. It seems there aren't that many standard views and those are grabbed up immediately, so I couldn't get in on it. But I was pretty happy with my view!

Nice!! I was shocked when I was able to get a standard view but it was for only one night so it was probably just not grabbed up yet! haha for one night I'll live with whatever view we get!

 

[Lesley Wake]

WOW soooo pretty at night! Definitely going to have to ride one of those boats at night now.

It's so nice and peaceful at night! Maybe not right after park close, because then those boats get so packed it's standing room only, but beforehand its lovely!

Those colors are amazing! So fun and festive

I know- I love Christmas and all the lights and colors!

Hahahaha it looks like Slinky was trying to take a selfie

Haha-it does!

I can't wait until we get down to see Toy Story Land, especially at night! I know some people don't just love it, but we are super excited with the ages of our kids.

Oh I bet you guys will love it! I think it's probably my favorite area of DHS right now. It really shines at night too!

I'm so excited about this coaster. So is our oldest son too!

Yeah, I think it is a good family coaster. Not too wild but still super fun.

That's great that they could move you! I'm glad you got a great location!

Yeah I was really happy to move! I probably would have been ok where I was originally placed, but just wouldn't have felt comfortable with the first floor room and having a patio instead of a balcony.

Sounds like a nice night at DHS!

Yeah it was nice and chill!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Day 2, Part 3 - Decorations around Crescent Lake

Now, it was time to head out. I took the boat to Beach/Yacht Club.

First, checked out the Yacht Club lobby. I really loved those decorations! Very fitting for the resort theme.

And the village was super adorable! I’m definitely looking forward to staying at this resort in May (this was written prior to my trip, and I did end up really liking YC; I’d stay there again if I could get the right rate)!

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

I headed to my dinner location – Yachtsman Steakhouse. I was a bit early, but hoping they could seat me. Unfortunately the lady at check-in was a bit snippy and said I’d just have to “inconvenience myself a bit longer”. Oh, well then…

Anyways, I decided to head over and check out the Beach Club lobby. I liked the driftwood decoration theme. It is also super cute with the chocolate gingerbread carousel. Though definitely more active than the YC lobby.

I checked out some of the treats they were selling at the Marketplace, but decided not to get any.

Cute kids chairs!

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[Lesley Wake]

Shortly after I headed back to YC, arriving around the time for my ADR and I formally checked in. Though as I was waiting to be seated, one of the seating hosts came out to talk to the lady at the desk. And said, loudly, “is it over yet?” (as in – are people done arriving so he can stop seating guests)

I was definitely put off at that moment. Like really – you are going to be that rude when you know people can hear you? And people are going to be spending a lot of money there!

Anyways, once I was seated, it was much better. My server was very sweet and I was also able to say hi to @chunkymonkey’s friend/server.

I loved the rolls, and made sure to use the crushed garlic cloves, which was yummy!

For dinner I got the filet mignon and mashed potatoes. Overall, it was good. Though not the most amazing steak I’ve ever had. I ended up skipping dessert, even though there were things that interested me, just because I was tired and full! Overall, it was good, but I think there are so many other places I want to try at WDW, it’s not high up on my list to return.

I headed back over to the Boardwalk (had to walk since the boats weren’t running after 9:30 this week due to the Skyliner cable installation). And stopped in the store on the way, picking up a Boardwalk pin and ornament (I like to collect them for all the resorts I stay at).

Photos of the ornaments I ended up getting (the gingerbread ornament and the dedicated Boardwalk ornament, which I paired with the Boardwalk keychain since the one with Mickey & Minnie didn’t actually say “Boardwalk” on it)

I really liked the village green tree. It wasn’t as grand as the one at AKL or WL, but I liked the lights and colors!

A nice still pool!

And then I finally unpacked and reorganized my things, including my owners locker! Much better!

Then bed!
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How did the plans stack up?

10:00 – Expedition Everest
-Maharajah Jungle Trek
11:00 – Up Close with Rhinos
12:00 – Yak and Yeti
12:30 – Up! show
12:30 – Kilimanjaro Safari FP
1:30 – Flight of Passage FP
-Tree of Life Trails (did this the day before)
-UP! show (if can’t make 12:30 show)
Check-in at Boardwalk Villas
5:30 – RnRC (didn’t arrive until 6:45)
6:00 – Tower of Terror
-Sunset seasons
7:00 – Slinky Dog Dash (arrived around 7:20)
-Enjoy DHS at night - Sort of, but didn't really see much
9:00 – Yachtsman Steakhouse dinner
-Explore YC and BC decorations

Not too bad – still some things switched around but for the most part did the important things.

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Gorgeous pics of the resort!