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

[Lesley Wake]

Hello everyone, and welcome to the party! I think I’ll start every day with my original plans and hopefully remember at the end of the day to note where I had to make changes!

Day 0, November 29

(I usually label my initial travel day as Day 0, unless I have more significant Disney time, which unfortunately, due to traveling from the west coast and changes to flight times, I’ve never arrived with enough time to actually go to the parks on arrival day.)
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Pre-trip plans:
Fly from LAX-MCO: Leave 11:20am, Arrive 7:08pm
ADR at Boma, 9:05pm​

Part 1: Travel!
I woke up this morning to the lovely sight of a SoCal rainstorm. Of course no one knows how to drive in LA in the rain, so that made a bit of a delay! But we made pretty good time to LAX (my brother agreed to drive me in exchange for using my car while I was gone.)

We did made a quick detour to one of the LAX airport hotels. One of my disfriends had been to WDW the week before and picked up some merchandise for me and our other friend, Zach (you guys know him as @AMusicLifeForMe). We realized he would be arriving at LAX on Wednesday evening, staying in one of the hotels overnight, and I would be leaving Thursday morning, so we just coordinated to meet up and for me to pick-up all the items!

The important things I needed…pins! I sort of went pin-crazy this trip…

After that detour, we quickly made it to LAX and my brother dropped me off. I really liked the Christmas overlay on the safety bollards!

Getting thru check-in and security was pretty quick – gotta love precheck!

I made a breakfast/lunch stop at Homeboy Bakery (it’s actually a nonprofit organization which employs high-risk youth, former gang members, and recently released inmates to help them get work experience, as well as rehab and education programs). Ended up with a chocolate croissant for breakfast and I grabbed a caprese panini for the plane flight. Both were a bit meh, but at least put food in my belly!

I also loved the Christmas decorations in the American Airlines terminal with a train that drove around the ledge in the rotunda (though the attendant working the airline counter wasn’t too amused by hearing it all day long).

Because I needed extra space, I ended up having a larger checked bag. Plus a smaller carry-on roller bag. But once American asked for people willing to gate check, I volunteered. Before the trip I had called Disney and gotten an extra luggage tag, so I attached that, which meant that when I landed at MCO I wouldn’t have to pick it up, instead it would get sent with DME!

I quickly boarded the flight and had an awesome seat – seat 11A. It’s an exit row, but that aircraft has a huge walkway area, so it basically creates more legroom than I could possibly use! The center seat and most of the aisle seat have their underseat storage blocked, but the window seat has enough of a gap for me to use it! Another perk – the guy originally set for the middle seat ended up getting upgraded to first class, so the aisle seat guy and I got to spread out our stuff onto that seat and tray table! Lovely!

American has a pretty good entertainment system. I ended up watching Deadpool 2, and rather than start another movie I wouldn’t be able to finish I re-watched an episode of Westworld. (One thing about the seat I picked, is the entertainment system folds down under the armrest, so you can’t have it up during takeoff/landing. That meant I wasn’t able to start watching anything until it was allowed. I realized though, you can connect to the American website and get access to the same movies/tv shows on my phone! So I did that on the way home!

We landed on-time in Orlando and of course I immediately pulled up my email to see my room assignment. I had booked an Animal Kingdom Villas, Jambo House, Standard view studio. And I was really hoping for a partial savanna view. If any of you read my March trip report, you’d recall I had standard (hotel) room booked and initially was assigned a partial view, which I had received before boarding my flight, but by the time I landed I got switched to a room with a lovely view of the parking lot…

I got my room number and immediately went to Touring Plans to see, and luckily it was one of the partial views! Yeah!

The terminal Christmas tree

I’ve always had good luck with a fast DME experience – it helps arriving in the evening – and this was no exception, quickly getting checked-in, boarding, and leaving. We also had a Disney Cruise Line bus, first time on one of those!

On my way! First time using a MB slider – technically I had one for my previous trips, but my cat had knocked it under some furniture and I didn’t find it until the fall. I now have 2, so I may let my mom use one in February. I did like having the slider, because I didn’t worry about my MB falling off!

I’m back!

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[Lesley Wake]

Part 2: Animal Kingdom Lodge at Christmas!

We did make a stop at Coronado Springs (which had some weird re-routing for the bus drive aisles going on), but quickly arrived at AKL.

I had fallen in love with this resort the first time I visited last September, and this was no exception. I love love love the icon tree in the lobby!

Headed right up to my room (5522), and again, immediately loved it! I just knew the studios were going to work so well for me – I only need 1 bed, so having the dedicated seating area just really opens up the room!

Room location:

Kitchenette

Bathroom area

Main living area

(It was too dark to see anything out on the balcony this evening)

I called down to bell services and got my things delivered – an Amazon prime delivery, plus an Owners Locker, which I decided to sign up for so I wouldn’t need to transport my basics back and forth every trip! I already feel so much less packing stress, so would highly recommend it if you tend to always bring a lot of supplies to and from WDW!

I also love all the activities at AKL. I could easily spend full resort days here!

Coming up: Enjoying my first night at AKL!
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[AMusicLifeForMe]

Thank you for being my personal deliver!

Joining in!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Joining in! Lol @ people not knowing how to drive in the rain in LA. I can only imagine.

Yay for getting a partial Savannah view! What lovely mornings you must've had even with getting sick.

Looking forward to hearing all about it!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

You guys could probably even do it with different suitcases!

This is def my plan. We should be able to do a suitcase for each place and maybe even a suitcase for the shared stuff. Planning on using packing cubes and I can use gallon zip lock bags for the girls. It will take me FOREVER to pack but I am confident that I can get the bags where I don't have to open all of them.

I don't know if you use room charging or not. I do, and try to pay it off with discounted gift cards. On transfer day, the charging stays with the previous resort until you go to the front desk. That makes it harder to pay off any of those charges with gift card (but of course I always spend more than my gift cards, so I just let those go onto the CC on file).

We do use the charging feature. But we really just use Credit Cards. I know I should do the whole gift card thing but I get so anxious ordering the cards. It's silly, I know. So, if we are just charging and paying with cc, we don't have to do anything?

Did you do online check in for all 3 stays? I am going to skip online check in for the Poly portion. I am not worried about wanting to get in the room early for that one.

I know I have another question... I will text you when I think of it!

But we made pretty good time to LAX (my brother agreed to drive me in exchange for using my car while I was gone.)

Such a nice brother!

I love all of them, but I particularly like the Prep and Landing One.

Getting thru check-in and security was pretty quick – gotta love precheck!

I need to do this.

I got my room number and immediately went to Touring Plans to see, and luckily it was one of the partial views! Yeah!

YEAH!!!! Did you do the Touring Plan fax request?

Did you take all of those tolieteries!!?!?! You could steal them on the black market! Ha

 

[suse66]

Joining in! I had hoped to be at Disney the same time as you but had a death in my family and had to cancel my trip. Christmas at Disney will be in the cards for me another time. I love your AKL villa! We are staying there the first four nights of our anniversary trip this summer and I am so excited. We are also at Copper Creek so I see we have similar taste in resorts! Can't wait to hear about all your adventures!

 

[Lesley Wake]

So, if we are just charging and paying with cc, we don't have to do anything?

Correct - it'll just get included on your previous bill. Like on check-out day, they charge everything overnight before you officially check-out, but you can continue to pay via Magic Band and they will just charge at the end of the day!

Did you do online check in for all 3 stays? I am going to skip online check in for the Poly portion. I am not worried about wanting to get in the room early for that one.

I did it for AKV and BWV. I had issues with CCV. But that was the only one I got there and my room wasn't ready yet (though I got there several hours early - but that was my ickiest day of the trip).

I need to do this.

It is sooo worth it! It's $85 and last 5 years; most everything is done online, with just one visit to a registered office for fingerprints. You can even bring along kids with you in the precheck line, so just you and Andy need it. Especially at MCO - so much better than standing in the long line!

YEAH!!!! Did you do the Touring Plan fax request?

I did, and that was one of the room numbers I listed! I wonder if they actually got my request for Boardwalk though, because I got nothing I asked for. I ended up getting basically the one I wanted for CCV.

Did you take all of those tolieteries!!?!?! You could steal them on the black market! Ha

Haha, I think I may have tossed something into my owners locker. But besides the soap, I tend to not use them! I have dyed hair, so always bring along color shampoo/conditioner (and now I have bottles in my locker).

For DVC, you don't get refills though - just the original stash! If you were a large group staying a long time, I could see issues!

Joining in! I had hoped to be at Disney the same time as you but had a death in my family and had to cancel my trip. Christmas at Disney will be in the cards for me another time. I love your AKL villa! We are staying there the first four nights of our anniversary trip this summer and I am so excited. We are also at Copper Creek so I see we have similar taste in resorts! Can't wait to hear about all your adventures!

I'm so sorry for your loss. And that you had to cancel your trip.

I hope you have an awesome stay in the summer though! Are you staying Jambo or Kidani?

 

[disneyAndi14]

We had a partial savanna view with our studio rental at AKL, it was nice. Looks like the flight and arrival went well, this is always a plus! Hope you had a decent partial savanna view!

 

[jrmint427]

I got my room number and immediately went to Touring Plans to see, and luckily it was one of the partial views!

I’m so glad you got a partial view! We had a standard room for most of our stay and also got lucky with a partial view. We were on the other half of the semi-circle from you!

I had fallen in love with this resort the first time I visited last September, and this was no exception. I love love love the icon tree in the lobby!

We’ve fallen in love with AKL too. We ate there on 2 previous trips and always said we wanted to stay there some day! I loved the tree too, later in our trip I sat in front of it for almost an hour!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I did it for AKV and BWV. I had issues with CCV. But that was the only one I got there and my room wasn't ready yet (though I got there several hours early - but that was my ickiest day of the trip).

Bummer. Of course it would be the day you were feeling the worst..

You can even bring along kids with you in the precheck line, so just you and Andy need it. Especially at MCO - so much better than standing in the long line!

Once we figured out that we could bring the girls, I was sold. Andy already has it with all the travelling he does with work. But MCO was a MESS when we were coming back from Disney in October. I was glad we didn't have the girls with us.

I did, and that was one of the room numbers I listed! I wonder if they actually got my request for Boardwalk though, because I got nothing I asked for. I ended up getting basically the one I wanted for CCV.

I guess you never know...

 

[cstorm65]

Great start to your trip! I'm interested to see how the Owner's Locker works for you. We just did DVC starting this past summer and that sounds like it is a great thing to have!

 

[missangelalexis]

Glad you trip got off to a good start! Your room looks really lovely!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Joining in! Can't wait to hear about your trip! I remember reading your PTR about this trip forever ago and thinking it seemed so far away and now its already happened!

I'm sorry you got sick on your trip! Its never fun to be sick in Disney! Although, I guess the benefit to being solo is that you can adjust how you want and not feel like you were stopping anyone else from having fun!

 

[lcc2]

Joining too!

 

[amazingact21]

A little late, but I'm here! Trying to catch back up from the holidays. Sorry to hear you caught a cold during this trip, getting sick while at Disney is the worst.

The AKL lobby looked amazing with its Christmas tree up.

 

[buzzrelly]

Hi Lesley! Such a bummer getting sick on vacation. When I went in December 2008, I got strep throat and a double ear infection and it was agony to fly home like that. Ever since then, I call my doctor before I go and ask to take an emergency z-pack with me…just in case. I don't think all doctors will do this but I've been lucky, plus he knows I won't take it unless I absolutely need to. I've only needed it one other time since then but I was so happy I had it!

Hello! And welcome!

I love that shirt!

The important things I needed…pins! I sort of went pin-crazy this trip…

Those are super cute I love collecting pins too and I love that they don't take up a lot of space.

I did like having the slider, because I didn’t worry about my MB falling off!

I learned this the hard way in October. After that I started sliding my slider over the 2 ends of my MB to use it as a lock.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Hi, I'm joining in!
I was reading some of your DLP report, but I don't think I ever commented since I joined late. I figured I should start off this one earlier!
I'm looking forward to seeing the resorts you stayed at. I have never done a deluxe resort before, but I would like to one day.

 

[missjackiemcg]

Late to the party, but still here by page 2

 

[TNGirlwCamera]

FYI no one knows how to drive in the rain in Nashville either!

Looking forward to the rest of your TR.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Great start to the trip, the room looks awesome, so excited to stay at AKL in February, although we don't have any fancy rooms just standard view DVC studio and 1-BR.
Not looking forward to the part about getting sick. I'm just getting over a cold now and it truly sucked the past week and a half!!