Best Way to Cure Disney Depression? Plan Another Trip! A Solo PTR *Updated 5/13 TR Link

[PippiDancer]

I love your chart!
By the way - just for the future - if you google "Disney park hours" and the month you're looking for, you can usually find a PDF of the travel agent schedule - that's how I found it for the first time.

Days look good. I actually really love the idea of starting & ending at MK on your birthday. And the Kiss Goodnight is the perfect way to end the trip (and your birthday)!

I'm a little chart crazy, I'm sure you will see plenty more before the end of this PTR That's good to know that you can find the travel agent hours online, I'll remember that for next time. I've been checking the Disney site for a month waiting for those hours to come out.

I hope seeing the Kiss Goodnight works out that night. It would be more of a kiss goodbye since it would be the end of my last park day. There might be tears.

 

[PippiDancer]

Exactly 6 months until I'm in Disney!!​

I have no idea how I can wait that long. Especially since I don't have that much to plan or anything to really keep my mind off it.

When I went on my last trip I only had 4 months to wait and spent most of that time planning ADRs and such. Plus it was my senior year of college and I was an RA, so I was constantly busy and had a lot to distract me. And it still seemed to take forever until I was finally in Disney.

Can I just get on a plane tomorrow?


I don't have much to report. I did order some trading pins and a pin lanyard from Amazon. I was going wait until closer to my trip but I found a lanyard I really liked that was almost out of stock and a pin lot with decent reviews. I always try to order multiple things at once so I can get free shipping. I hate paying for shipping.

But I am super nervous that the pins will be untradeable. Hopefully if that's the case I'll be able to return them and buy some more. I know it is risky buying pin lots online like that (from what I've read on DIS anyway) but if I had to pay regular prices for each individual pin I wouldn't be able to get into pin trading. That would be way too much money for me.

Fingers crossed that it will all work out.

 

[PippiDancer]

Yesterday I hit 180 days! Which would normally mean that today I’d be updating you on all the yummy ADRs I was able to get. But since I’m not doing any table service meals on this trip I wasn’t able to experience the fun of scheduling meals at amazing and delicious restaurants. It was a little sad, I was tempted to throw all my plans out the window and make ADRs anyway.

To make up for the lack of post-180 day ADR celebration update, I figured I would do some sort of food related update.

For the sake of doing some sort of planning while I was waiting for park hours coming up, I looked up the menu of every single Counter Service restaurant in the parks and compiled a master list of every single menu item I might want to eat while in Disney. It seems a little extreme but I’m a very picky eater so I wanted to know exactly what my options are and where to get it. I didn’t want to end up eating nothing but chicken fingers all week or spending a ton of time criss-crossing the park looking for other food. But honestly, the main reason for doing this was because it was the only Disney-planning related thing that I could think of to do at the time.

And I’m glad I ended up looking everything up because I found some delicious sounding hidden gems that I probably wouldn’t have found. Of course menus change, but at least I have a basic idea.

And here is the rather long list...

Blue is breakfast, green is lunch/dinner, orange is snacks
* means it is a must eat


Magic Kingdom
Columbia Harbor House

-Shrimp platter
*Seafood mac & cheese (dinner only)​

Casey’s Corner

-Corn dog nuggets
-French fries​

Pinnochio’s Village Haus

-Flatbread pizza​

Gaston’s Tavern

-Cinnamon roll
*Le Fou’s Brew​

Aloha Isle

*Dole Whip​

Friar’s Nook

-Mac & cheese​

The Lunching Pad

-Cream cheese pretzel​

Plaza Ice Cream Parlor

-Ice cream​

Sleepy Hallow

-Nutella & fruit waffle
-Ham, prosciutto, and swiss waffle sandwich
-Ham & cheese omelet waffle sandwich​

Tomorrowland Terrace

-Chicken alfredo​

Main Street Bakery

-Breakfast sandwiches​

Epcot
Yorkshire Country Fish Shop

-Fish & Chips​

Les Halles Boulangeri & Patisserie

*Croissant Jambon Fromage
-Various pastries​

Karamel Kuche

-Caramel goodies​

Lotus Blosom Cafe

-Shrimp fried rice​

Animal Kingdom
Pizzafari

-Pizza​

Yak & Yeti QS

-Beef lo mein
-Chicken fried rice (side)​

Restaurantsaurus

-Chicken nuggets & fries
-Mac & cheese hot dog​

Kusafari Coffee Shop & Bakery

*Breakfast wrap (egg, sausage, spinach, & goat cheese)
-Croissants
-Muffins
-Cinnamon roll
*Brownie paw
-Cupcakes​

Hollywood Studios
Pizza Planet

-Pizza​

Backlot Express

-Chicken nuggets & fries
-Cheeseburger​

ABC Commissary

-Seafood platter​

Starring Rolls

*Cupcakes
-Croissant
-Cinnamon roll
-Bagel w/ cream cheese​

Rosie’s All American Cafe

-Chicken nuggets
-Cheeseburger​

Downtown Disney
Wolfgang Puck Express

-Mac & Cheese
-Pizza
*Roasted mushroom & spinach omelet
-Belgian waffles​

Goofy’s Candy Co

-Mickey rice crispy treats
-Other goodies​

Ghiradelli

-Ice cream​

Art of Animation
Landscape of Flavors

*Mickey Waffles
-Challah french toast
-Breakfast sandwich on naan bread
-Create your own omelet
-Create your own pasta
-Cheesy pesto breadsticks on naan
-Surf & surf burger (crabcake & fried shrimp)​

 

[SarahDisney]

I do that when I go to a new restaurant! Of course, half the time I end up getting something else, but ... I just wanted you to know, you're not alone in looking up menus in advance!

And YAY for being less than 180 days away from the trip. It's getting closer!

 

[Elevationist]

YUM! Now I'm hungry! I love that you have all three of the Sleepy Hollow waffle sandwiches on your list!

If it makes you feel any better, I have TWICE as long plus some before my trip. 408 days to go!

 

[PippiDancer]

I do that when I go to a new restaurant! Of course, half the time I end up getting something else, but ... I just wanted you to know, you're not alone in looking up menus in advance!

And YAY for being less than 180 days away from the trip. It's getting closer!

I don't usually look up menus in advanced, but for Disney it is a must! There is just so much yummy food, it takes careful planning to make sure you hit the must dos

YUM! Now I'm hungry! I love that you have all three of the Sleepy Hollow waffle sandwiches on your list!

If it makes you feel any better, I have TWICE as long plus some before my trip. 408 days to go!

I"m not a big sandwich person, but when you put it on a waffle it makes it 10 times better! The only thing that would make it better is if it was on a Mickey waffle, since thats the best kind of waffle.
I don't even know how I would handle waiting over a year.

 

[Elevationist]

I"m not a big sandwich person, but when you put it on a waffle it makes it 10 times better! The only thing that would make it better is if it was on a Mickey waffle, since thats the best kind of waffle.
I don't even know how I would handle waiting over a year.

It's KILLIIIIIIIING ME!!!! But, it's better than the alternative, which is having NO Disney trip booked! 398 more days!!

 

[PippiDancer]

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

I had a pretty low key Halloween. But, like most aspects of my life, Disney somehow managed to take over the holiday.

I watched all of my favorite Halloween movies, which just happen to be created by Disney. Hocus Pocus, all 3 Halloweentowns (because the 4th one shouldn’t exist), The Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, and the Toy Story of Terror special. I even watched Nightmare before Christmas for the first time, but just couldn’t get into it. I guess it isn’t really my thing, but maybe I’ll give it another chance next year.

I carved two Disney pumpkins this year. Snow White and Tinkerbell with pixie dust swirling around the entire pumpkin.

I saw the Tinkerbell pumpkin on Pinterest and thought it would be cute and simple. But it was a huge pain in the butt! It took me 3 days to carve, mainly because the power drill I was using to make the pixie dust kept dying and I hand to charge the battery overnight. And by the next day the pumpkin dried out and the holes shriveled up so the light didn’t show through.


And of course I had a Disney themed costume. Minnie Mouse! But that was mainly because I already owned the ears and the dress.

 

[PippiDancer]

Here in Maine we’ve welcomed November with a blizzard. Something that isn't that uncommon around here, I used to go trick or treating in a snow suit after all.

It's hard to see just how much it is snowing in these pictures, but you get the idea.

Back to Disney news...

I finally got my package of pin trading supplies from Amazon! I was super nervous that the pins would be untradable scrappers, but I carefully inspected all of them and if they are fakes, I can’t tell.

There are some good ones in there, but none that I can’t part with. Which is perfect since I want to trade them anyway. However, I think I’ll hang on to the Piglet. He is just too cute. I’ve already decided which ones to trade away first and which ones to display on my lanyard until they get traded.

I also ordered a lanyard, which I am in love with. It is just so me!

I can’t wait to start trading!! I'm already hooked on pin trading and I haven't even started yet!

 

[Neverland Girl]

Yay! Another solo PTR! I've started reading (and subscribing to in this case) other's solo ptr to see how other people are going about planning. I too am doing a solo trip and agree about it seeming like forever until the trip comes.

I totally love your pins that you got. My faves have to be Nerd Minnie and The Evil Queen ear hat.

 

[SarahDisney]

We had a Halloween blizzard here in NY a few years ago ... but it was a little warmer this year (although we did have rain on Saturday).

I like the pins you got - they look good for trading. And that Piglet one is super cute. The lanyard is really nice too - I have a generic lanyard that I got when I went to Disneyland (I haven't been in a few years, but when I last went, a lanyard and pin were included with your package).

 

[dreamseeker9]

Hi! I'm subbing. I'm staying at AOA in a LM room in two weeks, I can't wait!

Those pumpkin carvings are amazing! And crazy about all that Halloween snow.

I think you'll be there during the Flower & Garden Festival. It's absolutely beautiful, and there are some great food booths in World Showcase as well - I highly recommend checking it all out!

 

[PippiDancer]

Yay! Another solo PTR! I've started reading (and subscribing to in this case) other's solo ptr to see how other people are going about planning. I too am doing a solo trip and agree about it seeming like forever until the trip comes.

I totally love your pins that you got. My faves have to be Nerd Minnie and The Evil Queen ear hat.

Welcome! I scour solo PTRs and TRs too. They are really helpful. I would have never considered going solo if it weren't for the DIS!

We had a Halloween blizzard here in NY a few years ago ... but it was a little warmer this year (although we did have rain on Saturday).

I like the pins you got - they look good for trading. And that Piglet one is super cute. The lanyard is really nice too - I have a generic lanyard that I got when I went to Disneyland (I haven't been in a few years, but when I last went, a lanyard and pin were included with your package).

I love the pins. I keep staring at them. I can't wait until I can start trading and get some even better ones!

Hi! I'm subbing. I'm staying at AOA in a LM room in two weeks, I can't wait!

Those pumpkin carvings are amazing! And crazy about all that Halloween snow.

I think you'll be there during the Flower & Garden Festival. It's absolutely beautiful, and there are some great food booths in World Showcase as well - I highly recommend checking it all out!

Welcome! Thanks for reading! The LM rooms look gorgeous, and so does AoA as a whole. I can't wait to stay there!
I used stencils for the pumpkins. Without those I could barely carve a face.
I think my dates do fall during Flower & Garden. I'm very excited to get to see it!

 

[PippiDancer]

My night has been dedicated to trying to figure out flight options. Oh wow, is it stressful!! I was hoping to be able to fly direct so I don’t have to worry about navigating airports by myself. The only airline that flies “direct” out of our airport is Southwest. And they just released flights today. But their flight schedule threw a wrench in my plans.

Apparently, by direct it means 1 stop but you don’t have to change planes. Not ideal, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about layovers and navigating airports. And after tons of research on all other booking sites, Southwest is still the cheapest/best option, so I’ve decided to stick with them.

I was planning on leaving on the 19th around 6-7am and getting into Orlando by 2 and have time in the parks that night. But the only “direct” flight that day doesn’t get into Orlando until 4:50pm, way to late to be able to go to the parks. And the only other possibility leaves at 5:30am and gets in at 10:15am with a 45 minute layover in Baltimore. That would mean having to be at the airport at 3:30am, so I’m worried that it will set my entire trip up for exhaustion, since I know I will be way too wired to nap when I get there. Also having such a short lay over makes me nervous. Neither option seems to work.

So then I considered flying in on Saturday instead of Sunday. But it would cost about $100 more to fly that day. Plus another $160 for a hotel, if I could even extend my reservation at AoA since they are booked that week. But even with the extra money, that still seems like the better choice.

If I decide to fly that day I have 2 options, both are “direct”. I could leave at 6:35am, arrive at 11:15 am, and add an extra park day. Or I could leave at 1:15pm, arrive at 5:50pm, and have a relaxing night at the resort (and watching Wishes from the Poly). I think the second option is the most likely because I wouldn’t have to spend the night at a hotel near the airport the night before and have a chance to sleep in after working all week.

And of course the cheaper seats for the returning flights have already been sold out. Which means I either have to leave at 7 am (way too early) or pay for the upgraded seats. So I think I’m going to have to suck it up and pay the extra money. But then it would only be $22 more to upgrade to business class, so I might as well do that for such a small difference.

And then I have to decide if I should wait to see if rates drop. Or book flights soon so I don’t risk it being sold out.

SO MANY DECISIONS!


Sorry for the long winded rant post

 

[SarahDisney]

Wow, that flight schedule on the 19th is not so great. I'd say definitely don't do the 5:30am flight ... that's way too early and you'll be completely dead after a few hours in the parks. Even though it's more expensive, Saturday is probably the better option. And I'd agree that the later flight is probably a better option - you'll be less exhausted because you won't have to get up early, and you don't spend the extra money adding another day to your trip.

In terms of flights home... I'd say definitely don't take the 7am flight. We did that this year, but we also made sure to schedule a shorter day for the day before departure day so that we could go to bed early. With your birthday being the day before departure day, you definitely don't want to be forced to call it a day early just so that you can get up for a 4am Magical Express pickup.

Isn't it just great when flight schedules don't work out at all the way you need/want them to?

I hope you can figure everything out and get the flights you want! Booking plane tickets is probably my least favorite part of vacation planning, so I can totally understand why you'd be frustrated.

 

[PippiDancer]

Wow, that flight schedule on the 19th is not so great. I'd say definitely don't do the 5:30am flight ... that's way too early and you'll be completely dead after a few hours in the parks. Even though it's more expensive, Saturday is probably the better option. And I'd agree that the later flight is probably a better option - you'll be less exhausted because you won't have to get up early, and you don't spend the extra money adding another day to your trip.

In terms of flights home... I'd say definitely don't take the 7am flight. We did that this year, but we also made sure to schedule a shorter day for the day before departure day so that we could go to bed early. With your birthday being the day before departure day, you definitely don't want to be forced to call it a day early just so that you can get up for a 4am Magical Express pickup.

Isn't it just great when flight schedules don't work out at all the way you need/want them to?

I hope you can figure everything out and get the flights you want! Booking plane tickets is probably my least favorite part of vacation planning, so I can totally understand why you'd be frustrated.

It was definitely a lot more stressful than I thought it would be. I am not a morning person, so flying out at 5:30am would have probably killed me before I even hit Orlando. And there is no way I want to catch a ME bus at 4am, especially since I plan to be in the park until midnight the night before.

 

[PippiDancer]

I booked my flights today! I will be flying in on Saturday, landing in Orlando at 5:50pm. I called Disney and was able to easily add another night onto my AoA reservation. And I booked Magical Express. So now all of my major planning is done!

I’m not too happy about the way everything worked, even though I did get a spot on my first choice flight. I checked the flights around noon to find that the price went up $30 from last night and the other flights I was looking out were already sold out. I wasn’t thrilled about the price, but I was worried that if I waited too long I would lose the flight I wanted. So I bit the bullet and paid over $800. Yikes! I was not expecting to pay that much! To make it even worse, my Mom told me she checked earlier in the morning and the price was down to $200. That’s right, the price dropped over $100 over night and then shot up $170 in 3 hours.

The cheap seats for my returning flight were sold out last night, so that meant paying for the $400 seats. But from there, it was only $22 more to fly business/first class with priority boarding. So I will be flying in style on my way back!


While I was on the phone with Disney last night I booked my Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour! With my Visa discount it came out to $27, can’t beat that price! I am very excited for this!

I originally wanted to do it on Wednesday, but it was already full for that day. So I booked it for Monday, bright and early at 8am. I have to check in at 7:45, but I was told that I wouldn’t be allowed into the park until 7:40, so I won’t have any time to spend on an empty Main Street. It will be a very early morning and I’m predicting being very stressed about the bus getting me there on time. No late comers allowed. Monday was supposed to be my Epcot day, but I will just head over there after my tour. I had 2 full days plus a night of EMH planned for Epcot, so I’m not worried about missing the morning there.

 

[ursalita]

Hello! That flight booking drama sounds familiar.

Those pumpkins are awesome! I am so envious of your carving skills. I would totally impress my kids if I could do that.

Also, love the Oswald pin. Oswald is our favorite.

 

[PippiDancer]

Hello! That flight booking drama sounds familiar.

Those pumpkins are awesome! I am so envious of your carving skills. I would totally impress my kids if I could do that.

Also, love the Oswald pin. Oswald is our favorite.

Welcome! It's nice to have a fellow April planner following along!
Ugh, I think the stress from all that flight drama took a few years off my life!
I used stencils for the pumpkins. Without those I could barely carve a face.

 

[PippiDancer]

I like my trips to be some what go-with-the-flow. Of course I do some basic planning for each day; which park to go to, what I want to accomplish, food options, fastpass+, etc. But I don’t like touring plans with every hour or minute scheduled. I know that works really well for some people, but I like to be able to do things when I feel like it. But I also want to make sure I don’t forget anything important I want to do. So I have a list of the major things I want to do at each park, my must do list.

I’ve also included a “moments” section on my list because when we got back from our last Disney trip I realized there were a ton of little things that I completely overlooked. My biggest regret of that trip is not stopping to enjoy some of the magical details.

I'll post the list for each park in seperate updates. Anything that has a * after it means that it is new to me. Here is my Magic Kingdom list. It is definitely the longest.


Magic Kingdom Must Do's

Rides

• 7 Dwarfs Mine Train *
• Splash Mountain
• Space Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Haunted Mansion
• Peoplemover (at night*...and day)
• Journey of the Litlle Mermaid
• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
• Carousel of Progress
• Phillarmagic
• Walt Disney Wordl Railroad (entire loop)
• It's a Small World
• Peter Pan's Flight

Shows & Parades

• Dream Along with Mickey *
• Wishes
• Festival of Fantasy *
• Celebrate the Magic
• Main Street Electrical Parade
• Welcome Show *

Moments

• Walk through the Castlse
• View of Main Street from the train station
• Partners Statue
• Cinderella's fountain
• Get Pixie Dusted at Castle Couture *
• Watch Wishes from the train station *

Food

• Dole Whip *
• Le Fou's Brew *