Did I Hear That Right? A Solo Adventure at WDW Updated 8/30

[Pluto0809]

After thoroughly satisfying my craving for Soarin’ with a third ride, I headed towards another favorite place.



I wanted to see Turtle Talk again after discovering it on my last trip but I didn’t think I had enough time before my lunch ADR. So I decided to visit Nemo instead.



The wait time said 10 minutes but I was on in under 5.

Then I walked around the aquarium for a bit until it was time for lunch.















Once it was time for lunch I headed back out of the building and around the side. I couldn’t resist stopping for a picture of Spaceship Earth from yet another angle.



You have probably guessed where I was headed for lunch on this day.







Coral Reef is another old favorite of mine and I was really looking forward to my meal here. I checked in and had a seat in the lobby for a few minutes.

The light fixtures in here are so pretty just like most light fixtures at Disney.



I didn’t have to wait very long till I was lead to my table. For anyone who hasn’t been to this restaurant, it’s built in tiers like a theater so everyone has a view of the aquarium. I was seated on the bottom tier closest to the aquarium but with one table between me and the glass. The view was still fantastic.





My waitress brought rolls and took my drink order right away.



She brought my Coke in a fancy blue stemmed glass. I wish I had taken a picture to show you, it was so pretty. For my entrée I got the Seared Rainbow Trout. It came with a warm white bean salad but I substituted for mashed potatoes instead.



This was absolutely delicious! One of my favorite meals of the trip. It is a little strange though sitting there eating fish while watching them swim by in the aquarium.

While I was eating, a diver swam by. I think he was feeding one of the turtles.





I also got to see an old friend of mine and Mom’s, the older sea turtle! We had seen him when we ate at Coral Reef in 2010 and then saw him again through the aquarium windows in the Seas building in 2012. I was happy to see he was still hanging out in his usual spot by the Coral Reef windows.



I was able to get the next picture on my cell phone and sent it to Mom so she could see him too.



And then it was time for dessert. When I ate there in 2010, I had ordered the Baileys and Jack Daniel’s Mousse. This ended up being one of those desserts that was so good I dreamt about it later. I could not wait to try it again on this trip. So did it live up to my expectations?



OMG!!!! Yes!!! This was just as good as I remember. Now I don’t think this is a dessert that everyone would like. You can definitely taste the Baileys and Jack Daniels so if you don’t like those you will not like this dessert. For me, it’s a perfect blend of the alcohol taste and the chocolate. I spent some time savoring every bite.

I highly recommend Coral Reef if you like seafood. And even if you don’t, there are several non seafood dishes on the menu. The view of the aquarium is so worth going here for a meal. As a matter of fact this was the only meal that I did not feel awkward at all being by myself. Watching the aquarium gave me something to do and everyone else was looking that way too so I didn’t feel like I was staring at other people.

Up Next: Dude!!!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Great pictures of the tank in The Seas, especially the Ray!

I love Coral Reef. I didn't feel weird eating there alone either, so much in fact I will be eating there again next trip!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

That light fixture looks like a Chihuly! I just love his artwork! We are lucky to have a couple of his pieces on display at our university. I have heard there are Chihuly pieces on the DCL cruise ships too. Can't wait to find out for myself!

So funny, when you reported that you were seated just one table away from the aquarium my first thought was "I wonder if she felt awkward looking at the aquarium the way she felt at Rose and Crown." So happy to hear it went better this time! Looks like a great place to really relax and enjoy some solitude...aquariums are just so calming!

 

[KatMark]

What a great update. I love the Nemo ride and going to see all of the fish.

Great pic of Spaceship Earth.

We love Coral Reef too. I'm so glad we gave it a try again, and now have it booked for our CP dinner in December.

Your fish looks very yummy. I'll stick with the Chocolate Wave because I don't care for Jack Daniels.

 

[ronnmel]

I definitely would not like that dessert, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! I agree that Coral Reef is great for solo diners because everyone is looking at the fish anyway.

 

[Luv0fDisney]

Love your solo trip. I remember when my mom and I were in innoventions one year we got picked to be in that game show.i was surprised because i never get picked for anything. lol. we lost.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Did you see this? I know you were wondering if FD would get extended for your October dates:

FREE DINING is extended for the fall!! Book a non-discounted package between today and September 15th and get the Disney Dining Plan for FREE - for travel dates between 9/29-10/2, 10/18-11/2, 11/11-11/23, and 12/12-12/22! Room discounts of up to 30% are also available for most travel dates between 9/29-11/22 and 11/30-12/23. Some Exclusions apply!

 

[Pluto0809]

Did you see this? I know you were wondering if FD would get extended for your October dates:

FREE DINING is extended for the fall!! Book a non-discounted package between today and September 15th and get the Disney Dining Plan for FREE - for travel dates between 9/29-10/2, 10/18-11/2, 11/11-11/23, and 12/12-12/22! Room discounts of up to 30% are also available for most travel dates between 9/29-11/22 and 11/30-12/23. Some Exclusions apply!

Yep, I was on the phone at 7 am this morning! Somehow I got straight through to a CM but there was no availability at POR and POFQ wasn't included in the FD offer. So I ended up with my third choice of CSR. Thanks so much for posting!

 

[Pluto0809]

Great pictures of the tank in The Seas, especially the Ray!

I love Coral Reef. I didn't feel weird eating there alone either, so much in fact I will be eating there again next trip!

I love that picture of the Ray! He swam right towards me and stopped to pose so I could get the picture.

Coral Reef is definitely a great choice when eating solo.

That light fixture looks like a Chihuly! I just love his artwork! We are lucky to have a couple of his pieces on display at our university. I have heard there are Chihuly pieces on the DCL cruise ships too. Can't wait to find out for myself!

So funny, when you reported that you were seated just one table away from the aquarium my first thought was "I wonder if she felt awkward looking at the aquarium the way she felt at Rose and Crown." So happy to hear it went better this time! Looks like a great place to really relax and enjoy some solitude...aquariums are just so calming!

I've never heard of that artist, I'll have to look him up on the internet. Yay for getting to check out the pieces on the cruise ships in person!

I definitely felt comfortable at Coral Reef! I would eat there again with no hesitation if I was alone.

What a great update. I love the Nemo ride and going to see all of the fish.

Great pic of Spaceship Earth.

We love Coral Reef too. I'm so glad we gave it a try again, and now have it booked for our CP dinner in December.

Your fish looks very yummy. I'll stick with the Chocolate Wave because I don't care for Jack Daniels.

The Seas is one of my favorite places to relax. DH is not a fan of looking at animals so I probably won't get a lot of time in there in Oct. But no worries, Mom, DB and SIL are all huge animal fans so I will get some fishy time in Feb.

Yeah, if you don't like Jack Daniels, that mousse is not for you.

I definitely would not like that dessert, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! I agree that Coral Reef is great for solo diners because everyone is looking at the fish anyway.

It's definitely not a dessert for everyone but Coral Reef has a lot of other wonderful desserts too. It was perfect for dining solo.

Love your solo trip. I remember when my mom and I were in innoventions one year we got picked to be in that game show.i was surprised because i never get picked for anything. lol. we lost.

Thanks! Innovations is one place I have not spent a lot of time exploring. One of these trips I need to make it in there.

 

[Pluto0809]

After lunch I headed back around the Seas building to Turtle Talk. I didn’t have to wait very long for the next show and only took two pictures in the waiting area.





Then we headed in for some time in the human tank.



Dude!!!



I love this show! When compared to last time I saw it, Crush spent more time talking this time and didn’t ask the kids as many questions. It was neat to see how totally different the show was than last time. I can’t wait to take DH to see this in October.

I headed out of the Seas building and back to Spaceship Earth and the line was now only 5 minutes and I walked right on.





This is another ride I can never get good pictures of until the future part at the end. I tried to pick some different options this time so I would get a different future.



Shhhhhh! Don’t tell DH but it looks like I’m going to be with a different man in the future.











It was getting close to 3 pm at this point and I knew I needed to hit up Mouse Gears to see if I could find the sweatshirts that my family wanted. If I did find them, I planned on staying at Epcot for another hour and maybe doing the Character Spot. But I had no luck so I knew I needed to head out of Epcot and to DTD to find them. So I started back towards the International Gate so I could catch a bus from one of the Boardwalk resorts.

I got sidetracked along the way a couple of times. First by the Lion King topiaries.









Loved them! I count Lion King as one of my favorite Disney movies. I remember seeing the opening scene in the theater and getting goose bumps when the music started.

Next I stopped to see the Monsters University topiaries. Mike was there but no Sully yet.



I loved how they took these regular bushes and turned them into monsters.





The view from behind, looking back at SE.



I took one more shot of Italy across the water then headed straight through Canada and UK to the International Gate.



I decided to head to the Beach Club since it was closest to catch a bus to DTD.



I had never seen the Beach Club from the front so I stopped for a minute to admire it.



Then I got distracted once again by this little guy:



For the life of me I couldn’t tell if he was a real turtle or just a statue. I stood there for at least five minutes watching him but he never moved.

I finally made my way to the bus stop and as I rounded the corner, I saw a DTD bus sitting there. So I had to pick up the pace and jog a bit. This was probably a wonderful site to see because I really cannot run at all. The ankle I broke years ago does not have a full range of motion so running for me is more of a hop skip. Luckily the bus driver saw me and waited and I was on my way to DTD by 3:30 pm.

Up Next: Shopping and Back to My Happy Place

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I have never seen Turtle Talk and hope to get it done next trip, for sure! I hear great things about it and how funny Crush is.

The Boardwalk resorts are all so gorgeous. Glad the driver of the DTD bus saw you so you didn't have to wait a while for another one to come!

 

[ronnmel]

I LOVE Turtle Crush. So funny!

Lion King is also one of my favorite movies. I agree, the opening scene and music is phenomenal.

We waited too long to see Monsters University and now it's not playing in the evening anymore and only one place far away will still have it this weekend. Bummer!

 

[KatMark]

I do love Turtle Talk with Crush...so cute! I promise not to tell your hubby that you are leaving him.

I'm pretty sure that is a real turtle because he wasn't there when we were there in June.

Nice of the bus driver to wait for you.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

My family as a whole isn't big on seafood so we've never eaten at Coral Reef, but it looks so pretty in there and I'm sure I've read a report about a really good vegetarian meal that they served in there. I love how you got a completely different Turtle Talk show this time, just another way that Disney keeps it interesting!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Good Morning Ariana ( and fellow Dissers ! )

Just finished reading your report and very much enjoyed every minute of it ,,you KNOW especially the Pluto parts !

Glad to see you back with us

I got a kick out of you saying the horse in the backlot tour reminded you of Maxine I always think the same thing For those of you who don't know Maxine she is my horse and has quite the sense of humor I don't think Ariana will mind me sharing her with you all



she loves to stand over the a/c and give herself the " horsey mohawk hair"


thanks for sharing your thoughts on Capt EO, never been and now I think I'm not missing much

LOVE the dress for the wedding and I do agree the top DOES remind me of the castle

Ruthie

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[katt789]

Ahaha, I never thought of walking straight past the design center, but hey, it’s a good idea!! Oh gosh, Captain EO….Aahahahahaha you feel the same we did!! Our reactions after it were “…wut….” Just like that, like, it made no sense, and the whippy thing under the seat HURT the legs!

I did notice the black spots on one of my soarin rides but have only seen them that one time. OH MY GOD I’M SO EXCITED FOR SOARIN!!!

Ahahahha, that would be so weird to be eating in like, a giant aquarium, it’s all like “hey mr fishy friend, how are you, oh, yeah, I’m totally eating your cousin right now, sorry bro.” Baha! Bailey’s mousse makes sense, Jack Daniel’s….makes it interesting..

Love turtle talk, it’s one of my favorite things to do, I won’t lie!

OH!! Okay, if Mike was out but Sully wasn’t that makes more sense! I was reading Brenda’s TR the other day and was all “HOW DID PAIGE AND I MISS THOSE?!” and then realize maybe they weren’t out, but wasn’t sure. Sad that we missed them by a few days!

I’m pretty sure the turtles at BC are real. I just read a bit of Dani’s TR where they were feeding turtles out there, so I’m sure it’s the same turtles!

 

[marDgreen88]

Just wanted you to know I'm still here! I've gotten behind on my commenting because of my computer troubles, but definitely still here! You make me want to go back and do Turtle Talk again! I haven't done it in so long. Unintentional, but still.

 

[Pluto0809]

I have never seen Turtle Talk and hope to get it done next trip, for sure! I hear great things about it and how funny Crush is.

The Boardwalk resorts are all so gorgeous. Glad the driver of the DTD bus saw you so you didn't have to wait a while for another one to come!

You definitely need to catch Turtle Talk during your trip next month!

I do love the Boardwalk area. My cousin is getting married there at Sea Breeze Point next February and I think it's going to be beautiful.

I LOVE Turtle Crush. So funny!

Lion King is also one of my favorite movies. I agree, the opening scene and music is phenomenal.

We waited too long to see Monsters University and now it's not playing in the evening anymore and only one place far away will still have it this weekend. Bummer!

I hope you got a chance to see Monsters University. Both DH and I really liked it!

I do love Turtle Talk with Crush...so cute! I promise not to tell your hubby that you are leaving him.

I'm pretty sure that is a real turtle because he wasn't there when we were there in June.

Nice of the bus driver to wait for you.

I could not figure out for the life of me if that turtle was real! He never moved even a tiny bit the whole time I was watching him.

My family as a whole isn't big on seafood so we've never eaten at Coral Reef, but it looks so pretty in there and I'm sure I've read a report about a really good vegetarian meal that they served in there. I love how you got a completely different Turtle Talk show this time, just another way that Disney keeps it interesting!

I know there is a least a chicken dish and a steak dish so don't be afraid to try it out. I took a friend to WDW a few years ago that was a vegetarian and even though we didn't eat at Coral Reef she was very impressed with the selections at all the places we did eat.

Good Morning Ariana ( and fellow Dissers ! )

Just finished reading your report and very much enjoyed every minute of it ,,you KNOW especially the Pluto parts !

Glad to see you back with us

I got a kick out of you saying the horse in the backlot tour reminded you of Maxine I always think the same thing For those of you who don't know Maxine she is my horse and has quite the sense of humor I don't think Ariana will mind me sharing her with you all



she loves to stand over the a/c and give herself the " horsey mohawk hair"


thanks for sharing your thoughts on Capt EO, never been and now I think I'm not missing much

LOVE the dress for the wedding and I do agree the top DOES remind me of the castle

Ruthie

Thanks for sharing a picture of Maxine! She does have the same expression as that horse in the Backlot Tour line.

Yep, you definitely have not missed anything by skipping Captain EO. I'm the type though that has to try everything one time to see for myself.

I really love my dress for the wedding. Now I'm trying to find a black purse with just a touch of Disney to go with it. I'm hoping to find something in October, maybe in Trend-D.

Great update!

Thanks!!

Ahaha, I never thought of walking straight past the design center, but hey, it’s a good idea!! Oh gosh, Captain EO….Aahahahahaha you feel the same we did!! Our reactions after it were “…wut….” Just like that, like, it made no sense, and the whippy thing under the seat HURT the legs!

I actually saw other people walking by the design center so that's how I got the idea. Captain EO was strange that's for sure. I didn't notice the whippy things under the seats. I'll have to watch out for those in Oct!

I did notice the black spots on one of my soarin rides but have only seen them that one time. OH MY GOD I’M SO EXCITED FOR SOARIN!!!

Me too! I can't wait to ride it with DH. I am a little worried though because he is a ride wimp and the heights may get to him.

Ahahahha, that would be so weird to be eating in like, a giant aquarium, it’s all like “hey mr fishy friend, how are you, oh, yeah, I’m totally eating your cousin right now, sorry bro.” Baha! Bailey’s mousse makes sense, Jack Daniel’s….makes it interesting..

It was a little weird but good at the same time! The mousse is a very interesting dessert!

Love turtle talk, it’s one of my favorite things to do, I won’t lie!

OH!! Okay, if Mike was out but Sully wasn’t that makes more sense! I was reading Brenda’s TR the other day and was all “HOW DID PAIGE AND I MISS THOSE?!” and then realize maybe they weren’t out, but wasn’t sure. Sad that we missed them by a few days!

It was stange to only see bits and pieces of the topiaries and then see the full ones later on in someone else's TR.

I’m pretty sure the turtles at BC are real. I just read a bit of Dani’s TR where they were feeding turtles out there, so I’m sure it’s the same turtles!

I do think that turtle was real, he just was not going to move for me!

Just wanted you to know I'm still here! I've gotten behind on my commenting because of my computer troubles, but definitely still here! You make me want to go back and do Turtle Talk again! I haven't done it in so long. Unintentional, but still.

Don't worry about being behind, I think I'm at least a month and 1/2 behind on yours! Work and vacation have gotten in the way of my DIS time. Definitely catch Turtle Talk again if you get a chance!

 

[Pluto0809]

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. Work has been crazy lately but I think I'm finally on the home stretch with the whole budget process. The boss headed out of town for a few days so I have a breather. I am hoping to finish up this TR by the end of August so I can start one for my October trip which is less than 60 days away!

I arrived at DTD about 4 pm and I knew I wanted to be on a bus back to my resort by 5 pm. I ended up flying through most of the stores and didn’t take very many pictures. I did take two when I first got there because my Pluto was in them.





I headed straight to the World of Disney.



Stitch didn’t get me because the water feature was turned off. I flew through the store and finally found the two sweatshirts I was looking for.

Grumpy for Mom:







Evil Queen sweatshirt for my Cousin to give to her Mom. If you can’t tell, it says “Wicked Princess”.





For myself, I got Mickey dressed as Pluto. I had seen him on my last trip but had never picked one up.



I also got this car set because it had Pluto!



It has decals of the Fab 6, a license plate, key chain and air freshener. The license plate was pretty flimsy but I mainly got it for the Mickey and Pluto decals. I still haven’t gotten them on my car. On my November trip, I got a decal that said “My other car is a Monorail”. I made the mistake of asking DH to put it on my car and he didn’t read the instructions. He put it on wrong and it’s already falling off. I’m going to get a new one of those in October so I’m waiting to put them all on at once.

I also got a set of AK inspired Antenna toppers.



My car is mocha colored and the two brown ones match perfectly. This is actually the second set I’ve bought as they do lose the design after a while.

DH told me that he did not want any souvenirs this trip. I did try to get him another bottle of hot sauce from Mexico but they didn’t have any. I couldn’t resist though when I saw this cute Donald magnet.



DH loves Donald and relates to his “angry” side so this was perfect. Plus it was only a couple of dollars if he hated it. He ended up loving it and has it on a file cabinet at work.

After the World of Disney, I quickly made my way through Pin Traders, Arribas Brothers, Trend-D, Goofy’s Candy, Fun Finds and the Art store. The only other thing I purchased was a limited edition pin for Disney Visa holders.



I finally found a couple more Pluto pins to trade for plus a Max pin from the County Bear Jamboree.



I’m hoping to find the other two County Jamboree pins of Buff and Melvin when I go back in October.

I did some serious drooling in Goofy’s Candy Kitchen but I was still pretty stuffed from lunch so I didn’t buy anything. I did take a picture of this Rice Krispy cake and sent it to my boss.



She is obsessed with Rice Krispy treats but she said she had eaten a whole tray of them a few days before and really didn’t want me to bring her the cake. That was probably a good thing since I have no idea how I would have gotten it home. This thing was huge and cost $50!

I was back at the bus stop by 4:45 pm and as usual the bus situation from DTD was not the best. I waited 15 minutes for a bus which was the longest wait of the trip. Then we changed drivers at the Pleasure Island stop which added some time. It was 5:45 pm before I made it back to my room. I got the pleasant surprise of towel animals! The first I had gotten on the trip besides the Mickey on the first day.

These guys were on top of the TV cabinet:



Not really towel animals but the wash cloths were arranged very nicely on the bathroom counter:





And on the edge of the tub, I think this was supposed to be a bird?



I spent some time packing since I was leaving first thing in the morning and knew I would be out late that night. I called DH and we talked a bit and then I headed back out. I was on a bus by 6:30 and was seeing this beautiful site by 6:50 pm.



Up Next: Ride-A-Thon Part 2