If at first you don’t succeed, book book again! A 2nd chance at my first solo trip!

[Bethmsu]

I am so excited! I went online yesterday and after much research, I booked my first solo trip to WDW! Well, technically it was not my first booking (hence the title) but this time I am really going!

Back-story: Right before Christmas last year I started toying with the idea of going on a trip to Disney. I have been 3 times in the past and I have been to DL 2 times (more recently) and I really wanted to go back. To me it just seemed like a great way to escape everything and really have some time to relax and have fun! I have a BIG birthday coming up and I have been saving money so I thought why not? Well then Christmas came and went (the trip was planned for March 2011) and I got cold feet. I started worrying about everything...was I wasting my money...what if I hated going alone...what if something terrible happened? So I talked myself out of it and called up Disney to cancel. I was holding back tears on the phone and once I hung up the phone I was very sad. But I pulled myself together and decided to pay some bills with my money and plan a smaller trip to Chicago for my Birthday. Well Chicago is expensive. A few weeks later, as I was working on plans for my Chicago trip, I kept thinking about how it was only a little more $$$ to go to Disney. Soon enough I was pricing packages again. This time I had to be sure though, I mean, my family and friends already think I am a little crazy for wanting to go to Disney alone. What would they think of me booking and then canceling another trip? Not an option! So after much debate and a much better idea of what I wanted I booked yesterday!

So now I am very excited and I have a lot of planning to do! After all, it is only 59 days until my trip! Here is what I have so far, just the basics: onsite hotel, park hopper tickets, 6 days (4 full, 2 travel), great flight (plenty of time to do something on arrival and departure days) and magical express! I may add the QSDP before I go.

It had been years since I last was at WDW. I have a lot of planning to do so I can be sure to hit the attractions that are new (to me!). Also, I have read many many trip reports over the years and I will have a list of things to do that aren't new but just famous here on the boards. I am so excited to get started so I had to start a PTR where I can keep all my information handy and get some feedback on ideas.

Lots more to come!

 

[Bethmsu]

I am learning to make a PTR as I go here so I am a little out of order. Here I proudly present the cast!

Well sort of, this is a picture of my sister (left) and I (right) at Disneyland on my last trip! My sister is my usual travel buddy especially when it comes to Disney. She is working really hard in school right now and couldn't join me, so I am nervously excited to make my first solo trip!

Anyways...

So today I did some very important trip planning. I somehow booked a trip without actually checking to see if I could have the time off from work! So today, as soon as I arrived, I calmly approached the time off calendar all the while mumbling...please don't have someone else have already requested that time. I was fairly confident, but I made a few bargains in my head regarding how wonderful an employee I would be as long as I could get my needed days off (especially because I already have non-refundable flights booked)! Well the stars aligned and only one day I needed off was in question and so I am thinking all will be good! Which is nice because I would hate to have to quit just to go on my trip!

After that went well I came home and what was waiting for me in the mail? Why a pin code! The stinkin' pin code I have been WAITING for! For the last few weeks I have been scouring my email and checking all the junk mailers to make sure my coveted offer did not escape me. Finally I gave up, booked a trip and then 2 days later....there it is.

I call up Disney and 20 minutes later my trip costs more but I have "free" dining! I had to loose my room discount but because I was hoping to add QSDP anyways the free dining was a better offer overall. I am very excited and I anxiously await confirmation of the change.

So I am all booked (now I just have to pay) for my stay. Where am I staying? Well so glad you asked. I gave it a lot of thought and then gave my bank account a lot of thought and decided on...

Thank you to AllEarsNet for the photos of Pop Century

POP! I stayed here one other time and I enjoyed it. I really only walked the path from the bus stop to our room where we collapsed. I don't even really remember what decade we stayed in! Maybe 50's? But what sealed the deal that I should return there (instead of trying a new value) was the non-shared buses and the room rehab...

So now my question is what kind of room should I request? Or should I leave it to chance? I want a quiet room but not too far from everything...although I don't remember feeling like anything was all that far. Any Pop people out there have any advice to offer?

Off for now...must limit my Dis time !

 

[Bethmsu]

So I am pleased to report that my trip is 100% paid for!

Now I am trying to figure out what to do next! I have been on the boards a lot doing some research and getting all of my questions answered. So I figure a "to do" list is in order...

TO DO

1) Figure out best non-preferred place to request in resort (I am currently thinking 70's, top floor

2) Figure out how/when to make my resort requests

3) Get together spending money, tip money*, and luggage checking fees

4) Figure out how to put "free digital copies" of movies I have on my IPOD so I can watch them on the postage stamp sized screen on the plane. Also see if one charge will last long enough to watch the movie? I have never done this but when I watch short videos it seems to zap my battery.

5) Download podcasts and audio books to listen to while I am waiting for things

6) Buy tons on tiny travel sized items that I don't need (and a few I do)

7) Buy new sunscreen

8) Figure out a new park bag since I melted part of mine in the dryer (Suzy home-maker I am not)

9) Get "Tour Guide Mike"?

10) Make a tentative park/dining plan

Wow I can think of a million other things but lots of them will be more important closer to the departure. So I will focus on first things first.

In other news it is finally spring in MI and it was a long and uh...how should I say....sedentary winter?

I read that some people walk 12 miles a day and I want to be ready!

So I need to make sure I get outside and back in shape before I go. Right now I have a few weeks to get walking so I don't tire out in the parks before I am done. I want to make the most of it so I will come up with some sort of plan for exercising as well.

Does anyone have experience with park training? What did you do? Did it work? I would love some advice!