It's a SO-LO trip report! Oct 09, CR/YC, MNSSHP, F&W, and Independence! FINAL UPDATE!

[breagirl]

Great report! Now I want to ride BTMRR at night!

I'm not a big fan of cinnamon rolls, but I almost thought about trying one at the bakery they looked so good. Now I am feeling better about my cookie ice cream sandwich (which was AMAZING!)

Glad you got a pin from the MNSSHP (and a really cool one at that!) Are you a big pin trader? I noticed you had quite a few on your lanyard but haven't seen you mention it yet.

Anxiously awaiting your next update and dreaming of my own solo trip!

 

[glennbo123]

I could definitely tell that you were trying to convey some kind of telepathic message in that picture. I just didn't know what it was until I read your narration.

That's great that you got some many walk-on's and were able to re-do rides.

I don't remember ever seeing BTMRR from the train like that. Maybe I've never ridden it along that stretch.

 

[heaven2dc]

I am having the best time reading your TR! Great job

What was with the CM's at Chapeu? I remember last year going in there and trying to get someone's attention.

So glad you are having a great time traveling solo! I was solo for four days last December (my daughter, ex-bf and baby arrived for the last four days) and I had so much fun by myself. I thought I would be a little lonely but I wasn't. I got to soak in all the Magic myself and enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[MrsSpratt]

Great reporting - astute food comments, solo- walks and wine on the balcony - it sound like heaven!

I thought your pin lanyard solution was genius!

(And I too, don't think that pic is that bad!)

This is just fab!

 

[Cinderella2004]

Great updates!!! Our favorite resort is POR. We haven't stayed in a while though, we've been using DVC. We miss POR!!!

You seemed to have picked a perfect time to go!! I love no lines!!

Great pictures, and you are cute as a button!

 

[norybell]

Your parade pictures turned out great!!

Thanks! It was my first time taking pics of a parade, since I'm not usually a parade person...it took me a gazillion tries to get that decent photo of the Evil Queen!

I can't believe how many rides you just walked on. That's awesome!

I know, it was truly amazing!

Great report! Now I want to ride BTMRR at night!

I'm not a big fan of cinnamon rolls, but I almost thought about trying one at the bakery they looked so good. Now I am feeling better about my cookie ice cream sandwich (which was AMAZING!)

Glad you got a pin from the MNSSHP (and a really cool one at that!) Are you a big pin trader? I noticed you had quite a few on your lanyard but haven't seen you mention it yet.

Anxiously awaiting your next update and dreaming of my own solo trip!

I bet the cinnamon roll would've been great if it had been fresher...guess I just had bad luck with my timing. I can't even think about it right now, cuz BF and I made chocolate chip cookies last night (the pre-made-dough kind), and we ate them all. It was a very poor eating decision. I'm paying for it now!

I think I'll post a separate post all about pins...

I could definitely tell that you were trying to convey some kind of telepathic message in that picture. I just didn't know what it was until I read your narration.

That's the closest thing I could find to a telepathy smiley.

I am having the best time reading your TR! Great job

What was with the CM's at Chapeu? I remember last year going in there and trying to get someone's attention.

So glad you are having a great time traveling solo! I was solo for four days last December (my daughter, ex-bf and baby arrived for the last four days) and I had so much fun by myself. I thought I would be a little lonely but I wasn't. I got to soak in all the Magic myself and enjoy the atmosphere.

It's the best, isn't it? I can't wait to go solo again! And who knows what was up with the Chapeau CMs...

Great reporting - astute food comments, solo- walks and wine on the balcony - it sound like heaven!

I thought your pin lanyard solution was genius!

(And I too, don't think that pic is that bad!)

This is just fab!

Thank you! It was pretty heavenly; I was walking around in a happy haze most of the time!

And

Great updates!!! Our favorite resort is POR. We haven't stayed in a while though, we've been using DVC. We miss POR!!!

You seemed to have picked a perfect time to go!! I love no lines!!

Great pictures, and you are cute as a button!

Aw, shucks.

 

[Tribilín]

Sung to the tune of “Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone”:

Where, oh where have the queuing lines gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?
When no rides have waits, and you just walk on,
That is the Disney for me.

I actually had to google this one... I love your specially modified lyrics, nice touch to your TR.

Seeing Walt and Mickey in the sunset gave me chills!

Beautiful picture... what me? no I'm not crying something got in my eye

Too bad about the bad location for the fireworks, there's always a next time *hint hint*

And that's a cool pin, really!

 

[norybell]

I actually had to google this one... I love your specially modified lyrics, nice touch to your TR.

I think it's always good to start the day with a musical challenge, don't you?

 

[norybell]

Yikes, I have a ton of work to do today! I hope you won't mind if, instead of a typical update, you get this instead.

***

So. About pins. Before this past May, my attitude toward Disney pins was: What a rip-off. I can’t believe people get sucked into buying those tacky things.

Famous last words.

When my mom and I were there in May, we were waiting for way too long in the FP line for Soarin’. This adorable little boy – maybe five? – was in the queue in front of us, and he was very rambunctious and chatty.

A side note within this side note: my happiness over interacting with kids like this is how my mom knew I was truly ready for my own. “Nory,” she said, “There are two reactions to have to kids at Disney World. The first reaction is that they drive you crazy, with their crying and whining and screaming and constant presence everywhere you turn. This is the normal response (and my mom loves kids). The second possible reaction is to find them adorable and to talk to them whenever you can. This reaction is very strange. I think it means you really need to have a baby, already!” And what can I say, she’s probably right.

Anyway, let’s get back to pins. This little boy was wearing a lanyard, and suddenly he insisted that he wanted to give me a pin. I had to explain to him that he couldn’t give me a pin, because I didn’t have one to give him. He looked so disappointed, it was really cute. And it made me think, geez, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have a few pins of my own. Just in case I’m in a situation like this again.

OK, flash forward to early August. I was in the doldrums of Disney trip planning…my ADRs were all made, but it was still too far from my trip for the “I just got back!” threads to hold any relevance. One day, I remembered that little boy and his pins. And I went on ebay.

Of course, the first thing I did was to order one of those lots, 20 pins or something for ridiculously cheap. When they arrived a few days later, all I could think was that they were all very ugly. And cheap looking. I went on the collectors’ board, and learned about fakes (why couldn’t I have done this before I ordered them?). After some ineffectual back-and-forth with the seller, I decided solving the problem really wasn’t worth my time, and I threw them away (I know, many people think it’s ok to trade fakes, and I have nothing against those people. But I couldn’t bring myself to put them into circulation.).

Now, you have to understand that until this point, I’d never bid for anything on ebay. Suddenly, I had discovered this wonderful world where you could bid just a few dollars on a legitimate Disney pin from a legitimate seller, and if you were lucky, you won it! What can I say, it was fun. And addictive. And satisfied my need for a Disney fix.

The end result was that I ended up with far more pins than I needed. And most of them I actually really like, and have no plans to trade. Because I wasn’t buying them in lots, they weren’t necessarily cheap, but they were usually at least 50% off of what they’d be in the parks. I ended up with so many pins that I liked, I had to buy a Mickey starter set just so I’d have something to trade with! On my third day, I decided it was my goal to trade away all of that starter set, but I wasn’t committed enough to really make it happen. I ended up trading only four pins.

It took me almost two whole days before I wore any pins into the park at all. I was so tired at first, I didn’t think I’d feel up to approaching CMs to trade. And I wasn’t sure how I’d wear them. I had a lanyard, but I didn’t want anything other than my camera around my neck. And I love my purse, so I didn’t want to stick them in it and create a bunch of holes. I ended up pinning my lanyard to my cross-body purse strap in a few select places. So only about four pins (all keepers) actually went through my purse strap, and the rest were just affixed to the lanyard. Here’s a screen shot of a Photopass pic that shows what I’m talking about:

And now, because I’m excited to share these with people who actually care, here are my pins!

This is the pin bag I bought on my trip. The pins on the front are the remaining pins from the Mickey starter set I was trying to get rid of.

These are my favorite pins. If I have a theme to my favorites, it’s old-fashioned Mickey. Two out of the three in the bottom row are clearly from a seasons-with-Mickey-Minnie-and-Pluto series, and if I could find the other two seasons in the series, I’d be so excited.

Here’s a close-up of my #1 favorite:

This is the only pin I paid a decent amount of $$ for. I don’t remember how much, but maybe $12 or so. I just fell in love with it!

These were on sale at the Disney outlet website. I love them because they’re particularly sparkly and beautiful (hey, what can I say, I am a girl!).

These are the pins I purchased on this trip (sorry, I know a bit of a spoiler, but I’m sure you’ll survive!). The Halloween and Contemporary ones you’ve already seen. I spent so much time at the MK this trip, I decided I could get the castle one. The YC and F&W ones I got in the following days, obviously.

Random pins I got for cheap on ebay.

More random pins I got for cheap on ebay. In honor of MNSSHP, I wore the Huey, Dewey, and Louie at the HM pin most of the time, and I got more attention for that pin than any other.

Pins I traded for during this trip.

So…even though I did barely any trading, and spent way too much money on ebay, I’m so happy I got into pins. The difference between the two days I didn’t wear them and the two days I did was remarkable, because they were such an easy way to talk to people! CMs and guests alike would mention them and start chatting. Plus, I’ve grown fond of my (growing) collection…can’t wait to add to it on my next trip (because I’ve instituted a personal rule: no more ebay for me!).

All right, that’s it for pins. I promise to get back to the regularly scheduled trip reporting soon, hopefully tomorrow!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Goodness gracious! I was two updates behind. The walk around the Port Orleans resorts are absolutely beautiful. You were able to get some awesome pictures of the Magic Kingdom! Love the fireworks pics.

 

[praisehisname]

Love your pins! All of my pins hold special meaning and I'm not willing to trade them, so I wasn't going to take them again this trip. But maybe I will, since you pointed out they're a good conversation starter...

 

[onelilspark]

My Mom likes to get a pin every now and then and put it on her jacket...she now has 6 pins and her jacket is lopsided...

 

[Tribilín]

Here’s a close-up of my #1 favorite:

This is the only pin I paid a decent amount of $$ for. I don’t remember how much, but maybe $12 or so. I just fell in love with it!

Wow! Love it! Awesome collection by the way.

I enjoyed your "special pin report" update

 

[breagirl]

for the pin report! So glad you started collecting.

I bought a starter lanyard, a Poly pin and an Easter pin on our first trip in 2007. Then we took the kids later that year and they got bit by the bug. Now we have over 400 pins that are keepers and about 400 more that we will trade with on our next trip. Yes, we are addicted

I love your pins, especially the vintage ones. They are so cute! Can't wait for the next update!

 

[nursegirl]

Pin report is fab!

I'm similar to you in that I at first thought they were cheesy and not for me. But of course a few trips later, I'm completely obsessed with a lanyard for myself and my son and now a book to keep the seasonal ones in rotation.

On our trip to Old Key West last year, there were no resort pins anywhere in the World - NONE! So this year, I called Disney Merchandising to find out if the resort pin was somewhere - and they said there was one at the Kidani Village gift shop. So of course I trekked over and purchased that one and several others that I hadn't seen yet. I need to stop, but I agree with you, they are just so cute and fun!!

Ebay... Oh my, would not be good for me with pins! Loving the F&W pin in particular, but your whole collection is really good, thanks for sharing!

 

[fabulousmadhatter]

Thank you for posting this great report, I am off to 'my happy place' first week of Dec. First time solo, as soon as I told people about my planned trip everyone wanted in on it !! My kids were a bit nervous for me ( I'm the wrong side of 59 ) anyhoo , at last I am making this dream come true ! reading these solo trip reports just fuel my excitement for what's to come. I am taking a segway tour at FW, decided my first 'ride' will be Expedition Everest ,
hey, I could have chocolate cake for breakfast ! ( maybe not ) Can't wait for your next post.

 

[norybell]

Goodness gracious! I was two updates behind. The walk around the Port Orleans resorts are absolutely beautiful. You were able to get some awesome pictures of the Magic Kingdom! Love the fireworks pics.

Welcome back!

Love your pins! All of my pins hold special meaning and I'm not willing to trade them, so I wasn't going to take them again this trip. But maybe I will, since you pointed out they're a good conversation starter...

You could always get some just for trading...(yes, that's me being the voice of temptation!)

My Mom likes to get a pin every now and then and put it on her jacket...she now has 6 pins and her jacket is lopsided...

How did she manage to cut herself off at 6?

Wow! Love it! Awesome collection by the way.

I enjoyed your "special pin report" update

Thanks!

for the pin report! So glad you started collecting.

I bought a starter lanyard, a Poly pin and an Easter pin on our first trip in 2007. Then we took the kids later that year and they got bit by the bug. Now we have over 400 pins that are keepers and about 400 more that we will trade with on our next trip. Yes, we are addicted

I love your pins, especially the vintage ones. They are so cute! Can't wait for the next update!

800 pins! Holy smokes! I feel like such a novice!

Pin report is fab!

I'm similar to you in that I at first thought they were cheesy and not for me. But of course a few trips later, I'm completely obsessed with a lanyard for myself and my son and now a book to keep the seasonal ones in rotation.

On our trip to Old Key West last year, there were no resort pins anywhere in the World - NONE! So this year, I called Disney Merchandising to find out if the resort pin was somewhere - and they said there was one at the Kidani Village gift shop. So of course I trekked over and purchased that one and several others that I hadn't seen yet. I need to stop, but I agree with you, they are just so cute and fun!!

Ebay... Oh my, would not be good for me with pins! Loving the F&W pin in particular, but your whole collection is really good, thanks for sharing!

I was really surprised that there weren't more resort pins...I mean, there are 8 million Tinkerbell pins, how hard would it be to have a few dozen resort ones?

Thank you for posting this great report, I am off to 'my happy place' first week of Dec. First time solo, as soon as I told people about my planned trip everyone wanted in on it !! My kids were a bit nervous for me ( I'm the wrong side of 59 ) anyhoo , at last I am making this dream come true ! reading these solo trip reports just fuel my excitement for what's to come. I am taking a segway tour at FW, decided my first 'ride' will be Expedition Everest ,
hey, I could have chocolate cake for breakfast ! ( maybe not ) Can't wait for your next post.

You'll have a blast going to WDW solo...tell your kids to stop worrying!

 

[misskate]

Thanks for the trip report! I have been going back and forth about pins...I think you convinced me! I'm headed to Ebay now.

 

[norybell]

Thanks for the trip report! I have been going back and forth about pins...I think you convinced me! I'm headed to Ebay now.

All I can say is...be careful!

 

[norybell]

Sung to the tune of “Boo to You”:

Just
For you
A trip
Report
For you
It’s true
And this
Part’s new
Written for you and you and you and you
Happy trip report

This song is really catchy
It’s almost strangely catchy

Every day
It will stay
In my head
‘Til I’m dead
Hum this song
All day long
Make it stop
‘Fore I drop

This song is really catchy
It’s dangerously catchy

Etc.

***

Where were we? Oh yes, Hallowishes had just ended, and I was near the Adventureland bridge. I had no plan for where to go next, so I drifted toward Adventureland, hoping to get out of the fireworks crowd. When I hit Aladdin’s carpets, I decided it was again time to try something new. I’d never ridden the carpets, because I never thought it would be worth waiting in line for such a simple circle ride. But tonight there was no line, so I figured I might as well.

While I was waiting the thirty seconds it took for the last group to unload, I felt a bit silly. I was the only one in line without a small child by my side. Little did I know that that would soon change!

I climbed into the front row of a carpet (not sure of the correct flying carpet terminology, here. Rows? Climbed into, or onto? Hm.). A minute later, an adorable little girl in a Belle dress got into the back row of my carpet and introduced herself. She was maybe five or six.

I was surprised, to say the least. If she had been a little older – eight, maybe, or ten – I probably wouldn’t have thought much of it, but this little girl seemed too young to be riding all by herself. I looked around, but no sign of her parents, so far as I could tell.

She said she wanted to drive, and I said I thought she had to be in front to drive; she climbed out of the back row and started getting into the front row with me. Suddenly, I worried, wait, is this weird, for me to be sitting alone right next to a little girl I don’t know at all? So I told her to wait a sec, and I got out so she could sit in the front, and I sat in the back. Then I thought, wait, is this weird, for me to be letting this little girl sit all alone? I honestly didn’t know what to do. The whole time she was just chattering away; she seemed much more comfortable with the situation than I was!

Soon we were off. And I have to admit, this was a surprisingly fun ride! Little Girl was a very up-and-down driver, which I wasn’t expecting at all, and I think it made it a lot more interesting than it would’ve been if we’d stayed smoothly at one level. She was very excited about driving, and seemed happy when I told her (repeatedly) that she was a great driver.

The ride ended, and she asked me to help her with her seatbelt, which I did. Then she jumped out, said goodbye, and ran off ahead.

As I was walking out of the carpets area, a woman says to me, “Isn’t that your daughter? She ran up there.” She had a look of intense disapproval on her face, like I was such a terrible mother for letting my five-year-old daughter run off alone! Clearly she’d seen us riding the carpet together. Since she seemed so judgmental about it, it was very satisfying to be able to say: “Nope!”

(For the record, I did make a point of following the little girl in the Belle dress, to make sure she wasn’t really alone; she caught up with her dad and sister, who’d apparently been riding in a different carpet.)

It was a pretty strange situation, all around, but it made the carpets much more fun for me!

I had a little time to kill before I wanted to line up for the 10:30 parade, so I rode Pirates, just because it seemed Halloween-y. I walked right on, and had a pretty empty boat. Afterwards, I think I went through a trick-or-treat line in Frontierland. I know I went through four trick-or-treat lines at various points in the evening, but I forgot to write down when. For the record, I was pretty unimpressed with the trick or treating. I didn’t get any chocolate, or much candy at all, really, and the CMs didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about it. I didn’t care much; I can always get candy at home! I can see how kids would love it, though.

By now it must have been a little after 10:00 – time to find a spot for the parade! I had no trouble planting myself in front of the rope opposite Pecos Bill’s. I struck up a conversation with Gretchen from New Jersey, who was standing next to me with her husband. Gretchen’s adult daughter used to play imaginary games with the MK map when she was a little girl, just like I did. And now Gretchen goes to WDW at least once a year, with various members of her family. She was the first kindred WDW-obsessed soul I met on this trip, and it was wonderful chatting with her. Gretchen, if by any random chance you DIS and are reading this report, hi, and thanks!

The headless horseman galloped past. I didn’t even try for a picture, because I wanted to be in the moment, and I’m happy about that, because…Wow. That’s all there really is to say about him!

A few more minutes talking to Gretchen, and then it was time for:

Forgot to turn my flash on here…

Nice bloomers, Alice!

When I was little, I always felt really bad for Tweedledum. Having the word “dum” in your name really isn’t fair shakes, is it? Speaking of, did you know that Donald Duck has a sister named Dumbella? Now that’s just cruel.

Hi, Mickey!

Hi, Daisy! Aren’t you glad your name isn’t Dumbella?

Aw, Eeyore, need a hug?

I think this pirate’s had a bit too much rum, don’t you?

These guys were so cool!

To be honest, the whole barnyard/frontier portion of the parade felt a bit forced in to me. In what world does hoedown = Halloween?

After watching the whole parade this time, these guys were still my favorites.

I’m not kidding, I seriously have a crush on a skeleton!

For the record, the CMs handing out candy alongside this float were my only sources of chocolate at the party.

Even though I’m really not a parade person, I loved this one! The choreography and the music were great (even though I wasn’t kidding about not being able to get “Boo to You” out of my head since then). I decided that next time I have a potential parade on my itinerary, I’ll watch it a few times on youtube first, so I have a better sense of the timing for pictures.

I said goodbye to Gretchen from New Jersey, and roamed around for a bit. I’d been looking forward to the park emptying out some after the late parade, but if anything, it actually felt busier to me. All the rides suddenly had waits (only 5-15 minutes in most cases, but after not waiting all night, it was a bit of a shock). I checked the wait for Peter Pan, and it was 20 minutes. I was pretty exhausted by this point, so I decided I didn’t feel like waiting. I hopped in line for HM, which only took about five minutes.

This is the best my camera can do in there, but I think it’s still pretty spooky!

Then I rode BTMRR one more time, this time in the back car – between that and the dark, it felt crazy-fast! I decided I should leave the party on that high note, and headed for Main Street. I think it was around 11:30…my goal had been to stay until absolute closing and walk around a near-empty park after midnight, but I was just too tired. Maybe next time.

I stopped for this photo on the way, from a Photopass photographer who was very abrupt with me, even though no one else was waiting. Oh well.

Suddenly, protein was calling, so I stopped at Casey’s for a yummy hot dog and fries. I sat outside, soaking in the last few moments of Halloween atmosphere, and my last few moments at the MK for this trip. Then I left the park and walked back to the CR. Had another glass of wine on the balcony (are you noticing a pattern here?), then fell right asleep.

Coming Soon: A Lazy(ish) Morning and a Hotel Switch