March 2015 for my birthday!!

[Carolyn Louise]

Actually my birthday is in April, but I priced deals for a bunch of different early spring travel dates and the best deal by far at the resort I wanted (AKL) was the first week of March. I'm turning 30 in 2015 and was thinking to myself, how can I make my 30th bday extra special? Of course WDW was the answer! I went for the first time last year with my friend but we only had 3 days in Orlando, this year I'll be by myself and am taking 5. Getting there via Amtrak from NY, which I also did last year. I've been to MK and Epcot but not AK, however I knew I wanted to stay in the lodge with a view of the animals...just booked last night, I'm so excited!

Please share your tips for making my first solo Disney trip a blast! I'm definitely hitting up MK, Epcot and AK, not sure I have enough interest in Hollywood Studios but I may change my mind. There are a lot of places I want to eat, too, narrowing down my choices is going to be tough. I would love restaurant recommendations, especially solo-friendly dining experiences. (On my trip last year our only table services experiences were at Epcot: Biergarten and Marrakesh.) Is anyone else going the first week of March who wants to meet up for a meal or some fun? Thank you everyone in advance for your advice!!

 

[Off to Neverland 7]

Hi Carolyn,

Your stay at AKL will be PHENOMENAL! We stayed there this past September and LOVED every moment of it. We were surprised with how much time we actually ended up spending in the resort watching the animals and relaxing.

I would suggest taking full advantage of the amenities available to you. AKL has night vision goggles you can borrow (which are pretty awesome) to view the animals at night.

I totally recommend eating at Boma (and make sure to eat the Zebra Domes!). Boma was DELICIOUS and had great options for the adventurous and non-adventurous eater. I would also recommend trying BOG lunch. FP for BOG lunch are available to you I believe 27 days before your trip. It's a great way to see the castle and BOG without having to pay a crazy price (and I hear lunch options are tastier than dinner).

Most importantly, have a GREAT time!


Off To Neverland

Disneyland Resort 1993-2000 & Passholder 2004-2014
Caribbean Beach Resort July 2001
Paradise Pier Resort 2009, November 2014
Grand Californian April 2010
Pop Century Sept 2012 & Sept 2013
Disneyland Hong Kong July 2013
Animal Kingdom Villas & Universal's Cabana Bay Sept 2014
Pop Century & Disney Dream Feb 2015!!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Thank you for the recommendations! AKL was a splurge but I knew I wanted to stay there most so I had to experience it just once!! Glad to hear you had such a great time. I definitely plan to avail myself of the restaurants and other amenities especially since I will be staying on my own--I will probably take at least one resort day or an afternoon to hang around and relax.

Also that is a great tip about BOG, I was thinking of skipping it bc I didn't think I'd get an ADR but I forgot they serve lunch!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Okay, these are my tentative park plans, based on the helpful crowd info from Easy WDW. I have 4 day park hopper tickets and may buy an extra day depending on how my plans work out, but I don't expect to need it. I should have thought more carefully about the park hopper option before buying...I doubt I will be at more than one park on any given day. Oh well, live and learn! At least I do have that flexibility if my plans change.

Mon 3/2: Arrival date. My train gets in a little after 1pm, expect to be at the resort by 2ish. If my room is not ready yet I'll probably explore the resort and hang around until I can settle in the room. From there, I'm undecided: do I want to make this a resort day and just take it easy around AKL, take in the lounges and a dining reservation, maybe visit the spa etc? Or should I go to Hollywood Studios for the afternoon/evening?

Tues 3/3: Animal Kingdom day. It's the closest to the resort, so I don't feel like I have to be up super early to make a good full day of touring the park, and the crowds are expected to be good. I don't know anything about the park so any recommendations of must-sees/must-rides greatly appreciated!

Wed 3/4: Magic Kingdom! This is definitely going to be a full park day. I want to ride all the rides and eat all the things, meet Mickey, watch the parades, buy souvenirs, poke around everywhere...

Thurs 3/5: Epcot, especially for the World Showcase. I plan to get all my must-rides out of the way in the morning and then eat/drink around the world for the rest of the day.

Fri 3/6: Departure day, probably just heading straight from the resort to the station after check-out.

My priorities are going to be hitting the parks but there are other things I want to do. Taking in the restaurants at AKL is a must, riding the monorail is something I want to experience, and I would love to get to the new WWoHP (but have no idea where I'll be able to fit it in). I also need some ADR recommendations! Eating well is a huge part of any vacation for me. Would it be worth it to try to hit some restaurants at other resorts or Downtown Disney, or would you recommend sticking to park restaurants? I would really love to hear about anything you consider unmissable for a rookie. Solo-friendly and easily accessible are important as I'll be relying on resort transportation.

Please tell me what, if anything else, you recommend I try to fit in!

 

[prairiesarah]

We stayed at AKL on our last trip and it was just amazing. My favorite part of it was going down to The Mara in the mornings to pick up coffee and breakfast then sitting on our balcony watching the animals as we ate our breakfast.

My one suggestion would be if you wanted to go to Downtown Disney (which I love) would be to do that your first afternoon/evening. I did find the bus ride from AKL took a bit to get to Downtown Disney, but if you have the time that afternoon it would a perfect day to wander around there and have some supper while there. My husband went to Raglan Road and said it was his favorite of the trip.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Thank you, prariesarah! One of the things I'm looking forward to the most is sitting on my balcony with breakfast.

I may skip Downtown Disney just because I have a 4-day park pass and it would be a shame to waste a day. I've heard about Raglan Road and it sounds like fun, is it particularly easy to get there from any of the parks for dinner?

 

[karly05]

Hi, Carolyn - I'm going to chime in and tell you solo is awesome!

I get park hoppers every time, even if I don't use them every day. I just like having the freedom to switch parks, go to Epcot more than once just to eat, etc.

I've eaten at several TS restaurants as a solo and really haven't had a bad experience. I think as far as meals go, pick the places that sound most appealing to you and don't worry about being solo. Some of my favorite meals I've had over my solo trips (2012-2014) have been at Via Napoli (pizza), Flying Fish, Artist Point, La Hacienda de San Angel (the Mexican restaurant on the lagoon), lunch at Les Chefs de France and lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. I have not been to Boma since 2004, but enjoyed that and would recommend it for your arrival night dinner since you are at AKL. Personally, I would not bother with DTD; it just always seems to be a time-consuming hassle getting back and forth from there, and I'd rather spend my time in the parks.

As for your Animal Kingdom day, my ideal day there involves doing the Safari, the two walking tours (Maharajah and Pangani), Nemo show, Lion King show, Flights of Wonder (bird show), and maybe Tough to Be a Bug. I'm too chicken for Everest, have never cared to do Dinosaur or Primeval Whirl, and the one time I did Kali River Rapids I got soaked beyond all belief and said "no mas!" Safari and Lion King show I would say are the two must-dos for everyone. I LOVE the Nemo show, but it doesn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea. AK usually closes much earlier than the other parks, and I'm usually done there early enough to hop over to Epcot or somewhere else for dinner, so keep that in mind.

As for DHS - you know best if there's nothing there super-appealing to you. Since you have a hopper, if there were any rides you wanted to do at DHS, I would actually start there on your Epcot day, get to DHS before rope drop and hit those (hightail it to TSM first if interested; you can do single rider on RnRC if you want that), then head to Epcot. Make your advance FP+ for Epcot: Soarin' and whatever Tier-2 stuff you want there, use single rider for Test Track.

Have fun!

 

[a742246]

My advice to you is to do things very slow! Look at all the details of everything. Enjoy every minute, you will have a fabulous time!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Hi, Carolyn - I'm going to chime in and tell you solo is awesome!

It sounds like it! I can't wait.

As for your Animal Kingdom day, my ideal day there involves doing the Safari, the two walking tours (Maharajah and Pangani), Nemo show, Lion King show, Flights of Wonder (bird show), and maybe Tough to Be a Bug. I'm too chicken for Everest, have never cared to do Dinosaur or Primeval Whirl, and the one time I did Kali River Rapids I got soaked beyond all belief and said "no mas!" Safari and Lion King show I would say are the two must-dos for everyone. I LOVE the Nemo show, but it doesn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea. AK usually closes much earlier than the other parks, and I'm usually done there early enough to hop over to Epcot or somewhere else for dinner, so keep that in mind.

The Safari is definitely going to be a must for my AK day, as well as Flights of Wonder and the walking tours. The other shows I will probably play by ear. Kali River Rapids sounds fun but maybe I'll save that for last in case I get soaked, and will probably skip altogether if it's cold. I do like fast and thrilling rides, I simply hate big drops so would skip any coasters/Everest.

As for DHS - you know best if there's nothing there super-appealing to you. Since you have a hopper, if there were any rides you wanted to do at DHS, I would actually start there on your Epcot day, get to DHS before rope drop and hit those (hightail it to TSM first if interested; you can do single rider on RnRC if you want that), then head to Epcot. Make your advance FP+ for Epcot: Soarin' and whatever Tier-2 stuff you want there, use single rider for Test Track.

I would like to do TSM but I don't think I would be sorry if there was any particular attraction at HS that I missed. Having read more about it I think my only priority would be eating at the 50's Prime Time Cafe (or maybe the Tune In Lounge) and just wandering around and taking in the sights. It would be a short visit on Monday but that might be all I would need.

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

My advice to you is to do things very slow! Look at all the details of everything. Enjoy every minute, you will have a fabulous time!

That's exactly what I intend to do on my full park days!

 

[kwdw]

I'd recommend not missing FOTLK at AK if you have never seen it- but you dont need a FP for it. it's awesome. Staying at AKL, I'd suggest you consider Boma for breakfast one day - if you like big breakfasts. I like Boma solo for breakfast, not so much for dinner, but that's me. Also ask at the front desk or from a CM by the savannah what time the animals are in the barn in the morning. They all go in for a period of time in the morning, and during that time you just won't see them. And check the hours that they will have the night googles out....otherwise, they are hard to see once its dark. Your arrival day you could probably get in some good viewing since its mid afternoon. Sometimes you'll get a CM at the savannah who is ready to chat about the animals or their life in Africa, and that can be a really nice experience as a solo.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

I do love a big breakfast when I'm on vacation! I will definitely fit Boma into at least one morning, and some room service as well.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Finally a couple of ADRs! I have a late dinner at Boma booked for my first night at 9pm, giving me plenty of time to get back from HS if I end up going there. Then Jiko the following night, since it's my Animal Kingdom day, at 8pm. I'll probably have to leave the park a little early for that. The other nights after parks, I'll leave up in the air. I may be back too late to get into the table service restaurants anyway, in which case I'll hit the lounges or Mara. I know the lounges serve food but do they stop when the table service kitchens close?

I'm leaning more towards eating in the Tune In Lounge now than making an ADR at the 50s Prime Time Cafe just in case I get delayed on my arrival day. That way there's no pressure to get there in time for my reservation.

I also want to hit Boma for breakfast a couple of mornings, should I bother with ADRs for that? What would be the likelihood of a single diner just walking in and getting a table?

Finally, for my park days my plan is just to graze at quick service restaurants. At Epcot especially: I want to eat/drink around the world, my goal is to have a snack at every pavilion as well as a drink. Maybe sit down at Rose and Crown if my feet are hurting and they have availability. I know about school bread, what other snacks should I get in Epcot?

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Okay, I made one more ADR: California Grill at 5:30on 3/4. I want to ride the monorail and take in the great view from the top of CR but would rather be back in the park for Wishes.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I'm so glad I saw this thread! I'm planning a solo trip in March for my birthday too and I have no idea where I want to stay or where I want to eat, I'm use to thinking about what everyone else wants to do and it's hard to come up with what I want to do alone. You've given me some great ideas!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Happy to help! When in March are you going?

 

[2BNDisney]

Had the same idea as you and will be celebrating a birthday and staying at AKL, but I will just barely miss your days. If you are going solo, I would indeed recommend the Tune In Lounge over actual table service. You get to sit in the lounge area and talk to anyone else that may show up plus the cast members behind the bar area. And be absolutely sure to get yourself a birthday button since you are using this trip to celebrate your birthday. And if you want to sit with others the Japanese steak house in Epcot is another option. Hope you have a great birthday trip!

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Thank you, same to you! Shame we will miss each other's trips. I definitely plan on getting a button and telling everyone I'm celebrating my 30th. At least I'll have a ready-made conversation starter.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

One month mark! I'm only four weeks away from Disney!!

I haven't made any FP+ selections yet, I should probably get on that. I have Jiko, Boma and California Grill on my reservations. I'm considering Tusker House on my AK day as well. I'm curious about character meals and that one seems relatively unintimidating for a solo traveler.

Also wondering if the night safari at AKL is worth checking out? Has anyone done that by themselves?

I can't decide on any restaurant for my Epcot day! Now I'm thinking about leaving the property to go to one of the resorts for dinner and back. What's nearby that is recommended?

As always, thanks so much for your advice!! So excited to be on the home stretch!

 

[godde8ss]

I'll be celebrating my 35th in March at Epcot!