My Laid-Back, Stress-Free, Solo Trip (REFLECTIONS)

[MOmousefan]

I'm really enjoying your trip report. I went on my first solo trip in March and loved it.

Your pictures are amazing. I really love the Muppets fountain shot.

Another teacher here too, but won't be retired for another 15 years!

Looking forward to your next updates.

Thank You. I don't know where you teach, but here in Missouri you can retire with full benefits after 30 years. I went 31 and retired in 2008 and have enjoyed my retirement so far. I substitute around 25 days a year to pay for a WDW trip or whatever toy I might want or need. Your school year should be about over should'nt it?

 

[MOmousefan]

Since my granddaughter could not make the trip, 50 Cast Members contributed to THIS VIDEO. The original video is 27 minutes, but this one just highlights the great Cast Members.

 

[MOmousefan]

I wake up on my own around 6:00 and plan to attend EMH at the Animal Kingdom. I once again dine on smashed Poptarts and head for the bus at 7:00. My plan today is something new: Instead of the mad dash to EE, I will ride the Safari first to see if the animals are out and about like I have read in other TRs.

The day promises to be another beautiful one as I walk to the entrance. There are several hundred people already here, a small number by Disney standards.

Promptly at 8:00 we are let in and the way is clear all the way to KS. I practically walk on the ride and am seated on the outside left. Being a single rider I always get the outside which is great for taking photos. I have my DSLR ready to take exciting photos of the animals as they cavort about the Savanna. This is my fourth Safari overall and I quickly realize something that I missed on previous trips; by sitting on the left you miss a majority of the animals. Rhinos? On the right. Alligators? Hippos? On the right. Elephants would have been on the right, but there none to be seen. Lions are also on the right and we did see this guy..

Here is what I saw on the left..

I will admit that on previous ride we have seen rhino on both sides of the vehicle. The only disappointment is that I expected more activity, but that is the nature of animals.
Up next...Does the Yeti work?

 

[MOmousefan]

It's time for my Expedition fix so I leave Africa and head for Asia.

EE has a single rider's line, but as you can see there is no need to use it.

I really enjoy the theming of this attraction. From the queuing area to the Yeti, this is pure Disney. This is the wait time at 12:27, still not too bad.

Next....Off to see the two Trails.

 

[mickeymouse108]

hi joining in on your solo trip my first to read about it must be so relaxing..

 

[MOmousefan]

hi joining in on your solo trip my first to read about it must be so relaxing..

Thank You for taking the time to read my TR. It was indeed the most relaxing trip I have taken. I did not see all of the attractions I normally do, but the ones I missed will be experienced the next trip.

 

[Missus Toad]

I'm relaxing and enjoying your trip vicariously. Seems like such a laid back way to do the World. Great photos too! Looking forward to more!

 

[CAStevens218]

Just stumbled upon your trip report and I'm really enjoying it! I loved the video for Lily!!!

 

[appleorchard]

Love solo trip reports! Your pictures are great!

 

[LaLalovesWDW]

Enjoying your TR!! I think we were there the same time. Those love bugs freaked me out!

 

[MOmousefan]

Enjoying your TR!! I think we were there the same time. Those love bugs freaked me out!

They were everywhere, even in the room. The room was always clean, but they must have hid during the maid's visit.

Just stumbled upon your trip report and I'm really enjoying it! I loved the video for Lily!!!

I am grateful to all of the Cast Members who participated. Lily watches the video repeatedly.

 

[MOmousefan]

I wander the secluded trails between Asia and Africa taking many photos. On one trail I come upon a character meet and greet, so I get in line and have my picture taken by a CM. The lighting makes me look like I am Photoshopped into the picture.

I believe this is Tusk from the movie Tarzan.

I head into The Pangani Trail and appreciate the fact that you set the pace that you want.

The Meerkats are out and this one is standing guard against the squirrels and birds nearby.

I would love to have these landscapers come to my house and do my yard.

Mama gorilla and her baby entertained us for quite a while. There are three females and one male in this enclosure.

Another enclosure holds four males. I wonder what he thinking?

I now head into the Maharajah Trail and again enjoy the lush landscape.

These guys must spend a lot of time in this position as they are threr evry time I visit.

The tiger are saving their energy for the big hunt:

The landscape is very lush throughout the trek:

I intend to wander over to Dinoland and shoot some more photos, but they just opened the doors to NEMO and there is no wait!

 

[MOmousefan]

This will be my third time watching this attraction and I still find it awesome.

If someone had told me I would enjoy a stage show with people running around with fish on their heads and singing I would have siad no way.

This is one of my favorite photos:

After the show I now wander through Dinoland and decide to eat at Restaurantosaurus. I get a kid's hot dog meal, complete with bucket and shovel.

This restaurant has a soft drink founain and I fill my cup on the way out. BTW I gave the pail and shovel to a family sitting nearby, I'm not sure if this appreciated as someone gets to carry them around.
It's now 1:00 PM and I head back to PoP to download 740 more photos and videos. I have to go back to DTD...Find out why in the next installment!

 

[MOmousefan]

On every trip I buy a T-shirt with the year emblazoned on it. When I went to DTD on Tuesday I used the Pleasure Island bus stop to be close to Planet Hollywood. Well, Everything PoP didn't have 2011 shirts in 2X so this why I return to DTD. The World of Disney should have what I want right? Heck no, there are no 2X shirts on Disney property!

I have never eaten at The Earl of Sandwhich, so I order the Hawiian BBQ and this is an excellent sandwhich. This is one place I feel the price is equal to the value of the food.

Time to head for EPCOT!

 

[HMin]

Just found and read your trip report this morning. Sounds like you had a great time and you definitely posted lots of great pictures. EoS is a favorite of mine which I only discovered last May during my first solo trip. Though I haven't tried the Hawaiian BBQ, I have had multiples of several others. Decided on this May's solo trip that the Earl's Club & Veggie are my two favs and the last thing I did before leaving this year was make a trip to DTD to get sandwiches to go.

Great trip report! I would also like to THANK YOU for putting it together in the way you did in chapters. I just recently joined the forums and started reading and your reports were SO MUCH EASIER to read than some of the others I read. Thanks again for a great report and glad you had a wonderful solo trip.

 

[MOmousefan]

HMin - You are so correct regarding in indexed TR. I hate to struggle through an otherwise interesting story having to go page-by-page. Thank you for the compliments on the photos.

 

[MOmousefan]

It's time to head back to my favorite park...EPCOT. My good fortune continues as there is a bus waiting just for me, or so it seems. It is 6:00PM and the bus is half full, mostly families with strollers. We pull into the EPCOT bus lot and unload in an area I have never been to, I believe the Carribean Beach stop.
I enter SSE and enjoy and old favorite. Judi Dench is the third narrator since my first visit. Can you name previous narrators?
I did not do a very good job photographing this attraction but here is one photo...

I wander around World showcase checking out a place to watch Illuminations and take photos.

I choose a spot in front of Canada that has a corner I can wedge into. I have a tripod and DSLR with a remote shutter release and want to protect the camera as well as not take up too much space. Off Kilter is playing and I enjoy their music. The evening is so pleasant it feels good just to people-watch and listen to the sounds of EPCOT. The show starts and I try my best to keep up with the fireworks.

All to quickly it ends and I take my time putting everything away while the crowds file past. It's not even 10:00PM and the park is getting quiet, a great time to admire the landscape with their cleverly placed lights.

I really hate leave, but it is closing time and I am a little tired. I always tell myself I can sleep when I get home but my body says otherwise. This has been a great day, a real memory-maker.

 

[MOmousefan]

I wake up to a beautiful Thursday morning, have some Poptart pieces, and head for the Magic Kingdom. It is 70 degrees and I watch a MK bus pull up to the stop as I arrive. This has been the best Transportation experience I have ever had.
The bus arrives at the MK at 7:30 and I go through bag check and the turnstyle.

The crowd is light as we wait for the opening ceremony.

After the opening we proceed under the RR tracks and enter the happiest place on earth...

I have probably taken 300-400 pictures of the Castle over the years and I still find new angles for more.

I end up in Fantasyland and Sleeping Beauty awaits..

I ride Peter Pan, but take no pictures. On to Buzz Lightyear..

I concentrate on taking pictures and every now and then I would pull the trigger. I probably fires 8 times at the most, but every shot counted...

Can this be right?

Yes! A walk-on!
Our skipper is one of the best I have ever experienced. The last two cruises (08 & 09) had very weak skippers. They were not funny. Zach was great.

Pirates was another walk-on and I had a seat to myself.

It is now 9:30 and the crowd is starting to pick up. I head for the Mountains and Splash is another walk-on.

As I get to the loading platform a CM asks about the t-shirt I am wearing which is the student robotics team I mentor. Her husband works with audio-animatronics at WDW. Would'nt that be a great tour!. She asks where I want sit in the next log, so I pick the front for an unimpeded view. I forget how wet you get and my pants are soaked.

 

[MOmousefan]

I have not been to Tom Sawyer's Island since 1995 so I stroll all over the grounds and into the fort.

Lunch is at Pecos Bill's, one of my favorite burger locations.

The burger was not as good as I remember. In fact the burger I had at EPCOT was not good either.

As I prepare to leave the MK a parade is starting at the Hub.

I love these parades where the characters get out in the crowd and interact with the guests. This is a great parade.

It's now 11:30 and I head for Pop Century to download media and then I want to see Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade at AK.

 

[MOmousefan]

I have always wanted to see the Jammin' Jungle Parade at AK, so that is my destination. I wander back to the African section of the park and sit at a comfortable bench by the Tusker House. I watch as 5 or 6 Africans in native dress saunter one at a time to the courtyard behind Tusker. They have a very intimidating look, but when a guest approaches them their smiles cover their entire faces. I believe they are called the Tam Tams.
One thing that I have noticed is management walking everywhere with trash collectors.

As the Parade time approaches the ropes go up and people line the route.

A very friendly CM from South Africa named Corne (cornay) chats for awhile, explaining that he is here for a year and loves his job. I stand in front of the Tamu Tamu to watch the Parade. This area has the unique advantage of being able to watch the Parade in two directions. The Parade starts and ends here, so I video it in one direction take photos on it's return.

Since I am taking my time this trip I realize how much more laid back this Park is compared to the others. There is no frantic rush to line the Parade route, you are very close to the vehicles, in fact kids can touch the wheels much to the dismay of CMs. Things move at such a refreshing pace I really have a new attitude about this Park.

After the Parade I wander back through Discovery Island and take in ITTBAG.
There is no crowd so I try to see as many creatures as possible on the Tree.

The show is as good as ever and I reluctantly leave for PoP. Next up....Wishes!