My spur of the minute solo trip

[CarolA]

OK, It is Thursday morning at work. I am bored. I go to the DISBOARDS (BIG MISSTAKE LOL!) I decide I really want to go to Disney NOW!!! I decide to see if someone can talk some sense into me and post on the Community Board for help. That was no help, everyone just encouraged me to go! So…. I had a free ticket on SW and I called and booked a flight for Thursday night leaving at 8 arriving around 11 returning at 3 pm Sunday (remember this date!). Now I need a place to stay and a car.

On a whim I called DVC. Do you have a studio at OKW starting tonight checking out Sunday? After putting me on hold, CM member comes back and says yes! WOO! HOO! Free lodging (of course ALL but 10 of my current year points!) I made a quick pass on Priceline and was rejected so using the codes on www.mousesavers.com I booked a Emerald Aisle car for about $90. I am set!

I left work around 4 to go home and pack. I did have to take my PC and some work I would have to do in my room Friday morning. My flight to Orlando was on time and I picked up the car (A PT Cruiser) and headed to the Albertson’s on Orange Lake. (From www.wdwig.com I knew they were open until 1 am). Picked up some beer, diet cokes and snacks and was off. I think I must have been the LAST person to check in at OKW that night, but I got a second floor Studio in building 28 with a semi-decent view of the golf course.

Lights out around 1:30!

 

[CarolA]

Friday, April 4.
I got up around 8 and dialed into my company’s network. I hung around the room until around 1 doing work and then I was free. I decided to go to DTD for a late lunch and make a run to the Premier outlets. At DTD I just could not find anything I wanted to eat. I headed over to Premier and went to a few stores including Character Connection. I bought a Tapestry of Dreams T-shirt for $5.99 and a box of chocolates for $2.99. While there I heard a CM talking to an out of town CM about some Disney liquidation sale at Celebration, but thought it must just be for CMs.

I went back to the room and dropped off the candy, made one more check of email and voice mail and headed to Epcot for dinner. Dinner was at Mexico. I had the salad thing and a mango margarita. Very good. Then I just walked around and people watched. Went into lots of the stores, but did not buy anything. Around 8 exhaustion hit. I gave up on Illuminations and went back to OKW.

I went to the pool and played in the hot tub. There were two things I found amazing tonight. One was a group of 10-year-old girls who were running back and forth between the pool and the hot tub. There were NO adults even at the pool besides myself. Personally, I think this is dangerous. Even if the girls are good swimmers they can get in trouble! The other was the two teenage girls in the dressing room. I assume they left their parent’s villa dressed in clothing that covered their body. They were changing in the dressing room into clothing that BARELY covered their body and applying A LOT of makeup. So if your two teenage daughters went out at OKW Friday night, you might want to start inspecting that backpack in the future!

Hit the bed around 10.

 

[CarolA]

Saturday, April 5.

I woke up around 7:30 and got ready. I wanted to be at Animal Kingdom at opening. I arrived about 10 minutes before opening and was in the second row of Peacock. (This is the lot closest to the gate.) Where they parked me it was closer to walk to the gate then the tram, but a lot of people did not seem to know that. The park opened just after I got there and I was in fairly quickly. (Pay attention folks, sometimes they open gates where there is NO line).

I went to the Safari. This is my favorite ride in WDW. I just love it. I got a fast pass and walked on. Saw tons of animals including the Cheetah! I saw Hippos out of the water and a white Rhino close enough to touch! After my ride I headed to the Paganini (I know I misspelled that) trail. I actually saw Gorillas. Most of the time I miss them! It was now time for my fast pass so once again I walked on. Another great Safari.

I was heading to Primeval Whirl next, but it was 10:45 and Tarzan Rocks was starting. In all my visits to AK I have never seen this so I went. I enjoyed the show and Tarzan is something! Hmmm… will have to come back just to check out Tarzan!

I did the Asia walk where I saw all the tigers asleep. However, the walk was nice and not crowded at all.

It was now time to leave the AK. I went to Port Orleans for lunch at the food court. Nothing caught my attention so I wound up with the fruit and cheese plate which is basically cheddar cheese and grapes and went back to my room. I decided to check Steve Soare’s Epcot entertainment schedule and cruised over to the DIS. While there I saw a link to another site www.targel.com. Someone on that board had posted that the consolidation sale I heard about Friday was still going on and was open to the public. Everything was 70% off. I AM OUTTA HERE! Off to Celebration!

A SALE! I bought my brother a Mickey Golf Jacket (reg $100), my mom an angel from Italy (reg $22), the 100 years DVD, a sweatshirt, an Animal Kingdom T-shirt and a nightgown. My total purchases totaled around $450, but with the 70% discount I wound up paying around $83. What a bargain! If you had kids there were tons of T-shirts. I have no idea how you find out about these sales, but if you hear of one GO!

As I drove to the sale, I noticed Celebration was having an arts festival. So I drove over closer to Main Street and parked. The arts festival was very nice and I wandered around for quite a while. Got a Sangria from one of the little food booths and just toured.

An idea has now occurred to me. I could take Monday off and extend my stay. My justification for this is that I could go visit my Dad on Sunday. Hmm… wonder what I will do.

I decide to head back to Disney. I dropped my stuff in the car and headed back to Epcot. My goal for tonight was Illuminations. Since it was about 5 I decided Dinner was in order. I walked over to the Broadwalk and had dinner at Big River where I could sit outside. Chicken Alfredo Pasta and a glass of their beer. (I seem to recall that with tip this was around $25).

I went to Test Track and rode the single rider line. In and out in around 20 minutes. The Stand By line showed about a 35-minute wait which really is not bad.

I then just wandered around the World Showcase. Around 7:30 I got a beer at the UK and headed for a spot to watch Illuminations. I found a completely deserted spot over by the outpost with CHAIRS. I pulled up my chair, sipped my beer and people watched until Illuminations began. Great show as always and everything worked.

 

[CarolA]

Sunday, April 6.

I am SUPPOSE to go home today. However, I decide that if I can extend my stay at OKW I will drive down to visit my dad (he is about an hour away) and spend tonight. So at 9 am I go off to the front desk. About 10 minutes later ALL of this year’s points and one of next year’s points are gone, but I have a room until Monday.

I called SW and rebooked for Monday around 3 pm and headed off to visit Dad. We will skip that part of the trip report! LOL!! I had considered going to the DIS meet at the MK, but decided that if I was staying I had to be a good girl!

I got back to Disney around 3 and decided to go where- EPCOT! (Can you tell I like this park!)? I got a beer and camped out for the 5:30 show of Off Kilter. After the show I actually talked to Jamie (I am amazed at myself. I can talk to cast members, but somehow talking to performers seems much different!) I went over to China and got the kids meal of Rice and an Egg Roll. Then back to Canada for Off Kilter’s last show. The last show was much more Rock and Roll then others I have seen, but I still enjoyed it. I find their audience interaction and their interaction with each other as amusing as the music. (I did not try to talk to anyone after this show, my bravery was used up!) Off Kilter has become one of my must do’s and favorites thanks in part to some trip reports I read on www.mouseplanet.com Also, if you are there alone lots of these fans come all the time and are happy to talk between shows about Disney and Off Kilter. I wandered around Epcot until Illuminations which I watched from the Outpost again. (Once again this area was very un-crowded!)

Monday, April 7.

I HAVE to go home today. I packed up and participated in a conference call at 9:30. After I finished the work stuff around 11 I headed to the airport and actually caught an earlier flight. Back home and back to work

All in all this was a fun trip. Looking back over my notes it does not look like I did much, but that was the goal! I go to Disney a lot so there are very few things that I worry about if I miss. And as much as I have gone, I found something new (Tarzan Rocks!) I had a trip scheduled for the first weekend in May, but due to a Girl Scout commitment I have to cancel it which makes me even gladder I did this trip. I don’t know when I will go again, but my AP expires in July so…… I probably will try to get one more visit out of it.

Thanks for reading if you made it this long.

 

[pumba]

we left the 5th and I want to go back and relax again......I too love the Safari (three trips on it in one morning) and we saw the baby hippo that was sooooooo cute.....the gorillas all cooperated with us when we went on the walk......I love to see them playing and chasing each other......thanks so much for your report....some day I will have to try this alone thing.....I may miss hubbies backside if I did this though.....thanks again

 

[RaySharpton]

Hello, Carol...I miss you. And your trip report is a joy to read. Thank you so much.

Ray

 

[zurgswife]

Hi Carol...great trip report....Like Ray says I miss you too... It was great reading about your spur of the moment trip....

 

[CarolA]

Thanks! I did have a good time. In looking back over the trip report I see I left out a few rides (and tell Zurg I left out some time in the Rose and Crown!)

 

[LoriZH]

Yeah for you! I have always wanted to do that, just pick up and GO, but leave the work behind, lol.

Thanks so much for the GREAT report, sounds like you had a nice relaxing LONG weekend at Disney and I am envious! lol

 

[yecats]

Inspiring! I wish that I could do the same. Great trip report and glad to hear you had a great time.

 

[StormTigger]

And you know.. that's all I have to say!

Okay.. maybe a little more...

Glad you had a great trip. That is so cool that it all worked out for you, esp the rooms at situation! The Disney magic must have been in full swing for you.

But I just have to say it once again.. I'm jealous!!

 

[Credit Man]

Great report! Thanks for posting.

 

[Muffy]

Sounds like a nice getaway!

 

[mrsltg]

I'm so jealous! I wish I could just go to WDW for a long weekend! Your trip report was great!

Erin

 

[Lynn CC]

I loved reading your report! I'm always one to read a solo report because this is my dream some day. I would just love to be confident enought to go by myself and to get where I want to go. I'm not very good with directions so driving from the airport would scare me to death. I can't even drive to Logan here at home by myself. I've lived a sheltered life, one of these days I'll break out and go solo Your so fortunate to be able to go so often.
Thanks for sharing!
I'll have to remember to go to Tarzan Rocks

 

[Pig Pen]

I would love to just pick up and go, but I am such a "planner"....

To me, a spontaneous trip is something I would begin booking only 8 weeks out (instead of 8 months).

DH and I are going to do a solo day during our upcoming trip. He HATES sitting by the pool and I don't really care for DTD so we are going to split up for awhile and do our own thing. Should be fun...I hope.