No right,no wrong, no rules for me - I'm free *First solo trip 4/30-5/6* updated 8/29x3 *complete*

[Raeven]

They didn't seem to care. Now, the people in front of me were terrified I was going to be seated with them. So much so that they (two adults and a toddler) squeezed themselves into one seat. I guess I did NOT have a friend in them. The wife just kept saying, "I don't want you to have to sit with her. I don't want you to have to sit with her." Like I was carrying the plague?? I didn't particularly want to sit with them either, so who cares??

She obviously knew you'd beat them. You probably looked like an expert.

 

[amalone1013]

They didn't seem to care. Now, the people in front of me were terrified I was going to be seated with them. So much so that they (two adults and a toddler) squeezed themselves into one seat. I guess I did NOT have a friend in them. The wife just kept saying, "I don't want you to have to sit with her. I don't want you to have to sit with her." Like I was carrying the plague?? I didn't particularly want to sit with them either, so who cares??

It was probably because your ears were so cute

My alarm was set pretty early, but when it sounded that morning, I just turned it off. I don't think I got out of bed until 8:00 8:30 or something crazy like that!! While I was getting ready, people kept calling and texting...PTO and OM stuff. It was really stressing me out, and at one point I considered flying home early to deal with it. And then I got mad, because WHY couldn't someone else deal with it, I was miles and miles away.

What is it about leaving that turns other people into toddlers? What did they want you to do? I'm glad you got back to enjoying your trip!

I'm really enjoying your TR!

 

[xlsm]

Oh man, how did I miss two updates????

Oh right, work. Ugh. Catch up time!

I won't tell you about my students' dating lives. I know too much about them (they think I want them to share with me. I don't share mine, please don't share yours kids!) but one boy did tell me something that your post made me think of and I thought you'd laugh at - one of my students took a girl in class to see that same movie, but her parents didn't want it to be a date so they made her little sister go with them. And she just stared at him the entire time. I don't think he appreciated the fact that I started laughing when he told me this story.

OMG Goofy in this picture though! Breaking it down R&B style! Though I am sad you didn't get to see the tap dancer, because he's amazing (and actually tapping which is not something that ever happens in Disney)

SIGH. This upsets me so much! My mother's the only one that will go on Splash with me, so I'm super bummed it won't be up.

I am super amused that you got bottles of water from Splash. But it's a nice perk!

....wow lady...

yeah, I wouldn't be wanting kid dating details either!! That is funny about the little sister though, LOL!!

Oh boo! I didn't realize that about the tap dancer. I'm going to have to make time to see it eventually!!

Splash being down is SO disappointing!! I feel like it should go down in January (sorry January travelers!) because it is not likely to be cold in October, and people need their Splash Mtn cool down. Although I guess they could take all the water bottles they're saving for break downs and just pour them over people as an alternative attraction

Yeah, she was special.

That's amazing you got to go whale watching last year.
We would love to go to Disneyland someday.
I love the ears you ordered they are so pretty.
I'm sorry you weren't feeling well compounded with stress from back home.
Love your HS pics I miss that beautiful blue sky
I cannot believe that woman said that TWICE
People are so insensitive sometimes.
We love all things Star Wars too.

Whale watching was amazing, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone!! We had such a great experience. Although the kids did spend the whole time inside rather than out on the deck, and the youngest threw up even with dramamine. They did come out to see the whale and dolphins for awhile though!

Disneyland was great, and we want to go back at some point, but WDW is our home! Disneyland was disappointing in a lot of ways. We preferred California Adventure out of the two parks.

Thank you! I love my ears so much!! I keep saying after I get some Halloween ones I'll stop buying them, but I don't know if that's true or not...

She was panicky when she was saying it too. I'm not exactly sure what she thought I was going to do, murder them in the dark of the ride?? It was so odd!

Happy Father's Day to your DH and your crew!

Same here! Especially on hot/tired days.

Uh oh...

Rude. I guess if they were so desperate not to sit with a stranger that they all wanted to sit uncomfortably squished, that's up to them. People are funny.

This is hilarious! I also found this a little disconcerting.

Thank you! I think DH had a good day!

I'm going to pretend that lady had some kind of anxiety disorder...it's the only reasoning that makes sense for her level of aversion to sitting with me. Unless I looked super dangerous. Maybe I was channeling the lady gangster on GMR from the other evening at DHS?? That could be it...LOL!

Mostly I just didn't think I could successfully selfie while holding the cup on the bar...I don't possess that level of skill. Now I'm thinking about solidified milk for real and...

Don't we all!!!


Ugh! What is with people!? While I haven't had the level of blatant obnoxiousness as you did with that lady, I've had a few encounters that make me super conscious about being alone. But I find it's usually the exception rather than the rule. I was on the phone with my mom while in line for Snow White on my first solo trip back in 2006 and something I said made the woman in front of me (with her husband and two kids) say once I hung up: "I'm sorry to be noisy, but I couldn't help but overhear that you're here... alone? Good for you, I can't imagine doing that but it sounds so exciting!" And then I rode Snow White with her and her family and they very excitedly wished me a great rest of my solo trip once we departed company I find usually people are somewhere in between these two stories, but it's neat to use solo trips as a way to make fast friends with people in line, when the occasion presents itself

Haha, people are so weird! I think that's just the number one universal truth. They were in the minority. The first Epcot day on Soarin', when I was pulled out early as a party of one, there was a party of three behind me that was also pulled ahead...we had been talking in line, and they were like, "hey, you can just stick with us all day!" So not everyone was ridiculous!! But this lady was on another level for sure.

I rode TSMM by myself last month while mu husband stayed back in the room. The CM didn't care and no one was put next to me.

That lady was very rude, especially since there was no chance that they would have put the toddler with you.

I think you had a pretty good score.

I kind of wish I could rent out TSMM or something...just for an hour or so, to work on my score I always end up with the beaver and I want a different prize. DH always beats me and I HATE that!!

Okay,

Seriously...

SCREW THOSE PEOPLE ON TSMM.

It's kind of funny now, thinking back on how intense the wife was about NOT wanting to have her or her husband stuck with me on the ride. In a way I understand, but I can't imagine a CM would double up a single rider with a family on that ride in particular. But at the time, I was NOT thinking happy thoughts about her!!

I actually ended up having my own personal dance party with one of them. I was alone-RD and was one of the first riders, and was dancing the whole way though the queue (not weirdly, just happy like). Exited, and got right back in line (this may be my favourite ride) and the same CM remembered me (from my awesome dance moves) and started to dance towards me! It was really fun! And I at no point felt awkward being alone! (I actually rode twice more that day)


I know your experience was pretty poor, but seriuosly give it another SOLO go!!

Haha, that sounds like fun!!

I like the ride too, but honestly, I really missed the competition!! And I was mad for not getting a better score without the distraction of DH or the kids...maybe I will give it another chance solo - if only to work on my shot making skills!!

She obviously knew you'd beat them. You probably looked like an expert.

That had to have been it!! Clearly I have done this before, and would destroy anyone who attempted to sit next to me and win.

It was probably because your ears were so cute


What is it about leaving that turns other people into toddlers? What did they want you to do? I'm glad you got back to enjoying your trip!

I'm really enjoying your TR!

My ears are definitely to be envied...that was probably the reason!! Haha!

Oh, I don't know. That was so frustrating! One call was from PTO asking if I could run the meeting. Um, no. I am in Florida. I have mentioned this EVERY MONTH to remind you. And the other was from my OM co-coach telling me she wasn't going to make it to the meeting/popsicle sale fundraiser because something had come up. My husband ended up taking off work and going to school to deal with the kids. It was crazy!! I really got all worked up and was trying to find the next flight home before DH calmed me down. I'm not sure what they wanted me to do, honestly, but it was so frustrating!!

I'm so glad you're enjoying the report!! Thank you!

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm sorry you were having a stressful morning with things back home

Ugh what was up with the lady at TSMM? That is so rude!

 

[xlsm]

Another weekend in the books, another Monday has arrived!!

Mondays in summer are not quite as horrible as Mondays during the rest of the year...or are they worse?? I guess it depends on the plans for the day, right??

I forgot to share this the other day:



I'm not one for stickers on cars, but last year in California I picked this up on a whim and never put it on anything, so now it has a home on the jeep!

Yesterday we were out and about and I found something I'd been looking for for the past two years - a pie safe that hadn't been repainted or anything that I could fix up myself. It looks like a disaster, and the doors are barely hanging on, but it is going to be my project for next week!

In the store:



And where it will live in our house:



(the wooden things hanging on the wall have been straightened by the way, they look so crooked in the picture!!)

I have big plans for this!!

Anyway, let's get to the next installment of this report!!

Chapter Four Part Two

Get ready for Star Wars overload, because that's what's about to happen!!

After seeing the time of the shows on the boards, I really DID get to TSMM at the beginning of the FP window, because I was heading to the main stage to wait for the 11am March of the First order.

These guys were on patrol as I left the Launch Bay:




I had a spot right up front for the march:



Well, pretty close anyway. I wanted those Storm Troopers to be in my face!! I tried to get as close to the tape as I could.

Awhile back, there was a thread about this, and some people were really hating on this march, saying it was scary and inappropriate for a Disney park, the music and mood was too intimidating, it was insensitive to certain guests, etc...

I totally rolled my eyes over that, because come ON! It's Star Wars! It's supposed to be intense, but most fans see it as immensely entertaining.

Well, I have to admit, I can see now how some people would feel intimidated by the production. But I also feel that most people will understand this is a huge draw and a pretty immersive spectacle.

Personally, I loved it!





See the cameraman in black over to the left?? He and his friend ended up being right in front of me when the Storm Troopers came up to the tape line, so I saw the back of his head all up close and personal instead of the troopers.





After the marched out, I moved off to the side under the shade of a tree. I was able to lean against the fence and wait for the Galaxy Far, Far Away show. The area in front of the stage was in full sunlight, and this day was HOT HOT HOT. From my leaning spot agains the low black fencing, I was able to keep my eye on the stage and know when it was time to move up in front for the show. I think it was about ten minutes or so before show time that people began to gather. I got close to the front again:



but just enough off to the side to make me wish I'd been more centered.

I laughed at the poll question on the screen:



It's the eternal question isn't it?? Well...



Soon the characters began coming out and the crowd was so excited! I ended up taking more video than still photos, but here are a few:



Seeing C3-PO and R2D2 was a highlight for me, because outside of the Ewoks, they made Star Wars for me as a child, and were the reason I loved the movies when I was younger.

L was super sad about missing out on seeing Darth Maul:



I felt sooo bad for Chewie...he had to have been dying out there in the sun:



His fur was blowing in the light breeze, which was kind of hilarious for some reason.

Diva Darth arrived to much cheering, whistling, and applause:



and his grandson was creepy as per usual:



I think it's the cadence of his voice in the mask maybe?? I don't know, but he makes me uncomfortable. Meeting him at Disneyland scarred me for life.

Then BB-8 came up from his little elevator thing:



And then the gang came together and somehow, miraculously, all out war did not begin on stage.





The show ended and I realized something...

Something was missing...

What in the world could it be??

Oh yeah!! Awkward selfie in front of sign!



I had one last fast pass lined up for the day, and since I still wasn't feeling 100%, I decided to check and see if I could move it up from 1:00 to noonish. I was! I forget the exact time, but I was able to change it for just after 12. I started heading in the direction of my next adventure...



It calls me.



This photopass photographer was super nice!

Since it was so hot, I was thinking about stopping for a show after Tower of Terror, but that was not to be:



I was a little disappointed. I still have not done any of the three stage shows (Frozen, Mermaid, B&TB) at DHS! Shows are not usually a priority for the boys. (although they did like Indiana Jones and Festival of the Lion King)

But the disappointment was short lived because I stumbled upon something I'd heard about and seen pictures of, but never experienced in person:



Sidewalk water art!

Can you tell who it's going to be??





Seeing her draw Stitch was a fun treat!

After watching (and making a video of the whole thing to show DH and the kids!), it was time to get to my FP.



The ride photo is unflattering, so I will not share it, but I am sandwiched between two young, awkward teenage boys who are about as big around as my arm. Kind of like my own 13 year old, ha!

That was it for Hollywood Studios! I headed to the bus and made my way back to Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I needed to rest because I had big plans for the evening!!

More soon...have a great day!!

 

[xlsm]

I'm sorry you were having a stressful morning with things back home

Ugh what was up with the lady at TSMM? That is so rude!

It was not my favorite morning!! It added to my headache, and who wants that at WDW??

She was definitely not my favorite! It was so strange!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm not one for stickers on cars, but last year in California I picked this up on a whim and never put it on anything, so now it has a home on the jeep!

I'm not either, but I would absolutely make an exception for this one!

Yesterday we were out and about and I found something I'd been looking for for the past two years - a pie safe that hadn't been repainted or anything that I could fix up myself. It looks like a disaster, and the doors are barely hanging on, but it is going to be my project for next week!

I love these kinds of DIY projects! Can't wait to see what it looks like! Nathan and I spruced up an old writing desk for our condo last summer, all new paint/stain/hardware, etc., and it's one of my favourite things we own now.


Nate would love all your SW adventures at DHS!

His fur was blowing in the light breeze, which was kind of hilarious for some reason.

This is so cute and funny! He's like a L'Oreal commercial

I was a little disappointed. I still have not done any of the three stage shows (Frozen, Mermaid, B&TB) at DHS! Shows are not usually a priority for the boys. (although they did like Indiana Jones and Festival of the Lion King)

No way! These aren't my favourite stage shows at Disney or anything, but they're all fairly decent. Frozen is mostly a cheap gimmick in my opinion, but the historian characters are usually really funny. B&TB is fairly good, and Little Mermaid is pretty neat for a short little show. Oh well, maybe another time.

 

[PolyRob]

Since it was so hot, I was thinking about stopping for a show after Tower of Terror, but that was not to be:



I was a little disappointed. I still have not done any of the three stage shows (Frozen, Mermaid, B&TB) at DHS! Shows are not usually a priority for the boys. (although they did like Indiana Jones and Festival of the Lion King)

But the disappointment was short lived because I stumbled upon something I'd heard about and seen pictures of, but never experienced in person:



Sidewalk water art!

Can you tell who it's going to be??





Seeing her draw Stitch was a fun treat!

Sorry about the shows. Maybe it was better you did not see Beauty and the Beast this day. Its shaded, but can still be very warm. I have not done Frozen, but I have peaked on YouTube. I think Beauty and the Beast trumps Little Mermaid in HS any day. The only time I do Little Mermaid now is if I need AC or to burn a tier 2 FP+!

STITCH!!! I love him

 

[pucknasty]

I think the intensity of the Stormtroopers is what makes me love them so much lol


BEST SIDEWALK WATER ART EVER!

 

[xlsm]

I'm not either, but I would absolutely make an exception for this one!

I love these kinds of DIY projects! Can't wait to see what it looks like! Nathan and I spruced up an old writing desk for our condo last summer, all new paint/stain/hardware, etc., and it's one of my favourite things we own now.

Nate would love all your SW adventures at DHS!

This is so cute and funny! He's like a L'Oreal commercial

No way! These aren't my favourite stage shows at Disney or anything, but they're all fairly decent. Frozen is mostly a cheap gimmick in my opinion, but the historian characters are usually really funny. B&TB is fairly good, and Little Mermaid is pretty neat for a short little show. Oh well, maybe another time.

Right?? Anything involving Haunted Mansion gets a pass. Sticker or not! The jeep has an actual antenna, so I think my next addition needs to be a Hitchhiking Ghost antenna topper!

I'm all about the DIY. I haven't had a project since last summer. I redid an old secretary desk last summer, and I did a hutch for our dining room that belonged to MIL, and the table/chairs that are in the kitchen dining area I stained and reupholstered when we moved into our house. I am so picky about the pieces I choose, and I was thrilled to finally find the perfect pie safe!

The Star Wars stuff was really carrying me through the morning. It was a short day at DHS, maybe 2.5 to 3 hours ish? But it still felt like I got to do a lot b/c of the Star Wars things.

Haha, it totally was. Chewie for L'Oreal! It makes me think of that meme with the horse...maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Neigh-belline.

Well, the kids don't have a ton of interest in the shows, and we've all seen the traveling Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast (I've seen it a couple of times, in large and small venues, and it's hard to beat!) so we've always been ok skipping them. They're just one of those things that get passed over if there's something else we want to do. But that's part of the beauty of Disney - always something new, even after multiple trips! I feel like October might be a more likely visit to do those, my mom might be more into them! I'm not sure she'll be able to do any rides at DHS outside of GMR, so it might be the "Trip of Shows"

Sorry about the shows. Maybe it was better you did not see Beauty and the Beast this day. Its shaded, but can still be very warm. I have not done Frozen, but I have peaked on YouTube. I think Beauty and the Beast trumps Little Mermaid in HS any day. The only time I do Little Mermaid now is if I need AC or to burn a tier 2 FP+!

STITCH!!! I love him

That's a good point about it being warm in the theater! I didn't even think about that. That whole "burning a tier 2 FP" thing might come into play in October with my mom for sure. I don't think I'll be able to drag her on Tower of Terror (but you can bet I will try!" and Star Tours would make her sick. Little Mermaid might be the perfect solution there! Plus, a/c is always a good thing!

Stitch is the best!! I was so excited to see her drawing, and it being Stitch made it even better!

 

[missangelalexis]

The Star Wars stage show seems pretty cool, perhaps something I'll check out in the future!

Cool water art you stumbled upon!

Sounds like a pretty nice morning at DHS!

 

[wdwnut61]

Oh no you're popular like Raeven now I can't see your pictures
We love March of the First Order as soon as we hear that music we get big smiles on our face.
Also love Galaxy Far Far Away it's awesome to see everyone together

 

[Raeven]

Awhile back, there was a thread about this, and some people were really hating on this march, saying it was scary and inappropriate for a Disney park, the music and mood was too intimidating, it was insensitive to certain guests, etc...

I totally rolled my eyes over that, because come ON! It's Star Wars! It's supposed to be intense, but most fans see it as immensely entertaining.

Too scary? I don't mind it, my only complaint is they seem to run it constantly and it can be very loud. The first time we saw it I enjoyed watching, the next 3 days we heard it from inside the Brown Derby while eating it was getting kind of annoying.

Oh no you're popular like Raeven now I can't see your pictures

Haha aw I let her know.

 

[xlsm]

Hello everyone, I'm sorry my pictures have disappeared!!

Thank you @Raeven for letting me know about my dumb ol' pictures! I'm in the process of moving all of them to Flickr (almost 400 just for the completed posts in this TR ) and will update everything as soon as I can.

This happened to me before and it eventually reset the bandwith, but Photobucket makes me mad way too often...it might be time to switch permanently!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Oh no I can't see your pictures either.

 

[Raeven]

Hello everyone, I'm sorry my pictures have disappeared!!

Thank you @Raeven for letting me know about my dumb ol' pictures! I'm in the process of moving all of them to Flickr (almost 400 just for the completed posts in this TR ) and will update everything as soon as I can.

This happened to me before and it eventually reset the bandwith, but Photobucket makes me mad way too often...it might be time to switch permanently!

Photobucket is so annoying


(Substitute photobucket for people)

I'm in the process of moving mine to Imgur, but I might have to wait to get all my gifs off Photobucket.

 

[ariane37]

Now, the people in front of me were terrified I was going to be seated with them. So much so that they (two adults and a toddler) squeezed themselves into one seat. I guess I did NOT have a friend in them. The wife just kept saying, "I don't want you to have to sit with her. I don't want you to have to sit with her."

Although, in high school I did give myself rap name...yep, for real. You know what it was?? Snow White.

"OMG, it's that famous white rapper chick from a few years back, Snow White! DO NOT SEAT US WITH SNOW WHITE! NO #NWA!!"

Hello everyone, I'm sorry my pictures have disappeared!!

This happened to me before and it eventually reset the bandwith, but Photobucket makes me mad way too often...it might be time to switch permanently!

Ugh, can you please tell me why this happens?? Not only can I not see your pictures but it's happening on my PTR and dining report too I've never used Flickr, do I need to switch? I'm lucky I ever figured out how to use Photobucket lol

 

[xlsm]

"OMG, it's that famous white rapper chick from a few years back, Snow White! DO NOT SEAT US WITH SNOW WHITE! NO #NWA!!"


Ugh, can you please tell me why this happens?? Not only can I not see your pictures but it's happening on my PTR and dining report too I've never used Flickr, do I need to switch? I'm lucky I ever figured out how to use Photobucket lol

I"m sorry your pictures are messed up too!! I just saw that Raeven told you what was going on. I am HATING photobucket right now! Flickr can be kind of a pain to use, so using Imgur might be a better option. I haven't had time to switch everything yet, so I'm just going to do new updates with the new host and then go back and try to fix the pictures in earlier posts later on.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Ugh, can you please tell me why this happens?? Not only can I not see your pictures but it's happening on my PTR and dining report too I've never used Flickr, do I need to switch? I'm lucky I ever figured out how to use Photobucket lol

I"m sorry your pictures are messed up too!! I just saw that Raeven told you what was going on. I am HATING photobucket right now! Flickr can be kind of a pain to use, so using Imgur might be a better option. I haven't had time to switch everything yet, so I'm just going to do new updates with the new host and then go back and try to fix the pictures in earlier posts later on.

Hey guys, just wanted to chime in. I use google photos for my pictures. I do pay a small yearly fee to store a large amount of pictures. But I found that it works well for me so far. I've never actually used photo bucket or flickr so I can't comment on if those are better. But just in case you wanted another option...

 

[xlsm]

Hello!!

Thought I'd try to get another update in using a different photo host...wish me luck!

Chapter Four Part Three : The Lucky One

After a quick little trip to DHS full of Storm Troopers and Star Warsy goodness, I went back to AKL. I didn't do anything exciting. I just rested and hung around. I did go get some Advil from the store on my way back in from the bus stop, and the CM at the counter said I was the third person in a row to buy it, so it must have just been a rough day for everyone!

I knew I had to feel better, because I had a big night ahead of me!

I had a 5:55pm Rivers of Light dining package reservation at Tiffins, so as long as I made it there, I would be happy. BUT I had bigger plans than that! I hoped to make it in time for the 4:00 Festival of the Lion King. I think I got to the bus around 3:20ish?? I got to the bus stop and luck was on my side for the first time and...



the bus was there waiting for me!

Before I left, I realized I hadn't really brought anything nice to wear, so I pieced together a maxi skirt and a tank top and hoped for the best. Let me just say, walking super fast in a maxi skirt is not that easy!! But somehow I was able to halfway speed walk up to the entrance.



My goal was Africa with the hope I would be able to make it to FotL just in time...would I get there??



Animal Kingdom is just so full of distractions!!

by

Awkward Selfie with Tree:



I got to Harambe at 3:58...two minutes to make it to Festival of the Lion King!



I got here:



and the few people in front of and behind me were stopped for a bit. It was right at 4:00.

So did I get in or not??



Lucky again!
I felt really guilty about sitting so close when I didn't even wait in line! I was near the door and Pumbaa:



in the Lion section. I enjoyed the show instead of taking pictures, so here's one last shot:



I hopped up and out as soon as the show ended and beat the crowd. It was 4:30 and I stopped for a second to check wait times, and figured I'd see if I could get any fast passes for the safari.

h

Get ready for another stroke of luck...the safari had a listed FIVE MINUTE wait time! For real!!

It was a total walk on, zero wait. I could not believe it!



I was through the line and on a truck in no time. There was one small bit of bad luck. The guy I was sitting next to

He was with his wife and child and he was a space invader. At one point he was almost in my lap with the camera in my face trying to reach across to get a picture and I had to tell him to Back. Off.
I had myself scooted over as close to the edge as I could and he just sat there comfortable as could be with his legs spread wide open, taking up enough space for at least two people. Even his own kid was crammed in between him and his wife complaining that she didn't have enough room. But outside of that, it was a pretty great safari with lots of animals!













The evening was starting off so well! Would the luck continue??

More soon!!