RaySharpton
Retired and going to Disney.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2000
Planning for my December 2019 solo trip to Walt Disney World for my December 2019 solo trip using a wheelchair and planning park, dining reservations for every other day with a free day in between.
This is a work in progress.
I know that I will be making changes up until my trip because of park hour changes, or if one day my body feels good or another day my body feels not so good. It happens.
I will try and add the daily plans here on the first several posts.
I know this link is outdated, but I always used it to tell when I meet my 180-day dining reservations and my 60-day Fast Pass + reservations.
http://pscalculator.net/pscalc.php
So based on my December 1, 2019, arrival to Disney Pop Century Resort, I can start making my dining reservations on 06/04/2019 Tuesday. And I can Fast Pass + reservations on 10/02/2019 Sunday.
This is why I decided to plan so early to see exactly what I might do each day so I can make the difficult to obtain reservations first is not all of them.
I do not plan on doing the Disney Dining Plan just because it didn't work for me.
A little history:
I usually travel solo as a 69-year old, and I am a fairly experienced Walt Disney World traveler for a couple of decades. I gleaned most of my ideas from reading all the threads and suggestions over the years from all of you on the DISboards. I just haven't really asked for help before.
Now I am retired. I don't own a car, but I have rented one once to travel to the Smokies with my new folding electric wheelchair. WDW is my main destination because of the accessibility.
I am fortunate to live near mass transportation in Atlanta, Georgia and I can take the train to the Atlanta Airport which has a train station inside the airport near the luggage pick up area. It is very convenient for me.
I also love using the Disney Magical Express bus from the Orlando Airport to Walt Disney World using their DME bus wheelchair lift and the DME checked luggage handling that takes my checked luggage from Atlanta to my resort room.
I usually stay at the Disney Pop Century Resort, but this time I am splitting my vacation at the Disney Vacation Club Boardwalk Villas.
I usually like to travel in December to WDW to see all of the Christmas Holiday Lights, Fireworks, Music, and shows.
I don't ride as many attractions as I used to do depending on how I feel that day, but I plan like I will ride the attractions.
I usually plan from the day that I arrive and plan every day thereafter at the parks. But things have changed over the years as I can't do what I want to do when I was healthier and younger.
But even though I made plans, I usually go with the flow.
I usually cancel my Fast Pass+ or dining reservations if I am not going to use them for whatever reason. I do this so that someone else might be able to use it on short notice. You never know.
My mind and my heart want to do everything every single day and every single hour, but my body says otherwise. I usually give in to what my body tells me to do.
I have never been an early morning person, until this last trip meeting with friends and I liked it. This really shocked me. It might because I am retired now and not having to work. Whatever the reason, I want to keep trying the early morning along with the night arrivals to the parks.
This the first year that I am actually planning dining reservations at 180-days on MyDisneyExperience instead of later whenever I felt like doing it.
Usually, I eat at the Disney Pop Century Resort Everything food court or counter service at the parks. Occasionally, I would like to plan to sit down dining.
Even though I can get into the standby line at EPCOT to watch the Disney EPCOT Candlelight Processional, I usually pay for two sit down restaurant packages for each trip.
I had fun with this group this past May 2019 for several days. They helped plan dining reservations and Fast Pass + for me.
I think this time I will make sure that I make the FP+'s that might fill up early. I know that I won't be planning with other friends this time, but I want to get into a habit of doing this for future trips.
I try to add plenty of bus travel time or crowd time if I have an FP+ or dining reservation.
After I have my resort reservation and airline tickets, I will go online and fill out the Disney Magical Express form and input that info.
https://secure.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/dme/dmeform
I do fill out my Disney Magical Express online form indicating that I need their wheelchair lift both ways. This isn't my copy and the address is blocked out. I will post mine when I find the photo.
I use TouringPlans.com to get an estimate of park times, early or late hours, fireworks, parades, and events until they show up on the official WDW website to give me an idea of how to plan. I know everything can change.
I like the way they send me emails of the Disney Park Hours and remind me to do the things that I already try to plan for. They also send a resort room request a few days before I arrive. I fill out their form for this.
I check the dates for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party for any discount nights available for Annual pass or DVC owners.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party dates released: November 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 & 30; December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 & 21
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/e...istmas-party/#/drawer=drawerPartyDatesDetails
This trip I am going to try and do a few things different.
When I arrive at my resort, I am going to relax and just tour the resort.
Then I would like to plan a park every other day with a rest day in between. I seem to really need to do this for myself.
I usually plan for at least a 2-week vacation for myself.
I arrive at Disney Pop Century Resort December 1, 2019, at ~1500 and double check my Magicband with the front desk and make sure that they have noted that I reserved a Standard Room with A Roll-in Shower.
I plan to relax, tour the resort, unpack, check out the Disney Skyliner Gondola Station on the bridge at Disney's Pop Century Resort.
Get some sleep and wake up early and tackle Disney's Magic Kingdom Park for rope drop. Go back to the resort at noon. Return to the park at night with new FP+'s and see the fireworks and stay to closing to see if they still do the Kiss Good Night show.
************************************************************
December 1. 2019, Sunday. Check in day for me.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Arrive at Pop Century Resort via DME.
Verify my room reservation for a standard roll-in shower room.
Check to see if my room is ready.
Verify my Magicband is correct with dining and FP+ reservations.
Relax at the resort with no plans and tour the resort area.
Buy a resort drinking mug.
Unpack my luggage in my room.
Dinner Everything Pop food court.
Maybe take a gondola to see DHS Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at 8:30pm
Or bus to AK Rivers of Light at 7:30pm
Or just rest at the resort.
December 2. 2019, Monday. Magic Kingdom Day for me.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Please pardon...work in progress.
This is a work in progress.
I know that I will be making changes up until my trip because of park hour changes, or if one day my body feels good or another day my body feels not so good. It happens.
I will try and add the daily plans here on the first several posts.
I know this link is outdated, but I always used it to tell when I meet my 180-day dining reservations and my 60-day Fast Pass + reservations.
http://pscalculator.net/pscalc.php
So based on my December 1, 2019, arrival to Disney Pop Century Resort, I can start making my dining reservations on 06/04/2019 Tuesday. And I can Fast Pass + reservations on 10/02/2019 Sunday.
This is why I decided to plan so early to see exactly what I might do each day so I can make the difficult to obtain reservations first is not all of them.
I do not plan on doing the Disney Dining Plan just because it didn't work for me.
A little history:
I usually travel solo as a 69-year old, and I am a fairly experienced Walt Disney World traveler for a couple of decades. I gleaned most of my ideas from reading all the threads and suggestions over the years from all of you on the DISboards. I just haven't really asked for help before.
Now I am retired. I don't own a car, but I have rented one once to travel to the Smokies with my new folding electric wheelchair. WDW is my main destination because of the accessibility.
I am fortunate to live near mass transportation in Atlanta, Georgia and I can take the train to the Atlanta Airport which has a train station inside the airport near the luggage pick up area. It is very convenient for me.
I also love using the Disney Magical Express bus from the Orlando Airport to Walt Disney World using their DME bus wheelchair lift and the DME checked luggage handling that takes my checked luggage from Atlanta to my resort room.
I usually stay at the Disney Pop Century Resort, but this time I am splitting my vacation at the Disney Vacation Club Boardwalk Villas.
I usually like to travel in December to WDW to see all of the Christmas Holiday Lights, Fireworks, Music, and shows.
I don't ride as many attractions as I used to do depending on how I feel that day, but I plan like I will ride the attractions.
I usually plan from the day that I arrive and plan every day thereafter at the parks. But things have changed over the years as I can't do what I want to do when I was healthier and younger.
But even though I made plans, I usually go with the flow.
I usually cancel my Fast Pass+ or dining reservations if I am not going to use them for whatever reason. I do this so that someone else might be able to use it on short notice. You never know.
My mind and my heart want to do everything every single day and every single hour, but my body says otherwise. I usually give in to what my body tells me to do.
I have never been an early morning person, until this last trip meeting with friends and I liked it. This really shocked me. It might because I am retired now and not having to work. Whatever the reason, I want to keep trying the early morning along with the night arrivals to the parks.
This the first year that I am actually planning dining reservations at 180-days on MyDisneyExperience instead of later whenever I felt like doing it.
Usually, I eat at the Disney Pop Century Resort Everything food court or counter service at the parks. Occasionally, I would like to plan to sit down dining.
Even though I can get into the standby line at EPCOT to watch the Disney EPCOT Candlelight Processional, I usually pay for two sit down restaurant packages for each trip.
I had fun with this group this past May 2019 for several days. They helped plan dining reservations and Fast Pass + for me.
I think this time I will make sure that I make the FP+'s that might fill up early. I know that I won't be planning with other friends this time, but I want to get into a habit of doing this for future trips.
I try to add plenty of bus travel time or crowd time if I have an FP+ or dining reservation.
After I have my resort reservation and airline tickets, I will go online and fill out the Disney Magical Express form and input that info.
https://secure.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/dme/dmeform
I do fill out my Disney Magical Express online form indicating that I need their wheelchair lift both ways. This isn't my copy and the address is blocked out. I will post mine when I find the photo.
I use TouringPlans.com to get an estimate of park times, early or late hours, fireworks, parades, and events until they show up on the official WDW website to give me an idea of how to plan. I know everything can change.
I like the way they send me emails of the Disney Park Hours and remind me to do the things that I already try to plan for. They also send a resort room request a few days before I arrive. I fill out their form for this.
I check the dates for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party for any discount nights available for Annual pass or DVC owners.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party dates released: November 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 & 30; December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 & 21
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/e...istmas-party/#/drawer=drawerPartyDatesDetails
This trip I am going to try and do a few things different.
When I arrive at my resort, I am going to relax and just tour the resort.
Then I would like to plan a park every other day with a rest day in between. I seem to really need to do this for myself.
I usually plan for at least a 2-week vacation for myself.
I arrive at Disney Pop Century Resort December 1, 2019, at ~1500 and double check my Magicband with the front desk and make sure that they have noted that I reserved a Standard Room with A Roll-in Shower.
I plan to relax, tour the resort, unpack, check out the Disney Skyliner Gondola Station on the bridge at Disney's Pop Century Resort.
Get some sleep and wake up early and tackle Disney's Magic Kingdom Park for rope drop. Go back to the resort at noon. Return to the park at night with new FP+'s and see the fireworks and stay to closing to see if they still do the Kiss Good Night show.
************************************************************
December 1. 2019, Sunday. Check in day for me.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Arrive at Pop Century Resort via DME.
Verify my room reservation for a standard roll-in shower room.
Check to see if my room is ready.
Verify my Magicband is correct with dining and FP+ reservations.
Relax at the resort with no plans and tour the resort area.
Buy a resort drinking mug.
Unpack my luggage in my room.
Dinner Everything Pop food court.
Maybe take a gondola to see DHS Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at 8:30pm
Or bus to AK Rivers of Light at 7:30pm
Or just rest at the resort.
December 2. 2019, Monday. Magic Kingdom Day for me.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Please pardon...work in progress.
Last edited:
