Wait...we're going WHERE? My awesome 2 week land and sea solo trip! *Updated 10/23*

[Imaginationsetfree]

Friday, February 26th continued - Last night on Board!​

After I watched us cruise out of Castaway Cay for a bit, I went back to my room to get ready for the evening. I showered, changed clothes, and also set out my clothes for the next morning. I also finished packing the rest of my checked luggage, tagged it, and set it outside. At that moment, I happened to look at the clock and realized it was 6:10 - and tonight's show was going to be starting at 6:15. Whoops! I ran downstairs, and somehow still managed to score a decent seat (being a solo traveler has its perks!). Tonight's show was called "Remember the Magic," and it brought me to tears. It was similar to the opening show we saw on Saturday - Broadway style with cabaret acts mixed in. Team Rootberry and Freddy Fusion came back, as did the Disney characters. They also showed video clips set to music from different parts of the cruise (seriously, Disney - what are you trying to do to me?!). I left the theater with tears in my eyes - not wanting to believe that it was almost over but so glad to have had such an amazing week!

After the show, I had about an hour to kill until dinner, so I stopped in Treasure Ketch. I bought a hoodie earlier in the day from Castaway Cay, and they were able to deliver it to the ship for pick up in Treasure Ketch. I also bought some solar relief gel - I had adjusted so much to the general lack of sun throughout the week that I did use as much sunscreen as I should have on Castaway Cay - oops! I dropped my purchases off in my stateroom, and met my final towel animal of the week!



He joined the other "friends" that had snuck into my room throughout the week:


I also caught up with Tina, my stateroom host so I could thank her and give her her tip. I haven't said too much about her throughout the trip report, but she really was fantastic! She always had a smile and a hello whenever I saw her.

Dinner tonight was in Lumiere's, which was my favorite of the three restaurants, so it felt like an appropriate place for the last dinner. For my appetizer I had the spinach, artichoke, and jalapeno dip, which was served with pita bread. That was followed by the lobster and crawfish bisque, which was very tasty! My main course was the beef tenderloin, which had a bearnaise sauce on top of it. It was served with vegetables and a potato that was breaded and shaped like a pear. I really think it was one of my favorite entrees of the week - soooo good!









After the main course, the chef's team came out and presented the flaming Baked Alaska.



Then, the announcer had us welcome the serving team. They all came out in a parade-like fashion, carrying flags from their home countries while "It's a Small World" played. The announcer then asked who thought they had the best serving team, and our whole section clapped and cheered loudly for Gede and Passayou. It really hit me how much I was going to miss those guys! They always went out of their way to make sure everyone was happy and were always smiling. They hugged us all before we left, and I left once again not wanting to believe it was over.

In the lobby, they were getting ready for the "Til We Meet Again" gathering. The stairwells were soon filled with the Disney Characters, as well as some of the show characters, including Ann Marie from Disney Dreams and Franco from Twice Charmed. They sang the Mickey Mouse Club goodbye song (Now it's time to say good bye to all our company...), and told us that all it takes to make dreams come true is faith, trust, and pixie dust. When they said "pixie dust," sparkles rained down from the ceiling, creating a true magical moment.





After it was over, I went back to my room, did a final check to make sure I had everything, and went to sleep watching the Big Bang Theory on the cabin TV's sitcom channel.

 

[moochpuppy]

I also ran into this little guy on my way to Serenity Bay. Not sure where he came from, but he was incredibly sweet (I have a soft spot in my heart for kitties). I petted him for a few minutes, then continued on my way.

We ran into this guy as well on our January cruise. We just had to put one of our cats down the week before our trip so we stopped and spent some time with this guy. We called him "Castaway Kitty". He decided to pose for us too.

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

We ran into this guy as well on our January cruise. We just had to put one of our cats down the week before our trip so we stopped and spent some time with this guy. We called him "Castaway Kitty". He decided to pose for us too.

He was such a sweet kitty! I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty - that's so tough.

 

[moochpuppy]

He was such a sweet kitty! I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty - that's so tough.

Thank you. Castaway Kitty was very sweet. I wanted to smuggle him home.

Loving your trip report. Next time you cruise with Disney though, on the last night, you have to go to Pub Night which is put on by the Cruise Staff. It's hilarious and one of the best nights we had on the cruise.

 

[Señor DonDuck]

Wow, I had just read thru the latest update and then bam, there's another one.

Yes, more food pics.

"Til We Meet Again" gathering sounds truly magical.

 

[Disneydreamer5]

LOVING YOUR REPORT. I CHECK EVERYDAY TO SEE YOUR NEW UPDATES KEEP THEM COMING AND THE DESCRIPTION OF YOUR LAST NIGHT MADE ME TEAR UP. YOU,,,,,YOUR GOOD YOU!!

 

[croppincolburn]

Great TR! Glad they did the fireworks. I will be *very* bummed if we don't get to have them on my cruise. Love fireworks!

What setting did you find on your camera on pirate night that made your pictures so fantastic? Too many option on my camera to remember what they all do.

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

Great TR! Glad they did the fireworks. I will be *very* bummed if we don't get to have them on my cruise. Love fireworks!

What setting did you find on your camera on pirate night that made your pictures so fantastic? Too many option on my camera to remember what they all do.

Thanks for the comment on the pictures - I was starting to get frustrated earlier on because I had the hardest time getting decent pictures in the lobby. I used the "kids and pets" setting, which at least helped them not get blurry.

 

[croppincolburn]

I used the "kids and pets" setting, which at least helped them not get blurry.

Ahh, moving targets. I have a 6 year-old.

 

[Goofy442]

Love your TR. Yes how did that kitty get there? I wonder is he/she there to catch little critters. We saw a kitty in MK and my kids were very sad they were trying to fiqure out how it got there.

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

Saturday, February 27th - Onto a New Adventure!​

I awoke Saturday morning with mixed feelings - sad that the cruise was over, but ready to start a fun filled week in Disney World!

My wake up call went off at 6:45 (no room service coffee this morning), so I got up at got ready for the day. I packed my day bag, made sure one more time that I had everything out of my stateroom, and headed to breakfast.

Breakfast on debarkation day is in the same restaurant as the night before, so I was in Lumiere's again. Again, with it being my favorite of the restaurants, it felt like an appropriate place to end my cruise. I had some much needed coffee, along with some eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast. Mmm! Then came the hard part - finishing breakfast officially marked the end of the cruise. I said good bye to my wonderful tablemates and all my new friends from the disboards (promising to find each other on facebook!), hugged Gede and Passayou goodbye, and headed out to the gangplank - into cold, rainy, 47 degree weather! ACK! Thankfully I was wearing my Castaway Cay hoodie, but it took all my willpower not to try and sneak back on the ship so I could go back to the Caribbean!

Customs was a breeze. I picked up my luggage, handed in my customs declarations form, and was on my way. I caught the bus to the Budget car rental, and managed to get there before the line was too long. Check in was pretty easy, and before long, I was given my keys. I went out to the car, and to my frustration...the remote didn't work. Ugh. I thought I'd just grin and bear it and use the keys, forgetting that if I didn't start the car quickly enough after opening it, the alarm went off. So, I'm putting my luggage in the trunk, and all of a sudden, the car starts beeping REALLY loudly. Much to the amusement to everyone watching from the terminal, I'm sure, I ran around to the front of the car and started it. I decided that messing with that for a week would be much too frustrating (not to mention I somewhat rely on the remote to find the car at the end of the day), so, red-faced, I went back inside and asked if I could switch my car. They did no problem, and I was finally on my way to Disney!

About an hour later (it's amazing how long that drive is when you're not watching the hyped up cruise video!), I arrived at All Star Music. I'd already checked in online, so check in was super easy. To my delight, I was given my room key and informed that my room was ready - and in the Broadway section (yea!). I found my room, and took a few pictures of the resort so satisfy my Broadway geekiness.

Pictures of ASMu:

Wall of Fame - mostly Broadway pictures. I'm such a nerd! (I tried getting side angles to avoid the reflection, but it didn't quite work):

Aida:

Beauty and the Beast:

And my favorite: a picture of Adam Pascal from Aida. I am a GIGANTIC Rent fan, so having a picture of Adam Pascal in the lobby of my hotel pretty much solidifies that this place was perfect for me!

ASMu Room:

Piano pool (this did not get used at all during my stay!)

This was my first time staying at a Disney resort, so I wasn't sure what to expect at the value. I'd heard the rooms were really small, and while they were, after a week in a cruise stateroom, I didn't know what to do with all my space! LOL. It was also the perfect size for a solo traveler. Also, because I love theater so much, I absolutely loved the theming of the Broadway section. It was great to come and go from the hotel and hear music from all sorts of different musicals playing in the corridors. I would absolutely stay there again!

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

Saturday, February 27th​

After I'd taken enough pictures of the resort, I changed clothes and headed to the Magic Kingdom! Today was going to be a "Best of Disney" day - hopping from park to park and just riding a few of my favorites in an effort to get me excited for the week to come. The Magic Kingdom was the perfect place to start the excitement!

One of the things I love so much about the Magic Kingdom is Main Street USA. I love every bit of it - the castle backdrop, the smells coming from the bakery, and the state fair sounding music. "Kansas City" from Oklahoma was playing as I entered the park, and everything just felt perfect.

I had a lunchtime ADR at the Plaza Restaurant, so I checked in and was given my pager. I killed time waiting by watching a few of the street acts taking place at the end of Main Street.

My buzzer went off, and I was seated right away. I had a delicious lunch of a burger, homemade chips, and a soda (I'm going to apologize right now - I have no more food porn! I'm sorry! I forgot to take pictures of the food after the cruise for some reason!), and then I was ready to begin my "Best of Disney" day!

My first stop was Pirates of the Caribbean - apparently I still needed to feel like I was on a boat!

After my meeting with Jack Sparrow, I started walking over to Frontierland. Splash Mountain wasn't supposed to open up until the next day, but I got a surge of hope when I saw a log go down the hill. However, my hopes were quickly squashed when I realized that all the logs going down were empty, and they were actually just testing the ride. Poo! From there, I grabbed a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and then paid a visit to a certain creepy mansion.

Once I left the 999 happy haunts behind, it was time to use my Fastpass. I zipped through The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness, and then decided it was time to switch parks. I really had wanted to go to Animal Kingdom and ride Expedition Everest, but it was already 4:30 by that point, and Animal Kingdom closed at 5 that day. I decided to save Everest for another day, and made my way over to Disney's Hollywood Studios. All of the Fastpasses were gone for Toy Story Mania, so I hopped in line.

Surprisingly enough, I was only in line about 20 minutes before I got on the ride! I was pretty rusty, so my score was embarrassingly low. Oh well, it was still a fun ride! After Toy Story, I "dropped" in to the Hollywood Tower Hotel, which only had a 5 minute wait! I then ran next door to Rockin Roller Coaster and jumped in the single rider line. I was on the ride in less than 10 minutes, and the wait posted was 45 - I LOVE single rider lines!

Once I got off RRC, it was time to switch parks again. I headed over to Epcot for some of my favorite rides there. There were no Fastpasses left for Soarin', and the line was pretty long, so I decided to save it until Monday when I'd be back. Instead, I made a beeline for Mission: Space (orange, of course! ), and walked right on. I had the position of Navigator, and made sure that we made it safely (albeit bumpy) to Mars! After M:S I hopped in the single rider line for Test Track and once again got right on despite the long standby queue.

After TT, I watched the Fountain of Nations for a few minutes. When I was here last year, it was being refurbished, so I was glad to see it up and running again. It's so beautiful and I love how the water goes along with the music!

By that point, it was about 7:30, and I wanted to make it back to the Magic Kingdom for Wishes. I figured it would be quicker just to take the monorail, and luckily for me, one was ready to leave just as I got there! I made it to MK just in time, and was able to find a great spot on Main Street. I watched the show with the same feeling I get every time I watch it - it's so magical to watch the fireworks over the castle, and the music just fits so perfectly with it! I really love the show and I'm going to miss it when it gets replaced!

After Wishes, I was pretty tired, so I decided to call it a day. I ran to Target to get a few things I needed for the week, and stopped at ASMu's food court to pick up my refillable mug. I then went back to my room and relaxed. I was exhausted, but so excited for the week to come!

 

[Goofy442]

Great update!!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Wow, what an amazing report! I loved every bit of the cruise portion and am loving the parks as well. I really love how you were able to hit 3 parks in one day-that was pretty darn cool!! I can't wait for more!

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

Wow, what an amazing report! I loved every bit of the cruise portion and am loving the parks as well. I really love how you were able to hit 3 parks in one day-that was pretty darn cool!! I can't wait for more!

Glad you're enjoying it! Funny story - I totally read your trip report before I went to get myself all psyched up for my trip!!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Glad you're enjoying it! Funny story - I totally read your trip report before I went to get myself all psyched up for my trip!!

That is funny!! Glad to know that you read it, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I'm enjoying yours!

 

[BelleBway]

Wow, I just stumbled upon this report and am LOVING it so far! I do a lot of solo travel (most of my Disney trips have been solo) and so it's cool to read another person who has had an awesome time doing it solo. Also, as you can see in my screen name, I am a fellow Broadway geek.

Also I'm hoping to go on my 2nd Disney cruise next summer... which is why I was trolling around the reports board to begin with. I'm hoping to take my 2 nieces with me so it won't be a solo this time. (I just did a solo cruise in Asia though) I got goosebumps reading about your cruise.

So yeah... can't wait to read the next installments!

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

Dear readers (if there are any remaining),

I'm so sorry for my absence - I'm almost embarrassed to pick my TR back up because it's been so long! To say life has been busy lately is an understatement! But now that life has slowed down a bit, I thought I'd pick it up again!

 

[Imaginationsetfree]

Sunday, February 28th: Animal Kingdom, DHS, and EMHs at the Magic Kingdom!​

I received my wake up call at 7:00 this morning, but it wasn't from any Disney character - it was from Mike & Mike in the Morning, advertising ESPN weekend. Boooooo. Oh well, I still had six more days to try and get a Disney wake up call.

I got ready for the day, grabbed some coffee from the food court (ooooh room service how I miss you!), and headed to Animal Kingdom. I'd never been to Animal Kingdom for rope drop before, so I wanted to make sure I got there early! I got a great spot, too - right up at the rope!

I was really glad I made it to the show - it was super cute! After the rope dropped, I headed straight for the safari - my favorite spot in the morning at Animal Kingdom! I always feel like I see so much more in the morning safaris - not to mention the lack of a line is a pretty big perk.

After the safari, I headed to Camp Minnie-Mickey for the first show of Festival of the Lion King. That show is hands-down my favorite show in the parks. It's truly amazing, and it makes me feel all giddy watching it. (Seriously - I have almost an unhealthy obsession with the show - on my last solo trip I saw it SIX times).

(I secretly want a pet tumble monkey!)

Once I'd gotten my Lion King fill, I headed here:

There was no one waiting in the single rider line, so I got right on. After my first Yeti encounter, I hadn't quite gotten my fill yet, so I rode again, and won the single rider lottery - I ended up in the front seat! (Thank you, random single rider who wanted to wait for the front!). I looooooved the front seat - when we got to the part before it went backwards, I wasn't entirely sure it was going to stop!

After another great expedition, I headed over to Dinoland for a "spin" on Primevil Whirl. The wait time was almost 40 minutes, so by the time I was finished, I had only just enough time to speed over to Epcot for my lunch ADR at Le Cellier.

I checked in at the restaurant, and had a great time chatting with Selena, one of the hostesses. We talked about the cruise (I was wearing my Castaway Cay sweatshirt); how much I love Le Cellier; and the joys of eating alone/people watching. Once I was seated, my server greeted me, and asked if I'd been there before. After taking my order, she asked if I had any bread preferences, to which I (very enthusiastically) answered "pretzel bread!" She then brought me out a basket of only pretzel breadsticks - thus becoming my Epcot Hero! I started with the Cheddar Cheese soup (which is the main reason I eat there!), and had the sauteed potato gnocci for my entree! Oh so much yummyness!

I had the entire next day planned at Epcot, so I didn't worry about spending any more time there. I instead headed over to DHS. I had never seen the Block Party Bash before, but I'm a sucker for parades (it's the performer in me!), so I grabbed a spot on the sidewalk and waited. I was glad I stayed - it was a LOT of fun and the performers had so much energy and excitement!

Once the parade was over, I began to make my way over to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. On my way, I stopped to snap a picture of these shipping boxes. I lovelovelove Disney details!

 

[christymarie]

I've been reading your trip report and just caught up. I'm so glad you are continuing it. Please, keep going!