All By Myself (Sort of…) – A Solo Summer Trip Report

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 15, 2012

I love RnR and my guests also had a great time. After RnR, we had enough time for one more attraction before we needed to leave the Studios for Epcot to get there in time for our lunch reservation. My guests like Star Wars so I figured Star Tours would be a good attraction to show them.

Once we were on the attraction I realized that I was so dumb to suggest this ride since my co-worker has back problems! What was I thinking? As soon as the ride started I realized my mistake and was just praying that her back would be ok. Once we exited the ride, I apologized to her and she said she was fine. Thank God. That would have been awful.

It was a little after 11 so we really needed to hustle to make it to Le Cellier on time for our reservations. We exited the park and made our way to the Ferry.

So excited to see what Season 2 has in store for us!!

We got to the dock and luckily there was a ferry waiting there. I figured that later on in the day we could easily come back to DHS to enjoy some more attractions. We hopped on the ferry and made the journey to Epcot. It was getting really close to our reservation time and I realized that with all of the stops that we would be pretty late. It was a little before 11:30 when we stopped at the Yacht and Beach Club so I decided that we should just get out and walk. The walk from there to Epcot should only take about 5 minutes, and I knew that the ferry would take a lot longer so we exited the ferry to walk to Epcot.

Now it was a pretty hot day but it wasn’t unbearable. I mean, it was in the low 90s but it could have been worse. As we made the walk from the dock to Epcot, the Son began to continue to ask me how much farther. I kept informing him that it wasn’t very far, since it really isn’t that far of a walk. We made it through the turnstiles and I could tell that the Son was not pleased. He continued to ask how much farther and I assured him that we only had to walk through 2 countries until we got to Canada.

Hahaha It sounds so funny out of context of being in World Showcase. So we made our way through the UK and right before we got to Canada, the Son started to cry.

I felt so bad! I made a 12 year old kid cry! I mean, it wasn’t really my fault, it was the distance and the heat but I still felt bad. We all kept walking and my co-worker told her son to “deal with it and keep walking” and that we were all hot and would be in air conditioning soon. Then the Dad said “well maybe if he didn’t play video games all day he wouldn’t be so out of shape.”

Awkward.

We finally made it to Le Cellier about 10 minutes late and the Son went to the bathroom to pull himself together. We took a seat in the waiting area and were called about 5 minutes after arriving. The Son returned from the bathroom and asked why we hadn’t been seated since we had a reservation. At this point, I was extremely nervous about how the rest of the day would go. I knew that Epcot was a big park and that I couldn’t do anything about the amount of walking so I was really nervous. I was just hoping that my guests would enjoy our lunch.

Everyone seemed really happy with the menu so it seemed like our day was turning around.

Mmm pretzel bread.

Everyone loved the bread and their appetizers. The adults split a bowl of the cheddar cheese soup and the Son got the spicy chicken and chipotle sausage. I didn’t take pictures of their appetizers…I know. I’m horrible. I felt weird taking pictures of their food but that didn’t stop me from taking pictures of mine. For my entrée, I got the hamburger.

Soooo delicious.

And my co-worker took this picture of me eating.

Hahaha she thought it was so funny seeing me eat such a ginormous burger. And that is the only other picture of me from this trip.

The Mom and Dad ended up splitting a burger, the Son got a chicken Caesar salad and the Daughter got a bowl of the cheddar cheese soup. My guests also got a couple of desserts to split. They ordered a maple crème brulee and the chocolate mousse. Again, no pictures. Sorry. We were done with lunch and everyone seemed to be in much better spirits. Everyone loved their meals and we were all feeling a lot better after sitting in the AC. We left lunch and made our way to Future World.

My guests were really entertained by all of the birds. They are big nature people so we stopped here to look at the birds for a good 5 minutes.

I decided to work our way from SSE around. It was late enough in the day that I didn’t think there would be too much of a wait and the Lines app said the wait was only 20 minutes. By the time we got up there the wait said 40 minutes but again the Lines app said it was only about 18. I knew that I had to keep an eye on how much we were walking so I decided that we should just get in the line and hope that the other guests submitting their times to the Lines app were correct. At least having a little wait would allow me plenty of time to take pictures of the beauty that is SSE.

I’m really into Instagram right now.

After traveling around both sides of the queue, we were finally boarding the ride vehicle after about 20 minutes of waiting. Not too bad. And at least most of the queue was in the shade. I rode with the Daughter and the Son was in the seat behind us and the Mom and Dad were in the ride vehicle behind us. It was a great tour through history but a couple people in front of us kept using their flash. Ugh. Talk about ruining a dark ride.

After SSE, I decided to take my guests over to Mission: Space. I am not a fan of this ride but I thought that my guests should experience it. When we got over there, the wait time for the Orange was 45 minutes and the Green was 20. Since I was going to be sitting out on this one, I suggested that my guests simply go on the Green side so they wouldn’t have as long of a wait. I figured that at least they would get a feel for the ride on the Green side and wouldn’t have to wait for 45 minutes. So I sent them off to space while I wandered around and took pictures. I was also kind of happy about getting some alone time to wander.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 15, 2012

I was getting really hot so I decided to go check out Mouse Gears while I waited. I love checking out new merchandise. I took some pictures of some items that I would love to get.

I just love this suitcase. And I don’t think you would be confused over which bag was yours if you got this one!

If only I could afford to buy some of these bags!

Super cute!!

At this point my guests had been in line for about 15 minutes so I decided to head back to MS to make sure that I would be there when they exited the ride. I went in to the shop to look around and wait in the AC.

Love the Muppets!

I just so happened to look up and I spotted this hidden Mickey! I didn’t even need my book!

There were a lot of very visible hidden Mickeys in this store.

I probably should have wandered around a little more because my guests were still not out of the attraction. At this point I think I had dropped them off in line about 30 minutes ago so I wasn’t too worried but I was getting hot waiting outside and there wasn’t much room to wait in the shop. Finally, I saw the Mom and Dad emerge from the shop. I asked where the kids were and they said that the kids had gotten out of the Green line to go on the Orange side. Really? I mean, I understand but it was a lot longer that we would be waiting on them. My co-worker wanted to go to Mouse Gears so I said why don’t you text the kids that we are waiting for them in the shop. I knew that we couldn’t wait another 20 minutes out in the heat…or at least I couldn’t. Hahaha So we made our way to Mouse Gears to wait on the kids. So I took some more pictures of merchandise.

The kids texted about 10 minutes later that they had arrived in the shop so I went off looking for them. Luckily, I found them without any problems. We continued browsing and I picked up a couple items. I bought a shopping list for my fridge at home, a pair of boxers for Wes and the Poster Art of Disney Parks book. I was really excited to get this book. I haven’t had a chance to read the whole thing yet since being home but the poster art is AMAZING!

After I bought my items, the kids had disappeared again so I went off to find them. They weren’t hard to find and then we all made our way over to see Captain EO. On the way, my co-worker mentioned that she was thirsty so I suggested stopping by Club Cool for some free refreshments.

The kids were asking me what they should try when a passerby said “try the Beverly” and I saw her smirk as she walked off. It all happened before I could say anything and the kids thought it was terrible. I told them that the lady knew that and wanted them to try it to see their funny reactions. I thought it was a little strange that a complete stranger would do that to someone.

While in Club Cool, my co-worker saw some of the aluminum bottles of Diet Coke. She loves Diet Coke and had been looking for these bottles for a while. She called up another co-worker who had also wanted some of those bottles to see if she wanted her to pick any up for her. So while she waited to hear back from our friend, the Daughter and I went to sit outside on a bench. The Son also bought a Diet Coke, Coke and Sprite in the aluminum bottles and offered the Daughter and me the soda since he really only wanted them for the bottles. He then joined us on the bench while we waited for the Mom and Dad to make their purchases. They ended up purchases 6 bottles of Diet Coke and we were all ready to go see Captain EO!

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 15, 2012

We made it to Captain EO after the pre-show video had just started. It was perfect timing. Now I had been sure not to over sell this attraction since I made that same mistake with my friend Maggie and with Wes, so I simply explained to them that if they liked 80’s cheesiness and Michael Jackson, that they would enjoy the show. I was very happy during the show to see that the Daughter and my co-worker seemed to really enjoy it. The guys were a little indifferent but that’s ok; at least I won over the girls!

At some point during the day, I realized that there was no way we could head back to DHS. With the son’s trouble walking and the amount of time we would spend switching parks, I figured it was better if we just stayed in Epcot. I told my co-worker that I thought we should probably just stay at Epcot and she agreed that it would be the best idea.

So we were now on our way to the Seas with Nemo and Friends.

After the attraction, we wandered around the Seas to check out all of the different exhibits and of course, the trash cans.

I spotted some hidden Mickeys in the aquarium.

Next up was Living with the Land. Unfortunately, all of the Fastpasses for Soarin were gone and the wait was around 140 minutes so I didn’t think we would be able to ride this attraction. Luckily, my guests seemed very interested in Living with the Land.

Another hidden Mickey

Right before the end of the attraction, my guests asked if we could just stay on the boat and ride again. I figured they would like the attraction, but I had no idea that they would love it that much. Hahaha So we exited the attraction and asked the cast member if we could ride it again. She let us go through to the loading area and get right back on the boat. So we were off again to learn more about living with the land!

Mmmm I love water chestnuts!

My guests really loved the attraction. The Dad even mentioned wanting to create his own aquaculture set up at home!

It was a little before 6pm so we started making our way to World Showcase to spend some time there before our 6:45 dinner reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel.

Squirrel!

We made it to Mexico and went for a Grand Fiesta Tour.

We then spent some time looking around at the shop.

I love this shirt

After Mexico, we still had about 30 minutes until our reservation so I figured that we could head over to Norway to ride Maelstrom. When I suggested this, the Son said “How far is Norway”. Oh no. I could tell that he was completely over walking and I was really hoping he wouldn’t have another melt down. I assured him that Norway was the next country and that it would be a very short walk. We got over there and the posted wait time was 30 minutes. Sorry, Maelstrom but there is no way I am waiting 30 minutes for you. So we just decided to head back to Mexico to check in early for dinner.

I checked in for dinner and luckily they were able to seat us right away.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 15, 2012

We were seated at an awesome window table that would be amazing during IllumiNations. And we had a little guest right outside the window joining us for dinner!

Now if you read my Princess Half Marathon from earlier this year, you will know that my husband, Wes and I fell in LOVE with La Hacienda de San Angel. I ordered the taquiza appetizer and thought it was one of the tastiest things I had ever eaten. So when my guests said they liked Mexican food, I knew I had to get reservations at this restaurant.

We looked at the menus and I told my guests about the amazing taquiza appetizer and the chicken entrée that Wes had ordered. I was shocked when the kids couldn’t find anything that they wanted to order from the menu. They said they didn’t like anything on there. Not a thing. My heart sank. I felt so horrible. I had suggested this restaurant and the kids hated it. When the waiter came over my co-worker asked the waiter if they could do a chicken quesadilla. Unfortunately, the waiter said that since it wasn’t on the menu, that they couldn’t do it. The kids then said that they would just eat chips and salsa. Ohhh. My heart sank again. Thank God the waiter suggested they order the queso fundido and he could add chicken to it so they could make their own quesadilla type meal. Phew. The dinner was saved.

However…the kids were still not happy that they would have to be making their own “quesadilla”. The Son actually said “for these prices, they should be doing it for us”. Oh man. I could not feel any worse. I kept apologizing for picking the restaurant. I just thought that the kids would be able to find something that they liked. When the food arrived I was just praying that everyone would like their meal.

This is the queso fundido with chicken that the kids ordered. They also came with tortillas.

And this is the amazing taquiza.

I gotta admit that the taquiza did not live up to my memory. Now it could have been the fact that when I first ate it, it was the night of the Princess Half Marathon so I was pretty starving or if could have been the fact that I felt so awful the whole meal that my guests seemed to hate it. Now it was still a good dish, but something just wasn’t the same. Hopefully when I eat there again this November I will love it again.

Our dinner had finally come to an end and the Son actually said that I did a great job picking the restaurant and he was completely sincere when he said it. What?! I thought you hated it like 30 minutes ago? Kids sure are tricky. I was very happy that by the end of the meal everyone seemed to have really enjoyed themselves.

We left dinner and I was fully intending for us to venture around World Showcase to check out some of the other countries and then see IllumiNations. The Dad then asked me that if there was one more ride that we could do, what it would be and would it be worth waiting for. Since Soarin was really the only major attraction we had missed and it is pretty awesome, I said that Soarin would be my last suggested attraction. They all liked the plan and we were off.

The wait for Soarin said 120 minutes but the Lines App said that the estimated wait was closer to 80 minutes and since my guests wanted to go on one last great attraction, I knew that waiting would be our only option. So we got in the line and proceeded to wait in what felt like the longest and most awkward line of all time. Let me explain.

While waiting in front of the large screens with the interactive games, the Son said something to the Daughter along the lines of “you have hairy armpits”. I am not sure of what exactly was said but the Daughter got mad and kicked the Son in the junk! I was in front of them in line and I turn around to see the Son hunched over against the wall and crying. Just wonderful. So the Mom and Dad realize what happened and then more awkwardness ensues. The Dad says to the Daughter, “do you realize how bad that hurts?” and about how awful it was for her to do that and then the Mom says that she didn’t mean to hit him there and maybe if he didn’t pester her so much, then she wouldn’t have done it. How I love witnessing parenting disputes. Needless to say I felt very awkward. I just tried to ignore the situation and play the interactive games but they are terrible so that didn’t work very well. Now remember, that this incident happened around the half way mark of waiting. We still had a long while until we would be on the ride. I didn’t know how we could ever make it.

The son continued to cry and say how much it hurt. Talk about uncomfortable. We finally made it to the main hallway and I was praying that the line would move faster.

We finally made it to the loading area and boarded the ride after about 90 minutes of waiting and I can say it was the longest 90 minutes of my life! Once on the attraction, I sat next to the Son and asked if he was excited for the ride to which he replied “No” in the most depressing and sad way possible. During the ride I looked over at the rest of the family and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves so at least the wait wasn’t a total waste.

We exited the ride and I think for the first time ever, I was so happy that the park was now closed. Well, the park still had EMH but my guests weren’t staying on property so they had to leave. Since they had parked their car at DHS earlier that day, they had to take the ferry back to get their car. So we made the extremely long walk back to the ferry. Now remember earlier in the day when the Son had trouble walking? Now imagine how difficult it was after he had been kicked in the junk! I was leading the group back to the International Gateway entrance as slowly as possible so the Son would be ok but we still had to stop numerous times for him to rest. When we were finally in the UK, the Son kept crying and asking me “how much farther”. Oh. I felt so horrible. I really wanted to cry at this point. I couldn’t make the distance to the ferry any shorter and I felt so bad that he was in so much pain.

We finally made it to the International Gateway and I was very happy that my 13 hour day with my guests was over. Not that I didn’t have a good time but it was a long time to spend with a family that I really didn’t know that well. I am friends with my co-worker but spending a 13 hour day with her and her family was a little much.

We said our goodbyes and the Dad told me that he was so appreciative of me showing them around. He said that they had never done a full day at a theme park before but because I was their guide, he had a great time because he never had to make a decision and I just led the way. My co-worker also told me that it was the most fun they had ever had in Disney. I was really glad that they had such a great time but I found it hard a little hard to believe. After all, the Son was still crying but that probably had more to do with his junk hurting than having a bad time. Hahaha

After I dropped my guests off, I made the long walk back to the buses to head back to Pop. After such an emotionally exhausting day with my guests, I just couldn’t stick around for EMH. It would have been nice to get some time to myself in the park but going to bed sounded like a lot better idea. On the way I called my mom to fill her in on all the activities and she wanted to make sure that I would be safe walking to the buses and to my room alone. I told her that I really wasn’t alone when I was surrounded by thousands of other guests.

I made it to the buses around 9:58 and another kind driver waited for me before he pulled away. I ended up standing right behind the yellow line at the front of the bus but it was much better than waiting for another bus to arrive. I made it back to the resort and was in bed shortly thereafter.

Up next: A much needed solo day on my last day at Disney

Joshua&CalebDad · Aug 15, 2012

WishIWasAtWDW said:
While waiting in front of the large screens with the interactive games, the Son said something to the Daughter along the lines of “you have hairy armpits”. I am not sure of what exactly was said but the Daughter got mad and kicked the Son in the junk! I was in front of them in line and I turn around to see the Son hunched over against the wall and crying. Just wonderful. So the Mom and Dad realize what happened and then more awkwardness ensues. The Dad says to the Daughter, “do you realize how bad that hurts?” and about how awful it was for her to do that and then the Mom says that she didn’t mean to hit him there and maybe if he didn’t pester her so much, then she wouldn’t have done it. How I love witnessing parenting disputes. Needless to say I felt very awkward. I just tried to ignore the situation and play the interactive games but they are terrible so that didn’t work very well. Now remember, that this incident happened around the half way mark of waiting. We still had a long while until we would be on the ride. I didn’t know how we could ever make it.

Getting kicked in the "Junk" while on the line to Soarin, that is so awesome. That's a story for the ages. Serves the kid right for picking on his sister. I'm sure he does it often from her reaction.

I'm sorry to hear that you had a less than pleasant day as a tour guide but it sounds like you did everything in your power to make it fun for everyone. To be quite honest, it sounds like your co-worker's son is a bit of a brat.

You were a trooper for picking the restaurants. It's hard to know what everyone's taste are. I don't think I would have done that.

I continually think about how nice it would be for my family and another family to take a trip to WDW together and then reality sets in and I remember that I don't want to be in a position where I feel like I have to ensure that everyone is happy.

Either way, I think you rocked and did everything in your power to make sure they had a fun day.

steviej · Aug 15, 2012

Enjoying your trip report, even the bitter sweet aspects, and I am learning an extremely, valuable lesson. Never, EVER, go to disney with a co-worker lol

Mrs Potato Head · Aug 15, 2012

I'm loving reading your trip report - it's so detailed! I too agree that showing anyone around the parks especially a newbie or someone not on your same "speed" is difficult. I felt that way taking my MIL and neice for their first trip two years back. It was fun but definitely difficult at times.

hats off to you for being a great tour guide! La Hacienda is at the top of my to do list for our next trip, the food looks great.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 16, 2012

Joshua&CalebDad said:
Getting kicked in the "Junk" while on the line to Soarin, that is so awesome. That's a story for the ages. Serves the kid right for picking on his sister. I'm sure he does it often from her reaction.

hahaha its funny now, but it certainly wasn't funny then. i don't know that i will ever forget.

I'm sorry to hear that you had a less than pleasant day as a tour guide but it sounds like you did everything in your power to make it fun for everyone. To be quite honest, it sounds like your co-worker's son is a bit of a brat.

the whole day wasn't bad but it was just certain times where i was about to lose it. the son is actually a really sweet kid but then again, I have never spent 13 hours with him. i think that with even the best of kids, you are going to see them act up when you are with them for such a long time. i cut the kid some slack since i know that i wasn't perfect when i was younger.

You were a trooper for picking the restaurants. It's hard to know what everyone's taste are. I don't think I would have done that.

thanks. i tried to get info from my co-worker from our trip so i would be prepared but she didn't offer as much info as i think i would have liked. luckily they ended up enjoying both meals but it was a pretty close call there at dinner.

I continually think about how nice it would be for my family and another family to take a trip to WDW together and then reality sets in and I remember that I don't want to be in a position where I feel like I have to ensure that everyone is happy.

it is pretty stressful when you are in charge and sometimes it is hard to make sure that you are having fun while trying to make sure everyone else is having fun. luckily they had a great time so i did my job.

Either way, I think you rocked and did everything in your power to make sure they had a fun day.

thank you very much!!

steviej said:
Enjoying your trip report, even the bitter sweet aspects, and I am learning an extremely, valuable lesson. Never, EVER, go to disney with a co-worker lol

thanks! hahaha i wouldn't say, never, EVER go to wdw with a co-worker but maybe just don't spend 13 hours with your co-worker and their family. i think if i knew the family better then it would have been better but because i barely knew them, it made for some awkward times.

mrsgrumpy said:
I'm loving reading your trip report - it's so detailed! I too agree that showing anyone around the parks especially a newbie or someone not on your same "speed" is difficult. I felt that way taking my MIL and neice for their first trip two years back. It was fun but definitely difficult at times.

hats off to you for being a great tour guide! La Hacienda is at the top of my to do list for our next trip, the food looks great.

thanks! i hope there aren't too many details! hahaha something i forget to keep it short and sweet. yes, being a tour guide for newbies is a challenge but i think it was worth it. i think i learned some valuable lessons from the experience, so that's good, right? i really enjoy la hacienda so i hope you enjoy it! the margaritas are also very tasty!

PolynesianPrincess · Aug 16, 2012

Ohhhhhh, the joys of traveling with other people.... I travel with my Mom and my sister. We have the same style of touring the parks so it works. I don't know if I could ever go with someone I didn't know very well so props to you for doing it for 13 hours!! lol

Sorry the dinner didn't live up to the memory you had of it!

I hate when that happens. I was so afraid to go back to Ohana in May and have a terrible meal because the one we had in November was soooo good and it was our first time eating there. But it was still great (THANKS GOODNESS!!!)

Ariel484 · Aug 16, 2012

Great report so far, Ashley! I had an opportunity to go to a conference in Orlando in April and passed it up because I wasn't sure I wanted to tack solo days onto the end of my trip. WHAT A DUMMY. I totally regret that now. And to top it off, the conference was held in the SWAN AND DOLPHIN. I could have stayed at the Swan/Dolphin on my company's dime!

I won't make that mistake again. The conferece + solo days certainly seems to have worked out well for you.

How cool that you had a WDW view even though you weren't staying in WDW! Love it.

I think it's funny and cute that you call you co-worker's family your "guests"...like they are visiting you in your home. LOL!

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

derelicte19 said:
Ohhhhhh, the joys of traveling with other people.... I travel with my Mom and my sister. We have the same style of touring the parks so it works. I don't know if I could ever go with someone I didn't know very well so props to you for doing it for 13 hours!! lol

Sorry the dinner didn't live up to the memory you had of it! I hate when that happens. I was so afraid to go back to Ohana in May and have a terrible meal because the one we had in November was soooo good and it was our first time eating there. But it was still great (THANKS GOODNESS!!!)

thanks, Darolyn!

it was certainly a challenge spending 13 hours with a family i barely knew, but it was a fun experience.

yea, i am hoping that my love for la hacienda will be rekindled in nov. i have a feeling that the fact that i felt so bad about the kids not being able to find anything they liked was why i didn't enjoy my meal as much.

Ariel484 said:
Great report so far, Ashley! I had an opportunity to go to a conference in Orlando in April and passed it up because I wasn't sure I wanted to tack solo days onto the end of my trip. WHAT A DUMMY. I totally regret that now. And to top it off, the conference was held in the SWAN AND DOLPHIN. I could have stayed at the Swan/Dolphin on my company's dime! I won't make that mistake again. The conferece + solo days certainly seems to have worked out well for you.

How cool that you had a WDW view even though you weren't staying in WDW! Love it.

I think it's funny and cute that you call you co-worker's family your "guests"...like they are visiting you in your home. LOL! Looking forward to the rest of your report!

thanks, Shannon! i can't believe you would have passed up a free stay at the swan & dolphin?! i understand your hesitation about doing a solo trip though. i went through the same thoughts about all of the negative aspects of touring solo but i am glad that i focused on the positives and went.

it was awesome being able to see the fireworks from my room! i wish i had been in my room more so i could have enjoyed them more.

hahaha well i wasn't sure how to refer to them without using their names and "guests" seemed the most appropriate.

more report coming now!

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

Wednesday August 1 – Last solo day in WDW

Today was my last solo day in WDW and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Originally, I thought that I would go to DHS, Epcot and then end my short day in the MK. The main reason I wanted to go to Epcot was to take pictures in World Showcase but it doesn’t open until 11 and I wanted to end the day with lunch in the MK. So after much internal deliberation, I decided that I wanted to take it easy on my last solo day and I would just go to the MK. I was kind of disappointed in myself since before I left for my trip I had had such grand plans for all that I could do solo and then I was only going to one park. I kept defending myself (to myself) by saying that yesterday had been a long, draining day and that what I needed the most was a nice, peaceful day in the MK.

I had packed up most of my stuff yesterday so I only had to pack a couple things before I left my room at Pop for the last time. I left my room around 8:15 and dragged my suitcases up to the Classic Hall to drop them off with luggage services until DME picked me up at 2:25.

I stopped by the food court real quick to refill my mug and pick up a croissant.

I love croissants from any place but WDW’s are my favorite!

I then went out to the bus stop to wait for a bus to MK.

Despite all of my best efforts, I never seem to be able to get to the MK for the morning show! I don’t know what is wrong with me. I thought I had given myself enough time in the morning to make it for the show but between checking out, dropping off my bags and stopping in the food court, it just wasn’t enough time. I didn’t get on a bus until almost 8:50 and I knew that I would be missing the morning show. In all of my years of going to WDW, I have only seen the morning show once and that was for One More Disney Day. Normally, the MK is a park I visit later in the day so I am never there for park opening. I was hoping that this morning would be another opportunity to see the morning show but it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe some other time I will make it.

I arrived at the MK at 9:05 and started my day with a very leisurely stroll down Main Street.

Since I was already late, I figured I could stop to take a picture of a trash can on the way in.

I’ve known about the names of Imagineers on the windows down Main Street but I have never spent a lot of time looking at them. This solo trip was the perfect opportunity to get a good look at all of the details.

As I was walking down Main Street, I heard the music start to get louder and I actually saw where a window opened and could see the speaker. It was cool to see this, since normally I am not staring at the windows on Main Street so I may have never known that there were speakers up there. I snapped a picture of the window.

I found Walt’s window at the end of Main Street but it is really hard to photograph. This was the best I could do.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

At this point I crossed over to the other side and made my way down the other side of Main Street towards Town Square.

On my way back down Main Street, I caught some of the street performers.

After the show ended, I finished my walk down Main Street and found the Barber Shop. For some reason, I couldn’t remember where this was located. I knew it was on Main Street but I always thought it was up near the Plaza restaurant. I guess I have never really seen it before or paid any attention to it so it was nice to finally make a mental note of its location.

In total, I spent around 30 minutes walking up and down Main Street. It was really nice to slow down and take in all the details. It is so easy to breeze past this area of the park so I was happy that I had decided to slow down and just enjoy it.

I walked back up Main Street and decided to spend some time at the Hub.

Again, I’ve seen these statues but mostly while walking quickly through the Hub. I decided to spend some time at each.

There were too many Photopass pictures being taken and I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s shot so this was the only picture I got of the Partners statue. I have a lot of this one though, so I wasn’t too upset.

I decided to start my day in Adventureland.

I thought it was interesting that the trash cans right in front of Adventureland are different than the ones on the other side.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

I was going to hit up Swiss Family Treehouse first, but on my way the band aids I had on my feet were starting to fall off. Since I had done so much walking yesterday, my flip flops had cut up the tops of my feet in a couple places so I had to put band aids on them. I was wearing those same flip flops today so the straps of the flip flops kept rubbing the band aids off. So I sat down at a bench near SFT and as I went to sit down, I saw an iPhone sitting there. I can’t even imagine the panic of losing a phone in WDW, so I tried to see if the phone had any numbers in it of someone who could maybe get in touch with the phone owner. Unfortunately, the owner had a password on the phone so I couldn’t try to contact them. Although, it is probably good that they have a password since the main reason is in case you lose your phone. So I brought the phone over to a cast member at the little souvenir cart right when you enter Adventureland and she said that she would page her manager to bring it to lost and found.

Now that I had done my Good Samaritan act of the day, I made my way to SFT.

I was the only person in the Treehouse so it was nice to get to take my time.

While up in the Treehouse, I could see that I would have some other guests joining me and I was kind of bummed however, they made their way quickly through so I simply waited off to the side for them to pass me so I could continue my slow pace.

I exited the SFT to an almost empty Adventureland. I continued walking towards Frontierland.

I wish this place was open more often so I could try it.

When I got to Frontierland, I saw that both Splash Mountain and BTMRR were closed. There were a lot of people standing around and trying to decide if they should wait it out or not. I continued my photographic tour into the heart of Frontierland.

As you can see, this part of the park was like a ghost town. It was the perfect opportunity to take some photos without any people in them.

I have never noticed this Chinese Laundry building. Does this seem odd to anyone else?

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

I saw a vacant rocking chair in front of the Frontier Trading Post and decided to take a seat and enjoy some people watching. Shortly after sitting down, I saw someone walk by with a Dole Whip Float and it reminded me that I wanted to get a Citrus Swirl from the Sunshine Tree Terrace! I was so glad that I saw that person because I probably would have forgotten again that I wanted to get one. Luckily, my rocking chair was right next to the connection to Adventureland and Sunshine Tree Terrace.

When I heard that the Sunshine Tree Terrace was back, I had no idea where it was actually located in Adventureland. Like the Barber Shop on Main Street, I knew what the building looked like but I had trouble visualizing where it was. So it was pretty nice that my rocking chair had been so close to this location or I may have missed it.

I made my way back to Frontierland and hoped that my rocking chair would still be vacant. I was in luck! I sat back down in my rocking chair and enjoyed my citrus swirl while I people watched. And it was delicious! I have only had a Dole Whip once before and have never experienced the citrus swirl. I was very happy with my purchase.

While I sat there, I decided to check out the weather and it was already extremely hot for 10am.

Yikes! 83 and feels like 92!

The citrus swirl was a much needed refreshment in this hot, hot weather. As I continued to enjoy my citrus swirl, a man asked me where I had gotten it. I pointed him in the direction of the Sunshine Tree Terrace and he purchased some for himself and his two daughters. I was happy that I could spread the knowledge of where to get this tasty treat!

My view from my rocking chair

I finished my citrus swirl and continued my walk through Frontierland to Liberty Square.

You can see some dark clouds were in the sky.

Current home state

Original home state

Looks like the British are coming by sea

I made my way from Liberty Square to Fantasyland.

Yikes. Those clouds don’t look good.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

As I passed Peter Pan’s Flight, it began to rain. I had forgot to bring my poncho on this trip so I ran under the awning near the stroller parking next to Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Luckily the rain only lasted a couple minutes.

Once the rain stopped, I continued my way through Fantasyland. I can’t wait for the new expansion to be completed!

I arrived back in the Storybook Circus area.

I think this may be one of my favorite trash can pictures.

Next up was Tomorrowland!

And this is my other favorite trash can picture.

Since I was in Tomorrowland, I decided that I needed a relaxing ride on the Peoplemover! I love this attraction and was excited that it was running today.

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

When my journey was over, I really wanted to ride again. Instead of just asking if I could stay on the ride, I got off and got back in line. I was again seated in the very front car and right as I sat down, the ride stopped. Bummer. I was stopped right in front of the control booth area. Luckily, it seemed like the ride only stopped so a cast member could switch positions with another cast member, so we were moving again after the quick exchange.

I really wanted to ride again but I decided against it. I could seriously sit on there for hours. It is just so relaxing. And it seems like it would be a great place to take a nap.

I left Tomorrowland and went to get some lunch at Casey’s Corner.

I took a quick detour through the rose garden and the castle on my way.

Castle trash can

The park looked to be pretty crowded

I eventually made it to Casey’s Corner and on my way inside to order, it didn’t look like there were any available seats outside. I ordered my hot dog and fries, and heard another man in line say there were no seats outside. I decided to try my luck and when I got outside there were several open tables! Sweet. I found a great table that was up against the railing and had a couple seats in the shade. Perfect.

I had a constant flow of ducks wanting to join me for lunch

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

Mmmm delicious!

The sky was finally looking good

While eating lunch, I looked at my Lines app and saw that 7 attractions were closed! It looked like Splash Mountain and BTMRR were still down. Both had been down since before 10 and it was now around 12:30. It was crazy that so many attractions were down in one day.

What’s up with this? All of the birds were sitting with their wings spread out.

The one thing I was really worried about with this solo trip was meals, but I actually really enjoyed myself during this lunch. I think sitting at Casey’s Corner and enjoying the atmosphere of the MK was an ideal setting for a solo traveler. I was surprised to find myself wanting to drag out my lunch instead of quickly eating and moving on. Finally, I had to say goodbye to Casey’s and make my way towards the exit.

Since I had already walked down Main Street numerous times today, I decided to walk through the Emporium to check out all of the merchandise.

I really want to get this book when I have kids! Such great, vintage artwork. Love it.

I was glad that I had decided to walk through the shop because at some point it had started raining really hard. I could see everyone starting to run into the shop and I was happy that I was already in there. I took my time looking at merchandise and hoped that the rain would stop before I had to leave.

I spent a lot of time looking at the Vinylmation. I really want to start collecting these but I just can’t decide. I think some of them are really cute and would look great on display. I used to collect Pez dispensers when I was younger and had kept them for years in a box. I had mentioned to my Mom that it would be nice to have some way to display them and then my Dad surprised me and made me a display to show off my Pez collection! It is really awesome and a great way to show off the Pez. I think that the Vinylmations would look great in a similar display next to my Pez. I didn’t end up buying any Vinylmation but I think I may cave and start collecting them. They are pretty expensive though and I could see the hobby getting out of control so I think I would need to limit myself to one per trip. Wes isn’t too thrilled with me wanting to start collecting these so we will see what happens in November!

The rain had finally stopped so I decided that I still had time for a trip around the MK on the Walt Disney World Railroad. But first, I crossed the street to the Confectionary to buy some rice krispy treats to take home! I love these snacks and proceeded to buy 5. Now one was for my Mom as a thank you for watching the dog the following weekend but the others were all mine!

It looked like BTMRR was finally up and running

It was a nice trip around the MK but it was time for me to go. I didn’t want my trip to end but I had to make it back to Pop in time to catch DME.

There you are!

As I was getting ready to exit the park, the Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! parade made its way down Main Street.

I actually almost teared up at this point. I love that Celebrate You song and the words really get me. Hahaha I managed to hold it together and I exited the MK.

I caught a bus to Pop around 1 o’clock so I would have plenty of time before DME arrived to explore more of Pop. I was also hoping that I could make the walk over to the Art of Animation resort. I had grand plans of getting a ton of pictures of both resorts and now would be a perfect time.

But, on the bus ride back, the skies opened up again and it poured. I still had hope that maybe the rain would stop but no luck. My dreams of taking a ton of pictures of both resorts were shattered.

Oh well. Maybe some other time. I decided to spend some time in the lobby, gift shop and sitting outside under the awning, constantly hoping that the rain would stop.

Outside, I grabbed a seat behind the 70s icon and watched the rain as it continued to pour.

There were no signs of it stopping and it was getting very close to my pickup time. I went back inside to take one last walk through the gift shop.

These pins make me wish I collected pins!

WishIWasAtWDW · Aug 17, 2012

I love this popcorn and decided not to buy any this time. I did notice that it looks like you can use snack credits to purchase this! I didn’t know that!! I know what a lot of my snack credits in Nov will be used on!

The time had come for me to pick up my luggage and wait for DME to take me away to the airport. I grabbed my bags and sat until the bus came at 2:27.

So long Pop and Walt Disney World! It was fun!

Up next: Some final thoughts about my trip

PolynesianPrincess · Aug 17, 2012

Love all the pics from the MK! I notice too that we're usually in such a rush to get to this attraction or go watch this show that I never really stop and soak in the details. And (like you!) I had no clue where the barber shop is. I still don't actually lol and just this past May I noticed the sign before you walk under the train station " here you leave today..."

You have definitely made me feel a little bit better about taking a solo trip should the opportunity arise. I don't mind doing things by myself at all, but I just always felt I would need someone else to be with me if I were in Disney. If you can do it though, so can I!!

All By Myself (Sort of…) – A Solo Summer Trip Report

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member