Trip Report Am I sweating, or am I still wet from the rain? Solo June 2019!

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

I had so much fun writing my first report, that I have returned to write ANOTHER. I had these big plans of writing this DIRECTLY after my trip, but then I had my sister's wedding, work travel, etc. Actually - at the moment I am sitting in a beautiful church in the Bronx for a conference for medically underserved communities. There are lots of sessions I am not a part of, so I figured why not start my report now?!

When: June 18-21, 2019
Where: All Star Movies
Why: I never need a reason why BUT I did have a short conference this week. I typically extend this conference a little longer than needed ;) but I flew home from MCO on Friday the 21, and flew out to Colorado for my sister's wedding the very next morning!!
Who: ME! Solo! I have taken my mom or friends along for the ride for conferences in the past, but this year was a solo adventure

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Let's do this thing!

Day 1: Tuesday, June 18, 2019

It's Disney day! There are not typically any straight flights to MCO from Portland Maine, so I booked a flight out of Boston for 6 AM. Which meant that I had planned to leave around 2 AM. Luckily, I woke up mid slumber to a text saying my flight had been delayed two hours. Okay.. at least I can sleep longer? I hit the road around 4 and made it to Logan in decent time. I feel very bougie when I travel for work, because I park in the central parking deck for almost $40 a day 😂

Security was pretty painless, and I joined a large crowd at my gate. Apparently not everyone had received the delayed flight text, as it seemed as though many Disney bound families had been at the gate for quite some time. Spoiler alert: our wait was not over. I think our flight ended up leaving just before 10 AM.. YIKES. Luckily, I was able to switch around some things re: FPs and ADRs but I'm sure not everyone was that lucky. That was a 4 hour delay!

I think I would have been a bit more upset if I was traveling on my own dime LOL. Apparently our flight was stuck in Denver, and was the only plane of size available for us. Hopefully the struggle in Denver wouldn't last for my wedding related travels later in the week!

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(my "happy for a window seat" but also "wishing I was already at Disney" face)

The flight was pretty uneventful, and soon we were landing! I decided to take an Uber to HS to make my FPs (and because I wasn't paying) and was glad my bags were tagged to be brought to my room at ASM.

When I stepped out of the terminal I nearly choked on the humidity. New England girl - you aren't in Maine anymore!!

It was overcast with some sun spots my entire Uber ride....... UNTIL we pulled up at Hollywood Studios and the skies unleashed. My driver was nice enough to give me a moment to don my coat and dig out my umbrella before I got out of the car. I was ready to brave the storm for my RNRC FP!

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I was absolutely DRENCHED by the time I got in line. Drenched to the very core of my soul. Oh well.. a fast ride might dry me off!

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After my ride in the super stretch, I found myself in a wildly chaotic dump shop. Apparently the rain had NOT let up. I decided to browse some items to kill a little time.

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(I really felt I NEEDED this, but my friends and family disagreed!)

Then I did something that pained me GREATLY. The storm that soaked me proved that my rain jacket was NOT effective. This cute color block coat from Amazon was no match for the raging storm. In my checked luggage at MCO/my hotel sat my TWO ponchos. Did I have any with me? WHY WOULD I? THAT WOULD ONLY MAKE SENSE!! So.. I spent the $10 +tax on a Disney TM poncho. I don't actually regret this. Making silly purchases is less painful when most of your other expenses are covered by work LOL

I mostly made this purchase so that I could make my way to TSL for my next FP. But first.. I needed a snack!

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YUM.

I slowly made my way back to TSL, taking in the sights as I went along as the rain slowed a bit.

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I made it! Thanks Pricey Poncho!!

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My FP was for TSMM, which can you believe it.. I WON! Lol.. solo trip jokes

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To be continued...
 
Last edited:

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Looks like a fun adventure!
So much fun! I read quite a few of your solo adventure reports before this trip :)
So much fun already!
More to come!!
Loved your first report and I’m excited to be reading this one!
Thank you for joining!
Following along! I was at HS that same day, but left before the rain even started. ToT, RnR, and slinky were all down at the same time at one point. With the storms rolling in it seemed like a great time to leave! Glad you had fun! Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip!
If I had been for a longer trip, I probably would have headed out as well 😂
Enjoying your TR so far. Looking forward to the rest.
Thank you! :)


Update to come soon, today hopefully! Finally back in my office after a bit of work travel. My bachelorette weekend starts this Thursday with my bridal shower on Sunday - so I'll try and get some reporting done for y'all!
(I wish my bachelorette was going to be at WDW like @blreinsel 😭)
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day one continued...

Now where was I?

Oh yes, getting the most use out of my poncho as possible 😂

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This was my last smile for A GREAT WHILE because following this I stood waiting (with the growing masses) for the monorail for almost 40 minutes. I kept saying to myself, okay time to quit and go get a bus to MK - and then convincing myself that a monorail would show up soon. It was my own fault for not giving up earlier, but it was VERY hot and humid and I did not feel like moving one inch LOL

I was desperate to get to MK because all I wanted to end my night was to watch HEA. I was hoping I would accomplish this.

We finally made it to MK at 9 PM.. for the 9:15 show.

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And the rain was pouring down. I hustled my way down Main St and realized the rain was letting up.. YES

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I found myself a sliver of space and watched HEA. I made myself enjoy the show and only took TWO photos - impressive for me haha

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I cried. As always. Extra this time because I was tired and jet-lagged and wet and sweaty LOL

I very slowly made my way out of the park and to the AS Movies bus. It arrived pretty quickly and brought us home. I had not yet been to my room. Hopefully my bags would be there!!

.. they were! Thank goodness, because I was ready to pass out.

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I was in the Mighty Ducks section which was NOT GREAT overall - there was construction constantly and the elevators were a nightmare. BUT this room was so fresh and clean and also.. again this trip was not on my dime.

I showered up quickly and went to sleep!




Day two: Wednesday June 19th, 2019

Today my work conference officially began.. bummer. The exhibit hall did not open until noon, so I decided to have some breakfast at my hotel and catch some rays at the pool before work.

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I couldn't resist the Mickey waffles calling my name

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I was really excited about the change in design of the refillable mugs (back in February they were still the old design)

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To be continued...
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day two continued...

I wouldn't say that my morning at the pool was SUPER relaxing - as the construction around the Mighty Ducks area was unreal at this point

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I spent some time reading and swimming, and right as I was about to go shower the fire alarms start blaring from my building. Oh NO. They were the loudest alarms I've ever heard. Screeching SO LOUD. Very handy in case of an actual emergency, horrible when the construction crew just tripped a wire or something. I waited maybe 10 minutes and then ultimately just had to grin and bear it. I showered and got ready to the tune of the alarms and got out of there as fast as possible.

My conference was at the Coronado, and I have no photos because I was VERY rushed after trying to wait out the fire alarm. I made it through my work day though, and stopped back at AS Movies to change before heading to AK!

I quickly got on a bus and we were making our way! Or... not.

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We had just pulled up to AK when this warning appeared. The rain outside looked like it would soak you in an instant and blow you halfway down the street at the same time. Our bus driver pulled up and parked away from the bus stop and let us wait it out for a good 15 minutes. The tornado warning passed, but the rain did not. I had a safari FP window that was closing soon, but I was fairly certain it would turn into a multiple experience.

I still was tired of the bus, so I decided to do some outdoor waiting LOL

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As I stood under cover, I noticed my FP had changed the way I thought, so I started to reevaluate my plans. How about dinner first instead? Sounds good to me! I was maybe one of 10-15 total people in the park at the time with HERDS leaving en mass. I do not think there was a single ride or attraction operating at the time.

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TOL was looking good with a menacing backdrop.

I headed for Flame Tree BBQ for one of my favorites - Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese!

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YUM!

I ended up asking two younger girls if I could share their table with them, as most of the tables in the area were soaked or still getting rained on. We didn't chat much, but it was nice of them to oblige.

When I finished my yummy supper, I noticed that the only attraction back up and running was safari, so off I went!

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We actually had a great ride, as I think the rain was a nice break in the heat for the animals!

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The rain had slowed to a sprinkle, and EE was back online! I knew where I was headed. The park was SO QUIET, it was hard to even spot another soul as I was walking along.

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Made it! Here's hoping the rain doesn't pick back up too heavily

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To be continued...
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Here we go, day two continued...

When I last left you, I was EE bound to finally use my FP. The FP line was a bit backed up due to all the closures for the past couple of hours, but in no time I was boarding one of my favorite rides.

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And catching a rainbow while I was at it!

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I had a GREAT ride, and by the time I was off, the single rider line was back open! I had some time to kill before my FOP FP, so I took another two spins up and down and backwards through Everest.

I had to laugh when I saw my last photo, because my seatmate obviously was having fun with the camera as well LOL

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Finally it was time to head over for FOP, basically the entire reason I braved the rain. I love taking in the details of the land in Pandora

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It was my fastest trek through the FP line ever!! Benefit of being a single rider - I probably had another 15 minutes to wait where I was in the loading zone, but they needed a single rider. PICK ME! The ride was fun and thrilling as always.

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Time to head out of the park and back to my TRUE home and @Tuvalu you can pick back up here because you can guess where I was headed...

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Ah, home sweet MK. I LOVE LOVE LOVE MK at night. Where to first?

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Time to vent. So, on my last trip I did not take many photos on rides or during shows because it was Ian's first time and honestly I just wanted to take in his reactions and soak in his newbie wonder and amazement. On this solo trip, I was excited to get some photos I usually do not get when traveling with others. On rides, I am always respectful - flash and sound always off, not allowing my phone to obstruct any views.... yet I still was mocked and made fun of by a couple in probably their 40s-50s riding behind me with their young daughter. (Saying things loudly to each other like "DOES SHE REALLY NEED A PHOTO OF EVERYTHING GET A LIFE") Never mind the fact that they were comparing IASW WDW version to the DL version loudly the whole time. It just made me feel really sad because I was going out of my way not to ruin the experience for anyone, but just wanted to get my own enjoyment out of it as well. Ugh, it makes me sort of upset again writing it out because I almost cried and didn't feel very comfortable sticking up for myself.

END RANT WITH SOMETHING FAR MORE IMPORTANT

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After I quickly exited to avoid the mean couple, I was able to see a bit of HEA.

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To be continued...
 

Captain Barbossa

Well-Known Member
yet I still was mocked and made fun of by a couple in probably their 40s-50s riding behind me with their young daughter. (Saying things loudly to each other like "DOES SHE REALLY NEED A PHOTO OF EVERYTHING GET A LIFE")
Wow, what a good way to set an example for your kid. :rolleyes: So sorry that you had to put up with some more than crappy attitudes.

Enjoying your TR! :)
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I’m sorry you had to ride IASW with rude people. 😞
Wow, what a good way to set an example for your kid. :rolleyes: So sorry that you had to put up with some more than crappy attitudes.

Enjoying your TR! :)
Sorry you had to deal with such awful people, mocking someone for enjoying the ride in their own way is tasteless and such people aern't worth the time of day. Hope you were able to enjoy the rest of evening!
Thank you all! It was definitely a bummer, but didn't keep me down for long! :)
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day two continued...

I returned to MK on this evening because of the EMH, but it did not feel that way. With all of the rain earlier, I'm sure people were trying to get in their time later in the day.

I started out just taking in the nighttime atmosphere of the park

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But then realized I needed to make some friends.

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Out of these 3 beautiful ladies, my favorite interaction was with Tiana. I only recently, maybe a year or so ago, got into the soundtrack for Princess and the Frog and I told her all about my love for Almost There. As you can imagine, being alone and meeting face characters can be awkward but I just had fun and embraced my inner kid!

Time for a bio break!

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Man, the LONGEST line I had seen all day was for the Photopass lantern picture. I mean.. I would guess that it was a 45 minute wait to get your photo. Don't get me wrong, I love my photo that I got with the lantern a few trips ago - but that line is INSANE.

The heat was getting to me a bit, so I decided to cool off

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Ah, much better. Where to next?

I decided I needed to end my night with Pirates. The following night I would be attending Villains After Hours, and I wanted to compare any overlay with the regular Pirates fresh in my mind. The line was quick, and soon I was boarding row 1 (groan) with a nice woman and her mother. They were talking to me about how they had no idea where the camera was, so I prepared them for the photo. This was the result 😂

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Smiles for days!

After this, I decided to call it a night

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I believe I was already falling asleep before my head hit the pillow on this night. I needed it - more work and a late night to come the next day!

To be continued...
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 3: Thursday June 20, 2019

Another day of work, BOO! This was the first day in my trip forecast of sunny skies and no chance of rain and naturally it was my longest session at the conference. I got to the Coronado around 8 and had to be there until 5 (but would I really stay that long? ......)

I started my day as always with Mickey waffles

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(thanks work!!)

My morning at the conference went SO SLOW. The conference is for high achieving high school students interested in health professions. Which means that they are VERY FAR from applying for medical school. So I was a bit bored. At this same conference last year I made a friend from Alabama, and she joined me for lunch outside. We bonded over our love for Disney!

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And margaritas!

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(yes, we were still technically working but SHHHH we needed it)

This fiesta margarita was so good and the salty, spicy rim was amazing. I was also a big fan of the straws made from agave.

We returned to the exhibit hall, slowly but in better spirits, to take on the rest of the afternoon. Where I spent an hour not interacting with any students... and then another... so then I decided this wasn't going to be my day and got an Uber back to AS Movies 😂

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(I had to take a pictures! Don't see these guys in Maine!)

I had the Villains event this evening, but decided to go change into my bathing suit and rest by the pool for awhile before heading out. I needed a break!

When I got to my room, I was blown away by housekeeping. Not just the towel hearts, but it was the cleanest my room has EVER been at Disney. Even at the Poly!! There were just so many nice touches that showed me housekeeping took time and pride in their work. I made a call to the housekeeping line to please commend the CM who cleaned my room. The person who I spoke with seemed very pleasantly surprised to be getting a positive call about housekeeping.

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With a smile on my face, I hit the pool.


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I just spent an hour or so reading my book, swimming, and relaxing. I NEEDED this.

Feeling rejuvenated, I took a quick shower and got ready for my Villains event! I arrived at MK around 6, and double checked with the CMs about where to pick up my wristband inside the park closer to 7 PM.

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So hot, but so beautiful LOL

I was on a mission - a Mickey shaped donut mission. I had a "something sweet" craving ALL DAY and had been perusing Instagram and the Disney Food Blog and this snack was calling my name. I was successful in snagging a strawberry frosted treat and DID NOT regret it. I did not regret my photoshoot with it either :hilarious:

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SUCCESS! It was a LOT of donut and I didn't finish it all, but it hit the spot. I had made a dinner reservation for Tony's for during HEA to take a rest before the After Hours event and I was looking forward to that, so it was time to burn of some sugary carbs!

To be continued...
 

heatherhy01

Well-Known Member
Day 3: Thursday June 20, 2019

Another day of work, BOO! This was the first day in my trip forecast of sunny skies and no chance of rain and naturally it was my longest session at the conference. I got to the Coronado around 8 and had to be there until 5 (but would I really stay that long? ......)

I started my day as always with Mickey waffles

View attachment 393050
(thanks work!!)

My morning at the conference went SO SLOW. The conference is for high achieving high school students interested in health professions. Which means that they are VERY FAR from applying for medical school. So I was a bit bored. At this same conference last year I made a friend from Alabama, and she joined me for lunch outside. We bonded over our love for Disney!

View attachment 393052


And margaritas!

View attachment 393053
(yes, we were still technically working but SHHHH we needed it)

This fiesta margarita was so good and the salty, spicy rim was amazing. I was also a big fan of the straws made from agave.

We returned to the exhibit hall, slowly but in better spirits, to take on the rest of the afternoon. Where I spent an hour not interacting with any students... and then another... so then I decided this wasn't going to be my day and got an Uber back to AS Movies 😂

View attachment 393056
(I had to take a pictures! Don't see these guys in Maine!)

I had the Villains event this evening, but decided to go change into my bathing suit and rest by the pool for awhile before heading out. I needed a break!

When I got to my room, I was blown away by housekeeping. Not just the towel hearts, but it was the cleanest my room has EVER been at Disney. Even at the Poly!! There were just so many nice touches that showed me housekeeping took time and pride in their work. I made a call to the housekeeping line to please commend the CM who cleaned my room. The person who I spoke with seemed very pleasantly surprised to be getting a positive call about housekeeping.

View attachment 393058

With a smile on my face, I hit the pool.


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I just spent an hour or so reading my book, swimming, and relaxing. I NEEDED this.

Feeling rejuvenated, I took a quick shower and got ready for my Villains event! I arrived at MK around 6, and double checked with the CMs about where to pick up my wristband inside the park closer to 7 PM.

View attachment 393059

So hot, but so beautiful LOL

I was on a mission - a Mickey shaped donut mission. I had a "something sweet" craving ALL DAY and had been perusing Instagram and the Disney Food Blog and this snack was calling my name. I was successful in snagging a strawberry frosted treat and DID NOT regret it. I did not regret my photoshoot with it either :hilarious:

View attachment 393060

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SUCCESS! It was a LOT of donut and I didn't finish it all, but it hit the spot. I had made a dinner reservation for Tony's for during HEA to take a rest before the After Hours event and I was looking forward to that, so it was time to burn of some sugary carbs!

To be continued...
That donut looks UHMAZING!!
 

annienevells

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
oh my god the donut!!! i wanted one SO BAD the last time i went -- but i didn't think i would finish the entire thing and my grandma doesn't eat sugar (by her own CHOICE, the madwoman) so i chickened out. i regret it :( glad you enjoyed it tho!!!
That donut looks UHMAZING!!
I cannot wait to hear about Villains After Hours! It sounds so fun to me. Also that donut 😍
I cannot tell y'all how badly I wish that donut was sitting on my desk on this Monday morning at work 😂
 

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