Trip Report Solo In May

Hi all! This is my first TR over here as I'm just getting more familiar with your boards I thought it was time to share a little more about me and my travels (this is crossposted so if you know me elsewhere I'm sorry for being repetitive!)

I didn't do a PTR so a little about me - I'm Maci and I'm addicted to Disney! I go several times a year and have done several of the Disney parks as well as Disney Cruises and Adventures by Disney. My favorite characters are Peter Pan and Princess Aurora. I'm all about delicious food and having a relaxing but jam-packed good time!

Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 1 - Arriving in Disney!


I did the silly thing and decided to work a full day and fly out after, but all bets were off when I got my room ready text at 10:30am, I just wanted to get there! I put in that I'd be arriving late so I was quite surprised it was ready so early.

Wrapped up the day at work about 20 minutes later than I had hoped and rushed home to *begin* packing. I had a mental list and some new dresses I was hoping to wear so I was able to get through it pretty quickly. As usual I had misplaced my TiW card but was able to find it after a quick phone call to DM.

DBF got home when I had finished sorting and was getting ready for the flight ahead with a quick change into comfy clothes. He had stopped on the way home to pick up yummier sammich bread and some snacks for me and then proceeded to load some movies on my iPad AND made me dinner to take on the plane while I shoved everything into the suitcase.

We actually ended up leaving with perfect timing, usually I'm scrambling and really pushing it. We left at 6:30 and arrived around 7 for my 8:30 flight. Said my goodbyes to Jimmy and headed on in! Precheck was unfortunately closed and there were lines, but at least I got to go through priority.

Once through security I had about 40 mins to kill so I went in search of a bar and the first two were FULL! I'm usually a Vino Volo girl or whatever that wine bar is and every table was taken so I walked a little further from my gate and found a Friday's. Thankfully there were two seats at the bar so I was able to scooch in and try one of their new drinks, the one two rum punch.

Love my Mickey Vera Wallet!

​

I'm sat at the bar and did some catching up with Internet things and writing up my notes for this TR. I'm hoping since this is a short trip I'll be able to finish a TR in a timely manner for you all!

I wrapped up and took a bio break before heading back to my gate right at boarding time, only to find out that they were already at group 2! I hopped right in line and found space for my luggage and my seat no problem.

I had dinner while waiting for everyone else to load and then the boarding stopped and we just sat there for about 20 mins and waited… Then all of a sudden another rush of boarding. We had apparently waited for another flight to get in and make their connection.

​

We took off about 20 minutes late but made the time up in the air and landed right about midnight. I took advantage of the free entertainment and watched Big Bang reruns while I dozed off. Once I made it off the plane I couldn't believe how crowded the airport was and made my way down to DME looking for a vending machine for a bottle of water on the way… With no luck! I was so parched and dehydrated. It was not fun.

​

I get down to DME and everyone seems to 1) have a problem with me traveling alone and 2) think I'm an idiot. The CM asked the line I was in who was going to Kidani, I said me and she ignored me. She then went back and asked every “family” if they were going to Kidani and when she got to me and I said “still me” then she asked me where I was going!

It was 12:45am and I had finally gotten on a DME bus and was hopefully heading over to Animal Kingdom, but ended up stopping at Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation first It was definitely a long night for me. We actually made two stops at Pop Century, one at the front and one awkwardly in a dark parking lot. Forgot to mention there were a bunch of cheerleaders on my flight and now on the bus as well, so wondering if this weird second stop has to do with that or just the late hour?

We finally get to AKL and I'm pretty sure it's Jambo House but I can't tell in the dark… I ask and he didn't even know he had anyone for Kidani on the bus I'm all alone now. Last stop of what turned out to be a 6 stop bus ride! Not what you want to be experiencing after midnight

Got to the resort just after 2 and finally found my room around 2:30 after going the wrong direction first. Their signs are really misleading and there were no helpful CMs to be found. I finally wound down at 3am and tried to get some sleep for my weekend ahead.

​

Up Next: Day 2 - It’s too early!

 

[PacNWTigger]

I'm definitely following along. I was thinking about doing a solo trip next year to WDW, so I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventure.

 

[MagicalMaci]

I'm definitely following along. I was thinking about doing a solo trip next year to WDW, so I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventure.

This was just a short weekend escape but I've done other solo trips and would be happy to answer any other questions you might have!

 

[MagicalMaci]

First, I realized looking for a certain photo that I missed some in my last update - enjoy some more of a Kidani Studio and a 2am moon!

[URL='http://forums.wdwmagic.com/about:blank']http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/makemeg0crazy/PRINCESSMACI/April%20Disney%20Getaway/Day%201/P1110287a.jpg[/IMG[/URL]]

[/center]



[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]​

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 2 - It’s too early!

I was woken up at 7:30am by the bright sun coming through the accidental crack I left in the curtains. I got up and checked the Savannah before closing it and going back to sleep until about 10.

​

When I woke up I realized I needed to get moving if I wanted breakfast food for breakfast so I got my bathing suit on under a dress and headed for the walk over to Jambo House. (Kidani has pastry-type options in their lobby gift shop, but I wanted eggs!) Everyone always says it's only 5 minutes but it took me closer to 10 and I'm a pretty fast walker.


I headed to The Mara and there was a moderate line. When I got to the front I learned they were out of croissant sandwiches which was a bummer but they had fried egg sammich on a Kaiser roll. Not as good unfortunately but it got the job done. I sat outside and ate and their pool was already significantly crowded at 10:30am. Now going through the photos and looking at the receipt, this is where the cost of breakfast was just totally not worth it

​

I headed back through the lobby with a stop at their Concierge desk to ask about the new Sense of Africa tour. It was quite pricey but wasn't sure how long it would be on offer so decided if it was available it was meant to be and I would do it! It was so I booked it with Sami, the only cast member who even acknowledged me at the desk out of the about 6 that were standing there. She was great

details!

Lobby water is a nice touch

Had to

​

I headed back over to Kidani and got a little lost looking for the pool and had to ask for directions. I did also stop at the gift shop to get sunscreen for now and a razor for later. (Remind me not to forget when I run out of disposables at home next time, the ones there are icky) I got over there just after 11 and again it was pretty crowded but the perks of going solo is there was a lone lounger in the sun available for me! The pool is somewhat in the middle of the forest, so it’s surprisingly peaceful despite the crowds. I wasn’t really used to this since we stay at the Boardwalk a lot and the Clown Pool is right in the middle of the action.

​

I hopped in the water to cool off since it was already HOT today and then got out and sunscreened up and ordered an adult black cherry lemonade (we make these at home sometimes for pooltime!) from the lone pool server on duty today. I just relaxed and people watched and enjoyed my adult beverages for the next two hours or so. It was an awesome pool day and a great way to beat the heat!

These are some of my favorite drinks at Disney - perfect pool drinks.

View from my lounger

​

Up Next: Day 2 - Lunchtimes!

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 2 - Lunchtimes!

I headed back to my room to cool down and change before heading back through the hotel to Sanaa for a stop in their lounge for a bite to eat.

Brian was the bartender and my server and he was very nice. He recommended the mango margarita and he was right, very delicious! It wasn't quite frozen but it had a mango purée so a nice thickness to it. I ordered the bread service with cucumber raita, mango chutney, and red pepper hummus. The NFL draft isn't overly interesting to me so I played Trivia Crack and people watched while I waited.

A very nice pair of ladies sat next to me and chatted a bit and shared kitty pics they were also just here for the weekend and were having dinner at Sanaa in a few hours so they were just having drinks.

​

I ate until I couldn't eat anymore and boxed up the rest. I stopped at the gift shop for some DVDs just in case I got lazy this evening.


Up Next: Day 2 - A night without plans!

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 2 - A night without plans!

I showered and freshened up before doing my nails and just taking it easy for about an hour. I decided I would head over to Disney Springs to grab a bite for dinner, hoping to find a bar or lounge to accommodate me (since I was ADR-less). I browsed movie times as well but nothing jumped out. It will have to be an early night with an early wake up call tomorrow!

​

I got to the bus stop around 6:20 just to see the Disney Springs bus pulling away. About 12 minutes later another one pulled in and I was on my way! I wrote up notes to pass the time on the ride as the bus was able to accommodate everyone with a seat! The bus was of course freezing as usual. So, very glad I grabbed a sweater for the evening!

​

I started by popping into the Art of Disney, but everything was very literal interpretations so it wouldn't work great in our house, we prefer the subtle nods to Disney. The trends are always changing in there!


I then ended up walking the full length of Disney Springs to get a feel for what my options were and decided that while I'm currently planning on Kona Cafe the next night, Morimoto's still looks like the best bet. I typically try to plan a few different cuisines while I’m at the World, but a new spot and an old favorite couldn’t sway me! I got a drink by the food trucks at a little pop up bar for my wandering and headed back down the side street to the new Iron Chef digs.

​

Up Next: Day 2 Continued

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 2 - A night without plans! Continued

The restaurant is just as beautiful inside as photos suggest, and the nice manager at the host stand pointed out to me that there's also an upstairs bar. And while the first floor bar was full to the brim, upstairs had a few seats left and I snagged one! I got settled and explained my predicament of not wanting to have the same sort of food two nights in a row and my bartender/server was very helpful in pointing out the “morimoto” items, including some he had come up with on Top Chef!

​

This kind of photo has already been all over the internet, but still it’s so impressive in general

Started my meal with some sangria - it was perfectly refreshing and yummy!

Wall in the bathroom area - loved it!

How cute is this beer tap?!​

I struck up a conversation with the gentleman next to me, he had let his 12 year old daughter go off with her friends alone at the springs and was trying to be brave while he awaited her check in. We had a great chat and the time flew by! The girl from the couple next to him overheard me mention Hilton and had actually worked in my offices a few years ago although in a different support model! We had a great chat as well. Finally some current CPers approached the bar and we chatted a bit as well. So while I arrived at the restaurant just before 8, it was just after 10 when I finally left and I didn’t feel weird, bored, or lonely eating alone once!


So let’s get down to the food

Hamachi Tacos - yellowtail sashimi, yuzu kosho guacamole, lime.

Morimoto Spare Ribs - pork ribs, cilantro, hoisin sweet chili glaze

Chicken Dumplings - chicken, Napa cabbage, scallions

​

All I can say is his short ribs are AMAZING! Go try them now! I was blown away but he other two items I tried (tuna tacos and chicken dumplings) were just meh. The sake sangria that I enjoyed throughout he meal was refreshing and delish.


Once I finished up and headed out I stopped at the Ganachery because UM, AMAZING and got some new treats to bring home. I also stopped at the new Dockside Margaritas for a quick nightcap for my walk back to the busses (with many a shopping detour) and because I can’t help but try new things.

​

I strolled through the Co-Op and was amazed at the amount of Dooney designs. These things used to be so rare and now I feel like they are just everywhere! They had some cute cruise stuff but didn't want to jump the gun. (I now have two cruises coming up!) So left with no purchases (Wonderground and the park-themed stuff did nothing for me either)


I walked through the kitchen store and found some goodies - spice blends, new coasters, a new cookbook, and a wine stopper. I was able to make my purchase easily and thought it was a nice addition to my Disney kitchen collection


Strolled though the Christmas store and nothing majorly jumped out so I finally headed to the bus stop. Minimal wait and on my way home just after 11pm! Unfortunately I had to be up at 6am the next morning - not enough sleeps for me!

​

Day 2 Recap

The weather was - hot and sunny
Favorite moment - just relaxing by the pool and taking it easy
Something new - Morimoto Asia
Result - delicious short ribs and great atmosphere, but don’t know about the entire menu
Tip for next time - if you are solo, don’t be afraid to go planless and find a bar that serves a full menu (I believe most of them do now) - you never know what you’ll find!


Up Next: Day 3​

​

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 3 - Sense of Africa!

Snoozed my alarm a little too hard but got up and the sun was still just rising.

​

I quickly figured out what to wear that worked with closed toed shoes (necessary for the tour) and made the trek over to Jambo House. I was the last one to arrive but was right on time at 7am. We had a quick intro in the little lobby nook before making our way down to Boma where the tour really began. It was just about a full tour and we had a variety of guests from families to couples and solo travelers. A lot of us were DVC owners!

​

The table was already set with coffee, donuts and scones and we were quickly brought out a special sausage dish and butternut squash pap. We got a little introduction to the selections and the buffet and how this related to our sense of taste and smell etc. Not overly memorable.

Our little overview

The donuts were scrumptious! The scones were a tad bland.

Butternut Squash Pap

Steaming fresh sausage

​

They were both fine but I actually preferred the selections on the buffet which we were also welcome to enjoy. The restaurant started to open while we were there so it was fully stocked.

My buffet selections, some fruit salad, fluffy eggs and bobotie.​

Around 8am we finished up breakfast and headed to a potty break before making our way out to the safari vehicle. We were given the “no photos backstage” warning and headed off.

Our first stop was I believe Barn #85 - the okapi barn. We met Olivia and her sister Zelda and learned about how they are trained to target an item and voluntarily give blood draws for testing.

After a quick demo we were up for some personal time with the okapi! We were able to pet Olivia and then the next round we were feeding Zelda, a first as she's a little more shy with strangers. We also learned that they communicated via a sound wave talk we are unable to hear as humans. And as living in the rainforest can be rough, they also have a waterproof coating on their fur which did transfer to our hands after petting! Our guides had a camera for our special photo ops which we received via Photopass at the end of the tour.

​

We really enjoyed our time with the okapi sisters but had other places to be and headed

off to the giraffe barn! Waking at floor level with these amazing animals is certainly something else! There was one male and three females hanging out and we got to feed them all, a photo op ending with the male (I'm sorry I've forgotten the names in a short 24 hour period) the male was 18 feet tall and they had to reinforce the lights since he would play with them! It took them 5 years to train him to this so that he would be giving voluntarily blood draws. Isn't that crazy?

​

This was my favorite part of the day since I just love the giraffes! Cait texted me around this point as well and let me know we would be having lunch at Whispering Canyon and we decided it would be easier to meet there and then head to MK after eating. Happy to have that taken care of!


Next up we got to meet and feed the ostriches. They have no males but a while back they had a dominant female who decided to molt her female feathers and grew the darke male ones instead!

​

We gave them some lettuce and then headed off through the Savannah. This part of the tour is a bit underrated, but it’s so neat to be driving through the areas you typically can only see from the hotels. I felt like such a celebrity knowing people were viewing from their rooms etc. Surreal feeling!

Our last stop was with the red river hogs who reminded me a lot of a well trained dog. They were cute and smart, being able to find their scent (cherry in this case) and stand calmly by it. After the demonstration we got to make toys for the family with treats inside and then watched them hunt for and break into all their goodies!

​

Unfortunately this was basically the end of the experience, we had a quick ride back to the Jambo lobby where we received a special pin, our photopass card, and the recipes from our special Boma tastings. It felt like it was all over too soon but I was so happy I took the plunge to do it! Thinking back, the Okapi section was the coolest because there are other places you can feed giraffes out there, but to get up close and personal with such a special species was so unique and amazing.

​

I made the walk back to Kidani and took a short nap/rest break deciding I would uber over to Wilderness Lodge so I could have a bit extra relaxation.


Up Next: Day 3 - Lunch with an old friend

 

[littleroo]

Loving it so far!! All the info on the animals is awesome!!

 

[MagicalMaci]

Loving it so far!! All the info on the animals is awesome!!

The guides and animal keepers were amazing with their knowledge and fun facts! They were so willing to answer any questions we might have had too!

 

[samantha788]

Enjoying your report
The giraffes!! They're my favorite, what a neat experience!

 

[steffib]

loving your report!

 

[PacNWTigger]

Those red river pigs are awful cute! Thank you for sharing about the tour. I will have to keep an eye out on my next trip.

 

[FlaggNL]

Count me in! Great start so far! Love your pics! Thanks for sharing! And great you do a solo trip! That never ever would be possible here... first I love it to be there with my family and when I would even consider a solo trip I guess we have World War III here at home But still great to read about solo trips!

 

[MagicalMaci]

Enjoying your report
The giraffes!! They're my favorite, what a neat experience!

Thanks it was really cool!

loving your report!

Thank you!

Those red river pigs are awful cute! Thank you for sharing about the tour. I will have to keep an eye out on my next trip.

They were such a treat! Definitely worth checking out.

Count me in! Great start so far! Love your pics! Thanks for sharing! And great you do a solo trip! That never ever would be possible here... first I love it to be there with my family and when I would even consider a solo trip I guess we have World War III here at home But still great to read about solo trips!

I like going with family too but can appreciate it differently solo!

 

[MagicalMaci]

Day 3 - Lunch with an old friend


I had a little snack on my balcony while I took a rest as we had a later lunch and I didn’t think I’d make it. I picked up these treats at the gift shop.

In no time it was time to get going and I called my Uber and headed on down to meet my driver. I arrived at the lodge about 1:05 with the rest of the party arriving around 1:15 for our 1:10 reservation. Cait checked us in and reminded them of her allergies. We got comfy in the lobby with our buzzer and chatted while we waited. 30 minutes later we were still in the lobby waiting, which is no fun when you can see numerous empty tables at the restaurant.

I went to check on our table and was informed we were waiting for a large table to open to accommodate our party of 6. Well when we were finally sat another 10-20 minutes later, it was at two small rounds pushed together. Very awkward configuration and not really sure what we were waiting on. I feel like they just forgot about us and were trying to cover. I have to preface this next portion with the fact that I’ve had numerous wonderful meals at Whispering Canyon and traveling with guests with food allergies or dietary

We did get quite a few lemons when we asked!

And I had a lovely adult beverage​

We placed our orders after some conversation and a good look at the allergy menu only to have Frank, our server, come back and tell Cait what she ordered wouldn't be possible with her allergies, but he would bring back a menu for her. Another 15 minutes went by and no sign of him or any of our food.


At some point other members of our party put in an appetizer order, which we cleared with Frank that was acceptable for Cait to eat. He brought it out and we all had a few bites, THEN he came back and was like “no no no that has your allergens in it!” Thankfully Cait isn’t dealthy allergic to these things but that situation could have been awful. Really not the right way to handle allergies.


The amount of time this all took was really unacceptable, it was pushing 2:30 at this point and our orders weren't even in. With still no signs of our server I headed up to the podium and asked for a manager.


Amanda was the manager at Whispering Canyon for the afternoon and listened to my concerns and sent an actual chef out to talk to Cait. After they talked she came over and apologized again and our orders were finally in. Yes, we were at the restaurant for an hour before our orders were even put in for the kitchen.

Our drinks

Pulled Pork sammich - dry​

When our food finally came, no one was super impressed. I had wanted more sauce for my sandwich because it was dry, but there was no two bite check on the status of our food. In fact, by the time I finally got extra sauce, people in the party were already done eating! Cait’s food was boring and not really at all what she had initially wanted to order.


It was pushing 4pm when we finally got out of there and Cait and I headed over to

Magic Kingdom. Amanda did take care of some stuff for us but I still used my TiW for the meal. She was going to let me in with one of her guest passes so I was super appreciative!


Up Next: Day 3 - A dose of magic!

 

[Scoppin]

Day 3 - Sense of Africa!

Snoozed my alarm a little too hard but got up and the sun was still just rising.

​

I quickly figured out what to wear that worked with closed toed shoes (necessary for the tour) and made the trek over to Jambo House. I was the last one to arrive but was right on time at 7am. We had a quick intro in the little lobby nook before making our way down to Boma where the tour really began. It was just about a full tour and we had a variety of guests from families to couples and solo travelers. A lot of us were DVC owners!

​

The table was already set with coffee, donuts and scones and we were quickly brought out a special sausage dish and butternut squash pap. We got a little introduction to the selections and the buffet and how this related to our sense of taste and smell etc. Not overly memorable.

Our little overview

The donuts were scrumptious! The scones were a tad bland.

Butternut Squash Pap

Steaming fresh sausage

​

They were both fine but I actually preferred the selections on the buffet which we were also welcome to enjoy. The restaurant started to open while we were there so it was fully stocked.

My buffet selections, some fruit salad, fluffy eggs and bobotie.​

Around 8am we finished up breakfast and headed to a potty break before making our way out to the safari vehicle. We were given the “no photos backstage” warning and headed off.

Our first stop was I believe Barn #85 - the okapi barn. We met Olivia and her sister Zelda and learned about how they are trained to target an item and voluntarily give blood draws for testing.

After a quick demo we were up for some personal time with the okapi! We were able to pet Olivia and then the next round we were feeding Zelda, a first as she's a little more shy with strangers. We also learned that they communicated via a sound wave talk we are unable to hear as humans. And as living in the rainforest can be rough, they also have a waterproof coating on their fur which did transfer to our hands after petting! Our guides had a camera for our special photo ops which we received via Photopass at the end of the tour.

​

We really enjoyed our time with the okapi sisters but had other places to be and headed

off to the giraffe barn! Waking at floor level with these amazing animals is certainly something else! There was one male and three females hanging out and we got to feed them all, a photo op ending with the male (I'm sorry I've forgotten the names in a short 24 hour period) the male was 18 feet tall and they had to reinforce the lights since he would play with them! It took them 5 years to train him to this so that he would be giving voluntarily blood draws. Isn't that crazy?

​

This was my favorite part of the day since I just love the giraffes! Cait texted me around this point as well and let me know we would be having lunch at Whispering Canyon and we decided it would be easier to meet there and then head to MK after eating. Happy to have that taken care of!


Next up we got to meet and feed the ostriches. They have no males but a while back they had a dominant female who decided to molt her female feathers and grew the darke male ones instead!

​

We gave them some lettuce and then headed off through the Savannah. This part of the tour is a bit underrated, but it’s so neat to be driving through the areas you typically can only see from the hotels. I felt like such a celebrity knowing people were viewing from their rooms etc. Surreal feeling!

Our last stop was with the red river hogs who reminded me a lot of a well trained dog. They were cute and smart, being able to find their scent (cherry in this case) and stand calmly by it. After the demonstration we got to make toys for the family with treats inside and then watched them hunt for and break into all their goodies!

​

Unfortunately this was basically the end of the experience, we had a quick ride back to the Jambo lobby where we received a special pin, our photopass card, and the recipes from our special Boma tastings. It felt like it was all over too soon but I was so happy I took the plunge to do it! Thinking back, the Okapi section was the coolest because there are other places you can feed giraffes out there, but to get up close and personal with such a special species was so unique and amazing.

​

I made the walk back to Kidani and took a short nap/rest break deciding I would uber over to Wilderness Lodge so I could have a bit extra relaxation.


Up Next: Day 3 - Lunch with an old friend

Looks like you enjoyed your special tour. DD also loves giraffes. I thought about purchasing the tour but it was going to be very pricey for the three of us, not to mention she is only 8 and I think under the required age. Instead, I have decided to take a side trip to Busch Gardens in order to allow her to feed the giraffes before we head to WDW in two weeks.

 

[MagicalMaci]

A quick update here - I got as much as I could done. I'm at the PHL airport heading to Barcelona for my cruise! I will try to finish up when I get back.

Day 3 -A Dose of Magic!

We had a little wait for a boat but used the time to catch up and have some much needed
girl-time. Once we made it over to MK we had a mission to find her a birthday tiara! We stopped for a Photopass or two and made our way back to the Pirates area where they have the little Arribas booth.

After trying on a few options we were able to find a winner and Cait made her purchase. But 10 minutes later she got a call from her mom with heartbreaking news. I won't go into details but the entire mood of the day changed.

We still went to meet Minnie and Daisy after she calmed down. Daisy told her fortune and said everything was going to be okay!

After our little character fun we went to the front to meet back up with her other friends. We decided to skip our FP+ for Seven Dwarfs and hopped a boat over to the Grand. It was definitely a Monorail bar crawl kind of night.

We all immediately felt better getting to the peaceful Grand after leaving he hectic and hot
Magic Kingdom. We ordered a round of drinks, the wrong one came for me, and our server kept getting distracted by a baby in the bar. We were not having good luck with servers today.

Eventually we got the bill settled, but since her tip was already included with TiW she just never brought the check back for me to sign, which took us another 15 minutes to figure out. We walked over to the Poly just in time for our Kona Cafe dinner reservation.

Up Next: Day 3 - Dinner saves the day!