Hey Guys...Here's the beginning of my trip report. I'll try to post as much as I can through the weekend. The blog pics can be found at http://www.disneyrevery.wordpress.com. I'll try and update it with other pics that I took with my regular camera as I can.
Solo Disney
April 11th – 17th, 2008
FRIDAY - Pirate and Princess Party
This trip to the World was a trip of firsts…my first flight to Orlando going to Disney (normally a 10 hour drive), my first solo trip to the World, the first time I used Magical Express, my first time to blog, especially a live photo blog, and the first time I was totally free in the Most Magical Place on Earth! Now, if only I could duplicate these 6 days once a month, life would be GRAND!
I normally make the 10-hour drive from New Orleans to Orlando early the first day of the trip. After all anticipation is half the fun…well, maybe ¼ of the fun. Since this was my first trip solo, I decided to fly and save the time. Great decision! As much as I enjoy driving to Orlando and counting down the miles, a 1 ½ hour flight is a quick bounce from here to there. I touched down at MCO at 5:05 pm and headed to the DME check-in. Once my reservation was found, I was walking down the red carpet, boarding the bus, and ready to go! 20 minutes later I was still ready to go! What was taking so long? Finally, we were off and the trip was quick and painless. Pop Century was the first stop, which was great. I know many people have had gripes with DME, but my experience was very good. Other than the brief delay at the airport (I guess waiting on others scheduled to arrive), I was checking in at Pop Century at 6:15. Time from touchdown to check-in: 1 hour 10 minutes. My luggage was sitting inside the door when I returned to my room later in the night.
After checking in I stopped at the Concierge Desk to pick up my tix for Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party that night. I figured this was a great way to start the trip and enjoy a relaxing night in the Magic Kingdom. I hit my room, freshened up, and headed out the door. I have to say the bus service from Pop Century was fantastic. There was never another stop at other resorts for pick-ups or drop offs. The only non-stop service that I know Pop Century has from the resort to the parks is Blizzard Beach, which is en route to Animal Kingdom. Within 20 minutes of boarding the bus at Pop, I was walking through the tunnel and entering the world of Pirates and Princesses.
In my opinion this party was awesome! It’s always great to see light crowds in the parks, especially Magic Kingdom, but seeing the crowds virtually non-existent is amazing. After having my moment walking down Main Street and soaking it all in in the Hub, I headed to Adventureland. On my first day at Magic Kingdom, I always tour from left to right. Pirates is always the first attraction and it was no different tonight. I headed down the queue and stopped….did I go down the wrong side? Where is everyone? I walked back up the line and headed down the right queue…and straight to the boat. Again, no one! There were 3 of us in the boat and no one in front or behind us.
As I made my way around the park, I was continually amazed at how light the crowds were. The most I ever stood in line was a “moving” 3 -5 minutes. The lines were non-existent, the streets were sparse with little fighting pirates and flittering princesses, and the weather was beautiful. I stopped in Liberty Square to catch a little of the parade as it rolled by. When I hit Tomorrowland it was time for the fireworks to start. I crossed the bridge back into the Hub and enjoyed the show from a great vantage point. This show is really a great variance of Wishes and the narration is a lot of fun. After the show I headed back to Space Mountain for the first ride of the trip. I love to take the back seat of Space, and CM’s are always so great about accommodating your requests. With the absence of lines I was able to ride several times in a row without ever waiting. At 11:45 I headed back to the bus stop to beat the last minute exit flow and headed home for the night. It was a perfect first night in the World. Next up…Saturday in Animal Kingdom.
Solo Disney
April 11th – 17th, 2008
FRIDAY - Pirate and Princess Party
This trip to the World was a trip of firsts…my first flight to Orlando going to Disney (normally a 10 hour drive), my first solo trip to the World, the first time I used Magical Express, my first time to blog, especially a live photo blog, and the first time I was totally free in the Most Magical Place on Earth! Now, if only I could duplicate these 6 days once a month, life would be GRAND!
I normally make the 10-hour drive from New Orleans to Orlando early the first day of the trip. After all anticipation is half the fun…well, maybe ¼ of the fun. Since this was my first trip solo, I decided to fly and save the time. Great decision! As much as I enjoy driving to Orlando and counting down the miles, a 1 ½ hour flight is a quick bounce from here to there. I touched down at MCO at 5:05 pm and headed to the DME check-in. Once my reservation was found, I was walking down the red carpet, boarding the bus, and ready to go! 20 minutes later I was still ready to go! What was taking so long? Finally, we were off and the trip was quick and painless. Pop Century was the first stop, which was great. I know many people have had gripes with DME, but my experience was very good. Other than the brief delay at the airport (I guess waiting on others scheduled to arrive), I was checking in at Pop Century at 6:15. Time from touchdown to check-in: 1 hour 10 minutes. My luggage was sitting inside the door when I returned to my room later in the night.
After checking in I stopped at the Concierge Desk to pick up my tix for Mickey’s Pirate & Princess Party that night. I figured this was a great way to start the trip and enjoy a relaxing night in the Magic Kingdom. I hit my room, freshened up, and headed out the door. I have to say the bus service from Pop Century was fantastic. There was never another stop at other resorts for pick-ups or drop offs. The only non-stop service that I know Pop Century has from the resort to the parks is Blizzard Beach, which is en route to Animal Kingdom. Within 20 minutes of boarding the bus at Pop, I was walking through the tunnel and entering the world of Pirates and Princesses.
In my opinion this party was awesome! It’s always great to see light crowds in the parks, especially Magic Kingdom, but seeing the crowds virtually non-existent is amazing. After having my moment walking down Main Street and soaking it all in in the Hub, I headed to Adventureland. On my first day at Magic Kingdom, I always tour from left to right. Pirates is always the first attraction and it was no different tonight. I headed down the queue and stopped….did I go down the wrong side? Where is everyone? I walked back up the line and headed down the right queue…and straight to the boat. Again, no one! There were 3 of us in the boat and no one in front or behind us.
As I made my way around the park, I was continually amazed at how light the crowds were. The most I ever stood in line was a “moving” 3 -5 minutes. The lines were non-existent, the streets were sparse with little fighting pirates and flittering princesses, and the weather was beautiful. I stopped in Liberty Square to catch a little of the parade as it rolled by. When I hit Tomorrowland it was time for the fireworks to start. I crossed the bridge back into the Hub and enjoyed the show from a great vantage point. This show is really a great variance of Wishes and the narration is a lot of fun. After the show I headed back to Space Mountain for the first ride of the trip. I love to take the back seat of Space, and CM’s are always so great about accommodating your requests. With the absence of lines I was able to ride several times in a row without ever waiting. At 11:45 I headed back to the bus stop to beat the last minute exit flow and headed home for the night. It was a perfect first night in the World. Next up…Saturday in Animal Kingdom.
