Trip Report The Most Magical Solo Momcation

Hi everyone 👋🏼
I’ve been back from Disney for about 5 days now and I am hoping to really dive into my solo momcation trip report tomorrow but, I thought I would start off today with a little backstory/ pre-trip report.
Normally, my Disney trips include my husband and two kids. We are a big Disney family and try to visit every few years. However, our last two family trips were… unsuccessful to put it kindly.
In September of 2016 my kids were 5 1/2 and 1. That trip was a disaster for many reasons but mainly because 1) My oldest did not deal with the extremely hot temperatures and was a whiny, grumpy, mess all day every day. All she wanted to do was swim in the pool. and 2) My youngest decided that Disney trip would be the perfect time to sprout her top two front teeth and was awake crying, every night for hours in the middle of the night. In my attempt to not wake my husband and older daughter, I would take her outside and walk around with her to calm her down. That trip was absolutely exhausting.
Our next trip after that wasn’t until January of 2020. We purposely picked January hoping for cooler temps but of course you never know with Florida and it was in the 80’s the entire week we were there. My kids, now 9 and 4, whined and complained about literally everything. It was too hot, too crowded, they were hungry, thirsty, tired. Plus they fought all day, every day. Like physically pushing and kicking every time we were waiting in line for something.
After that trip, we decided we were done doing Disney with little kids. It was just too much. It was so exhausting and so expensive and we always left feeling like we didn’t get to do anything WE wanted to do.
Fast forward a few months to March 2020. I lost my job, my kids schools were closed, my husband was working from home every day. Suddenly all I dreamed about was being alone 🤣 I had this fantasy about going to Disney alone and finally doing everything I wanted to do without the constant whining and crying from my kids. Riding the big fun rides, eating in restaurants that had more than mac & cheese and chicken nuggets, not sitting for hours while kids play in some ridiculous play area. I didn’t even know solo Disney trips were a thing until I stumbled upon a Facebook group made up of Disney solo travelers.
So once our lives were (sort of) back on track, we went back to work and back to school, I ran the idea past my husband. He was completely supportive and totally on board right from the start 🙌
I officially booked my trip in March of 2021. In my mind, I was picturing a celebration. I thought I’d be celebrating the end of quarantine, the end of remote learning, the end of the pandemic. Obviously this pandemic is not over but I decided to move forward with my trip for one reason and one reason only ~ DISNEY IS MY HAPPY PLACE. After almost two years of stress, anxiety, and sometimes just downright UNhappiness, I decided I deserved a week in my happy place.
I’ll be back soon to dive in but for now, here’s a pic of me and the fam from January 2020.
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After Buzz, I secured a LL for Pooh. I had some time in between so first stop was Carousel of Progress. I hadn’t seen it in years! Even though it’s dated and a little cheesy, Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is such a perfect song and I can’t not sing it 🤷🏻‍♀️
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After CoP, I felt like I needed a mask break so I (foolishly) got in line for the TTA. After waiting a good 15/20 minutes, I saw the sign that masks are required. I totally forgot about the indoor portions 🤦🏻‍♀️

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Hi Tron 👋🏼 Maybe by the time you’re done, my kids will actually like rides 🙏🏻
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Snack break! Cream cheese stuffed pretzel from the Lunching Pad. So good, definitely recommend 😋
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And on to Pooh!
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So at this point in the day, all the bigger rides were either out of LL or booking hours out. I had a dinner reservation coming up so for my next LL I chose Mickey’s Philharmagic. Now yes, I very much realize I didn’t NEED a LL for this but my goal for the day was to use it on rides 1) that were indoor and 2) that wouldn’t justify a long wait.
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This show is so cute and the music is just perfection. I was very close to the front, thanks to my lightning lane, and I actually didn’t like being that close to the screen. Some of the 3D stuff was making me cross eyed 🤪 I made a mental note to see it again later in the week but sit in the back.
I then secured another immediate LL for the Tea Cups. Sure, maybe not needed but why not?!?
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I briefly took my hat off for these fun ears. They were a Christmas gift from my oldest daughter and I needed to show her I wore them that day 🤣
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I had just enough time to go over to Pirates to use my anytime pass before heading out for dinner.
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I left MK around 3 and took the boat over to Wilderness Lodge. I have never been to WL and wow, it’s beautiful! I of course loved the theming, it felt so peaceful and calming, but I also loved how compact it felt. The sprawling sizes of the moderate resorts have always been a turn off for me. But I really loved WL! Perfect theme and size. I could definitely see myself staying there someday.

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Gorgeous lobby!
And look who just happen to be outside!! 😍
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My dinner was at Artist Point. It was AMAZING. Start to finish, just perfection. The food was delicious, my server was so friendly and attentive and the characters were perfect. So fun and upbeat, they took their time visiting the tables and I got some great pictures despite the distancing rules. And the restaurant is really pretty!
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So the appetizers are pre-plated with 3 small bites- a hunters pie, mushroom soup, and shrimp. Now here’s the thing, I love food and I don’t consider myself picky but two things I absolutely do not like are mushrooms and seafood 🤣 When I mentioned this to my server, she said they could swap them for two of their vegan options- a tomato salad and a spring roll. Perfect!
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For my dinner, I chose the braised pork shank. Delish!
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Dessert also consisted of three small bites. The left and center were chocolate based and the one on the right was the big winner- apple gooseberry meringue pie!
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And now, lots of character pics 😁
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Snow White was so sweet and said she loved my yellow bow.
Grumpy was perfectly grumpy.
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This is me explaining to him that I too, am pretty grumpy. He was not amused. I didn’t even know the character attendant took this!
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My boy Dopey.
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
By about 5:30, I was done with dinner and I took the boat back over to MK and then bussed it back to Music.
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It had been a long day and I really needed a hot shower. Plus, I was so excited to relax all alone in my hotel room 🤣 For those of you who are parents, you know how exhausting the day to day is. You’re always getting someone dressed, brushing someone’s teeth, doing someone’s hair, making breakfast, getting snacks, packing lunches, giving showers. Being alone in a hotel room with no one else to take care of for entire week was GLORIOUS. Plus, the room was clean and the only stuff in it, was MY stuff. No tripping over toys and sneakers, no coats thrown on the floor, no mess and chaos everywhere. Just my stuff. In order. In the exact spot I wanted it.
Seriously, if you’ve never stayed in a hotel by yourself, do it now 😍
 

HollyAD

Well-Known Member
By about 5:30, I was done with dinner and I took the boat back over to MK and then bussed it back to Music.
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It had been a long day and I really needed a hot shower. Plus, I was so excited to relax all alone in my hotel room 🤣 For those of you who are parents, you know how exhausting the day to day is. You’re always getting someone dressed, brushing someone’s teeth, doing someone’s hair, making breakfast, getting snacks, packing lunches, giving showers. Being alone in a hotel room with no one else to take care of for entire week was GLORIOUS. Plus, the room was clean and the only stuff in it, was MY stuff. No tripping over toys and sneakers, no coats thrown on the floor, no mess and chaos everywhere. Just my stuff. In order. In the exact spot I wanted it.
Seriously, if you’ve never stayed in a hotel by yourself, do it now 😍
Hotel life alone is perfection! Did this while working COVID in a city a few hours from home. It was the BEST sleep!
 

ndsu84

Member
Fun report! My wife would love to do this. :)

We both got COVID beginning of January and we had Disney booked for us and our 5 grandkids all under 7, on January 18th. We got negative tests and clear of symptoms in plenty of time but we were so tired. After 6 hours with them in the parks, we were completely shot.

The idea of going alone sounds great right now!
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Fun report! My wife would love to do this. :)

We both got COVID beginning of January and we had Disney booked for us and our 5 grandkids all under 7, on January 18th. We got negative tests and clear of symptoms in plenty of time but we were so tired. After 6 hours with them in the parks, we were completely shot.

The idea of going alone sounds great right now!
I’m glad you recovered quickly and were able to make it! January was one of the toughest months for me. I had such anxiety that I would get sick or one of my kids would get sick and my trip would have to be postponed. It was a long month! But once I was in Disney, I was so relaxed.
I hope you had a wonderful trip!
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I am SO enjoying your TR. Your joy is infectious ! 😁

I am a BIG believer in solo trips to WDW.
They are truly chicken soup for the Disney soul. ;)
It’s so true! I really had the best time. The whole trip was just perfect, start to finish. I’d love to do it yearly but we’re not quite there yet. My kids are a lot of work. My husband would not appreciate that 🤣
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day Two - Sunday 1/30
Animal Kingdom

Early entry for AK was at 7:30 on this day! I am 100% a rope drop fan but, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a 7:30 opening before. Sunday morning was also the coldest time of my trip. It was only about 30 degrees when I left. Thankfully, it was supposed to get into the 50’s that day. My original plan was to not purchase Genie+ and to do an ILL for Flight of Passage.
Upon arrival, pretty much everyone went to FoP.
Good morning Pandora!
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I’ll admit, I am not much of an Avatar fan. I tried to watch the movie a while back but didn’t make it through, which is very rare for me. I’ll probably give it another shot at some point because Pandora is amazing.
A small group of people, including me, lined up for Navi River Journey. I was actually first in line which I’ll admit, is my favorite way to start the day 😁
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I actually really love Navi River Journey. I think the detail is amazing and it’s just so beautiful and intricate.
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After Navi, my plan was to head over to the Safari (it is not part of early entry so I just wanted to be there before the regular opening crowd), then go to Dinosaur. After waiting standby for these 3 rides, I was then planning to spend the rest of the day exploring the animal trails and seeing the shows.
Well, when I arrived at the Safari, I was greeted by a cast member letting everyone know that even though the Safari would begin on time, that most of the big animals (giraffes, zebra, elephants etc) would NOT be out because it was too cold for them. He said they hoped to be out by about 10. So that was a bummer. I decided to come back later and instead, head for Dinosaur.
Instead of walking back towards Pandora, I chose to walk around the back of the park, briefly stopping for these photos.
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Probably the most disappointing aspect of my trip was that Everest was closed for a lengthy refurbishment. Everest is my favorite Disney coaster and I don’t get to ride often because my kids don’t like the big rides yet. So this was very sad for me.
As I was walking around the back side of the tree, that part of the park was completely empty. It was just before 8 and with Everest closed, there was really no reason for anyone to back there.
Please enjoy these peaceful, crowd free photos 😍
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I made it over to Dinoland and still, very peaceful and quiet.
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I haven’t been on Dinosaur in YEARS. I remember riding it on a trip with my husband before we had our kids. So it was at least 2008 or 2009. At the time, I remember thinking how dark and scary the ride was and how many terrified kids were in our ride photos. So once we returned with our kids, we never went on because we knew they wouldn’t like it. Even now, they’re 11 and 6 and I still think they would be scared 😳
I really loved this ride! So much fun.
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After riding Dinosaur, it was time for a snack! Over to Pandora for a pineapple lumpia 😋
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I know it’s not a great picture but it was super crowded in that area and I was smooshed on a tiny little ledge 🤣
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I then went over to It’s Tough to be a Bug. Again, I haven’t seen this since before I had kids. I just remember being so spooked by it, especially the bugs that run through the seats and sting you, that I never wanted to see it again. But it was really cold and I needed to warm up for a few minutes 🤣
I did very much enjoy finding a bunch of Tree of Life creatures.

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And yes, there were kids crying who had to leave mid show. Later on in the day, I was walking past the exit area again and a little girl was hysterical saying please don’t make me see that again mommy! I felt so bad for her ☹️ It is quite a creepy show.
 

DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It was time for my Flight of Passage LL!
A little backstory, I’ve only been on FoP once before, in January 2020, my husband and I took turns using fastpass. I actually did not like it at all. Right when the ride started, this huge gust of wind hit me in the face. I wasn’t expecting it at all and it briefly took my breath away. I held my breath for a second waiting for it to stop and it never did. I couldn’t believe how strong it was blowing. I had no idea how long the ride was and suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I started to have a panic attack and I don’t remember much else about the ride. Afterwards, I said I would never ride again. But the more I thought about it, I felt like I would have more control knowing the wind was coming. And also, I’d be wearing a mask which would certainly help. So I decided to give it another try!
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I actually loved it!! When I first sat down, I could already feel a fan lightly blowing. So I found where it was coming from and when the ride started, I put my hands over the fan. It was so much more enjoyable without the wind! I was so proud of myself for trying again 🤣 My only complaint is that the pre shows are waaaay too long.
It was now just about 10am so I made my way back over to Safari. I was greeted by a line, extending way beyond the queue, and a 50 minute wait. I had made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to stress and worry about silly things on this trip so I made the decision to purchase Genie+. I don’t necessarily regret it however, at the end of the day, I’m not sure it was worth my money in this instance. I had about 10 minutes until my Safari LL so I wandered a bit.
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I googled this- it’s says, Can You Feel The Love Tonight? 😍
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After mobile ordering some lunch, I made my way towards Satuli Canteen. Passed a flotilla on the way!
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For lunch I got the cheeseburger pods. First time trying them! I have to be honest, I’m not sure they deserve all the hype. They were pretty dry and bland. I could really only taste the ground beef. They definitely needed more cheese and pickles.
After lunch, I decided to walk the animal trails. First stop was gorilla falls and then over to to Maharajah. And yes I realize I was backtracking a lot but that was the great thing about being solo. I was originally planning to do gorilla falls right after the Safari but I was hungry! So food first and then I walked right back over to where I was 🤣
When I was entering Gorilla Falls, a CM at the entrance was telling everyone that the gorillas would likely not be out today 🤦🏻‍♀️ Womp womp. It was just too cold!
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