DVC_for_me!
06-06-2008, 08:32 AM
A couple months ago I realized I had a free flight that would expire mid-June. So, what better place to go but WDW? And after reading so many great posts about solo trips, I decided it was time to try one of my own. So, I arranged a few days off work, ditched the kids and went on a quick (way TOO quick) solo trip.
Monday, June 2, I got up at 5am, packed my carryon, fed the DDs 3&6, got them dressed, chased them around with hair and toothbrushes, got DD6 on the bus, DD3 to day care, soon-to-be-due books to the library, dog to the kennel, extra clothes for DDs to ex's house for the 3 days, eat leftover pizza slice in the car for brunch and get to the airport by 11 for noon flight. Security takes all of about 3 minutes and there's extra seats in Business Class, which is cheap to upgrade into at the gate for AirTran. So, by 11:45, I'm sitting in the plane with a glass (OK, it was plastic) of wine, ready to begin my relaxing trip.
MCO was almost deserted as was the DME counter. My bus to SSR loaded within 10 minutes and SSR was the first stop of 3. I walked into the Carriage House and had my pick of CMs to help me check in. I had asked for Congress Park and got a great studio (1105) on the first floor, facing the water on the DTD side. Everything went so perfectly, I felt like a queen!
I grabbed dinner at Artist's Palette and ate in the room, relaxing a bit before my planned excursion to DTD and Adventurer's Club. I had never been to AC, but had heard lots of great things about it and was looking forward to checking it out.
Around 6 I head to DTD, taking my time to really look at things because usually, I'm just watching to make sure one of the kids doesn't make a run for it. Lots of great stuff to see and buy. It was so nice to just browse in WOD by myself! Oh and has the carousel always been there? I've seen the lame train ride, but this was the first time I noticed a carousel.
Anyway, by the time I'm done with shopping, it's a whopping 7:30 and I figure, PI MUST be open by now. I mean it's Disney, made for geeks like me who don't stay up late. WRONG! So, I buy my ticket, buy a jungle punch (mmmmmmm) from one of the vendors and wander around for 40 minutes. I wait until 10 after 8, thinking I'll just walk in with the rest of the crowd. Yeah, the ticket person tells me I'm the first one there! At first I feel kind of lame, but then I realize I actually get some time to look at all the cool stuff they have around this place. And I got to meet ALL the characters up close and personal because for the first 45 minutes, it was just me, Bill the regular, the cast and the two bartenders. It was fun because they were all just messing around with not having anyone there. The bartender (Tim, from near Buffalo) even went to another bar, got some shaved ice and made snowballs that he was lobbing at the actors. The real skits were funny too, by then it had started to fill up. I went back to the room around 10:30, thoroughly exhausted. KUNGALOOSH!
Tuesday, I had a Keys to the Kingdom tour scheduled at 9am, so up early. I'm out the room door by 8, get all the way to the bus stop, realize I didn't put on sunscreen, back to the room, spray it on, back to the bus stop, oh no, no sunglasses!, back to the room, back to the bus stop and walk right onto the MK bus. PHEW!
The tour was absolutely fabulous! I had Rae for a guide and she was awesome! I can only hope I get her when I go back for another one! After the tour, I'm hot and sticky, but decide to stick it out at MK because I know once I'm back in the room, I probably won't want to go back to a park. So, BTMR 4 times, POC and my first dole whip, then back to the room for a shower and clothes change.
I decide to go to the Turf Club for dinner and walk in for my big table of one. It's absolutely dead in there, so I easily get a table by a window. This is my favorite restaurant on property (and I admit, there a quite a few I've not hit yet) and it was again a fantastic meal. And not once did I feel out of place for being alone. Of course, it helped that they weren't busy, but the waitress would stop for a minute, and one of the other waitors stopped every once in a while to just chit chat for a minute. It was a nice way to keep me from feeling too exposed as a single. I took dessert home for an in-room breakfast Wednesday.
Wednesday I slept in. OK, it was only till 8, but in my house it's usually 5:30-6am, so it really was a treat. Had breakfast in front of the tv and to Epcot by 10. I spent the whole day at Epcot doing all the rides I wanted, M:S (green of course), SE, Turtle Talk, Soarin X3. Everything was basically walk on with a 5-10 minute wait. Of course, Soarin was longer, but I had 2 FPs and one standby and 2 of these times I got pulled ahead because they needed a single rider. That was pretty awesome!
Then headed to WS where I had fish 'n chips 'n beer for lunch, watched 4 street shows, the American Adventure (never been before), taking as long as I wanted to do everything. I ended up in Mexico for nachos and a margarita for supper. NOT my most nutritious day ever, but I'm sure I walked/sweated most of it off!
I was,lamely, back in the room by 7, but then settled in for a nice cryfest on Lifetime Movie Network. Ahh the luxury of it all! And wasn't that what this trip was all about?!
Caught the 6:30am DME bus to MCO on Thursday for my 9:30 flight. As usual, got there with tons of time to spare so sat and relaxed at Starbucks and had coffee and a scone for breakfast. Then hopped through security (seriously, it took me less than 10 minutes!) and to the gate and my flight.
Overall, it was an exceptional trip. I was nervous about going alone, but never felt out of place. I proved to myself I can do it, so maybe the next solo trip will just have to be longer!
Monday, June 2, I got up at 5am, packed my carryon, fed the DDs 3&6, got them dressed, chased them around with hair and toothbrushes, got DD6 on the bus, DD3 to day care, soon-to-be-due books to the library, dog to the kennel, extra clothes for DDs to ex's house for the 3 days, eat leftover pizza slice in the car for brunch and get to the airport by 11 for noon flight. Security takes all of about 3 minutes and there's extra seats in Business Class, which is cheap to upgrade into at the gate for AirTran. So, by 11:45, I'm sitting in the plane with a glass (OK, it was plastic) of wine, ready to begin my relaxing trip.
MCO was almost deserted as was the DME counter. My bus to SSR loaded within 10 minutes and SSR was the first stop of 3. I walked into the Carriage House and had my pick of CMs to help me check in. I had asked for Congress Park and got a great studio (1105) on the first floor, facing the water on the DTD side. Everything went so perfectly, I felt like a queen!
I grabbed dinner at Artist's Palette and ate in the room, relaxing a bit before my planned excursion to DTD and Adventurer's Club. I had never been to AC, but had heard lots of great things about it and was looking forward to checking it out.
Around 6 I head to DTD, taking my time to really look at things because usually, I'm just watching to make sure one of the kids doesn't make a run for it. Lots of great stuff to see and buy. It was so nice to just browse in WOD by myself! Oh and has the carousel always been there? I've seen the lame train ride, but this was the first time I noticed a carousel.
Anyway, by the time I'm done with shopping, it's a whopping 7:30 and I figure, PI MUST be open by now. I mean it's Disney, made for geeks like me who don't stay up late. WRONG! So, I buy my ticket, buy a jungle punch (mmmmmmm) from one of the vendors and wander around for 40 minutes. I wait until 10 after 8, thinking I'll just walk in with the rest of the crowd. Yeah, the ticket person tells me I'm the first one there! At first I feel kind of lame, but then I realize I actually get some time to look at all the cool stuff they have around this place. And I got to meet ALL the characters up close and personal because for the first 45 minutes, it was just me, Bill the regular, the cast and the two bartenders. It was fun because they were all just messing around with not having anyone there. The bartender (Tim, from near Buffalo) even went to another bar, got some shaved ice and made snowballs that he was lobbing at the actors. The real skits were funny too, by then it had started to fill up. I went back to the room around 10:30, thoroughly exhausted. KUNGALOOSH!
Tuesday, I had a Keys to the Kingdom tour scheduled at 9am, so up early. I'm out the room door by 8, get all the way to the bus stop, realize I didn't put on sunscreen, back to the room, spray it on, back to the bus stop, oh no, no sunglasses!, back to the room, back to the bus stop and walk right onto the MK bus. PHEW!
The tour was absolutely fabulous! I had Rae for a guide and she was awesome! I can only hope I get her when I go back for another one! After the tour, I'm hot and sticky, but decide to stick it out at MK because I know once I'm back in the room, I probably won't want to go back to a park. So, BTMR 4 times, POC and my first dole whip, then back to the room for a shower and clothes change.
I decide to go to the Turf Club for dinner and walk in for my big table of one. It's absolutely dead in there, so I easily get a table by a window. This is my favorite restaurant on property (and I admit, there a quite a few I've not hit yet) and it was again a fantastic meal. And not once did I feel out of place for being alone. Of course, it helped that they weren't busy, but the waitress would stop for a minute, and one of the other waitors stopped every once in a while to just chit chat for a minute. It was a nice way to keep me from feeling too exposed as a single. I took dessert home for an in-room breakfast Wednesday.
Wednesday I slept in. OK, it was only till 8, but in my house it's usually 5:30-6am, so it really was a treat. Had breakfast in front of the tv and to Epcot by 10. I spent the whole day at Epcot doing all the rides I wanted, M:S (green of course), SE, Turtle Talk, Soarin X3. Everything was basically walk on with a 5-10 minute wait. Of course, Soarin was longer, but I had 2 FPs and one standby and 2 of these times I got pulled ahead because they needed a single rider. That was pretty awesome!
Then headed to WS where I had fish 'n chips 'n beer for lunch, watched 4 street shows, the American Adventure (never been before), taking as long as I wanted to do everything. I ended up in Mexico for nachos and a margarita for supper. NOT my most nutritious day ever, but I'm sure I walked/sweated most of it off!
I was,lamely, back in the room by 7, but then settled in for a nice cryfest on Lifetime Movie Network. Ahh the luxury of it all! And wasn't that what this trip was all about?!
Caught the 6:30am DME bus to MCO on Thursday for my 9:30 flight. As usual, got there with tons of time to spare so sat and relaxed at Starbucks and had coffee and a scone for breakfast. Then hopped through security (seriously, it took me less than 10 minutes!) and to the gate and my flight.
Overall, it was an exceptional trip. I was nervous about going alone, but never felt out of place. I proved to myself I can do it, so maybe the next solo trip will just have to be longer!