A Girl's First Solo Trip - August 2018 *updated 10/9 x2 and COMPLETED!*

[Flamingomo]

August 4th - Disney After Hours, part 2!






After some PhotoPass pictures I got my third treat of the night, a frozen banana. This picture cracks me up. I didn’t even know I could make this face.

We stopped in Adventureland to ride some Magic Carpets. The camel wasn’t spitting, and that’s half the appeal of the ride! It’s so fun to dodge the water! Carpets were looking pretty shabby in general, they could probably use a good refurb. This is my favorite of the spinners. I used to ride it all the time during my College Program.

Big Thunder was our next ride of the night. Always better at night!

Splash Mountain, my favorite, rounded out the mountains!

Samira and Will said goodbye, while I stayed for another ride on a completely empty log. That was kind of eerie but also pretty cool.

When my second ride was completed the park was officially closed. There’s nothing better than an empty Magic Kingdom.

On my way out I was able to grab two more waters from an open stand. I tried to exit through the castle, but was prevented from going to Fantasyland. I did catch a bit of the kiss goodnight from the side.

The PhotoPass lines were really long in the hub on and on Main Street so here’s a selfie instead.

I noticed this PhotoPass CM who was really dedicated to getting that shot.

I walked slowly out of the park, taking in all the details, really enjoying the specialness of Magic Kingdom at night. It never fails to make me feel a little bit emotional if I take the time to savor it.

These vignettes in the store windows are so cute.

I can’t decide which exposure I like better, so here’s both.

They had rearranged the bus stops, so Pop ended up being a little closer, but still far away. And it didn’t matter because Art of Animation came first again. Overall it was a great night and I would recommend Disney After Hours to anyone, especially at Magic Kingdom. Compared to the After Hours I had attended in March I would say the crowd levels were just as low, which makes it a breeze to get on rides. The treats are a nice little bonus! So far, my experience with After Hours has been consistently positive. The next night I had the Passholder event at Magic Kingdom so I was looking forward to comparing and contrasting between the two events.

Once I got home to Pop Century I pretty much went straight to sleep!





Up next: More Magic Kingdom, if you can believe it!​

I am loving your TR! Just a question about After Hours... is this a separate ticket event or is it like the EMH with your resort stay?

 

[paradesintherain]

I've been on a couple times but it's nothing I'd rush back to. If I couldn't get SDD, I'much rather go on TSMM.

Agree with that assessment. But I really love Junkyard Jamboree at DCA!

I love it in there and could walk around for hours looking at all the details

Nobody does details like Disney!

I agree on your assessment of AS2, it is rough especially when you switch tracks, I do like the music and the aliens are very cute!

Good picture of Andy’s footprint!

I was surprised how rough it was since it's new! The aliens are cute, and the music is fun, but nothing beats Mater singing!

I cannot wait to ride Alien SS...The more I read about it the cuter it looks.

I bet you'll really enjoy it, it is a very cute ride!

Glad to see Porridge found his way back to the parks!!

Cute pics with Chewie and Chip & Dale!! You had a lot of great character meets this day!

LOL when all else fails, hide out from the rain in a bathroom stall!

He was very glad too! He'll be making his first trip to Disneyland and Batuu in November!

Thank you! I had so much fun meeting the character this day.

Tried and true method of staying dry! ahah

That picture you got of SDD through the Christmas lights? Really wonderful shot!

Aww thank you!

I am loving your TR! Just a question about After Hours... is this a separate ticket event or is it like the EMH with your resort stay?

Thanks for reading! Sadly, After Hours is a separate ticketed event. But I think it's well worth the price of the ticket, especially at MK!

 

[paradesintherain]

August 6th - A Bump in the Road!






I'll preface this post by saying there's a lot of text!


After I finally made my way out of Toy Story Land I was on the way to Star Tours. Took this shot of Tower way off in the distance using my camera’s zoom.

Ewok Village! Man, I loved those Ewoks as a kid. Turns out, most adults did not.

The closest I’ve been to meeting Darth Vader. Which… is he a ghost here? How is he interacting with Kylo Ren who was born way after Darth died?!

I’ll go with ghost.

Once again i was not the Rebel Spy. I got the Stormtroopers and Darth Vader, Admiral Ackbar and stupid Naboo. Naboo is definitely one of my least favorite sequences.


So here’s where things went downhill for me. Usually in the FP line I’ll refresh for my next FP, and Star Tours was my last of my prebooked 3. However, nothing was showing up except MuppetVision and a few shows. I knew this wasn’t accurate, even though it was a busy day there’s always, at least, Star Tours FPs available with a little refreshing. So I went to Guest Relations. She wasn’t sure what was going on, and it showed that I had redeemed my first 3 FPs. She booked me a Toy Story Mania FP and a MuppetVision, which she insisted was modifiable. So off I went to Toy Story Mania.

My score wasn’t great, but I did get best in vehicle!

The exit for Toy Story Mania is so long now!

At least the exit is well themed!

I quickly realized that the MuppetVision was not modifiable for the rides I wanted. I wanted to book Toy Story Land rides, and maybe Tower of Terror. So back I went to Guest Relations, a little more frustrated than before. I’ve gotten pretty good at refreshing for FPs and this was messing that up.

At this point I had a pretty terrible encounter with a Guest Relations CM. This CM tried to tell me that there had been a policy change and you could only use a FP for a ride once a day which just flabbergasted me. I follow a lot of news sites, and this would be BIG news so I was pretty sure she was wrong. I mean, just the day before I had booked multiple FPs for the same attraction! I asked if it was a written policy somewhere that could be read, or if Disney had made an announcement and he disappeared to the back for me. When he came back he basically told me tough luck, that’s the way it is. He told me he’d book one FP for either Star Tours or Tower of Terror as a favor to me, but that I couldn’t come back to Guest Relations about that issue because that was the way it was. I was just stunned. He was treating me like I was trying to hoodwink them into giving me more FPs, when in reality I just wanted the ability to book them myself!

So I got a Tower FP and then went outside and cried. It was hot and sticky and I was so frustrated, plus I’m just a crier. A very sweet CM stopped and talked to me, and grabbed me a glass of water, but she was going off clock and it wasn’t her area of expertise anyway. I had tweeted Disney asking about a policy change and OF COURSE they said there had been no such policy change and included an IT number for me to call about my issue.

I called the number, eventually got through, and they were able to tell me that one of my original FPs hadn’t been redeemed. Remember when I bailed on my Tower FP? Well apparently since I hadn’t touched my band to the second touch point it hadn’t actually fallen off… at least that’s my best guess. It was such an easy issue to fix and I have no idea why the Guest Relation people I spoke to couldn’t see that same issue. So the CM on the phone booked me a MuppetVision FP and off I went to tap my band.

I tapped my band at MuppetVision, then pulled up the app to try and book another FP, and what do you know, suddenly all the options were showing up again! So I started crying again out of relief and frustration that the CM had treated me so poorly, and also that I could have saved myself some frustration if I’d just tapped out that earlier MuppetVision FP I booked.

Obviously my tears alarmed the CMs working nearby and they immediately grabbed their manager. I vented to her my situation and my irritation at that CM doling out incorrect information and I explained that I was just relieved I had finally got the issue fixed.

This CM was AMAZING, and went above and beyond to rectify the situation. She immediately pulled out 5 paper FPs and gave them to me, got me a bottle of water, and offered to walk me to any attraction or experience, including any Toy Story ride. I really didn’t want to take advantage, and I was just relieved to have somebody care and listen to me, so I mentioned that I’d had a really great experience with Chip and Dale earlier so she suggested Mickey and Minnie. She brought me to a side door and I thanked her profusely for her kindness. In all my year going to Disney I had never been so out of sorts about a CM interaction, and in all my years going to Disney I’ve never had a more caring CM willing to go above and beyond for a guest. So thank you, Steph, you are truly an exemplary Disney CM!


Alright, drama complete, let’s get back to the good stuff, aka meeting Mickey and Minnie! I was a little worse for wear after all my darn tears, so these pictures aren’t my favorite but that’s ok. Minnie was up first! This was my first time meeting her in her glamorous star outfit.

I had left Porridge sticking out of my purse, but when Minnie saw him she had to meet him!

I got some big hugs from the main mouse himself!

He’s so cute in his sorcerer outfit!

I debated what to do next to improve my spirits, and realized the only thing to be done was to get some warm hugs from everyone’s favorite snowman!

I think it’s pretty obvious this helped my mood tremendously.

He’s a cute little snowman, and I adore his set.

I decided the final step to getting over the drama earlier was vodka, so I moseyed on over to the Brown Derby Lounge and ordered myself a double cranberry vodka.

Then it was back to Launch Bay for some more character meets since I was really enjoying them. Rey and Chewie were walking by!

In Launch Bay I immediately ran into some Stormtroopers who interacted with me for a long time. Unfortunately, since I was still by myself I have no photos of the moment. I told them I was in the Resistance and they tried to get me to throw the Porg in the trash! I gently reminded them how both Death Stars had been destroyed, as well as Starkiller Base. The Resistance is strong!


Chewie’s wait was short, and I guess it must have been a meal time because Chewie had forgotten all about Porgs being friends and now wanted to snack on poor Porridge!

Chewie, you can’t eat this Porg!!

“I’m hungry!”

He wasn’t too pleased that I wouldn’t feed him my Porg, but he gave me a hug anyway. And I encouraged him to eat a churro instead.

BB-8 had no wait so I visited him next. We talked all about Porgs and the Stormtroopers in the area.

How am I laughing so hard at a droid who only beeps?!

We also talked about R2 and how much I love them. BB8 showed me him on the monitors behind him!

Look at him leaning in for the picture!

Up next: Samira and Will arrive in the park!​

 

[buzzrelly]

Jeez! That sounds like an awful CM interaction! I'm glad the other CM made up for it after, but still. I don't know why CMs feel like they have to make stuff up sometimes. I'd rather just have them say they don't know something than tell me lies.

Looks like your character meets made you feel better though

 

[suse66]

So remember I said I felt lucky that I hadn’t been caught out in the downpour… but then I felt unlucky because the exit of Swirling Saucers is immediately uncovered. Like it’s the track to the ride, open the gate and uncovered. Luckily, the CMs were super understanding about letting guests throw on their ponchos before exiting. I was a bit worried since it would slow the loading process for the ride. It was POURING so I booked it to the bathroom across the way. People were just gathering at the entrance… so I sat in one of the many empty stalls. Pro tip? TMI?

pro tip!

On the way out of Toy Story Land I got a good look at Andy’s footprint!

I have never noticed that......must look for it next time in TSL.

Woody’s Lunchbox is an actual lunchbox. Ahhh too cute!

Love this so much!

So here’s where things went downhill for me. Usually in the FP line I’ll refresh for my next FP, and Star Tours was my last of my prebooked 3. However, nothing was showing up except MuppetVision and a few shows. I knew this wasn’t accurate, even though it was a busy day there’s always, at least, Star Tours FPs available with a little refreshing. So I went to Guest Relations. She wasn’t sure what was going on, and it showed that I had redeemed my first 3 FPs. She booked me a Toy Story Mania FP and a MuppetVision, which she insisted was modifiable. So off I went to Toy Story Mania.

TSM is always fun!

At this point I had a pretty terrible encounter with a Guest Relations CM. This CM tried to tell me that there had been a policy change and you could only use a FP for a ride once a day which just flabbergasted me. I follow a lot of news sites, and this would be BIG news so I was pretty sure she was wrong. I mean, just the day before I had booked multiple FPs for the same attraction! I asked if it was a written policy somewhere that could be read, or if Disney had made an announcement and he disappeared to the back for me. When he came back he basically told me tough luck, that’s the way it is. He told me he’d book one FP for either Star Tours or Tower of Terror as a favor to me, but that I couldn’t come back to Guest Relations about that issue because that was the way it was. I was just stunned. He was treating me like I was trying to hoodwink them into giving me more FPs, when in reality I just wanted the ability to book them myself!

Really????? What an *** that CM was!

I called the number, eventually got through, and they were able to tell me that one of my original FPs hadn’t been redeemed. Remember when I bailed on my Tower FP? Well apparently since I hadn’t touched my band to the second touch point it hadn’t actually fallen off… at least that’s my best guess. It was such an easy issue to fix and I have no idea why the Guest Relation people I spoke to couldn’t see that same issue. So the CM on the phone booked me a MuppetVision FP and off I went to tap my band.

so glad you finally got someone to help you!

This CM was AMAZING, and went above and beyond to rectify the situation. She immediately pulled out 5 paper FPs and gave them to me, got me a bottle of water, and offered to walk me to any attraction or experience, including any Toy Story ride. I really didn’t want to take advantage, and I was just relieved to have somebody care and listen to me, so I mentioned that I’d had a really great experience with Chip and Dale earlier so she suggested Mickey and Minnie. She brought me to a side door and I thanked her profusely for her kindness. In all my year going to Disney I had never been so out of sorts about a CM interaction, and in all my years going to Disney I’ve never had a more caring CM willing to go above and beyond for a guest. So thank you, Steph, you are truly an exemplary Disney CM!

That is such a great story! Love when CMs go above and beyond to help out in stressful situations.

I had left Porridge sticking out of my purse, but when Minnie saw him she had to meet him!

The best ever!

He’s so cute in his sorcerer outfit!

I debated what to do next to improve my spirits, and realized the only thing to be done was to get some warm hugs from everyone’s favorite snowman!

Perfect solution!

I decided the final step to getting over the drama earlier was vodka, so I moseyed on over to the Brown Derby Lounge and ordered myself a double cranberry vodka.

Also this........

He wasn’t too pleased that I wouldn’t feed him my Porg, but he gave me a hug anyway. And I encouraged him to eat a churro instead.

How am I laughing so hard at a droid who only beeps?!

Love this picture! So glad the day got better for you.

 

[L_MD]

I've been following along (solo-tripper myself) but this line forced me to comment:

So I got a Tower FP and then went outside and cried. It was hot and sticky and I was so frustrated, plus I’m just a crier.
​

I ALWAYS cry at least once on my Disney vacations! It's just a combination of stress, being hot, some stupid interaction with a guest or a CM or whatever...and then the tears come. So I feel you!

Also, why would someone make something up? If you don't know why there's a problem with the FP, don't make up some bizarre scenario that's simply false. I'm so glad you found some sympathetic and AWESOME CM's to bring your day back up!

 

[LeiaIsAPrincess2]

Omg I would have cried after that CM interaction too! How frustrating and so completely incorrect. I'm glad there were so many other CM's willing to help.

 

[missangelalexis]

Ugh! I am so sorry the CM made you feel so crappy! I totally know how it feels when you just feel so defeated and cry. But Steph sounds like an amazing CM and I'm glad she made it right for you!

And I'm sure hugs from Mickey, Minnie, & Olaf helped!!

Great pics with Chewie & BB-8! I love the one where you are cracking up with BB-8!!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I’m sorry you had such a frustrated experience with the dumb CM

How nice to get a CM to listen to you and help out!

I love all your character meets! Chewy was hungry for your little Porg!!

 

[Cloe Colton]

Wow! I can't imagine how frustrating that would have been and I don't blame you for crying! I'm glad the other CM helped out!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

August 2nd - Travel Day!






After going to bed at 5:30 pm (how did I do this? Why did I not write that down? I’m guessing I stayed awake after working overnight on the first so then I was exhausted nice and early). I woke up dark and early at 2:45. I was dragging a bit and didn’t end up leaving my apartment until about 3:30. I said goodbye to my kitties, who wanted nothing to do with me because I just fed them, then hit the road.

Predictably, there was no traffic at this time in the morning. The airport is only 15-20 minutes from me, so it was a very painless drive. At the shuttle stop in the economy parking there was a real life trash panda! If you’ve seen Guardians of the Galaxy you know what I mean. If not, you’d better see Guardians of the Galaxy!

I called for the parking lot shuttle and then it took FOREVER to stop at every shelter and pick up everyone, and then the shuttle was super crowded. In the end I ended up getting to the airport around 4:30, with a boarding time of 4:50! Luckily I wasn’t checking a bag and security was a breeze. Sadly, Starbucks was not yet open, so I had to make do with a breakfast of champions which was an airport scone and some Diet Coke. I used my beautiful Away suitcase as a table and had a grand old time!

It’s hard to see but my plane ended up being the New Mexico livery! My second time flying with a special livery!

When I got on the plane I tried to sit in the two person exit row and the flight attendant stopped me, very urgently, and asked how old I am. Really?! The minimum age for a person sitting in the exit row is FIFTEEN!

On no planet do I look 15 or younger! I mean, I wasn’t wearing makeup yet, but still. The plane wasn’t full so I didn’t end up with a seatmate, and I got to watch the sun rise from the window. I’d call that a win!

I tried to sleep a bit, but I’m not great at sleeping on planes so I eventually gave up and watched Moana, and ate some Southwest snacks. Southwest always has the best snacks. They’re actually just the best, period.

After Moana I watched some of Coco and then we arrived! I hopped on the fake-o-rail, and then proceeded to get lost looking for Magical Express.

I went to the wrong terminal side, which I believe is A and then I wandered back through a part of the airport I’d never seen before. You’d think after visiting Disney 3 times in less than a year would make me a pro at getting to Magical Express… I eventually made it, and ended up no a Disney Cruise Line bus that was shared with Animal Kingdom Lodge. That was a little knife to my heart, how I’d love to be staying there!

I was able to sit in the front of the bus and snag some pretty decent photos of the most magical gates in existence!

At the time I was really excited to see the progress on the gondolas, though now they’re much further along. But let’s just remember when they looked like this!

Pop Century was the first stop and I soon forgot to feel sad about not staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge! I was actually very excited to be staying at this resort in the newly refurbished rooms.

I had purchased Disney gift cards electronically from Target so that I’d get the 5% discount on them so I could pay for the rest of the hotel room, so that meant I had to check in the old-fashioned way. It also meant that I had to read off 6 very long e-gift card numbers to the very patient CM. Next time I’ll get real gift cards! To save even more money I declined housekeeping for my stay which got me another electronic gift card. It was about 10:40 when I arrived at Pop Century, so I was very surprised when my room was actually ready AND in the location I had requested, basically. I had requested a room that was close to the walkway to Art of Animation, but also still close to the main building at Pop. My room was on the backside, facing Hourglass Lake, and I had requested building 4, but received building 5 in the same location!

Up Next: I check out my room!​

Next time you can combine all those Target gift cards into 1 gift card. Here is the link https://www.disneygiftcard.com/ After you have logged in, click on "Manage Cards" and then "Transfer Balance

 

[miniwinnie]

Better late than never but I'm following along! I am loving your solo trip thus far--especially the photos, their quality is excellent! I'm sorry that you experienced such an awful interaction with that CM, but I'm glad that Steph made up for it and then some.

 

[paradesintherain]

Jeez! That sounds like an awful CM interaction! I'm glad the other CM made up for it after, but still. I don't know why CMs feel like they have to make stuff up sometimes. I'd rather just have them say they don't know something than tell me lies.

Looks like your character meets made you feel better though

It was awful. If you don't know, get a manager or something. Or they could have even suggested I call IT!

But, yeah, the character meets more than made up for it!

pro tip!

I have never noticed that......must look for it next time in TSL.

The hoards of people cleared at just the right moment!

Love this so much!

Me too. What an impossibly cute detail!

TSM is always fun!

Agreed! Especially since I learned some scoring tricks.

Really????? What an *** that CM was!

I was really blown away, it was awful.

so glad you finally got someone to help you!

It was such a relief after being treated like I was trying to scam Disney or something.

That is such a great story! Love when CMs go above and beyond to help out in stressful situations.

The CMs at MuppetVision really saved the day for me. So thankful for them!

The best ever!

Minnie is so sweet!

Perfect solution!

Warm hugs are always a cure-all!

Also this........

And the icing on the cake, haha!

Love this picture! So glad the day got better for you.

Thank you!! I was so grateful to that CM for making me feel better.

I've been following along (solo-tripper myself) but this line forced me to comment:

Hello! Thanks for reading!

I ALWAYS cry at least once on my Disney vacations! It's just a combination of stress, being hot, some stupid interaction with a guest or a CM or whatever...and then the tears come. So I feel you!

Also, why would someone make something up? If you don't know why there's a problem with the FP, don't make up some bizarre scenario that's simply false. I'm so glad you found some sympathetic and AWESOME CM's to bring your day back up!

Aww, and then you get frustrated cause you're crying! (Or at least I do). I remember when I was a kid I cried on our last day because my Simba stuffed animal seemed to have a less fluffy paw than before vacation and that was devastating!

I guess they were just tired of dealing with me, but it definitely blew my mind, and then they were unwilling to show me written proof of the policy (cause it didn't exist). But the good CM more than made up for the bad, thankfully!

Omg I would have cried after that CM interaction too! How frustrating and so completely incorrect. I'm glad there were so many other CM's willing to help.

It was horrible, but luckily the other CMs saved the day!

Ugh! I am so sorry the CM made you feel so crappy! I totally know how it feels when you just feel so defeated and cry. But Steph sounds like an amazing CM and I'm glad she made it right for you!

And I'm sure hugs from Mickey, Minnie, & Olaf helped!!

Great pics with Chewie & BB-8! I love the one where you are cracking up with BB-8!!

It was awful, but now I mostly remember the good CM interaction, luckily!

All the character meets definitely improved my mood!

He must have said something super funny! haha

I’m sorry you had such a frustrated experience with the dumb CM

How nice to get a CM to listen to you and help out!

I love all your character meets! Chewy was hungry for your little Porg!!

It was soooo frustrating, but worked out in the end!

She was a lifesaver (sounds dramatic since it's just a theme park, but it was a huge bummer!)

Thank you, it definitely helped me recover to have some great character meets.

Wow! I can't imagine how frustrating that would have been and I don't blame you for crying! I'm glad the other CM helped out!

Felt so silly to be crying, but it was all just super frustrating and that CM was mean! Very glad other CMs were much nicer!

Next time you can combine all those Target gift cards into 1 gift card. Here is the link https://www.disneygiftcard.com/ After you have logged in, click on "Manage Cards" and then "Transfer Balance

Thanks for the information, I'll keep that in mind!

Better late than never but I'm following along! I am loving your solo trip thus far--especially the photos, their quality is excellent! I'm sorry that you experienced such an awful interaction with that CM, but I'm glad that Steph made up for it and then some.

Thanks for joining in! Sometimes it's nicer to start in towards the end cause you can just binge read everything!

That's so nice of you to say about my photos!!

Steph was just wonderful!

 

[paradesintherain]

August 6th - More Toy Story Land!





After all the drama and character meets Samira and Will came to Hollywood Studios. They had been back at the room resting because Samira had been feeling a bit unwell. I told them about the shenanigans earlier and then we went to RNR to use some of those FPs! Or maybe I just used one to ride with them. Either way, we rode RNR.

It was their first time on RNR, I think they liked it!

We put Will to work and took some pictures in front of Tower of Terror!

I lost a leg!

And a candid. I have no idea what’s happening here!

We wandered toward Toy Story Land as I had a FP for Toy Story Mania (that I had booked myself, on the app thank you very much!).

It was a really beautiful time of day and we had a great time exploring Toy Story Land.

I jumped in line for my Toy Story Mania FP, and I believe Samira and Will had a FP for something else at the same time.

I loved that the safety sign was stuck up there with a giant staple.

My score was worse than earlier, but I still got best in vehicle!

Look how much extra queue there is! I wonder if this is where that newly announced restaurant will go?

The sun was really setting now, and it definitely enhanced Toy Story Land. Not to mention it got less scorching hot.

I tried to zoom in on Star Wars Land with moderate success. Of course, we more or less all know exactly what it looks like now, since it’s open at Disneyland.

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!

The sky looks painted, so cool!

Look at her cute Toy Story outfit!

We ran into a Green Army Man and talked about melting plastic and the heat and all sorts of fun toy things.

I am 100% the WORST at saluting.

We explored a bit more. Remember, Toy Story Land was brand new!

Up next: Evening in DHS!​

 

[paradesintherain]

August 6th - Evening at DHS!






After exploring Toy Story Land for a while Samira and Will went to do their own thing and I headed to Star Tours for another FP.

At Star Tours the sequence was the droid and Stormtroopers, Princess Leia, Kashyyk again and then stupid Coruscant. Can you tell I’m no fan of the prequels? In the dump shop there was a bin fullll of Porgs.

And then, because I apparently love to walk back and forth, I went back to Toy Story Land to see it at night and meet back up with Samira and Will. But I’d also booked a FP for Aliens!

I must admit Toy Story Land is super cute at night. The giant Christmas lights really sell it for me!

We ran into another Green Army Man who gave me a big hug. And apparently we had a pretty deep conversation, though I couldn’t tell you about what!

While we were standing in front of Alien I could have sworn that I saw the giant Buzz Lightyear’s eyes move, which freaked me out. The CM standing nearby agreed that his eyes were super creepy. I rode Alien Swirling Saucer with my FP (boy do I want to abbreviate that ride name).

Love The Claw in the middle!

We had FPs to use at Tower of Terror so I went to meet Samira and Will there. On the way I saw a cute photo op in front of one of the stores!

And then Tower!

The CM told us it was a 5 minute wait so we went to the standby line. Except it never moved, so we ducked under the ropes to instead use our FPs. Only the second touch point wasn’t on, so then I felt like a line cutter. I explained to the merge CM what had happened, thinking he could take our FPs away but he did not care one bit so we just stayed put. We had a fantastic drop sequence that seemed really long!

Then we went our separate ways for good, they had plans to watch Fantasmic. We were all going home the next day and this would be the last time for us to hang out. I was pretty sad the vacation was already coming to an end, but it was so great to meet and spend time with Samira and Will! Plus, I quickly realized I had no time for sadness as it was 7 minutes to park closing and I wanted to get in line for Slinky Dog Dash! So I dashed across the park and made it with 3 minutes to spare.

It was still really hot and sticky in the queue, but at least there was a lot of detail to admire.

It took 33 minutes in the standby line right at park close, which isn’t bad at all. But it did feel like an eternity to me. I was seated in the back of Slinky and it’s way better in the back! It feels faster and you get whipped around a bit more. My ride photo never showed up - I actually have really terrible luck getting ride photos from Slinky. Anyone else?

It was well past park close so there was no place to go but out! Typing up this whole entry I’m amazed at how much time I spent in Hollywood Studios. Seeing Toy Story Land was a big reason I booked the trip, but I’m still pretty impressed I was able to spend a very full day there.

Goodnight Hollywood!

When I got out to the bus stops an Art of Animation bus was there waiting. No sense waiting for a Pop bus! A Pop bus did arrive shortly after I boarded the AoA bus, but the line was super long for it so I doubt I’d have gotten on anyway.


At Art I grabbed a snack from their food court before it closed, and tiredly walked back to my room.

Back at Pop I went to the front desk to ask for late check-out and was denied late check-out. I did go ahead and pay off the rest of my charges with gift cards, though! I ate my snack, packed and organized the room a bit and then went to bed after a very long day!





Up Next: Departure day!​

 

[missangelalexis]

​

This picture is the cutest!!

Sounds like such a fun time! Your pics of TSL are gorgeous with the sun setting!

It's great that you got to meet and spend so much time with Samira & Will! I'm sure it was sad to say goodbye!

 

[Steppesister]

What a long day at DHS! And with a bit of a blip with stress and frustration, yes, I'd say you needed a little drink to put some chill on. Good girl! I had a frustrating moment or two in the past too and they are never fun. Especially when it involves the CMs who are supposed to do the opposite.

I loved your character interactions along the way!

 

[paradesintherain]

This picture is the cutest!!

Sounds like such a fun time! Your pics of TSL are gorgeous with the sun setting!

It's great that you got to meet and spend so much time with Samira & Will! I'm sure it was sad to say goodbye!

Thank you, I love that pic too. Maybe I'll bring the Porg to Disneyland and recreate it haha.

Sunsets in Florida are so fantastic!!

It was an awesome way to meet and hang out with them, so glad I went on this trip.

What a long day at DHS! And with a bit of a blip with stress and frustration, yes, I'd say you needed a little drink to put some chill on. Good girl! I had a frustrating moment or two in the past too and they are never fun. Especially when it involves the CMs who are supposed to do the opposite.

I loved your character interactions along the way!

Yeah I would figure Guest Service CMs to really relieve stressful situations! Luckily, bad CMs have been a rare occurrence for me, in general. The drink definitely helped!

Thanks, it was a great day for characters, and Hollywood Studios has all my favorites!

 

[paradesintherain]

August 7th - Departure Day!



We've basically made it to the end, guys! Which is just in time because in less than a month I'll be in Disneyland! Thinking I'll try to write my first Disneyland TR...




Sadly, today was departure day and I woke up around 9, which was much earlier than I wanted. My room phone kept ringing, but when I’d answer no one was there. Tactic to get people up and out of their rooms?? Plus they were out mowing, so that ruined the peacefulness of the area. I debated which park to go to while I finished packing. I still had 3 paper FPs for Hollywood Studios and it was close, but I had just been there the night before. I also really wanted to return to Animal Kingdom since I hadn’t ridden Dinosaur. In the end Hollywood was easier so that’s where I decided to go.

Before I headed to a park I tried to check my bags, but the line was really long and there was a lady behind me who kept bumping into me, and when I moved to the opposite side of the line she followed! Plus she was doing this disgusting throat clearing thing so I decided checking my bag wasn’t that important, I’d just take it as a carry-on again! I left my bags will bell services and hopped on a bus to Hollywood.

I arrived there around 11:20. Love getting that green Mickey, so satisfying.

Since my sleep was interrupted I was in dire need of some Starbucks.

Starbucks in hand I continued on to Toy Story Land to use a FP at Toy Story Mania. I believe this is one I had refreshed to get, since the paper FPs weren’t good for anything in Toy Story Land.

On this ride I did much better than previous rides, and so close to breaking 200,000! I decided that was my goal for the day: break 200,000.

There was a PP CM in the Toy Story Mania exit, next to the popsicle wall and I couldn’t pass that up.

I then asked the CM for a photo with just the popsicle wall, which really wasn’t the photo he was doing, but he obliged.

Back out into the heat of the land!

Ugh at all these hideous umbrellas.

I ran into a Green Army Man, and we had a great conversation about not losing any parts and sun safety. The soldier asked to take a picture with my etch-a-sketch (umm how adorable is that?) and a dad nearby offered to take a picture. I was skeptical but he did a great job! Again, my saluting leaves much to be desired.

I had an hour until my next FP so I went to Star Tours to use a paper FP. I watched a bit of the Jedi Training show.

When I redeemed my paper FP at Star Tours I walked straight to the merge point without stopping. I feel like that never happens! The sequence was all prequels and I was especially disappointed that I didn’t even get to plow over Jar Jar in the Naboo sequence. And the guests I rode with were so annoying and loud - making fake noises of surprise.

I was feeling pretty hungry and regretting my decision to come to a park that’s a black hole for quick service choices. I remembered loving the cobb salad at Brown Derby Lounge, but there was no way I wanted to sit outside in the heat. I browsed around on the app hoping for Mama Melrose, but found a Hollywood Brown Derby ADR for 1:10. Score!

I checked into my lunch ADR a bit early, but it was nice to be in AC.

Here’s a picture on the wall of the original Brown Derby in Hollywood.

I browsed around on the app a bit and noticed that Tower of Terror had a 110 minute wait while Slinky Dog was posting a 70 minute wait. I figured that meant all the elevators weren’t running again.

There was some entertainment as I waited for my table. An streetmosphere sort of actor who was very full of himself was roaming around the lobby and bragging about himself to the CMs working there!

I was seated at a nice two-top near the entrance. It was great because I could easily people watch.

That same self-absorbed actor ended up plunking himself down in the seat across from me. He encouraged me to partake in a liquid lunch, as he was fond of doing, and then threw money at me for the first round. Unfortunately it was play money. He asked what I do and when I told him that I’m a nurse he said, “helloooooooo nurse!”, and then “I like nurses but I don’t like to nurse my drink.” Well who does? He eventually sat down at another table and said to a young boy with spiky hair “who are you and why is your hair so surprised to see me?” Oh my goodness, he was just hilarious.

Here he is throwing money at the little boy.

And my unfortunate play money.

I ordered the Cobb salad. #1 because I had loved it when I had it at the lounge, and #2 because it was basically the cheapest entree on the menu! This is a signature restaurant, after all! Here’s before mixing:

And after mixing:

Our Famous Cobb Salad - with Finely Chopped Greens, Turkey Breast, Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Avocado, Chives, and Cobb Dressing


And as an added bonus to eating inside - bread service! This was your basic sourdough roll with some butter, but I’m a huge fan of sourdough so this made me very happy.

The salad was just as good as I remembered it. Sometimes the blue cheese can give a funky note to the salad, but all in all it works really well, and I love how finely chopped the ingredients are. Give me a well mixed, chopped salad any day over a wedge salad!


After lunch I went back to Star Tours to use another FP.

Star Tours was some more prequels scenes, and Kashyyk. Which I think is technically a prequels scene. Also, can the podracing sequence just not exist? I loathe it! While I was in the area I decided it was a good idea to meet Chip and Dale again. On my way I admired Miss Piggy’s fountain.

Up next: some character meets! ​

 

[paradesintherain]

August 7th - The End!






After my excellent lunch at Brown Derby, I was on my way to meet Chip and Dale! I don’t really know what happened during the Chip and Dale meet since it was a year ago and I forgot to write about it. But from the pictures it seems like they were as cute as ever!

They love giving kisses.

It was pretty hot, especially since I was a dope who had worn a black shirt, so Launch Bay was in order.

Ah, there it is. I live for this symmetry.

As usual I got straight in line for Chewie. Stormtroopers were making their rounds.

It was a pretty quick interaction with Chewie but he did give me some great hugs. Although from the looks of it I attacked him for hugs.

I told Chewie, very animatedly, that I had just flown to Kashyyk on Star Tours.

Then we posed for some image scanning.

I got one more Chewie hug and then headed out.

I debated meeting Kylo, but the wait time was 15 minutes. Then I realized there was actually no one in line so I walked right in. I wrote that it was an “ok interaction” though my faces would indicate that he intimidated me, yet again!

I did much better at posing for a menacing photo. Don’t mess with me!

Meeting Star-Lord sounded fun, but his queue was extending outside the designated area, so I passed on that. Instead I went back to Star Tours for the third time and used a paper FP.

The sequence was a bit better this time, I got to see Hoth! I miss Crait a lot, that scene was so cool.

I went back to Toy Story Land to use my next Toy Story Mania FP. In the queue I gave away my last paper FP because I just wasn’t feeling up to walking over to Tower of Terror, even though it’s my favorite. I did book another Toy Story Mania FP in the queue though! My score got a little worse this time.

I exited the ride.

And then immediately got back in line with the FP I had just booked! Love this strategy. And guess what! This time I broke 200,000 by a decent amount!

Best in vehicle and best this hour!

I was so ecstatic. In all my years of playing, on both coasts, I’ve never broken 200,000.

It was such a high note, that I decided it was the perfect time to head out of the park. But not without taking more pictures! Like, just look at these adorable benches made out of train track pieces.

Goodbye to my beloved tower!

Goodbye Great Movie Ride! Oh wait…

Back at the hotel I gathered my belongings, changed out of shorts into better plane clothes (I can’t fly in shorts), and waited around in the lobby for my Magical Express to the airport. Check out my beautiful Away suitcase <3

I guess the trip was over in my mind because I stopped taking notes. So sometime, the Magical Express arrived. I was sad.

Not as much fun seeing this sight on your way back to the airport.

At the airport I noticed this sign. Ugh, break my heart Orlando!

In the airport I got a little meal. We’re not in Disney anymore…

My flight must have been uneventful because I remember nothing about it. Plus it’s Southwest and they’re just lovely. And before I was ready I was back home, and my first solo trip to Disney World was over.

It was a great trip, despite one bump, and some heat, and I’m so glad Samira and Will let me crash their vacation! It was a great way to tie a bow on my very first Annual Pass, but hopefully not last! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and comment (or just lurk!).


And just as soon as I get back from Disneyland I'll post a link to that TR here. ​