A Solo WDW Adventure: New Experiences, Repeat Highlights, & More! Oct. 2-9, 2017! *COMPLETED 12/20*

Introducing my next Trip Report!!!

I will be traveling to the Disneyland Resort really soon to experience all of the Christmas offerings! I hope all of you will be able to join me as I travel through my favorite Disney Resort, as well as, my hometown area of Southern California!

Just click the title of my trip report below, and it will take you right to my trip report.

The title of my next trip report is...

A Solo Trip: It's the Spirit of the Season at the Disneyland Resort!

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you on my new trip report. Stay tuned to this one as I will still have updates coming out from this trip to Walt Disney World!
 
Last edited:
Day 5: A Day In My Favorite Park!​

Welcome to day 5 of my trip report! Today would be a fun day for me as I would be experiencing a tour that I have done before, as well as, exploring my favorite park at Walt Disney World. That park is Disney’s Animal Kingdom!





Normally, I would be going straight for Pandora this morning, but the crowd to get into Pandora was the worst I had seen it before the park opened. So, I elected to go the other way toward Expedition Everest. While I was waiting for the park to open, I figured I would take a selfie with the Tree of Life in the background.



The park finally opened! While everyone was heading to Flight of Passage, I was heading to Expedition Everest. That is until I realized something. I saw Mickey and Minnie waving people to come in and meet them, but no one was doing that. So, I decided to stop and take a picture with Mickey and Minnie with no line! I ended up being 2nd in line, but that is better than waiting 20-30 minutes to meet them. Plus, I knew Expedition Everest was still going to be a walk-on. I really like the outfits that Mickey and Minnie wear in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!







After taking a picture with Mickey and Minnie, it was time to head to Asia and ride my favorite Disney rollercoaster, Expedition Everest!







Sitting in the front row of Expedition Everest gives you a great view at the top of the mountain. I always say it is worth the extra wait if you ask a CM to sit there.

After riding Expedition Everest, I decided to give Primeval Whirl a try. I don’t really like the rollercoaster, but it was a walk-on.





I would then make my way to Dinosaur!





So, within the first 30-45 minutes, I had my picture taken with Mickey and Minnie, I had been on Expedition Everest, been on Primeval Whirl, and been on Dinosaur. At this point, I was hungry. So, I made my way to Starbucks to have a Mickey cinnamon roll. This was actually disgusting. There was something about it that eventually got to me and said not to eat anymore. So, I ended up throwing it away.



Next, I wanted to meet Timon again, but this time, I asked him to do something special. I asked him if we could do the hula. Yep, the hula. Those of you that have seen the Lion King know why I would have asked him to do this. What was great is, Timon accepted!!! :D





Now, it was time to head into Africa.



I was making my way to see my favorite show at Walt Disney World, the Festival of the Lion King!!!



Before I entered the line, I had to take a picture of the Flight of Passage queue. This was around 10:30 a.m.



I had a great time seeing the Festival of the Lion King. I have probably seen this show over a hundred times or it just feels that way. The best thing is that this show never gets old for me.





It was then time for me to head to the next tour that I booked for this trip!!!
 


Day 5: Wild Africa Trek - Part 1!​

One of my favorite tours I have ever done at Walt Disney World was the Wild Africa Trek. Therefore, I decided to do this tour again.



When you arrive, you go through all of the set-up. That is to get your vest on, put your backpack in the locker, see if they can put a hook on your phone case (if not you can’t take your phone), etc. If you can’t take your phone, no need to worry. Disney gives you complimentary pictures of your tour which ended up being so much better than my personal ones.

We first made our way through Gorilla Falls where we would see some different types of animals and birds.













We would then go up an exclusive pathway where I would finally see a meerkat! I want to say thank you to our guide that took a great photo of the meerkat for me!



We would then be making our way to the hippo pool where we would get to see them receive food. When we got there, they were both asleep. To our luck though, the hippo animal keeper was able to wake them up so we got to see them with their mouth open up close.







Here is a picture of me with the hippos.



It was then time for the scariest part of the journey! That is to walk across the bridges that don’t have planks next to each other! Now, how is that scary? Oh, maybe you can fall through. Nah, there’s a net underneath. Oh wait, did I mention the bridges go over the alligators? So yeah…This is definitely scary. I’m sorta kidding. This is actually a lot of fun, and I really enjoy this part of the tour. It does benefit having long legs at certain parts of the bridges though.









The alligators from the bridge:



A picture of me with the alligators:



I don’t know about you, but this picture scares me.



After visiting the alligators, we could finally take off our vests, and it was time to board our vehicle. We made our way into the African savanna where we first come across the African Wild Dogs. I find them to be one of the cutest creatures.



We would then come across the giraffes and the wildebeest.



Giraffes are one of my favorite animals. I feel like I resemble a giraffe really well since I am tall.











Here is me taking a picture of the giraffes on my phone.



A picture of more wildebeests:



I forget what these longhorn creatures are, but I find them cool looking.



Our last stop before taking a break and having a snack was the Elephants!





The baby elephant, Stella, that was born this year also gave us an experience by running to the rest of the elephants. It was definitely an awesome sight.



It was time for a snack!!!
 
Day 5: Wild Africa Trek - Part 2!​

After a great first half of the tour, we made our way to the savanna outlook location where we would have a snack waiting for us. This location is great to take pictures of the savanna, and it offers great views of several of the animals.













The area also has a walkway where you can walk to where you might catch the zebras, rhinos, or even possibly the lions.







It was now time to eat. The snacks are very delicious. I particularly really liked the hummus and whatever the yellow potato salad looking thing was.





There was a drink that was also really delicious. It was some type of juice that I got addicted to rather quickly.



Here is a picture of me sitting at the table. Don’t worry. That is not sweat on my shirt. Once you board the vehicle for the savanna, they give you a free ice cold cloth which feels really good on a hot day.



After a nice snack with spending about 30 minutes on the outlook location, it was time to continue our safari tour.

We would come across the rhino.



We would also come across the zebras.



The cheetahs wanted to hide from us, but we still spotted them.



The last animals we would come across are the warthogs. I got to see Pumba!!! :D



The tour would quickly came to an end. Going on this tour, you automatically donate to the Disney Conservation Fund, and I really like that you get the option to pick an animal that you might like or were touched seeing while on the tour to donate towards.

We would go back to the starting point of the tour to retrieve our bags and other items. This is where they gave us the code to our pictures. Also, we got to keep a water bottle that we were given at the start of the tour.

Overall, I really like this tour. It is a fun experience. Here is what I began to notice on this particular tour. It might have been due to the size of our tour being really small, but I really felt lonely. I say that to the point where we had the snacks, everyone really kept to themselves. I highly recommend this tour if you have someone to go with you. If not, you will still have a great time, but just realize that there might be times where you aren’t socializing with anyone.

I hope all of you enjoyed a look into my experience on the Wild Africa Trek! It was now time to adventure into Animal Kingdom some more.
 
Day 5: A Day In Animal Kingdom Continued!​

After the tour, I made my way along the back pathway where I always get my favorite picture of the Tree of Life.



I would then head to see Finding Nemo: The Musical! I find this show to be really cute, but some aspects of the show really don’t amuse me. I’m more into the Festival of the Lion King.





Let the rain begin! Yep! As soon as the show finished, the rain started. Also, what better ride to go on in the rain than Expedition Everest?



When I was in line, my name popped up on one of the travel posters saying I’m a friendly tour guide.



After riding Expedition Everest in the rain, I realized I forgot my phone chargers in my hotel room. Now, I didn't just have one phone charger, I had two. I also forgot both of them. So, that made me leave Disney’s Animal Kingdom for about 45 minutes or so. However, as soon as I exited the park, the rain decided to pour. Between the exit and the bus stop, my shoes and socks were soaked. I couldn’t believe how hard the rain decided to fall at that point since I have never experienced that before.



I would eventually get back to my hotel room and back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At this point, I was hungry so I made my way to the Nomad Lounge.





I would order the chicken wings, the churros, and the hibiscus henna. This is one of my favorite places to get a light meal, and it has one of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks.





Next, what better attraction to ride at night than Kali River Rapids!



At this point, it was time for me to go get a spot for Rivers of Light, so I was off to the theater!
 


Day 5: Rivers of Light + Pandora At Night!​

I arrived at the theater for Rivers of Light, and I ended up getting a good spot.

I also read that a couple days prior that the performers on the boats started walking through the crowd like they were originally supposed to. So, it was really cool to get up close with their costumes. I really liked this change, and I think it added to the experience.









Next, it was time for the show! Enjoy the pictures that I took of the show.

































I really enjoy Rivers of Light. I know that it has gotten a lot of mixed reviews, but I really enjoy it. I find it to be the perfect fit for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The soundtrack is amazing. I listen to it often in my car as I’m driving. :D The show is just beautiful in many ways. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend to give it a try.

After the show, I made my way to Pandora to experience this amazing land at night! This is when I would get in line for Flight of Passage which I find to be one of the best theme park rides ever made!







I am still amazed by this animatronic in the Flight of Passage queue!



Riding Flight of Passage would end my amazing and crazy day at my favorite theme park at Walt Disney World. It was time for me to head to the bus and get a good nights sleep, because I had another busy day ahead of me.
 
Awesome day! I have always wanted to do the Wild Africa Trek. Maybe on one of my 2018 trips I finally will. Animal Kingdom is simply the best.
 
You have the best adventures! The tour looks amazing! It's too bad that people weren't more social. It's a bummer when you are in a group and no one is interested in chatting, especially when you are sharing such a neat experience.
Rivers of Light gets a bad rap from some but I like it waaay more than WDW Fantasmic. It's probably my favorite show. I never knew that the performers didn't always walk the crowd. I thought that was the best part!
 
rteetz said:
Awesome day! I have always wanted to do the Wild Africa Trek. Maybe on one of my 2018 trips I finally will. Animal Kingdom is simply the best.
Click to expand...
It's definitely worth doing once. I would definitely do it. I have never done one of the morning ones, but it is cheaper to do it in the afternoon. There is an AP discount as well.
 
Capang said:
You have the best adventures! The tour looks amazing! It's too bad that people weren't more social. It's a bummer when you are in a group and no one is interested in chatting, especially when you are sharing such a neat experience.
Rivers of Light gets a bad rap from some but I like it waaay more than WDW Fantasmic. It's probably my favorite show. I never knew that the performers didn't always walk the crowd. I thought that was the best part!
Click to expand...
I agree with you 1,000%. In my mind, the Fantasmic at DHS is the worst theme park show in a Disney Park between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I try to avoid their Fantasmic if I possibly can...The performers for Rivers of Light did not walk the crowd anytime I was there between the start of the show and early September. I don't remember exactly when they started walking the crowd.
 
AMusicLifeForMe said:
I agree with you 1,000%. In my mind, the Fantasmic at DHS is the worst theme park show in a Disney Park between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I try to avoid their Fantasmic if I possibly can...The performers for Rivers of Light did not walk the crowd anytime I was there between the start of the show and early September. I don't remember exactly when they started walking the crowd.
Click to expand...
We saw it Sept 15 and they were walking, so maybe after the hurricane? It was also cool because there was a lightning storm in the background; it was juuusst far enough away to prevent the show from getting cancelled, but added to the ambiance to see lightning streak across the sky in the distance!
 
Lesley Wake said:
We saw it Sept 15 and they were walking, so maybe after the hurricane? It was also cool because there was a lightning storm in the background; it was juuusst far enough away to prevent the show from getting cancelled, but added to the ambiance to see lightning streak across the sky in the distance!
Click to expand...
For a second there, I totally thought you were talking about Fantasmic lol. I once saw Wishes in the middle of a lightning storm. To this day, that is one of the best performances of Wishes i ever saw. I feel like lightning adds to any show.
 
Day 6: Morning At EPCOT + Behind the Seeds!​

Good morning from EPCOT! I would not park hop on this day, and it was also a Saturday. I would quickly realize that was a bad decision, but more on that later.



I would have time to go on the new green mission at Mission Space. The new mission has grown on me over time, and I am really starting to enjoy it.



After that, I made my way to the Food & Wine Festival Center to check on the merchandise, and just walk around.



I would then make my way over to The Land Pavilion since I had a tour booked to go behind the scenes of the green houses!



I would be going on the Behind the Seeds Tour for the first time!



We would quickly start our tour, and our guide was very knowledgeable about the whole area. It was fun to see the boats going by us.





This plant moves it’s leaves closed if you touch a branch which was really fascinating.



Our guide was really enthusiastic about this, and I think this is what he was doing in the green houses as his study. This is a different way that you can plant some plants that could be more friendly to the environment if I remember correctly.



We would adventure down the path some more.



I love how they are shaping some of the fruits/vegetables into Mickey Ears.



Our tour guide was awesome explaining all the areas of the green houses!



I like the 35 on the other side of the boat track! On our side, the plants said EPCOT.



Some more exploring through the green houses.









We would then make our way into the fish farm.





I got to feed the fish!!!



Banana tree:





This is a very tall tree in the first green house on the boat ride. It is missed how tall this tree is because of the roof on the boats.



I found a hidden Mickey! :D



We then got to guess what certain types of spices were. I chose spice #6.



As we walked back, I caught a picture of a water hose in the shape of a Mickey.



The Behind the Seeds Tour was very interesting. However, I eventually got bored. Science really isn’t my thing, but I always wanted to do this tour. I don’t know if I would ever do it again for that reason, but it was still a fun experience.

It was now lunch time, and I had reservations at Teppan Edo! So, I had to walk all the way to the Japan Pavilion.



I would order the wonton soup as an appetizer. It was very good, but you have to like the flavor in order to really like it though.



They give you a salad as part of your meal.



One of the best parts about eating here is it is also a show. The chef will cook the meal in front of you since this is a hibachi restaurant.



Volcano!!!



I’m pretty sure each meal got noodles.



The sauces that come with the meat are also really good.



I would also get steamed rice with my meal. I think if you want brown rice, it is an extra charge.



The entree I ordered was the Julienne Beef which was teriyaki sauce and beef. This is my favorite entree to get at this restaurant.



One thing to note about Teppan Edo...If you ever eat here, make sure you know that you will be eating with other guests unless you have a party of 8.

After a great lunch, I made my way to the American Adventure to enjoy a nice afternoon listening to my favorite vocal group!
 
Day 6: I’m Never Going to Food & Wine On A Weekend Again!​

I would then make my way over to the American Adventure from the Japan Pavilion where I would see the Voices of Liberty perform for the rest of the afternoon. I really can listen to this vocal ensemble all day, and I do pretty much every time I’m in EPCOT.



After a great afternoon listening to the Voices of Liberty, I walked outside. Now, what did I walk outside to? A drunk person every 10 feet. Sometimes there were more than one, and these group of people would be screaming at each other as they walked past me. I was quickly getting very annoyed. I tried to carry on, but it was very difficult.

I would try another food booth this trip which would be India!



I would get the Warm Indian Bread. I thought the bread was good, but some of the sauces were weird.



Next, I would go and try the Patagonia booth.



I would try the Grilled Beef Skewer. This was actually really delicious. I enjoyed it a lot.



My last new booth of the day was the Wine & Dine Booth.



I would try the Seared Scallops. This was the most disgusting dish I had this year at Food & Wine. I took one bite into a scallops, and I immediately spit it out. I don’t know if it was overcooked or under cooked, but I immediately threw it away.



The rain was getting close to coming down hard at EPCOT. At this point though, I had it with most of the guests that were in that park today. So, I made my way to guest services.



Now, yes I went to guest services about the other guests in the park. I didn’t want to complain. I really tried to resort myself to not complaining, but I had to. The amount of people that were drunk in a FAMILY theme park was really out of control. So, I just went to guest services and asked if cast members working the booths were trained to know when to STOP giving alcohol to guests. One CM I talked to said they were which I figured would be the answer, but then I decided to go inside just to let me complaint be written down. I had an awesome CM inside that thought the exact same thing as me. She said that she never comes to Food & Wine anymore. So, as I was talking and giving my complaint, I said several times that I didn’t want anything in return. I know if you have a complaint, Disney tries to make it right. So, I knew they would try to compensate me somehow. However, the CM refused that request and she gifted me a spot in the VIP viewing area for Illuminations later that evening. That was a nice surprise. So, I was off to enjoy the rest of the park the best I could.

I would make my way to ride Journey Into Imagination with Figment!



Next, I would go back to the Land and ride Living with the Land.









After Living with the Land, it was time to go on Soarin!



I would then make my way to the Canada Pavilion and see O’ Canada!



Next, I would see another world showcase film which would be Impressions De France!



After seeing two World Showcase movies, it was time for me to make my way to the VIP viewing area for Illuminations!







If you would like to see pictures of Illuminations, check my Illuminations update from earlier in this trip.

So, this was a really rough day, but I was glad it was over.



One thing I want to note about this day...If you go to the Food & Wine Festival, please drink responsibly! There are families and other people in the park that don't want to experience what I had to experience on this day!

I would make my way to the bus and head back to the resort for a good nights rest.
 
Looks like it was a great start to the day. It sucks you had to deal with the drunkenness of food and wine.

The behind the seeds tour always looks great and I know it’s inexpensive as well.
 
rteetz said:
Looks like it was a great start to the day. It sucks you had to deal with the drunkenness of food and wine.

The behind the seeds tour always looks great and I know it’s inexpensive as well.
Click to expand...
It was definitely a rough day.

The price was part of the reason why I decided to do the tour.
 
Sorry you had to deal with the drunks. We noticed the spillover when staying at BWV in October coming from Food and Wine. It's great they gave you VIP seating!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page


GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!


New DISboards Threads

S
Bippity Boppity Boutique - Charge to Room?
Replies
0
Views
20
shb5007
S
Poohs Pal
? About DAS
Replies
3
Views
99
Poohs Pal
Poohs Pal
U
DCL Transfer Hotels around Port Everglades?
Replies
0
Views
34
UsefulBurn
U
Shauna1ee
2 Queen Beds no longer guaranteed at OKW?
Replies
3
Views
119
SleeplessInTO
S
A
Portofino Bay Current Construction
Replies
2
Views
75
nighttowll
nighttowll
hes122
Photopass expiration
Replies
2
Views
79
ExcitedForWDW
E
NEWS & UPDATES



Latest posts







facebook twitter
Top