Solo and Not So Solo TR - updated with final Magical Moment! - Page 9 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I hadn't seen O Canada in at least 10 years, so I walked through the Canadian Rockies next.
I shook out my umbrella and took off my coat, and then sat on a bench inside the waiting area. Another tourist walked up to me and said, "Excuse me, but do you happen to have an extra park map?" I thought it was a bit strange that he picked me out of all the waiting tourists, but as a matter of fact I had grabbed extra park maps that morning at Bell Service, so I rummaged in my Disney bag to look for them.
While he watched me, the man said, "So what part of Canada are you from?"
Huh? "I'm not from Canada," I said, "I'm from St. Louis." He looked and didn't say anything, but just kept looking .
"You don't have to be from Canada to watch the film," I explained. Then I started looking at him like this: What was this guy's PROBLEM?
Then I pulled out the Epcot map and exclaimed, "I knew I had one in here -- I got extras this morning at the hotel."
THEN the man looked at me again and said, mortified, "Oh, you don't work here! I'm sorry -- I don't want to take your map."
Then I looked down at myself -- white blouse, black Mickey vest, Passporter pouch -- yep, I looked like I might be a Cast Member. I burst out and said, "Of COURSE you must take my map -- I'll get another one before I leave the hotel."
I hope my snickering during the O Canada film didn't bother anyone. That really cracked me up.
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Sheri, I'm glad the $120 fix did the job for you! I hope your car lasts for years and years.
OK, I can see the finish line on this TR (at least until I can share some PhotoPass pics with all of you), so let's get 'er done!
It's still raining to beat the band, and I'm thinking, "I wonder if I have time to see 'Impressions de France'" even though I saw it on Sunday, because those seats are nice and comfy and dry and I really do love that film. So I walked up to France and then realized I would be calling it too close -- especially since I didn't want to be running over the boards in the boardwalk because they get slippery when wet. So I just hunted for a photographer, who was standing under a roof to keep out of the rain. I dumped my stuff on the covered sidewalk and he took some pics of me looking out to the smoking area or something. Then I looked at my watch and thought, "Yep, better start back to the BW." So I put on all my raingear again and buried my PhotoPass card somewhere because I wouldn't need it again, right?
But then when I walked back out to the entrance to France, the same photographer was calling me over so I could pose under the Eiffel Tower. This is PROBABLY where I lost my beloved Lumiere pin, because of course I couldn't come up with my PhotoPass card so I'm balancing my umbrella and ripping cards out of my bag and they're spilled on the wet pavement and then the photographer and I are scooping them up etc.
The good news is that I saw the pics on the PhotoPass web site this morning, and a couple of them are pretty good. Not good enough to warrant losing my beloved Lumi pin, but at least some consolation (IF that is where I lost the pin -- it really could have come off anytime after I left Sheri.)
I took the Friendship III boat back to BW so I could get my stuff and go wait for the DME.
It was fun taking the boat to BW -- I'm glad I did it then, because I walked the rest of the time I was there. I would definitely stay at BW again -- a lovely resort and maybe a bit quieter than BC.
Did I mention it was cold and rainy? But I still felt really about my 5 night/6 day visit to the Happy Place.
Now, when can I go back? - I know all of YOU understand!
I got onto the DME bus and immediately started chatting with two women sitting behind me who had stayed at the BC. They had been St. Louis high school friends (of each other -- not of me) and now one lives in Chicago -- and she had been celebrating her 60th birthday all week while leaving her family in Chicago. Believe me, I understand -- WDW is a great place to celebrate a significant birthday -- or an unbirthday -- or anything at all. And who better to spend it with than a gal pal?
Diana, the woman who still lives in St. Louis, and I then became quick friends. We hung out together in the airport and even managed to sit next to each other on our Southwest flight home. She and her friend are both Disney nuts, of course, so we had a LOT to talk about. We exchanged phone numbers and I also scribbled down the web address to the PP boards, which I hope she has since joined.
Our flight was about 30 minutes late in leaving Orlando, but that was fine -- it's only about a 2-1/2 hour journey. When we arrived around 6:00 p.m., there were our two non-Disney guys waiting for us.
Rick and I stopped at KFC because I had a hankering for fried chicken. When we got home, he disappeared into the basement for a few minutes and then came upstairs with this:
Which naturally made me -- of course, it was Valentine's Day weekend. Rick normally has a dozen roses delivered to my office the week before Valentine's Day so I can enjoy them on my desk, where I practically live -- but since I'd spent that week at the Happy Place, he figured he'd give them to me as soon as I got home so I could enjoy them all weekend. Like I said, Rick is not a Disney person -- but he's quite a guy. This is the 24th Valentine's Day in a row that he's given me roses -- and the first time was just after our first date. What a great way to cap off my vacation.
I will probably post some random photos that I'm proud of but couldn't work into my story, and then I'll probably think of something else that happened -- but I did my best keeping this thing chronological this time! Don't you agree? And I promise to post some of the Photo Pass pics -- that will be a couple weeks from now.
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How wonderful that you got to meet up with Melissa and fam and Dawn and her girls. Sounds like y'all had an amazing amount of fun. [I, too, have done the "where's my camera" trick.]
I just have to pause and say...
...that this IS scallop heaven, but it is always so hard for me because I love the snapper at FFC, too! Is it any wonder that year after year, FFC is one of my absolute favorite restaurants--anywhere?
Cindy, I have read and read and laughed and laughed at all your stories today until I know I can't remember everything I wanted to say. Ohanas with the three of you would be sooooo much fun! I love how you still get so much done in the last 2 hours. Every meal looks delicious! So much fun to travel along with you. Too bad this trip is over!
[QUOTE=LLaffinPlace;3153196]Loving all the details, Cindy!
How wonderful that you got to meet up with Melissa and fam and Dawn and her girls. Sounds like y'all had an amazing amount of fun. [I, too, have done the "where's my camera" trick.]
Larry, I am so relieved to hear you've had a similar brain drain when it comes to locating your camera.
And related to an earlier comment you made about Jiko's barbecued chicken flatbread, I do believe it WAS your post of a visit there with Bob that got me considering such an odd-sounding dish. I mean, I love flatbread, AND I love BBQ chicken -- but together? I was sure I would be ordering the olive flatbread instead, but after my meager lunch of popcorn (and Yak Attack, for which you are partially to "blame" as well ), I was enough to decide a little poultry on my flatbread would be welcome. Of course, that meant I hardly touched my short ribs entree -- but still managed to eat quite a bit of my birthday dessert. Funny how that happens, isn't it?
Coworkers are always asking, "Haven't you been on everything at Disney? Why do you have to keep going back?" Well, all of YOU know it's the heart-tug because Walt built it all just for me (and you), but non-Disney folk never understand THAT. So I remind them that Disney is always changing & adding attractions, restaurants, etc. AND that there are so many attractions, you simply can't do them all.
So even though most of my "firsts" on this trip aren't new to many of you, they were first-time experiences for me. Here they are:
Rooming 3 nights with Sheri. We were total strangers a year ago, and now -- thanks to PassPorter's Decade of Dreams celebration last May -- we're friends. And you'll have to ask HER if I was too neurotic to share a room with. I thought we did together. We certainly spent a lot of time which is good for strengthening abdominal muscles.
Staying at the BoardWalk and getting to walk to/from Epcot whenever I felt like it. (Uh oh -- I could get addicted to this. Better start stuffing the piggy bank so I can book this place again. )
Meeting some fellow PassPorters and their families: Alison (with Ellie) and Melissa (with Brent, Liam, John & Jean). That was so and I would love to do it again sometime!
Dumbo The Flying Elephant
Pecos Bill's lunch
Climbing down 7 flights of stairs at Spaceship Earth -- but also to get to walk right by a couple of scenes with animatronics in them -- who were all still moving around and doing their thing.
Mission: Space (green version) -- maybe I'll eventually attempt the orange version.
Breakfast at Sunshine Seasons in The Land - much less crowded for breakfast than for lunch, it was a quick and delicious start to our day.
Kim Possible - one of Disney's best ideas in a long time, and a totally delightful experience for young and old.
Animation Academy, where my latent artistic skills emerged, astonishing the art world! . (At least, that's my recollection now .)
Playing against a total stranger on TSMM -- I sat with a mom whose husband and son were in the next car. She had never played the game before, so I gave her "pointers" -- and of course, she ended up beating me. The two of us our way through the entire experience and came close to hugging each other when we were done. That's another thing about WDW -- even if you're traveling solo, you end up having so many shared magical experiences with strangers that you detect are as Disney-nutty as you are that you feel like you're with them.
Breakfast at Tusker House (where I'd had lunch several times before). Loved interacting with other visitors in my dining area, and of course especially 5-year-old Avery.
Cindybelle's first Yak Attack which will definitely not be my last. That drink is everything it's cracked up to be.
Watching the "fireflies" fly to and then light up the Exit sign after the Tough to Be a Bug show. Ah, those details -- you gotta go back again and again -- and again to try to catch them all.
Jiko dinner -- and at the chef's table, yet! Only regret is that I didn't go with my first choice of steak & mac for my entree -- but there's always NEXT TIME. Who's with me???
Phone call from Goofy!
Finding a new Disney buddy on the way back to the airport and then talking steadily to St. Louis. Diana, let's do lunch sometime!
Going back to Auntie Gravity's to let Bill know how much last year's magical moment still means to me. The look on his face let me know I really made his day.
Breakfast at Captain's Grille (YC) -- for about $15, I think my choices included just about everything the Cape May Cafe offers for breakfast, but at a vastly reduced price. It was yummy -- and as I walked through the BC side before exiting to Epcot, I caught a glimpse of my beloved Goofy, posing for pics at Cape May.
Flying Fish (BW) dinner. This has definitely become one of my very favorite WDW restaurants, so I foresee many future meals there. (Larry, are you reading this? Since it's one of your faves as well, how about a future meet? )
Ohana (Poly) dinner with Sheri AND Dawn (Gray) -- and I wish she'd tell me whether she wants to be called Dawn or Gray, but that woman is difficult to pin down. The meal (and Lapu Lapu beverage in my very own pineapple) was , and the company was
Standing BEHIND the castle for the Wishes show and trying to get interesting shots of the fireworks' effects on the back of the castle.
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don't you just love that there is always something new at disney? on our dec trip (my 7th trip) we still had lots of new things and places and magical moments. how can you not want to go back?
We did Haunted Mansion sometime that day -- you needed to know that.
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You know...I totally needed to know that! I was zipping right along, really enjoying the read and it was like someone slammed on the brakes when you itemized what you had ridden & the HM was missing! Only because HM & POTC are my absolute faves!
Your dinner @ Ohana sounds like the best time ever (that pineapple vs. mojito pic was great)! I am so excited you ate @ FFC & loved it because we're trying it out for my Aunt S's bday dinner in March. What a great TR... I hope you go on another adventure soon, your TRs are so great!
__________________
"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
Captain Jack Sparrow
Thanks for the compliments, Silver-n-Gold! And now I feel a bit less dorky about adding that statement about having been to the HM!
Make sure somebody at your table orders the Potato-Wrapped Snapper when you go to Flying Fish. It was dynamite!
Happy planning!
And I probably will be doing another TR after I get back from my first-ever Caribbean cruise -- Rick won an all-expense paid vacation at his office Christmas party! So I'm just vacationing my way through 2010!
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and didn't say anything, but just kept looking 
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So I just hunted for a photographer, who was standing under a roof to keep out of the rain. I dumped my stuff on the covered sidewalk and he took some pics of me looking out to the smoking area or something. Then I looked at my watch and thought, "Yep, better start back to the BW." So I put on all my raingear again and buried my PhotoPass card somewhere because I wouldn't need it again, right?
But I still felt really 
about my 5 night/6 day visit to the Happy Place.
And who better to spend it with than a gal pal? 
-- of course, it was Valentine's Day weekend. Rick normally has a dozen roses delivered to my office the week before Valentine's Day so I can enjoy them on my desk, where I practically live -- but since I'd spent that week at the Happy Place, he figured he'd give them to me as soon as I got home so I could enjoy them all weekend. Like I said, Rick is not a Disney person -- but he's quite a guy. This is the 24th Valentine's Day in a row that he's given me roses -- and the first time was just after our first date. What a great way to cap off my vacation. 
And I promise to post some of the Photo Pass pics -- that will be a couple weeks from now. 
So much fun to travel along with you. Too bad this trip is over!
PassPorter Guide Author
), I was 
enough to decide a little poultry on my flatbread would be welcome. Of course, that meant I hardly touched my short ribs entree -- but still managed to eat quite a bit of my birthday dessert. Funny how that happens, isn't it? 
)
and I would love to do it again sometime!
-- but also 
to get to walk right by a couple of scenes with animatronics in them -- who were all still moving around and doing their thing. 
-- maybe I'll eventually attempt the orange version.
- much less crowded for breakfast than for lunch, it was a quick and delicious start to our day.
with them.
, and the company was 
Parlor Panther in 'stalking mode'
Linear Mode
