Have Pen, Will Travel: A Solo Trip Report--Includes Dining and CSR Reviews and Photos! About This Page:

[MGW]

You really did get a lot done! And a lot of good info too. Thanks so much for sharing!

[elbodans]

Cost Breakdown

I stopped posting costs of things throughout my trip report, so here’s the final grand totals as it pertains to ‘budget’. I put that in quotes, because I didn’t really HAVE a budget--so this cost breakdown represents what a trip like this would cost if you were NOT trying to be thrifty AT ALL...

Meals--
(all include each item listed, including any stated alcohol, plus tip--no discount)

Dinner at CSR Takeaway
-Italian Sandwich
-Gatorade
-Bottle of Cabernet
$31.72

Snack at MK
-Dole Whip
$3.40

Lunch at Kona Cafe, POLY
-Curried Shrimp Soup
-Pork Tacos
-Glass of Beaujolais
$34.80

Dinner at Artist Point, WL
-Raspberry Rapids Drink
-Cedar Planked Salmon
-Glass of Chardonnay
$73.04 ($142.96)
(I started a running total here, in parenthesis, because I kept losing my math!)

Lunch at Chefs de France
-Lobster Bisque
-Tomato and Goat Cheese Flatbread
-Glass of Beaujolias
$31.26 ($174.22)

Snack in Epcot
-Caramel Corn from Caramel Kitchen
$3.80

Snack in Epcot
-Napoleon from France’s Pastry Shop
$3.95 ($181.97)

Breakfast for Two at CSR
-Veggie Breakfast ‘puff’
-Sausage and Bacon Breakfast ‘puff’
-Grapefruit Juice
$17.56 ($199.53)

Lunch for Two at Yak and Yeti
-Won Ton Soup
-Honey Chicken
-Tamarind Chicken
-Fried Won Ton Dessert
$63.28 ($262.81)

Dinner at Pepper Market
-Glass of Merlot
-Chicken Finger Kid’s Meal (ha!)
$15.51 ($278.32)

Breakfast at Starring Rolls
-Cream Cheese Devil’s Food Cupcake (drool....)
-Apple Juice
$7.01 ($285.33)
(note how the least healthy meal was also the least expensive!)

Lunch at Brown Derby
-Cremini Chevre Tortelloni
-Cobb Salad
$30.56 ($315.89)

Dinner at Epcot at Cantina de San Angel
-Empanadas
$11.19 ($327.08)

And...now I’m hungry!

Food Total: $327.08
(DDP vs. OOP comparison to follow in separate thread!)

Drinks from Drinking Around the World...will not be featured individually as part of this breakdownl. I was ordering drinks for my friend, and she purchased some for me, too, and so I didn’t keep track. Sorry! I know that I did spend around $70.00 total that night, so I’ll add that to the Grand Total below.


Lodging--

5 Nights at CSR in early March, with AP discount, inclusive of all taxes and fees
$771.46


Airfare---
$204.00

GRAND TOTAL.....
$1302.54

...or, in other terms, ‘about twice what I was planning on spending on this trip’. Ah well. I’m looking at it as both a vacation and an investment in my career. So really, not bad.

Up next--the results of my DDP vs. OOP Experiment!

[elbodans]

Disney Dining Plan vs. Out of Pocket--The Experiment

I wanted to do this experiment, and so I saved all of my receipts, took photos of my food, and did the insane calculations above. However, as I didn’t really stick to my original dining reservations, I don’t know if I would have needed the Dining Plan or the Deluxe Dining Plan. Guess I’ll have to figure that out now, won’t I?

Meals I had, and the corresponding credits required--

Cafe Rix--1 CS
Dole Whip-1 S
Kona Cafe--1 TS
Artist Point--2 TS
Les Chefs--1 TS
Caramel Kitchen-1 S
France Bakery-1 S
Cafe Rix for TWO-2 CS (for sake of argument/budget)
Yak and Yeti for TWO--2 TS
Pepper Market--1 CS
Starring Rolls--1 S
Brown Derby--2 TS
Cantina San Angel--1 CS

Total Snack Credits--4
Total Counter Service Credits--5
Total Table Service Credits--8

Note--even if I paid OOP for my friend’s meals, I’d still need 7 TS credits, thus still requiring the Deluxe Dining Plan.

Total cost of Deluxe Dining Plan for five nights--$394.95, which does not include alcohol. Assuming each glass of wine I had with a meal was $8 (it was--at least!), my meal total which was $327.08 (INCLUDING tip, which is not covered by DDP) would be reduced by 5 drinks, or $40, for a grand total of $287.08. Thus, it is my determination that the Disney Dining Plan would not have saved me any money. In fact, it would have cost $107.87 MORE.

HOWEVER--there are, of course, issues with this thinking. For example, I’m including things like a bottle of wine from Cafe Rix. I’m including tip. I’m discounting the fact that I would have been served MORE food on the dining plan--because even if I’d been served it, I would have wasted it. I ordered exactly what I wanted, when I wanted it, and I spent over $100 less than if I had been on the plan.

But...what about tables in wonderland? Let’s take my original number--$327.08--because TiW includes drinks. Had I saved the 20% on those meals, I would have saved $65.41...but not quite, as some of the things I purchased were CS meals not covered by TiW. Thus, the jury is still out on whether TiW would have been a good purchase. That will be determined after I do all of the math associated with my NEXT trip!

[Colexis Mom]

Great breakdown on all the food costs!

[disney_duke]

Wow. Now that's math for ya. (TiW for only this trip may not have saved you money, but it's the consecutive trips that add up and usually does save you money) I also agree that with the Dining plan, they serve you soooo much food and so much would go to waste with me and my family as well. Money savings or not, I really hate to waste food. I don't know that we'll ever do the dining plan.... well, maybe when our kids are teenagers!!

Your list of accomplishments is staggering. No wonder you're exhausted!! Now I'm reeeaaally looking forward to hearing all about the next trip!

[shanmac]

I plan on doing the DDP v. OOP calculations next month as well (Math project for the small child?) - I'm doing the CS meal plan (2 CS, 2 Snacks per person/day). We're not big sit down kids, so we're paying OOP for 3 meals. And I planned 2 lunches/1 breakfast (since they're the least expensive). We shall see. The main benefit I see to DDP (in any form) is that it's already paid for when you arrive, so it's less you need to budget for when you're there.

[elbodans]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great breakdown on all the food costs!

thanks! if you ever doubted my insanity before, it is now certain.

Originally Posted by disney_duke

Wow. Now that's math for ya. (TiW for only this trip may not have saved you money, but it's the consecutive trips that add up and usually does save you money) I also agree that with the Dining plan, they serve you soooo much food and so much would go to waste with me and my family as well. Money savings or not, I really hate to waste food. I don't know that we'll ever do the dining plan.... well, maybe when our kids are teenagers!!

Your list of accomplishments is staggering. No wonder you're exhausted!! Now I'm reeeaaally looking forward to hearing all about the next trip!

i'm sure TiW would have saved money on my next trip had i purchased TiW this time around...but i actually FORGOT all about it until i sat down at Artist Point on the first night. i was so crazy busy, it just fell right out of my mind!

i was actually planning on doing a 'how to not waste food in WDW' experiement slash post on my blog after my next trip. i took a pic of the food i didn't finish at kona cafe, and felt very badly about it. when i eat out at home, i always bring home half of my meal--you can't do that in WDW. so there needs to be more thought put into not wasting food. i'm going to try it--wish me luck!

Originally Posted by shanmac

I plan on doing the DDP v. OOP calculations next month as well (Math project for the small child?) - I'm doing the CS meal plan (2 CS, 2 Snacks per person/day). We're not big sit down kids, so we're paying OOP for 3 meals. And I planned 2 lunches/1 breakfast (since they're the least expensive). We shall see. The main benefit I see to DDP (in any form) is that it's already paid for when you arrive, so it's less you need to budget for when you're there.

i would have LOVED to have had a small child to do my math for me--so that's a doubly good idea. you get a great math lesson for your daughter (daughter, right?) and you don't have to do the math yourself! that tip might make it into my book, actually! thanks!!!

[elbodans]

As this was a research trip, of course I was going in thinking I’d be learning a lot. However, I ended up coming away from the trip with many non-research related lessons. Ahem....

1. I love Disney solo.

2. I really want to take my husband there for a real vacation...some day.

3. It is totally worth getting up early to make rope drop.

4. It is also totally worth getting ready quickly enough to make it way BEFORE rope drop, so you are one of the first people through the gate. While I may never make commando-style plans, or determine ride order in advance, I will always be on the bus one hour before park opening. Always. I will also happily stand outside the turnstiles for upwards of 30 minutes, knowing that I’m saving hours of standing-in-line time.

5. Related to the ‘getting ready quickly’ item above (sort of)--light packing be damned, I’m bringing my hair straightener on my next trip. It will absolutely fit in my backpack, and make my photos much less...awful! Here’s me at the airport waiting for my flight home....



6. Park order is important. I know that I love Epcot; thus, it should be a two day park. Additionally, Epcot should always be the last park I visit, as I’m typically quite beat by this point--but for some reason, I become energized in Epcot. I cannot say the same for DHS--though I am glad I’m making it our first park on our next trip!

7. I can’t do park open to park close without a break (except, again, in Epcot).

8. Not everyone loves Disney as much as I do.

9. The fact that I’m willing to admit that I love Disney, despite everything I’ve ever thought about it, proves that I’m growing as a person. Which is a good thing, as I’m 31. I was waiting for that to kick in at some point!

10. Speaking of ‘growing up’--if my husband and I ever adopt, we will take our child to WDW...but I will go in with totally different expectations. Thank you drunken friend for teaching me this lesson!

11. Drinking around the world is way overrated. I’d prefer ‘drinking whilst in the world’.

12. I like hotels that are convenient. Walking for ten minutes to get a sandwich, while not awful-sounding in writing, is actually quite exhausting and annoying in reality.

13. CSR has such awesome bus service, I’d be willing to overlook #12 and stay there again.

14. Dinner reservations after 7pm won’t happen. I can make them, but I won’t make it TO them, at least not without a break in the afternoon.

15. I love table service lunch.

16. The Hollywood Brown Derby is awesome.

17. Me eating at a table service restaurant will ALWAYS cost $30 for lunch--twice that for dinner.

18. Gift shops are worth the time, even if you are only browsing (I purchased ONLY a hat for my husband and lanyard/pin for my mother the entire time!)

19. It is possible (and fun!) to blog whilst in WDW. However, a solar panel purse would really help.

20. There is so much to see and do in WDW that one requires multiple trips to absorb all of it. Good thing I have an annual pass!

Ok--well, I think that’ everything. Thanks for reading everyone! And don’t worry, I’ll be starting my PTR for my next trip sometime next week. I’ll link it RIGHT HERE once it exists.

One final question--how long do you think this TR is? I typed it all in one Pages document (single spaced, sans photos) before pasting it here. Any guesses on the page number? Personally, I’m shocked at the length!

[shanmac]

Originally Posted by elbodans

i would have LOVED to have had a small child to do my math for me--so that's a doubly good idea. you get a great math lesson for your daughter (daughter, right?) and you don't have to do the math yourself! that tip might make it into my book, actually! thanks!!!

You're quite welcome... thanks for helping me feel better about taking my kid out of school for a week! (even though that wasn't my intention)


Oh and my guess --- it's 5 pages of TR!

[cubfancolleen]

Originally Posted by elbodans

ok--i watched the video on the link, and i think i'm sold. the 'switch' model is PERFECT! no, it isn't as cute...but it is almost $300 less than the cute one, and still made from recycled materials. and if anyone tells me that my bag is ugly, i'll tell them that their bag isn't solar!

EDIT--and...they are WATERPROOF! sold!!!

Yeah, I liked the fact they are made of recycled material AND waterproof! I am thinking about the small bag. Figure it will be good for camera batteries, too.

[thumper8524]

Thanks for sharing. I truly enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one

[islandgirl]

Awesome TR!!!! for sharing it with us! Looking forward to your PTR......

[MelissaSue]

I’m with you on the DDP versus OOP thing. In December, we did end up saving money by going with DDP, but we DEFINITELY wouldn’t have ordered all of the food we did if we hadn’t been on the DDP. So it’s a bit of a wash. Our next two trips will be dining-plan-free.

To me, it looks like you would have saved money with the TiW card—since it costs $75 (with an AP, which I think you have) and you would have already saved $65, you likely would have saved $10 (and more) over your next several trips. But, since you are planning to spend LOTS of time at WDW later this year, you will absolutely have a chance to give TiW a try!

Here’s a question for you: would you recommend Hollywood Studios during an EMH morning?? I know you recommend being there for rope drop, but it seems like the park is almost more insane during EMH even though there are less people there. What do you think?

[mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince]

Love the list of things you learned!!!

I think that your TR will be about 8 pages long!

[elbodans]

Originally Posted by shanmac

You're quite welcome... thanks for helping me feel better about taking my kid out of school for a week! (even though that wasn't my intention)

Oh and my guess --- it's 5 pages of TR!

no problem! don't you hate it when weather messes up vacation plans? we're down to ONE measly day of spring break, thanks to all the snow.

as for your guess on page length--not even CLOSE!

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

Yeah, I liked the fact they are made of recycled material AND waterproof! I am thinking about the small bag. Figure it will be good for camera batteries, too.

camera batteries! ah! yes! my camera died just as we were entering the tower of london last summer, and i was SO MAD. though a SOLAR powered bag likely wouldn't have helped me in england!

Originally Posted by thumper8524

Thanks for sharing. I truly enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one

thanks!!!

Originally Posted by islandgirl

Awesome TR!!!! for sharing it with us! Looking forward to your PTR......

thanks! i'll be starting on the PTR very soon...and then the TR after that, and then the PTR for my fall trip...etc etc!

Originally Posted by MelissaSue

To me, it looks like you would have saved money with the TiW card—since it costs $75 (with an AP, which I think you have) and you would have already saved $65, you likely would have saved $10 (and more) over your next several trips. But, since you are planning to spend LOTS of time at WDW later this year, you will absolutely have a chance to give TiW a try!

Here’s a question for you: would you recommend Hollywood Studios during an EMH morning?? I know you recommend being there for rope drop, but it seems like the park is almost more insane during EMH even though there are less people there. What do you think?

i know. i should have purchased it. big duh on my part.

as for EMH at DHS, i didn't think it was that bad--but it was also ESPN weekend. i'd read lots of things about mobs of people, too, and honestly i had a more traumatic rope drop experience at epcot trying to get to soarin. though neither were truly traumatic--it was actually kind of fun, both times. but IF you are going on an EMH morning, get there by 7:30. be at the front of the mob, and you'll have a similar experience--i rode TSMM, ToT, and could have done RnRC (had i not chickened out) in the first hour--and that was at a leisurely, photo taking pace.

Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince

Love the list of things you learned!!!

I think that your TR will be about 8 pages long!

glad you liked the learned list!

TR guess is WAY off! again, i'm shocked.