Have Pen, Will Travel: A Solo Trip Report--Includes Dining and CSR Reviews and Photos! - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Just read your blog... loved it. I can't wait to read the unabridged version on this side. You write like you're talking to a friend. Makes it really easy to read along.
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Yay, you started!!! I so very much enjoyed following your trip on your blog, so I can't wait to hear all about the details now. So far so good!!!
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Day 1 Part 1—Including a review of CSR rooms and bus service.
If you’d like proof that this wasn’t technically a ‘vacation’ (despite the obvious fun-factor), know that my alarm went off at 6:30am on Day 1. I wanted to be sure to make it to rope drop at the Magic Kingdom , and make it I did—with plenty of time to spare.
Upon exiting my room and making a right U-turn, I discovered the bus stop…
I guess clicking ‘near transportation’ as a request on online check in actually works!
Speaking of my room, now is a great time to discuss my room at CSR, as this morning was the first time I saw it in the daylight!
Review of CSR Room and Bus Service Starts HERE…
For me, it was an ideal room—room 8500 in Cabana building 8B. As you can see from the photo below, it was a corner room, and on the first floor, which made it very convenient. They must have known I was coming to work, as they gave me a ‘corner office’…
I’d looked at the different areas of CSR a few months ago, and while I had no idea how anyone ever requests certain areas, I decided I’d be happiest with Cabanas, happy with Casitas, and less than thrilled with the Ranchos section. I got my first choice!
But really, the best part of the room was its proximity to the bus stop. From standing in my room to sitting at the bus stop it took less than a minute—you can’t get better than that without the bus driving directly into the room!
I mentioned in my last post that I was concerned about the bus service. As it turns out, there was no reason to be concerned. My room was located at bus stop #4, which meant that it only stopped one time—at Bus Stop 1—before it continued on directly to whichever park I was visiting. It never took more than 20 minutes to get anywhere—something I wish I could say about my stay at the Beach Club in November. As CSR doesn’t share buses with any other resort—and the bus stops are set up conveniently around a circular road, I found the bus service to be far better than I ever could have imagined. Additionally, the longest I waited for a bus at any point was 13 minutes—in the middle of the day at DHS.
Thus ends my review of CSR Rooms and Bus Service. Coming later in the report—an overall experience review of CSR!
After my super quick trip to MK, I have a good half hour wait before rope drop—this is to be the theme of my stay here, with the notable exception of my morning at AK (but more on why that was later!). I managed to cry less this time, and when they finally let us in the park, I resisted the urge to run down Main Street . Instead, I strolled—which was almost necessary, as the park was significantly more crowded than when we’d been there in November even though it was reported to be a very low crowd day. Mind you—the crowds were not bad, just not mind-blowingly low like they were on my first visit.
I decided to begin my day in Fantasyland with a ride I’d not checked out on my first trip—The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Day 1 Part 2--Morning at MK, First time Dole Whip Review, Crowd Analysis
When I asked a coworker friend what his favorite ride was in the Magic Kingdom, Pooh was at the top of his list. When I told him I didn’t ride it on our last visit, he replied ‘oh--you missed out’. I didn’t take his word for it, though. In fact, the only reason I chose Pooh as my first ride of the day was because I figured I ‘needed’ to ride it for my research (I was right--and it was full of great ideas!) and I knew it would develop a long line before the end of the day. Well, guess what? The coworker was right. What a delightful ride! As soon as I exited I picked up a fastpass for a second ride later in the day.
I then hit another ride that was sure to develop a long line--It’s A Small World. I really love this ride, though I did feel kind of like a jerk sitting there taking notes. I also snapped several photos--with the flash on my phone turned off, of course. If anyone is wondering ‘is Small World awkward all by yourself?’--the answer is no, no it is not. I had the entire row to myself, and it was lovely.
At this point I decided I should hit some of my favorite rides before the park became crowded, so I headed on over to the Haunted Mansion, followed by BTMRR. Clearly the park wasn’t full by this point--check out the ‘line’ for BTMRR...
Mind you, the park opened at 9am and this was before 10:00. You know those books and websites that tell you to arrive early to beat the crowds? Yeah--you totally should. It’s awesome.
I then wandered over to Adventureland in search of breakfast, but Tortuga Tavern was not opened, which made me a little sad because I’d read something on a blog somewhere about breakfast burritos. Fortunately I was able to cheer myself up by riding PoC, which also had zero line. Yet again, I had an entire row to myself, providing excellent views (have I mentioned how much Disney solo rocks?) The one down side to my PoC experience was becoming ‘stuck’ for a good ten minutes, within view of the exit but unable to reach it. You know that last little scene with Jack Sparrow holding the gold cup in the treasure room? Yeah--I can now recite every single line he says. But I’d rather not.
It was now around 10:30, and the three bites of day-old sandwich I’d had before leaving the room were no longer holding me over. Fortunately, I managed to locate ‘The Stand’--you know, the one that sells that thing that everyone talks about? The thing that was to become my breakfast, thus helping me fulfill my resolution to ‘eat more sugar’ on this trip? My breakfast...
The verdict? Please do not throw virtual rotten tomatoes at me but...I didn’t really like it. I’m so sorry. I can see how it would appeal to some, but I really don’t like fruity things that are also creamy. I thought perhaps because it is non-dairy I would feel differently...but I didn’t. Don’t worry--no Dole Whip was harmed or wasted in the making of this trip report. I ate all of it. I just didn’t feel the need to ever have another one again.
Which, I guess, is a good thing, as I CAN’T have another one again, at least for 58 more days!
Before I left, I asked people on this forum for things they wanted to know about, and one of the things was locations of character meet-and-greets now that Toon Town is history. I located this sign right near the boarded up entrance to Adventureland, which at least answers the question about Princess meet-and-greets...
Even at this very early hour, there was quite a line.
During this whole time, I’d been taking notes on my phone, and posting blogs with my phone, and taking photos with my phone...and my phone was starting to die. After realizing this--and the fact that it was only 11am--I started to sort of lay off on the blog posting and the note taking, and whipped out my regular camera and note pad for my next mission--The Swiss Family Treehouse.
I took lots of great notes here--man, I feel like a nerd every time I write that!--and then made my way over to Tomorrowland. I promptly became stuck on the People Mover (which functioned more as a ‘people sitter’ at that point!) but used the time to relax and rest my legs, which were already quite tired by this point.
Also by this point, the park had become quite crowded. In my notebook, I made the note ‘leave all parks by noon at the latest’--which is exactly what I did, as I had a 1:15 lunch reservation at Kona Cafe. After all, a woman cannot live on Dole Whip alone.
Up next--my first ride on the monorail, a stroll through Poly, and lunch at Kona Cafe.
Love the updates so far, sorry you didn't like the Dole Whip, my kids didn't like it either but I on the other hand loved it. Can't wait to hear about your thoughts about the Poly, we stayed there our last trip and fell in love with it, it is now our favorite resort to stay at.
Yikes! Sounds like your trip to the airport was a white-knuckle situation!
I can't believe how much you got done on your first morning! And I love that you got stuck on the PeopleMover. My favorite WEDWay moment was in the narration, the voice said, "Don't worry folks the ride never ends....the ride has come to a stop please remain seated." Awesome.
Good for you! My secret dream is to leave my husband and kids at home and travel to WDW by myself!! Eat where I want, go on the rides I love, as many times as I want...~sigh~
Great update!!! We stayed at CSR in '08 and loved it....we had great luck with the buses too, unlike our stay at BC in Feb-way to many stops for a deluxe resort!! We missed the Pooh ride-I'll have to put that on my list. You got so much done this morning!! Lunch @ Kona...YUMMY!!Can't wait to read more!
thanks everyone! i'm glad you all think that i accomplished a lot that one morning--i've actually been feeling guilty about not doing more. you've got to love guilt, right?
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