Have Pen, Will Travel: A Solo Trip Report--Includes Dining and CSR Reviews and Photos! - Page 9 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Uh oh! I hope that the morning works out okay--I bet someone didn't want to get up in the morning to make rope drop!
Sorry you missed your dinner reservation. I might have been pretty upset about that!
I'm sorry you didn't get to use your FP's (or give them away) but you're certainly not crazy for trying to give them away. IMO it just adds to someone else's magic during their stay.
You were much kinder to your friend than I would have been. With everything there is to see and do at WDW, I can't imagine thinking that getting drunk would be more fun. Ah, well, to each his own, right?
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thanks for the comments everyone! i'm working on the next installment.
and yes, many of you are making the correct predictions about rope drop for day 3! and i also felt kind of the same way about drinking in epcot--while i have no problem with drinking (i like trying different drinks just as much as i like trying different food) i did think at several points 'well gee, we could be doing this at an applebees!' (and it would have been MUCH cheaper!)
OK, haven't been on for a day or two, so just catching up to the Drinking around Empcot. Sounds awful. I too enjoy the variety of drinks at Epcot but know I couldn't get one in each country - at least not in a day! And when you're the one left to be a bit more responsible, it is REALLY not fun!
Glad others have already told you the bagpipers were Off Kilter. I love them! (Did you check out the legs on a few of those guys?!?!)
Hope your morning at AK is better, but I don't have high hopes, given your friend's state when you returned to the room (or the boat ride, for that matter).
Glad others have already told you the bagpipers were Off Kilter. I love them! (Did you check out the legs on a few of those guys?!?!)
ha! funny you should mention their legs--i just now showed my mother my pics, and she commented 'nice legs!' to that very pic! i've always had a thing for men in kilts. real men aren't afraid to wear them.
we will definitely be catching a show when we return in may!
i've always had a thing for men in kilts. real men aren't afraid to wear them.
You should have been at the race I went to today. It was in Corktown, which is the Irish section of Detroit. I ran a 5K with my dad and daughter. We saw many men in kilts!!!
Day 3 Part 1--Animal Kingdom with a very hungover friend, first time on Everest, Yak and Yeti TS lunch.
If you ever wake up one morning and think ‘hey, I know what would be fun--taking a very hungover friend to Animal Kingdom!’, please take my advice, for your sake and for the sake of your friend--don’t do it!
However, I have to give the woman credit. She was a trooper.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, breakfast. As we both woke up around 6am, I figured there was plenty of time for a hike to breakfast before boarding the bus for AK. I gave my friend some privacy in the room as I made the trek to El Centro to pick up breakfast for the two of us.
Notice my use of the words ‘hike’ and ‘trek’. It was pretty freaking far. But it was VERY beautiful in the morning...
Can you see the hot air balloon? It’s just below the one palm frond.
I especially like the symmetry of this photo...
...and it is now the wallpaper on my mac.
I purchased two quiche-like things at the takeaway station and schlepped them back to the room. For some reason, they were baked into paper cups, kind of like giant egg-y cupcakes--and it was quite difficult to not accidentally eat the paper. Not the best meal I’ve ever had, I’ve got to say! Fortunately, this was the only thing I ate all week of which I failed to take a photo. I’m kind of glad--I don’t ever need to re-live it.
Because my friend is far more laid back than I am (which is very easy to be--I’m rather uptight when it comes to certain things), we didn’t make rope drop at AK, though I’m pretty sure we came close. We were at the very end of the giant mob entering the park--my first (and only) missed rope-drop of the trip. We stopped to take some photos in front of the tree of life, trying out my X-shot iPhone extender arm...
...and then made our way into the park. Problem one was that I had no plan--well, actually, my plan was ‘do whatever makes my friend happy’, but as she had no concept of what AK was or what there was to do there, it was kind of difficult for her to have an opinion. We eventually decided (ok, I decided) to walk towards Everest to get fastpasses. When we arrived, the standby line was only 10 minutes long, and my (very hungover) friend decided we should ride right away.
I asked her many, many times before entering the queue ‘are you sure you want to do this right now?’, and she was sure. So on we went. I once again found myself wishing there had been more of a line, because the details were really amazing. The line itself is an attraction, and I could have taken copious notes and photos--but I figured I’d wait until I was alone to do that (those of you smarter than me should be figuring out why that logic was incorrect--but we’ll get to that in a bit!)
So we rode Everest first thing, and I wasn’t even scared because I was trying so hard to make sure she was having fun, I jumped on the ride with gusto. Well, guess what? It is now my most favorite ride in the entire World. Like the whole world, not just Disney World. Best. Ride. Ever. I actually contemplated buying one of these...
...but then thought better of it. After all, I'm a grown up, right? But they are so cute!
After Everest, my friend decided she was feeling not so good (imagine!) We visited every restroom between Everest and KS, (ok, there are only two, so it wasn’t that bad) only to find the wait for KS was 40 minutes. While my friend bought a much-needed bottle of water, I ran over and got FPs for the safari, and we continued on our way. We stopped at two more bathrooms en route to Tough to Be a Bug, which we watched while we waited for our FPs to mature. She liked ‘bug’, though she screamed bloody murder at the spider part (as did I upon my first viewing).
After Bug, it was time for our safari ride. Even in the FP line, we waited a good 15-20 minutes...and then the ride was a bit disappointing. I realize that there’s not always going to be animals out, and I’m ok with that, but I think my friend was a little bit bored. To be fair, it is still a very cool ride even without many animals--but that’s because I like things like that. My friend was less than amused.
We arrived at AK at around 9am, and upon exiting KS it was around 11:10. I had reservations for Yak and Yeti for noon, but my friend needed to eat sooner rather than later. Fortunately, the nice people at Y&Y were able to seat us almost immediately--I think my friend sitting in the corner looking a bit green did the trick! Well, that and the fact that they had just opened, and not many people had arrived yet.
We were seated upstairs, along the railing of the open staircase. She ordered Won Ton soup, which she thought would help her stomach (it did) and the Honey Chicken. I ordered the Tamarind Chicken with no appetizer--I was waiting for dessert.
The Tamarind Chicken was very, very good. It was plated in a rather unusual way--it was a boneless breast, marinated and grilled and then sliced, but placed back together to resemble one whole piece--with a leg sticking out the side. It was very odd--but very tasty. The stir fried veggies underneath were equally good. I love bok choy, so that might have been why I loved it so much. The rice was less than great, but I’m a rice snob--if it’s not sticky rice or jasmine rice (which this was not, despite what it says on the menu) then it is not my cup of tea. But the amazing chicken and veggies more than made up for it. I didn’t taste my friend’s honey chicken, but she gave it thumbs up.
And then, dessert. I had the fried won tons, as I read about them on here and had to try them. They were SO very good. Fried won tons filled with cream cheese, drizzled with coconut sauce and served with fresh pineapple? Yes please!
Honestly, I think they look good, but they were even better than they looked. My friend said she’s ‘try one’, but we ended up sharing them, as one bite was clearly not enough!
At this point my friend had to leave--she had to pick her son up from school, and it was nearing 12:30. I walked her to the gate...
And then paused to wonder at the appropriateness of my Y&Y fortune cookie fortune...
...before turning around to go back into the park. Because I had not really ‘accomplished’ anything when un-solo, I decided to look at my return to the park as my first time entering for the day--it was kind of like trying to hit reset on your brain. I walked in and to the left, headed towards a show I hoped would be both entertaining and good for my research--The Festival of the Lion King.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I am totally with your love of EE—the queue line is fascinating and beautiful, and it is the BEST ride. Even though TSMM is amazing, I think EE is my favorite. And I love the little plush ball Yetis. I wish they made them smaller—I’d totally put him on my desk.
Can’t wait to hear more about what you thought about FotLK!!
While iasw is my sentimental favorite, EE is my very favorite attraction! One trip, I rode it 7 times in a row! We even took the time to ride it during the marathon!
Great updates! Good for you to ride on EE. I will never even attempt it!
it was so much less scary than i thought (that's awful grammar, sorry, but you know what i mean!) the man i met in line at epcot the previous day explained it the best--he said 'it's just FUN!'...and then he smiled really big. that's how i'd describe it. fun. not scary.
I am totally with your love of EE—the queue line is fascinating and beautiful, and it is the BEST ride. Even though TSMM is amazing, I think EE is my favorite. And I love the little plush ball Yetis. I wish they made them smaller—I’d totally put him on my desk.
i saw a keychain sized yeti ball, but passed on that, too. if i put it on my desk, it would become a projectile! (i teach 8th grade--they, um, like to throw things...)
oh man!!! I want to go back to Y&Y right now just for desert!!! Isn't that the best tasting thing you've had??? ooohhhh..........my mouth is watering!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully your AK time got better and more productive!!!
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