"All Alone in the World...Whatever did I do?" - A Solo Trip Report

[LMO429]

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

 

[heaven2dc]

I can't wait to read more! Solo trips can be so much fun (I was solo for 4 days in Dec 2008 before my DD & DGS arrived for the final 4 days). Hope you make it through Customs!

 

[Practically_Perfect]

Subbing! I haven't ever been on a solo trip myself, so I love reading solo TRs!

Can't wait to read more. Great start.

I'm in too. I want to go solo some day, so I will love to hear what you do and how you do it!

I actually really enjoyed myself. I plan to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly about going solo. But it's definitely something I would like to do again!

I've been lurking on a couple of your TRs too - so I'll be sure to stop being a lurky-loo and start commenting! My dad used to be a dairy farmer (he's now in cash crops) so I'm familiar with a lot of what you post about the farm!

I'm in! I would love to do a solo trip someday, but I'm so nervous to go alone! I can't wait to read about your trip!

I'll admit, I was nervous too. But Disney wrapped me up in it's magic!

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!

I can't wait to read more! Solo trips can be so much fun (I was solo for 4 days in Dec 2008 before my DD & DGS arrived for the final 4 days). Hope you make it through Customs!

I had a great time...as you'll see, Customs (and most of my flights) were just a bit stressul...

 

[Practically_Perfect]

Hey all! I have a feeling work's going to get in the way of me doing a proper trip installment today - it's as though everyone woke up and realised we're about to get a 4-day weekend so we have to cram as much into today as we can!

So instead - you get a quick "real life" update. I moved out of my parents about 4 years ago, and after switching apartments a couple of times, I finally found one that suits me really well. Only problem was I still had all the odds and ends furniture that I had cobbled together - a metal-frame futon, a papasan chair from Pier I Imports, etc. so it didn't really feel like a proper "home". On my mother's advice (moms always know best, don't they? ), I went out a bought a proper couch, and put a hold on a chaise lounge and ottoman to match.

Yesterday - after much confusion with Leon's delivery - my couch came!! And it looks awesome . Sorry - no pics right now (might add some when I get home tonight). I now have to decide if I have enough room for the other two pieces, and I'm thinking I do!

That's all for now. If things quiet down, I'll get my first trip installment up! If not, Happy Easter everyone!!

 

[PhoenixStrength]

Yay for the matching furniture! I am 27, and am in a very similiar situation to you were with the mis-matched, what I could afford at the time furniture. I'm hoping to be able to get a matching set this summer!

To anyone nervous about doing a solo trip, don't be! Disney is so safe and fun that I was there for 9 days and never once worried about my safety. It made me so confident that I am actually driving cross-country this fall to take a vacation. It won't be completely solo since I am meeting other people I know out there for part of the time, but the driving and several days of the vacation will be solo. Doing the solo trip to Disney gave me the confidence to do this vacation solo.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hey all! I have a feeling work's going to get in the way of me doing a proper trip installment today - it's as though everyone woke up and realised we're about to get a 4-day weekend so we have to cram as much into today as we can!

So instead - you get a quick "real life" update. I moved out of my parents about 4 years ago, and after switching apartments a couple of times, I finally found one that suits me really well. Only problem was I still had all the odds and ends furniture that I had cobbled together - a metal-frame futon, a papasan chair from Pier I Imports, etc. so it didn't really feel like a proper "home". On my mother's advice (moms always know best, don't they? ), I went out a bought a proper couch, and put a hold on a chaise lounge and ottoman to match.

Yesterday - after much confusion with Leon's delivery - my couch came!! And it looks awesome . Sorry - no pics right now (might add some when I get home tonight). I now have to decide if I have enough room for the other two pieces, and I'm thinking I do!

That's all for now. If things quiet down, I'll get my first trip installment up! If not, Happy Easter everyone!!

Yay for getting new furniture! I know that it will make you feel great when you see everything matching and looking all fantastic in your apartment. be sure to post pictures.

 

[littlelamb70]

Props to you for venturing to the House of Mouse by yourself, I don't know if I could do it Definitely enjoyed your first TR, can't wait for the next installment!

 

[jenseib]

Yay for new furniture!

 

[kmrein]

Hi! I am excited to read more. I've never done a solo trip but can't wait to hear about yours. And, I really dig that giraffe pic, too! Nice to 'meet' you!

 

[Practically_Perfect]

Yay for the matching furniture! I am 27, and am in a very similiar situation to you were with the mis-matched, what I could afford at the time furniture. I'm hoping to be able to get a matching set this summer!

To anyone nervous about doing a solo trip, don't be! Disney is so safe and fun that I was there for 9 days and never once worried about my safety. It made me so confident that I am actually driving cross-country this fall to take a vacation. It won't be completely solo since I am meeting other people I know out there for part of the time, but the driving and several days of the vacation will be solo. Doing the solo trip to Disney gave me the confidence to do this vacation solo.

Hey! Even just having the couch in my apartment makes it feel more real. Need to do some measurements to make sure the other pieces will fit, but I'm thinking it should be good!!

Yay for getting new furniture! I know that it will make you feel great when you see everything matching and looking all fantastic in your apartment. be sure to post pictures.

I can't wait! I didn't get a chance to take pictures this weekend; and I wouldn't be able to upload them to photobucket anyway since I've apparently reached my monthly limit for data uploading, so new pics will have to wait until May 1 at least. My Disney pics are all in there at least, so I can keep going with this report!

Props to you for venturing to the House of Mouse by yourself, I don't know if I could do it Definitely enjoyed your first TR, can't wait for the next installment!

Thanks! It was a lot easier to be there solo than I thought it would be

Yay for new furniture!

Hi! I am excited to read more. I've never done a solo trip but can't wait to hear about yours. And, I really dig that giraffe pic, too! Nice to 'meet' you!

Nice to 'meet' you too


Hey all - sorry I've been away for a few days. Working for the government meant I got a 4-day weekend, and I took full advantage of it and did next to nothing - only went on my computer to check movie times

I hope everyone had a good Easter and was able to do whatever it is they wanted to do, from visiting family to doing next to nothing! I saw a LOT of coverage of the upcoming Royal Wedding. Anyone else planning on setting their alarm clocks nice and EARLY to watch on Friday??

Hopefully I'll get another installment up today. If not, tomorrow - I promise

 

[OhMari]

I was there the exact same time, solo.
My dh was at his convention, so I always went back
to the hotel at nite for the free food and drinks.

Did you know it takes 20 minutes to circle the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon Maybe I should do a trip report and use that as my title, but I am such a boring Trip Report writer, and I always wonder why I do them.

Looking forward to see how you did. I've been solo 3 times now, and
my friends and family don't get it.

 

[Practically_Perfect]

I was there the exact same time, solo.
My dh was at his convention, so I always went back
to the hotel at nite for the free food and drinks.

Did you know it takes 20 minutes to circle the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon Maybe I should do a trip report and use that as my title, but I am such a boring Trip Report writer, and I always wonder why I do them.

Looking forward to see how you did. I've been solo 3 times now, and
my friends and family don't get it.

Hi!!

Now - is that 20 minutes just letting the current guide you, or 20 minutes racing through it like some people do (i.e., me, when I was a kid )?

They never do get it, do they?

 

[OhMari]

Hi!!

Now - is that 20 minutes just letting the current guide you, or 20 minutes racing through it like some people do (i.e., me, when I was a kid )?

They never do get it, do they?

Nope, it was letting the current guide me, and I did it twice.
So that was 40 minutes of floating solo.
I happen to see a sign that said the Typhoon Lagoon Lazy River is a 20 minute ride.

I snorkeled with the sharks 3 times too.
No one was there that day.
I just kept getting back in line.

 

[Cameo818]

I could get a trip to Disney in for just about $1000 all in!

Holy frijole! That's an AMAZING price! I'm in and looking forward to reading more!

 

[Practically_Perfect]

I snorkeled with the sharks 3 times too.
No one was there that day.
I just kept getting back in line.

You just brought back a first trip memory for me! I did the snorkeling too, and I remember right at the end, when I was about to step up on that sandy part, all of a sudden the sand started to stir. A sting-ray had buried himself (herself?) in the sand and I almost stepped on it !! Sakes alive, I was freaking out, but couldn't get too nuts since I still had on the mask and snorkel and didn't want to be sputtering water everywhere. I've since had a very deep respect for sting rays. To me, those things look scarier than sharks!!

Holy frijole! That's an AMAZING price! I'm in and looking forward to reading more!

Well...about $1000. I'm kind of ignoring the fact that I paid most of my airfare previously. It was a "credit" that magically appeared! That's my story and I'm sticking to it

 

[jenseib]

I can't wait! I didn't get a chance to take pictures this weekend; and I wouldn't be able to upload them to photobucket anyway since I've apparently reached my monthly limit for data uploading, so new pics will have to wait until May 1 at least. My Disney pics are all in there at least, so I can keep going with this report!

I just wanted to let you know that with photobucket, even though you have them loaded, each time you post and have people look at the picture it uses bandwith and that will then expire you faster. So basically every time a person looks at a picture you are using up space. I go pro to avoid all that since I post so many pictures. This time I renewed my pro for just under $8 by buying a mug from vista print. They have trial offers that give you a free upgrade and I have used Vista print twice and always made out with a much cheaper price plus an item/s that i will use.

 

[Practically_Perfect]

I just wanted to let you know that with photobucket, even though you have them loaded, each time you post and have people look at the picture it uses bandwith and that will then expire you faster. So basically every time a person looks at a picture you are using up space. I go pro to avoid all that since I post so many pictures. This time I renewed my pro for just under $8 by buying a mug from vista print. They have trial offers that give you a free upgrade and I have used Vista print twice and always made out with a much cheaper price plus an item/s that i will use.

Oh - thanks for the info! It's actually my ISP that's restricting me at the moment, not photobucket. But will definitely keep that in mind .


Okay folks - did anyone else watch the Wedding this morning? I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to watch. It put me in such a happy mood, that I'm going to write my next instalment now!!

 

[jenseib]

Oh - thanks for the info! It's actually my ISP that's restricting me at the moment, not photobucket. But will definitely keep that in mind .


Okay folks - did anyone else watch the Wedding this morning? I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to watch. It put me in such a happy mood, that I'm going to write my next instalment now!!

I saw a bit on the Today shopw at 7 and I have to say I was very UNIMPRESSED with her dress, but I am no slave to fashion either. I liked her sisters dress better.

 

[kaileighbug]

I'm here and jealous of a solo trip... I would love to go on a solo trip but that won't happen with my DD. She would be lost without me. And daddy would be lost because he can't do her hair.

 

[Practically_Perfect]

Sorry folks...this will be heavy on text and very light on pictures.


I'd had a very busy few weeks leading up to my trip. Between an out of town hockey tournament for my little brother, and a quick trip to visit my dad (who I hadn't seen since Christmas), I didn't really get any good time to plan and pack properly. Therefore I was shocked when I was able to get home from work on Wednesday at 6:00, pack completely and be at my parent's place by 8:15. My mom had offered to drive me to the airport in the morning for my 6:00 a.m., since their place is slightly closer to the airport than mine.

The route Delta was sending me on was an interesting one. First, I was flying from Ottawa to Detroit. Then, I was on a flight from Detroit to Minneapolis - St. Paul. Then, I was finally headed to Disney. A very roundabout route indeed, but it was the cheapest flights available.

I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m., and we were pulling up to the departures drop-off by 4:35. I quickly found the Delta kiosk, printed my boarding passes, thanked my mom and kissed her good-bye. I thought I was doing great when I was through Security by 5:00. I figured I'd even get a chance to grab one last cup of Tim's before my flight. Side note - any true Canadian will join me in extolling the virtues of a cup of coffee from Tim Horton's ...and it was still Rrrrrrrrrrroll up the Rrrrrrrrrrim! time, so I needed to see if I could win that car (or the TV. Heck, even a free coffee does the trick).

Then I saw it. The line for Customs. Now, Ottawa's airport is not that big...it's definitely not Toronto or Montreal. But the line for Custom's was snaked. Back and forth. Eight. Times!! What the heck was going on?? Figuring there was very little I could do about it, and that it would probably move quicker than I thought, I just pulled out my book, jumped in line, and started to wait. Lines were going to be the name of the game for the week anyway, right? Ha! Not when you're a single-rider and you know how to use Fastpass to your advantage .

So I wait. And I read. And I creep ahead, step by sloooow step. I resist the urge to look at my watch every 30 seconds. When I do look, the time just keeps jumping forward. 5:10. 5:16. 5:21. 5:25 - erm...that's when boarding's supposed to start and I'm still two rows away! 5:31. My Tim's dream is fading away quickly now. 5:36. Yay! I can see it - the border agent ready to wave me through....nope. Just a tease. A pilot gets to sneak through before me.

Finally it's my turn. At 5:42. Please, please, please don't ask me too many questions. "Where are you going?" "Orlando." "What are you going to do there?" "I'm going to Disney [resisting the urge to say, 'what else did you expect?']" Scan, stamp, stamp. "Please go ahead ma'am!". Phew!!

It's now 5:46. Thank goodness I knew the US departures area was small. I raced through the hallway, found my gate, handed over my boarding pass, and proceeded through the walkway. Which led me to a set of stairs. Which led me to a door heading outside. Wonderful. I was on one of the small planes that you have to board from outside. It didn't matter. I made it!!!!

Then we were 20 or so minutes late taking off. Doing some quick math in my head, I realise this leaves me only about 24 minutes to deplane, find out my gate number for my flight to Minneapolis, figure out how to get there, and board. I crossed my fingers that Detroit's airport would be around the same size as Ottawa's, and drifted off to sleep.

Yeah. Anyone ever flown through Detroit? It's one of the bigger airports. To get to my next gate, I had to go in a walking tunnel under the tarmac, then get on an indoor tram since the terminal is so long. Thank goodness my gate was right at the bottom of the escalator from my tram. Also, thank goodness people boarded after me. I hate being that person. You know, that "we're just waiting on one last passenger and then we'll be able to push back" person.

And of course, this plane was also around 20 minutes late taking off. I knew I had a bit of extra time, so I didn't let myself worry about it. Again, I drifted off to sleep. The pilot managed to make up some time, which was nice because it allowed me to get some food before boarding my last flight, which would finally get me to Orlando.

Guess what!? THIS flight took off 20 minutes late as well!!! Cursed, I tell you. I should have left that Mayan gold in the cave where I found it.

Anyhow. I finally got to Orlando around 2:30 or so. Since I'd put those wonderful yellow tags on my piece of luggage, I made my way down to the Magical Express area. I only had to wait about 5 minutes before being directed to a bus. I purposely got myself a seat in the front row, because there was a picture that I just had to get.

Anyone care to guess which picture I wanted??? Would I be able to get it??