earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
Hello hello friends!
Back again with a dining report, solo edition this time. The first trip was over Labor Day weekend from 8/31 to 9/3, and I just returned from the second trip, 9/6 to 9/8, late last night. Since they were so close together, I am combining both trips into one report.
This time there were quite a few new experiences dining and otherwise for me, including buying souvenirs (gasp!!!), Toy Story Land, and morning EMH.
~~~~~
WHO:
Chris (me!), mid-20s, works in tech. You can read a little bit more about me in my earlier dining reports linked in my signature.
WHAT:
These were my fourth and fifth solo* trips since my reintroduction to the magic of Disney last August. My first three trips were last year (2017) in August and September, all solo, and also bizarrely close together. So this is basically a tradition of sorts
(*I was also solo for 2.5 days during our January/Festival of the Arts trip, but that is not included in the count since T joined me for the rest of that week.)
WHERE:
I stayed at the Swan for both trips!
I have now stayed at the Swan a total of 14 nights over 5 stays, 3 of which were solo. Safe to say, the Swan is still one of my favorites and imo a great deal for an Epcot area resort.
WHEN:
First trip: 8/31 to 9/3
Second trip: 9/6 to 9/8
WHY:
Bear with me. This is the (long) evolution of the trip(s)...
Originally, I had planned a little September/F&W/MNSSHP getaway, as a thank you gift to T, with a surprise stay at AKL. Then I accepted a job offer and we relocated for it, so our dates (9/2-9/6) were off the table.
Then I thought, you know what?! We still have expiring flight credits... Let's go over Labor Day weekend! I planned accordingly, about 2 weeks in advance, and made sure we wouldn't need to take vacation days.
And then my useless brain was like, mmm, I don't want to miss out on MNSSHP after all. Let's go back the next weekend after the Labor Day trip, because my brain on Disney planning is determined and unreasonable.
....and then, at the very, very last moment, after we booked flights and dining and hotels, the person who agreed to watch our dog canceled on us... purposefully.
We were incredibly disappointed and upset. This person is a certain family member (and is a long story for another day), but we should've known she would do this because she has before. Lesson fully learned.
I was ready to cancel and eat the cost of my expiring flight credits, but T encouraged me to go by myself anyway, so that "at least one of us could have fun" After a looooot of going back and forth, I stayed with the plan. I changed the resort from AKL to Swan for both trips. AKL just wouldn't be the same without T; it's our absolute favorite, and I already felt terribly guilty going on a trip meant to be a present FOR HIM by myself!
After all the reworking, it became an "woohoo new job" celebratory trip, at least in name. I managed to get over the extreme guilt and had a grand ol' time, but during both weekends I found myself ending every happy text with "wish you were here too!"
As for T, he just flew off this morning to spend a week with his dad and stepmom. This was my backup "thank you" plan. He gets to spend time with his dad (a rarity) for a good long while, ride their motorcycles together, and more. So, all's well that ends well, and I was able to do something nice for him in the end.
~~~~~
And now, without further ado, what we are all actually here for...
Up next: arrival evening, a brief post.
Back again with a dining report, solo edition this time. The first trip was over Labor Day weekend from 8/31 to 9/3, and I just returned from the second trip, 9/6 to 9/8, late last night. Since they were so close together, I am combining both trips into one report.
This time there were quite a few new experiences dining and otherwise for me, including buying souvenirs (gasp!!!), Toy Story Land, and morning EMH.
~~~~~
WHO:
Chris (me!), mid-20s, works in tech. You can read a little bit more about me in my earlier dining reports linked in my signature.
WHAT:
These were my fourth and fifth solo* trips since my reintroduction to the magic of Disney last August. My first three trips were last year (2017) in August and September, all solo, and also bizarrely close together. So this is basically a tradition of sorts
(*I was also solo for 2.5 days during our January/Festival of the Arts trip, but that is not included in the count since T joined me for the rest of that week.)
WHERE:
I stayed at the Swan for both trips!
I have now stayed at the Swan a total of 14 nights over 5 stays, 3 of which were solo. Safe to say, the Swan is still one of my favorites and imo a great deal for an Epcot area resort.
WHEN:
First trip: 8/31 to 9/3
Second trip: 9/6 to 9/8
WHY:
Bear with me. This is the (long) evolution of the trip(s)...
Originally, I had planned a little September/F&W/MNSSHP getaway, as a thank you gift to T, with a surprise stay at AKL. Then I accepted a job offer and we relocated for it, so our dates (9/2-9/6) were off the table.
Then I thought, you know what?! We still have expiring flight credits... Let's go over Labor Day weekend! I planned accordingly, about 2 weeks in advance, and made sure we wouldn't need to take vacation days.
And then my useless brain was like, mmm, I don't want to miss out on MNSSHP after all. Let's go back the next weekend after the Labor Day trip, because my brain on Disney planning is determined and unreasonable.
....and then, at the very, very last moment, after we booked flights and dining and hotels, the person who agreed to watch our dog canceled on us... purposefully.
We were incredibly disappointed and upset. This person is a certain family member (and is a long story for another day), but we should've known she would do this because she has before. Lesson fully learned.
I was ready to cancel and eat the cost of my expiring flight credits, but T encouraged me to go by myself anyway, so that "at least one of us could have fun" After a looooot of going back and forth, I stayed with the plan. I changed the resort from AKL to Swan for both trips. AKL just wouldn't be the same without T; it's our absolute favorite, and I already felt terribly guilty going on a trip meant to be a present FOR HIM by myself!
After all the reworking, it became an "woohoo new job" celebratory trip, at least in name. I managed to get over the extreme guilt and had a grand ol' time, but during both weekends I found myself ending every happy text with "wish you were here too!"
As for T, he just flew off this morning to spend a week with his dad and stepmom. This was my backup "thank you" plan. He gets to spend time with his dad (a rarity) for a good long while, ride their motorcycles together, and more. So, all's well that ends well, and I was able to do something nice for him in the end.
~~~~~
And now, without further ado, what we are all actually here for...
Up next: arrival evening, a brief post.
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