Volunteer John and the Contemporary Journey! Chapter 13 1/13 - FINAL THOUGHTS / COMPLETE

[Volunteer]

Hello and welcome to my first WDW/Universal trip report! I have previously written a pre trip report for this trip, as well as a one day trip report for Disneyland from earlier this year. Follow the links if you’d like to read them (they are great, but I am a little biased ). The pre trip report will have details that I will probably reference in the beginning of the report if you'd like to read the backstory!

Welcome back to anyone that have followed my previous report. I’m excited and grateful that you’ve chosen to keep reading!

My name is John, I’m a 32 year old single Disney nut from Nashville, TN! Usually I’m on the disboards reading the trip report boards for WDW, DL, and/or Disney Cruise. Occasionally I will head over to the Adults and Solo section to answer any questions people may have. I’m not a stranger to solo trips so I enjoy encouraging people to take them if they are hesitant. I have a goal of seeing each of the worldwide Disney parks - I'm only lacking the Disneyland Paris parks, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai when it opens!
Walt Disney World has been mine and my family's happy place for as long as I can remember. The biggest regret I had in my college years was not enrolling in the college program when I was accepted. So, I think one day I’ll probably retire to Florida and enjoy working in the parks in my golden years!
In my “normal life”, I work in IT Internal Audit. I enjoy sports (Tennessee Vols, Nashville Predators, and Atlanta Braves), exploring Nashville, all genres of music, and traveling! Earlier this year I was able to visit London and Scotland, and it was an incredible time. Also have tentative plans to make it to Disneyland Paris next summer.

Some favorites of mine, comment and let me know your favorites!

Favorite Disney Park: DisneySea, but on this side of the country I’ll go Disneyland!
Favorite Disney Ride: Tower of Terror (at any of the parks I’ve encountered), Space Mountain (Nostalgia ), and Soarin (really excited for the new “soarin over the world” next year!)
Favorite Disney character: It’s been Goofy since I was a boy but Mickey is great too!
Favorite Disney movie: Lion King, Aladdin, and Mary Poppins.
Favorite Disney restaurant: Ohana dinner! I’ve had some wonderful memories made at that dinner, and I hope to stay at the Poly one day.
Favorite Disney Cruise chip: I’m a technology geek, so I have to go with the Fantasy! Although I love the Dream and Magic as well (have not been on the Wonder yet).

Here are a few pictures of me at …

WDW

Disneyland

Disney Cruise

2013 D23 Convention

Tokyo Disneyland

WHEN: 11/5/15 - 11/10/15
WHERE: WDW/Universal - You'll see the rest of the details in the trip

This was a great trip, it was so nice to travel with friends and their family as well as spending solo time in the parks. I will need to apologize in advance though, because I was not very consistent in taking pictures this trip. My notes are good though, so hopefully I can keep the report entertaining!

I had a good variety of trip titles for this report, such as:

“TOW (The one where) Joe Biden wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“Volunteer John and the Sense of Entitlement”

“Volunteer John and Wishes Galore”

“Planes, Trains (Monorails), and Automobiles (Uber)”

“It burns like vegetables”


I look forward to sharing the reasons why I considered each of these titles!

I plan on writing as many entries as I can before Wednesday - because I leave for Peru then for ten days! I’m excited to start a new adventure. It will be great to cross Machu Picchu off the bucket list! I’ll make sure to share some of those experiences as well!

If you are reading, please comment and let me know!

Thanks again everyone!

See ya real soon!

 

[Volunteer]

CHAPTER ONE: THE JOURNEY BEGINS
CHAPTER TWO: MORNINGS ARE UNIVERSAL
CHAPTER THREE: LONDON, ISLA NUBAR, AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN
CHAPTER FOUR: THE WISHES BEGIN
CHAPTER FIVE: MOVIN ON UP
CHAPTER SIX: I WAS NOT READY
CHAPTER SEVEN: HOW LONG WAS THAT?
CHAPTER EIGHT: NEW CREEPINESS AT TOWER OF TERROR
CHAPTER NINE: LAST NIGHT IN PARADISE
CHAPTER TEN: LEAVING PARADISE
CHAPTER ELEVEN: OHANA MEANS FAMILY
CHAPTER TWELVE: THE LAST DAY

 

[disneyguy4life]

I can't wait to read more and feed my Disney addiction. I think it's awesome that you take the time to go solo and with friends and family. It's something I wish I had done all those years I was single. I look forward to hearing the stories behind each possible TR title. Until the next report... Lata playa.

 

[SnowWhiteOz]

Following along!

 

[Volunteer]

CHAPTER ONE: THE JOURNEY BEGINS

I woke up this morning like most mornings, but this one was obviously different. It was DISNEY day, but I couldn't focus on that just yet - I had a very important job interview scheduled for a few hours that morning. After completing the few hours of interviews with 9 (!!!) people, I grabbed some lunch and drove home in order to finish packing.

BTW: Some of you wished me well in the PTR; the interview went well, I should know something this week or next since they are interviewing other candidates. I'll be annoyed if I do not get an offer (especially with all the changes in my itinerary - see PTR) but that's clearly a first world problem.

Anyways, my flight was set to leave at 6pm (18:00) so I requested an Uber at about 4pm (16:00) in order to transport me to the airport. For those not familiar, Uber (also Lyft) is an app that let's you request a ride from a driver, they take you to your requested area, and then your a credit card (which is connected to your account) is charged automatically. I use this service in Nashville when I go out and I may be drinking, or when I'm going to the airport and I don't want to inconvenience friends to take me/pick me up/or park. You'll need to be familiar with this process for the rest of my trip since I used it quite a bit. You see, I wanted the freedom of having a rental car for the trip (especially on the Universal day), but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of renting a car, driving, paying tolls, parking, etc. I finally got the bright idea to use Uber for the moments when I would use my car and see how the prices compared at the end of the trip. I will have my review and thoughts at the end of the report! But spoiler alert: It was cheaper then a rental car and it worked very well.

Here is a screenshot of my ride from my house to the airport, it was a free ride because I had a referral code. Speaking of referral codes, if you want to try the service out (you'll need to make sure it's in your city), I can give you a referral code that makes your first ride free up to $20 (I'll get a free ride as well)!

The trip time was a little over 42 minutes, which is about 20 minutes more then usual. That's because once we got about 3/4 the way there, traffic was at a stand still. The driver mentioned something about normal traffic, but I knew better. This wasn't normal traffic on a Thursday afternoon. I didn't think much of it, and soon I was being dropped out at BNA.

I will take this moment to say that I love airports - I'm a big people watcher and airports are a great place to do this once the stressful moments are out of the way. I love our airport, BNA. It's not a big airport, so it's a great home base because it's so easy to get around.

I don't check a bag, so I went straight through the security line (thanks, Precheck!) and soon I was looking at this:

My flight was delayed 15 minutes, which was not a big deal.

I made my way down the terminal, and I was hungry. I wanted something light, so I came across this new sushi restaurant/stand area so I thought I would check it out. I was a little hesitant (I have a friend that got sick eating airport sushi in Tokyo at the end of a travel day - I told him eating sushi at 11pm in an airport didn't sound like a good idea), but I knew our eatery options were getting better at BNA and if it was bad, it wouldn't be open very long.

I was talking with the waitress and she asked me if I had any trouble getting to the airport. I said yes and asked her why she asked, and she said that Joe Biden just came through the airport and they had to shut most everything down. I had my "AH HA" moment, I knew that wasn't just normal traffic!

I had this roll, which was pretty good; sorry I didn't get notes on what it actually was haha. I'll eat here again if the opportunity presents itself.

After dinner I settled in at my terminal and talked to my mom on the phone before boarding. Soon it was time to board so I took my rightful place in the front of the line:

For those of you that did not follow in the PTR, because I had to make last second changes to accommodate my interview, I had to change my flight today. Basically the best option as far as time and price was to book a business select flight on Southwest which are not cheap! But it comes with some perks, like boarding first (as you see here), one free drink on the flight, lots of extra points, etc. I will probably never board first again on Southwest, so I was excited. I walked on to the plane, put my bag up, and took my seat on the exit row.

I'm 6'0 tall so the extra leg room is wonderful

A business travel took the exit aisle seat and we got to talking. He saw me board first, and said jokingly, "You need to act more entitled as an A1." He then told me stories of a lady on one of his flights that got angry when someone touched her bag in the overhead compartments, then proceeded to shuffle around other people's bags. He then told me another story about how another guy jumped out of his seat once the plane landed and the de-boarding process started and basically demanded to be let off first. Both these people, at some point in the story said, "I'm an A1 I can do whatever I want."

During the flight I kept myself entertained by watching the latest episode of the Big Bang Theory (it was airing live on CBS, free cable access for some channels on Southwest), and once that ended I watched some of the Thursday night NFL game. Pretty sure it was the Browns vs Bengals, the Bengals were definitely playing because Andy Dalton is my fantasy football QB and I had to make sure he was playing well.

Once we started descending into the Orlando area, I saw a big circular purple landmark lit up in the skyline far away. I first thought it was Epcot, but then I realized I don't see any Disney landmarks from the plane flying in due to the direction we come in. I then realized it was the Orlando Eye - the new "observation wheel" on I Drive. It looked cool, but it didn't look as cool as the London Eye lit up at night(the same company made both):

https://www.instagram.com/p/1-0kk5RoHY/?taken-by=imjohnanderson

We landed in MCO, I took the Fake o rail to the main terminal. Normally, this is when travelers take the Magical Express or rent their car. Since I'm not on site the first couple of nights, and Uber doesn't pick up at MCO (thanks Mears), I booked a company named Super Shuttle to take my to my hotel.

I had used Super Shuttle in New York before. Basically, a shuttle van picks you and other travelers up and you share a ride to your destination. Once I landed, I was texted a link to "check in" with the service. Once I checked in, it told me where to go and what bus I was taking. 10 minutes later, the bus was picking us up, and about 20 minutes later I was at my hotel. The process could not have been any easier (it may have helped that I'm very familiar with MCO, but the directions told me exactly where to go step by step).

Super Shuttle REVIEW: This was a great service if you're not using ME, renting a car, or staying at a hotel with a shuttle near the airport. It was very easy, and "idiot proof" if you are comfortable receiving a text message and "checking in" (basically clicking a button that acknowledges that you are at the airport). The total cost was around $21 which included a $2 tip so it would be cheaper than a taxi. I'll use it again if it fits my needs!

NEXT: Checking into my first hotel, and the morning at Universal Studios!

Please comment and say hello if you are reading! Thanks so much!

 

[Volunteer]

I can't wait to read more and feed my Disney addiction. I think it's awesome that you take the time to go solo and with friends and family. It's something I wish I had done all those years I was single. I look forward to hearing the stories behind each possible TR title. Until the next report... Lata playa.

Thanks @disneyguy4life, and . You may not be able to get away with a solo trip now ... but just use that as an excuse to go with family! Time is our greatest commodity so try not to put something off if you really want to do it!

Following along!

Thanks girl, and ! I hope my report entertains you as much as yours has entertained me!

 

[cajunfan]

I'm here! Can't wait to read more!

Lynn

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Joining in!

I chuckled at the "Volunteer John and the Sense of Entitlement” line

Glad to hear Uber worked out well for you. I love the concept - I just live a bit too far outside of the city for them to be practical. They say it is offered but generally not a lot of availability

That's funny in that there is a Disneyland TR going on where when they landed and were traveling to their hotel the traffic was at a standstill because, you betcha, VP Biden was coming through. I'll tell you what I told them ... he should have waited for you - you are the one going to Disney!

"I'm an A1 I can do whatever I want." ... if someone said that to me I think the proper response is "You are also a steak sauce"

So I am going to guess you weren't a bit fan of the Bengals performance last night on Monday Night Football

That's great that the Super Shuttle worked out well for you!

 

[Volunteer]

I'm here! Can't wait to read more!

Thanks Lynn!

I chuckled at the "Volunteer John and the Sense of Entitlement” line

Oh, it gets better!

That's funny in that there is a Disneyland TR going on where when they landed and were traveling to their hotel the traffic was at a standstill because, you betcha, VP Biden was coming through. I'll tell you what I told them ... he should have waited for you - you are the one going to Disney!

Seriously!

"I'm an A1 I can do whatever I want." ... if someone said that to me I think the proper response is "You are also a steak sauce"

I think that was my initial reaction as well once I heard the stories.

So I am going to guess you weren't a bit fan of the Bengals performance last night on Monday Night Football

No I was not! Needed a big game from him and now I'm doubting him. Stupid fantasy football.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

I am following along. Solo trips make for more interesting trip reports.

Go Braves (rebuilding and all)!

 

[Volunteer]

I am following along. Solo trips make for more interesting trip reports.

Welcome Chief, thanks for following along! Hopefully I can make this trip interesting enough to entertain!

Go Braves (rebuilding and all)!

Go Braves! As much as the rebuild stings, I know it's in the best interest of the club long term. Can't wait for the new ballpark to open up!

 

[jandlinz]

Joining in.

 

[jessicar82]

Following! Can't wait to read more!

 

[Volunteer]

Joining in.

Thank you and welcome!

Following! Can't wait to read more!

Thank you and welcome!

 

[NPRinLA]

Following along! Can't wait to hear how the trip progresses!

 

[Volunteer]

Following along! Can't wait to hear how the trip progresses!

Thanks, and welcome back (I think you're a previous reader)! I'll get to reading your PTR soon!

 

[Volunteer]

Hi everyone!

I hope that each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family! I know mine was busy but AMAZING ... Saturday I got home (was supposed to be Friday, thanks American ) from my trip to Peru! I went with family, and we had an amazing time. I won't derail this trip report much, but here is a pic of me from Machu Picchu!

 

[Volunteer]

CHAPTER TWO: MORNINGS ARE UNIVERSAL

When we last left our hero, he was checking into his first hotel of the trip!

That hotel was the Radisson Hotel Orlando!

I had hotel points saved so this stay was free for me. I checked in, got a shuttle bus schedule (spoiler alert: I would never use it) and picked up my groceries I shipped ahead of time. No, wait - picked up was not the right word. Placed a massive box on a luggage cart and took to my room is more appropriate.

This is a picture of the hall leading into my room. That Amazon prime pantry box had:

• 12 ct of bottled water
• Three, six packs of eight ounce diet cokes and coke zeros
• One pack of kind protein bars (four count), and
• 24 count of nature valley granola bars.

This costs me about $25 from Amazon pantry which I thought was a pretty good deal. Especially since I didn't need to buy breakfast every morning or buy any cokes/waters in the parks.

Here are some more pictures of the room:

Sorry for the blur, long day. But you can get the idea of the size. There is a desk and couch in the back as well that's hard to see.

I had to stop Towelie the Elephant from smoking; he wasn't pleased.

So, I turn on the TV and LOOK WHAT I FOUND

I found Stacey and the must do's!! It was a perfect ending to a long day for me.

Fast forward a few hours to the next morning, I had my breakfast, made myself some hotel room coffee (Starbucks brand ), and I was using Uber for the first time in Orlando. I was picked up by a very nice lady just outside of reception. Ride info below!



My hotel was right outside the main gate, and I was dropped off at a "drop off location" inside the Universal Orlando Resort. I took the escalator up, walked this way ...

and before I knew it I was outside the Universal Studios Main Gate. This is usually where people insert the Universal Globe picture, but it was being worked on!

I walked in the park and was staring down my first ride of the trip!

Yes, it was about 10 minutes after opening and the wait was already 25 minutes. This is a motion simulator ride, with no height restrictions. I had rode it before, but it had been a while (I had not tried it my last few trips because of wait times), so I knew it was now or never if I wanted to become an honorary minion.

SPOILER ALERT: I have never seen any of the Despicable Me movies.

The ride is fun, but next time I won't ride it unless it's a walk on (<10 minutes). Which will be never haha.

At this point, it was impossible to resist the walk to the back of the park to Diagon Alley (Harry Potter World). I don't have any pics from the walk, because I was broadcasting my walk on the app named Periscope. In the slow 12 minute walk, I had viewers from all over the world! It was crazy!

Up next (should be soon): a morning stroll to/in London!

Thanks for reading everyone!!

 

[NPRinLA]

Machu Picchu looks gorgeous! It's definitely on my "one day, in my wildest dreams" list. I hope you had an amazing time!

I have never seen any of the Despicable Me movies

You need to see them! For not being Disney, they're surprisingly good!

 

[adudeinblue]

I think it's pretty cool that you travel so much! I am excited to read more of your travels!