Long time reader, occasional poster, first time trip reporter!
This is my 7th solo trip to WDW. Over the years, I benefited so much from what other forum members had posted here, thus helping me to make the most of my vacations, that I want to share some information and viewpoints, with hope to bring some useful cues and ideas to other adult travellers, solo or not. As I am afraid to be too busy once Ill be back home, it is my plan to do it live (as much as time and wifi connection allow it), with a daily update, beginning on Thursday, May 8th.
This is a 7-night stay at Disneys Coronado Springs Resort (CSR) with a 8-day park ticket. I have stayed at Pop Century Resort (POP) once and at Port Orleans Riverside (POR) a couple of times. I would be back to POP whether I stay for a short getaway and dont plan to spend time at the hotel. With regard to POR, it is a beautiful resort with a fantastic food court. However, as a solo traveller, I prefer CSR : it is more adult-oriented and buses are often less crowded than those on the POR routes. As I plan to spend time relaxing at the hotel and to do some activities outside the theme parks, I dont have the park hooper option. I visited water parks in previous trips, but decided to not add this option this year to avoid being overloaded.
Food is a major component of all my Disney vacations and I monitor the available options on a continuous basis, through this forum and other websites, especially the Disneyfoodblog.com. While I have had good experiences with the Deluxe Dining Plan, I stopped to add this option to my package one year ago, as the plan became more expensive. Now, I find it too challenging to get enough value to justify the cost. So I would say that I eat in deluxe way, without the dining plan. To pay out of pocket is a way to get more flexibility and, at the end of the day, is cheaper. I provide a demonstration of this statement in a companion dining review available here (with food pictures!).
Furthermore, I learnt from previous trips that flexibility matters in a Disney vacation. On one side, I carefully plan it, filling an Excel sheet (days in columns, hours in rows) with the theme park I plan to visit (I select them inspired by Joshs recommendations on EasyWDW.com), the FastPass+ attractions, some dining reservations (only 3 or 4 for the entire week), and other activities. Crafting this plan is a fun iterative process over the pre-vacation months, as new ideas arise and must be scheduled somewhere in the overall plan. On the other side, it is just a general guideline which allows me to dont forget anything, but I need to be flexible to deal with unexpected events, opportunities, constraints, and feelings. I do cancel reservations and drop out some activities or FP+ along the way. As I have visited WDW several times, I dont rush to ride as many attractions as possible. My main goal is to relax and to enjoy this beautiful place at the right pace.
The Keys to the Kingdom Tour at the MK and the Horseback Trail Ride at Fort Wilderness are scheduled. I also have advanced dining reservations at my favourites, Jiko and Flying Fish, as well as FP+ for a first-time lunch at Be Our Guest. While I have to wake up early some mornings, nightlife activities are also planned along the road. I dont provide more information about my specific plans. Instead, I invite you to follow this live trip report in the forthcoming days.
Pre-trip: My Magic+ : Disney vacation in the big data era
Day 1: Arrival, Epcot, Flowers & Gardens Festival
Day 2: Relaxation at the Resort, Disney Hollywood Studios
Day 3: Miniature Golf, Animal Kindgom, Animal Kingdom Lodge
Day 4: Horseback Trail Ride at Fort Wilderness, Disney Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk
Day 5: Epcot and Epcot Resort Area
Day 6: Keys to the Kingdom Tour at Magic Kingdom, resort activities and Magic Kingdom at night
Day 7: Downtown Disney, Epcot, Boardwalk
Day 8: Magic Kingdom
My Magic+ Experience Summary
Transportation Summary
This is my 7th solo trip to WDW. Over the years, I benefited so much from what other forum members had posted here, thus helping me to make the most of my vacations, that I want to share some information and viewpoints, with hope to bring some useful cues and ideas to other adult travellers, solo or not. As I am afraid to be too busy once Ill be back home, it is my plan to do it live (as much as time and wifi connection allow it), with a daily update, beginning on Thursday, May 8th.
This is a 7-night stay at Disneys Coronado Springs Resort (CSR) with a 8-day park ticket. I have stayed at Pop Century Resort (POP) once and at Port Orleans Riverside (POR) a couple of times. I would be back to POP whether I stay for a short getaway and dont plan to spend time at the hotel. With regard to POR, it is a beautiful resort with a fantastic food court. However, as a solo traveller, I prefer CSR : it is more adult-oriented and buses are often less crowded than those on the POR routes. As I plan to spend time relaxing at the hotel and to do some activities outside the theme parks, I dont have the park hooper option. I visited water parks in previous trips, but decided to not add this option this year to avoid being overloaded.
Food is a major component of all my Disney vacations and I monitor the available options on a continuous basis, through this forum and other websites, especially the Disneyfoodblog.com. While I have had good experiences with the Deluxe Dining Plan, I stopped to add this option to my package one year ago, as the plan became more expensive. Now, I find it too challenging to get enough value to justify the cost. So I would say that I eat in deluxe way, without the dining plan. To pay out of pocket is a way to get more flexibility and, at the end of the day, is cheaper. I provide a demonstration of this statement in a companion dining review available here (with food pictures!).
Furthermore, I learnt from previous trips that flexibility matters in a Disney vacation. On one side, I carefully plan it, filling an Excel sheet (days in columns, hours in rows) with the theme park I plan to visit (I select them inspired by Joshs recommendations on EasyWDW.com), the FastPass+ attractions, some dining reservations (only 3 or 4 for the entire week), and other activities. Crafting this plan is a fun iterative process over the pre-vacation months, as new ideas arise and must be scheduled somewhere in the overall plan. On the other side, it is just a general guideline which allows me to dont forget anything, but I need to be flexible to deal with unexpected events, opportunities, constraints, and feelings. I do cancel reservations and drop out some activities or FP+ along the way. As I have visited WDW several times, I dont rush to ride as many attractions as possible. My main goal is to relax and to enjoy this beautiful place at the right pace.
The Keys to the Kingdom Tour at the MK and the Horseback Trail Ride at Fort Wilderness are scheduled. I also have advanced dining reservations at my favourites, Jiko and Flying Fish, as well as FP+ for a first-time lunch at Be Our Guest. While I have to wake up early some mornings, nightlife activities are also planned along the road. I dont provide more information about my specific plans. Instead, I invite you to follow this live trip report in the forthcoming days.
Pre-trip: My Magic+ : Disney vacation in the big data era
Day 1: Arrival, Epcot, Flowers & Gardens Festival
Day 2: Relaxation at the Resort, Disney Hollywood Studios
Day 3: Miniature Golf, Animal Kindgom, Animal Kingdom Lodge
Day 4: Horseback Trail Ride at Fort Wilderness, Disney Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk
Day 5: Epcot and Epcot Resort Area
Day 6: Keys to the Kingdom Tour at Magic Kingdom, resort activities and Magic Kingdom at night
Day 7: Downtown Disney, Epcot, Boardwalk
Day 8: Magic Kingdom
My Magic+ Experience Summary
Transportation Summary