No Work and All Play – Disney on the Company’s Dime! (8/1 There and Back Again)

[thecapells]

Originally Posted by WrightFamily06

Yes, we are for the 1st time on the 18th Soo excitied , still have to find costumes for the kiddies , I think DH and I will just go for tees or halloween colored clothes .

No, you and DH definitely have to dress up!!!
It makes it so much more fun (as you'll soon see in my next TR...)

[WrightFamily06]

Originally Posted by thecapells

No, you and DH definitely have to dress up!!!
It makes it so much more fun (as you'll soon see in my next TR...)

No, that's ok it's just not us to dress up lol

I can't wait to see your next report and what your family dressed up as maybe it will change my mind about the dress up thing but it's gonna be pretty hard to change my mind , DH will be even tougher lol

[thecapells]

I took the monorail back to the TTC and wandered down the ramp towards the shuttle buses.
Of course, since I can’t do anything without pictures, here’s my Farewell Montage featuring all the character silhouettes marching out…

Mickey


Mickey with Minnie


Which means Pluto can’t be too far behind…


Donald is next


With Daisy right next to him of course


And you can’t forget Goofy


Then there’s Pooh with Piglet


With Tigger bouncing close behind


And good ol’ Eeyore is bringing up the rear


After a quick stop in the TTC gift shop so I could buy a 2009 magnet, I finally made my way to the BVS bus.
I then proceeded to ride to most of the other parks picking up passengers - gotta love that off-site shuttle service.
After almost an hour on the bus, I finally arrived home in time to catch the Mears Shuttle to the airport.
That bus ride was more or less uneventful.
I got through security with plenty of time before my flight so I grabbed some dinner at the food court and proceeded to explore the airport.
They have everything from SeaWorld stores to Kennedy Center souvenirs.
And, of course, some friendly and familiar characters are scattered around.
Spider-Man is watching you from one side of the hallway to make sure you stay in line.


And then, outside the “Earport” Gift Shop, is Mickey’s final farewell…


And with that I hopped my flight and headed home ending my 1st solo trip to Walt Disney World.
In retrospect, solo touring is great – you get to ride the rides you want without restrictions.
There are no bathroom stops, snack stops, water breaks, or anything else that will slow you down unless you, of course, want to.
There is no limitation to where you can go (I still can’t believe I looped Epcot twice and even threw in a jaunt to the Beach Club in one day).
You can spend time where you want to exploring all the little details and taking in all your surroundings without having to explain anything.
It’s very liberating.
But I used it more as a scouting mission noting everything I wanted the kids to see on our next visit.
It allowed me to try all the new stuff out so I can accurately explain it and prepare them for it.
And the pics and video served as a preview to the great fun they would have.
So, would I do it again? In a heartbeat. But only once in a while.
The Family Experience definitely makes the vacation more worthwhile.
After all, there’s nothing greater than seeing your child light up when...
he first glimpses the Mouse and takes a spin Buzz Lightyear or...
she first sees the Castle along with her favorite princess or...
Lightning McQueen roars his engine for the first time.

Speaking of which, it’s time to move on.
And with that, it’s time for me to start loading more pictures.
Next up – our Halloween 2009 Trip Report.
Yes, we hit Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and yes, the entire family went in costume!
And we also caught some new attractions that are no longer around.
And now I have 6 months left before our next trip to Walt Disney World in which to start and finish this report.
So follow me as the rest of the family (and some guests) head back to the World in:

The Pirates and the Frog (Halloween 2009)

[dawnbu40]

Thank you for sharing your solo adventures!
I'm looking forward to following along on your new one!

[thecapells]

Originally Posted by dawnbu40

Thank you for sharing your solo adventures!
I'm looking forward to following along on your new one!

It was a blast!
I had almost forgotten how much I got done in those few short days.
But the next TR should be even more fun as it helps me count down till our January trip!!

[MEK]

I really enjoyed your solo trip. You really made the most of every moment. I agree with you that solo trips are very liberating. I did one once in Jan 2008. I actually wanted to see if I had the guts to travel by myself. It was a little intimidating at first (mostly the getting there part), but after I got there I relaxed. I did use it as a scouting mission also. I remember seeing things and thinking, "I want to show Denny this or Nick would like this". I was even evil enough to text my kids pictures while they were in school. OK - that was just wrong, but I missed my family.

I would go solo again, but I do think Disney is really meant to be shared with others.

So, I will start reading your family TR and look forward to your upcoming trip.

[thecapells]

Originally Posted by MEK

I really enjoyed your solo trip. You really made the most of every moment. I agree with you that solo trips are very liberating. I did one once in Jan 2008. I actually wanted to see if I had the guts to travel by myself. It was a little intimidating at first (mostly the getting there part), but after I got there I relaxed. I did use it as a scouting mission also. I remember seeing things and thinking, "I want to show Denny this or Nick would like this". I was even evil enough to text my kids pictures while they were in school. OK - that was just wrong, but I missed my family.

I would go solo again, but I do think Disney is really meant to be shared with others.

So, I will start reading your family TR and look forward to your upcoming trip.

Yeah, it was definitely more of a scouting mission.
I took video and showed the kids everything when I got home.
It mostly got them excited for the November trip so they could see all these cool things.
And it was also nice to preview some of the attractions like Mission: Space so I could explain the entire ride to them.
This helped make the November trip much smoother...

[WrightFamily06]

Great ending

Love the pictures of the silhouettes on the gates , I've always noticed them but never stopped to get a picture !


You know I'm soo ready to read this Halloween report ! So I'm heading over there now !

[thecapells]

Originally Posted by WrightFamily06

Great ending

Love the pictures of the silhouettes on the gates , I've always noticed them but never stopped to get a picture !


You know I'm soo ready to read this Halloween report ! So I'm heading over there now !

A fitting end to the solo trip...
Stopping for pictures of something I never would've given a second thought to either if I had the kids with me!

[praisehisname]

I really enjoyed reading about your solo trip; thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Heading over to your new report now.

[thecapells]

Originally Posted by praisehisname

I really enjoyed reading about your solo trip; thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Heading over to your new report now.

Thanks!
The next one should be a bit more comical with the whole gang joining me!