To Be Or Not Be Alone | DCP Spring 2022

Instead of a weekly update on my Disney College Program, I’m going to focus on one specific day because that’ll be easier for me. Plus, it’ll be more fun for you guys to read about my time in the parks, rather than the unpredictable guests I encounter at work!

On Friday, June 10, 2022, I went to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. One of my new friends I made at work was supposed to go with me, but I checked up on him a day or two earlier and he told me he was sick. So, I panicked because how was I supposed to find someone to hang out with at the last minute?!?! I decided to ask my newest roommate if she wanted to go with me because she was also off that day…big mistake.

She waited too long to book a park reservation and didn’t check until the day I was planning to go to EPCOT. Of course, there were no reservations available. To be fair, her friend and her friend’s boyfriend were in Florida for a few days, so she wanted to spend some time with them. I’ll give her that one. But it was very frustrating freaking out on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday over whether or not she’d be able to get a park reservation.

However, I tried not to stress over it because I wanted to enjoy my time in the parks. Plus, since I had a reservation for EPCOT (my least favorite of the four WDW parks), I got to sleep in and go to the park late. That way, I wouldn’t be tired when I stay late at Magic Kingdom. I took a shower before I left Flamingo Crossings Village, took the route E bus to the ticket and transportation center, took the monorail to EPCOT, and arrived at about 12:00-12:30 p.m. I wanted to leave the park by 1:30-2:00 p.m. because guests can start park hopping at 2:00 p.m. 

After taking a few pictures of the EPCOT golf ball, I headed inside for a quick trip inside my least favorite WDW park. I decided to go inside an air conditioned room to watch the ‘Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival’ located in World Celebration. However, to my surprise, when I entered the room, Mickey Mouse was there taking pictures with guests, and the line was pretty short! I met Mickey Mouse instead of watching the film festival, and it was totally worth it (even though our interaction was quick and awkward in spots).

Next up, I explored the depths of the ocean with Nemo and his friends in a ride called ‘The Seas with Nemo & Friends’ located in World Nature. It’s similar to the ‘Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid’ ride at Magic Kingdom, where guests board a clam shell and enjoy a fast-paced version of the respective Disney film. The Nemo ride isn’t as good, in my opinion. It was so slow and I got bored easily. When I got off the ride, though, there was an area to view various sea creatures you’ve seen in the Finding Nemo (2003) movie. I got to see clownfish, seahorses, regal blue tang fish, and yellow tang fish!

The fun had just begun, however! I took the monorail back to the ticket and transportation center, took another monorail to Magic Kingdom, and entered the park at around 2:30 p.m. The first thing I did was head to Adventureland to get strawberry dole whip at a place called Sunshine Tree Terrace. I mobile ordered it, which saved me so much time because I skipped the line and picked up my order when it was ready. That strawberry dole whip was refreshing, especially in the Florida heat.

After my snack, I rode ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and surprisingly, I’ve been enjoying that attraction more and more lately. Not sure if it’s because I like the song or the fact that the attraction is in an air conditioned room, haha. The next ride on the agenda was ‘The Haunted Mansion,’ but that got put on hold because it started to rain. On the way, I watched the ‘Country Bear Jamboree’ in Frontierland. I’ve always wanted to check it out, but never did the past few times I went to Magic Kingdom. The rain gave me a good excuse to finally sit down and enjoy the show.

I enjoyed the music, but some of those bears were creeping me out! Also, I don’t think a song called “Blood on the Saddle” should be featured in a kid-friendly show. I’d still watch it again, however.

The rain cleared up enough for me to head to Liberty Square to ride ‘The Haunted Mansion,’ my favorite ride at Magic Kingdom. Then, it was time for Fantasyland and boy, was it a blast! I did ‘It’s a Small World,’ ‘Prince Charming Regal Carrousel,’ ‘Mad Tea Party,’ ‘Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid,’ and ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.’ For dinner, I mobile ordered corn dog nuggets from Casey’s Corner located on Main Street, U.S.A. I don’t care how lame this sounds, but I LOVE CORN DOGS!!!! There are so many great food options in the world, but I’d be satisfied with a simple corn dog because they’re so good (and because I love hot dogs). 

I ate my dinner on the side of the walkway and I enjoyed watching all the people go by. Having a minor in Psychology, human behavior really fascinates me because you never know what goes inside a person’s head. Plus, when you’re on vacation, not everything goes according to plan! 

I had about an hour until the fireworks at 9:20 p.m., so I decided to do ‘Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’ because the wait time was 50 minutes (at least that’s what the My Disney Experience app said). It just so happened that the ride was experiencing problems and needed maintenance support. When I got to the front, about to board the vehicle, I kept on seeing empty vehicles go by for 30 minutes. I tried my best to be understanding for the cast members’ sake, but dang, that was very frustrating! I was so close, yet so far. 

Strangely enough, ‘Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’ fixed their issues by the time the fireworks show began. So, I got to ride the coaster during the fireworks, and everyone on the ride (including myself) were really hyped about it! 

When the ride was done, I rushed back to Fantasyland to do either ‘Seven Dwarfs Mine Train’ or ‘Peter Pan’s Flight.’ I did the latter because it was closer. It was so cool walking all over the park during the fireworks because it was very chaotic, yet breathtaking at the same time. I had a moment of realization where I went, “oh my gosh, this is my life! I can walk through Fantasyland during the fireworks show!”

The downside was the wait time for ‘Peter Pan’s Flight’ said it was only 20-30 minutes, when it really felt like 40-50 minutes. Then again, I’ve experienced worse, so it’s fine!

I was debating whether or not to do ‘Seven Dwarfs Mine Train’ afterwards, but then I saw the 70 minute wait time displayed on the front and decided to call it a night. By the way, Cinderella’s castle looks stunning at night!

I took the monorail back to the ticket and transportation center, and walked to the bus stop for DCP participants. This was my first time taking the bus home from Magic Kingdom, so I was a bit confused on where to go. I went all the way down to the end, but really, the bus stop was at the front. It’s ok, though, because I saw the bus drive all the way to the front and I followed it. I officially left the park at 11:15 p.m.

I’ll admit when my friend told me he couldn’t go to EPCOT with me anymore, I was nervous about the possibility of having another solo day in the parks, especially since I’ve never done Magic Kingdom at night by myself before. I’ve spent a lot of solo time in the parks because I used to go before work, but I didn’t want to go by myself all the time! I wanted to prove to myself that I’m capable of making friends that I can go to Disney World with. Those DCP vlogs of people spending time with their friends at the parks really got to me.

In the end, I still had fun spending the day by myself, and as the day went on, it bothered me less that no one was with me. Plus, I got to do the rides of my choice and eat the food I wanted to eat. So, I guess you can say going to the parks alone isn’t a bad thing. It’s fun to hang out with other people sometimes, but if plans change, don’t panic because you can still have a great time at Disney World by yourself! 

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Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana