My Bougie Pampered Queen Solo Holiday Trip Completed 1/8

[StayAwake]

I love a Bougie Pampered Queen Solo trip to Disney! It is honestly the best Disney trip, IMO.

But it does make enjoying all the festival booths a lot harder. It's too bad they don't have some kind of service that can match you up with other people for the day so you can share stuff and be able to try more things.

Loving this trip report! Heading for my Bougie Pampered Queen solo trip in just a couple of weeks, so this is really getting me in the mood!

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

What a fantastic EPCOT day!

 

[disneyAndi14]

I love your Epcot day! What a great solo day. You did all my favorites!
I didn’t get to try much at the festival booths this trip. The lines were crazy and the cookie stroll didn’t even happen for me, lol

 

[suse66]

Main Street NEVER disappoints!! I was grinning from ear to ear & totally emotional to be back in my favorite place

Oh my gosh! So true…..it’s just the best feeling!!

I headed to the bus stop about 10 a.m. My first resort today was Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I just took whichever bus arrived first. It happened to be AK, so off we went! I chatted with another nice family who were doing the same thing I was that day. We got off the bus & went over to the AKL bus, which was already sitting there (my bus transportation has been perfect so far this trip!).

I had planned on getting to AKL but it just didn’t happen. It is such a stunning resort!

I really liked their gingerbread giraffe & zebra.

LOVE!!

I decided now was a good time to sit on the veranda & enjoy my Santa hat treat. The sun was shining, there was a beautiful breeze blowing, people were walking past chatting & laughing … I was just 100% content.

That is absolute perfection!

It was just SO nice & I ended up sitting there about an hour, reading my book, drinking my beverage and just enjoying that picture-perfect day.

Love this!

After dinner, I wanted to see Yee-haw Bob. I imagine it’s always busy for him but there were a couple of large parties there celebrating so it was REALLY busy in there. I stayed for awhile & really enjoyed the show!

I haven’t seen Yes Haw Bob yet but it’s on my list!

My phone alarm – Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow – went off at 7 a.m. so I could get ready for the day ahead. I didn’t buy Genie+ but I did buy an individual lightning lane for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind. It was $15, and since it was just me, I just decided the price for an ILL was worth being able to control the time I wanted to do it rather than deal with the virtual queue & when my boarding number would be called, etc

Love that Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is your alarm. My text tone is When You Wish Upon a Star”.

This ride skates on the line of how much thrill I like in my thrill rides. I really do enjoy it, but there are a few moments on the ride when I question all of my life choices. Overall, it is a ton of fun & by the end, I always leave with a smile on my face. I got Disco Inferno and arm danced my way through the ride.

We had Disco Inferno too! Just waiting on “I Ran” and “Everyone Wants to Rile the World”.

This is when I realized I had made a huge error in trip planning. Like I said before, we love Epcot & we love the festivals, so when we come to WDW, we have at least two days in Epcot, plus we often hop there a couple of evenings. And there are two or three of us. Multiple days and multiple people make snacking your way around the festival booths & countries SO MUCH EASIER! We typically get something from just about every booth or country and we share it. That means you can eat a lot more than just 1 person on 1 day. I was never gonna be able to try all the things I wanted to try. Sigh. What was I thinking?

I feel this !

After that, it was about time to get in line for Living with the Land. This is just about the only time there’s much of a line for this ride, but understandable that everyone wants to see the holiday overlay. It was so festive!

Isn’t it perfect!

The whole experience was absolutely breathtaking & it made me so emotional. I loved every minute of it!

I always cry at Candlelight Processional! It’s incredible!

 

[suse66]

Double post

 

[KaSe]

What a fantastic EPCOT day!

Thanks! It was a vey good day!

I love your Epcot day! What a great solo day. You did all my favorites!
I didn’t get to try much at the festival booths this trip. The lines were crazy and the cookie stroll didn’t even happen for me, lol

Honestly, the cookie stroll was kinda meh. I can only eat so many cookies before I'm in a coma. I took a few back to my room, but overall, I like when the food stroll has both savory & sweet items to choose from.

Love that Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow is your alarm. My text tone is When You Wish Upon a Star”.

I love that! That's another great choice that just makes you feel warm & fuzzy whenever you hear it!

 

[KaSe]

Friday, Dec. 1
Resort, Roam & Relax

Today was my last full day of vacation. It was another day of waking up without an alarm, checking out another new-to-me resort, doing a little shopping & relaxing at my lovely resort.

While I didn’t worry about setting an alarm, I did have a bit of a timeline this morning so I could fulfill a lifelong dream – TONGA TOAST!



I’ve heard it talked about so many times on other trip reports & podcasts, but I’ve never had it! Honestly, we don’t typically do full breakfasts. We’re more “grab a granola bar or a bagel in the room” (or Gideon’s cookies, apparently ) kind of people so we can get to the parks faster. But this was MY trip. A more laid-back trip. And that meant I was going to the Poly for Tonga Toast! I debated whether to go table service at Kona or quick service at Captain Cook’s and finally decided to just do Captain Cook’s so my morning timetable was more flexible.

This was SO. GOOD. I definitely have to find time on our normal trips to add in more relaxed Disney mornings to have this again. Yum!!!

After breakfast, I wanted to take the monorail over to the Grand Floridian to pick up a few things. We always oooh and ahhh when we walk past the Basin windows, so I decided this would be a great place to pick up a few things for Christmas.



They were a big hit with the girls Christmas morning! (plus I got some for myself )

I took the monorail back around to Magic Kingdom for my next adventure. I was taking the boat to the last resort on my Christmas decoration list: Wilderness Lodge.






This is very pretty. I like the outside & the moss on the trees. I like how serene & sorta tucked into the woods it is – I guess that makes sense since it’s called Wilderness Lodge

The lobby is massive, but it’s very dark. The tree is really impressive!


Oh good. There’s a nice fire going. That will probably come in handy on this chilly 81-degree day.


After I finished wandering around, I took the boat back to MK.


I liked how you can see the train station, the Christmas tree on Main Street and the castle.

 

[KaSe]

Resort, Roam & Relax #2

Soon after arriving at the dock, I was headed back to POR. It was a beautiful day! Right around 80 degrees, but not humid, so it was an absolutely perfect afternoon to spend poolside. With the late breakfast, I wasn’t really hungry, so I grabbed a leftover cookie from the cookie stroll at Epcot and some Cheez-It crackers I’d brought specifically for poolside snacking.

I decided to head over to Ol’ Man Island and go to the main pool today. I wasn’t planning to join in on the pool activities, but I enjoy hearing them in the background, with kids laughing & all those normal “day at the pool” fun noises. And that is pretty much how I spent the next few hours. I finished the book I was reading on my Kindle. I might have even fallen asleep for a short time. I cannot confirm or deny those rumors.



Then it was time to head back to the room & get ready for dinner. For my last night, I was treating myself to Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary Resort. I did a lot of treating myself at nicer restaurants, but these trips are so much less expensive without feeding THREE of us!


I started the evening with a vodka gimlet (Tito’s Vodka, Green Chartreuse, Seedlip Garden, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Lemonade)


I had the baby iceberg wedge salad (House-made Blue Cheese Dressing, Toy Box Tomatoes, Pickled Red Onions, Bacon, and Hard-cooked Egg). I really liked the dressing! And then for my entrée, I had the 8-oz beef tenderloin medallions with the wild mushroom sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.


It was fantastic! The steak was cooked perfectly! I’d eyed that Steakhouse 71 chocolate cake for dessert, but decided I was already the right amount of full & decided to walk away before I was miserable. It was a wonderful last dinner!

I had originally planned on going over to the Scat Club at POFQ for some live jazz after dinner, but at that point, I just wasn’t feeling it. I kinda regret not doing it because it was my last night & I know I would have been fun once I got over there, but for whatever reason, I just didn’t feel like it. So, I went back to my room & started getting organized & packed. I had more Food Network on in the background and ended the day with the HEA fireworks on my TV again because can you ever have too many Disney fireworks?

 

[KaSe]

Saturday, Dec. 2
Travel Day

All good things must come to an end. I got up about 8 a.m. & started getting things ready to leave my fancy Princess room. My flight wasn’t until mid-afternoon, so I still had plenty of time to relax and soak up all the magic I could before heading back to Illinois. I headed to the food court to grab some breakfast while I packed. Our travel day is usually the only day we get breakfast at our resort. It’s tradition to get Mickey waffles to bring back to the room while we finish packing up. But, once again, I decided to break with tradition because Pop Century, where we usually stay, doesn’t have the Loaded Totcho Bowl!

Loaded Totcho Bowl: Potato Barrels topped with Scrambled Eggs, Cheddar, Sausage Gravy, and Bacon

This was good & we made a homemade version at home New Year’s weekend!

I finished packing everything up & said goodbye to my bougie Princess room. I was going to leave my luggage with bell services until it was time to leave for the airport. My dad, brother and I spent a week in New Orleans last summer, so my New Orleans T-shirt I picked up there seemed appropriate for today.



With another beautiful 80-degree day, once I was done with bell services, I headed back to the quiet pool near Oak Manor to hang out for a few hours.


When it's December 2 & you're sitting poolside, drinking an adult beverage and just enjoying the hell out the last few hours of your adventure.

All too soon, it was time to get changed, get something to eat and head to the airport.


One last selfie at my beautiful resort

I was getting in late enough that I wanted a good meal to tide me over & then I would just snack on more cookies & Cheez-Its later. Had to go with the jambalaya before leaving Port Orleans!


Jambalaya: Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Vegetables, and Rice simmered in a Spicy Sauce


Remember when we used to call it the “Tragical Express” on the way back to the airport? Now I call it “Tears for Mears.”

Everything went smooth -- my flight was on-time & easy, the drive home was fine – and before I knew it, I was home.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Here are the other souvenirs I picked up:

I got a bag of Joffrey's “Festive Holiday Coffee.”



I thought it was odd that the other fall flavors they had for sale had the actual flavors listed, such as pumpkin or chocolate & caramel, but this one just said “Festive Holiday Flavor.” The CM and I kept making up random things it could taste like. We started off normal like peppermint & sugar cookies, but then we just got crazy – my favorites were Pine trees & reindeer sweat The actual answer? It tastes like coffee. Just coffee. But it’s still good with frosted gingerbread creamer!

I also got a Mickey ornament & a Festival of the Holidays ornament. I have one from the other festivals too & I like to group them together on a wall so I can enjoy them all year long.



I was hoping there would be more resort-specific merchandise, but they didn’t really have much of anything. I ended up getting this T-shirt on Etsy. My parents stayed at Port Orleans about 25 years ago & my mom had a sweatshirt that looked just like this. She LOVED that sweatshirt. Of course, it eventually wore out, but she never got rid of it. She passed away last year & it was nice finding a T-shirt that reminds me of her & that treasured sweatshirt.


(This is the pic from Etsy)

The trip was such a great blend of relaxing & exploring & holiday fun. Part of me kinda wishes I’d done a second day at Epcot instead of the last resort/pool day, but, at the same time, I’m no stranger to the parks, and it will be there to explore again the next time. This was my first splurge on a moderate resort & I don’t regret the time I spent enjoying it. How often do you use words like MEANDERED and ROAMED and RELAXED when describing a Disney vacation, ya know?

Overall, it was such an incredible trip! What a wonderful, relaxing, festive, and joyful week it was! I am absolutely ready for another solo trip

Thank you so much for following along on my first trip report! I loved sharing it all with you!

 

[VicarJT]

Resort, Roam & Relax #2

Soon after arriving at the dock, I was headed back to POR. It was a beautiful day! Right around 80 degrees, but not humid, so it was an absolutely perfect afternoon to spend poolside. With the late breakfast, I wasn’t really hungry, so I grabbed a leftover cookie from the cookie stroll at Epcot and some Cheez-It crackers I’d brought specifically for poolside snacking.

I decided to head over to Ol’ Man Island and go to the main pool today. I wasn’t planning to join in on the pool activities, but I enjoy hearing them in the background, with kids laughing & all those normal “day at the pool” fun noises. And that is pretty much how I spent the next few hours. I finished the book I was reading on my Kindle. I might have even fallen asleep for a short time. I cannot confirm or deny those rumors.
View attachment 824147
View attachment 824148

Then it was time to head back to the room & get ready for dinner. For my last night, I was treating myself to Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary Resort. I did a lot of treating myself at nicer restaurants, but these trips are so much less expensive without feeding THREE of us!
View attachment 824149

I started the evening with a vodka gimlet (Tito’s Vodka, Green Chartreuse, Seedlip Garden, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Lemonade)

View attachment 824150
I had the baby iceberg wedge salad (House-made Blue Cheese Dressing, Toy Box Tomatoes, Pickled Red Onions, Bacon, and Hard-cooked Egg). I really liked the dressing! And then for my entrée, I had the 8-oz beef tenderloin medallions with the wild mushroom sauce and garlic mashed potatoes.
View attachment 824151

It was fantastic! The steak was cooked perfectly! I’d eyed that Steakhouse 71 chocolate cake for dessert, but decided I was already the right amount of full & decided to walk away before I was miserable. It was a wonderful last dinner!

I had originally planned on going over to the Scat Club at POFQ for some live jazz after dinner, but at that point, I just wasn’t feeling it. I kinda regret not doing it because it was my last night & I know I would have been fun once I got over there, but for whatever reason, I just didn’t feel like it. So, I went back to my room & started getting organized & packed. I had more Food Network on in the background and ended the day with the HEA fireworks on my TV again because can you ever have too many Disney fireworks?

View attachment 824146

Such a great last day. We do the same - wanting to do something like Scat Cat and then not being in the mood. I can never decide if we really should have done it, or just FOMO. Off-topic question - what book did you finish on your Kindle? I’m always looking for new suggestions.

 

[Ann-CA]

Saturday, Dec. 2
Travel Day

All good things must come to an end. I got up about 8 a.m. & started getting things ready to leave my fancy Princess room. My flight wasn’t until mid-afternoon, so I still had plenty of time to relax and soak up all the magic I could before heading back to Illinois. I headed to the food court to grab some breakfast while I packed. Our travel day is usually the only day we get breakfast at our resort. It’s tradition to get Mickey waffles to bring back to the room while we finish packing up. But, once again, I decided to break with tradition because Pop Century, where we usually stay, doesn’t have the Loaded Totcho Bowl!
View attachment 824158
Loaded Totcho Bowl: Potato Barrels topped with Scrambled Eggs, Cheddar, Sausage Gravy, and Bacon

This was good & we made a homemade version at home New Year’s weekend!

I finished packing everything up & said goodbye to my bougie Princess room. I was going to leave my luggage with bell services until it was time to leave for the airport. My dad, brother and I spent a week in New Orleans last summer, so my New Orleans T-shirt I picked up there seemed appropriate for today.

View attachment 824159

With another beautiful 80-degree day, once I was done with bell services, I headed back to the quiet pool near Oak Manor to hang out for a few hours.

View attachment 824160View attachment 824161
When it's December 2 & you're sitting poolside, drinking an adult beverage and just enjoying the hell out the last few hours of your adventure.

All too soon, it was time to get changed, get something to eat and head to the airport.

View attachment 824157
One last selfie at my beautiful resort

I was getting in late enough that I wanted a good meal to tide me over & then I would just snack on more cookies & Cheez-Its later. Had to go with the jambalaya before leaving Port Orleans!

View attachment 824154
Jambalaya: Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Vegetables, and Rice simmered in a Spicy Sauce

View attachment 824162
Remember when we used to call it the “Tragical Express” on the way back to the airport? Now I call it “Tears for Mears.”

Everything went smooth -- my flight was on-time & easy, the drive home was fine – and before I knew it, I was home.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Here are the other souvenirs I picked up:

I got a bag of Joffrey's “Festive Holiday Coffee.”

View attachment 824156

I thought it was odd that the other fall flavors they had for sale had the actual flavors listed, such as pumpkin or chocolate & caramel, but this one just said “Festive Holiday Flavor.” The CM and I kept making up random things it could taste like. We started off normal like peppermint & sugar cookies, but then we just got crazy – my favorites were Pine trees & reindeer sweat The actual answer? It tastes like coffee. Just coffee. But it’s still good with frosted gingerbread creamer!

I also got a Mickey ornament & a Festival of the Holidays ornament. I have one from the other festivals too & I like to group them together on a wall so I can enjoy them all year long.

View attachment 824155

I was hoping there would be more resort-specific merchandise, but they didn’t really have much of anything. I ended up getting this T-shirt on Etsy. My parents stayed at Port Orleans about 25 years ago & my mom had a sweatshirt that looked just like this. She LOVED that sweatshirt. Of course, it eventually wore out, but she never got rid of it. She passed away last year & it was nice finding a T-shirt that reminds me of her & that treasured sweatshirt.

View attachment 824163
(This is the pic from Etsy)

The trip was such a great blend of relaxing & exploring & holiday fun. Part of me kinda wishes I’d done a second day at Epcot instead of the last resort/pool day, but, at the same time, I’m no stranger to the parks, and it will be there to explore again the next time. This was my first splurge on a moderate resort & I don’t regret the time I spent enjoying it. How often do you use words like MEANDERED and ROAMED and RELAXED when describing a Disney vacation, ya know?

Overall, it was such an incredible trip! What a wonderful, relaxing, festive, and joyful week it was! I am absolutely ready for another solo trip

Thank you so much for following along on my first trip report! I loved sharing it all with you!

Thanks for letting us follow along! Grateful you had a relaxing trip.

Curious, how much time did you spend at Wilderness Lodge on your last day? Did it feel like a good amount to get a feel for the resort? Going to be swinging by on my last solo day, so wondering how much time I should allot.

 

[disneyAndi14]

ended the day with the HEA fireworks on my TV again because can you ever have too many

I loved finding this in December. It is the best way to watch HEA, haha I was able to see all the projections on the recording and I loved it!

Remember when we used to call it the “Tragical Express” on the way back to the airport? Now I call it “Tears for Mears.

i sure do. I still miss it so much! I don’t think Disney execs understand how important that service was for so many!

Overall, it was such an incredible trip! What a wonderful, relaxing, festive, and joyful week it was! I am absolutely ready for another solo trip

It sounds like a wonderful solo trip. i enjoyed following along

Thank you so much for following along on my first trip report! I loved sharing it all with you!

Great first report!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

What a wonderful trip! I am all about pool time and enjoying your resort. Thank you for sharing

 

[KaSe]

I love a Bougie Pampered Queen Solo trip to Disney! It is honestly the best Disney trip, IMO.

But it does make enjoying all the festival booths a lot harder. It's too bad they don't have some kind of service that can match you up with other people for the day so you can share stuff and be able to try more things.

Loving this trip report! Heading for my Bougie Pampered Queen solo trip in just a couple of weeks, so this is really getting me in the mood!

Yay!! I need details! Where ya staying, how long will your be there. I mean, yes, I just got back, but I still need to Disney vicariously. LOL!!

Family trips, trips with friends, solo trips -- they all hit a little differently from each other, but there will definitely be more solo trips in the future.

Such a great last day. We do the same - wanting to do something like Scat Cat and then not being in the mood. I can never decide if we really should have done it, or just FOMO. Off-topic question - what book did you finish on your Kindle? I’m always looking for new suggestions.

That's a good point. Scat Cat & that "should I have done another day in Epcot?" second guessing could just be FOMO talking. I was perfectly happy with my choices at the time& like I said, there will always be other opportunities.

I read a lot of chick lit/women's lit & mysteries, mostly. Between Thanksgiving & New Year's I like to read books set at Christmas, so for my holiday vacation, I was reading One Christmas Eve by Shari Low. I liked it!

Thanks for letting us follow along! Grateful you had a relaxing trip.

Curious, how much time did you spend at Wilderness Lodge on your last day? Did it feel like a good amount to get a feel for the resort? Going to be swinging by on my last solo day, so wondering how much time I should allot.

I didn't spend a ton of time, just walked from the boat dock to the resort lobby & around the grounds by the waterfall. It was enough to see their Christmas decorations, but maybe not enough if you were thinking about staying there.

I loved finding this in December. It is the best way to watch HEA, haha I was able to see all the projections on the recording and I loved it!

i sure do. I still miss it so much! I don’t think Disney execs understand how important that service was for so many!

It sounds like a wonderful solo trip. i enjoyed following along

Great first report!

Yeah, I was really glad I stumbled upon HEA. It was a great way to watch them at the end of the evening, especially if you're there during a heavy Halloween or Christmas party time when they aren't available very many day. Or if people have young kids & don't want to be at the park late. What a great option!

Thank you so much for following along! I had a great time re-living it & prolonging that holiday magic a little longer.

What a wonderful trip! I am all about pool time and enjoying your resort. Thank you for sharing

This trip has opened my eyes for future possibilities. I think trips with my daughters might still be "Go hard until they're dragging your lifeless body behind them" But there will definitely be more resort/relaxing trips planned for me, too!

 

[StayAwake]

Yay!! I need details! Where ya staying, how long will your be there. I mean, yes, I just got back, but I still need to Disney vicariously. LOL!!

Family trips, trips with friends, solo trips -- they all hit a little differently from each other, but there will definitely be more solo trips in the future.

This trip has opened my eyes for future possibilities. I think trips with my daughters might still be "Go hard until they're dragging your lifeless body behind them" But there will definitely be more resort/relaxing trips planned for me, too!

Sunday to Sunday, first time with a split stay and doing it twice! Starting at Coronado Springs, then Saratoga, then finishing at Yacht Club. Hoping for good weather for plenty of Stormalong Bay time! Would love to try Sangria University but think it will be spur of the moment assuming there are any open spots on the day I arrive. Bougiest thing planned is dinner at Monsieur Paul for the first time- I'm very excited about trying it!

Yes, each kind of trip has its own special magic, but I love the ability to change plans on a whim and have plenty of break in the middle of the day time when I go solo. Trips with my sister are very much like those with your daughters.

 

[KaSe]

Sunday to Sunday, first time with a split stay and doing it twice! Starting at Coronado Springs, then Saratoga, then finishing at Yacht Club. Hoping for good weather for plenty of Stormalong Bay time! Would love to try Sangria University but think it will be spur of the moment assuming there are any open spots on the day I arrive. Bougiest thing planned is dinner at Monsieur Paul for the first time- I'm very excited about trying it!

Yes, each kind of trip has its own special magic, but I love the ability to change plans on a whim and have plenty of break in the middle of the day time when I go solo. Trips with my sister are very much like those with your daughters.

That sounds AMAZING!!!! Have the best time!
(Maybe we should have my daughters meet your sister )

 

[Skywatcher1206]

I loved your trip report! I’m glad you had such a great time!

 

[KaSe]

I loved your trip report! I’m glad you had such a great time!

Thank you so much!

 

[starousse]

Loved your trip report! I had always questioned whether or not I'd take a Disney trip solo and this confirmed for me YES! Looks like you had such an amazing and relaxing time.

 

[KaSe]

Loved your trip report! I had always questioned whether or not I'd take a Disney trip solo and this confirmed for me YES! Looks like you had such an amazing and relaxing time.

Thanks so much! So glad I could encourage you to take the solo trip! I absolutely recommend it!