I did Pop solo for the first time in 2004 and stayed for 8 nights. I was excited about being able to do everything I wanted to do since my previous trips were with others and I couldn't do much. The excitement masked the noise all around me at this resort since I was riding high on so much adrenaline. I mean, I could do anything I wanted, when I wanted! I didn't have bickering or sarcastic family members and I could get up at the crack of dawn to get ready for the next Disney day. I could reserve dining at restaurants that no one else wanted to try (or pay for). Since then, I prefer deluxe resorts because the thing that irks me the most are the long lines at the values at the bus stops in the evenings. I'm doing 8 days solo in July and staying at the WDW Dolphin.
I did the quick service dining plan only once. I prefer to stockpile Disney gift cards and use those on my trips.