Solo Trip

[worldtraveler]

I'm seriously considering doing a solo trip in the fall. I did a small one in March, that was for my job, so it was just one night. I am thinking about going for 5 days or so, but open to different amounts.

For those of you who have done solo trips, how many days did you go? Was it a good amount, what would you change about your trip. Any tips on how to travel?

Again, I've done this before, but only for a night and that was easy. I am looking for a longer experience. I welcome all sorts of insight. Thanks.

 

[SteveW]

I did a solo 7 day trip the 1st week of Dec 2012 and I had a good time. I had done the DDP and it was too much....especially when dinning by myself. It was real nice going where I wanted when I wanted. There were a few times when I thought it would've been great to have someone with me. I did all the holiday activities and really enjoyed it.

If you go in the fall, plan on doing something like MNSSHP, or some of the behind the scenes tours. Or kick back at the resort for an afternoon. And it is so easy to chat with others while you're there.

I'm planning on doing it again this December.,

 

[bubbles1812]

I have never done a fully solo trip (though I'd actually like to) but I have done a semi-solo one this past February. I went down with my mom but she only came out to the parks at night (except for one day when we went over to Universal together because she wanted to see Harry Potter). Anyways, my stay was a 5 night/4 day trip though admittedly, I got to Orlando quite early on that travel day and we left late on leaving travel day so I got some park time. I managed to visit 6 parks in that time span... all four WDW, plus the two at Universal, which shows you how much of a go getter I am when I'm on my own, lol . Anyways, if you are just going to WDW, I think that 5 day amount would be plenty. I got all I wanted done in that time frame and that's with the addition of Uni. If you buy a Park Hopper (which was totally worth it to me), it allows you a ton of freedom. One day, for example, I got to DHS at park opening and got everything I wanted done there by 1 so went over to the MK for the rest of the day. It's actually a pretty wonderful feeling being able to go wherever you want to go whenever you want to go.

Know you've done this before but I guess my main recommendation is don't be a chicken about getting on rides by yourself. I've seen so many weird comments on here from people who claim they got "negative looks" when going on a ride solo. I think they are just projecting to be honest. It's pretty clear single riders are a common thing. Same goes for lunch and dinner reservations. It isn't the end of the world and no one thinks badly of you for eating by yourself.

Dinner reservations I never sweat that much. We booked the week before our trip and had plenty of options. And as a solo person, you are much more likely to be able to walk up and still get a seat. Mom and I did that on several occasions. But of course, if dinner means a lot to you, book away. Also, to echo Steve... DDP is way too much for a single person. You'll save money just paying cash and not be so regulated in what you have to eat. If you just want a pretzel for lunch, you can!

I'd give this advice for anyone but def have a plan for which days for which parks. I consider regular park hours, EMH, and crowd calendars as I'm a stay in the park til close kind of a gal. That being said, if you are like me and are that "charge!" type of a person on your own in the parks, allot at least one night for some R and R. My night involved chilling in the pool followed by a relaxing dinner at my hotel (Dolphin). It gave me (and my feet! ) a needed break.

 

[joanna71985]

I've done 2 solo trips (outside of my CPs). One was 5 nights at AS Sports, and the other was a 4-night cruise on the Dream. I had a blast on both, because I could do whatever I wanted, try new things, and it was just a lot of fun. I highly recommend solo trips

 

[Bethypoo]

I love the freedom of going solo. I take my time shopping, eat what I want, go on the rides I want. Just don't even worry about what people think of you being alone or any "looks" They are probably thinking that they wish they could spend some time alone at Disney . Do all the things you want to do and you will have a great time!

 

[jw24]

Well, I've done two solo trips myself, each were six days, five nights. I felt that six days, five nights was not enough because all I could really do was the theme parks and maybe a few hours of Downtown Disney in between. But I couldn't afford more days, the park hopper or the other recreation activities beyond the theme parks so that's definitely why I was left wanting more after every trip. Then again, who doesn't feel that way? Usually most people go with 7 days, six nights and that in theory, should leave time to do one park a day and time for other activities beyond the parks. It really all depends on what interests you the most and what you do want to do the most.

First and foremost, your personal safety is absolutely your biggest priority. There are some general safety travel tips for single travelers like don't carry too much money in your wallets, know where you're going, stay in brightly lit areas at night, don't give the impression you're a tourist, don't wear flashy jewelry, etc. You can find general safety travel tips for single travelers online so I won't bore you any further with that. But always remember, if something looks dangerous, it definitely is!

But now..on to the good stuff! Being a solo traveler is great because you get set your own schedule. You get to ride what you want, eat what you want, do what you want without problems and not be held back from compromises. Wanna sleep in? That's fine. Wanna get up early to beat the crowds in the parks? Go for it. (I highly recommend doing it for convenience purposes personally!) The environment can be a bit intimidating being surrounded by all the families and kids but you're at WDW to do what you want...just don't be vile and rude about it. In other words, do what you want but also be considerate and compassionate towards other park guests, Disney employees and staff, too. All in all, have fun, enjoy yourself but be polite and kind towards everyone!

 

[luv]

I go to parks with others and alone. Both ways are good.

With others, there is someone to talk to in line, which is very boring alone. Thee is someone to whom you can voice observations and who does that for you. It's more fun that way, usually. And you have a second person to help you remember things later. I found, when traveling, that I get a little lonely after a couple days. I do think cell phones with free long distance and texting are a big help there.

Alone, you get to do exactly what you want all the time. Don't like Peter Pan? Don't ride it. Want to get up at the crack of dawn for rope drop? Nobody to slow you down. Feel like sleeping late, skipping DHS and going to the pool? Yay. You'll get much more down when alone in the parks, too. Even one other person slows you down!

I do not eat sit-down meals alone at WDW, especially character meals. I tried to do Crystal Palace once when I really felt like a sit-down, get-wated-on meal, but the characters think you want to talk to them, which I really do not, lol. If you DO like characters, they'll spend time with you. Piglet sat down at my table, lol. I will do sit-downs at CityWalk, though. Don't feel as weirded out there, not sure why.

I used to travel for work a lot and am not worried about going places by myself or self-conscious about it...but eating in the more busy Disney restaurants alone feels a little odd. Every table is full. And everyone is chatting. And the tables are all crammed in together, so you hear the people near you. It's loud. Disney is the first place I ate alone that made me feel at all odd about it.

I have no problem going to parks alone, though. But I do not stand in long lines. I'd be way too bored.

I don't know if any of that helped.

Good luck.

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

I did a solo trip in December '09 and really enjoyed myself. I went for 5 nights and 6 days, although I have to admit that was a little too long for me. After the 4th day I wanted someone to share my day with. It was nice not having to worry about anyone else's timetable or preferences, could come and go whever I pleased. Was able to stop and watch the performers in Epcot and HS without anyone complaining or wanting to go do something else. I did the QS dining and mostly ate at the food court at my resort. Did on TS @ France before Night of Joy, and I will say that no one even looked at me twice, and my server went out of her way to make my meal special. I did MVMCP and had a good time, did all the attractions, watched parade and fireworks. It was eacy to get a good spot when it was just me! I did character meet and greets, met some really nice people, and had a good time. All in all, I would do it again in a heartbeat, just not for as long a trip.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Solo trip for a week. And at first it felt strange not having someone to share the thrills with. No one to discuss what to do next, or argue about what to do next. Meal time was the most unusual, not having dinner conversation over a meal. I began to bring a book or magazine to the table or get something at the food court and bring it back to the room. But after a day or two I began to enjoy it more and more. There was a feeling of being carefree, no time schedule, no limitations, just go wherever you feel like. The solo lines were sometimes better than the FP lines. The room was less cluttered and of course I could stretch out in the bed as much as I liked. I would do it again but not too many times, I would rather share my Disney trip with others.

 

[jaklgreen]

I go solo every Oct for the food and wine fest. This trip I am staying 8 nights. I love going solo. I do what I want when I want. I never got "the look" or maybe just did not notice, and I eat at sit downs when I go. I also go to MNSSHP every year and love it. Disney is a great safe place to go solo. I would say just go and do whatever you want, if you want to eat someplace go and eat there. If you want to ride POTC 5 times in a row(I have done that) go and do it. I guess it depends on your personality, obviously some people do not feel comfortable doing things on their own, I have no issue being with myself and even though I am happily married with 2 kids I will still go to movies and eat by myself at home. Only you can decide if you are someone comfortable with themselves or if you feel like you need someone with you.

 

[bigorangeandy]

I've never done a trip by myself, but did a solo day once. My family was flying down that night, while I was nearby when my conference ended. I felt somewhat odd going on rides alone, but depending on the ride it was okay. I did hit alot of the movies at Epcot, something I had wanted to always do. I wouldn't mind doing something like that again, but I'm not sure I would like to do several days by myself.

 

[worldtraveler]

First off, thank you all for your responses. I went for 1 day at the MK in March and it felt a little lacking. Being an only child, i'm fairly used to doing things by myself. I was thinking about 5 days would be just fine, maybe 6. My biggest concern is the sit down restaurants, is it as awkward as people say? Ive done plenty of quick service, but never sit down. My next question, is that since I am by myself, I would use my phone quite a bit. Are there places to charge up a phone if needed in the parks, or would I be best served to go back to the room for a while?

 

[jaklgreen]

Honestly I think the "awkwardness" that people feel comes from inside themselves. Like I said I eat at the table service restaurants all of the time by myself and never felt awkward or that people were looking at me funny. (I work in a restaurant and see solo diners all the time so maybe I am used to it) WDW is that same whether you are with a group or by yourself it is how you feel inside that makes the difference Solo trips are great if you can get over that emotional hurdle of thinking "OMG I am by myself what will people think". As far as the cell phone charging I know that they will charge it for you at quest services and they do have some outlets spread out all of the parks, you might have to ask a cast member or be on the lookout for them. Go and have fun!

 

[emcclay]

Going solo allows you to do things on your time. Ride whatever rides you want. Go at your own pace, whether that is running from ride to ride or casually strolling along until you find a wait time that you like. You can leave when you are tired and you don't hold anyone else up if you want to! It's a great people watching experience.

 

[atsolomon]

I recently did a three day solo trip to Disneyland (see http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...a-wdw-vet-does-dlr-for-the-first-time.864858/ )

I'm the kind of person who doesn't like going to a movie by himself, so aspects of the solo trip were challenging for me. It was great to be able to do what I wanted, when I wanted. If I wanted to stop and take time to make some extra photographs of something that caught my eye, no problem. I definitely got the hairy eyeball from some guests when I went on some of the rides that are oriented towards the younger set. That was kind of a bummer.

My question would be does five days doing anything by yourself sound like fun to you? If so, go for it.

--Adam

 

[disneygirl76]

I'm seriously considering doing a solo trip in the fall. I did a small one in March, that was for my job, so it was just one night. I am thinking about going for 5 days or so, but open to different amounts.

For those of you who have done solo trips, how many days did you go? Was it a good amount, what would you change about your trip. Any tips on how to travel?

Again, I've done this before, but only for a night and that was easy. I am looking for a longer experience. I welcome all sorts of insight. Thanks.

First - every time I read your title I start to sing "red solo cup".

I would love to do a solo trip! I did one in Disneyland - for 3 days. So I think 5 days at WDW would be good!

 

[luv]

First off, thank you all for your responses. I went for 1 day at the MK in March and it felt a little lacking. Being an only child, i'm fairly used to doing things by myself. I was thinking about 5 days would be just fine, maybe 6. My biggest concern is the sit down restaurants, is it as awkward as people say? Ive done plenty of quick service, but never sit down. My next question, is that since I am by myself, I would use my phone quite a bit. Are there places to charge up a phone if needed in the parks, or would I be best served to go back to the room for a while?

It isn't really awkward. It's just exceedingly boring. It isn't like going to other restaurants, IMO. The tables are seriously crammed in close to each other and all the tables are full. You hear the people near you, but can't sit there and stare at them, lol. You can look around the restaurant, but there is only so much to see.

I always took a book or magazine when I'd eat alone, but I'm not carrying those around WDW, just to have something to do while I wait for my food. I suppose people who use their phone a lot could do that to pass the time. I'm not that big on using my phone.

Again, I have no problems eating alone, generally, but dining solo in WDW restaurants isn't for me.

I think you should try it and send its for you! Only way to know is to try! And it isn't horrible, lol.