Solo visit for 7 hours

loladelorean

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 9, 2010
So, in August I was at a conference about an hour outside Paris, and I decided to visit the park on my own for the first time afterwards.
By the time I got there from the conference location it was around noon, and I had to leave for Paris at 7.30pm - so I pretty much had 7 hours in the park. For this reason I only went to the main DIsneyland Park, not the Studios.
Beforehand, I'd been worried that it wouldn't be as magical or fun on my own, and also that the time was too short to do much - I was wrong on both counts!

I loved wandering around the park by myself, it was refreshing to just decide on a whim what I wanted to do, make and remake a plan in my head, without having to negotiate or agree with anyone else. I'd definitely do it again.

I was there on Friday 17 August - it was a beautiful sunny day and the park was busier than I've ever seen it except on Armistice Day which we were accidentally there for one year. I usually go off season, and it was really noticeable to me that everything was open during summer, every cart, stall and restaurant.

Despite the crowds, I managed quite a lot of attractions:
Space Mountain (twice!) - got to love single rider
Star Tours
Pirates
Indiana Jones (fastpass)
Storybook boat ride
Alice's labyrinth
Castle

I also watched the parade from a decent spot, and enjoyed a nice veggie salad and potato wedges at Hakuna Matata for lunch. This was also my first time in the park since Victoria's turned into a wine bar, so of course I enjoyed a glass of wine in the sunshine! This was perfect for people watching, which I did plenty of all day. I also nipped into the Disneyland Hotel to get myself excited for finally staying there in November, and picked up a couple of things in the shops.

It was 100% worth it going for the afternoon/early evening, and I'd love to do a solo trip again. The only disappointing thing was that just as my fastpass time for Big Thunder came up around 3pm, the ride went down and stayed down until I had to leave. So I didn't get to ride my favourite....never mind, it's not like I'll never get another chance.

Some pics attached of me having a lovely solo time! 39319941_1833638846722875_1294932940391710720_n.jpg 39385544_2134584499947208_9093159760995287040_n.jpg 39501118_527601197671031_1604686243772235776_n.jpg 39501215_268201260678014_2555189302677995520_n.jpg
 
I'd highly recommend it! I don't think I would have done it if it wasn't for being in the area for the conference, but I'm so glad I got the chance to. Because I'm so familiar with the park and there was no pressure to do too much, I had a really relaxing time.
Nice that your husband wanted to tag along though! Mine is very reluctant with everything related to Disney - I got him to agree to one day at Hong Kong Disneyland when we do a trip to Asia next March, but think one will be enough for him and I'll end up doing the second day there on my own as well.
 


Love love solo trips! And I also had BTM breakdown during my FP time last week, and I also didn't have time to go back (well, I didn't feel well which is a bit different).
Just to walk around and do /see what you like or indeed sit down and enjoy your day is heaven!

@olafLover have you looked into taking the train or a flight? Or are you on the wrong side of the country for this?
 
Yes, my husband says he doesn't like Disney, but in reality, he really loves it! After our first annual pass expired he kept asking to go back, so when we did, my parents asked me how I got him to go, welll, he wanted to ;) He's also counting down to our next cruise and nagging me to go back to Aulani :P oh yes and he was the one that insisted we got annual passes again. But he really doesn't like Dinsey ;)

Hahaha love this!
My husband really doesn't get it - he didn't have a Disney childhood! He does say that once we've got our own kids then he'll happily do family holidays, I think he'll always be of the mind that Disney is for children. However, since we're going to Hong Kong, Cambodia and Singapore next year, theres' no way I wasn't going to Disneyland over there. He didn't object! He knows who he married...
 


I am going to Paris on Friday... quick solo trip too. I have been a couple of times before so have seen a lot of the major Parisian landmarks... so this time I am going to Disneyland too! I am so excited to be going alone tbh! Have taken the kids to both us sites a couple of times each but that was years ago. My DH and I always plotted to come back alone but haven't done it yet. So I am capitalizing on this moment for myself!!! I will get there for gate opening and pack in as much as possible. So excited!
 
I am going to Paris on Friday... quick solo trip too. I have been a couple of times before so have seen a lot of the major Parisian landmarks... so this time I am going to Disneyland too! I am so excited to be going alone tbh! Have taken the kids to both us sites a couple of times each but that was years ago. My DH and I always plotted to come back alone but haven't done it yet. So I am capitalizing on this moment for myself!!! I will get there for gate opening and pack in as much as possible. So excited!

Hope you have as much fun as I did - I'm sure you will! I didn't even make it for gate opening (the conference was in the middle of nowhere in the French countryside, I had to get a 2 hour bus to the airport, then get myself to Disney), and I still felt like I had a relaxing day and managed to do a lot.
Highly recommend the solo wine drinking and people watching....
 
Hope you have as much fun as I did - I'm sure you will! I didn't even make it for gate opening (the conference was in the middle of nowhere in the French countryside, I had to get a 2 hour bus to the airport, then get myself to Disney), and I still felt like I had a relaxing day and managed to do a lot.
Highly recommend the solo wine drinking and people watching....
It's like you really get me!! LOL!
 
Looks like you have a fun trip - I'd like to try it myself, but think i've got a few years to wait before no-one wants to come along, lol.
 
Looks like you have a fun trip - I'd like to try it myself, but think i've got a few years to wait before no-one wants to come along, lol.

That's a nice reason! I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't close to Paris anyway, but actually now I would consider doing it again. I'll have a solo day in Hong Kong Disneyland next year because my husband will only tolerate one day in the park, and I want two!

I was so close to having my own solo mini-trip! We were supposed to go together the 1st and 2nd of December, then my husband had to go to Barcelona for work on the 3rd. So he suggested he'd fly from CDG, to which I suggested, if I had to drive home alone, I'd prefer to go the next day, so it wouldn't be after a full park day (giving me an evening and morning solo in the park!). All said and done, our weekend got moved, so I don't have a reason to stay solo anymore :(

Ah, something else might come up in the future though! At least you've got a husband who likes going to Disney with you ;)
 
Solo trips are the best! I have only managed to do one and that was to WDW, but it turned out to be my favorite trip. I thought it might be a bit weird not to have someone there to say, "hey look at that" and too much talking in your own head, but it turns out, you are never at a loss for people to chat with in lines and not having to make an announcement that you want to sit down or go in this shop or that, was such a nice change. You don't realize how much nonsense chatter about logistics you do at Disney until you don't have to take a general consensus poll about every single move you make. "Hey, y'all wanna go in here and get something to drink and then head over to Test Track before lunch?....well little Johnny needs to go to the bathroom so we'll meet ya in front of Mousegears and then on to Test Track....." Think about it...it's nothing BUT that kind of talk, allllll day long when you're with other people. I was shocked at how welcome the idea of simply thinking about what I wanted to do and then just DOING it was. I would recommend any huge Disney fan to try it at least once because I don't think you have truly enjoyed Disney until you've done it peacefully. :cloud9:
 

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