If You're on the Fence About Going Solo... Do It! (Report, Pics, Tips)

[EpcotPhoenician]

Hello all.. I wasn't quite sure how to title this post... I wanted to post my first solo trip experience, as well as a few tips. I would like to thank everyone on this board for assisting me with the planning process, etc.

What I realized the first few days into my trip is that, when solo, you have ample time to truly "soak in" everything Disney has to offer. I suppose that when traveling with others, I tend to get consumed by the hustle & bustle of trying to making dining reservations, FastPass reservations, etc. The itinerary for my solo trip was empty...

... which allowed me to take boat rides across Bay Lake during sunrise, just because...

... grab food from resorts that I will likely never be able to afford a night at (first time trying Tonga Toast!)...

... take a break to watch the Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom, then hang out on a Main Street bench for an hour just to listen to the soundtrack...

... and watch Character Cavalcades multiple times in a row without the need to be anywhere else... truth is, watching Guests get excited for them became just as enjoyable as the parade itself...

I'm certainly not saying that the above is impossible when traveling with others... but when solo, you have the flexibility to do what you want, whenever you want to. Which brings me to a few tips I have...

Tip #1- BUY A PARK HOPPER!!
I upgraded to a Park Hopper halfway through day 1 when I realized just how much ground you can cover when solo. Some days, I did 3 parks and felt that I could have done a 4th...

Tip #2- Explore the monorail and Boardwalk resorts.
On my EPCOT days, I would take the 8 AM bus to Hollywood Studios, and then walk to the Boardwalk resorts. Boardwalk Bakery has excellent snacks and coffee, and was a very relaxing way to start the day. For mid-day breaks at Magic Kingdom, I used the Grand Floridian walkway and walked to Poly (and then rewarded myself with Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai!).

Tip #3- Nobody cares that you're solo.
My biggest fear prior to arriving was that everybody would know that I was solo. Truth is, nobody cared. The Cast Members made me feel extremely comfortable, and I never felt out of place or awkward.

Tip #4- Eat wherever/whatever you want.
Coinciding with tip #3, nobody cares if you dine solo. My server at Garden Grill made me feel welcome, and getting to take pictures with the characters was a sigh of relief after such a chaotic year. My diet consisted of cinnamon rolls for breakfast and brownie sundaes for dinner. There are some very good quick service options around WDW, but you have to go a bit out of the way... on my Magic Kingdom days, I ate at Gasparilla Island Grill. I found that eating at off-hours (i.e., dinner at 4 PM) made the Mobile Order experience much quicker.

Tip #5- If you're feeling lonely, strike up a conversation with a Cast Member.
Any time I felt lonely, I conversed with a Cast Member. While hanging around outside the Contemporary Resort, I spoke with a chef who was about to start his shift at The Wave. At Wilderness Lodge, I spoke with a Cast Member about the upcoming re-opening of the resort. While boarding the PeopleMover, I spoke to a Cast Member about how excited she was to be once again operating the ride.

Tip #6- Enjoy it, with no regrets.
Force yourself to slow down every now and then. Soak in the sights & sounds and enjoy the most magical place on earth. It's worth it.

Thank you all for listening to my rambling... please let me know if you have any questions about traveling solo and I'll do my best to answer.

 

[bryanb]

Awesome photos and great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience… can’t wait to get back to WDW even as a solo trip. I’m going to have to make a special point of trying the Tonga Toast!

 

[Mollygirl21]

Pretty sure I would approach a solo trip this same way...slowing down to take in everything. Sounds amazing

 

[magrudersmakes3]

Thank you for sharing your trip. I’m so excited for my trip in September!!

 

[Spinster Travel]

Looks like you had a great time! I love my solo trips! I usually take them in 3 night trips, but next year plan to take a week. Even though I'm DVC and can make the trip several times a year, I still feel the need to pack in as much as I can when I'm only there for a few days. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

[disneyseniors]

LOL, I love your breakfast and supper plans! Cinnamon rolls and sundaes, Wow, that's what I would love to eat for meals while at disney. You were living my dream. Thanks for such a great report. I've always wanted to try solo, but I don't see it happening in the near future. I have a wonderful husband who loves disney as much as me, but I've always wondered what it would be like to do what you want when you want, even eat sundaes for supper

 

[Simba's Mom]

Hello all.. I wasn't quite sure how to title this post... I wanted to post my first solo trip experience, as well as a few tips. I would like to thank everyone on this board for assisting me with the planning process, etc.

What I realized the first few days into my trip is that, when solo, you have ample time to truly "soak in" everything Disney has to offer. I suppose that when traveling with others, I tend to get consumed by the hustle & bustle of trying to making dining reservations, FastPass reservations, etc. The itinerary for my solo trip was empty...

... which allowed me to take boat rides across Bay Lake during sunrise, just because...

... grab food from resorts that I will likely never be able to afford a night at (first time trying Tonga Toast!)...

... take a break to watch the Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom, then hang out on a Main Street bench for an hour just to listen to the soundtrack...

... and watch Character Cavalcades multiple times in a row without the need to be anywhere else... truth is, watching Guests get excited for them became just as enjoyable as the parade itself...

I'm certainly not saying that the above is impossible when traveling with others... but when solo, you have the flexibility to do what you want, whenever you want to. Which brings me to a few tips I have...

Tip #1- BUY A PARK HOPPER!!
I upgraded to a Park Hopper halfway through day 1 when I realized just how much ground you can cover when solo. Some days, I did 3 parks and felt that I could have done a 4th...

Tip #2- Explore the monorail and Boardwalk resorts.
On my EPCOT days, I would take the 8 AM bus to Hollywood Studios, and then walk to the Boardwalk resorts. Boardwalk Bakery has excellent snacks and coffee, and was a very relaxing way to start the day. For mid-day breaks at Magic Kingdom, I used the Grand Floridian walkway and walked to Poly (and then rewarded myself with Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai!).

Tip #3- Nobody cares that you're solo.
My biggest fear prior to arriving was that everybody would know that I was solo. Truth is, nobody cared. The Cast Members made me feel extremely comfortable, and I never felt out of place or awkward.

Tip #4- Eat wherever/whatever you want.
Coinciding with tip #3, nobody cares if you dine solo. My server at Garden Grill made me feel welcome, and getting to take pictures with the characters was a sigh of relief after such a chaotic year. My diet consisted of cinnamon rolls for breakfast and brownie sundaes for dinner. There are some very good quick service options around WDW, but you have to go a bit out of the way... on my Magic Kingdom days, I ate at Gasparilla Island Grill. I found that eating at off-hours (i.e., dinner at 4 PM) made the Mobile Order experience much quicker.

Tip #5- If you're feeling lonely, strike up a conversation with a Cast Member.
Any time I felt lonely, I conversed with a Cast Member. While hanging around outside the Contemporary Resort, I spoke with a chef who was about to start his shift at The Wave. At Wilderness Lodge, I spoke with a Cast Member about the upcoming re-opening of the resort. While boarding the PeopleMover, I spoke to a Cast Member about how excited she was to be once again operating the ride.

Tip #6- Enjoy it, with no regrets.
Force yourself to slow down every now and then. Soak in the sights & sounds and enjoy the most magical place on earth. It's worth it.

Thank you all for listening to my rambling... please let me know if you have any questions about traveling solo and I'll do my best to answer.

As a 25+ trip solo traveler, most of your tips are excellent! Just one exception-if you're my advanced age, you might want to skip Tip #1! After 1 park, I'm done! Especially liked the one about conversing with CMs. They love to talk about their job.
And I'm glad I'm not the only one who eats sundaes for dinner. Next time you go solo, remember that Ghirardelli's sundaes are good for breakfast, and No Way Jose sundaes make an excellent lunch.
And you're so right-no one cares that you're solo. I finally got brave enough to go to a character meal solo, and since I don't bear a striking resemblance to Goofy, Minnie, or Donald, no one looked at me.
Just curious-where did you stay? And where do you want to stay on your next solo trip?

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

Just curious-where did you stay? And where do you want to stay on your next solo trip?

I stayed at Old Key West... I got placed into building 55.. it was so quiet in that area of the resort, it felt like I had the place to myself.

I would really like to stay at a monorail resort for my next trip with the wife. I'm thinking a Garden Wing room at the Contemporary! I can't say for certain when my next solo trip will be.

 

[Jillfo]

I've traveled to WDW solo several times and agree with your observations/tips. But I must know - where did you get that cinnamon roll??

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

I've traveled to WDW solo several times and agree with your observations/tips. But I must know - where did you get that cinnamon roll??

Gaston's Tavern in MK!

 

[Jillfo]

Gaston's Tavern in MK!

Thank you! I need to try one of those on my next trip.

 

[Anne Scaffo]

Hello all.. I wasn't quite sure how to title this post... I wanted to post my first solo trip experience, as well as a few tips. I would like to thank everyone on this board for assisting me with the planning process, etc.

What I realized the first few days into my trip is that, when solo, you have ample time to truly "soak in" everything Disney has to offer. I suppose that when traveling with others, I tend to get consumed by the hustle & bustle of trying to making dining reservations, FastPass reservations, etc. The itinerary for my solo trip was empty...

... which allowed me to take boat rides across Bay Lake during sunrise, just because...

... grab food from resorts that I will likely never be able to afford a night at (first time trying Tonga Toast!)...

... take a break to watch the Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom, then hang out on a Main Street bench for an hour just to listen to the soundtrack...

... and watch Character Cavalcades multiple times in a row without the need to be anywhere else... truth is, watching Guests get excited for them became just as enjoyable as the parade itself...

I'm certainly not saying that the above is impossible when traveling with others... but when solo, you have the flexibility to do what you want, whenever you want to. Which brings me to a few tips I have...

Tip #1- BUY A PARK HOPPER!!
I upgraded to a Park Hopper halfway through day 1 when I realized just how much ground you can cover when solo. Some days, I did 3 parks and felt that I could have done a 4th...

Tip #2- Explore the monorail and Boardwalk resorts.
On my EPCOT days, I would take the 8 AM bus to Hollywood Studios, and then walk to the Boardwalk resorts. Boardwalk Bakery has excellent snacks and coffee, and was a very relaxing way to start the day. For mid-day breaks at Magic Kingdom, I used the Grand Floridian walkway and walked to Poly (and then rewarded myself with Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai!).

Tip #3- Nobody cares that you're solo.
My biggest fear prior to arriving was that everybody would know that I was solo. Truth is, nobody cared. The Cast Members made me feel extremely comfortable, and I never felt out of place or awkward.

Tip #4- Eat wherever/whatever you want.
Coinciding with tip #3, nobody cares if you dine solo. My server at Garden Grill made me feel welcome, and getting to take pictures with the characters was a sigh of relief after such a chaotic year. My diet consisted of cinnamon rolls for breakfast and brownie sundaes for dinner. There are some very good quick service options around WDW, but you have to go a bit out of the way... on my Magic Kingdom days, I ate at Gasparilla Island Grill. I found that eating at off-hours (i.e., dinner at 4 PM) made the Mobile Order experience much quicker.

Tip #5- If you're feeling lonely, strike up a conversation with a Cast Member.
Any time I felt lonely, I conversed with a Cast Member. While hanging around outside the Contemporary Resort, I spoke with a chef who was about to start his shift at The Wave. At Wilderness Lodge, I spoke with a Cast Member about the upcoming re-opening of the resort. While boarding the PeopleMover, I spoke to a Cast Member about how excited she was to be once again operating the ride.

Tip #6- Enjoy it, with no regrets.
Force yourself to slow down every now and then. Soak in the sights & sounds and enjoy the most magical place on earth. It's worth it.

Thank you all for listening to my rambling... please let me know if you have any questions about traveling solo and I'll do my best to answer.

I love that you shared this! Just the other day, my son went to a local bar solo. My husband could not understand why. My son replied, "I'm taking a page out of Mom's book." The following day he went to the beach solo. He told me that he now gets it. We think that there is so much taboo about going solo, but it is mostly in our heads. Any time that I have ever explained it, people seem to get it. And, are often jealous. lol

 

[car_arev]

Currently planing to visit alone in January (A friend says he might tag along.) I will be going for a Week I do want to sit on a bench and take in the excitement of others at magic kingdom. but im afraid people will think im weird just sitting there watching others? did you feel like that, did anybody tell you anything?

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

Currently planing to visit alone in January (A friend says he might tag along.) I will be going for a Week I do want to sit on a bench and take in the excitement of others at magic kingdom. but im afraid people will think im weird just sitting there watching others? did you feel like that, did anybody tell you anything?

Nobody said a word my entire trip. While sitting alone, I'm assuming most people thought I was waiting for my wife to return.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I love that you shared this! Just the other day, my son went to a local bar solo. My husband could not understand why. My son replied, "I'm taking a page out of Mom's book." The following day he went to the beach solo. He told me that he now gets it. We think that there is so much taboo about going solo, but it is mostly in our heads. Any time that I have ever explained it, people seem to get it. And, are often jealous. lol

I wanted to like this post multiple times. It took me a long time to talk myself into taking a solo trip mostly because I was self conscious about it but once I took the leap, I took two more within a year because I loved it so much. I know some friends and family still find it odd but it really is an enjoyable way to travel for me.

 

[Simba's Mom]

As far as feeling self-conscious, Dr Phil has a good quote that I remember, well, sort of remember. He used to say something about "If you knew how little people thought about you..", implying that no one really notices other people that much. Does anyone remember the exact words? I thought of it when I finally got up the nerve to go to my first character meal solo. I had been so afraid people would notice the poor person sitting all by themselves. Well, I quickly figured out that since I didn't bear a striking resemblance to the characters in attendance, no one noticed. I swore I could have run around naked and no one would notice-but I didn't test that theory!

 

[CookieCrumbles]

Thank you! I will be solo now and these are the kinds of tips I came here for.

 

[StageTek]

I really love the Flag ceremony!

Thanks for the trip report. I love taking the boats. I'll go to Wilderness Lodge, then over to the Fort, then back to MK where I'll take the Ferry to the TTP and hop on the monorail. Can't really do that if you're not solo.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I really love the Flag ceremony!

Thanks for the trip report. I love taking the boats. I'll go to Wilderness Lodge, then over to the Fort, then back to MK where I'll take the Ferry to the TTP and hop on the monorail. Can't really do that if you're not solo.

You're like me! I remember one evening, I just felt like riding around Crescent Lake, as I didn't remember being on the boats at that time of day. The CM boarding everyone was going down the line, just to make sure you weren't getting on a boat to go somewhere it did.t go. "Where are you going?" he asked everyone. When he got to me, I told him the truth-"For a ride on the boat." Everyone laughed....except him. He gave me the dirtiest look, like "You wise a**!" He didn't understand-I really was.

 

[daae3]

Love your report and tips...I love to travel solo and this is making me want a solo trip stat...also cinnamon roll tip-Kusafiri Bakery in Animal Kingdom sells my favorite cinnamon roll...