Does anyone else travel like this?

[mackmack]

I am a solo disney world traveler.

I visit Disney World once a month for a week long stay(I am lucky to be able to do that financially). I always go alone and I never go on any rides(they are fine, but I am kinda indifferent towards most of them and am not really impressed). I do like the monorail and skyliner, mostly for the transportation but they are fun as well. Also the safari is pretty good and boat rides. I don't really classify those as traditional rides. Also standing in line for an hour or two for 3-5 minute ride is not my idea of a vacation, so that is a benefit.

I just like walking around, being outside and getting exercise. In my area we have parks but they are all trails through the woods. It's pretty boring, mundane, and claustrophobic. So basically I go down there just to walk around and look at the grounds/buildings/people watch etc. I listen to podcasts. It's a safe, fun place to be, especially at night when the lights are on.

Second reason is I like to stop around for the snacks. I don't do any sit down meals, I just randomly will get a dole whip or sandwiches at take out whatever. Its just a nice break from life to go down there and come back.

When I tell people I go to disney alone they already think I am weird, when I tell them I never ride any rides they think I am weirder.

 

[magrudersmakes3]

I do some rides, but I truly love just experiencing the atmosphere. I’m really looking forward to no real planning for this trip. I’m worried my Disney addiction will get worse.

 

[oompa_lumpia]

Yeah I'm the same. I've been going for a week-ish every 2 months since they reopened. I often just walk around the parks or resorts and vibe. I usually only hop on a ride if the line is unusually short. I also bring my laptop into the parks to work. I do like to make a few ADRs though, because I'm a cringey foodie. This routine would probably bore a companion to death but I find it extremely soothing.

 

[karma459]

My (first!) solo trip (end of next month) is planned to be very much like yours - IF I find a "true" walk-on ride, then sure - I'll do it, but I will not wait more than 15-20 mins. I've ridden them all several times already when I travel with the family, so I'm going to do all the things I want to do, but can't when I'm in a family group.
I will also do Kilamanjaro, because that's more "experience" and not "ride" to me.
I skip DHS altogether because it's my least favorite.

I'll be spending most of this trip at Epcot slowly going through the countries and snaking around the festival.. likely on multiple days.
I want to browse/shop just to see what's there - not just merchandise, but the store itself...(when I'm with kids, I'm ususally trying to get out of the stores ASAP lol!)
Enjoy the landscaping, watch the people.. maybe catch someone being blessed with some Disney Magic.

I want to really *LOOK* at the details, LISTEN to the sounds... FEEL the parks, if that makes sense.

I have a big family trip (10 people!) scheduled for October which will be chaos I'm sure, so this trip is to give me a chance to experience WDW "my way", before I do it "everyone else's way" in October!

 

[Corien]

No, definitely not for any Disney parks. I do not have a Disney park close enough for me to go often enough to allow myself to do this. However, I do get where you're coming from. I had an annual pass for a pretty local zoo last year and when we weren't in lockdown and it was open, I would often just go there to get my steps in, find a bench close to the meerkats and have a coffee while people and meerkat watching. Most of the time I didn't actually stop at the animal enclosures, except if I happen to stumble upon one I didn't get to see often, or if they happened to be feeding them right when I was walking past.

 

[Jillfo]

I'm similar. I just got back from a trip for which I arrived Sunday mid-afternoon and left Wednesday morning. I did only two rides: the Land and the safari. I also rode the Skyliner from Epcot to HS twice and then walked to my hotel (the Swan). Other than that, I just wandered. I really wish we could drink and snack while moving. Having to be stationary kind of takes the joy out of it.

 

[Lilsia]

That sounds like my trips. I go on the safari, people mover, and living with the land. I just like walking around and snacking. I also love walking around the trails in AK. There is so much detail in that park that people overlook. I have had wonderful conversations with cast members also. WDW, for me, has become a place to go and just relax and less about going on rides. For a solo, female traveler, WDW is a safe place that I don't have to worry about things like transportation and making sure that I am back in my hotel room by dark for safety reasons. It's my happy place.

 

[bryanb]

I could absolutely spend hours in a park and not have rides be the main point. In fact, I‘d often do this at Disneyland when I had an annual pass. I was even tempted to do a work from home day, but instead of parking myself at a Starbucks or under a patio umbrella like some co-workers would do, I’d park myself at a table by the Rivers of America. (That said, the reality is that during pre-Covid, Disneyland was never empty enough even on off-peak weekdays to make that realistic as it used to be.)

The atmosphere in a Disney park is fantastic, and there’s nothing wrong with having a priority of snacking, walking, and getting alone time. It sounds like you treat WDW kind of like I would treat New York City... a place to go walk around, eat good stuff, etc.. (except WDW feels safer than a big city).

 

[WL2000]

I'm similar. I just got back from a trip for which I arrived Sunday mid-afternoon and left Wednesday morning. I did only two rides: the Land and the safari. I also rode the Skyliner from Epcot to HS twice and then walked to my hotel (the Swan). Other than that, I just wandered. I really wish we could drink and snack while moving. Having to be stationary kind of takes the joy out of it.

That is the one thing I am looking forward to. I cannot wait to walk and snack!

 

[WL2000]

I love this thread. My DH and I love to go to the parks to just enjoy the beauty of them. Nice to know we are not alone

 

[nursejackie]

My first solo trip for a run Disney event (cancelled as cannot enter US from UK) was all about soaking up the atmosphere in what i consider a very safe environment for a female to wander around alone . I had planned to eat lots of snacks, go in every shop, go to all the shows, and just enjoy being in the bubble, which gives me a lovely, warm feeling inside the whole time I'm there.

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

We aren’t big ride people either. We will go on a few in each park. We just like to take in it all in while we are there.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm pretty much like that. I live in Ga. and hubby doesn't like to travel. Before the closure I had an AP for about 8 years and would go 2 or 3 times a year. Usually my adult son goes with me once and then I go solo the rest of the trips. We have been going since the early 80s at least once every other year until I could afford to go every year then more than once a year. We have never been ride centric, we ride rides when we want to but that has never been our focus. We have been known to sit on a bench outside one of the countries in Epcot with a refreshing adult drink and just look at the details for over a hour. He isn't a huge fan of crowds so when he goes with me we rarely go to shows or watch FWs. When I go solo I will watch a show if one happens to be going on when I'm passing by but I rarely watch the FWs because I'm height challenged and with most of them projection based now I can never get a spot where I can actually see. I'm not sitting on a curb for a hour and half just to have some tall person or a father with their kid on their shoulder get in front of me at the last minute (has happened many times until I learned my lesson). When FPs came to being we didn't use them, sometimes we would get a paper one but the only time we got the new ones was if we were standing in line and there was something about a 1/2 hour away. We just don't like to plan, we make ADRs day of if we want but most of the time we just tend to grab a snack or something as we are walking around. I tend to go solo to the festivals so most of my food comes from booths or just snacks or even room service.

 

[kwdw]

Rides aren't super important to me when I go solo. I do have a series of them I really try to hit - but they aren't as important. I do alot of walking around, seeing the sites. I used to play a fair amount of SOTMK, but that's gone now. Snacks are important - but even before Covid, I tend to sit and eat, not walk and eat. I do REALLY like the shows (and the MK parade), I plan how to hit all of those each trip, so that's actually a big reason it will still be a while before I am back. I'm hoping a couple more shows will be up and running this fall (even if they are watered down versions like the FOTLK reopening version) - so I can make a trip this fall. It's been 15 months and I need a Disney fix!