Expectation Setting - Disney Solo Easter Week

[jf256]

Hi;

I am doing a very very last minute (as in i booked it - last week) trip from the UK. I'm super burnt out at the moment and work booked me on a last minute trip to new york - so i figured why not. Im in universal 23rd - 25th - then offsite for 25 - 30th (leaving around 3.30pm) for flight home. Im in a DS hotel that offers early entry but not ILL. 5 nights in disney, plus tickets flights, and 3 nights (but not arriving until 10pm) in universal for £2000 isn't terrible but its more because of easter so i want to make sure i'm making the most of it all.

Whats the likelihood of me getting ROR, TRON, and GG as ILL when park opens? I have park hoppers - so can definately adjust with availability.

Flight of passage was really meh for me - and i will rope drop it but never pay for it, virtual queue the others but i'd like to ride as much as possible.

Also whats lounge availability going to be like for that week - i've booked some emergency mid day lunches but i'd honestly rather eat in the lounges where i can - as i think the food tends to be better.

 

[ars0525]

Have you traveled solo before to Disney? I go solo a lot & I get a lot done sometimes without even trying cause well...it's just me I go where I want when I want how I want. Nobody else to worry about. Plus sometimes I get moved up in lines if they are trying to fill seats which helps.

I don't use ILL or anything that cost extra so can't answer those questions.

Have a plan (and back up plans). Be flexible on the fly. Go after what's important for you to do & fill the gaps with stuff you can take or leave. Yes it will be busy but you know that. Enjoy!

 

[jf256]

I know it will be busy at a theoretical level.

Practically i'm not sure whether i truly understand how busy it will be - Its been a long long time since I have been anywhere that is truly shoulder to shoulder packed.

Not done disney solo but travel for work - so i'm used to my own company.

I've done all the abu dhabi theme parks solo but they are very different.

 

[kylenne]

Whats the likelihood of me getting ROR, TRON, and GG as ILL when park opens? I have park hoppers - so can definately adjust with availability.

Debatable. I go solo a ton and I would say during a normal crowd time you'd be fine, Rise is going to be the worst of these three to get as an offsite guest imo. But I don't like your chances on Easter week. It's not impossible, and if you do miss it at park open keep checking regularly throughout the day because sometimes more get loaded.

Also whats lounge availability going to be like for that week - i've booked some emergency mid day lunches but i'd honestly rather eat in the lounges where i can - as i think the food tends to be better.

It honestly depends on the lounge. Tambu I wouldn't count on. Steakhouse 71 maybe. Nomad will take a small miracle to get into though--I would be there a few minutes prior to opening to get on the walkup list ASAP. The app version is worse than the VQ drops.

In general I would manage expectations. Easter week is very ugly crowd wise, but as a solo you'll have an easier time of it. G+ is going to be mandatory at MK and HS though, on top of the ILLs, if your priorities are rides. With a trip that short, a less than stellar rope drop experience at any one of them will set you back worse.

 

[jf256]

I just got back and will be doing a mini trip report. But wanted to put some info here so that others could benefit if looking it up at a later year.

It was busy. That was expected.

1) I could get so much done in rope drop.. even the 2 days I missed early entry I just changed up the strategy. It seemed almost quieter at rope drop than when I went in Feb 2023. I had a sit down meal followed by anap on almost all my.days there to get away from the midday crowds and get out the heat. Then hit the parks in the evening when it Was cooler.

2) Most people seemed to have no idea what they were doing. Some of the conversations I heard with people in the queues were baffling. People being exited to ride guardians but had 1 park day and no ill and no virtual queue. A lady who just turned up at the lightning lane for a 50 min kilamajaro safari demanding to pay to skip the line. A man who bought genie plus to get rise and wanting a refund after realising he couldn't use it. I think this was an advantage to anyone who had done even a slight bit of research.

3) Nomad lounge was the quietest I have ever seen it. Steakhouse 71 and Sannaa I got day of reservations for. I asked the cast member at Nomad and they said it was incredibly quiet. My theory is that everyone was waiting in really long lines..because they didn't plan or rope drop. So nobody had time to actually enjoy the restaurants. The flower and garden booths were also really quiet in comparison to last year.. and I think its because there were less adult only parties. Obviously YMMV on this one and on good Friday and Saturday it was a lost busier.

4) I did 4 parks in 1 day with a 3 hour rest / nap. This was only possible because of the extended MK hours.

5) Universal lines and experience was amazing as a single rider. Disney needs to have a look at this process....because they were far more efficient. I was sat by myself at disney every time..including on rides like big thunder, and guardians which is just silly. I understand not wanting to sit with families for everything but then on pirates when it Was empty they put me directly behind a family who even commented and laughed tha did be in their pics when there were several boats free at the time.