Experincing the magic alone? Good or bad?

[DisFanForever]

Hi everyone!!! I had a brillant idea this morning and thought that I would share with my friends. I said to them all, via facebook of course, that I have a little over a week off around my birthday and that I wanted to spend it in the happiest place in the world! And I wanted them to all come and celebrate. Message, after message, was the same response. "sorry, can't do it, have kids, work, school, blah, blah, blah blah!" Well, darn! What was I going to do!!!!!?????!!! Then I had an aha moment. I would go to Disney by myself! I've heard that people do this, and they still have a great time. I've never taken a trip by myself before, so I'm a bundle of emotions, nervous, scared, excited, and kinda sad that I won't have anyone to enjoy it with. On the up side I'll be able to do what I want, when I want, and be able to go into the single rider lines. But then again, I would be eating diners by myself, and I kinda don't want to do that! So, here's my questions.

1. have any of you ever done disney by yourself?
2. if so how long did you go and did you get the dining plan?
3. did you get lonely while you where?
4. would you recommend someone go to disney by themselves?
5. it will be around the holiday season, would you recommend doing the christmas party??

I really appreciate any suggestions, and advice that you might be able to give!!! I think the more I think about it, the more excited I am getting!!!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I pretty much go to Disney solo now. My family is tired of it.

I'm in the process of trying to talk them into going next summer for my 50th birthday but they don't want to.

I've gone twice a year for the last 3 years. Most of the trips have been 6 nights/5 days except for one that was 5 nights/4 days. I love it. I haven't gotten lonely on a trip yet. I've met some wonderful people on the buses and in lines. I was even invited by one family to go on an Illuminations cruise with them that they won but it was the day I was leaving. That would have been so much fun.

I don't do the dining plan. I don't eat TS every day so it's not worth it and since I've been getting an annual pass, I got the tables in wonderland card for dining discounts. If you plan on TS once a day of your trip, it might be worth it. Check www.allears.net for approximate prices of places you want to try to eat at so you can price it out and see.

I've eaten at many of the restaurants alone and it's never bothered me. I usually relax, look at the pictures I've taken, look at my plans for the day and park maps if I am doing a lunch meal. I haven't gotten up the nerve to go to a character meal solo though.

I've done the Christmas party solo. It was much more fun than the trip I took my DD and did the Christmas party. I was able to see all the shows, get some character autographs, watch the parade and fireworks.

I did the Halloween party solo last year - twice! I enjoyed that too.

Take advantage of the solo rider lines when you go and if you like to have a drink or two, stop in at a few of the bars. The bartenders are very friendly and if they aren't busy they may chat with you a bit.

Don't be nervous to go solo - you'll have a great time!

 

[Cafeen]

1. have any of you ever done disney by yourself?
2. if so how long did you go and did you get the dining plan?
3. did you get lonely while you where?
4. would you recommend someone go to disney by themselves?
5. it will be around the holiday season, would you recommend doing the christmas party??

1) Yep, this year will be my 3rd solo trip with DxDDP.

2) Typically, Mom comes by for the first half and then I'm solo for the 2nd half, as such, the solo portion is ~5 days long (with the Mom half also 5days long)

3) Not one bit. So much going on that you don't have time to feel lonley. I'm also good at keeping myself entertained, and people watching and taking photos (not of the people ), tends to help a lot. I'll also strike up a conversation every now and then (though, I'm horrible at starting them...)

4) Absolutely, with one caveat. You have to be able to make the magic on your own. You can't go down there and hope to have someone else do it for you, when solo, that won't happen (9 times out of 10). If you can entertain yourself and are ok with being on your own, then you'll be even better off down there.

5) I have no idea about MVMCP at all. Christmas doesn't interest me much really. It's just not my holiday. I do go to the MNSSHP though (the Halloween party). It also helps that it's during cheap season which helps me swing the vacation by myself.

As far as the dining plan goes, one of my enjoyments in my trips is dining. As such, I plan at least 2 TS per day, so I splurge on the DxDDP. This is helped by the time of year that I go (mid-late September) and I don't lose much by sitting in a restaurant for a few hours a day. Since it's also part of my touring the parks, I simply enjoy it. As you can imagine, I have no issues with dining solo .

It's not for everyone though, and over on the Restaurants board there is a ton of good information (or at least, a ton of good people who can offer information) as far as deciding if a plan (and which one) is right for you.

 

[DisFanForever]

Thanks so much for the advice!! I'm getting more and more excited! Since I don't have to pay for my son, I'll have a little extra to upgrade to a nicer hotel!

 

[tinkerbella16]

I love reading others experiences on going solo.. It makes me even more excited for my first solo trip in September!!

 

[forever a child]

So when you go alone, do you upgrade your hotel or do you stay value and shop/eat/do tours with the $ you save? Trying to decide which would be the better route to take for my first WDW solo trip???

 

[NJDiva]

1. have any of you ever done disney by yourself?
2. if so how long did you go and did you get the dining plan?
3. did you get lonely while you where?
4. would you recommend someone go to disney by themselves?
5. it will be around the holiday season, would you recommend doing the christmas party??
QUOTE]

1) yup, actually I do Disney 95% of the time alone, I may meet up with friends or have a few days with various people but for the most part, Disney is my ultimate solo trip

2) I have gone from a weekend to 6 days. when I go for the 5-6 day trip I get the dining plan. it forces me to take a break and relax and enjoy the magic and some awesome food!

3) I'm an only child from a big family (lots of 1st cousins and aunts and uncles) plus I travel a lot for work so I'm very used to being alone. I have never felt "lonely" in Disney, there's so much to do and see you really don't have the time to have that feeling. I kinda like the "alone time" I get, I can send texts, read some fun emails, people watch and best of all take some amazing pictures. I think my friends enjoyed all the updates I would send which was great.

4) ABSOLUTELY!! I will say if you are not comfortable being alone, you should ease into the solo trip, don't do a week, maybe a long weekend. you meet a lot of people when you go solo, get on rides faster (some times) and trust me, when people find out you're solo (especially parents with little kids) they get a little envious of you because you can do whatever you want.

5) I would SO recommend doing the Christmas party! I did the Halloween party 2 years in a row and it is sooooo much fun. again, you get to watch all the parents with children lose their minds as the kid goes into meltdown mode...it's just more magic for you to enjoy.

 

[NJDiva]

So when you go alone, do you upgrade your hotel or do you stay value and shop/eat/do tours with the $ you save? Trying to decide which would be the better route to take for my first WDW solo trip???

I always stay at a moderate resort, not too far from the parks and there tends to be less screaming kids and the resorts are nice and affordable.

 

[Amysita]

1. have any of you ever done disney by yourself?
2. if so how long did you go and did you get the dining plan?
3. did you get lonely while you where?
4. would you recommend someone go to disney by themselves?
5. it will be around the holiday season, would you recommend doing the christmas party??


1. Yes, both Disneyland in CA and the World in FL.

2. DL I usually go for 5-6 days and take one day to go to SW in San Diego; WDW I usually go for 8 days (I figure 2 days per park). DL, no I do not get the dining plan; WDW I get the Quick Service plan...and then do a couple of sit down dinners out of pocket.

3. No, not at all...there are more than enough people to talk to is you're so inclined.

4. Absolutely! I love the freedom to do what I want, when I want, rest / sleep when I'm tired, eat when I'm hungry, eat where I want, play when I want, catch all the fireworks & parades w/o anyone whining about this or that...and if I want to ride POTC 12 times in a row...guess what..I CAN!

5. I've never been during the Christmas Holiday...but I have been during Halloween and went to the MNSSHP...and LOVED it...I would love to some day go durning Christmas & go to that party too...so I say go-4-it.

I wouldn't worry about the eating by yourself thing...I won't eat @ a sit down restaurant at home...but I'll do it in a heart beat @ Disney. I have always been made to feel welcome by every Disney server. And there's always excitement going on all around you...people watch...chat up the next table.

 

[Cafeen]

So when you go alone, do you upgrade your hotel or do you stay value and shop/eat/do tours with the $ you save? Trying to decide which would be the better route to take for my first WDW solo trip???

I also prefer to stay at Moderates, but that's primarily because the themes at the values do not interest me. Being "Disney" to me is more about immersion and story than huge giant Disney icons.

However, I also don't really shop. I'll get a couple shirts (usually a T-Shirt and a Polo-type shirt) and that's enough. Eating though, a WHOLE different story! Half of the trip is food, the other half is photography, and the last half is the attractions, while another half is just the ambiance. (It's Disney, "magic math" is allowed).

I haven't done any of the tours solo yet, but that's because the trip itself (and the eating) takes up a lot of time and...well, money . I did the Behind the Seeds tour last year in the first half of the trip, it was cheap and a great little tour. Overall though, they don't entirely interest me enough to fork out the cash.

 

[Amysita]

I love reading others experiences on going solo.. It makes me even more excited for my first solo trip in September!!

You'll love POFQ! That's where I stay when I go to the world. Being so compact, it's easy to get to the bus stop, boat dock, food & drink, etc. w/o having to walk a country mile to get to these conviences. And it doesn't get as crowded as the other resorts, making it quieter and hs a more laid-back vibe that I appreciate as a solo adult traveler. Congrats on your 1st solo trip...have a blast...and enjoy your 'me' time.

 

[NJDiva]

I also prefer to stay at Moderates, but that's primarily because the themes at the values do not interest me. Being "Disney" to me is more about immersion and story than huge giant Disney icons.

However, I also don't really shop. I'll get a couple shirts (usually a T-Shirt and a Polo-type shirt) and that's enough. Eating though, a WHOLE different story! Half of the trip is food, the other half is photography, and the last half is the attractions, while another half is just the ambiance. (It's Disney, "magic math" is allowed).

I haven't done any of the tours solo yet, but that's because the trip itself (and the eating) takes up a lot of time and...well, money . I did the Behind the Seeds tour last year in the first half of the trip, it was cheap and a great little tour. Overall though, they don't entirely interest me enough to fork out the cash.

ME TOO!! I am all about the food and pictures. I wanna do keys to the kingdom just because I think I would learn so much more about my favorite place. I did do the dessert party which was cool!

 

[tinkerbella16]

I love reading others experiences on going solo.. It makes me even more excited for my first solo trip in September!!

You'll love POFQ! That's where I stay when I go to the world. Being so compact, it's easy to get to the bus stop, boat dock, food & drink, etc. w/o having to walk a country mile to get to these conviences. And it doesn't get as crowded as the other resorts, making it quieter and hs a more laid-back vibe that I appreciate as a solo adult traveler. Congrats on your 1st solo trip...have a blast...and enjoy your 'me' time.

Yea, I have stayed there before, and I fell in love with it instantly! The entire we were there, it was supposedly booked up and it still seemed so quiet and peaceful! I cannot wait to experience the world on my own.

 

[karly05]

I went for my first solo trip in February of this year - first time I ever went on a vacation by myself, and yeah, leading up to the trip, I had moments of, "What am I thinking, this is insane!" But it was fantastic, and now I can't wait to do it again!

I never got lonely, but I really don't get lonely; I enjoy doing things on my own. If you're comfortable with that, you'll have a great time.

I did not have a Dining Plan - didn't really want one, and when I did the math, it didn't really fit with my plans. Agreed with the previous poster, though, who said to check out the Disney Restaurants board here - there are a lot of discussions and good advice on whether and how to use the Dining Plans.

That said, I'm gonna get on my soapbox now to say Do not be shy about dining solo! If there are restaurants you want to try, go for it! I had great meals at Flying Fish, Via Napoli and Les Chefs de France; servers were all so nice and took great care of me, and I never felt awkward or "out of place." Also, don't be shy about meeting characters if you're so inclined!

One note about single riders - only 3 attractions (RnRC, EE, TT, I think) have actual "single rider" lines, but at other rides they will sometimes look for singles or duos to fill a vehicle - I got pulled up from the FP line on TSM because they wanted a solo to fill a car (and I did not have a seatmate).

I went for 5 nights; this gave me four full days for the parks, plus my arrival evening. (Left really early on departure day.) Next trip, I'd like to extend by one more day.

 

[Mokat76]

Do it, do it, do it!! I celebrated two of my birthdays there on solo trips. You get to do what you want when you want. I did the dining plan once and skipped it once. Both were fine with me. I did MVMCP solo and simply fell in love with it. I'm a DVC member so I always stay at my home resort because it's easy.

 

[ZehnJahren]

1. have any of you ever done disney by yourself?
2. if so how long did you go and did you get the dining plan?
3. did you get lonely while you where?
4. would you recommend someone go to disney by themselves?
5. it will be around the holiday season, would you recommend doing the christmas party??

1) Yes. Partially solo last year and then a three-nighter this January. Heading back (most likely solo again) for five nights in September.
2) 1st time I was only solo for like one whole day; I spent the first night and the next morning at HS alone and then my mom joined me, and on the last day she left early and I walked around MK for hours (TR link in my signature). Second time was three nights and four days, solo the whole time (TR link in my signature). Next time in Sept will be five nights, six days (PTR link in my signature; see a theme? ).
3) Nah. So many different people to talk to, and if you're not talking there are a ton of people-watching opportunities! I only felt lonely when I hurt my legs and wanted someone to carry me outta there - but I was fine!
4) Depends on the person. I'd pretty much say yes, I would recommend it, but not if they're unable to be alone in everyday life. If a person NEEDS someone to come to dinner with them or go shopping with them, Disney is not a good idea alone.
5) I'd recommend anything you want to do. We went to MNSSHP and I wasn't too awfully impressed; some people really love the parties, though. Could be worth a one-time shot; then you'd know for next time. Just take advantage of anything that makes your vacation more full.

 

[DCTooTall]

You ARE in the "Adults and Solo Travelers" forum, so you can be sure quite a number of us have gone solo before.


Personally, I've gone solo MANY times over the past couple years, and I love it. I never get bored, and am constantly finding opportunities to see and find things that I've either overlooked on previous trips or just didn't know about or have the desire to check out previously. There are so many things at Disney to see and do that it's very hard to get bored when traveling Solo.


As for the DDP.... i'm always offsite, so it's never been an option for me. What I would recommend though would be to look at the cost of the DDP, and then look at the costs of eating out-of-pocket and determine if you think you'd actually make your money's worth. The nice thing about going solo is that you can very easily just eat when you are hungry, without having to go when others in your group are hungry, which could make you eat more than you might otherwise.

For Tableservice, again, it really depends on if you feel comfortable eating alone or not. I've eaten at a few Tableservice places alone, including the Beirgarten on my last trip. I also love the Tune Inn Lounge because if i'm in the mood for a table-service meal, but not in the mood to do an ADR or get the full Prime Time ambiance while alone, I can just go sit at the bar and eat without worrying about the ADR.


A lot of people may wonder about the Solo experience at Disney when they've only been used to traveling in a group, but once you do it, It seems like most people seem to really discover that it's just as awesome as going with a group, even if it is a bit different.

(Also worth noting, if you are going around the holidays, you may find other DIS members traveling around the same time. You might be able to find people to join up with a share an ADR or tour the park with during some of your trip, giving you the best of both worlds.)