First Solo Trip... Give Me Your "Must Dos"!

[PadfootnProngs]

The title says it all!

I recently (a few weeks ago) spent a week in WDW with my lovely boyfriend. It was the first time I had been since I was a child, and I fell completely head over heels in love all over again!

SO much so... that I decided I can't wait until we are both able to go back, and am planning a solo trip in September during Food & Wine!

I am spending 2 days in Universal, then heading to POP for 4 nights/5 days.

So I am not new to solo travel in general, and generally take a trip alone once per year. I love the alone time and it's really refreshing for me. With all of that said, what's your MUST DO when you're not tied to someone else for your Disney trip? Anything you think is worth taking extra time to do, going out of your way for, etc. I want to hear it all!

 

[brad813]

The title says it all!

I recently (a few weeks ago) spent a week in WDW with my lovely boyfriend. It was the first time I had been since I was a child, and I fell completely head over heels in love all over again!

SO much so... that I decided I can't wait until we are both able to go back, and am planning a solo trip in September during Food & Wine!

I am spending 2 days in Universal, then heading to POP for 4 nights/5 days.

So I am not new to solo travel in general, and generally take a trip alone once per year. I love the alone time and it's really refreshing for me. With all of that said, what's your MUST DO when you're not tied to someone else for your Disney trip? Anything you think is worth taking extra time to do, going out of your way for, etc. I want to hear it all!

I am pretty much a solo traveler all of the time, but fairly new to Disney(two Mini(or should I say Minnie)-trips so far). Headed down for F&W so far and will have 8 park days plus MNSSHP. So far, my big ride is Soarin, but I am also doing a few signature restaurants this trip since I will have excess credits on the dining plan. I have been thinking about doing either the Starlight Safari(Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village) or DestiNations Discovered(Epcot) tour this time. Depending on when you are going, if you would like to meet for a meal or an Epcot day, or even the party, I am open to the company. My dates are very early in September though.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Resorts:

1) Geyser Point
2) Misners
3) Crews Cup
4) Martha’s Vineyard

Parks:

1) Rose & Crown pub
2) Dawa Bar
3) bar outside Brown Derby

 

[PadfootnProngs]

I am pretty much a solo traveler all of the time, but fairly new to Disney(two Mini(or should I say Minnie)-trips so far). Headed down for F&W so far and will have 8 park days plus MNSSHP. So far, my big ride is Soarin, but I am also doing a few signature restaurants this trip since I will have excess credits on the dining plan. I have been thinking about doing either the Starlight Safari(Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village) or DestiNations Discovered(Epcot) tour this time. Depending on when you are going, if you would like to meet for a meal or an Epcot day, or even the party, I am open to the company. My dates are very early in September though.

Those sound like great options! What Signature Restaurants? BF and I did Tiffins and CG last month and I HIGHLY recommend them both. I am still nailing down my dates, but a Dismeet would be awesome!

 

[PadfootnProngs]

Resorts:

1) Geyser Point
2) Misners
3) Crews Cup
4) Martha’s Vineyard

Parks:

1) Rose & Crown pub
2) Dawa Bar
3) bar outside Brown Derby

I am staying onsite both for Universal and Disney, but I have heard incredible things about the bar by Brown Derby. I will have to check it out, thank you!

 

[Wild4Walt]

I loved solo traveling. My biggest plans were loose plans - my Must Do's:

• Sleep in a bit if that's your thing. I never set an alarm clock and I was mostly up and about by 930a.
• I'd bring my Kindle so I could read while dining.
• I love to take photos so I would take my time walking through the parks so I could look for photo ops.
• I shopped till my hear was content.
• I mostly did QS meals but I would totally be comfortable dining at TS throughout.
• Tours are great for solo travelers as there is usually a guide - everyone is paying attention to the guide and you're not expected to have a ton of interaction.
• Pool days for sure. I've done the lazy river at BB on my own before and loved it.
• And most importantly, enjoy the things you may not have been able to experience when with others.

 

[PadfootnProngs]

I loved solo traveling. My biggest plans were loose plans - my Must Do's:

• Sleep in a bit if that's your thing. I never set an alarm clock and I was mostly up and about by 930a.
• I'd bring my Kindle so I could read while dining.
• I love to take photos so I would take my time walking through the parks so I could look for photo ops.
• I shopped till my hear was content.
• I mostly did QS meals but I would totally be comfortable dining at TS throughout.
• Tours are great for solo travelers as there is usually a guide - everyone is paying attention to the guide and you're not expected to have a ton of interaction.
• Pool days for sure. I've done the lazy river at BB on my own before and loved it.
• And most importantly, enjoy the things you may not have been able to experience when with others.

These are awesome tips, thanks! I am at this point really set on doing the Marceline tour, and have chosen a QS dining plan (raking in the snack credits for Food & Wine) but am planning for 1 or 2 TS. Bringing a book is an awesome idea!

Sleeping in usually isn't my thing, but I think I am definitely going to take advantage of being alone and try to sleep in at least 1-2 mornings there. I'm a sucker for rope drop though.

We didn't use the POFQ pool at all in Jan, so I will definitely have to use the POP one in September (I know it's going to be s.w.e.a.t.y.)

Thank you so much for your advice, these are great!

 

[phinz]

For my trip a couple of weeks ago I made sure to slow down and explore corners of the parks I'd never stopped to visit before. I took a ton of pictures. I utilized my AP PhotoPass to the max. I made sure to hit Nomad Lounge, Tune In Lounge and the Rose & Crown bar for food and drinks, drank pear brandy in the German Pavilion, utilized single rider lines and didn't hesitate to speak up when Cast Members asked if there was anybody riding alone. It was like having an unlimited Fast Pass.

But the biggest thing I did on the first day was Four Parks/One Day. Four rules for me: Ride at least one major ride at each park. Ride at least two rides total at each park. Buy a pin in each park. Get my picture taken in front of each park's iconic structure while holding up fingers to show which number park I was on. If there was a PhotoPass camera on the ride, make sure I was holding up the number of fingers indicating which park I was in.

I spent 16 hours in the parks, starting with arriving at 8:20 for Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios. I was in the park, rode Tower of Terror in the first car of the day, Rockin' Rollercoaster single rider, got my picture in front of the theatre and bought a pin. The park officially opened at 9 (Rope Drop was at 8:45) and I was in my car headed to Animal Kingdom by 9:10. I got to AK, rode Everest in Single Rider, waited 35 minutes in standby for Dinosaur, bought a pin and got my picture taken in front of the Tree of Life and was in my car headed to Epcot by 11:10. Epcot was a leisurely visit, with Figment, Test Track, Rose & Crown for food and a couple of drinks, Soarin' FP and then on to the Magic Kingdom. I was in the Magic Kingdom having a meal by 5. I had an After Hours ticket, so I spent six hours doing exactly what I wanted to do without worrying about travel companions, like only waiting 10 minutes to get my picture taken with the Rapunzel lamp. I stayed until The Kiss Goodnight and took my time strolling to my car. I will do it again.

It was an incredible start to what turned out to be an amazing week.

 

[happymommy]

How cool! 4 parks in one day. I don't know if I could keep up with you!

My first solo trip is coming up soon, and I just want to enjoy some alone time for starters! No cooking, cleaning, making my bed, etc.... I will sleep until I feel like getting up, enjoy my coffee in bed (bringing my own travel coffee maker since I'm staying at All Star Sports), heading out when I feel like, I prefer to snack more than sit down for big meals (which my DH likes to do, so last trip with just the two of us, I had lunch ADR's every day, but I find the portions way too much and in the heat I couldn't eat much). So I'll stop wherever I feel, plan on eating some at lounges (LOVE the Nomad Lounge) and enjoying cocktails (no driving!). Of course, since I'll be solo, I don't plan on overindulging so I can still be aware of my surroundings (but packing booze for nightcaps in the room, ha ha).

I do enjoy people watching, taking it slow, and I always find it so easy to strike up conversations with others. I've met so many nice folks on trips, Disney and others. This is my first solo weeklong vacation ever!

 

[juuuliebeth]

What I recommend most about being solo is not pressuring yourself to do things you think you SHOULD do. If you don't particularly like a ride, skip it. Don't feel like you have to get it in because you're there. The absolute best part about being on your own is doing what you want, and not having to decide by committee. Want to last minute switch a FP or ADR? Go for it. Want to park hop at the last minute because a rare FP came up? Done.

Also, invest in Memory Maker. I hate asking people to take my photo, and I'm awful at selfies. If you're more skilled than I, maybe it's not a bit deal. But I loved having great photos from the official photographers

 

[Ensusieasm]

The title says it all!

I recently (a few weeks ago) spent a week in WDW with my lovely boyfriend. It was the first time I had been since I was a child, and I fell completely head over heels in love all over again!

SO much so... that I decided I can't wait until we are both able to go back, and am planning a solo trip in September during Food & Wine!

I am spending 2 days in Universal, then heading to POP for 4 nights/5 days.

So I am not new to solo travel in general, and generally take a trip alone once per year. I love the alone time and it's really refreshing for me. With all of that said, what's your MUST DO when you're not tied to someone else for your Disney trip? Anything you think is worth taking extra time to do, going out of your way for, etc. I want to hear it all!

When I’m solo I always like to arrive early at MK to be nearly first in line on a regular 9:00 opening day with a PPO Be Our Guest reservation. It is so much fun to walk down a nearly empty Main Street when they let the breakfast crowd in at 7:45. I take my time, take photos, look at shop windows, and everything. I love to stroll down Main Street and just take it all in. After getting photos of the castle and gardens and fountains and bridges and streams with no people in the photos, I then slowly make my way into beautiful and almost completely empty fantasyland past the carousel to BOG.
After a quick kids rice krispee breakfast I enjoy my walk back to the castle for the opening show. Then I ride the first ride on the carousel all by myself. Around 1:00, after I use my fast passes and enjoy MK, I am ready to take the very quick boat from in front of the MK entrance to The Grand Floridian Resort where I have an Afternoon Gardenview Formal Tea reservation. After Tea I listen to the pianist and wait for Cinderella and Prince Charming to come down the staircase and dance. That’s a perfect solo day for me.

 

[jennie622]

I must admit, I’m getting spoiled with all my solo trips to WDW. The “fly by the seat of my pants” vacation mode is the best!! I love the QSDP, eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re ressie time says you have to. Sometimes I make one but eh, not a priority anymore. Grab a seat at the bar at Flying Fish, CG, Victoria Falls, etc. my best advice is to discover parts of Disney that most folks don’t take the time to. Visit Tri Circle D Ranch, resort hop (great noshing at most), take a tour (Wild Africa Trek!), rent a SeaRaycer boat (fun for all ages), do a wine tasting, painting or photo class, free tour of WL, just wander and see all the details, sleep. And attempt the four parks in one day. I’ve only accomplished this once. 14 hours. My point is, when with others, compromising is key. Now, you don’t have to!!!!!

 

[georgina]

Jellyrolls on the Boardwalk is a lot of fun. I have done the Keys to the Kingdom and Wild Africa Trek tours. I have also done the afternoon tea at GF.

I have done 3 parks in one day (start at HS, walk to Epcot stopping for lunch at the Fountain at the Dolphin, then on to MK. Never had any desire to do all 4.

 

[cj.scribbles]

Whenever I have an off day I like to hang out at Blizzard Beach.
For as much as I like waterparks, working and playing in them, I dont really like water rides so most of my time is spent napping in the lazy river and relaxing. Sometimes I'll bring my earphones and listen to some music while dozing and catching some rays.

And when I decide to hit up the parks its usually to pin trade because thats kind of my thing. If not pin trading I like to find snacks to eat -stopping by and getting some dole whip on a hot day is always a fun little moment. It's also right next to the Haunted Mansion which is my absolute favorite ride so I love doing that whenever I can and stop by Memento Mori and looking at all the pretty merchandise.

Since you're going during Food & Wine it's going to be a great opportunity to taste a lot of unique foods which is always a bunch of fun. I love Epcot a lot and there's a few places I'd recommend looking around a bit more in. For shopping China and Japan are my absolute favoritessssssssssssss omg, there's so much cool stuff to buy in Japan -it's amazing. There's also a little quick service restaurant called Katsura Grill that's pretty neat -my favorite is the Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork Ramen). I also like going in the little kids section in the back of the store and grabbing a little sticker for myself because I love it there so much.

Visiting the Big Top Circus Tent or the Emporium in MK to look at the case-line foods is always pretty cool since they have a lot of pretty and tasty treats in there. I'm a huge rice krispie treat fan so I love the big mickey ones with icing!

Also since you're going alone it might be worth looking into the Backstage Magic Tour. It's a little pricey so not sure if you'd be interested but it's pretty cool if you're really into Disney.

-CJ

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

Find a quiet shady spot by the pool, eat a Mickey bar, and sigh with contentment. Highly recommend!

 

[rosegoldmonorail]

i'm going on my first solo trip next sunday! i've been reading a lot about solo trips, and the number one thing everyone says is "do what you want," so i decided to skip DHS. if i was with someone i know i'd have to go to every park, but since i'm by myself, i wanted to spend more time in epcot for flower and garden, rather than hike to DHS for things i don't particularly care about. this also allowed me to get 2 fastpasses for frozen, one of my favorite rides! if i went with my family, there's no way they would have wanted to waste a 1 tier FP on frozen...

 

[Disxuni]

Might be not what you want to hear and it's vague, but do the opposite of what you normally do when you're tied down to someone else.

For example... Maybe that means you do not plan at all, you do not run, casually move on to something else if you miss that FP, because it's not a big deal, buy that special drink, or food item you never got to take the time to try, take more time taking photos of things around the park, do a ride, or show you like, but everyone else doesn't have the time for, or is boring, take your time moving from place to place, or just stay for while? I can go on, but basically do want you want and do what you typically don't get to do.

You say you do this kind of thing only once year, so think to yourself, is there anything you wanted to do, but didn't get to do, or didn't get to spend enough time to do while with someone else?

 

[RolloTomasi]

My travel buddy for my April trip just dropped out so now I'm converting that trip to my first ever solo trip. The more I think about it the more excited I'm getting! In the past I've ventured off by myself during trips - drinks away from the rest of my party, EMH by myself, solo Halloween Party - so I think everything has been slowly leading to this moment lol.

 

[wvgoofyfan]

As a veteran of many solo trips......I do exactly what I like.......I plan meals that I like, I ride rides that I enjoy and try to do them as many times as I can....I love interacting with cast members ....they make my trip memorable and they are fun to talk to ......I treat myself .......I have a chocolate sundae for breakfast if the mood strikes me......I always use the photopass photographers......I treat myself one night to a very late evening at Magic Kingdom enjoying the "Kiss good-night"..if a day at the pool and hot tub sounds really good......I do it....I take a small notebook and while I'm eating, I jot down notes on my trip to jog special memories when I get home....I treat myself to a special souvenir that I would not buy because of the expenses I would have if I had family or the grandkids. Enjoy your trip and make it yours.........

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I just did a few days solo last month for the first time before a conference. I did some things that I might not have done with a larger party - Backstage Magic, AK After Hours, etc. I got Deluxe Dining and enjoyed leisurely meals. I ordered dessert at every meal, even though I was so stuffed by then that I only ate a bite or two, and I didn't feel guilty at all. I stopped for every PhotoPass photographer (I needed more current pictures!). I changed my plans at a moment's notice, and no one cared. I kept a list of kids I saw pitching a fit to remind myself how much harder traveling with others can be. lol

I'm going back this week as a somewhat solo trip. Purely coincidence that I am doing two in a row - this trip was actually planned first. I'm really, really looking forward to seeing my kiddo play her horn marching down Main Street, but I'm also excited that I don't have to ride the bus, stay at the same hotel, or stick to their schedule. This time, I'll do mornings at Universal before moving to Disney. While I am alone, I'm doing the Star Wars Dessert Party (I skipped DHS last time), DHS After Hours, and the MK Food Tour (I am counting on the kinks being fixed following the first few tours). The only ADR I have set up is Yak and Yeti, because I NEED those fried green beans again. I don't think I will even order a meal to go along with them. My daughter will join me on Monday, and we're doing Keys to the Kingdom - which we have planned on doing for her 16th birthday since she was little (it was delayed a few months since this trip was coming up).