First solo trip to WDW this December

[Squeaksqueakums]

I'm taking my first solo trip to WDW this December and I'm nervous but excited. I've been trying to read through the posts here to get good recommendations for where to eat while by myself and I see a lot of people recommending the lounges at certain places. Forgive me if this is a silly question but are the lounges reservation only or kind of a bar set up, as in first come first serve? I think I'd like to try to grab food at the bars in some spots unless they'd be too busy and a recommendation would be the better plan. I've never really paid much attention to these areas when I've gone with family.

Any recommendations? I think I'll be in Epcot mostly for dinners while I'm there. Anyone else going to be going solo at WDW second week of December!?

 

[gottalovepluto]

Besides Space 220, are there Lounges in EP that serve food? (And that one can be a long wait if you try to walk up).

If you want TS in EP I would just make ADRs. It’s a tad more awkward at first on a solo trip but you’ll settle in. The key for me was to download a book onto my phone to read. That keeps me occupied just fine. I try to stay off other apps on my phone so I don’t end up on social media/news because when I did that it wasn’t relaxing at all.

If you’re looking to dine elsewhere in the area there are walk up bars at multiple Swolphin restaurants that serve their full menus. I quite enjoyed Il Mulino at Swan.

 

[zackiedawg]

There are both types of lounges depending on the restaurant - some still require reservations for bar/lounge seating, while others are walk-up if available. I've been able to dine solo at quite a few bars in restaurants throughout the property with no reservation, only occasionally during busy times running into no available seats. A few restaurants have very small bars without a ton of seats - like Yak and Yeti, Jiko, Ale & Compass. Most of the restaurants in Disney Springs have bars, and I have usually been able to score bar seating at all of them within 30 minutes or so.

I'll be at Disney Dec 11-16, not solo this trip...I'm going with a friend, but also part of a large photo group that meets up at Disney annually - it's called Pixelmania (but add Disney in your search as there are other things with that name out there too) - there's not a cost or fee to be part of it - but we tend to be camera-centric and into photography, so many of the events and dinners we plan as a group will be about taking photos, or sometimes giving photography tips and ideas. Feel free to look it up if interested at all - all of our events and dinner meets are optional so some members will attend everything and others might just pop in and out of a few things and go off on their own for others. It's usually 20-30 people from all around the country, and we've been doing it for nearly 20 years.

 

[BlueGreen5]

I'm taking my first solo trip to WDW this December and I'm nervous but excited. I've been trying to read through the posts here to get good recommendations for where to eat while by myself and I see a lot of people recommending the lounges at certain places. Forgive me if this is a silly question but are the lounges reservation only or kind of a bar set up, as in first come first serve? I think I'd like to try to grab food at the bars in some spots unless they'd be too busy and a recommendation would be the better plan. I've never really paid much attention to these areas when I've gone with family.

Any recommendations? I think I'll be in Epcot mostly for dinners while I'm there. Anyone else going to be going solo at WDW second week of December!?

Good for you for doing this! I wish I had that kind of courage.

I would be inclined to check out some of the places that are less kid-oriented that we always have to skip because we have to play to our crowd lol. I'm thinking like Rose & Crown, that restaurant in France that looks a bit like I remember Les Deux Magot in Paris looking, the steakhouse in Canada, the wine cellar in Italy, or the sushi place in Japan. I'm sure someone can rattle all of the names of those off the top of their head. I only dream of one day being able to enjoy these places.

The San Angel Inn might also be nice - it's dark and I can imagine that one not feeling too awkward to be alone (not that you have any reason to feel awkward...it's just an unavoidable fact).

I would love to be able to sit at the bar at Rose & Crown or in Mexico and just people watch, especially toward the end of the night. I bet there are some characters!

Have so much fun!

 

[zackiedawg]

Epcot unfortunately doesn't have many places with 'bar' type open seating - the few that do may be nearly impossible to score a bar seat depending on time of day. However, I would encourage you to not worry about dining solo at any of the Epcot table services - I've dined at most solo at some point or another, and never felt awkward. I've done Le Cellier, Spice Road, Teppan Edo, San Angel Inn, and Hacienda de San Angel all solo.

Also, stepping out the international gateway from Epcot will give you a ton of additional dining options at the various hotels connected there - Boardwalk, Beach, Yacht, Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve are all walkable or via boat, and Riviera and Caribbean Beach via Skyliner. Between them, you've got over a dozen more restaurants you can consider and still return easily to Epcot if it's still open.

 

[ak517]

How exciting! I love solo WDW travel. I also took my 1 year old by myself which basically was a solo trip because he can't converse with me yet, and I chose to eat at whatever table service I wanted (reserving for two for the high chair, of course).

Lounges are great for solo dining and offer bar or table set ups. My favorites are Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom and Enchanted Rose at Grand Floridian. The former's food is supplied by the kitchen at Tiffins, while the latter offers small bites (I'm not sure if you can order from Citricos to eat at Enchanted Rose). Other first come first served lounges are attached to Narcoossee's and Citricos at Grand Floridian, Trader Sam's at Polynesian, and California Grill Lounge at Contemporary. Other resorts have bars/lounges that you should also look into, such as those at Coronado Springs and Riviera Resort. There is also the Tune-in Lounge at Hollywood Studios and the tequila spot in Mexico at Epcot, though I believe those are standing room-only bar options unless you are seated at the tequila spot (forgive me, I forget the name). Oga's is always chaotic and (I think) fun for a solo traveler, but they don't have much food. I particularly enjoy Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom as a solo diner because there's a lot of stuff to look at on the walls, but this is table service and I would recommend a reservation. I avoid anything where the food is served family style simply because this usually ends up being too much food for me, even if I do love the meal and characters at Garden Grill.

There are sooooo many solo travelers of all ages and demographics at the parks that you won't be out of place. Eat where you want and enjoy yourself. Pro tip, if you have trouble finding a reservation for one, search for two! This won't work at places like Cinderella's Royal Table where you pay in advance, however.

One final note on lounges is that sometimes they have weirder hours than you expect, so keep an eye on those.

 

[Squeaksqueakums]

There are both types of lounges depending on the restaurant - some still require reservations for bar/lounge seating, while others are walk-up if available. I've been able to dine solo at quite a few bars in restaurants throughout the property with no reservation, only occasionally during busy times running into no available seats. A few restaurants have very small bars without a ton of seats - like Yak and Yeti, Jiko, Ale & Compass. Most of the restaurants in Disney Springs have bars, and I have usually been able to score bar seating at all of them within 30 minutes or so.

I'll be at Disney Dec 11-16, not solo this trip...I'm going with a friend, but also part of a large photo group that meets up at Disney annually - it's called Pixelmania (but add Disney in your search as there are other things with that name out there too) - there's not a cost or fee to be part of it - but we tend to be camera-centric and into photography, so many of the events and dinners we plan as a group will be about taking photos, or sometimes giving photography tips and ideas. Feel free to look it up if interested at all - all of our events and dinner meets are optional so some members will attend everything and others might just pop in and out of a few things and go off on their own for others. It's usually 20-30 people from all around the country, and we've been doing it for nearly 20 years.

Thank you for the tips! This is all super helpful. Your group sounds so fun!

 

[Squeaksqueakums]

Good for you for doing this! I wish I had that kind of courage.

I would be inclined to check out some of the places that are less kid-oriented that we always have to skip because we have to play to our crowd lol. I'm thinking like Rose & Crown, that restaurant in France that looks a bit like I remember Les Deux Magot in Paris looking, the steakhouse in Canada, the wine cellar in Italy, or the sushi place in Japan. I'm sure someone can rattle all of the names of those off the top of their head. I only dream of one day being able to enjoy these places.

The San Angel Inn might also be nice - it's dark and I can imagine that one not feeling too awkward to be alone (not that you have any reason to feel awkward...it's just an unavoidable fact).

I would love to be able to sit at the bar at Rose & Crown or in Mexico and just people watch, especially toward the end of the night. I bet there are some characters!

Have so much fun!

Yes I think the Rose & Crown would be very fun if I can find a seat I'll def have to try there thank you!

 

[Squeaksqueakums]

How exciting! I love solo WDW travel. I also took my 1 year old by myself which basically was a solo trip because he can't converse with me yet, and I chose to eat at whatever table service I wanted (reserving for two for the high chair, of course).

Lounges are great for solo dining and offer bar or table set ups. My favorites are Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom and Enchanted Rose at Grand Floridian. The former's food is supplied by the kitchen at Tiffins, while the latter offers small bites (I'm not sure if you can order from Citricos to eat at Enchanted Rose). Other first come first served lounges are attached to Narcoossee's and Citricos at Grand Floridian, Trader Sam's at Polynesian, and California Grill Lounge at Contemporary. Other resorts have bars/lounges that you should also look into, such as those at Coronado Springs and Riviera Resort. There is also the Tune-in Lounge at Hollywood Studios and the tequila spot in Mexico at Epcot, though I believe those are standing room-only bar options unless you are seated at the tequila spot (forgive me, I forget the name). Oga's is always chaotic and (I think) fun for a solo traveler, but they don't have much food. I particularly enjoy Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom as a solo diner because there's a lot of stuff to look at on the walls, but this is table service and I would recommend a reservation. I avoid anything where the food is served family style simply because this usually ends up being too much food for me, even if I do love the meal and characters at Garden Grill.

There are sooooo many solo travelers of all ages and demographics at the parks that you won't be out of place. Eat where you want and enjoy yourself. Pro tip, if you have trouble finding a reservation for one, search for two! This won't work at places like Cinderella's Royal Table where you pay in advance, however.

One final note on lounges is that sometimes they have weirder hours than you expect, so keep an eye on those.

Thank you so much! I have always wanted to stay at the Floridian so maybe that'd be a fun option to eat there! or like someone else suggested checking out the food on the boardwalk too. All great tips! thank you so much

 

[jimmymc]

Most of the lounges are walk-up only. Epcot specifically only has Space 220 lounge, which needs a reservation, but the Epcot resorts have some options. Flying Fish, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Crew's Cup Lounge, bluezoo, Shula's, and Il Mulino all have lounge seating.

Outside of Epcot, California Grill and Steakhouse 71 both have great lounges, and most of the higher end restaurants in Disney Springs have bar seating you can get without a reservation.

 

[jillt2ph]

I enjoy dining at Tutto Italia when I am solo. Maybe check out the menu for Tutto Gusto Wine Bar if you want more of a lounge experience?

 

[Mousetopia]

I'm taking my first solo trip to WDW this December and I'm nervous but excited. I've been trying to read through the posts here to get good recommendations for where to eat while by myself and I see a lot of people recommending the lounges at certain places. Forgive me if this is a silly question but are the lounges reservation only or kind of a bar set up, as in first come first serve? I think I'd like to try to grab food at the bars in some spots unless they'd be too busy and a recommendation would be the better plan. I've never really paid much attention to these areas when I've gone with family.

Any recommendations? I think I'll be in Epcot mostly for dinners while I'm there. Anyone else going to be going solo at WDW second week of December!?

Are you uncomfortable dining alone at home? Disney is no different than that. I would choose food based on interests not alone status. How is a table alone in a bar better? Id rather be in a good restaurant enjoying my surrounding..depending ..like say Yak Yeti..so much to see amazing detail. Just go have fun!

 

[kwdw]

I know a lot of solos swear by lounge options, but I rarely have luck in terms of availability (though I did snag Sapce 220 once]. I book ADRs and shy away from lounge seating. Interesting, I also feel more alone with lounge seating, though I know many don’t feel that way.

The suggestion of having a book to read on your phone is good, especially for those not used to solo dining. I had a small travel journal I would write in in my early solo travel experiences to help me feel more comfortable. But I admit, now, I don’t need those techniques to feel comfortable anymore.

Have fun!

 

[emilyann704]

I've done two solo trips in the last 3 years and it's been pretty incredible. I would agree bars/lounges tend to be simpler but I can't think of any standalone bar in Epcot that serves food. I ate at San Angel Inn alone which was fine but I actually found the darkness to be difficult solo - too dark to read a physical book and the glow from my phone was pretty bright.

Eat wherever you want to - there's no spot that's better or worse for solo dining, it's all in how you make it. No one will make you feel funny or strange, it'll all be in your head.

I've mainly stuck to resort bars for dinner - Three Bridges at Coronado Springs, Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge, Steakhouse 71 at Contemporary. A LOT of the restaurants at the Boardwalk hotels have lounges. The downside is you can't make a reservation but with being just one person it's easier to wiggle in. I enjoy sitting at a bar because it's nice to chat with the people next to you, the bartender/server, and I enjoy watching them prepare drinks and food while I wait.

 

[RealBlast3]

I've done 11 Solo Trips and counting to the World and I love it. I'm going again this December as well, from 12/4 - 12-11. I've been going since 2010 so even before smart phones, those were the days one still brought a camera! My trips are actually centered around dining at the restaurants since I'm a big foodie, I go for that experience and never sit at the bar, though it is often offered to me as a solo, since very often solo diners prefer that, not me, I love a nice big table since I usually order multiple aps and cocktails or wine and I like to be comfortable, not sitting on a bar stool. And I eat everywhere. I have lots of fave restaurants, especially in Epcot where I will be dining at Coral Reef, Space, Monsieur Paul, San Angel Inn and I also love the resort restaurants like California Grill and Jiko. I used to even do character dining LOL because why not?

I have to tell you, I have seen other solo diners at pretty much every single restaurant I have ever dined at including women, just last year I actually dined next to a birthday celebrating solo lady diner who was there with her service dog (so technically not totally alone) at the California Grill and it was during the fireworks as well and she seemed to be having wonderful time, as did I, they even brought me a free slice of cake for dessert which was amazing.

Often times, I have found the wait-staff to go above and beyond to engage me in conversation most places I dine, to make me comfortable and I usually get outstanding service and overall have a magical time at all the restaurants. I have become friends with some of them and they even remember me (as I do them) when I return for my usual almost annual trip.

Now that one has a smart phone, dining alone feels even less alone, since I send text-pics to all my co-worker friends and family back home of my dining experiences as I dine as well, which helps me feel more connected along with social media postings.

 

[Sheryl2059]

Been said many many times of course but if some nosy person at some table (be it WDW or Starbucks) thought 'look at that person over there eating alone', would you care? If not, then go where you want. That's the frank way to put it not the courteous way. Even so, I do prefer bars/lounge and I have found the CM bartenders to be quite good at interacting with the patrons.

Besides, people eating alone or having a mocha tend to be using their ipads or reading a book. Perhaps a book on an ipad. Or work. But you better not be doing work at WDW or the other guests will beat you up. I jest of course but trust me many think that.

 

[2vets]

I used to travel to WDW exclusively with my husband (not a WDW fan) or sister/niece, but a few years ago, I flew in the night before meeting my sister for MNSSHP, and got my first taste of a solo morning. It was a little weird at first, but I quickly realized how many solos there are - absolutely no one cares. And you are always your own best company, am I right? I have since done a couple of full solo trips and made it a habit to get in at least 2 full solo days before meeting others. For dining in Epcot/BW area, my absolute favorite is Shiki-Sai in Japan (you can make an ADR, or you can usually roll up and get right in at the sushi bar), and Crew’s Cup at YC. Both are quiet and reasonably priced (for WDW). Nearer MK, I have done a solo table at Narcoosees and always felt doted on, same at Skipper’s. One other recommendation: grab an Uber/Lyft and go to Boma for dinner!! It is chaotic, but you will blend right in, and the food is amazing!

 

[J&J]

I'm taking my first solo trip to WDW this December and I'm nervous but excited. I've been trying to read through the posts here to get good recommendations for where to eat while by myself and I see a lot of people recommending the lounges at certain places. Forgive me if this is a silly question but are the lounges reservation only or kind of a bar set up, as in first come first serve? I think I'd like to try to grab food at the bars in some spots unless they'd be too busy and a recommendation would be the better plan. I've never really paid much attention to these areas when I've gone with family.

Any recommendations? I think I'll be in Epcot mostly for dinners while I'm there. Anyone else going to be going solo at WDW second week of December!?

I would make sure wherever you want to eat and make a resvation . Some places for one will not give you a reservation. But you do not want to be hungry and have no place. Ecpot has serveral places you can get take out and eat on tables outside . I have done this one by myself
Enjoy your trip

 

[Echo queen]

My DH just found out he can’t go on our trip December 4th to 8th. I am thinking of going alone. Any suggestions?

 

[indoshakespeare]

My DH just found out he can’t go on our trip December 4th to 8th. I am thinking of going alone. Any suggestions?

Have fun and do things that he usually doesn't do or you won't do when you go together