First time going to WDW. Single female in my 30s. Tips and advice?!

[lizw47]

Hi there! I'm a single woman, in my 30s, no significant other or children. I just booked a trip to Walt Disney World for the very first week in December. I want to go and see all the beautiful Christmas decorations and festivals, but don't want to deal with the crowds! I booked a 6-day park hopper ticket, so that'll be more than enough time for me to see everything. I've been to Disneyland Paris, but never Walt Disney World in Florida. It's been a dream of mine to go for a long time! (While I was at Disneyland Paris, they had the Remy Ratatouille Adventure ride there, so I rode that years ago and already know what it's like, haha!) I've already done a bunch of research and even bought some Disney vacation books to prepare lol. But is there any tips and advice that I should know about? Especially as an adult that is going by myself? Maybe secret little things that few people know about?

One question I did have is about the reservation system. I know we need to "reserve" the park we want to go to. How far in advance do we actually need to do that? On the Disney website it says ASAP. But how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to each day when my vacation isn't for another two months? Will reservations be "sold out" if I wait to reserve? Thanks!

 

[StageTek]

I'll be there the same time as you: first week of December. I, too, am going to see the Christmas decorations!

But how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to each day when my vacation isn't for another two months?

It makes the week less spontaneous, that's for sure, but you really should decide and reserve right away.

So far there has been full availability and no "sold out" dates - with the exception of Oct 1 and 2 and 31. I just got back from a trip Sept 21 to 30 and changed my reservations the day before three times - and once the day of - with no issues. You have six days and you can park hop after 2PM so just pick one day for each park and then any park you know you'll want to double up on. If you want to change the night before then you can do it easily. But don't get caught without a reservation...

I don't have any secret little things that few people know about to share.

 

[PepperjackDragon]

Hi there! I'm a single woman, in my 30s, no significant other or children. I just booked a trip to Walt Disney World for the very first week in December. I want to go and see all the beautiful Christmas decorations and festivals, but don't want to deal with the crowds! I booked a 6-day park hopper ticket, so that'll be more than enough time for me to see everything. I've been to Disneyland Paris, but never Walt Disney World in Florida. It's been a dream of mine to go for a long time! (While I was at Disneyland Paris, they had the Remy Ratatouille Adventure ride there, so I rode that years ago and already know what it's like, haha!) I've already done a bunch of research and even bought some Disney vacation books to prepare lol. But is there any tips and advice that I should know about? Especially as an adult that is going by myself? Maybe secret little things that few people know about?

One question I did have is about the reservation system. I know we need to "reserve" the park we want to go to. How far in advance do we actually need to do that? On the Disney website it says ASAP. But how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to each day when my vacation isn't for another two months? Will reservations be "sold out" if I wait to reserve? Thanks!

I don’t know about as a party of one but some reservations are pretty hard to get. Need to basically have those planned out 70 days in advance and booked then, or in the following 2 weeks check constantly as people make changes and finalize plans, unwanted bookings getting cancelled as they secure other specific times they might have been looking for etc. After thatyou basically get stuck searching 48-72 hours in advance as late cancellations hit. Of course it is much easier to do last minute (within 60 days) now that you don’t have to literally plan all your rides and dinner reservations 180 days in advance.

 

[StageTek]

Dragon's post sparked a thought... perhaps a secret little thing people don't know about.

If you are planing on table service book for 2. Sometimes booking for 1 shows nothing.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Enjoy your trip! I usually go alone. One thing I do is book my room for 2 people. I never let any resort know I am staying alone. Just a safety quirk I have. I give a friend's name or my adult daughter's as second guest. I get 2 keys upon check in. Not a Disney tip, but just a traveling tip. Have fun!!

 

[Skippyboo]

You want to book your park reservations as soon as you have purchased your tickets. Park hopping starts at 2 pm. Dining reservations open at 60 days out. Search for 2 people for dining ADR and just change it to one when you check in.

Are you staying onsite?
You will want to see Epcot’s Candlelight Procession. Epcot will have holiday food booths. HS has retro Christmas decorations which are super cool at night. Galaxy Edge is also cool at night. The deluxe hotels around MK are worth doing a monorail tour to see their Christmas decorations. You can take the a short bus from AK to AKL Jambo House to see their decorations and the animals. Disney Springs also decorates.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

There are SO MANY good bars and lounges for cocktails! Our favorites are Oga’s Cantina in Hollywood Studios (the only one that requires a reservation 60+ days in advance), Enchanted Rose at the Grand Floridian, Bar Riva at the Riviera Resort, Abracadabar at the Boardwalk, and of course any place in Epcot’s World Showcase.

You’ll have so much fun - no one bats an eye at single riders (not even on the kiddie rides) or diners. If you don’t want to strike up random conversation with strangers you definitely don’t have to. But agree with the safety tip: don’t let anyone know you’re traveling alone.

 

[TropicalDIS]

Hi there! I'm a single woman, in my 30s, no significant other or children. I just booked a trip to Walt Disney World for the very first week in December. I want to go and see all the beautiful Christmas decorations and festivals, but don't want to deal with the crowds! I booked a 6-day park hopper ticket, so that'll be more than enough time for me to see everything. I've been to Disneyland Paris, but never Walt Disney World in Florida. It's been a dream of mine to go for a long time! (While I was at Disneyland Paris, they had the Remy Ratatouille Adventure ride there, so I rode that years ago and already know what it's like, haha!) I've already done a bunch of research and even bought some Disney vacation books to prepare lol. But is there any tips and advice that I should know about? Especially as an adult that is going by myself? Maybe secret little things that few people know about?

One question I did have is about the reservation system. I know we need to "reserve" the park we want to go to. How far in advance do we actually need to do that? On the Disney website it says ASAP. But how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to each day when my vacation isn't for another two months? Will reservations be "sold out" if I wait to reserve? Thanks!

Book your park reservations now so that you have them booked. You can always change them later, assuming there is availability.

Are you staying on resort or off site?

 

[mommamouseca]

Following along as I am also a first time solo traveler. I don't have any tips to share, but will be there about a month before you so I'll let you know if I discover anything useful during my trip. Happy Planning!

 

[Helvetica]

When it comes to park reservations, I wouldn’t worry too much about it right now. When they first opened up they’d sell out, but it’s a bit more flexible. I’d still book them now because it’s all subject to change. If it’s a hopper, then it’s really just where you want to start. You should be able to change it, but who

Advanced dining reservations are becoming important again. If there’s a special place you want to eat, then you’ll need to book it at the 60 day mark. You can book your entire trip if you’re staying on site. Walk-ups are nice, but it’s much harder for solos to get in.

The shortest lines are at rope drop and at the end of the night. If you’re staying on site, you’ll get 30 minutes early entry. I’d plan on getting there much earlier than that. If you’re at a deluxe hotel, there’s a few nights of extra hours. I’d take advantage of them.

If you’re wanting to do the Christmas party, I’d book it. It’s a bit overpriced, but if that’s what you want to do then you should get your ticket in case it sells out.

 

[TinkSassy]

Agreed with dining reservations - I booked a trip for next month and I'm not trying for anything hard but good time slots are hard to find for my favs at 30 days out so I'll have to keep checking back.

The dining package for the candlelight processional is definitely worth it IMHO - especially if it is a popular celebrity. It is a beautiful event that I think is a do not miss at Christmas. Also be sure to go see the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian as that is worth going out of your way for.

Not so secret for WDW vets but Columbia Harbor House at MK has a 2nd floor seating area that extends out over the walkways with windows where you can see the Riverboat. It is counter service so no reservations needed. It is quiet and air conditioned as most of the families stay downstairs. I like to sit up there to people watch and rest. Check out the menu as they have some unique items - I like the fried stuff but their salmon is pretty good too.

 

[KaTinkerbell]

Hope you have a great time! I will be out there 1st wk. of Dec. too as a 1st time solo mainly because I have PH tickets I’ve had for the longest time & finally get to use them. Last trip I went with a friend & her family & we hit all the attractions (so fun!) but we skipped Epcot & AK! This solo trip I intend to be more of an explorer & just take in all the sights & experience the magic.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm not a young woman but I've done WDW solo many times (I'm an oldish woman). So my advice.

If you aren't used to eating out by yourself, practice it at home for awhile then you'll be comfortable. I have no issues with it as my hubby hates to travel so I almost always travel solo. While at WDW I have my Kindle app on my phone and usually after I've ordered, I read. The staff think nothing of solo eaters and usually take their cue from you.

Bars and Lounges are great places to eat, I don't like actually sitting at the bar so I choose those with tables, my favorites are HBD and Nomad.

I eat at least one meal a day (sometimes both) at the booths at Epcot. Festival of the Holidays will be happening, in the past there were fewer booths for that but the servings were bigger than the other festivals.

Take your time to walk around Epcot and enjoy the story tellers, they will be back this year. All the resorts really dress up for the holidays. I usually spend at least 3 hours every day touring them. I usually just hop on the first bus that arrives for the series I'm doing that day. Say I'm at MK, best to do the monorail loop that day and hop on a boat to WL. Grab a snack or a meal at any of those resorts. Now moving to AK, no brainer you are going to hop on a bus to AKL lodge from there then I usually bus to another park and either go into the park or hop on a bus to a moderate from there. HS really does a good job with their decorations, make sure to go at night to see all the retro lights. From there, easy boat ride or walk to the resorts there. Don't skip Swan and Dolphin, they do a good job. You can also walk to those from Epcot. Usually I use Epcot to hop on a bus to another moderate.

I use my solo trips to WDW to slow down and enjoy the parks and resorts. The details are amazing and a lot of people don't actually slow down and look at them. Those trips are not about the rides, although I do ride them, they are priority. I watch shows I'm not able to watch when my son goes. I sit in the tile room at the Morocco pavilion with an ice cream or a cup of something warm if its cold outside and just look at the detail. I love to walk around MK and just look at things.

 

[Bete]

To get reserved seating for the Candlelight Processional in Epcot's World Showcase you need to do a dinner and show package. It's costly but if you don't do it you risk waiting a long time to get in and you may not get in. The Biergarten in Germany is one of the more reasonable places to go for the dinner/show package. I wouldn't miss this special Christmas event.

Even with reserved seating you will want to get in line early for a better seat.

Processional Dining Packages are returning and can be booked online beginning October 26, 2021.

Here’s a list of participating restaurants and dining package prices, which exclude tax and gratuity:

Adult (ages 10 and up) Child (ages 3 to 9)
Biergarten Restaurant
Germany Pavilion $62.00 $35.00
Coral Reef Restaurant
The Living Seas $74.00 $25.00
Garden Grill Restaurant
The Land Pavilion $71.00 $46.00
Rose & Crown Dining Room
United Kingdom Pavilion. $63.00. $25.00


Chita Rivera – November 29 through December 1
Jodi Benson – December 2 through December 4
Alton Fitzgerald White – December 5 through December 7
Lisa Ling – December 11 through December 13
Steven Curtis Chapman – December 23 through December 25
Blair Underwood – December 26 through December 28
Pat Sajak – December 29 through December 30

 

[Bete]

Our favorite resort is the Grand Floridian for Christmas. We like having dinner there timing it with the MK fireworks. You can watch from the dock. If you go to Narcoossee's for dinner you can see the fireworks from the restaurant.

The lobby area will have a piano player doing Christmas tunes.

 

[StarCruzer]

Normally I would recommend the afternoon tea at Grand Floridian, but I don't think it's back up yet.

I did a solo trip in 2019 when my husband was deployed and it was actually...more fun that I thought it would be! Things I learned:
1. You get through attractions much faster (especially considering many have single rider lines).
2. The monorail is not a quick form of transportation! 30 minutes was not enough to get from MK to a lunch res at Grand Floridian
3. Bring a spare battery, headphones, and great playlist on your phone. There will be times (either on buses, in attraction lines, by the pool) where you might want to be able to tune out your surroundings.
4. I brought a small/collapsible tupperware. I had many meals with included way too much food for one person, without my usual garbage disposal partner. Packing the food up in a more secure container allowed me to snack on it in the park Also for when there were special snacks in the parks I wanted to grab for later.
5. It will be much more affordable if you decide you want to do an after hours event like the Xmas one. I know it's overpriced but for one person, it can actually allow you to skip a full day slog around Magic Kingdom during the hottest parts of the day.
6. Don't sleep on the entertainers in EPCOT (not sure if they're all back yet but I know a few are).

You already have it on your list, but checking out resort decorations is a great way to avoid mid-day crowds! Since FastPass+ is no more, you may have to rope drop each park for your top ride choices. Then mid-day, take a bus back to whatever hotels you want to check out! For Animal Kingdom, take your break at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My personal favorite for a mid-day break (disclosure, home resort ) as there are plenty of empty chairs to chill in and watch the safari. Plus we are firmly in the "we love zebra domes" camp. Break on your MK day can include the monorail resorts and Wilderness Lodge/Fort Wilderness. EPCOT you can check out the Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club.

We'll be traveling around the same time!

 

[StarCruzer]

I sit in the tile room at the Morocco pavilion with an ice cream or a cup of something warm if its cold outside and just look at the detail.

This is one of my favorite places to relax in EPCOT. Always quiet and literally designed to be cool.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Never let anyone know you are alone. Much like in NYC, walk like you own the place and know where you are going. Maybe have a parent or friend schedule calls to you so you can fake being with someone like you can say “oh yeah I’ll meet you at Spaceship Earth for 2 o clock” or “yeah don’t forget we have that reservation at xyz for 123”(but don’t give the actual restaurant or info). Also if you have an iPhone and so does another family member or friend-turn it on! That way they know where you are. I would have a cross body bag over a backpack so you have an eye on your belongings at all times. If for some reason you do have to use an Uber, you can send someone you trust your trip information. Have a code word to text family or friends at the end of the night when you are in your room. Always lock the door.
Another thing no one thinks about is the people who get off the bus with you. Don’t go back to your room. Go to the main building, food court, anywhere that isn’t your room first thing off the bus.
Disney has really good security so if anything does feel suspicious let them know. Disney Springs has the sheriffs office if need be.

EDIT: I meant turn on find my phone for iPhone!

 

[kwdw]

I've always felt safe at Disney as a single female traveler except the ONE time it was after 11pm on the Boardwalk and it was very empty. There was a crowd of drunk young men loitering around. I was "smart" and walked with purpose and got myself out of there - but that's the only instance I've had in 15+solo trips. At the parks, at the resort, at Disney Springs - all good. And if the Boardwalk hadn't been empty on that cold evening - it probably would have felt much better.

If you opt for any buffets, you will need to think about the safety of your stuff being left alone at your table. I'm okay just taking my wallet and phone with me when I get up to refill at a buffet, but I do leave a large bag at the table. There's really not much theft at Disney, and frankly, it's the wallet and phone that matter.

Bag-wise for park touring - I sometimes wear cargo shorts, sometimes a fanny pack, sometimes a cross-body bag, sometimes a backpack. When wearing a backpack, I make sure that true valuables aren't in an outside pocket and I am good about making sure its zipped up. Solo doesn't really make you a target this way - its the folks that have bags that they walk around with a bag behind their front and that even a non-skilled pickpocket can reach in and take something out. You'll see it. Don't be that person.

I personally don't think the Candlelight Processional is a must do, but I do love EPCOT food booths! I prefer EPCOT on weekdays when planning to tour around the world snacking away. I think there are fewer locals, and lines and tables seem to be easier to find.

Definitely do a monorail resort hop to see the Christmas decorations! If you like gingerbread, its a great to buy yourself some. Don't be afraid to walk around and take pictures and see what all is there. If I start at MK, I go CR, Poly, and the GF. Sometimes I take the boat from GF back to MK instead of taking the monorail. Or - if its still mid-day - you could consider walking back to MK from GF.

For QS - I tend to eat off hours so I have less trouble finding a place to sit. It's a tad less of an issue now due to Covid and mobile ordering - but as a solo - you don't have anyone to hold a table for you.

For ADRs - you can try tables of 2 instead of 1. Just tell the person your other party member didn't make it that day. I do HIGHLY recommend making a few reservations for places you want to go. My favorites are Tiffins, Boma, Sanaa, Skipper's, Sci Fi, Mama Melrose, Garden Grill, Grand Floridian Cafe (breakfast and lunch), La Hacienda. Really - take some time to look at this. If you are a "dining at a bar person" - that can work. But I like to have a reservation and know I am going to get a table in advance. My first couple of solo trips, I always read a book or wrote in a journal because I wasn't super comfortable. I'm over that now. I purposefully people watch or take stock of my surroundings, and maybe play on my phone. If you are going to be pecking on your phone the whole meal, be sure to bring a back-up charger. I book up to one ADR per day.

I can go on.... but that's some of the things you asked about.

 

[StarCruzer]

Walking trails at Animal Kingdom are really nice--just make sure to wear a hat/hood if you go in the bird area. Woman near me had a bird leave a gift on her head--I had tissues and sanitizer in my bag which she was pretty grateful for.