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

Congrats on booking a trip! Disney is very safe to travel but I apply the same street smarts I do anywhere (as someone who traveled solo pre cell phone). Never tell anyone you are solo...most likely it will never come up as no one else cares...never had any safety issues, just some overly friendlys at assorted bars...that can happen anywhere...just be smart, keep your head up and know where you are going (disney makes this easy). No need for two keys or extra person on the room...any hotel desk clerk knows not to comment or share your room number out loud...and these days with mobile check in...you may never have that interaction... I saw prior advice about eating which is the same I usually give so I won’t repeat. The beauty of solo, doing what you want..when you want! Enjoy!
 
Hello! Thank you so much for all of the amazing replies, I wasn't expecting this many people to reply! I am sorry I'm just now getting back to you all. I was taking my time prepping for my trip :) Now I just have some final questions!

First: I am staying off-site. It was my original intention to stay at a resort at Disney, but there is absolutely nothing available, which I don't understand. So I'm staying at a hotel which is like a 5 minute drive from the park.

Thank you so much for telling me about advanced dining reservations, I honestly didn't know that it was so important to make reservations for food in advance! I managed to score a reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern as well as Oga's Cantina, which from what I gather are pretty desirable/hard to get into places. Although I do find it pretty strange you have to make a reservation at Oga's, it is just a bar!

Question: Can you do the Candlelight Processional if you don't book a dinner package? And if so how do you go about getting entry into it? Some places I read you could do this. There's no dinner packages left available and besides, I don't like any of those restaurants anyway.

Question: Is the Very Merriest After Hours worth it? It sounds fun, but it is very pricey. I heard there's tons of people, is it super crowded? I would enjoy the extra hours in the park. But also, I have photosensitive epilepsy, so I absolutely can't watch fireworks or light displays. I dunno if this is worth it to me.

Question: While we are on that subject... since I have photosensitive epilepsy, things like fireworks, strobe lights, etc. are a huge no no for me. Can you think of any rides I definitely should not go on?

Question: Do you think the park will be super crowded when I go in the first week of December? Also, do you think Genie+ and Lightning Lane is worth paying for in order to get to the front of the line?

Question: Do they ever sell out of park hopper passes, or how frequently does it happen? My reservation for Oga's Cantina is at night, I'm planning to park hop over to Hollywood Studios and I don't want to be shut out.

Question: How bad is Disney's transportation? I was reading online it can sometimes take an hour to take a bus between parks. What?! Is it easier just to Lyft or Uber myself between parks? Or is the transportation not that bad?

Thank you!!!!
 
Question: Can you do the Candlelight Processional if you don't book a dinner package? And if so how do you go about getting entry into it? Some places I read you could do this. There's no dinner packages left available and besides, I don't like any of those restaurants anyway.

You can do the CP without a package - there's a line that you'll need to wait in. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that you have to devote a lot of time to the line without the package (and since I don't think there was CP last year, it may be busier than usual). My advice is that if you have a half-day (like your arrival or something), it might be good to grab some snacks and hit the line and make that the focus of that day (also a lot depends on which shows, etc). It's doable - but it isn't something you can usually just walk into.

Question: Is the Very Merriest After Hours worth it? It sounds fun, but it is very pricey. I heard there's tons of people, is it super crowded? I would enjoy the extra hours in the park. But also, I have photosensitive epilepsy, so I absolutely can't watch fireworks or light displays. I dunno if this is worth it to me.

This is the first year for this particular event (similar other events in the past, plus Halloween). Given your epilepsy, that might make a great opportunity to ride rides, etc and it's a win-win. I've gone during Christmas time (awesome) and to the previous iteration (Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party) - the party was awesome (granted I went before they got a lot more crowded, it seems). I went to Boo Bash this year and it was good (not sure it was worth the money - but it was the only way I was going to MK on this trip - so it worked).

Question: While we are on that subject... since I have photosensitive epilepsy, things like fireworks, strobe lights, etc. are a huge no no for me. Can you think of any rides I definitely should not go on?

Space Mountain, for one. Rock'n'Roller Coaster is another that I would think would be problematic. I don't have a definitive list - so, others might be more helpful. But that's what jumps to mind. DINOSAUR feels like another that might be problematic - but I could be wrong.

Question: Do you think the park will be super crowded when I go in the first week of December? Also, do you think Genie+ and Lightning Lane is worth paying for in order to get to the front of the line?

A long time ago, first week of December was a great time to go, with relatively low crowds. That's increased (as overall park attendance has) over the past few years. Add in Covid stuff, DVC folks having a lot of points to use and the first 2 weeks of December are prime for those folks - and it won't be "slow" like it used to be. For what it's worth, Touring Plans has that time frame as a 3-4 overall. I went in mid to late-Sept (before the 50th) and my dates were 2-3s (and some 1s for some parks). On the other hand, another typically low crowd time (late Jan/early Feb, avoiding holidays, etc) is listed as mostly 5-6s (and my sense was that the week I'm traveling was always the slowest as they did a lot of refurbishments at the time). Anyway, depending on what you want to do - my guess is that it won't feel too crowded and you should get a lot done. You might've posted this before - is this your first time? Do you have particular things in mind? If it were me (and again - right now I don't know how long you'll be there, your touring style, etc), I'd contemplate buying G+ for Magic Kingdom and maybe some of the ILLS if they're super important to you (ROTR, FOP). G+ seems like a bust for Epcot and Animal Kingdom right now (based on number of attractions). Again - I'd hate to steer you wrong - but given my previous experiences and current TP estimates, I think you'll be in great shape.

Question: Do they ever sell out of park hopper passes, or how frequently does it happen? My reservation for Oga's Cantina is at night, I'm planning to park hop over to Hollywood Studios and I don't want to be shut out.

They don't sell out of Park Hopper tickets - though they can limit the parks if they're at capacity. There's really no reason that should happen to you when you go (it can be a problem Christmas week). I think you'll be perfectly fine and shouldn't worry about it.
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Question: How bad is Disney's transportation? I was reading online it can sometimes take an hour to take a bus between parks. What?! Is it easier just to Lyft or Uber myself between parks? Or is the transportation not that bad?

Again, some of this really depends on your style, physical ability, length of stay, etc. It can take a long time - so if you're ever in a hurry, I'd say Lyft/Uber. If you don't mind the possibility of downtime, take the bus (it could help you rest, etc). When I last went, I stayed on property (so I recognize that's different than your trip) - but my plan was use the buses at open and close since they were more reliable/frequent then and I mostly did Uber/Lyft during the day (I had a really quick 3 day trip). Especially if you're park hopping and don't have a ton of days there, I'd say Uber/Lyft because park hopping can eat up a moderate chunk of your time (and the cost, for me, at least, was 10-15 dollars each way - and occasionally Lyft would give me a 5 dollar coupon after 3 rides, plus my credit card had some Lyft discount stuff).

I realize I wrote a lot - sorry about that, lol.

ETA - I went back to read the OP and made some edits (my bad - I should've done that first!). With 6 days, I really don't think you'll need G+/ILLS. If it were me, I'd choose either Park Hopping OR G+/ILLS - but I think you'll have no problem getting the things done that you want, and soaking up the holiday spirit (it really is awesome). And since this is your first time at WDW - there's a ton to do and explore. Can I ask what drew you to Park Hopping (when I first started going, it was never an option for me. I used it some as a young adult. But now, it just seems to eat up too much time, etc - but everyone's perspective is different). I will say that the one thing that would nudge me towards a PH would be staying on-site. For instance, for my next trip, I'm planning to take my two kids (one of whom still naps). I could see some benefits to going back to the room to cool down and then going to a different park after that, for variety (now you've got me thinking about them, lol). But for me, staying off-site and without your own car, I think you'll get more bang for your buck by staying at one park.
 
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Question: While we are on that subject... since I have photosensitive epilepsy, things like fireworks, strobe lights, etc. are a huge no no for me. Can you think of any rides I definitely should not go on?

My apologies if you've already seen these - but I though they might be helpful.

This one talks about attractions themselves: https://diz-abled.com/managing-with-epilepsy-at-disney-world/

These are more general:
https://touringplans.com/blog/planning-a-trip-to-wdw-with-epilepsy/https://touringplans.com/blog/managing-your-epilepsy-at-wdw/https://allears.net/walt-disney-wor...isney-world-tips-for-travelers-with-epilepsy/
 


@bsmcneil Thank you so much for your reply that was incredibly helpful!

Yes this is my first time going to WDW. I have a 6 day park hopper ticket, I'll also be visiting Universal Studios. I know 6 days is a long time but I'm still worried I won't be able to fit everything in haha. Anyway it's less than 30 days until my trip so I am excited! :)
 
@bsmcneil Thank you so much for your reply that was incredibly helpful!

Yes this is my first time going to WDW. I have a 6 day park hopper ticket, I'll also be visiting Universal Studios. I know 6 days is a long time but I'm still worried I won't be able to fit everything in haha. Anyway it's less than 30 days until my trip so I am excited! :)
I totally get the nervousness about getting it all in (I'm sort of driving myself crazy with that right now - I have about a 6 day plan for me and two kids and I keep thinking, "Well, what if I few in on Friday instead of Sunday", etc.). One possibility is to see how much you're getting done in day 1-2 (without G+) and then if you feel you need it, you can add it to any day. Thank you for being gracious about my not paying attention to your first post - that can be super obnoxious, lol.

I'm envious - I really want to go to Universal - but I can never quite make it work. I have a ton of SW credit and keep thinking, "Maybe I should go down for just a day and do it commando style" - but I'm not sold on it yet.

Are you using/have you used anything to help figure out what rides/attractions/entertainment you want to do (let alone one that might help plan it). I don't necessarily want to pump up Touring Plans too much (though I used them for the first time for my Sept solo trip and it worked well for me). I have (and I'm sure you can find) some attraction/entertainment/food checklists so I can know what are must-do rides, would like to if I have extra time, etc. and find it to be helpful.

One last thing and then, hopefully, I'll shut up 😁 - I've mostly been focusing on rides and going quickly, etc - but it really is a great time to soak up the general atmosphere and, depending on your feelings about the December holidays, it can be a really awesome experience just soaking it up. If you can, take some time exploring the Gingerbread houses around the monorail resorts. Visiting WL is amazing during this time (AKL is too).
 
Uuuugh. lol. (in reference to my posting so much - it just came at a good spot and since I just did something similar, I thought I'd share)

You mentioned in the first post (and I didn't see some of these - but truth be told, I'm bad about skimming things 😳) wanting any tips/things people might miss or not immediately think of - here's some of what jumped out at me (here are a couple of general links to things re: Christmas @ Disney World):
"This means that the standby line for most performances gets super long. Ridiculously long. So long that if you’re a tourist or visiting on vacation, you should get a lunch or dinner package for the Candlelight Processional, especially when a popular narrator is presenting. When Neil Patrick Harris last presented, we saw people lining up for the 5 p.m. performance of Candlelight Processional around noon!"
  • DAK:
    • Merry Menagerie – A whimsical winter celebration awaits you at Discovery Island. By day, look for life-size, artisan-sculpted animal puppets—including reindeer, foxes and polar bears. And at night, colorful rooftop luminaries and bird lanterns light up the sky.
  • Disney Springs:
    • Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth – Discover Christmas around every corner, as you come across a collection of elaborately decorated Disney Christmas trees spread throughout the neighborhoods of Disney Springs.
    • Let It Snow! – Flurries are in the forecast for the West Side. In the evenings, delight in a magical snowfall, adding an extra touch of wonder to your holiday shopping.
  • Resorts:
    • Holiday Sleigh Rides can be pretty cool.
    • Contemporary, Grand Floridian have awesome decorations/gingerbread things.
    • Another website (from which we can't post links here) has more info on resort decorations, etc. You may be able to google "Splendidly Decorated Disney Hotels at Christmas"
 


I'm envious - I really want to go to Universal - but I can never quite make it work. I have a ton of SW credit and keep thinking, "Maybe I should go down for just a day and do it commando style" - but I'm not sold on it yet.

You are more than welcome to come with me. :)
I am mostly going because I have always wanted to go to their Harry Potter theme park.


Are you using/have you used anything to help figure out what rides/attractions/entertainment you want to do (let alone one that might help plan it). I don't necessarily want to pump up Touring Plans too much (though I used them for the first time for my Sept solo trip and it worked well for me). I have (and I'm sure you can find) some attraction/entertainment/food checklists so I can know what are must-do rides, would like to if I have extra time, etc. and find it to be helpful.

Oh yes absolutely, I have been researching this whole past month planning my vacation. Doing this spontaneously would drive me bonkers lol. I even took out Disney vacation books and everything. I made lists of the rides I want to go on, the places I want to eat -- everything!

So my itinerary right now looks like this:
2 days Magic Kingdom
2 days EPCOT
1 Day Animal Kingdom
1 Day Hollywood Studios
Or roughly something like that. I'm most looking forward to EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs so I am going to try to spend as much time there as possible!

One last thing and then, hopefully, I'll shut up 😁 - I've mostly been focusing on rides and going quickly, etc - but it really is a great time to soak up the general atmosphere and, depending on your feelings about the December holidays, it can be a really awesome experience just soaking it up. If you can, take some time exploring the Gingerbread houses around the monorail resorts. Visiting WL is amazing during this time (AKL is too).

I find this so interesting, how different people have different ways of approaching the parks. Because there are so many lounges and people really do just sit down and relax during the day, or go to the hotel for a swim! My personality is so hustle and bustle, go go go, I'm very efficient, just working through every single ride from rope drop until close, I can't imagine sitting in a lounge and sipping a cocktail as a break -- for very long anyway. But to each their own. Lol. No, I will definitely make at least some time to check out the holiday decorations!
 
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You are more than welcome to come with me. :)
I am mostly going because I have always wanted to go to their Harry Potter theme park.




Oh yes absolutely, I have been researching this whole past month planning my vacation. Doing this spontaneously would drive me bonkers lol. I even took out Disney vacation books and everything. I made lists of the rides I want to go on, the places I want to eat -- everything!



I find this so interesting, how different people have different ways of approaching the parks. Because there are so many lounges and people really do just sit down and relax during the day, or go to the hotel for a swim! My personality is so hustle and bustle, go go go, I'm very efficient, just working through every single ride from rope drop until close, I can't imagine sitting in a lounge and sipping a cocktail as a break -- for very long anyway. But to each their own. Lol. No, I will definitely make at least some time to check out the holiday decorations!
You may have convinced me! I do have some SW travel credits to use, lol
 

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