Hi, Glendamax.
Boy, do I understand your question! I was one who thought it was "weird" to dine alone at restaurants for about my first 3 solo trips. But I kept thinking, I SHOULD be comfortable about it, so I tried it on my next trip. Nope! Not for me, so I went back to all Counter-serve. Then I hit on am idea-I tried bringing a little spiral notebook (about 69 cents) and writing down my thoughts, what rides I've been on, experiences, what I've eaten, how it was, reviews, etc. Then when I get home, I put it away with all my souveniers from my trip. Months, years later, it's great to go back and read it. Oh, yeah-just don't forget to bring a pen! On my first solo trip with the notebook, I forgot a pen and when I asked the server for a pen, it took him forever to find me an extra pen. And now, it's kind of fun to make the "buying and packing of the notebook" such an integral part of planning my solo trips. And now I'm addicted to sudoku puzzles, so that makes me actually want to dine solo!
Another thing I've recently discovered (wish I'd thought of this sooner) is that if you let them know when you check in that you're solo and would like a nice view (I tell them, "Since I don't have a dining companion across the table to have sparkling conversation), they'll make sure you'll get a nice view in the restaurant. Last time I got window seats at Chefs de France and California Grill, next to the tank at Coral Reef, and near the show kitchen at Spoodles; and although I haven't gotten the outdoor patio at Rose & Crown, they gave me the nice backroom, next to the window. Actually, that worked out well, because it got windy and rainy during the meal (thanks to Katrina) and everyone who'd been outside came running in!
