I don't get it

[goofieslonglostsis]

If you ask me, this is more a 'why would one go on a trip alone'-question. The reasons you wouldn't like it, would be valid for any trip not just WDW.

OK, why I did it and will do it again? Two main reasons; I like travelling alone and I like doing the travel not letting others dictate every detail of my itinerary.

Somehow, I have gathered friends and family that either don't like the destinations I do, the way I like to travel or can't travel during the same period as I can and vice versa. Can happen. Being single that would automatically leave me solo. I'm not the person to go 'I'm not going because nobody wants to come along'. For instance; I'll be going on a dcl cruise next year. Most friends like the idea, but even if the have the time to come along they don't like the price of it. So it would be go solo or not go. I'ld rather go!

And I like some solo travelling, guess I've been spoiled rotten by it. It does make it easier to interact with other people. Every trip I went on except WDW had me ending up at the diner table of the locals. Travelling solo means I can do whatever I want, whenever I want it. Ah, now that's vacation.

Don't get me wrong; I like travelling with family and friends also, but for different reasons. As you said, it's nice to share things or better said; time together. For me it isn't either or but and and. I travel solo on most of my trips, but also travel with family and friends.

 

[bbowers]

I've taken 2 solo trips that were combined with business trips (dang, I hate it when our annual conference is in Orlando!). The first time I just had a day, so I spent it shopping in DTD. (Bliss!) I also got to watch the cutest itsy bitsy girls from somewhere dancing to "Who Let the Dogs Out" - I had never heard it before at that time, and it was just the funniest/cutest thing ever.

The second time I had PLANNED to take DH with me on the business trip, but he got a severely pinched sciatic a month before and was still basically bed-ridden at the time. I packed in a lot that trip (finally got to see Off Kilter, although it was so darned hot I only sat through one song - I was afraid DH would be reading about spontaneous combustion at Epcot, otherwise) and went to 3 parks in one day and met my childhood friend and her 2 little boys at MK, etc, etc. BUT - since I had been in the mindset of it being DH and I, I didn't have nearly as much fun and ended up flying home a day early. But I ate at Artists Point, Le Cellier, etc - all the places I had planned for DH and I - and never felt uncomfortable, but I had my notebook with me. The waitresses were always extra-attentive, too.

So, while I had fun and certainly don't MIND going by myself - DH and I have an awful lot of fun together and that's my prefered way!

 

[mygirl]

a few years ago, my dh had a business trip in orlando. he was going to be gone a full week - and very busy. his company offered to fly me down as well, so my plan was to hang out and do disney solo during the long days that dh would be busy. then he and i would have the evenings together (non-disney). i was SO excited and totally fine and comfortable with going solo. however, we unexpectedly became pregnant with our dd and due to previous issues and miscarriages, i was deemed high-risk. my trip to orlando with dh was out...

would have been fun! however we went last fall and took our TWO toddlers and that was even better !

 

[GhostHostMatt]

I love going solo! Back in June I went to Disneyland for the first time. I was there for a whole week, and I was by myself. It was awesome! I did what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. I didn't have to worry about anyone else. There was no rush (that I loved the most).

In the past, I've always gone on vacations with my family (parents, brother, sisters) and it's always rush, rush, rush, pack as much as we could in our day...everyday of the vacation. I do not like that.


I will definitely go solo again!

 

[paladin]

I have gone on multiple trips solo - two were conventions (so they weren't really solo since there were other folks there that I work with and we did stuff together) and about 8 non-convention solo trips (one year I even went for a week in March, a week in June, a week in August, a week in October and a week in December - had an annual pass and wanted to get as much out of it as possible ).

I don't mind traveling by myself - I have done a lot of it, including abroad, and enjoy it - you can do what you want, when you want. I think it runs in the family - my 85 year old father is currently out on a solo driving trip through Alaska and Canada!

 

[newcomer52]

I go solo to Disney (and pretty much everywhere else I go) because I love it there and can't get enough of it. My kids are busy with their lives and can't get away as often as I want to go. They probably don't want to go that often anyway. It's fun when I have family with me, but the solo trips are the most relaxing and satisfying. I've never had any problems being by myself.

Jerry

 

[larryz]

...but I have gone solo.
There are reasons why someone might be solo. Business trip. DGF/DBF just dumped you and you're committed to the trip. Or you're a misanthropic curmudgeon that just doesn't have any family or friends.

Irregardless, if you don't get it, you haven't done it.

There are lots of things that are different.

- Not sharing the joy also means not having to clear your plans with other people.
- Being by yourself means you can eat when and where you want, usually with no wait, and you can leave when you feel like it without hurting the feelings of anyone else.
- You can do tours (which are a lot less expensive by yourself) and engage CMs in discussions more easily ('cause you're not holding other people back while you chat).
- Single rider lines (usually) move more quickly than stand-by lines, and single rider people usually are very affable and easy to talk to.

Where you DON'T save is on accommodations. Rooms are just as expensive for one as they are for two. But everything else said, it's definitely cheaper being alone.

This isn't to say that I'd do it all the time. But if the occasion presents itself...

 

[larryz]

The other thing I would miss is the woo-hooing we all do on the rides together!! There is something definitely lacking when you do the single rider lines, I just don't feel as free to have as much fun when you sit beside strangers.

I find that sitting next to total strangers is not inhibiting at all -- in fact, it's a liberating experience. And I've never felt alone in a single rider line...someone ALWAYS starts a conversation.

 

[LoraJ]

I went solo shortly after 9/11. I was supposed to go with a friend, but she bailed because she didn't want to leave her house after the attacks. I on the rother hand needed to get away from here because I was too close to ground zero and everything was affecting me pretty bad.

I was actually glad my friend bailed because she was being a bit of a pain during the planing process. I didn't fly down as planned, but drove by myself. It was so theraputic.

I loved being there solo. I was able to do what I wanted when I wanted. I did meet up with some friends who lived in the area a couple of days. But most of the time I was on my own.

I would definitely travel there alone again, but I really do enjoy going there with my DH.

 

[parmtoo]

My DH has gone to several conferences in Orlando and never gone to WDW alone. Now that my DDs are grown, and married with kids, we just have DS 13, to take on these trips. I do look forward to it just being the 3 of us. DS and DH will go golfing, and I will go off to the parks, shopping, whatever I want. I will however, miss hanging out with my girls while the boys do their own thing. Life changes, we just need to roll with it. I think I could do solo if I had to, but not ready to do it just yet.

 

[siskaren]

I've done 10 solo trips to WDW and 3 solo trips to DLR, and as others have said, if I didn't go solo, I probably wouldn't go at all. While it would be fun to have someone to share the magic with, my concern is that since I'm so accustomed to going alone, I might have a hard time compromising. I love being able to do what I want, when I want, for as long as I want.

 

[stopher1]

I love going with my family - but I ALSO love going solo. There's just something special about it. When you're with family or friends - consensus tends to rule...when you're by yourself... you get to do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it.

• What - you need the restroom, go ahead and stop... no need to see who else needs to go, and then wait for everyone to get settled back into the mindset of what's up next.
• What - you're hungry... go ahead and eat - ice cream for breakfast if you want, or BEFORE lunch if you want - since there's nobody there to have to "justify" it to...
• What - the family (or friends) don't like Hall of Presidents but you really do (or COP, or American Adventure, or IASW, or, or, or...) - go ahead and enjoy it - multiple times if you want
• What - any number of whats could apply... you're by yourself, sure - but you are in the driver's seat 100%.

Being by yourself is no big deal if you are totally comfortable being by yourself... if you are a total type A personality and not very comfortable being alone and NEED people around you to interact with - going solo might not be for you - but it sure can be a blast. I've been to WDW 12x by myself when in the Central Florida area on business - and to DLR many, many more times than that by myself. Everytime has its' own unique memories and experiences. I've also been to WDW with just my wife 2x, with my wife and kids 8x, and with each of my sons individually once - and DLR more times than that - and like my solo trips - each one has its' own unique memories and experiences.

 

[jamstew]

While it would be fun to have someone to share the magic with, my concern is that since I'm so accustomed to going alone, I might have a hard time compromising. I love being able to do what I want, when I want, for as long as I want.

I know exactly what you mean. After my first solo trip and a week or so before my second, my DS's MIL asked who I was going with. I told her no one, just me. She knew I'd done it before and said she couldn't imagine I'd want to go alone again. I told her that after going solo, I had a hard time imagining going with other people. I think she was shocked.

 

[kmaclou]

I have done both Disneyland and WDW alone while in the respective areas on business trips. It's very weird and very fun all at the same time.

I found that I met people that I wouldn't have talk to otherwise. I sat next to a very fun family from England while waiting for a parade in the Magic Kingdom. I learned more than I ever needed to know about the two kids and they thought it was the coolest thing ever to ask an American all the questions they wanted. I also chatted with a French family while waiting in line for ToT and I got to hear all about Disneyland Paris.

One of the most interesting parts of doing it by myself is that if I randomly decided that I wanted ice cream and I was going to sit on the curb and eat it and watch people, I didn't need to consult with anyone else. And now one of my favorite things to do is get a blueberry muffin for breakfast and watch the rope drop mania. Also with only one person, riding everything in the park in one day isn't a challenge. And no one gets frustrated because I take a million pictures of everything I see.

Long story short...don't knock it until you try it. Yes, you don't have your family around to share stories with, but there are lot of really interesting people who are more than happy to join you in the fun.

 

[mrzrich]

I wish I could go solo. DH and the kids won't let me!

 

[DisneyMagick2008]

I don't get how people go solo. Please don't "yell" at me but why would it be so great to go alone to Disney? Wouldn't you be wanting to share the magic of it all with someone? I can understand going with just one other person, my husband and I went without kids and it was great ..... but alone? I personally would feel too alone, know what I mean? Who has gone alone and why?

Disney is my happy place!!

I've been to WDW 6 times, 3 of them solo. The times that I have gone solo, I was unmarried, no girlfriend, and had friends that were either married or uninterested in going (some of my friends are such stick-in-the-muds ). So, I can see how those who have families or significant others in their lives wouldn't be able to get why some of us can go solo, but they have to understand that if solo is the only way to experience our favorite place, then it's better than nothing.

Sure, at first it's a little weird when you get there, a little awkward, and you feel somewhat self-conscious at first, like people are looking at you different because you are there alone (Doesn't that guy have any friends ? What, is he a leper ? ). Eating alone can feel a little embarassing at first too, but I always bring something to read to pass the time so I'm not sitting there looking around like a lost puppy. But it wears off as soon as you start experiencing everything that WDW has to offer. Plus, you're never going to see any of those people again, so who cares what they think ? Once you get over these stupid self-conscious thoughts, you finally come to the realization that most people are so absorbed in their own thing that they probably don't even notice you're there and if they do, they won't remember you in a couple of hours anyway.

The key is how liberating it is to be there with no one else's interests to be accountable for. Being able to do whatever you want to do every second of every minute of every day. Would I rather have someone there with me to share the magic with ? Of course. It would be a lot more fun to share the experience with someone. But, without that as an option, it's better to scratch that itch and go by yourself than it is to sit around at home miserable thinking, "Man, I wish I had someone to to to Disney with, then I could go."

You just have to understand that the circumstances of some people's lives at a certain time may prevent them from having someone that they can bring with them. Not all of us have families right now. Going alone may be the only way they can go then.

 

[parmtoo]

You just have to understand that the circumstances of some people's lives at a certain time may prevent them from having someone that they can bring with them. Not all of us have families right now. Going alone may be the only way they can go then.

I agree 100%. If the only way I could go was alone, then I would do it. I give credit to people who do things like vacation alone even if they don't have to. It shows real confidence, and enjoying your own company is something to be proud of.

 

[pennyplanner]

My Mother was slowly dying from cancer. I told my husband that I needed to go to WDW or get some therapy. While he is a non-Disney loving guy, he totally understood. I reasoned that the trip would be cheaper than therapy.

I loved the solo experience.

I called home every day just to let my boys ("You're going without us???") know I was fine, even if it was just a message on the machine.

I stayed at our family favorite, WL and felt safe and secure walking alone to my room through the lobby.

I stayed up late to watch Letterman. Read USA Today every day for fun. Toured what I wanted at the Flower show at Epcot.

I cried a few tears at Wishes, thinking of my Mom and how I wished a speedy end to her illness, while selfishly not wanting to lose her.

I laughed like crazy at the popping corks of Mickey's Philharmagic.

I met lovely people from all over the world.

I returned home renewed and refreshed and ready to handle the next six months of watching someone you love fade away. I was a better daughter, wife and mother when I returned.

No regrets.

 

[jngwright]

My Mother was slowly dying from cancer. I told my husband that I needed to go to WDW or get some therapy. While he is a non-Disney loving guy, he totally understood. I reasoned that the trip would be cheaper than therapy.

I loved the solo experience.

I called home every day just to let my boys ("You're going without us???") know I was fine, even if it was just a message on the machine.

I stayed at our family favorite, WL and felt safe and secure walking alone to my room through the lobby.

I stayed up late to watch Letterman. Read USA Today every day for fun. Toured what I wanted at the Flower show at Epcot.

I cried a few tears at Wishes, thinking of my Mom and how I wished a speedy end to her illness, while selfishly not wanting to lose her.

I laughed like crazy at the popping corks of Mickey's Philharmagic.

I met lovely people from all over the world.

I returned home renewed and refreshed and ready to handle the next six months of watching someone you love fade away. I was a better daughter, wife and mother when I returned.

No regrets.

This was beautiful-you have a lucky family!!!

I would go solo in a heartbeat. I have gone with friends, on my honeymoon, and mutigenerational family trips. Solo is the next logical step
It may not be for everyone, but I would love to do it someday!!!

 

[Dressedinlovex]

The more I read people's solo experiences the more I think about maybe going solo. I'm not sure when the time would ever arise but I think I may just try it if it ever did! DH is very flexable and fun so I don't have any worry about trying to make sure we're doing what he wants!