Making friends

[DisneyRocks13]

Hi! I’ve recently discovered the awesome community on here and wanted to make some friends
I’m Emma, I’m 26 and live in the UK. I’ve been to Disneyland Paris twice (once solo), but not made it to WDW yet. Going solo to Orlando sounds so scary but I’d love to do it one day!
Everyone seems so lovely and supportive on here, it would be great to get to know (and maybe one day meet) some of you!

 

[misonrisa]

Hi Emma. Happy Holidays to you! When is your solo trip planned for or is it still in the planning stages? Whatever the dates, you will be fine and you will have a lovely time. I did my first solo trip this past September. Even with the darn virus I had a great time. WDW is a safe place especially for solo women. If you get the chance go for it! Keep us posted.

 

[bryanb]

Welcome Emma! I havent been as active on these boards lately, with travel being shut down. But thsee boards have been an amazing resource for me ever since my first trip to WDW.

I would love to visit Disneyland Paris someday. I was in Paris for work but we decided to make sure we did a few of the regular “touristy” things on our time off, but next time will definitely extend for a day to see Disneyland Paris.

Although I am a guy, I would say that I know several women who have done solo trips to Orlando (and of course there’s a big community of them here). It is actually not as scary as it seems. If you stay on property, you can take the Disney shuttle directly from MCO to your hotel, and Disney will take care of all your transportation needs the moment you step out of the airport to the moment you return. (Of course, they want to make sure you don’t leave their bubble and spend money elsewhere, such as Universal!) So that’s an option unless you want to see more of Orlando.

Even then, it’s a much less intimidating city than, say, New York or even London in my opinion.

 

[DisneyRocks13]

Hi Emma. Happy Holidays to you! When is your solo trip planned for or is it still in the planning stages? Whatever the dates, you will be fine and you will have a lovely time. I did my first solo trip this past September. Even with the darn virus I had a great time. WDW is a safe place especially for solo women. If you get the chance go for it! Keep us posted.

Hi! Merry Christmas to you! I don’t have a solo trip planned yet so it may be a few years away. My group trip next year may not be going ahead so I’m looking at this option for the future instead! Thank you for the kind words and reassurance. I hope I can enjoy it as much as you did!

 

[DisneyRocks13]

Welcome Emma! I havent been as active on these boards lately, with travel being shut down. But thsee boards have been an amazing resource for me ever since my first trip to WDW.

I would love to visit Disneyland Paris someday. I was in Paris for work but we decided to make sure we did a few of the regular “touristy” things on our time off, but next time will definitely extend for a day to see Disneyland Paris.

Although I am a guy, I would say that I know several women who have done solo trips to Orlando (and of course there’s a big community of them here). It is actually not as scary as it seems. If you stay on property, you can take the Disney shuttle directly from MCO to your hotel, and Disney will take care of all your transportation needs the moment you step out of the airport to the moment you return. (Of course, they want to make sure you don’t leave their bubble and spend money elsewhere, such as Universal!) So that’s an option unless you want to see more of Orlando.

Even then, it’s a much less intimidating city than, say, New York or even London in my opinion.

Hi! I only did 3 days at Disneyland Paris as it was my first solo trip and I wasn’t brave enough to do a full week! It was weird but really fun too, I went for Valentines Day so I could actually enjoy the day for once
Now I’ve done it, I would definitely go again for longer, or I wouldn’t be considering going to Orlando. It does feel a bit lonely at times, but only if you stop long enough to think about it I guess that’s why it would be nice to meet other, likeminded people there.
I did find it really safe at DLP to it’s good to know that WDW is the same!
I was lucky enough to visit New York a few years ago and it was incredible. No way I would think about a solo trip there though! I would definitely get lost

 

[BrianL]

Hi! I’ve recently discovered the awesome community on here and wanted to make some friends
I’m Emma, I’m 26 and live in the UK. I’ve been to Disneyland Paris twice (once solo), but not made it to WDW yet. Going solo to Orlando sounds so scary but I’d love to do it one day!
Everyone seems so lovely and supportive on here, it would be great to get to know (and maybe one day meet) some of you!

Hi, and welcome to the DIS! Solo trips can be fun. You might also meet up with folks from here if that's something you want to do. Either way you can always chat here and ask questions and we're al happy to help. Have fun!

I was planning to get to DL Paris this year, but, well, you know how that went.

 

[brad813]

I personally do Orlando solo regularly, and would recommend on property or in the Disney Springs area if you can afford it. In the parks, most people seem to be accommodating towards solo travelers, and you will likely get a chance to jump to the front of lines on occasion when they call for single riders. I am actually planning to do DLP when in Europe next year and would love to hear about your experiences, if you wouldn’t mind talking about them through direct messaging. I am happy to share tips about WDW as well, if you like.

 

[bryanb]

Hi! I only did 3 days at Disneyland Paris as it was my first solo trip and I wasn’t brave enough to do a full week! It was weird but really fun too, I went for Valentines Day so I could actually enjoy the day for once
Now I’ve done it, I would definitely go again for longer, or I wouldn’t be considering going to Orlando. It does feel a bit lonely at times, but only if you stop long enough to think about it I guess that’s why it would be nice to meet other, likeminded people there.
I did find it really safe at DLP to it’s good to know that WDW is the same!
I was lucky enough to visit New York a few years ago and it was incredible. No way I would think about a solo trip there though! I would definitely get lost

Maybe I should consider 2-3 days at Disneyland Paris too! I suppose there is enough to see there that i can’t finish it all in one day.

I agree with what you said about feeling lonely. I did have that feeling in Orlando, but only briefly. You’re right that it wasn’t a problem because there’s so much to do, and so much excitement around you, that the feeling was fleeting.

New York does feel intimidating at first. I’ve been only a few times, (and I have gotten on the wrong subway!) but the streets are numbered and in a grid format, so I think it is possible to study the layout in advance and figure out the general logic. I think it is somewhat easier than London (which is an incredible city for solo travel!).

 

[cjlong88]

Hi, Emma! I did my first solo trip to WDW in February 2019. I had a terrific time. There is so much to do and see, and being a solo traveler means you get to do whatever you want whenever you want.

This is one of my favorite communities on the internet. Everyone here gives such great advice and it's wonderful to know there are people out there who love Disney as much as me. I live in Minneapolis, MN, so I love a nice, quick trip to Orlando every once in awhile to get away from the cold.

 

[Lilsia]

Hi. I am a 47yo woman who is happily married with 2 adult children. I have been travelling to WDW solo for many years. It is a great, safe place to go solo. It's probably the easiest destination to go to. Once you get to the airport, Disney takes care of you. You don't have to worry about driving or any of the other "scary" things about travelling.
I am hoping to plan a solo trip over to your neck of the woods in a couple of years. I plan on going to London, with maybe some day trips to surrounding areas like Brighton. I also hope to take the train to DLP for a couple of days. I think the biggest hurdle to get over, especially for woman, is the fear of travelling alone. You always have to be on guard and be smart. But that is just every day life for us. Don't let you fear keep you from doing what you want to do. Have fun.

 

[DisneyRocks13]

I personally do Orlando solo regularly, and would recommend on property or in the Disney Springs area if you can afford it. In the parks, most people seem to be accommodating towards solo travelers, and you will likely get a chance to jump to the front of lines on occasion when they call for single riders. I am actually planning to do DLP when in Europe next year and would love to hear about your experiences, if you wouldn’t mind talking about them through direct messaging. I am happy to share tips about WDW as well, if you like.

Hi!
Yes that’s fine

 

[DisneyRocks13]

Maybe I should consider 2-3 days at Disneyland Paris too! I suppose there is enough to see there that i can’t finish it all in one day.

I agree with what you said about feeling lonely. I did have that feeling in Orlando, but only briefly. You’re right that it wasn’t a problem because there’s so much to do, and so much excitement around you, that the feeling was fleeting.

New York does feel intimidating at first. I’ve been only a few times, (and I have gotten on the wrong subway!) but the streets are numbered and in a grid format, so I think it is possible to study the layout in advance and figure out the general logic. I think it is somewhat easier than London (which is an incredible city for solo travel!).

I think you definitely need more than one day if you want to do both parks at Disneyland Paris. When I went by myself, I only did Magic Kingdom because I’m not brave enough to do the big rides at Hollywood Studios without peer pressure
I’m so glad you agree with the bit about feeling lonely. It can feel a bit sad seeing groups of people/families around you while you are there solo, even though you chose to go. If you let that hold you back then you’ll never end up doing anything though
We did New York in about 5 days, I still don’t know how but it was definitely one of my favourite trips. We ended up walking almost everywhere and didn’t use the underground much except for the really far away bits. My best memory of New York transport was on the train when we were going to the Statue of Liberty, there was a man on the tannoy who was fully yelling at the top of his voice ‘MOVE DOWN THE TRAIN’ We decided we should probably move down the train.
London is just massive and so spread out. I’m lucky that I have a friend who moved there a few years ago so I have my own tour guide it’s so easy to get lost there.

 

[DisneyRocks13]

Hi. I am a 47yo woman who is happily married with 2 adult children. I have been travelling to WDW solo for many years. It is a great, safe place to go solo. It's probably the easiest destination to go to. Once you get to the airport, Disney takes care of you. You don't have to worry about driving or any of the other "scary" things about travelling.
I am hoping to plan a solo trip over to your neck of the woods in a couple of years. I plan on going to London, with maybe some day trips to surrounding areas like Brighton. I also hope to take the train to DLP for a couple of days. I think the biggest hurdle to get over, especially for woman, is the fear of travelling alone. You always have to be on guard and be smart. But that is just every day life for us. Don't let you fear keep you from doing what you want to do. Have fun.

Hi!
I totally agree about travel being the scariest bit, I have to meticulously plan my routes/times before I feel confident enough to travel alone. There’s nobody to bail you out abroad!
I guess that’s why DLP was their perfect first solo trip for me. It’s only an hour and a half on the plane, and once you get on the right train in Paris, the station at Marne la Vallee Chessy is literally outside the entrance to DLP with the Disney shuttles in front of you. From that point on, I felt totally safe.
I think a 9 hour plane journey might be a different story though I’ll work on my bravery!
I live in the Midlands and I’ve not spent enough time in London to offer any tips, but I’ve had a few amazing days there and it’s definitely worth a visit. Brighton can be a lot of fun, or it was for the one weekend I went Your trip sounds brilliant, I hope you get to go!

 

[nursejackie]

Going solo to Orlando sounds so scary but I’d love to do it one day!

I had my first solo trip booked for the February 2021 Princess 10k race but COVID put paid to that! Having been many times I had booked an on-site resort and Disney Magical Express both ways, and planned to use Disney transportation for going to the parks and Disney Springs. Once I'm in the 'bubble' I feel perfectly safe. Of course you still have to have your wits about you and not put yourself in danger (in the dark for instance), but there are usually always people around and I've never felt in any danger on any occasion. I didn't intend to go off site at all when travelling solo though, that would be a step too far for me. I'm sure other people will say it's safe, but I know I wouldn't feel it.

 

[Lizgistix]

The only time I have felt scared at WDW was when I was exploring the Wilderness Lodge outdoor areas by myself at night and saw a sign that read "Watch out for snakes and alligators"

My last solo trip was in November and I had an absolute great time! (aside from seeing the above mentioned sign). Since I had the time after the parks were closed to do whatever at the resort, I hung around some common areas and was social. I met a number of really nice people and had some great conversations!
I also didn't feel awkward doing table service alone but I'm used to dining out alone, so this was no big deal to me.
Since I had a car, I could have gone outside the Disney bubble if I wanted to....but I didn't want to. It was a lovely time going to the parks and soaking in the atmosphere of the resort and enjoy just being here without being rushed or feeling like I need to do everything.

 

[Disneyboy24]

I’m 25 are there any boys and girls around my age at the resort so I can make new friends?

 

[ozliz]

Hi Emma, nice to meet you. I’m mid thirties and from Australia and I’ve done more travel solo than with friends/family. The time I visited the Canadian Rockies I met people from UK and India who all said the solo travel thing is very Australian. I expect it starts with the gap year which, being from the UK you’ve probably heard of, as the UK is a popular place for Australians to do solo travel as part of their gap year (you have similar working travel visas for young people as Australia has).

Anyway back to Disney, I say go for it! Disney world is very easy solo and is one of the safest places I’ve felt when solo. It’s mostly families doing their own thing which creates a very safe atmosphere. Plus there are cast members everywhere and they’re all friendly and helpful if you do get lost or something happens.

If you’re ever thinking of travelling anywhere else solo I recommend starting out with organised tours. When I was your age I did two Contiki tours which are very party and alcohol focussed but were great easy ways to see the sights safely. The advantage of the youth focussed tour groups is that the guides expect to have inexperienced travellers so they give a lot of extra helpful info about getting around, where to do laundry, etc. Now i’m older I most recently used Intrepid which turned out to be full of solo travellers too and allowed me to go out hiking and do other things I don’t think it’s so safe to do solo. If I’m in big cities I don’t do tours so much but they’re great for more out of the way places as I don’t like to hire a car and drive in u familiar places on my own. That’s a big plus in Disney world - all the free transport.

anyway, enjoy your travel planning and good luck with it all. Australia‘s borders are closed for now so I’m not planning. I’m not travelling again until I can get travel insurance again.

 

[TeraCuse]

Checking into CBR in 7 days. Weather looks like it's going to be fantastic. Any other thread watchers going to be there?