New solo traveler seeks advice

[goofyintoronto]

So I am leaving on my solo trip in less than 12 hrs. Since its a solo trip, I have added new resorts to stay. First night is AoA LM room. DS22 and DDBF21 refused to stay here each trip so I am staying just one night since there is no AP discount. The second night I am staying at POFQ. This will be my first moderate resort so I am pretty excited! Then off to Pop for 8 nights after that with the AP discount. Need to get packing

I LOVE your travel plans!! I also love to resort hop. When I do a solo trip, I also would love to stay at a bunch of different places. Have a great trip!

 

[ThistleMae]

Thank you everyone....who dares to travel alone! I'm just retired and most of my friends are still working. It's hard to find anyone to commit to a random trip or even a planned trip. People will say they want to go...but they can't always be trusted to actually plan and or be sure to go. I went two years ago with my granddaughter (18) and her boyfriend. I spent everyday alone...but we met up at dinner. When I was there I tried to imagine what it would be like to be totally alone. I am very social and talk to everybody...if they seem open. But....eating dinner alone was my only question regarding enjoyment. Thank you all for your suggestions around eating, especially dinner. I love the buffets as well and I do think they would be most conducive to eating alone...get your food...eat...enjoy and leave. Is there Wifi in the restaurants. I could bring my I-pad and face time, or book my fast passes? I could also bring my calendar, which I update constantly and plan for the next day of the evening while I eat. I'm definitely not ruling it out. AND...there is something to be said about going with others, especially more than one other person. You are always waiting or deciding or something...besides just getting up and going at your own pace. I admire all of your solo travelers immensely.

 

[Carolyn Louise]

Thank you everyone....who dares to travel alone! I'm just retired and most of my friends are still working. It's hard to find anyone to commit to a random trip or even a planned trip. People will say they want to go...but they can't always be trusted to actually plan and or be sure to go. I went two years ago with my granddaughter (18) and her boyfriend. I spent everyday alone...but we met up at dinner. When I was there I tried to imagine what it would be like to be totally alone. I am very social and talk to everybody...if they seem open. But....eating dinner alone was my only question regarding enjoyment. Thank you all for your suggestions around eating, especially dinner. I love the buffets as well and I do think they would be most conducive to eating alone...get your food...eat...enjoy and leave. Is there Wifi in the restaurants. I could bring my I-pad and face time, or book my fast passes? I could also bring my calendar, which I update constantly and plan for the next day of the evening while I eat. I'm definitely not ruling it out. AND...there is something to be said about going with others, especially more than one other person. You are always waiting or deciding or something...besides just getting up and going at your own pace. I admire all of your solo travelers immensely.

ThistleMae, this is the reason I do anything solo. If I was always waiting on other people to be available I'd never get to go anywhere.

As for eating alone, don't rule out sitting at bars and talking to the bartenders either for a bit of a social fix...I've found that bartenders in general if they're not really busy tend to be very open to conversations. Maybe come prepared with some questions, people always like to talk about themselves! Ask them how long they've been working there, what their favorite part of the job is, what's their favorite Disney movie etc...

 

[elizabethswan]

this is such a great thread. for the first time i will also be doing a mostly solo trip. at first i was really nervous about it but not anymore. dh will be there for the first couple of days and then he has to go back to work, so i am staying on my own for the next week! i am really looking forward to being able to roam and explore the little things at both parks and resorts that we never seem to have time for. my ds and i recently did a great trip to wdw after several years off, and now he is dis'd out and busy at college. fingers crossed that it will be fun and not weird. you all have totally inspired me. thanks as well for all of the tips. and to the other solo travelers here, hope you have a blast and please post once you get back and tell us how it went : )

 

[Poohlove]

This has been great reading, I am taking DS17 and DD15 in June for a week. I think that will be it for DS for a while (he will have his senior trip in 2016 but he already told me I can't go). We have been 4 previous times so he has had his share. DD15 will probably be up for another trip or two but I am seriously considering a solo trip. They go visit their dad every other weekend so I think that a long weekend would be totally doable and they wouldn't be home anyway so I wouldn't feel as bad. I am pretty social so I wouldn't have trouble making conversation. I think that the only time I may struggle is first thing in the morning and would definitely miss them while in the parks. Reading all of these posts psyches me up for a solo trip though!!!

 

[LadyDiznee123]

Well, I pulled the trigger! I am booked at AllStarMusic ($68 AP Discount!) for 1/27-29. I am giving it a try with a shorter trip like some of you suggested. Here's the cool thing.... with $63 each way on SW, and the AP discount on the room and no ticket to buy and Disney Rewards card, this trip is going to cost me a measly $103 plus food!!!! I can't pass that up!

I was a little hesitant in the beginning, but now I find that I'm so excited about it that even if I had a friend offer to come with me now, I'd have to turn them down and say, let's plan for a different time. I feel like I'm really going to spoil myself by being there alone, but I don't feel guilty - I'm a work-at-home-mom of a 7-yr-old boy.... I've earned it!

The second I booked my trip, I planned my days and got all decent FP+, even Mine Train - yay! I'm going to use Disney transportation (which I never usually do), so that I am safer - walking around the hotel grounds alone doesn't freak me out, I do that all the time even when I'm travelling with people, but walking around those big parking lots alone - that would be a different story - so I'm taking ME and using the busses and monorail.

I figure any other time I am walking around alone, I'll use that time to check in at home and tell the person where I am so they can 'protect me' from a distance. I'm not too worried about meals - I plan to sort of just graze, eat when I'm hungry, just counter service. I might even have school bread for lunch! I'm hitting the EMH's - I'm an early riser.... I figure with it being just me, and single rider, I'll be able to pretty much do everything in three days (morning flight down, night flight home - love how that works out). Psyched psyched psyched!!!

Good for you. Doing my first solo in Oct.