Question for female solo travelers

[totallytigger]

I will be traveling to WDW solo three times over the course of 2015. I'm very safety conscientious and am wondering what experiences other solo female travelers have had at the different WDW hotels. Is there a hotel that made anyone feel uneasy--especially after dark? I also have the option of staying at SOG, but I like the idea of using Magical Express for airport transfers. I don't want to limit my experience by having to return to hotel early just because I feel unsafe walking alone after dark. I know it's Disney, but things still happen. :-(

 

[FLchick415]

I've traveled solo to Disney three times over the last year, and there has never been a time when I felt unsafe. I usually stay at Pop and the bus and parking lot areas are always well lit. I pay attention to my surroundings but I never felt like anything bad was going to happen, even coming back late from the parks because it's usually always a full bus and there's a bunch of people.

 

[totallytigger]

I've traveled solo to Disney three times over the last year, and there has never been a time when I felt unsafe. I usually stay at Pop and the bus and parking lot areas are always well lit. I pay attention to my surroundings but I never felt like anything bad was going to happen, even coming back late from the parks because it's usually always a full bus and there's a bunch of people.

Thanks for the quick reply. I've stayed at POP twice with family and have really liked it there. I was thinking about staying there in a preferred room--which would put me closer to the busses and food court.

 

[DisneyFan2013]

I will be traveling to WDW solo three times over the course of 2015. I'm very safety conscientious and am wondering what experiences other solo female travelers have had at the different WDW hotels. Is there a hotel that made anyone feel uneasy--especially after dark? I also have the option of staying at SOG, but I like the idea of using Magical Express for airport transfers. I don't want to limit my experience by having to return to hotel early just because I feel unsafe walking alone after dark. I know it's Disney, but things still happen. :-(

I'll be traveling solo this year, and I chose to stay at POFQ since I'm familiar with the resort and it's small, so the walks to the bus stop, lobby, food court, etc. are very short. I stayed at Coronado Springs in a preferred room last year and I think I would feel less comfortable alone after dark there because the walk to the bus stop/lobby was not as close. Not that I would feel "uneasy", but I'd just like to minimize my walking time, if possible. I really wanted to stay at POR in a Royal Guest Room, but I was concerned about potentially having to walk far alone at night.

 

[BayouBelle77]

I have gone to Disney solo 5 times in the last 5 years and stayed at the Pop each time. I have never had a problem and have never felt unsafe. After park closing, I would go back to the hotel and sit with my feet in the pool and read a book until 11:30 or so. I always felt safe being outside the room late at night.

I have also wandered around the grounds of the Wilderness Lodge, Poly, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club and Boardwalk after going to late dinners at those hotels. I always felt totally comfortable.

One of the main reasons I go solo to Disney is because I feel much safer there as a solo female traveler than I do many other places. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea of walking around the grounds of a resort late at night, maybe book a room in the main buildings of one of the Deluxe resorts so you would not have to do as much outside walking as you would if you were at a value or moderate. Go and have a great time and just use common sense safety precautions and there will be no need to worry!

 

[BayouBelle77]

I also have the option of staying at SOG, but I like the idea of using Magical Express for airport transfers.

Btw I highly recommend the Magical Express! It makes travel logistics so easy and it's just one less thing to worry about on your trip. I always use ME on my solo trips. If you use ME, then you will not need a rental car which means you can stay out of parking lots, which should help you to feel safer.

 

[karly05]

One solo trip to BC and two to POFQ and I agree with the PP. Be sensible, of course, but I've never felt unsafe "coming home" after dark. As FLChick says, coming back from the parks you'll be on a bus with a lot of other people all walking to their rooms just as you are. (FWIW, I was always coming back around normal park closing or a little earlier, not 1 or 2 am.)

I would probably book a preferred room where available or, in the case of POFQ, see if you can get a room close(r) to the main building (no preferred at POFQ because it's so small). I've had a couple of great locations there, once facing the movie lawn and once facing the central pool area not far from the boat dock, and there were always other guests/families out and about in the evening.

Edited to add: I completely agree with BayouBelle about the Magical Express - it is a great perk and I highly recommend it!

 

[dawnhaze]

I've stayed at Pop, AoA, ASSp, and ASMu solo and never felt unsafe at any of them, after dark or otherwise. I request first floor rooms because I use an ECV as well, and that's never been a safety/security issue either. Even the 'long walk' to the LM rooms at AoA was fine for me. All the resorts are pretty well lit at night if you stay on main paths.

Obviously it's not impossible for bad things to happen at WDW, but if you use common sense and trust your gut instincts about situations, you should be okay.

 

[karly05]

Apologies for the threadjack, but for those who have stayed at Pop, were you comfortable with the more "enclosed" stairwells (Yo-yos, Rubik's Cubes)?

I like the fact that, at POFQ, the stairs are very "open," not enclosed.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

I'm doing my 8th and 9th solo trip within the next 10 months and just got back from my 7th, I've stayed twice at PORS, four times at POFQ, most recently at Pop and the next two are also Pop. I have never felt threatened or scared at anytime and that includes coming back at 4am from the first all nighter in 2012, there were plenty of people around then, that's how they get things done without guests seeing. I am more nervous walking through my town centre in the early evening than at Disney. If you are nervous about stairwells why not request a ground floor room and look at the map and decide which building makes you feel most comfortable and give the resort a call, explain you are a nervous solo traveller and could you have a room near the main building and transportation, but, to be honest don't worry, just exercise common sense and stick to the well lit paths at night, it is a rare, rare thing for no one to be around at all, I've never experienced it, as I said, even in the middle of the night. Just relax and have a wonderful solo visit.

 

[wendy1974]

I'm glad to see this thread. I'm going solo for the first time in November for the Wine & Dine Half and staying at POFQ because I'm so familiar with it after staying there previous trips. I anyone is going to be there November 7th-12th and want to meet up for a park day just let me know!

 

[jettgrrlaust]

Also sorry for the thread jack! Wendy1974 - saw you'd be around WDW the same time as me. I'm an Aussie travelling solo to WDW for a few days until my friends head down from Minnesota. Have been to Disneyland 5 times but have never been to WDW so I'm excited! Tried to PM but have only been on the forums the few weeks so don't have a high enough 'count'. Let me know if you want to chat more

 

[SueDonym3]

Have stayed solo twice at Pop, twice at Carribean-one time preferred, one time standard. Never felt unsafe at any time. I agree with prev. poster-part of why I travel solo to Disney is because I do feel safe-even coming back late nights. I go rope drop to park close... I stick to preferred rooms and ground floor to stay as close to bus/food court as possible and to ease the aching feet. I regretted the standard room at Carribean the second day as I had to use the internal bus system just to get to the food court or walk a mile. Not military so not familiar with shades of green but from reading the boards there are some missing perks. I love my magical express so could not imagine traveling to Disney without it.

 

[tinkerbellwdwmagic]

I've been to WDW three times solo and stayed at each of the All Stars and felt very safe at any time of day or night. When
Pleasure Island had all the clubs I'd get back at 2am and never felt uncomfortable. Although I travel all over the US by myself and am used to it. Relax and have a great time.

 

[gericoronado]

I've traveled solo to Disney three times over the last year, and there has never been a time when I felt unsafe. I usually stay at Pop and the bus and parking lot areas are always well lit. I pay attention to my surroundings but I never felt like anything bad was going to happen, even coming back late from the parks because it's usually always a full bus and there's a bunch of people.

I absolutely agree 100%. My first WDW trip was a solo 2-week stay at Pop and I have NEVER felt safer on a vacation than at the World! I felt completely at ease in all surroundings and times and never had a bad experience. Feel free to enjoy yourself in this truly enchanted land.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I have gone solo at least twice a year since 2008. I have stayed at OKW, POP, ASMu, AS Sports, Kidani, and SSR.
Pop is always busy and that makes me feel safer. The All Stars are almost as busy, and I ask for a unit close to the bus stops for the larger property like SSR and OKW.

I usually ask for a second floor room as I feel safer not on the ground floor.
I usually stay at the parks until close so I often come home in the dark. Used to carry a small penlight, but now my cell phone had the flashlight so I use that.

I stayed at POR with a friend and I thought the paths were very dark and secluded. I stay away from this resort when I go solo, but that is just my personal opinion.

 

[totallytigger]

Thanks for all of the great replies and info. I feel much better about traveling solo now. I love the parks after dark and don't want to miss that just because I might be uncomfortable walking around alone. I will definitely stay on property to take advantage of ME. Thanks again--I knew I could count on the DIS boards for encouragement.

 

[disgram]

I am thinking about a solo trip next Sept. 2015. I am disabled and have to use a ECV. I would like to stay at POFQ as I am familiar with it and it is small. Just wondering if anyone else travels by themselves with a ECV? Once in the parks I don't think there will much trouble but I am a little worried about the resorts. How do you manage the door to the room? Do you feel a little strange eating in the resturants alone? Will the CMs let others sit with you? Strange I know, but I have alot of questions about being alone. Thanks for taking time to read.

 

[ILGoofy]

I've stayed at ASMo, Pop, AofA, and CSR solo. The only place that was slightly uncomfortable was CSR. Since it's a convention resort there are many more adults without families than the other resorts. Also the area outside the main building is essentially a big bar late at night. If you stay there, make sure you know the route to your room. I ended up lost two separate nights walking back from the bus stop and the main building because my poncho and the rain were disorienting and I made a wrong turn. The values are great choices because they're always busy.

 

[MagentaMulan]

I am a young woman and will be traveling with my mom, so i'm not a solo traveler per se. But since this is our first time to WDW, we don't really know what the resorts will be like at night. (Since we are going in January, the days are shorter, so it gets dark faster)We are planning on stay at POFQ because it is small and easier to get to our room quickly.

I know POFQ has a lot of rooms with a connecting door. Should i be concerned about that? When i book my stay and do online check-in and such, i am requesting my room not be connected.