Question for female solo travelers

[dawnhaze]

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.

I find getting OUT of the room harder than getting in. To get in, I just pull right up to the door, unlock it, push it open with one arm and use my other hand to drive slowly forward. I leave the ECV right there in the room entryway to back it out in the mornings - I have to put it in freewheel and walk it out backwards with my body holding the door open. I'm considering buying a small rubber doorstop to take with me on my next trip so I can use that to prop open the door to get out.

As far as eating alone, I've never felt odd at a Disney restaurant, but I eat out by myself regularly anyway, so I'm fairly used to it. You won't be seated with strangers except at a few places like Teppan Edo, Biergarten, etc that have large tables where multiple parties are seated. Some restaurants do have a bar where you can sit if you prefer it to being alone at a table.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I have no problem eating alone in general, but at WDW almost always I strike up a brief conversation with a family at the next table.

The only situation where I wait until I have a friend or my husband with me is the character dining. I do meet and greets with the characters all the time, but for some reason sitting at a table alone, waiting for my photo op with Snow White, just does not appeal.

 

[SueDonym3]

If you are comfortable dining out in your regular life, you will be fine dining out in Disney. If you have never dined alone-start small...small café or fast food place then work your way up to a local sit down place. Take something to read or do to keep yourself distracted. No one else is paying attention to other diners so the key is making yourself comfortable. I find even when I travel with my family to the Mouse I end up doing 1-3 meals solo just to give myself a break from family time. I have been hesitant in the past to book character dining solo, but a thread on this board inspired me and I have 2 character meals for my next solo trip.

 

[karice2]

I have gone about 14 times solo and have never felt unsafe. I have stayed off and on property and generally feel safe wherever I am. I have been out super late in town and never had any issues. Wore fairy wings through an off site hotel and had no issues at all.

You will be fine.

 

[Stefecatzz]

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've also stayed at POP for one of my solo trips & never felt unsafe. I agree about it being well lit & coming back on a full bus so it's not like you're wandering around property on your own w/no one in sight.

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.

The stairs at POP never bothered me. I've only stayed in the 60's buildings & walking up & down inside a yo-yo was pretty fun.


OP - Just be aware of your surroundings & whether you're at the resort or in the parks, go with your gut feeling & you should be fine.

Have fun!

 

[ZehnJahren]

I've done two solo trips and two partially solo trips. I've stayed at Pop, AKL, CR, and OKW alone.

Honestly, I felt the most comfortable at AKL and CR with the interior corridors. BUT I didn't necessarily feel UNSAFE at Pop or OKW! I thought I might, but in fact everything is so well lit and there are so many people around it's very comfortable and feels safe. I am always very aware of my surroundings and kept an eye out for anyone I felt uncomfortable with, but in reality what you mostly see are families. I felt more uncomfortable over at Epcot in the area around JII at night; it was so dark it made me a bit nervous!

My biggest problem solo is that my last trip I had a connecting room with very loud neighbors who stood outside the door and yelled to one another. Because I was alone, I didn't feel as confident asking them to keep it down! Don't have a problem with this at home, but I did feel hesitant on vacation!

 

[Simba's Mom]

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'm kind of a wimp, scared easily. On my first trip to WDW, I checked in late at night, and although they offered bell services to accompany me to my room, but for some odd reason I refused. Walking alone at night, I regretted my decision, then I heard whispering around the next corner-oh, oh! Very cautiously, I rounded the corner and saw…..2 women wearing formal gowns and Mickey Ears. Somehow I had a hard time getting nervous after that. Although one time I did have a room which opened outside, and outside my room was a lot of foliage. That kind of spooked me, but when I asked at the front desk for a room change, they were super-nice and understanding. Since then, I've always asked for a room NOT on the first floor. In about 15 solo trips, I've only gotten a first floor and the CM balked about changing me once.

 

[aacvacation]

Hello there! I know you have gotten a lot of responses, so I'm not even sure if you need to hear anything else, but I thought I would throw in my (very recent) 2 cents.

AoA is a great resort for traveling solo, like someone said, even all the way out to the Little Mermaid rooms. The path is extremely well lit and since you can walk through the middle of the resort, it keeps you from feeling exposed (like walking near a parking lot can feel.) They also have security there after dark that you see riding around constantly. I sat out by the lake at AoA with someone I met at the parks a week or so before and we saw a security guard no less than every ten minutes. They make their rounds quickly and continually.

During my trip I also stayed at All Star Movies and Caribbean Beach.

I would never in my life recommend All Star Movies as a resort in general, but specifically not for traveling solo as a female. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I know that sketchy people are everywhere, and I'm not judging them because they are staying at a value resort (after all, I stay at value resorts.) But some of the nastiest people I have ever met were at that resort, and I was even harassed by several men on my floor (to the point where I left and drove around for several hours so they didn't know which room I was in.) It is also poorly lit, not well maintained, and the CMs made me equally uncomfortable. Do yourself a favor and just avoid it.

As for CBR, it was very nice and I was extremely comfortable there. However, I had my car there with me, and probably wouldn't recommend it to someone without one, due to the size of the resort. At night I could see the [up to] 15 minute walk from the road to your room to be problematic (and confusing.) Security was scarce, again, due to it's size. Still, if you had your heart set on this resort or something, you'd more than likely be very comfortable.

I hope you have an amazing trip and that we get to hear more about it!

 

[bjb1124]

I've done solo several times at WDW and Disneyland. I have never felt uncomfortable at either place. I am an early morning flyer. I've stood outside of hotels waiting for ME or cabs at way before sunrise and have never had an issue. If you ever feel uncomfortable, go to the lobby and ask for an escort. Disney will be happy to help.

I'm not a sitdown restaurant person when I am by myself, but at Disney, I have been to character dining many times. The first time I was self-conscious, but by the time that EVERY character came to my table, I realized the CMs were trying to make me relax. Even the CMs that brought the pictures for purchase spent extra time asking about my plans for the day. For some reason, Chip seems to always find me, sit down and "talk". Whether I am at WDW or Anaheim, Chip seems to want to have breakfast with me!

Like anywhere, be aware of your surroundings but don't worry about it.

 

[bjkbrady]

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 travel solo to WDW several times a year. Be aware of your surroundings just as you would anywhere else alone. With that said - I have never felt uncomfortable or unsafe and I have stayed in almost every resort on property and quite a few off property. If you will feel more comfortable, call the resort or if you used a TA have them call and tell them you are travelling solo and request a room as close to the main building as possible.

 

[katt789]

I've stayed solo at many different places on Disney property, and with a friend off property, and those off property hotels, definitely way sketchier, I would never stay offsite solo.

As for onsite, AKL & the Poly were feeling the safest, simply because of the indoor hallways, I always feel safer with that, especially at AKL because everyone come through the lobby to get in. I just like having a buffer between me & the outside world....and having a 2nd floor or higher for the sliding door issue. Silly things like that make me feel safer, same with just not being on the first floor, if someone has to go up the stairs or elevator, it's that extra step of work, lol!

I felt super unsafe at Coronado...which is unfortunate because it is a nice resort, but I really didn't like it. I requested close to transportation but was still around a million corners and down a couple of hallways from the drop off and just didn't like it, didn't feel very safe there.

CBR was great, All Star Music, Pop were all good. I do like having the magical express versus a shuttle from the airport, it's just the illusion of being inside the Disney bubble really that helps!

 

[NPRinLA]

I've stayed solo twice (once at POR and the other at POFQ) and I never felt unsafe. The parking lots and the pathways were always well lit and at all hours of the day there were families around. I even stayed very late at some of the restaurant lounges, putting me back at the hotels around 2am, and there were still couples strolling hand in hand, castmembers rushing back and forth and even had security guards who offered to walk with me if I felt uneasy through the boardwalk.

That being said, I would still exercise caution. I took pepper spray just in case (never have had to use it thankfully). Tried to be alert to my surroundings, took note of the closest exits, and forced myself to not have my head looking down at the phone the whole time. I live in LA, so I always as a habit have my keys with me and if I find myself in an unsafe surroundings I walk with my keys between my fingers (never had to do this in WDW though). Maybe overkill, but I was former military as well and I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Disney is one place that I feel safe being alone at. If I want to take a late night walk around the resort I feel completely safe. One night I sat on the beach at the Poly. It was 1:30 in the morning and I was close to the sidewalk and saw a security guard pass by. We chatted a few minutes and I felt safe knowing he was patrolling the grounds. It was interesting to sit and listen to all the goings on over at MK. Truck beeping as the backed up. Cars coming and going and the impromptu firework display. They set off about four to five fireworks. It was like my own little private show. For what ever reason Disney just has that safe secure feel for me. Oh course I am still very aware of what is going on around me. I don't want to be caught off guard.

 

[totallytigger]

Thanks for all of the great responses--but my solo trips have been hijacked!! My college age daughter wants to go at end of Jan, in between winter term and spring term. Then, each of my three granddaughters are accompanying me on a trip 1 on 1 with me. Sooo--no solo trips.

 

[Starwind]

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.

Many years ago while an undergrad I attended a conference held at CSR. As a solo traveller I also had my room at CSR. I did not feel unsafe at all even though the building the room was in was at the total opposite end of the CSR site than the main building.

As for eating alone: during that same trip I managed to walk up to Le Cellier (this was before it became so popular) and get a reservation for one for about 45 minutes later I ate alone in Le Cellier, and while it felt weird being in a fancy restaurant by myself, it was not a problem at all.

I now travel often for work, almost always solo. I have gotten quite used to eating in restaurants all by myself and I now just don't worry about it. I usually have my smartphone or something else (magazine, book; including ones already downloaded onto the smartphone) to play with or read to occupy myself once I am done "looking around" at the surroundings.

My most recent trip to WDW semi-solo was to attend a conference being held at GF, which we also stayed at (I tell you, a conference is the way to go if you can -- AMAZING room rates!! ). I brought my sister along, but she was off doing her thing at the parks while I was being a good employee and actually attending the conference all day (and some evenings) ! So most of the time I was solo by virtue of sister being elsewhere Ate alone at GF many times, and walked all over the resort alone as well, including late at night (Gasparella's is open 24 hours... er, at 3 am the resort is very quiet and peaceful, but there are still other humans around, even if most are staff). Never felt unsafe or uncomfortable.

-SW

 

[MaMudduck]

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!

I'm another Wendy and I'll be there Nov 8-20.
I've travelled many places solo and one thing I always do is get 2 keys for the hotel this makes it seem like there's another person in the room. I'm also very cautious where my room is in comparison to elevator/ stairwells/vending machines. I don't want to be walking down that long dark hall or have a room that everyone on the elevator sees me going into (alone).
I've never felt unsafe at WDW but some times I have returning to off-site hotels or going to the parking lots very late at night (Epcot especially)

 

[DISNEYWITHCHILDREN]

I haven't read through the whole thread but I wanted to add that if you ever feel nervous or unsure about walking alone at a resort I'd ask at the front desk if there is someone who works there who can walk you. Years and years ago I check in at WL at 1am. My parents were already there but I was nervous walking to my room alone (I was in my early 20s and overly paranoid). I asked if a staff member could walk with me. The manager walked with me (I had no luggage since my parents had brought it-forget why we traveled separately).

Don't be afraid to ask.

 

[Pixiedust74]

I've stayed at the Pop almost every year since 2007.
Never felt unsafe. The parking lots in the front are a wee bit dark at night, but I've never felt unsafe.