Shy going solo

theoddcouple

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
20
Hello everyone. Just trying to get some courage from this group. I am going to Disney in September. Just a bit of background My mom, sister and her 3 kids are going to Disney in September I wasn't going to go cause my girlfriend isn't able to come then but have decided to go. I will be driving down from Toronto alone as I am leaving after them and coming back before them. I am a pretty shy guy I love road trips and driving by myself so that's not a worry my only worry is I will be doing a lot of disney alone as my interests and what I want to do differs a lot from my family. I was hoping to do a couple tours see all the parades and shows and take lots of pictures and videos. My only concern is that I am really shy and hoping this will break me out of it. Are solo travelers well recieved in disney.

Just looking for advice on what to do and how to go about it
 
Usually I go with my family, but I also do a long weekend in March solo. That started several years back when I went to a conference in Orlando and extended it at Disney for a few days. The beauty of it it you are on your own; you don't have to wait for anyone. If you want to get up early for a rope drop, you can. Or, if you want to sleep in, you can do that. Disney is very welcome for solo travelers; I've often found that the cast members are often happy to chat...if you want...especially the college program kids and World Showcase CM's. You can feel free to engage them, or if you prefer to stay quiet, that's fine too. As far as dining, when I'm alone, I tend to stick with counter service, but that's just my preference. I've seen many posts here where folks have thoroughly enjoyed full service meals, and have been treated very well by the cast members.

I definitely would urge you to make the trip. Yes, its different from a family trip, but still a great time.
 
Hello everyone. Just trying to get some courage from this group. I am going to Disney in September. Just a bit of background My mom, sister and her 3 kids are going to Disney in September I wasn't going to go cause my girlfriend isn't able to come then but have decided to go. I will be driving down from Toronto alone as I am leaving after them and coming back before them. I am a pretty shy guy I love road trips and driving by myself so that's not a worry my only worry is I will be doing a lot of disney alone as my interests and what I want to do differs a lot from my family. I was hoping to do a couple tours see all the parades and shows and take lots of pictures and videos. My only concern is that I am really shy and hoping this will break me out of it. Are solo travelers well recieved in disney.

Just looking for advice on what to do and how to go about it


I have gone 2 times on my own. I am going back in October to run the TOT runDisney race, alone. I am as introverted as they come. If you put my on an island by myself I would be just fine. I have social anxiety disorder so strangers, or large groups scare the crap out of me, usually. Disney is the only place this never bothered me.

In each of the two trips by myself I sat right on the curb for the parade and ended up striking up conversation with a nice family on both occassions. VERY unlike me. On my first trip I went on one ride, Splash Mountain. This past trip I did many more. I waited no more than 20 minutes for Tower of Terror, Fast Track, or Rockin Roller Coaster. Some of the big rides have lines for single riders, they move faster.

On both trips I had a nice sit down meal, both at different restaraunts at the Floridian. My waitresses were awesome. Made me feel very welcome. On the first trip that waitress even gave me a free gigantic dessert. That one was a character dinner, which was a bit odd cuz the characters stop at every table and I didn't really care for them to do that.

But, as you are walking around, nobody knows if you are alone or just walking by yourself on your way to meet up with your family. You may feel odd but they don't care.

If you have more questions let me know. I can see why it might feel intimidating but if I can do it by myself, anyone can.
 
i find myself travelling solo more than with people.

Disney are great for single people. single rider lines for one... the only real downside can be parades when you are waiting for a while and you really need a drink or bathroom break..

but just talking to the people near you is enough to change all that.
 

Yea my problem is I'm a huge introvert to the point that my mom and my girlfriend have all thought there was something wrong with me but really I just like being to myself. My girlfriend is the only one I feel comfortable around and her not being able to come as but me in a big scary hole so to speak. I have no problem going out and to restaurants and stuff by myself but being in such a crowded family oriented place seems a bit daunting. But being a huge Disney freak (I even have a hidden mickey tattoo). Also a concern is I am a heavily tattooed and bearded guy so I'm just kind like expect odd looks. When I'm with my girlfriend I even get looks the last time we went for uptight parents.

In the single rider line do they put you on the ride with all the other single riders or do they stick you with a family or group of friends who don't have enough people to fill the ride
 
Yea my problem is I'm a huge introvert to the point that my mom and my girlfriend have all thought there was something wrong with me but really I just like being to myself. My girlfriend is the only one I feel comfortable around and her not being able to come as but me in a big scary hole so to speak. I have no problem going out and to restaurants and stuff by myself but being in such a crowded family oriented place seems a bit daunting. But being a huge Disney freak (I even have a hidden mickey tattoo). Also a concern is I am a heavily tattooed and bearded guy so I'm just kind like expect odd looks. When I'm with my girlfriend I even get looks the last time we went for uptight parents.

In the single rider line do they put you on the ride with all the other single riders or do they stick you with a family or group of friends who don't have enough people to fill the ride

You'll have a great time. Try not to overthink it.

The single rider lines are generally used to fill in empty spaces, not to combine single riders. I'm most used to the Test Track single rider line. Here's a very typical scenario: The Test Track cars are two rows of three. A very typical family size at Disney is four. The family will come thru the standby or Fastpass line and say they have four people. The CM will put two of them in the first row of a car and the other two in the rear of the car. They will fill in the rest of the car with two single riders, one in the first row and one in the second.
 
Let me just put it this way. I have been going solo at least once a year since 2002. I have never had an issue or felt, in the least little bit, out of place. If I wanted to speak to someone, I did. If not, I didn't. No hassle at all. I have taken tours a plenty and everyone has been friendly but never in your face.

I have seen post where people get upset when the CM's asks "just one?", and felt it was a put down. That would be paranoia speaking. It is a general question to make sure that they didn't miss-hear you and just want to be sure which line to send you too.

The less you think about it, the more fun it is. You seem like a person that likes his independence and enjoys his own company. You'll be fine. Enjoy!
 
Thank you for the help starting to feel a bit better. My only problem now is I would hate to get put on a ride with a family and feel like a third wheel to them. Don't want to ruin any ones experiance at Disney as I know for some people it is a once in a life time trip. I am going to sign up for the keys to the kingdom tour if that is what it is called the one that takes 5 hours around magic kingdom. Going to take my camera and go around every area take lots of pictures and do what I love doing best and that is just wandering and going to what ever catches my eye at the time. Just still feel kind of odd hoping on rides with other families. Peter pan is my favourite ride so that is one I will do with or with out anyone I don't care.
 
Thank you for the help starting to feel a bit better. My only problem now is I would hate to get put on a ride with a family and feel like a third wheel to them. Don't want to ruin any ones experiance at Disney as I know for some people it is a once in a life time trip. I am going to sign up for the keys to the kingdom tour if that is what it is called the one that takes 5 hours around magic kingdom. Going to take my camera and go around every area take lots of pictures and do what I love doing best and that is just wandering and going to what ever catches my eye at the time. Just still feel kind of odd hoping on rides with other families. Peter pan is my favourite ride so that is one I will do with or with out anyone I don't care.

I am going solo to Disney in a few weeks. I am so looking forward to it. It will be my 3rd time going to the parks by myself and its been fine. If you get put on a ride with a family, look at it as you will be making new friends and all of you having fun together. :) I think families expect that they will be sharing space if there is some. Just say hi, My name is ____ and I love Disney and they will be fine ;)

You can do it!:cheer2:
 
Now I just have to wait for the 180 day mark to book my tour. I will be meeting family down there but for the most part we don't get along to well so it is a solo vacation. Not staying in the same area as them or anything either. We are going to the cinderella royal table for dinner or breakfast I believe though so that should be pretty cool.
 
Thank you for the help starting to feel a bit better. My only problem now is I would hate to get put on a ride with a family and feel like a third wheel to them. Don't want to ruin any ones experiance at Disney as I know for some people it is a once in a life time trip. I am going to sign up for the keys to the kingdom tour if that is what it is called the one that takes 5 hours around magic kingdom. Going to take my camera and go around every area take lots of pictures and do what I love doing best and that is just wandering and going to what ever catches my eye at the time. Just still feel kind of odd hoping on rides with other families. Peter pan is my favourite ride so that is one I will do with or with out anyone I don't care.

Don't over think this... they don't care and it is expected on certain multi-people rides and those are the only ones that would sit you with others.

I don't want to burst your bubble too much, but photography of back stage is not allowed during the tours. Once you leave the stage area all camera's must be stowed and wandering loose is a no-no, but I know that you might be referring to when you aren't on the tour.

Rides like Peter Pan will not place you with anyone else unless you ask.
 
Thank you for the help starting to feel a bit better. My only problem now is I would hate to get put on a ride with a family and feel like a third wheel to them. Don't want to ruin any ones experiance at Disney as I know for some people it is a once in a life time trip. I am going to sign up for the keys to the kingdom tour if that is what it is called the one that takes 5 hours around magic kingdom. Going to take my camera and go around every area take lots of pictures and do what I love doing best and that is just wandering and going to what ever catches my eye at the time. Just still feel kind of odd hoping on rides with other families. Peter pan is my favourite ride so that is one I will do with or with out anyone I don't care.


You sound a lot like me in that you seem to put an awful lot of thought into what others think of you. I did that up until recently when I finally realized that people just don't think about me all that much. I mean, when people plan their trips to Disney, they certainly aren't planning them with me in mind. And, I don't think anybody goes to Disney thinking they are going to have the place to themselves so by you getting paired on a ride with someone, I don't think you could ruin their trip.

I hope I don't bore anyone with my stories (see, there I go worrying about other people again). I went to Disney for the first time on my honeymoon. I am sure I had people seated next to me on some rides but I just didn't care. As long as I am not placed next to somebody who smells bad or throws up on me, I don't mind either way.

I have found that most people go to Disney are they want to have a good time. On my two solo trips I have had some nice conversations on buses, the monorail, waiting in line for Test Track. You have to remember that people do not know you are alone, unless you tell them. For all they know, you are on your honeymoon and your new wife is just afraid to go on that particular ride so you are going by yourself.

You have to ask yourself what you love about Disney. Do you love Disney because you want to make sure everyone else has a great time? For me, I love Disney, not only because it was my honeymoon destination (that's when I first fell in love with it) but because I have read a couple of Walt's biographies. I get inspiration from him, and WDW itself. He had people who didn't believe in him his whole life. They thought he was crazy. But, he believed in himself and as a result, look what he created. What he did has impacted billions of people around the world. I go and, regardless of what I do, I sit in awe of what one person can do when they believe in themself and set their mind to it. Not saying I could create the next Disney World but I know I am capable of more than I have done. Hopefully you get the point.

So, go and get the most out of the reason you love Disney. I also think it is a good thing you go by yourself. I also was very close with my wife. I also could do anything with her by my side. In a way, she was like my security blanket. Well, she told me a couple weeks after my trip last August, and shortly before my 40th birthday, that she wanted a divorce. I wish I had done more on my own throughout the marriage, just so I would have had the confidence in myself. Now I am pushing myself like I never did before determined not to let life pass me by like I did in the past.

To answer the question about the single rider line. What you heard about the Fast Track is correct. As far as other rides, not all have single rider lines but they work the same way. Its a Small World, Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, and Rock and Roller Coaster. In each case I was in line and they had one spot left to fill. So, the CM called out for single riders. I raised my hand and was able to skip ahead in line drastically reducing my wait time in line. It was great.

Hopefully I didn't bore you too much.
 
You sound a lot like me in that you seem to put an awful lot of thought into what others think of you. I did that up until recently when I finally realized that people just don't think about me all that much. I mean, when people plan their trips to Disney, they certainly aren't planning them with me in mind. And, I don't think anybody goes to Disney thinking they are going to have the place to themselves so by you getting paired on a ride with someone, I don't think you could ruin their trip.

I hope I don't bore anyone with my stories (see, there I go worrying about other people again). I went to Disney for the first time on my honeymoon. I am sure I had people seated next to me on some rides but I just didn't care. As long as I am not placed next to somebody who smells bad or throws up on me, I don't mind either way.

I have found that most people go to Disney are they want to have a good time. On my two solo trips I have had some nice conversations on buses, the monorail, waiting in line for Test Track. You have to remember that people do not know you are alone, unless you tell them. For all they know, you are on your honeymoon and your new wife is just afraid to go on that particular ride so you are going by yourself.

You have to ask yourself what you love about Disney. Do you love Disney because you want to make sure everyone else has a great time? For me, I love Disney, not only because it was my honeymoon destination (that's when I first fell in love with it) but because I have read a couple of Walt's biographies. I get inspiration from him, and WDW itself. He had people who didn't believe in him his whole life. They thought he was crazy. But, he believed in himself and as a result, look what he created. What he did has impacted billions of people around the world. I go and, regardless of what I do, I sit in awe of what one person can do when they believe in themself and set their mind to it. Not saying I could create the next Disney World but I know I am capable of more than I have done. Hopefully you get the point.

So, go and get the most out of the reason you love Disney. I also think it is a good thing you go by yourself. I also was very close with my wife. I also could do anything with her by my side. In a way, she was like my security blanket. Well, she told me a couple weeks after my trip last August, and shortly before my 40th birthday, that she wanted a divorce. I wish I had done more on my own throughout the marriage, just so I would have had the confidence in myself. Now I am pushing myself like I never did before determined not to let life pass me by like I did in the past.

To answer the question about the single rider line. What you heard about the Fast Track is correct. As far as other rides, not all have single rider lines but they work the same way. Its a Small World, Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, and Rock and Roller Coaster. In each case I was in line and they had one spot left to fill. So, the CM called out for single riders. I raised my hand and was able to skip ahead in line drastically reducing my wait time in line. It was great.

Hopefully I didn't bore you too much.

I do use my girlfriend as a security blanket yes with her I can rule the world with out her I am afriad to go to the drive thru at mcdonalds. This will be a great way to break boundaries and force myself. Disney is the one thing makes me smile and get that feeling of pure bliss. Thank you for giving me some confidence. Now the hardest thing to do, the waiting game before leaving lol.
 
Originally I had been anxious about doing this trip solo. The person I was supposed to go with got some bad news and couldn't come along with me. I definitely didn't want to just NOT go, but instead just go for it! I think the meal aspect still makes me slightly nervous (plan on doing some ADRs) but I think that is more me than anything else. My family is supportive so that is tremendous.

I think what it comes down to is just having the confidence in yourself and letting the Disney magic take care of everything else!
 
You will have a great time. ADR wise, I had a few last year and I was treated fine, in fact at a few places I was treated better than I think families. I think it was because I was solo I was an easy person to deal with, rather than 5 or 6 orders at once.

But outside of that, you will find that most people are always up for a chat. If you find yourself in a line waiting for a ride you will almost always be able to strike up a chat with someone about the queue.

My only problem is that when there is no single rider line, I feel that solo travellers tend to get sent to the back of the ride vehicles a lot.. well i do
 
I just returned from my 2nd solo and had an amazing time! I'm very introverted, like you, and can literally entertain myself for days. I realized on this solo that no one realized that I was solo, for all they knew my family was off doing something else. I told a few people that I struck up conversation with, and a CM noticed because I was wearing a b-day button. They were supportive and thought it was quite brave.

As far as rides one of my favorite experiences comes from my 1st solo. I was seated beside this super cute little girl on TT and she asked me if I had ridden it before and if I was scared. I told her that I enjoyed the ride but I think she was trying to reassure herself (she was riding with her older brother). The whole time she kept telling me to hold on tight and that it was OK, it was so funny. At the end she told me that it was about to go really fast and to hold on. :lmao: So sometimes it's fun being seated with strangers. Other times they'll use a single rider to fill up the ride vehicle and you get to skip way ahead! :banana:
 
Several years ago if someone asked me if I would ever do a solo trip to Disney I would have been very hesitant....since over the years our many trips had always been with my family (husband, kids, and various family members). However, in 2011 our youngest son participated in the Disney College Program from January to May. I knew I wanted to visit several times during that time and my husband couldn't take that much time from work during a five month timeframe. I went twice by myself......granted my son was at Disney because he was working there....but, during the majority of my visit...he was working. I had an amazing time! As another poster said.....you don't have to wait for anyone....you are completely on your own schedule....one day up for rope drop if you choose or not. As a matter of fact, my DH and I are taking our 12 yr old GS mid August, staying at Beach Club Villas. They've already planned most afternoons will be spent at Stormalong Bay. I'm so looking forward to being on my own and wandering the parks while they're at the pool!
 
Disney is a great place to travel solo. I am an extrovert but I like the down time from others. In my group trips I usually go off on my own due to divergent interests in the group. If you want to talk to others you can-cast members are great if you are shy. If you are an experienced Disney traveler, other guests seem to know-I usually talk to people when they ask questions about an upcoming ride/give directions. If you like the restaurants, do not worry about eating in a sit down restaurant. The servers are great and attentive. I was given the recipe cards for my favorite Cobb Salad and Grapefruit Cake on one visit to the Brown Derby when I went in alone. Ironically, I was on a family trip at the time, but no one wanted to eat there. Go, focus on what you want to do and do not worry what others think. You will never see them again anyway!
 
I was given the recipe cards for my favorite Cobb Salad and Grapefruit Cake on one visit to the Brown Derby when I went in alone.

After that, did you ever try the grapefruit cake recipe? How was it when you made it at home?
 


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