Solo trips - Share with me fellow solo travellers!

[Spike101]

So as I have mentioned on a few threads here and there, I'm doing my first ever to trip to USO and IOA very soon, 3rd of March, and doing it on my own.

I'm not exactly an introverted person, indeed my job involves talking to complete strangers all day long, but I do, and always have, even since I was young always loved time on my own.

But this year will be my first, true solo holiday, I've flown many times on my own, but always to meet friends, not so this time, and I'm really looking forward to it!

I would love to hear from other solo travellers (And everyone else) their thoughts, experiences, both good and bad, top tips and just anything else they want to share.

Spike.

 

[macraven]

Almost all my trips are done solo

I can meet up with others from the Disboards if our dates overlap and do a few rides or a meal during the vacation



Or I can make my plans each day after I wake up

Most of my vacation is not planned in advance for meals but have tentative ideas of the places where I want to eat during my time there

Usually make the decision spur of the moment when solo

It works fine for me

I set no alarms and can do the early entry to the parks or not

I’m good doing the parks or eating alone but always delighted to spending time with others

I know your vacation will be great!
Early March is one of my favorite times to do the darkside

 

[donnishobson]

Love going solo. I have gone with friends and family but just as often alone. I am an old lady (70 ) so very few of my friends are interested in theme parks.

The best experience for me has been Volcano Bay. You can do all the rides from 9-12 including the rivers. It is exhausting due to the thousands of stairs but everyone is friendly and having fun.

I prefer to eat at park restaurants or bars when I am alone. And I always go to Rising Star to watch karaoke. At the parks, the single rider lines are fast except for Rip Ride Rocket. Have a great time.

 

[Spike101]

I have a good plan for what I want to do on my first day, its a Monday, there will be a tad amount of jetlag no doubt, but also will probably be awake at the crack of dawn, combination of jetlag and excitement!

The lovely thing is that this holiday is all about Universal, its only for 8 nights, I dont drive, so being able to walk back and forth to my hotel was a big deal, also the Harry Potter, Marvel and Simpsons themes beat anything Disney has to offer, until Galaxys Edge of course, besides, I've been to Disneyland Paris a couple of times, so dont feel I'm missing out on the mouse!

 

[Spike101]

Love going solo. I have gone with friends and family but just as often alone. I am an old lady (70 ) so very few of my friends are interested in theme parks.

The best experience for me has been Volcano Bay. You can do all the rides from 9-12 including the rivers. It is exhausting due to the thousands of stairs but everyone is friendly and having fun.

I prefer to eat at park restaurants or bars when I am alone. And I always go to Rising Star to watch karaoke. At the parks, the single rider lines are fast except for Rip Ride Rocket. Have a great time.

I'm kinda undecided about going to VB, I'll pack some trunks and if early March turns out to be blistering hot I may just pop over there, and ohmigosh, I turned 50 last year and already worry about what a theme park can offer me?

Lets share rides when You're 90 and I'm 70!

 

[tony67]

I always go solo - its much better as you do not have to wait\count on anyone - you can just do what you want, eat when you want etc.

You can take advantage of the single rider line so that is a big plus.

meals wise - I recommend eating at the bar - there are usually other there - some on their own or couples that you can chat with - I have met some very interesting folks
Also you can talk with the bartenders - they are used to folks being there on their own and are usually pretty cool.

You will also be there during Mardi Gras - so that may add some interesting options - you may also want to do a day at sea world as they have the seven seas events on the weekends.
If you are on properly there is a free shuttle to sea world.

 

[georgina]

I will be solo there in Feb. With 8 nights you will have a relaxing trip! Check out all the resorts, swim in their pools if it is warm. Hard Rock has a lot of memorabilia in the hallways. You can always take in a movie at Citywalk.

Single rider lines are great but you miss much of the theme parts. Be sure to go through the regular line for the Harry Potter rides at least once. I take my time in Hogwarts castle to listen to the talking portraits, and the rooms with Dumbledore and Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I just let the line run past me as I listen. When in the basement at Gringotts be sure to watch the windows of the offices, you see shadows walking by and sometimes hear discussions. I spend a lot of time in Diagon Alley, enjoying the ice cream, Knockturn Alley (love the singing and joking shrunken heads), there is a radio speaker which announces news. I watch the kids trying their spells.

I sometimes eat at the bar at Finnegans, you could try a Voodoo doughnut, I like the food court at Cabana Bay and the pool bar.

 

[Spike101]

I'll certainly be doing the full ride queues at the HP rides at least once each, the lovely thing about having 7 full days to enjoy both parks is that at some point I'll be able to catch all the rides when the standby lines are 30 mins or less, to enjoy the full queue experience, Kong being another example.

Theres so much to see, after my first 3 days once I've done all I want to do and explored Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade fully, I'm kinda just gonna go where my feet take me, with maybe just an intention of where I want to eat of a day, wether in the park or at Citywalk.

 

[Spike101]

However as far as the 'Slow and the Curious' ride is concerned if its not walk on, I'm not doing it, of all the rides at USO and IOA its the only one I can count on one hand from watching many, many vlogs and online reviews (I've been researching since September, daily) that anyone thinks is good.

I want to experience all the rides at Universal, even the kiddie ones, my one big exception being RRR.

(I say all this and of course I'll end up on the car ride)

 

[schumigirl]

However as far as the 'Slow and the Curious' ride is concerned if its not walk on, I'm not doing it, of all the rides at USO and IOA its the only one I can count on one hand from watching many, many vlogs and online reviews (I've been researching since September, daily) that anyone thinks is good.

I want to experience all the rides at Universal, even the kiddie ones, my one big exception being RRR.

(I say all this and of course I'll end up on the car ride)

RRR is amazing........if you do try it Spike, ask for the front.

The back cars can really knock your brain around a lot!!! We always ask for the front and it’s never been a problem.....

 

[SnapesGirl]

I'm kinda undecided about going to VB, I'll pack some trunks and if early March turns out to be blistering hot I may just pop over there/QUOTE]

You should definitely try Volcano Bay! I'm not a water park fan at all, but decided to try it and fell in love with that park. Its absolutely gorgeous and the 2 lazy rivers were amazing! I've done my past 2 trips solo and honestly, its going to be hard to ever do a Universal trip with someone else again It's so nice to go at your own pace and not worry about if someone else wants to do the same thing. I'm definitely an introvert so I didn't feel the need to chat with people, but everyone on my past 2 trips was very pleasant and you'll find that people will chat with you in line or when getting a bite to eat, especially if you sit at the bar. You're going to have a great time!

 

[Spike101]

I do love doing stuff on my own, I generally almost always go the cinema solo as I like to go midweek early in the day when its less busy, I managed to get a ticket to see Hugh Jackman in June and again, on my own, and I'm really looking forward to doing Universal at my own pace.

And I am one of those people that always ends up chatting with people randomly, not intentionally, just seems to happen, but I look forward to talking to team members and no doubt plenty of fellow Brits as well, and being Brits abroad we'll all say the same thing.

"I do look forward to a decent cup of tea when I get home!"

(Oddly enough, we all have mugs of tea, but we still say cup)

 

[Travelgrrl]

Spike, I know you'll have a great time. I love Disneyworld, but the ease and proximity of Universal is amazing - And the rides are even better!

We'll be there Mon, Tues and Wed of your week and might see you there. A beautiful young witch and an old hag - guess which one is me and which is my daughter?!

 

[Spike101]

Spike, I know you'll have a great time. I love Disneyworld, but the ease and proximity of Universal is amazing - And the rides are even better!

We'll be there Mon, Tues and Wed of your week and might see you there. A beautiful young witch and an old hag - guess which one is me and which is my daughter?!

I'll be the pasty white English guy wearing a geeky vest of some kind, most probably a Dr Who or Superhero design and a HP backpack, and I'm sure you're not an old hag!

 

[Travelgrrl]

Hahaha, I'll be the hag in a spiffy Ravenclaw uniform / Marauder's Map dress / other goofy HP thing! With my 28 year old daughter walking ten paces behind, no doubt.

 

[Spike101]

Hahaha, I'll be the hag in a spiffy Ravenclaw uniform / Marauder's Map dress / other goofy HP thing! With my 28 year old daughter walking ten paces behind, no doubt.

A fellow Ravenclaw, hurrah!

 

[Spike101]

44 days to go!

 

[limace]

I am envious! Solo trip is on my bucket list-have been contemplating one to Disneyland one of these days.

And yay Ravenclaw! My 9 year is adamant he is a ravenclaw and it’s hard to find cool stuff for him. Hoping they have some in the parks?

 

[Spike101]

I am envious! Solo trip is on my bucket list-have been contemplating one to Disneyland one of these days.

And yay Ravenclaw! My 9 year is adamant he is a ravenclaw and it’s hard to find cool stuff for him. Hoping they have some in the parks?

I am lucky living in London I have access to plenty of cool Ravenclaw stuff, the Platform 9 &3/4 shop at Kings Cross station is amazing, and you can buy all their stuff online, well worth doing as will be a lot cheaper than buying it at the parks, especially the robes!

 

[Travelgrrl]

And yay Ravenclaw! My 9 year is adamant he is a ravenclaw and it’s hard to find cool stuff for him. Hoping they have some in the parks?

Just FYI: If you have time to wait 4-6 weeks to get your stuff, there are TONS of Ravenclaw items on Ebay that can be had for under $5 (most under $2) with free shipping... Ravenclaw keyrings, ties, house scarves, patches, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem pendants, etc. Just search "Ravenclaw" (or "Harry Potter"), set the sort box on the upper right to "Priced low to high" rather than "Best Match" and you'll find many many things for shockingly cheap. The quality has been high; you just have to patiently wait to get things!