Solo trips to disney world? Thoughts...

[C.C. Langley]

Do many of you make disney trips alone? I want to do a disney world trip without my children at some point, but my DH (this means husband right? Still learning the lingo... lol) really just is not as excited about disney world as I am. Have any of you ever gone alone? Was it fun? Did you like it? Was it hard getting ADR's for one person? Spill!!!!! Please.....

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Going alone I dunno some of the best memories are sharing t with someone that I love...

On he other hand you can get better fast passes!

 

[Fantaluminishes]

Do many of you make disney trips alone? I want to do a disney world trip without my children at some point, but my DH (this means husband right? Still learning the lingo... lol) really just is not as excited about disney world as I am. Have any of you ever gone alone? Was it fun? Did you like it? Was it hard getting ADR's for one person? Spill!!!!! Please.....

Four of my seven trips to WDW have been solo trips. I love my solo trips!! I travel solo to WDW because only one time has my travel companion been able to keep up with me. I love the flexibility of being able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. Dining is not a problem at all for solo travelers. For ADR purposes, look at parties of one and two. The party size doesn't matter if it's 1 or 2, but sometimes it's easier to find a table using 2 as the quantity.

I'm going back in July for ten nights. The first four are for work, and the last six are solo. I say "go all out" if you can. I've learned to pamper myself on solo trips. It's the best way to go.

 

[AllieBoo]

Yes, DH does mean husband I haven't been to Disney World by myself (yet), but I imagine I would have a blast!

 

[nicki.momof3]

Going alone I dunno some of the best memories are sharing t with someone that I love...

On he other hand you can get better fast passes!

I 100% agree - WDW is for sharing family memories. I would never think of going without my family. The more the better. I love our special family time at WDW. They are memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. I don't care about better fastpasses or ADR's if I am not with my family it wouldn't mean anything to me.

 

[mullysisters]

I visit WDW solo because I have to. My dsis( dear sister) and I own a large farm and cannot get away together anymore. We had two trips together and I can tell you that it is more fun with the right Disney loving person.
Dsis, on the other hand, loves to go without me! LOL
She spends more time at the resort, I' m more of a park warrior.
We love to go to WDW because its fun, safe and there is so much to do by yourself.

 

[Eolyn]

I haven't done a solo trip yet, but I image it would be fun. I do like going with ONE other person though so I have someone to talk to. I'm too shy to make friends in lines, lol.

 

[lroger01]

I did a solo trip last October. My previous trips were with my kids (pre teen and teen). I've enjoyed all my trips! The solo one was fun, but in a different way. I definitely don't have as many memories of that trip than I do the others. I tended to just go go go even though I was tuckered out. Not having anyone else to hang with in the room or by the pool was difficult. I just couldn't seem to relax.

I'll do a solo trip again, for sure - but wouldn't mind if someone came along either.

Things to keep in mind are:

• Don't do it if you're never alone at home. I'm single and used to doing things and eating out on my own. It's something you really have to get used to. At least take some days (before you decide) where you're doing things totally alone.
  
  
• If you're not sure how you're family will handle it, find a convention or training course in Orlando. Going on a trip for "work" and slipping in a few days at Disney is easier for others to understand.
  
  
• Get trip insurance - for the medical part. Since you're alone, this insurance will pay for someone to come help you if needed.
  

• Make sure you have everything you need before claiming a spot for a parade or sitting down at a QS. There isn't anyone to save your spot - though I did make friends that helped out when I needed a drink while waiting for the parade.

 

[LaurenT]

I am 50 years old. I have a DH and a DD12 (12 yr old daughter). I have dozens of trips to WDW under my belt, some with the three of us, some with my friend and our girls, some with three families traveling together.
I turned 50 last September and for my birthday, knowing how I love Disney and always plan everything for everyone, DH gave me a solo trip, which I decided to take in November during F&W! It was amazing!!! I woke early and showered and hit the parks and did whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and loved every minute of it!!
I do love the trips with family, but I think some personality types just need to have their own space sometimes, and I finally got some!
I say go for it!!

 

[C.C. Langley]

I love doing things with my kids... but they are 5 and 3, still young to really do disney like I want to do disney. My five year old and myself are doing a trip in May, and I know I will have wonderful memories from the experience, but I really want to do an adult disney trip too. If my husband would do it with me, I'd obviously prefer that, but he just isn't into it... but I also think that going alone would offer a totally different experience. Maybe I could even meet people here on the boards doing a solo trip at the same time as me, and do things with them. I just want to do disney with another fanatic, and I just don't know anyone personally who would go go go go with me the whole time.

 

[sky13]

I just came back from a mostly solo trip earlier this month (was solo most of the time but met up with a friend from here a few times).

Had lots and lots of fun. I got to do things on my own schedule - so did a couple of insane long days (7am-2am, 8am-3am), slept in on other days, did stuff when I wanted to, had meals only when I got hungry, etc. I also had a few random conversations with people in line, and with CMs (who were all incredibly nice and happy to spend time just chatting about really random things).

Oh and I found it fairly easy to get FP+s and ADRs for a single person. I only did my FP+s and ADRs somewhere around the 30-40 day mark, and got FP+s for Anna+Elsa, Wishes, 7DMT, and got ADRs for Be Our Guest (dinner, and then breakfast when it was announced) and pre-park opening Crystal Palace. (I didn't do all of these in the end though!)

I'm single though and this was not the first time I've been to a Disney park on my own (started with DL as was in California for a conference and had no one to go with me, and the amazing time I had there meant that I was no longer worried about doing Disney on my own... since then I've also had a few solo trips to DLP). I've also been taking flights alone since I was 18 so am fairly confident travelling on my own in general.

Safety is another aspect - I stayed on-site and never once felt unsafe while I was on WDW property. Even when it was really, really late at night!

 

[C.C. Langley]

Yes, the safety at disney resorts seems to be a pretty well known about thing... I'm glad to hear that you feel the same way. That reputation of safety is why my husband was good with just me and my five year old coming by ourself next month. We will take the shuttle straight from airport to park, stay on disney grounds the entire time, and then be returned to airport by the magic express.

 

[mrzrich]

My 40th Birthday was a solo trip, and I absolutely loved it. I got up when I wanted, ate when and where I wanted. Rode what I wanted and saw what I wanted. On my schedule.

 

[POOHsie]

I have done a few solo trips and I loved them. But I'm the type who can entertain herself. Some people are not as confident when alone. You have to know yourself. A Disney resort stay is definitely a key element -- stay inside the presumed "safety bubble." My last solo trip I stayed at one of the All Star resorts, then Pop Century. As a family we usually stay at one of the Moderates. So that was different but I wanted to "test the waters" of a Value room size and overall experience. The only ADR I couldn't get was Ohana dinner. No big deal, really. Later on these Boards, I got advice to try and book Ohana dinner for 2 or 3 -- and suddenly openings might appear. As long as you show up, you won't get dinged for a cancellation fee for the "no-shows."

I loved taking a longer shower, lingering at meal-time, chatting with strangers from interesting places, window shopping more than with the family, who were usually pulling in other directions. Have a great time and let us know how it turned out. There is a forum here for Adults and Solo Travelers. I haven't read it much, so I don't know how helpful it might be for you: http://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-for-adults-and-solo-travelers.54/

 

[MrLight]

I'm doing my first solo trip May 9-16. At first I was really apprehensive about going alone, but the more I've thought about it, the more excited I've become about it.

 

[goofyernmost]

Been doing solo trips for the past 14 years. There are occasions when it would have been nice to have someone to share things with, but, for the most part the idea that I can go where I want to go, spend whatever time I want, eat when and where I want to eat and come and go when I feel like it way outweighs that occasional twang of lonely. Even at my age, I feel occasionally like I need to make a road trip. WDW being a 10 hour drive from my door to theirs, is the perfect length to take care of both road trip and Disney fix.

 

[d-train]

My last 2 trips were sort of solo...brought my HS choir to perform. Besides the meet up times with the students, I was essentially on my own in the parks. I always have a great time, with my family, and solo. Easy to get dinning reservations, and fast passes. Loved the freedom of being able to do exactly what I wanted and to change the plans without getting anyone else's ok. Of course there were fun times with the students throughout the day, other than that, just me!

Have to add though, I am very much looking forward to being at MK with my DW and LO in about 7 weeks... Certainly not my wife's first trip (she is not as into it all as I am....) but it is my LO's first time. Gonna be great!

 

[larryz]

You might be by yourself at WDW, but you're never alone...

 

[Hisgirl]

I did a solo trip in January 2014. I realized it might seem weird or lonely without my family so I tried to really make it a different trip. For starters, I resort hopped. Three different deluxe resorts! That was fun and interesting for sure! I brought my ipad so when dining, I could play words with friends, or read, or chat or do whatever just in case I was feeling a bit conspicuous. Also, the college football championship was playing so I got myself a table at the ESPN club and made lots of friends while watching the game. I brought my good camera and took tons of photos and rode rides that I normally skipped. The whole trip was about doing everything and anything I wanted to do. I had a blast and you will too!!

 

[acourtwdw]

I just did this last week and had a blast! I've been to WDW so many times that I have lost count with at least my sister if not the entire 12 person family. I got to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. For instance on my EPCOT day, I never ventured toward the Land. I don't like Soarin and that is really the only attraction over there. I slept in, which is a treat! I ate cookies for breakfast and had a PB&J shake with a Rumchata shot one day for lunch. I got to see the Beauty and the Beast show for the first time in years since the rest of the family doesn't care for it. I did a monorail crawl and met an amazing and fun couple at Trader Sam's Grog Grotto. I can't speak for ADR since I only had 1 TS and that was at Morocco since I was walking by and they had a lunch special. I did the single rider line whenever available. Less than 10 minute wait on both EE and Test Track. I took my time and just absorbed the details that I often miss because we are trying to get from point a to point b. I got to swim 2 of the 4 days I was there. Since we tend to be a commando family, swimming is a luxury. I recommend that everyone, at least once, travel somewhere by them self.