Speaking from my own experience here (and undoubtedly repeating a lot of what has already been shared)...
Pros:
- Setting my own schedule lets me do whatever weird things I want to do, whenever I feel like doing them. Ice cream sundae for breakfast? You bet. Riding Star Tours 6x in a row? Done it. Feel like camping out for the fireworks and just people watching/reading a book for a couple hours? Totally fine (as long as I remember to grab a snack first).
- Single rider lines often significantly cut down on wait times for rides, though I'm not sure if/when they'd bring them back after COVID.
- You have more opportunities to meet interesting people, which often doesn't happen when you're with family/friends/a partner. Granted, if you're an introvert (like me), this can be both a pro and con, but I've met some super lovely Disney fans while traveling alone!
Cons:
- Unless you're good at making friends with strangers, trying to snag a spot for the parades/fireworks can be both difficult and tiring (especially if you need to camp out early). Again, this is more of a pre-/post-COVID issue, but it's probably my least favorite thing about doing the parks solo.
- Dining alone is a bit awkward until you get used to it. For that reason, I usually bring my Kindle or do a bit of writing/phone scrolling during meals.
- The concept of traveling solo is sometimes a bit off-putting to strangers (and even cast members), and I've definitely dealt with some unsolicited "Aww, poor you" or "I could never do that / why would you do that to yourself / you're soooo brave to be here alone" comments when I mention it to people.
All that said, I've been going to
Disneyland and Walt Disney World for the past six years (21 trips and counting) and can't wait for my next solo trip in December. If you haven't done it yet, maybe get your feet wet with a weekend trip or something — you might just fall in love with it, too.