Things you do when solo

[hucifer]

I have a business trip to WDW coming up in July and I'm adding a few days on the trip for some solo time. This is my first solo trip, but I've been wanting to do it for many years now. I'm very happy to finally have an opportunity to do it!

My question to you is: What special things do you like to do when you're doing Disney by yourself? I've read some great ideas in the past, but I'd love to hear more.

Care to share?

 

[Amysita]

Riding my favorite rides over & over again w/o anyone griping 'not agaaaaain'. Trying a new food at least once w/o anyone saying 'eeeeeew that's different...I don't wannnnna'.

 

[tednvon]

Check out the really neat detail in the parks you love...
I can spend an hour just watching the great apes at AK.

I could ride the safari 2-3 times...

Sit in the front row center for The American Adventure at Epcot, the Hall of Presidents, and the Carousel of Progress and study the Animatronics...

Look for all the detail on the sets and animatronics of Spaceship Earth...

Have a great steak filet at House of Blues at the bar...

Have ribs at the bar at Boardwalk's Great River Brewing Co...and say Hi to Jim behind the bar...

Catch the street entertainers on Boardwalk and then walk off the ribs by going all the way around by The Beach Club...

Take the backstage AK or Magic Kingdom 4 hour tour...

Catch all 4 Beatles sets in England...

In between The Beatles just walk, do all the 360 movies, ride the silly boat in Mexico, and watch at least two sets of the great singers at American Adventure...

see American Adventure again...the animatronics are unbelievable...always amazed at Mark Twain's smoking cigar...

Just a few of my favorites...more to come from others I hope....Ted

 

[hucifer]

Riding my favorite rides over & over again w/o anyone griping 'not agaaaaain'. Trying a new food at least once w/o anyone saying 'eeeeeew that's different...I don't wannnnna'.

Ah, you must have kids.

Check out the really neat detail in the parks you love...I can spend an hour just watching the great apes at AK.

I could ride the safari 2-3 times...

Sit in the front row center for The American Adventure at Epcot, the Hall of Presidents, and the Carousel of Progress and study the Animatronics...

Look for all the detail on the sets and animatronics of Spaceship Earth...

Have a great steak filet at House of Blues at the bar...

Have ribs at the bar at Boardwalk's Great River Brewing Co...and say Hi to Jim behind the bar...

Catch the street entertainers on Boardwalk and then walk off the ribs by going all the way around by The Beach Club...

Take the backstage AK or Magic Kingdom 4 hour tour...

Catch all 4 Beatles sets in England...

In between The Beatles just walk, do all the 360 movies, ride the silly boat in Mexico, and watch at least two sets of the great singers at American Adventure...

see American Adventure again...the animatronics are unbelievable...always amazed at Mark Twain's smoking cigar...

Just a few of my favorites...more to come from others I hope....Ted

These are great! I especially like the bolded ones.

 

[Amysita]

LOL...nope...no kids...just very whiny friends.

 

[Joanna71985]

I love meeting all the characters

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I ended a wonderful 2 week trip with a solo night at AKL back in August. I was up early...really early! I had b'fast at Boma around 7 I think. I was trying to figure out what to do with my day as my flight was not until 8PM. What would I do? Which park? DTD? Relax by the pool? Then it hit me...why not do my favs at all 4 parks!!

So, I checked out, left my luggage with the luggage folks and I was off. Part of my "challenge" was to do at least 3 things at each park. I did all of that, and hit a few resorts along the way--I had decided I wanted to get magnets from each of the resorts I had stayed in.

It was such a great day that I repeated it when I was again solo for my last day back in March.

 

[hucifer]

LOL...nope...no kids...just very whiny friends.

Some ideas I've heard before:
* offer families to take their picture
* buy a balloon for a child


These are great ideas, everyone. Please keep them coming.

 

[tednvon]

Now your getting in the spirit...When I go alone or with my spouse, (who works part time at Disney) we always ask families or couples that are taking pictures if they want a picture together...most say yes, once in great while you will get a paranoid look, but not too often. It is especially fun with young couples as they end up with 100 pictures of just one of them...

Not sure about buying a child a balloon. I would ask the adult first. I love balloons but they are a pain to haul around at Disney!

By the way, you can get a great last minute seat at Fantasmic as a single if you just wander down the center isle about 10 minutes before showtime and look for friendly faces and a little room.
For Illuminations, I like to get right in the middle of the tall skinny palms at the entrance to World Showcase. There is a viewing area where everybody sits on a sloped cement area until show time. I go right back by the rope at the rear and again find a friendly face and little piece of cement. Illuminations is best viewed in my opinion from here as the fountains, the ground fireworks, and the Earth are all centered and symetric. Easy out after the show is good.

Go for it!

Ted

 

[pixiedust23]

I haven't been solo yet, but will be going in a couple weeks. My plans include the following:

1. Reading books and drinking fruity drinks by the pool.
2. Renting a bike and going bike riding around the resort.
3. Walking/shopping around DTD and picking up some bath supplies at Basin to have a nice relaxing bubble bath at night.
4. Spa services.
5. Tea at the GF.
6. Turning off my Blackberry and enjoying my complete life hiatus (only a couple of people know where I'll be, and most people don't even know I'm heading out of town)

 

[Simba's Mom]

I haven't been solo yet, but will be going in a couple weeks. My plans include the following:

1. Reading books and drinking fruity drinks by the pool.

My #1 favorite thing to do. I also love chatting with CMs. Come to think of it, I had a nice long chat with a CM as I was lying around the pool with a fruity drink in my hand. One reason I like TS at lunchtime is that resturants are slower and sometimes the server will stop and chat for a while.

 

[hucifer]

I agree about conversations with CMs...they can be very interesting people to talk to. And what better time to do so than when you're alone?

 

[gordtep]

Star Tours, over and over

 

[tolemommy]

I love to walk through the parks & take digital pictures & people watch. It's so nice not to be in a rush. I take my time and enjoy the beauty & magic of the parks. I try to slow down and enjoy it's just me so why rush!

Like a few other posters mentioned I love to ride my favorite rides over & over again w/o hearing complaints.

I also enjoy spending a half day in downtown Disney or Main Street in MK wandering through the shops taking my time looking for just the right gifts.

Lastly I like to visit a DW resort property that I haven't visited or stayed at to see what it is like. Next on my list is Fort Wilderness.

 

[hucifer]

I love to walk through the parks & take digital pictures & people watch. It's so nice not to be in a rush. I take my time and enjoy the beauty & magic of the parks. I try to slow down and enjoy it's just me so why rush!

I can see my trip being like this...slowing down to take in the details. I can also see the Park Commando in me coming out at times too.

 

[DisneyMagick2008]

I've gone solo 3 times and the park commando ALWAYS takes over at some point. It's my curse.

 

[DisneyMarathon]

I haven't been solo yet, but will be going in a couple weeks. My plans include the following:

1. Reading books and drinking fruity drinks by the pool.
2. Renting a bike and going bike riding around the resort.
3. Walking/shopping around DTD and picking up some bath supplies at Basin to have a nice relaxing bubble bath at night.
4. Spa services.
5. Tea at the GF.
6. Turning off my Blackberry and enjoying my complete life hiatus (only a couple of people know where I'll be, and most people don't even know I'm heading out of town)

Hi Pixiedust23,
I usually go solo and do what you had described.

I also love to take some of the tours including scuba diving at the Living seas at Epcot, and absorb the ambiance at the resort.

I also enjoy shopping at DTD and then take a break at Ghiradelli's.

 

[ClaraLondon]

hummmh alone.well if i am alone in Disney I would go for my favorite rides.i would love seeing others screaming and shouting on dangerous rides.dats my way of having fun alone.

 

[Cap'n Keel]

...What special things do you like to do when you're doing Disney by yourself?
Care to share?

wenching

 

[Terk-1]

Having done 4 solo trips (with another one planned for later this year), I do many things that I would not necessarily do with family.

1. I take my sweet time walking down Main Street USA. I take my time looking at all of the windows on the upper floors to see what they say. I also look for things I missed before (like a door that I do the same thing at the Magic Kingdom that says "Magic Kingdom Casting Agency"). Also, if you go into one of the little area off of Main Street, you can hear people getting dancing and singing lessons.

2. Ride the Haunted Mansion at least 50 times during my trip!! LOVE this attraction!!!

3. Ride Test Track several times in a row. Got to love that single rider line.

4. Dine at some of the nicer sit-down restaurants.

5. Take my time wandering around World Showcase and look at all of the nooks & cranies.

6. I also like riding the Main Street Railroad around a few times without getting off. Just a nice relaxing ride.

7. Having a freshly baked ice cream cookie sandwich at the Sleepy Hollow, then grabbing a rocker next door to it and chilling.

8. Renting a water mouse and racing around the two lagoons at the Magic Kingdom.

9. Strolling around the various resorts and looking at all the little details that each one has.

10. Watching the Jammitors a few times at EPCOT. LOVE THESE GUYS!!

11. Just taking time to absorb all that WDW has to offer that I may miss by just focusing on just the attractions.