Tips for eating....solo?

Wonders10

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 20, 2003
Messages
2,893
Hi everyone,

As it reads in my siggie, I'll be taking my very first solo trip in the very near future. As I think a lot of solo travelers have similar "fears", I'm not a big fan of eating alone - counter service or table service. But a girl has to eat and I can't always go back to the resort to "hide" in the comfort of my resort room :laughing: . So for those of you that have traveled and dined solo, what are your tips? Such as what restaurants (table or counter service) do you think are best for eating alone, times of day, etc? Anything you can think of to make it a little more enjoyable for someone like me who is a teensy weensy bit apprehensive about it.

Thanks in advance! :goodvibes
 
been to Disney solo yet. I travel alone quite a bit and thought I would be in Orlando a few days and gave this some thought, but the trip fell through.

There is an Adult and Solo discussion board on this site that could provide additional help. There is a current thread of people currently planning trips with the deluxe dining plan. See link:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1808780
 
I am pretty fearless about eating solo. I have no issues with doing it at WDW or aywhere else. When I travel solo at WDW, I go to the signature restaurants for dinner every night and use that as some real relaxation time. I like to sit back with a glass of wine, reflect on the day and take in all the sights and sounds around me. When I do that, I realize that no one is paying the slightest bit of attention to me and that no one really cares that I am eating on my own.

I also like to take time during dinner to write in the trip diary that I keep. This helps keep me occupied between courses.
 
I've been a couple of times for solo trips and enjoyed both times. Great to be able to do exactly what you want and eat where you want.

Counter service is easy - just find a nice quiet corner and watch the world go by or find somewhere with a good outlook and enjoy the scenery.

For table service I usually prefer buffets so that there's no waiting between courses, although if you take a book or journal you can fill the time in with that. Enjoy people watching and savour the experience. Dont worry at all and you'll be fine.
 

Ive been solo a couple of times and will go again in August. I've dined at many counter services places, character buffets, sci-fi, Le Cellier....it was fine. Also, the characters were especially sweet and attentive! I've heard that some people take a book to read, but I enjoy people watching!
 
Thanks for the encouraging words everybody! I know it is me that has the issue with it, not the other people in the restaurant. I'm not planning on making an ADRs though so if the mood strikes me to eat at a sit down place, I will just go with the flow and see what is available, if not, then oh well!

Thanks again for the tips - keep 'em coming!
 
I have been blessed to be able to travel solo to both WDW and DL several times in the last few years. I actually enjoy some of the solo dining times I have had.

If you are concerned about feeling left out or lonely, I would suggest places like Biergarten (where you are seated at a table with others) or 50s Prime Time Cafe (where the tables are close together and there is lots of interaction). You will forget you are a solo diner pretty quickly in these places.

You might also try spending some time at the bars in places like the Rose and Crown, or the Tambu Lounge. Pretty much everybody seated at those places feels like a single even if they are not.

Don't sweat it! You're at Disney! Enjoy the fact that you are eating where you want, what you want, when you want, and as much as you want without having to worry about what everybody else in your group wants to do! You'll love it!!!!!
 
If you'd like to enjoy a special meal, I'd suggest Jiko. Tell them when you check in that you are alone, and ask to sit in the area where the chefs are preparing the food. I did this on a recent trip and it was wonderful. I got to watch the chefs preparing food, and they were very friendly and chatted to me about what they were doing and where they were from, and even brought me little samples of food I hadn't ordered! It ended up being one of the highlights of my trip!

There may be other restaurants where you can do something similar - maybe California Grill?

Teresa
 


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