To go Solo or not to go Solo?

[kgoodb00]

So, the opportunity to take a 4 day weekend at work has come up. I thought what a perfect time to go to Disney!

I asked my friends and family if they would want to join me on traveling to the happiest place on Earth! All of them said that they either could not afford it, were too busy, or just plain old didn't wanna go! So I thought to myself I could go solo couldn't I?!

Going solo sounds like a great idea, but I am kind of getting a little nervous about it. I am afraid it will be lonely and awkard at times. I am very capable of being quite independent and doing things on my own, but this just seems like a crazy idea! So how do you pro solo travelers shake the lonlieness or awkwardness that may occur?

Also, I am a little bit worried that if I just walk up to my DH and say um btw I booked a 4 day weekend for me to go to WDW ALONE, then he might think that I am a tad bit crazy! He totally is the type that supports what I wanna do, but I am afraid he will be like whoa where did this come from? He knows I am Disney obsessed but I think he may not realize how much! So my other question is how did your DH's and DW's react to you telling them that you were gonna travel to WDW solo? And what advice might you have for me? Anything will help! I am so anxious yet so nervous!!!

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

I find that doing anything solo is not as awkward as you might think. My advice, bring a book! You can read while you are waiting for food at a restaurant, etc. Also, Disney is a great place to start up conversations with total strangers Try the single rider line.

 

[macraven]

7 years of solo trips for me.

i love to get away by myself and just do whatever i feel like on the vacation.


your time is your own.
with a family, the mom is usually the one that has to give in and do what is best for what others in the family want.

not the case going solo.


for me, i mark the calendar of the dates i will be gone.
Mr Mac usually figures out i will be in disney during that time......


my spouse takes skiing trips, camping trips, bike trips throughout the year.
he just gives me a heads up on the dates he will be away from home.

i do the same.

neither one of us 'asks' permission from the other to do solo trips.
we just tell each other what we want to plan and if that works with the family schedule.

pretty simple in my case.

 

[kgoodb00]

I find that doing anything solo is not as awkward as you might think. My advice, bring a book! You can read while you are waiting for food at a restaurant, etc. Also, Disney is a great place to start up conversations with total strangers Try the single rider line.

I am such a book worm and have taken a book with me to a restaurant before and read it! I am very excited about the fact that I could read a book a day if I wanted to! I love talking to new people too! Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it a lot!

 

[kgoodb00]

7 years of solo trips for me.

i love to get away by myself and just do whatever i feel like on the vacation.


your time is your own.
with a family, the mom is usually the one that has to give in and do what is best for what others in the family want.

not the case going solo.


for me, i mark the calendar of the dates i will be gone.
Mr Mac usually figures out i will be in disney during that time......


my spouse takes skiing trips, camping trips, bike trips throughout the year.
he just gives me a heads up on the dates he will be away from home.

i do the same.

neither one of us 'asks' permission from the other to do solo trips.
we just tell each other what we want to plan and if that works with the family schedule.

pretty simple in my case.

I have no children of my own but do raise my 8 y.o. step-daughter and my 11 y.o. step-son. My SD is very dramatic and has pushed me to want to take a vacation to get away from the craziness of our home! They have never been to Disney but know that I am planning a trip for our whole family to go in 2013. So, I think they wouldn't mind if I am gone for a weekend...as long as I bring them back something cool!

My DH doesn't go on many trips on his own, but in the past year has gone to a few places. I don't think he will mind me going anywhere, but I just feel weird telling him I am going. I really just want to keep where I am going a big secret but I don't think that will work to well because I do wanto to take lots of pictures!!

But thank you for all the advice! I think you just may have pushed me to go on my own!

 

[Brian Noble]

I travel often for business, and that's entirely solo travel. So, I'm a little used to it. But, I was hesitant to do it for "fun", until the opportunity came up a couple years ago---the kids' mid-winter vacations did not line up with my employers', so my wife took the kids on a cruise, and I overlapped just a few days with them. Afterwards, I spent several days on my own. It was honestly wonderful.

I rarely find it awkward to travel solo. I do often bring a book (okay, technically, an iPad) to dinner, unless I plan at eating at the bar. Along those lines, I have also met some fun and interesting people having dinner at the bar. I also find that interacting with the Cast (and other Guests) helps keep things flowing.

 

[katt789]

I had some hesitancy about going alone, but I recently did the same thing, had a 4 day weekend, and I went for it! It was awesome! There are definitely points where it's weird, but thats more when you're talking to people back home (or clearing customs....) but everyone down there is so talkative & ready to chat & hang out with people who are solo. Not too mention, you get to do whatever you want, when you want and you get some alone time. I loved it!

 

[kgoodb00]

Thanks for all the great advice and making me feel like I can do a solo trip! I booked my 4 day weekend today! I am so very excited and anxious! Too bad its still over 2 months away! I can't wait!

 

[dwheaton]

I haven't done a full solo trip, but I'm starting to plan one. I have spent some time alone in line and a few nights during family trips at Epcot. I think you'll do well. My iPhone was good for passing the time in line, but there's also a lot to check out in the queues. A book is also a nice idea if you don't mind carrying it around. Your DH may think you're a bit crazy (my wife probably thinks I'm that way about me), but I'm sure it will be good. You'll have a blast.

 

[dunia304]

Hi friends!!

All my friends, family & partners from my job thinks I am crazy because I am going a solo trip in December to Disney Parks (and more places in Orlando!), and I am from Canary Islands, Spain, so people here can't believe a girl like me (31 y.o. ) can do a trip like that one: So many hours in a plane, alone, and so many days in Orlando!! (14 days), but as I have to pay a lot for the flights, I want to go the most days I can . Maybe it will be really boring after a few days, but if I don't try it, I'll never know, and I have really bad experiences travelling with other people, always get nervous because I can't see all what I want, or they spend 1 hour for just breakfast......things like that, and now is an opportunity for me to know how it feels traveling by myself!!

I posted this same message before in this forum, but also put it here: if someone is travelling in the same dates as me (29 November / 12 December) we could meet there and dinner, or see a show in the parks, talk for a while....etc etc. Let me know if you are interested, and I'll give you my facebook name to find me there, so you can know me better!

 

[richmo]

A few years back I was in Disney for a conference and my company was happy to pay me to stay over the weekend since the airfares were (at that time) so much less if you stayed over a Saturday night. So, I had a few solo Disney days.

Enjoyed that so much I've been able to do a solo trip just about every year since.

Go for it!