What is your top reason for going solo?

[The WDW 3]

Social anxiety? Simply doesn’t know anybody else that would enjoy or could afford to go? What is your reason for going solo?

 

[brad813]

Social anxiety? Simply doesn’t know anybody else that would enjoy or could afford to go? What is your reason for going solo?

I am a perennially single individual with few friends who enjoy it can afford to travel. Over the years I have gotten used to it. The only family member who would travel with me I have to trade off with to make sure the pets are cared for.

 

[BadPinkTink]

A switch off from reality and time to myself without any responsibilities, and the ability to be totally selfish with my time and not having to follow other peoples body clock, routines or dietary restrictions.

 

[brad813]

A switch off from reality and time to myself without any responsibilities, and the ability to be totally selfish with my time and not having to follow other peoples body clock, routines or dietary restrictions.

Always nice to get out of your head, but sadly, I am the one with dietary restrictions when I travel(acidic foods don’t agree with me), though I do enjoy my fair share of more exotic dishes at least, so I don’t feel I miss out. I do understand about trying to find something to please everyone though. When I meet with friends at Disney, let’s just say not all of my friends have as an adventurous a palate as I have.

 

[magrudersmakes3]

I’ve always traveled with my daughter, but she enlisted in the Air Force and is not able to go this time. While I would rather go with her, I’m ok going solo and enjoying the parks. I have friends that would go with me, but then I feel like a tour guide and that is not enjoyable for me.

 

[Candice30]

i love solo trips to not have to factor in anyone else's wishes but my own. i go to disney frequently and i love my trips with my fam & friends but there is always a ride i have to skip cause someone doesn't like it or food spots where it will make that person sick, etc. don't have to consider anyone else but me and sometimes you just need that. i love being able to change my mind last minute if i want. one time i woke up and was like, i just want to chill and stayed in the room all day except when i went to pick up food but brought it back to the room and watched movies all day. fam & friends would never let me hang in room like that.

 

[karma459]

Much like others have already posted, I planned my first (but likely not last) solo trip just as a means to get away from daily life, de-stress and literally think about NOTHING but my own personal wants and needs.

When I travel with a group, I am always the one planning, researching, scheduling and making sure every detail is covered and people are happy - (this is because I'm pretty obsessive and I put *myself* in this position )

I am very particular in how I travel from bookings, flights, timing, travel, hotel, activities, meals, etc. I travel a LOT for work solo (pre-Covid) and I just have "my way" of doing all the logistics. When I only have myself to worry about, then it's just generally a more peaceful experience.

Cost is also a factor: I also have 4 adult and late teenage kids + 1 soon to be SIL and I can't "just take 1 or 2"... if they go, then they ALL go and that gets very expensive very quickly.
When it's just me, so those lovely but $$$$ Signature restaurants are no big deal for 1 person - for 6 people it's a whole different story!

 

[Anne Scaffo]

Next month my DH and I will have been married for 28 years. We are complete opposites in most ways. I've always hated the idea of dragging him to places that he just won't enjoy. We have a lovely backyard, and for the most part, he sees no need to leave. So, we will occasionally do hiking or beach trips together. But, for the most part I either soloed or went with the kids (now 25 &23).

Over the years, I have come to enjoy making the decisions I want without having to worry. None of my friends share most of my interests, or they are not in a financial position to vacation the way I want. Someday, maybe. This June WDW trip will be my longest solo venture. I'll be celebrating my 50th b-day. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and returning to one of my happy place.

 

[BrianL]

It's mostly because others won't go with me. I want to go when I want to go! I don't necessarily mind though.

 

[daae3]

I took my first solo Disney trip, cause I had done a family trip and enjoyed it...and was sad when it ended...I wanted another visit but my family were not Disney fans. So I planned it and went...I was already an experienced solo traveler but I liked the Disney experience. These days I have a Disney travel buddy with a similar touring style but I still take the occasional solo because I enjoy it.

 

[The WDW 3]

Thanks for the response

 

[goofyernmost]

Isn't it obvious? Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I'm going to eat some worms. Or go solo to WDW.

 

[notatallmagic]

Love reading these! I do expect someday soon that I may take my first solo trip - oldest kid is heading off to school without much flexibility to schedule; and youngest is involved in year round sports without flexibility either. It's a little scary, but exciting to think about a solo trip!

 

[StageTek]

Social anxiety? Simply doesn’t know anybody else that would enjoy or could afford to go? What is your reason for going solo?

No social anxiety here. I have always enjoyed traveling solo. I knew several people who like to go but for several years schedules just didn't work out.

So finally I just decided to go solo.

And I loved it. Two more solo trips and then one with a friend. I gotta admit I found myself wishing I was solo.

 

[AussieFan8]

Next month my DH and I will have been married for 28 years. We are complete opposites in most ways. I've always hated the idea of dragging him to places that he just won't enjoy. We have a lovely backyard, and for the most part, he sees no need to leave. So, we will occasionally do hiking or beach trips together. But, for the most part I either soloed or went with the kids (now 25 &23).

Over the years, I have come to enjoy making the decisions I want without having to worry. None of my friends share most of my interests, or they are not in a financial position to vacation the way I want. Someday, maybe. This June WDW trip will be my longest solo venture. I'll be celebrating my 50th b-day. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and returning to one of my happy place.

I am right there with you! My husband doesn't enjoy theme parks so my daughter and I started going alone. He watches the dog and gets to be home and everyone is happy. My daughter is the perfect travel companion for me, but I suspect at some point, maybe when she's married, she will want to go with her husband/family and at that point I'll probably travel solo. After our trips together where we totally agree on everything we want to do, I think it would be tough to go with a friend who wants to tour differently than I do. But I may have to try it just to see what happens!

 

[Lizgistix]

Everyone else has to work those days

 

[monarchsfan16]

I started taking solo trips in college. Back in 2008 and 2009 it was possible to get some pretty spectacular prices. I was able to afford the trips. My friends weren't. Life needed escaping.

Now I'm married and we don't have kids. I work in education so I have lots of vacation opportunities. My husband only gets about 10 days of vacation time a year. He also prefers Disney cruises to the parks. So I go solo to get my park fix.

 

[loves to dive]

Hubby doesn't like to travel, my son is grown with a family of his own, none of my other relatives can afford to go so I go solo. I travel other places solo as well. Hubby will go camping or on a dive trip.

 

[kwdw]

Multiple reasons: (1) My partner doesn't have as much vacation time as I do, (2) other family who would love to go can't afford to go as frequently as I can, (3) partner, while he will go with me sometimes, he doesn't love Disney as much as me, so we save more vacations for the two of us to places that interest him, too, and (4) while at first my solo Disney trips were just to "enjoy Disney" - I've learned that solo travel really helps me reduce stress - it makes me responsible to nobody except my self and gets me away from the office. It helps me reset and rejuvenate (even though I do check email; take an occasional meeting). Travel with my partner does that "destress" some, too, but there is still some of the compromising that happens when we travel together. We are pretty good travel companions - so it's not much compromising - but there's still some. Travelling solo - its all about ME. And I'm a big introvert - so it's all good.

 

[etesrafrmnc]

you know, when you travel with someone you always need to reckon with everyone and do not only what you want
and sometimes I really want to do everything just for myself !!!