7 Reasons To Go Solo At Disney World

There’s no arguing that Walt Disney World is definitely a great place to spend time with your loved ones, but, have you ever considered spending time at Disney alone? I’m not suggesting you abandon your family, but if you ever have the opportunity to spend a day, or even a few hours, touring Disney World solo, I definitely encourage you to go for it! Perhaps you’re in Orlando attending a conference, or the other members of your party are interested in doing something different and don’t mind you going off on your own for a bit. Or, perhaps you enjoy vacationing alone and want to take your next trip at Disney. Don’t be afraid to do it! Whatever the case, you may be surprised at how magical a solo day at Disney can be. Here are some ideas of how to spend a day getting lost in the Disney crowd.

1. Do what you want, when you want

This can be interpreted in any way you can imagine. Are there things that you really like doing that no one else ever wants to do? Now’s your chance to do it! Perhaps no one else wants to explore Tom Sawyer Island with you- go enjoy it on your own! Or, maybe you’re a thrill seeker and the rest of your party doesn’t ride the “scary stuff.” If that’s the case, arrange some FastPasses for yourself and try to ride your favorites during your alone time. Want to arrive at the Magic Kingdom bright and early, ride Space Mountain three times followed by a few spins on the People Mover, have a Mickey bar for breakfast and then take the monorail to Epcot just in time to stroll the World Showcase when it opens? Whatever your ideal day is, you can make it happen!

2. Chat up other guests

Since you’re alone waiting in line, you might as well chat up some other guests! There’s always a variety of people around you at any given time, and when you aren’t traveling with others you are more open to conversations with people around you. You might be surprised to find out that you are from the same state, have the same career, or just have a nice conversation. Remember, people are part of the “magic” at Disney World!

3. Go shopping, or indulge a whim

Not everyone wants to shop on vacation, but if you are someone who enjoys browsing Disney’s many shops, then there’s no better time to do it than when you are exploring solo. No one is going to ask, “Can I get it?” No one will tell you to “hurry up”. And, best of all, there’s no one there to judge whether you really needed that bracelet or not. Not into shopping? A trip to a Disney spa might be the perfect way to spend your alone time.

4. Trade pins

Maybe you’d rather get your treasured souvenirs through pin trading vs. through shopping. If you’re serious about pin trading, your constant searching for someone wearing a lanyard might be seen as a bit of a slow-down for your traveling party. When exploring solo, however, you never have to feel bad about taking time for your trades. I’m sure there are lots of pin trading enthusiasts who would love nothing more than to stroll the parks and do nothing other than wander and seek out Cast Members with stocked pin lanyards- I spent a few hours doing just that and loved every minute!

5. Enjoy the fact that you are “alone”, but safe and secure

I have never liked going anywhere alone. I am overly conscious of my surroundings and generally unsure of myself in unfamiliar situations. At Disney World, however, I never felt the least bit uncertain about exploring on my own. First of all, there are always plenty of people around, so you are never truly alone. Second, knowing that you can get anywhere I need to go within the resort without worrying about directions or getting truly “lost” should give you comfort. Personally, I loved being able to do whatever I wanted without worrying about how I’d get home, if I would get lost, or if someone would bother me.

6. Enjoy different food

You can dine anywhere alone at Disney and not be treated strangely, even if it’s a sit-down, reservation required place. Personally, I prefer to save those nice sit down meals for when I am traveling with my family or friends and opt for grab and go or counter service meals if I’m enjoying some alone time. The nice part about exploring alone is that you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Do you want an early lunch of fish and chips at 11:30am? Stake out a delightful seat by an upstairs window at Columbia Harbor House in the Magic Kingdom and spend your quiet meal time looking out on the Liberty Square area. If you don’t want to spend much time on meals at all, then you can just graze throughout the day. Who’s to say that a 10am Mickey Bar isn’t breakfast, or that a German beer and pretzel isn’t an acceptable lunch? No one- because you’re alone today!

7. Take in your surroundings at a slower pace

If you like people watching, find a nice spot to sit and just observe the bustle around you. Or, perhaps you enjoy photography- this is an ideal time to set up the perfect shots you’ve been meaning to capture. Of course, we don’t recommend combining these two hobbies. Watching people and taking photos of them would be a bit strange. However, spending some time in a popular area and offering to take pictures for people on their cameras would be a lovely thing to do.

8. Take a tour

Behind the scenes tours at Disney World are worthwhile, but can be both time-consuming and pricey (though often a really great value). If you love Living with the Land but it bores your family, maybe the Behind the Seeds tour is something you can do when you break off on your own. Or, perhaps you have teenagers who would love to hang by the pool or ride the Tower of Terror on repeat all day. This could be your chance to take a lengthy tour with your spouse.

Have you had the opportunity to tour Disney World on your own? Did you love it? What else would you suggest our readers to do maximize their alone time?

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