Solo trip - no stratgey!

skullsplitter

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 13, 2008
Heading to Orlando for a conference next week and will hit the parks on my own. Though I'll miss the family it feels nice to have no plan other than a room, party ticket, tickets, and a few FP+. I can go to all the World Showcase Pavilions in one trip, ride anything, eat at a restaurant that my picky family wouldn't try...or none of the above. Zero plan, zero strategy. I'll go where the magic takes me and it feels so relaxing compared to the planning grind I'm used to.
 
Enjoy! I bet you'll notice little details you've never known existed before and it's so nice to just do what you want, when you want, how you want. Have a great time.
 
Going solo without a plan works well. You can exactly what you want. When I did it, the only plans I had were a few ADRs at night.
Enjoy, its an entirely different experience.
 
Yeah, that's how I typically roll. I really enjoy just going where my interests take me. Enjoy your trip!
 


That's how I do it too... I've got my FP+ for the headliners... The rest is just I do as I please.
 
I had one solo day last month and I went to Disney Springs and the MNSSHP. It was so much fun to just roll with things and go wherever I wanted, eat whenever and whatever I wanted, and spend as much time wandering around looking at stuff as I wanted. Have a great time, enjoy every minute!
 


It was a fun trip. I didn't realize how much ground you can cover on your own and I almost wore myself out the first night. The only downside was how many times and I went to hold my wife's hand or tell my boys to look at something and they weren't there. :(
 
My first solo trip? I was in Orlando working and had a few spare days. My co-workers wanted to do nothing but hang out by the pool bar all day.

So I took a hotel shuttle to the TTC, and bought myself a 3-day park hopper ticket. No idea what park I was going to visit. The CM asked, "are you going to check out the food and wine festival?" I said I had no idea what that was, so she pointed at the monorail and told me to hop on it. And I was off to have so much fun that I became an annual passholder that same trip. Ate whatever I wanted and never got hungry enough for a real sit-down meal. Liked the cheese soup, went back for more. Saw the American Adventure and felt terribly patriotic. Bought a t-shirt in the Germany pavilion on a whim.

The next morning I wandered to Animal Kingdom, happened to find the safari, then exhibits and then the train to conservation station. Studied the beautiful themed details everywhere, as if I were actually in a far off land. Ate tasty ribs. Danced along on a street party. Rode Everest and then decided to go see the Magic Kingdom. Experienced Wishes for the first time and gained a new appreciation for fireworks. Took a boat ride in Mexico.

No strategy, no planning. I gotta say, that solo strategy-free trip gave me more wonder and happiness than any planned out visit since.
 
It was a fun trip. I didn't realize how much ground you can cover on your own and I almost wore myself out the first night. The only downside was how many times and I went to hold my wife's hand or tell my boys to look at something and they weren't there. :(

Glad you had a nice trip!

I had a solo visit late last July. It was primarily for a mid season check on our snowbird home. After one August visit DW decided that the Florida summers were not for her so I went solo. Thankfully everything was fine so that left me plenty of time for Disney. I had three park days, AK, Epcot, and MK. Or perhaps I should say more like half days as I was early to rope drop and then left when the heat got the better of me. At the AK the #1 goal was to rope drop FoP and then Dinosaur. At the MK it was to ride BTMRR. At Epcot it was TT. Do you sense a trend? Yes, I took the opportunity to do a few rides that DW is not interested in. I ride BTMRR once every couple of years. I am not really a big fan of roller coasters but I really enjoy the theming and once every couple of years is enough for me. Otherwise I just wandered around and explored some corners and attractions we don't visit together. Like the Tiki birds.

But like you I did find that that I missed not having my Disney companion with me.

And, if you will permit a bit of an promotion, I also spent two days volunteering at Give Kids the World Village. A very worthy organization that depends on volunteers to fulfill their mission.
 
Zero plan, zero strategy.

That sounds so nice. I'm doing my first multi-day solo trip in a couple weeks, and that is what I intended to do, but I got so wrapped up in looking at different websites (I haven't been to WDW since 2011, so I needed to refresh myself) that I probably have more planned than I should. I love good food, so have some ADRs planned and got some FPs. Also an afternoon at the GF Spa.

Your post has inspired me to cease and desist any additional planning!
 
My first solo trip? I was in Orlando working and had a few spare days. My co-workers wanted to do nothing but hang out by the pool bar all day.

So I took a hotel shuttle to the TTC, and bought myself a 3-day park hopper ticket. No idea what park I was going to visit. The CM asked, "are you going to check out the food and wine festival?" I said I had no idea what that was, so she pointed at the monorail and told me to hop on it. And I was off to have so much fun that I became an annual passholder that same trip. Ate whatever I wanted and never got hungry enough for a real sit-down meal. Liked the cheese soup, went back for more. Saw the American Adventure and felt terribly patriotic. Bought a t-shirt in the Germany pavilion on a whim.

The next morning I wandered to Animal Kingdom, happened to find the safari, then exhibits and then the train to conservation station. Studied the beautiful themed details everywhere, as if I were actually in a far off land. Ate tasty ribs. Danced along on a street party. Rode Everest and then decided to go see the Magic Kingdom. Experienced Wishes for the first time and gained a new appreciation for fireworks. Took a boat ride in Mexico.

No strategy, no planning. I gotta say, that solo strategy-free trip gave me more wonder and happiness than any planned out visit since.

I'm going on my first solo trip in a few weeks and your post made me excited for it. I know I'm going to miss my kids like crazy because I've never been without them, but the truth is I haven't had a vacation be about me, ever! It's always been planned around them. I think what I am most excited about is getting a Duff or two and a Homer donut at Universal. I don't know why but that's what I keep thinking I want to do!!!! And eat where I want at Disney Springs without wondering if they have Kraft macaroni and cheese on the menu, LOL.
 
I'm going on my first solo trip in a few weeks and your post made me excited for it. I know I'm going to miss my kids like crazy because I've never been without them, but the truth is I haven't had a vacation be about me, ever! It's always been planned around them. I think what I am most excited about is getting a Duff or two and a Homer donut at Universal. I don't know why but that's what I keep thinking I want to do!!!! And eat where I want at Disney Springs without wondering if they have Kraft macaroni and cheese on the menu, LOL.

Love it! You deserve some "you" time... have a lot of fun and enjoy all the little things you usually wouldn't have time to appreciate when you're taking care of others!
 
I’ve been going solo for about 8 years now. I’ve done a couple of trips with other family members, but I really do prefer going solo because I can do exactly what I want and when instead of having to reach a concensus with someone else.

My strategy is fairly simple. I have a park hopper so I go to one park in the morning, take a break in the heat of the afternoon, then another park in the late afternoon. If for any reason I find one park too crowded or not meeting my interests, I just head over to another one.

I usually only make an ADR for Epcot, and otherwise do quick service, graze as I go, or sometimes see if I can get an inpromtu single at table service restaurant (more often successful than not). As a single diner I typically get excellent service as the waitstaff seem to feel sorry that I’m alone.
 
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