Sole Vets, What was the best Solo thing you did?

@YawningDodo I found myself nodding along with so much of your post. I also did the CP (20 years ago - eek!) and for me my solo trip felt a lot like the experiences I had as a CP in the parks when I would go just because I could and sort of let the magic find me.

Everytime I go to WDW now with others I am the planner which can bring enormous pressure to maximize the experience for everyone and make sure that everyone has a great time and gets the most out of their very expensive park passes. I know that I will basically always have a great time no matter what because I love it so much but I know that isn’t necessarily the case for everyone. When traveling with others I always work really hard to cut down on transportation time whether that means not crisscrossing the parks a bunch of times to get back and forth to attractions or planning days so that we don’t spend a ton of time on buses and boats and monorails. For me the WDW transportation is part of the experience so on my own I never thought about the most efficient ways to get places, I just went. So I took the Skyliner just because. I took the boats a bunch. I rode a loop on the monorail. I visited resorts without worrying that the travel time would be too much. It was not at all an efficient use of time but I still enjoyed it immensely.
 
My favorite solo event wasn't planned. I was killing time before entering MK for After Hours and was riding watercraft from Fort Wilderness, etc. and I ended up on a boat all to myself. The boat skipper sang over the PA the whole way. It's not the kind of thing one can plan though.
 
One of the things I loved was watching Happily Ever After from the beach of the Polynesian. It was so relaxed, sipping on a drink, seeing the fireworks with the music piped through the speakers. The quirky floats going by before the show.
I've never done that. Sounds wonderful! I'm not going back until Sept '21 but I'll make sure to do this.
 
Not ride a single ride unless it was part of a tour. I scheduled a tour every day. My meals were all character meals which I had not done since 2000 on family's first trip. I spent time people watching and seeing the other entertainment like Main Street and Hollywood characters, trolley show etc... I went on character and magic shot safari. There is a lot to see when you don't rush from ride to ride.
 


Best experience - getting stuck on HM during a Keys to the Kingdom tour... at the ballroom scene so we had a lot of time to study it with the guide pointing things out thru the ear sets. Then they had to turn on the lights and walk us out.

Best Rides - Everest thru the solo line five times in a row.

Best Park - I love EPCOT and end up there most evenings, even if it is just to stroll around WS.

Best Meal - eating at the bar at Flying Fish... no ADR needed and the bartenders are always very social.
 
There's so much I love about going solo it's hard to express it! I've gone solo 3 times now, with a 4th coming up.

Best experience: just the feeling of being in WDW...the second I turn on the WDW Today channel, I just get this amazing giddy feeling. Aside from 'feeling' though, I enjoy getting a drink at Epcot or AK and just walking around taking in the sights.

Best rides: I love the 'boring' rides and shows. I'll take PeopleMover, CoP, Country Bears, Tiki Room, Impressions de France, Voices of Liberty (etc) over most attractions any day. EXCEPT for Flights of Passage. I try to get as many FP for that as I can. Definitely my favorite ride.

Best park: anything except HS. I love MK at night, I love World Showcase anytime, I love AK during the day.

Best meal: I've eaten at a lot of TS. My favorite is probably Flying Fish. Impeccable service and good food, although I wasn't as impressed April 19 as I was in April 18. Although I'm realizing that one of my favorite places to eat may be Skpper Canteen. Really good food, Kungaloosh beer, and a Citrus Swirl after you leave!
 
Best Experience: Getting to ride in the last row of BTMR 5x in a row during Magic Kingdom After Hours, all by myself! Absolutely no one else on the train with me all 5 times.

Best Rides: This solo trip I learned that my heart belongs to the classics. Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth. I did love that I scored a Slinky Dog FP same day. Finally getting to go in the Enchanted Tiki Room and loved it so much I went another 2 times. How adorable is this show?

Best Park: Magic Kingdom especially during After Hours. It really is a truly magical experience!

Best Meal: A simple burger/fries at Sci Fi Drive In Theater. Or the Dole Whip at Pineapple Lanai while sitting on the beach listening to the relaxing background music.

Overall best or most surprising thing: This trip I spent my arrival and departure days resort hopping. I love visiting resorts I could never afford to stay at. The Poly stole my heart :) I want to go on many more solo trips!
 


Best experience was covering the parks very very quickly. No need to wait for other people. I'm a fast walker in my family so if I'm with my family, our walking speed is significantly slower
 
I live an hour away from WDW and just got my AP. I got tired of waiting on friends or family never wanting to go. So, I took the plunge in November. I’ve done about 5 day trips so far.

Best Experience: Bounding at SWGE this past Saturday... and doing everything Star Wars. My day started off getting BG 17 and on and off ROTR by 9:40 am. I did Star Tours twice. Watched the Star Wars show and went to Launch Bay getting a hug from Chewbacca, meeting Darth Vader, and BB-8. I felt like that 7 year old who fell in love with Star Wars in 1977. And, just walking around Batuu East in my gear, hanging out with an older couple while eating my Ronto Wrap. I closed my day out building my lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop.

Best Ride: Other than ROTR and Smuggler’s Run, I loved Everest and Slinky Dog.

Best Park: I grew up on MK and Epcot; they’re classic. But I’d love to go back to AK and HSGE to explore more.

Best Meal: My favorite meal was at the Tokyo restaurant in Japan. The service was phenomenal. Other than table service: the Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters and the keftedes at Docking Bay 7.
 
My favorite solo thing to do is Formal afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian on a day I rope drop Magic Kingdom. After a full morning at MK I arrive at my 1pm tea reservation by boat from MK to the GF. After Tea I enjoy the lobby, grounds, and beach, before heading back to MK in time for the Festival of Fantasy Parade which arrives at the front of the park at 3:20.
 
Best experience - Seeing Illuminations and Wishes on the same night at the start of my first ever on property trip.
Best Rides - Smugglers Run, Tower of Terror, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Splash Mountain
Best Park - Animal Kingdom because of all the animal photography. That might change to Hollywood Studios now with Galaxy's Edge fully operational.
Best Meal - The filet I had at Shula's in June
 
Hi.. I did my first solo trip last December for New Year’s Eve.. 8 days in paradise!

Best experience: the early rope drops at MK, HS, AK.. when traveling with group os hardest to get them ready LOL.. as it was a crowded week.. being at DHS at 430am felt Disney addicted -thought I was going to be the first- and there were already long lines LOL
Also I enjoyed doing stuff that are harder with a group: resort hopping (Ginger bread houses tour), a couple of skyliner trips, walking down the boardwalk ..

Best ride: ROR at HS.. and I have never seen the movies jajajaja.. so I read a wikipedia summary to understand a bit of the logic on the attraction... it was fun to feel the energy of the true fans.. along with enjoying how detailed the attraction and surroundings are
Also enjoyed like 4-5 times single rider lines at Test Track and changing expressions for the photos at the seven dwarfs train

Best park: MK is always top of my list.. went every single day either for the parade or the fireworks.. even running from one park to the other to watch night shows

Best meal fireworks dessert party at garden view on Dec 30th.. knowing that despite the crowds I had a secured spot for amazing view.. the desserts were decent LOL

I also read almost 3 books during the lines.. so very enjoyable!
 
My favorite thing about being solo in the parks is the total lack of pressure. I don't need to be on anyone else's schedule or worry about anyone's wants or needs except my own. I can go at my own pace, do my favorite rides, everything is exactly the way I want it.

What surprised me most was how friendly everyone else was! No one made me feel uncomfortable, and if anything people seemed to find me more approachable because I was on my own. People standing next to me in line would strike up conversations, people complimented my castle backpack, etc. I never felt lonely.
 
Best experience? Tie: My first solo trip, which was to see the Osborne Lights once they announced they were ending. Walking into Galaxy's Edge for the first time on December 5, the day Rise of the Resistance opened. I was thrilled when I found out that I would be there when the ride opened, as a non local I would almost never get the opportunity to be there for the first day of anything! I was literally in tears when I first walked into Batuu, for this huge Star Wars geek it was akin to a religious experience. And RotR was just amazing.

Best Rides? The best thing about going solo is riding what I want, when I want. It's much easier to get extra Fastpasses if you're a party of one. I managed to ride Flights of Passage 3 times in one day on a solo trip by rope dropping, fastpassing, and getting in line right before close. That and Rise of the Resistance are my favorites.

Best Park? Animal Kingdom is probably my favorite park, I usually spend two full days there. I'm a photographer, and when I go with other people they're always waiting for me. I love wandering down the different trails to observe and photograph the animals.

Best Meal? California Grill Sunday Brunch. It was amazing. I'm desperately trying to get a reservation for a trip next month that I planned in January, and am disappointed that nothing has opened up. I went solo, and ended up sitting next to a lovely couple from Scotland, and talked to them during our meal. I'm also a huge Boma fan, and usually try to eat breakfast and dinner there when I've got a longer trip planned.
 
The best thing about doing solo, besides doing what I want not what others want, is meeting some wonderful people. I returned from WDW about 2 weeks ago. While there I had a wonderful and insightful conversation with a Chaplain who served in Vietnam during the war. I also had wonderful interaction with a new server at Chefs de France. She was so nervous on her first day that she was so attentive making sure I was well taken care of. I told the manager that she was doing a great job because she was.

Having gone to WDW solo many times, it forces me to open up and talk to others more. I have always had positive encounters with total strangers. To me that's the best thing about WDW; meeting new people.
 
I'm excited I can answer this now!

Best experience? -- After Hours event at the Magic Kingdom. I also did Villains and the AK AH and enjoyed them both, but being in an empty MK was surreal and just so much fun. People were bonding in rides, I turned Under the Sea into my own personal Little Mermaid sing-a-long, and went on Mine Train seven times in a row. The best three hours I've ever had at Disney!

Best Rides? -- I loved all the rides that were new to me - Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers (I became weirdly obsessed with this silly ride and went over and over again), Rise of the Resistance, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (the only new one that was a disappointment was Smugglers Run - loved as pilot, felt it was a waste of my time as Engineer). Space Mountain in the dark during Villains After Hours was awesome too.

Best Park? -- Hollywood Studios. I think because all I read gave me the idea that I would have a horrible time, and I enjoyed every minute. Some of my favourite rides are there (Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania) and I got to do them over and over again. Also it had two lands (Toy Story/Galaxy's Edge) that were new to me so there was so much to explore. I had no trouble getting BGs, and even without being a Star Wars fan I absolutely loved Rise of the Resistance. And I was there for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway's opening day, which was an awesome experience.

Best Meal? -- not a meal exactly, but I picked one day to snack around the World Showcase and it was so much fun. Had poutine for the first time, and kakigori in Japan was amazing.

Overall best or most surprising thing? -- Just how I never missed having someone with me the entire time... Oops. Also how lovely the characters were to me while solo, I was expecting M&Gs to be quite boring and almost all (and I met pretty much everyone that was available) made such a fuss over me. I was celebrating my 30th birthday and Mickey said I didn't look a day over 21 so yeah, trip made!
 
Highway in the Sky dine around. Surprisingly I went back & did it with my husband again the next year and didn't have as much fun as I did solo. Go figure.
 
I love my solo trips so much.

Best experience: I was at Mizner's (RIP) and chatting with the bartender, I used to work at a 5 Star Iconic Hotel in NYC so we just chatted about working at that level of customer service for a while, and then she bought me a shot, stating, "We've definitely shared some a-holes, so this is the least I can do." It was wonderful.

Best Rides: Anyone who said People mover I SO agree. I also was onetime the last person on HM, that was pretty great too.

Best Park: I love AK solo. Slowing down and speeding up at my own pace is impossible to top.

Best Meal: BOG lunch, where I sat in the Rose Gallery, with my journal, writing a scene from a story I was working on, where two people who'd been dancing around each other finally confessed their feelings. I was eating the Croque Monsieur, which happened to be delicious.
 

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