Solo to Disney
Disney World is frequently described as the most magical place on Earth. I can’t vouch for that, but it’s still a good vacation spot and is one of my favorite spots to go on vacation. I’ve been there as a solo traveler and while my experience may be somewhat atypical because of that, it still had plenty for me to do.
Perhaps the best thing to say about Disney World is the immersion factor. Once you enter the resort it’s very easy to forget the world outside. The only thing you will see once inside the resort is the resort itself and the roads connecting places. Everything is themed, and while there were advertisements for Disney-related things on the buses, you didn’t have a lot of reminders of things out of the Disney bubble. Once inside a park, the only thing outside the park to see is anything flying overhead. The theming is very well done for whatever section of the resort you are in. For example, on my last stay, I was in Animal Kingdom Lodge, and waking up to see the animals outside was surreal. Walking around Galaxy’s Edge can almost feel like being in a tourist trap in the Star Wars universe.
Another great thing about the resorts, the cast members are generally friendly and helpful. The first time I was there, I had no idea I was supposed to get reservations for the restaurants before I arrived, and one of the concierges managed to get me food at several different restaurants the first day I was there. On my most recent trip, I was there on my birthday, and while they were generally friendly enough to say, “Happy birthday” there were a few odd treats I got as a result. Nothing grandiose, but I few small tokens like a free dessert or having people in costume acknowledge the birthday in ways the characters likely would. Those small things made a great trip into a wonderful trip.
In most amusement parks I go to, I expect the food to be edible at best. Not so with Disney World. Many of the restaurants and snack places offer food that is quite frankly worth going to the parks and resorts just for the food. The best steaks I ever had were both from Disney World restaurants, specifically Space 220 and Teppan Edo. While I cannot personally vouch that the dining options from around the world are authentic for most places on the World Showcase at Epcot, I can vouch that the German food was suitably German. While the Micky Pretzels are good, the pretzels served in the Germany Pavillion are amazing and accurate to the Bavarian pretzels I had growing up.
As someone who loves going to amusement parks, I have to talk about the rides. If you are looking for max thrill rides, Disney has a few, but generally, I would look elsewhere for that. The rides are still entertaining, but most are not meant to give you adrenaline highs. Many of the rides are more about immersing you in the story of the ride than it is about giving you a great thrill. Tron’s Lightcycle Run is the biggest thrill ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom the last time I went, and even then it spent quite a bit of time trying to immerse you into the ride rather than just simply feeding you through a queue for a thrill ride. Rise of the Resistance was more like a show on wheels. These are great rides, but don’t go in expecting the same thing Six Flags might offer.
If I have to gripe about anything it is the fact that I couldn’t book everything through the Disney World website. It used to be that you could book everything through Disney, pay Disney all at once or over time, and be done with it. However, that is no longer the case as Disney has moved several features onto other businesses that you used to get through one location. Which is why I wish I had booked through a travel agent on my last visit. I had to monitor everything from the flights that got changed multiple times, arranging transport to the parks, and so on. It just wasn’t worth it. So, I’d recommend getting a travel agent that can watch for deals and make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck and gives you the least amount of stress.
