WDW Race Weekends - Solo Travel or No?

[jmasgat]

Oh thats good to know. How did you find the pre race and post race being on your own? Did you managed to interact with people or did everyone keep to themselves?

Not the OP, but jumping in to say (as an always-solo runner and a general introvert) that I find it easy to connect with people pre-race in several ways. First, there is always some kind of disboard RD group to hook up with, so yeah for built-in peeps. Second, you'd be surprised how social people may be--count me as one who is more inclined to start up a random conversation, which is something I would generally not do elsewhere. I think it's just that when you're in a place with 15,00+ people about to do the same thing as you, it just happens. It's easy to comment on a random person's costume, e.g. and they are generally happy to hear the compliment.

As for post-race, no useful comments. I tend to like to go back to my room right after (unless of course, there are disboard parking lot beers to be had)

 

[markjtaylor84]

Not the OP, but jumping in to say (as an always-solo runner and a general introvert) that I find it easy to connect with people pre-race in several ways. First, there is always some kind of disboard RD group to hook up with, so yeah for built-in peeps. Second, you'd be surprised how social people may be--count me as one who is more inclined to start up a random conversation, which is something I would generally not do elsewhere. I think it's just that when you're in a place with 15,00+ people about to do the same thing as you, it just happens. It's easy to comment on a random person's costume, e.g. and they are generally happy to hear the compliment.

As for post-race, no useful comments. I tend to like to go back to my room right after (unless of course, there are disboard parking lot beers to be had)

Thank you. This will be my first solo disney trip without family. As I am from the UK I am staying for 9 nights so I can settle in before the racing begins (doing dopey) and then have 1 day after the event. Kind of a little concerned about spending 9 days on my own in someone where like disney (staying in the Dolphin) as it is such a family spot. I have travelled all over for work and normally it doesn't phase me, but for some reason I just feel a bit strange being in Disney on my own.

 

[striker1064]

Thank you. This will be my first solo disney trip without family. As I am from the UK I am staying for 9 nights so I can settle in before the racing begins (doing dopey) and then have 1 day after the event. Kind of a little concerned about spending 9 days on my own in someone where like disney (staying in the Dolphin) as it is such a family spot. I have travelled all over for work and normally it doesn't phase me, but for some reason I just feel a bit strange being in Disney on my own.

I concur with the DIS meetup - super fun! I am always alone in the corrals pre-race but I strike up conversations with anyone who feels like listening to me gab at 4:30 AM. Particularly with the delay this year for Princess, a few of us were cracking each other up with jokes to pass the time.

The nice thing about Dolphin is you're connected to the Boardwalk. I stayed solo at Boardwalk Villas for Princess and found myself at Abracadabar one night - great spot to chat with people. You have some options.

 

[jpeterson]

Being solo in Disney is great fun if you allow it to be! I love my solo trips. They are different than the family trips but amazing in their own right!

 

[markjtaylor84]

It has never worried me before. I have spent months in both New York and London with work completely solo with the exception of 1 or 2 nights with work mates. It felt fine in them as with them being major cities there are a lot of other people sitting on their own etc.

Think I might be over thinking it, as I kind of associate Disney with families rather than adult or solo travel.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I did a solo trip for Tinkerbell in 2016 at Disneyland. I liked it because I didn't have to worry leaving anybody at the parks when I went back to the hotel to get off my feet. I didn't have to worry about waking up anybody at 3:30 in the morning to get ready for the race. I've done both family runDisney trips and this solo trip, and they both have advantages

 

[fatmanatee]

It has never worried me before. I have spent months in both New York and London with work completely solo with the exception of 1 or 2 nights with work mates. It felt fine in them as with them being major cities there are a lot of other people sitting on their own etc.

Think I might be over thinking it, as I kind of associate Disney with families rather than adult or solo travel.

You're not, I was solo for part of MW this year and it was a bit strange at first. You get used to it though, plenty of people in the same boat.

 

[XoxoAmy]

Oh thats good to know. How did you find the pre race and post race being on your own? Did you managed to interact with people or did everyone keep to themselves?

Generally I prefer keeping to myself during and after the races. I sent a lot of pics and videos to my family back at home during the race which helped me to feel connected (they were sleeping and didn't see them until after the race was over, but that was fine). I planned to attend the DISboard meet up at HH, but I was stuck at MK in a huge thunderstorm so that didn't work out. Hoping to make it to the meet up during MW weekend! I did meet people when I sat at the bar during dinner each night. I was definitely not lonely once during the weekend - I ran the 10k and 10M during SS, was at WDW for exactly 48 hours (flew in late Friday morning, flew home Sunday afternoon). For MW weekend I will arrive late Fri morning and then I head to a conference in Orlando late Sunday - another reason this is a solo trip (and my firm pays for my flight down because of the conference!).

 

[HangWithMerida]

I stayed solo at Boardwalk Villas for Princess and found myself at Abracadabar one night - great spot to chat with people. You have some options.

Will second the lounges and bars at resorts as easy spots to chat with people. I was alone for W&D last year and did dinners at lounges a lot. Because the seating is more casual you meet people almost by default. I even had a nice couple buy me dinner as a pre-race good luck after we chatted about running for a while.

 

[HangWithMerida]

Thank you. This will be my first solo disney trip without family. As I am from the UK I am staying for 9 nights so I can settle in before the racing begins (doing dopey) and then have 1 day after the event. Kind of a little concerned about spending 9 days on my own in someone where like disney (staying in the Dolphin) as it is such a family spot. I have travelled all over for work and normally it doesn't phase me, but for some reason I just feel a bit strange being in Disney on my own.

I also usually go to disney with my family but having done a race weekend alone, it was actually really nice. The schedule is just so weird and I need sleep so I can not do big park days and racing at the same time. My race weekend schedule isn't as fun for families. Being able to do what you want when you want and pick restaurants you like (and not to accommodate picky eaters) really helped with my experience. Because the pace was just different, it made being alone less weird after the first day or so.

 

[XoxoAmy]

Also, if you are looking for restaurant reservations, search for tables for 1 and 2 - as tables for 2 tend to come up more. You can say it's just you when you arrive, that's always fine.