A Solo Trip to the Happiest Place on Earth

Disneyland was a must from the minute I found out I was going to be in LA in a couple of weeks for business. I texted anyone and everyone I knew that might want to go with me, solidified plans and counted the days. But sometimes things don’t always go as planned, people cancel and I was left with a decision to make: Should I go to Disneyland alone?

Like any person, my initial though was that it w0uld be too weird. How could an experience meant to be shared with family and friends be as fun by myself? However, the more I talked to people about it, the more I found myself being swayed in a different direction. Friends continued to point out all of the perks of going it alone and I finally booked a bus seat and bought my ticket.

Yesterday was the day and I wanted to share my experience. First things first: It was awesome. Every time I have been to Disneyland and Disney World in the past, it was an experience shared with family and friends. There is something so liberating about doing something major by yourself. If you were ever debating doing this yourself, here are some of the perks you’ll wind up with:

The Single Rider Line: This is something I knew existed, but have never taken advantage of. The Single Rider Line is meant to help complete the odd number parties of three and five so that there are no empty seats. The real perk though is the speed you get to go on the rides — Radiator Springs, for instance, usually has a two hour wait, but it was ten minutes for single riders.

Your plan on your time: Not once did I need to consult someone before going on the next ride, stopping for the bathroom, or taking a break for lunch. I’m not one for drop rides, so I didn’t have to wait at the exit of Tower of Terror while my friends went on it. The day was selfish and entirely about me. Sometimes you need that.

The little things: I have never walked around Disneyland while taking everything in. I’m always in a rush to hit every single ride as quickly as possible (since being in groups makes it take a lot more time). This experience allowed me to pay more attention to the environment around me.

Gotta ride ‘em all: In my two previous visits to Disneyland, I was never able to get on everything I wanted to ride. However, between carefully planned FastPasses paired with single rider lines, I was able to do everything I wanted to do (some things twice), along with rides I never really get to because of the extra time. Talk about getting your money’s worth.

There are definitely two ways to do Disneyland, and while I am looking forward to going back again with friends, I would 100% go solo again.