One of the topics I constantly see come up with solo travellers is their reluctance to visit a theme park by themselves. Can I tell you a secret? I love theme parks! And, most of all, I like visiting them by myself! Here’s a few reasons why visiting a theme park solo can be better than going with a group.
For more solo traveller insight, check out: 5 Perks of Travelling Solo and 5 Tips for Planning Your First Solo Trip.
Set your own schedule
Do you like to hit the parks early to beat the crowd? Or be one of the last ones to leave at night? Want to head back to your hotel in the afternoon for a quick nap by the pool? If you’re by yourself, you don’t need to worry about anyone else’s schedule preferences!
Do what interests you
Everyone has their favorite attraction at a theme park. Are you an adrenaline junkie that thrives on roller coasters? Or maybe you hate roller coasters but love to watch the live entertainment. It can be particularly hard if members of a group have different ideas of fun. Personally I could spend days observing all the animals at Animal Kingdom, but I realize that for most people that wouldn’t be very enjoyable. If you’re travelling by yourself, you get to pick what you do…with no need to explain yourself.
Eat when, where, and how you like
Food is always difficult when there’s more than one person involved. Everyone has different likes and preferences. Some want to eat quick and on the go…others like to sit down, rest, and linger over their meals. But there’s no arguments when you’re the only one you have to please. And it’s often easier to snag a seat for one in popular restaurants! (This also means there’s no one to judge how much food I eat in a day at Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival!)
Single rider lines
Many theme parks offer special lines for single riders. Since you don’t need to be seated with a group, you can be used to fill up empty space on a ride. Which means these lines are often much shorter and move a lot faster than the regular line! Plus, if you do need to wait a little bit, you’ll often meet other incredible solo travellers in line with you. Definitely check ahead to see what attractions you’re interested in offer single rider lines. I once stood in line for 45 minutes at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney World before I realized there was a basically empty single rider line! Since I had no preference for what part I played on the ride, I hopped lines and was in my seat only a few minutes later.
Help others
This might seem like a strange benefit, but one that I really enjoy about being at a theme park solo. It gives you full freedom to take photos for other people, talk to strangers in line, etc.
I was at Disney one weekend during the Dapper Days meetup (I’d actually planned my own outfit, but a serious cold snap made me change my mind and bundle up in jeans and a sweatshirt instead!). There were so many incredibly dressed individuals…and I spent a good share of my day offering to snap photos for them so they could get group pictures. They were super appreciative and I got to meet a ton of awesome people!
Another morning, I struck up a conversation with a woman waiting in line for Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom. She was upset because Animal Kingdom was her favorite park, but the rest of her family thought it was boring. They’d refused to get up and around that morning…so she’d just finally set out by herself. She seemed surprised when I told her I was there by myself on purpose! We rode the ride together and then walked around one of the animal trails. By the end, she was feeling a lot more comfortable and went her own way…excited to do all the things that her family never wants to do. I sometimes wonder if her family eventually showed up…or if she just enjoyed a day doing exactly what she wanted for a change.
