What it’s like to go to an amusement park alone + thoughts on solo travel

Would you go to an amusement park alone?

I can guess that many people’s first reaction is “no.” But why?

Imagine going to Disney World or Universal Studios solo: Single rider lines. No waiting on anyone else at the bathroom. Or picking where to eat or what ride to go on next. You make all the decisions.

For some, that might be overwhelming. But for me, I love it. I’ve been traveling solo to various places around the United States solo, including amusement parks. In fact, I have an annual pass to Universal Studios Florida + Islands of Adventure, so I go alone all the time.

Here’s the way that I think about solo travel:

If you’re not willing to go alone, you’ll miss so many experiences.

If you had the opportunity to go to Disney World or NYC or Hawaii but you could only go at this particular time and you might not get the opportunity again, would you go alone? Or would you wait until someone could go with you, which could never happen. Maybe you’re lucky and you have a strong support system who’s willing to travel with you, but I don’t have that. So solo I must go.

For example, here’s a typical day for me as a solo person in Universal Studios:

I get to pick the park that I want to start at, Universal or Islands.
Moreover, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. At Universal, many of the rides shut down for a period of time for weather or maintenance and it’s nice to be able to run over to a ride that you really want to go on without having to drag someone with you.
I can wait in the solo rider lines for attractions and instead of wait times for rides being 60 minutes, I get to just walk on. I suppose that parties could split up and do this, but it’s much easier and not as sad as a solo rider.
Less time to wait for food since it’s just me ordering. Also, some restaurants have bars and a single person can usually squeeze in pretty easily so you don’t have to wait for a table.
Tired and want to watch a show instead of running around the park for rides? No worries, you can stop anytime you want and not have to worry about begrudging your accomplices. OR, you can leave early if you want.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to sneak into a show or restaurant or experience because it’s “just me” and the workers let me slip in while larger parties must wait.

Of course, it’s not always daisies and sunshine as a solo visitor. It’s harder getting photos that aren’t selfies and there are some experiences that I’d love to share with my friends and family. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had some fun experience at Universal and sent my mom a text saying “you would love this, I wish that you were here.” Given the chance between going solo or with friends and family, I will always choose them.

HOWEVER, I hope to empower you to experience things solo. It teaches you a lot about yourself – mainly how comfortable you are being alone with your own thoughts and making decisions for yourself. It’s not scary or intimidating, it’s just living. Go live your life. Don’t miss out on an opportunity just because it’s solo. Be strong. Go solo. You got this!