WALT DISNEY WORLD
Why Traveling Solo to Walt Disney World is the Best
“Couldn’t you find someone to go with you?” This is a question I heard only once on my five-day solo trip to Walt Disney World.
Why Traveling Solo to Walt Disney World is the Best
By Megan Valentine
“Couldn’t you find someone to go with you?” This is a question I heard only once on my five-day solo trip to Walt Disney World.
This past October, I finally got to do something I’ve always wanted to do. A little background: I’m a museum curator, I love to travel (probably an obvious statement on a travel blog), and I am a huge Disney fan. So, to celebrate a huge work accomplishment, the opening of my museum’s first permanent exhibition that I had been working on for almost two years, I decided the perfect thing to do was go to one of my favorite places, Walt Disney World, on my own. I thoroughly enjoy traveling with friends and family, and do so on a regular basis, but this time I wanted to do something for myself, by myself.
I thoroughly enjoy traveling with friends and family, and do so on a regular basis, but this time I wanted to do something for myself, by myself.
I have only traveled by myself on very short overnight trips to nearby locations previously. I decided that my first bigger solo trip would be absolutely perfect with a destination like Walt Disney World. I stayed on property, so once I reached the airport all of my travel was arranged through Disney transportation, and I have always felt totally safe in the Most Magical Place on Earth.
One of the best parts of travel for me is planning for a trip. I am big into researching my destination and learning all that I can, so scheduling my trip to Disney in April allowed me to spend a great deal of time planning my dining, FastPasses, and optimizing my five days at Walt Disney World. I went during the International Food and Wine Festival and over Halloween, so I attended one of the nights of the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I also had to schedule my plans around nights that the party was happening but I was not going, so it added another challenge to my schedule.
I flew out of the nearest metro city with a direct flight to Orlando, landing in the late evening and spending my first night at an airport area hotel with free shuttle service to save a bit of money. The next day, I took a shuttle back to the airport bright and early, arriving before 7:00AM for my Disney’s Magical Express transport to my Disney resort. I was one of three people on my bus, so I got to watch the sunrise and get some great photographs as I talked with our driver en route. I arrived at my hotel before 8:00AM, left my bags with bell services since I had already done online check-in, and got in line for my bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
My first day at the Most Magical Place on Earth was the second time in my memory that I have made it to a park for rope drop, and one was accidental. I made it to Hollywood Studios about 30 minutes before the park opened and was ready and waiting for the anticipated rope drop to head to one of my top five rides at the parks: The Tower of Terror.
Here is my first of many benefits of going by yourself, you don’t have to worry about everyone keeping up when you are hustling to a destination, and I am a fast walker. Another benefit: you can get onto rides really quickly as they try to fill space. I ended up being able to jump ahead of numerous groups because they had an empty seat to fill on the first car. In about 15 minutes, I had ridden Tower of Terror and was on my way to the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, and by 8:30AM I had actually ridden two rides that I had made FastPasses for!
I had big plans for my first day at Disney. I was going to do everything I could at Hollywood Studios on the first day and see two fireworks shows in one night: Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular and IllumiNations. I managed to accomplish all of it and thoroughly enjoyed my first day.
I know a comment that many have about traveling alone, particularly to a family oriented destination, is “don’t you get lonely?” There is a ton of things to do to entertain yourself with at the resorts and parks, and I had great conversations with people the entire time I was there, guest and cast member alike. While I was waiting for IllumiNations to start my first night, enjoying a cake and delicious beverage from the Ireland booth and taking cover under an umbrella during the only rain I would have on my trip, I ended up sharing the table with a nice couple and talking for almost an hour. It was relaxing and fun, and I was so glad that I got to kick off the first night of my trip that way.
I know a comment that many have about traveling alone, particularly to a family oriented destination, is “don’t you get lonely?”
My second day was the Halloween party day. I began my day with a character brunch at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. The character breakfast includes Alice, the Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Mary Poppins, some of my favorite characters in the Disney canon (let’s be honest, I have way too many favorites!) The meal was delicious and I loved my interactions with the characters! I did a bit of a Disney bounding as Alice, complete with some homemade floral wire Minnie ears that encouraged conversations about the flowers disrupting my conversations with their singing from both Alice and the Mad Hatter. Then I wandered around the resort and Disney Springs a bit before preparing for my party evening.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party officially starts at 7:00PM, but you can get into the park at 4:00PM with your party ticket, so I took full advantage of that. I am a huge Halloween fan and love to dress up in costume, so I had planned my costume before I even booked my trip. If you did not go to Disney World before 1999, you will possibly never know the wonder that was the original Journey Into Imagination ride with Dreamfinder and Figment. You can still ride the ride at EPCOT, but it is a new version, sans Dreamfinder. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the ride, but it will always pale in comparison to the original. I still have a picture of myself meeting Dreamfinder and Figment at four years old. So why wouldn’t my costume for the Halloween party be from one of my absolute favorites? I did a gender bend version of Dreamfinder for the party and carried a stuffed Figment with me throughout the evening. By the end of the night, I had decided that I was a walking Disney history test for cast members working the party!
The Halloween party is one of my absolute favorite experiences at Walt Disney World. The theming, character interactions, and opportunity to see everyone in costumes, was incredible. That doesn’t even include the incredible fireworks, parade, and stage show featuring the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. And I actually briefly forgot to mention the candy and special treats! I never wanted the night to end! Bonus tip: You can purchase a photopass for all the photos you took on that day if you don’t want to buy the whole thing. That’s what I ended up doing for documentation of my Halloween party night.
My other major goal of the trip was to enjoy the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival for the first time. I had never been to Disney in the fall, and as a foodie of sorts, I was thrilled at the opportunity to try things from many of the international booths. I accomplished nine booths in just over one day at the festival and would have visited many more if I could. One disadvantage of traveling on your own is that you can’t try as many things at festivals like this because you don’t have anyone to split the food with. Even with that slight disadvantage, I got through a good bit of my wish list!
My first solo trip to Disney World was all that I wanted it to be, completing multiple firsts, completing all the experiences I wanted to, and walking over 50 miles in 5 days. I would recommend visiting Walt Disney World as solo traveler to anyone who is curious. If you have ever wanted to go at your own pace and not worry about what anyone else wants to do, solo Disney travel is a dream. It isn’t necessarily for everyone, but it’s definitely a great way to try out solo travel if you’re at all reticent to the idea. And although I don’t know of a totally bad time to visit Walt Disney World, fall is filled with so many fun experiences that it is quite possibly my favorite now. (To be fair, spring is pretty amazing too!)
Megan Valentine (@bakingegyptologist on Instagram)
My name is Megan Valentine. I'm a travel junkie, a lifelong Disney fan, and a museum curator & registrar. My granddad was born in 1928, just like Mickey Mouse, so he has worked to instill a love of all things Disney in his kids and grandkids. He and my grandmother took me to Walt Disney World for the first time when I was four years old, and I have been addicted ever since. I have now been to WDW seven times and can't get enough! I am the planner for all of my family's Disney trips and consultant for any friends with questions since I am always reading about Disney, listening to podcasts, or watching the movies. In addition to my Disney travels, I love to explore a variety of destinations with an ever-growing list of places to visit. As a museum professional and art historian, I often seek out fascinating new museum exhibits when I can, particularly if it has anything to do with my other major obsession, Egypt!
Disney's FastPass+ | Everything You Need to Know!
Walt Disney World’s FastPass+ system is a great way to help maximize your time in the parks! This complimentary benefit...
Walt Disney World's FastPass+ System
Tips and Tricks to Help You Plan Your Magical Vacation!
By Tyler Braun
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are great FastPass+ options!
Last Updated - April 30, 2020
Walt Disney World’s FastPass+ system is a great way to help maximize your time in the parks! This complimentary benefit allows you to skip the standby line at over 60 Walt Disney World experiences! Using Disney’s FastPass+, you can make up to three FastPass+ selections per day, at a single park, for each day you have a ticket.
FastPasses can be made starting 60 days prior to your arrival date (30 days if you’re staying off property*), starting at 7:00AM Eastern Time. Your first day is the best time to try and reserve those hard-to-get FastPasses for things like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, and the new Avatar rides!
Magic Kingdom has a straightforward selection system, where you can reserve three FastPasses at any of their attractions. Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom have a tiered system. They have a list from which you can pick one attraction (the top attractions in each park) and you can pick your other two FastPasses from a second list of less popular attractions.
Once you’re in the parks, you’ll then use your MagicBand to enter the FastPass+ line during your 1-hour arrival window.
Generally, I advise trying to reserve your FastPasses for the morning, as once you use your initial three FastPasses, you’ll be able to add more for later in the day! You can add more by using the My Disney Experience Mobile App or by visiting a FastPass+ Kiosk where a Cast Member can assist you in planning.
Epcot | Walt Disney World
FastPass+ Options
As I mentioned above, Magic Kingdom has a straightforward FastPass+ selection system, and you can reserve three FastPasses at any of their attractions, based on availability. Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom all have a tiered selection system. Below you will find all of the current attractions in Walt Disney World currently eligible for Disney FastPass+. For Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, I have broken down the attractions into Tier 1 and Tier 2. When selecting your FastPasses, you can pick one attraction from Tier 1, and you can pick two attractions from Tier 2.
Magic Kingdom Park
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Haunted Mansion
“it’s a small world”
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
Meet Cinderella and Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall
Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
Meet Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall
Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Epcot
Tier One (You may select 1 of the following)
Frozen Ever After
Epcot Forever
Soarin’ Around the World
Test Track
Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
Tier Two (You may select 2 of the following)
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
RELAUNCHED! Mission: Space
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Spaceship Earth
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Tier One (You may select 1 of the following)
Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Slinky Dog Dash
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Tier Two (You may select 2 of the following)
Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Alien Swirling Saucers
Disney Junior - Live on Stage!
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Muppet*Vision 3D
Star Tours - The Adventures Continue
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
Fantasmic!
(FastPass+ is not currently offered for Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Rather, they have a Boarding Pass system - more on that below.)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Tier One (You may select 1 of the following)
Avatar Flight of Passage
Na’vi River Journey
Tier Two (You may select 2 of the following)
Dinosaur
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo - The Musical
It’s Tough to be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Primeval Whirl
Rivers of Light
All rides and FastPass+ selections are subject to availability.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a great use of a FastPass!
FastPass+ Suggestions
It’s all well and good to see all of the rides, attractions, and other experiences listed out, but what what should you select? Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking about what you may want to reserve!
Magic Kingdom Park
In the Magic Kingdom, I definitely suggest trying to get FastPasses for Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train! It’s one of the newest rides in Walt Disney World and can be one of the hardest FastPasses to find. It’s a thrilling, yet amazingly smooth ride through a mine where a “million diamonds shine”! The three “Mountains of the Magic Kingdom” (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, & Big Thunder Mountain) are also good rides to use a FastPass, as their lines tend to be pretty long all year. Both Peter Pan’s Flight, Haunted Mansion & the Pirates of the Caribbean are also known for having long wait times, so if those are “must-do” attractions for you, it may be worth considering using a FastPass for either of these. “it’s a small world” is, of course, a classic, and provided you don’t mind the incessant singing of children ringing in your ears for the rest of the day, this is a great attraction for the kid in all of us!
Epcot
Epcot has three of my favorite rides in all of Walt Disney World! Soarin’ takes you on a journey across the world and gives you a bird’s eye view of some of the most iconic places on earth such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Great Pyramid in Egypt! Test Track takes you inside a computer simulator to test a concept car, and the brand new Frozen Ever After ride in the Norway Pavilion takes you to visit Anna and Else in Arendelle! All three of those rides top my “must-do” list! Another really cool attraction is Mission: Space! It takes you on a ride to Mars and you really feel like you’re blasting off into space! There are also other classic attractions, such as Spaceship Earth, located inside the “Epcot Ball” and Living with the Land!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
If you are into thrill rides, this is the place to be! The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster are two of the most intense and fun rides in all of Walt Disney World! If you’re fans of Star Wars, this is definitely the place to be! Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run let’s you and a small crew pilot, “The Fastest Ship in the Galaxy”, the Millennium Falcon! And yes - it really feels like you’re flying! Rise of the Resistance is a fantastic, innovative new style of ride that combines incredible storytelling with a fantastic and thrilling ride. Talk about immersion! Star Tours is a really cool motion simulator ride that makes you feel like you’re flying through space! Toy Story Mania is also tons of fun, and since it’s a game you can compare scores and see who’s the all-time winner! Slinky Dog Dash is a family-friendly roller coaster with lots of fun twists and turns. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a whirlwind of a ride that takes you into the cartoon world on a “leisurely” drive with Mickey & Minnie! One of my favorites is the Muppet*Vision 3D. It’s a little (ok a lot) silly, but it’s really funny and the technology is still cool! I would suggest not using a FastPass+ on Muppet*Vision 3D because there generally is not a long line. Finally, at the end of the day, Fantasmic! is the perfect way to end the day at Walt Disney World and my personal favorite nighttime show. A few suggestions - you shouldn’t need to use a FastPass if you get to the line early enough. I would suggest going to the later show if everyone has enough steam left, because it tends to be less crowded. Finally, try and sit as close to the middle as possible, but not in the first 10 or so rows, because you’ll get wet from the water screens!
Rise of the Resistance Boarding Pass System
Rise of the Resistance is amazing and definitely worth the hype! However, instead using the FastPass+ system, it is on a Boarding Pass System. As soon as the park opens, you’ll need the be on your phone getting a Boarding Group for later in the day. Once you have your Boarding Group number you can go about your day. You can use other FastPasses, hop in a standby line, shop, or simply hang around Hollywood Studios. If your Boarding Group is a higher number you can also leave the park and come back later in the day. Throughout the day you can watch the Boarding Group numbers on the app. Once your number is called you will have a 2 hour window to ride. This system has its benefits and its drawbacks. I suggest you get to Hollywood Studios AT LEAST 30 minutes prior to opening so you can ensure you are past security and the MagicBand scanning area and in the park. One benefit of this system is that you can get a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance and still use your three other FastPasses for other rides - so essentially you’re getting four FastPasses at Hollywood Studios.
For a video of how this system played out when I rode it, click here.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Both Expedition Everest and DINOSAUR hold the top spot for my heart in Animal Kingdom. They’re both thrilling, but in very different ways. Expedition Everest is a high-speed roller coaster that takes you into the Legend of the Forbidden Mountain where the Yeti lurks! DINOSAUR takes you back in time to save an iguanodon right at the brink of extinction. I hope you make is back in time! Kilimanjaro Safaris is a neat way to see some wild African animals up close! It’s Tough to be a Bug is a show that takes place inside the Tree of Life! It’s a 3D show that has laughs for everyone. One of my favorites in Animal Kingdom is Primeval Whirl! It’s not often talked about, and it’s one of my favorite hidden gems in Animal Kingdom! The lines tend not to be very long, and it looks like a “kiddie” ride, but it’s really a blast! The cool thing about Animal Kingdom is there are lots of trails and hidden walkways with animals all around. There are the Discovery Island Trails, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Maharajah Jungle Trek and more that are really cool ways to see the animals. Finding Nemo the Musical and Festival of the Lion King are also both great shows. The new world of Pandora also has two rides with FastPass+ capability. The first is Avatar Flight of Passage, on which you soar on the back of a mountain banshee during a thrilling ride over Pandora! The second is the Na’vi River Journey, where you venture deep into a bioluminescent rainforest in search of the Na’vi Shaman of Songs. These are on a tiered system from which you can only pick one for the FastPass+ system.
How to Make FastPass+ Reservations
Here are some step-by-step instructions on how to make a FastPass+ reservation online!
After logging into your My Disney Experience account on a computer, select “MyDisneyExperience” from the home page in the top right corner. Once you log in, you may already be on that page. At the top it will say “Your Name’s Plans and Tickets”, that’s how you know you’re on the right page. A little ways down the page, you’ll see five circles that say, “Friends and Family, Resort Hotel, Park Tickets, Dining and FastPass+”. Hover over the circle where it says “FastPass+” and click “Make a Selection”.
On the next page it gives you a bit of info about FastPass+. Click “Get Started”.
Next, select your FastPass+ group members. You can use the “select all” button to easily choose everyone. Click “next”.
Select the date you wish to make FastPasses for, and select the park you wish to visit that day. All three of your initial FastPasses will have to be at that park, even if you have Park Hopper tickets. Click “next” after you make your selection.
You’ll then see all the available FastPasses and times listed out. At the top of that screen you can narrow things down by selecting a general time (morning, evening, etc) or a specific hour. You can also select a specific ride and see all the available times for the day. Once you select a FastPass+ and a time, you’ll confirm all the details on the next screen. Once you reserve your FastPass+, you’ll see the options to “Continue on Same Day”, or “Select Different Day”. After you make all your FastPasses, you can go back to your My Disney Experience homepage (where it says “Your Name’s Plans and Tickets”, and you’ll then see all your FastPasses listed there!
You can also make FastPasses on the My Disney Experience app if you prefer. It’s all the same steps, but just via the app. Disney has set it up so it walks you through step by step what to do, so it’s really pretty easy!
Additional FastPasses
A lot of people have asked me about acquiring additional FastPasses. Currently there is actually no way to buy any more than the three you have per day. Once you redeem your initial set of FastPass+ selections (or the last arrival window has passed), you can make another FastPass+ selection for the same day at an in-park kiosk or using your mobile device, up to park closing. After you redeem your additional FastPass+ pick, you can make more selections, one at a time. If your ticket includes the Park Hopper Option, after you use your initial FastPass+ selections at the first park, you’ll be able to make additional FastPass+ selections (one at a time) at a kiosk or using the mobile app at the second park you visit that day, up to park closing.
So there you have it! A brief overview of Walt Disney World's FastPass+ system! What tips and tricks do you have for using Disney’s FastPass+ system? Comment below!
Are you wanting to head out on a Walt Disney World vacation, but you don’t know where to start? Contact me to find out how I can personally assist you in planning your own magical adventure! Follow the link below to fill out a no-obligation quote form for People Mover Travel! When you book through me, you get an expert Disney planner that can book your resort, park tickets, transportation, and even all your dining & FastPass+ reservations. The best part, I work for you for free!
Walt Disney World Quote: https://www.peoplemovertravel.com/walt-disney-world-quote
*There are a select few Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels that also offer the 60 day FastPass+ booking window.
