Dec 10 - 15, 2008 I will be traveling solo to WDW for MouseFest...does anyone have any advice or helpful hints? I am looking at staying at the Carribean Beach Resort. thanks for your help!

I'll be traveling to the world in Dec 2008 for Mousefest. Does anyone have any hints or advice for a solo traveler (who usually travels with a family of 5!).
Any other solo travelers who wish to share their experiences??
Thanks

Well, I can't say that I have any info for you, but I did want you to know that this will be my first mousefest too and I'll be solo. I'm not worried in the LEAST. It's going to be a blast. I would think that there would be some MouseFest08 info coming out pretty soon as the 180 ADR mark is like 6 weeks away.

Hi! I posted a reponse somewhere else to you (can't remember now), but I'll post here too.


I'm going for my first solo trip the same time (for MouseFest). I'm not worried in the least. It will be just fine. There will be so many people and meets that you won't feel weird or lonely being a solo traveller.

I would ask for a room somewhat near an elevator or maybe a more preferred location at CBR. I don't think I'd want to be out in the middle of nowhere walking to my room in the wee hours of the morning alone.

As soon as the MouseFest info is up (probably within the next month or two, I would think!), you'll be able to sketch a plan for the weekend.

Hope to meet you there!

There are so many great people at Mousefest that there will be very little time that you are solo unless that is what you want. It is seriously one of my favorite trips of the year and this will be our third.

Have a blast!

MouseFest is a great event to do solo. But if you are looking forward to attractions, AND want to do 'all' the meets (you won't be able to do them all!) - you WILL be disappointed. MOST (not all) of the meets are not around attractions - so if you want to do them - make sure you schedule yourself in time for them! Have a 'meet with Attraction A' and don't be afraid to invite someone else you met at the meet right before there to join you on your attraction meet!

To have fun, you have to be a little bit extroverted. If you're a severe introvert - just know you're going to have to step out of your shell a little bit and introduce yourself to strangers, and 'make small talk' until you get to know a few people, then it will come more naturally. And if that's hard for you - make sure you DO plan some 'meets' with yourself to let you recharge a little bit. It's ok. Nobody is marking who came and who didn't (unless it was something very specific :D) Speaking as someone who can get too much of crowds at times, if I don't do what I need to do for myself, EVERYTHING else is just going through the motions and I wouldn't want to meet me when I'm in that mood!

BIGGEST advice for any solo trip. Stay onsite.

New morning, new thoughts. I am planning some "by myself" time too. I have a day before and a day after the fest AND I'm not crazy enough to over-schedule myself 24/7.

I hear there's very little sleep if you do a lot of meets!

Take DME. That's one less thing to think about--how to get to and from the airport by yourself. If you're on an airline that has resort check-in, then you don't have to deal with your bags at all when you leave.

CBR is nice and quiet and spread out, so if you want some quiet time, you should be able to do that fairly easily.

I'm sure I'll think of some new things....Stay posted!

;)Now thats a vacation!...no partners or kids WOW PEACE AND QUIET

misseeyore,
I merged your two, related threads.

As for going solo, from what I have heard from others that have done it, it can be a great experience. Of course, you have to still use common sense during your vacation (from a safety perspective) but it is really no different than when going as a group. Its a great time to do what YOU want to do.

And of course, you can easily take advantage of some of the single rider lines. :)

Of course, if you are planning on doing anything with MF, you are going to have a great time meeting others and doing things with a group that isnt your family.

To have fun, you have to be a little bit extroverted. If you're a severe introvert - just know you're going to have to step out of your shell a little bit and introduce yourself to strangers, and 'make small talk' until you get to know a few people, then it will come more naturally.

I'd like to clarify that my friend Drince's comments refer to the meet & greets at Mousefest. There's no reason you would need to step out of your shell just because you're a solo park stormer. I visit solo almost always, and it rocks! I can be as friendly or non-friendly as I want to be. Some mornings I might feel a little quieter than normal (has nothing to do with the martinis of the night before - really!), and I'll spend the morning riding rides and seeing shows and barely talking to anyone other than to answer the question "How many?" (Answer - "party of one!")

You're going to find that you have a lot more freedom as a single visitor than with your family. You don't have to consult with anyone about where to go, when to wake up, what to ride first, where to eat. And you can change the plan at a moment's notice if there's a long line or if you just don't feel like riding Space Mountain right then. I know that some folks stress about sitdown dining when alone, but don't. Waiters don't treat you any differently than if you were with a group. In fact, you can even get some fun one on one time with some friendly waiters, or strike up a conversation with the family at the next table.

I do enjoy my visits with family and friends. But I also look forward to my solo time, storming the parks to my heart's content!

I'd like to clarify that my friend Drince's comments refer to the meet & greets at Mousefest.
Thanks, Dan. Yea, I was refering to Mousefest only with those comments. I like being as introverted or extroverted as the mood strikes me, during other solo trips!

I was sure what you meant. I just didn't want the newbie solo visitor to think that she had to walk around merrily interrupting other folks' conversations and forcing cordiality at every moment!

I've done some solo trips (in fact, just had some solo time last month but husband was there on business).

Basically, use the same common sense that you do on a daily basis but step it up just a bit. You wouldn't normally walk down a dark street without being aware of everything so don't do that at Disney World.

Regarding Drince's comments about coming out of your shell, I find myself doing that a lot on the solo trips and times. And I don't intentionally do it. It just happens. This last time, I overheard two older ladies behind me in a line for food and they didn't know what "DP" stood for on the menu. I turned and explained it to them. Never thought I had to, just did it. You will find yourself more in tuned with other people because you don't have to listen to anyone else but yourself.

Do things that you wouldn't ordinarily do. This last time, I went through One Man's Dream on my own and saw every single display. No one was hurrying me through it. I also took a lot of pictures that I wouldn't normally take because no one was saying "come on, we gotta go". I had a slice of cheese pizza and a glass of sangria (two things my husband would never order). I rode Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment (because my husband hates it).

Have fun at Mousefest. I've always wanted to go but the timing never works out. And I'd be by myself too. My husband thinks people who go online every day and read about Disney World are a bit strange!

your not strange, i do the same, but my girlfriend thinks it is. lol We are in daytona beach and have annual passes but I go quite a bit by myself. When she goes we do the things we both like, but then once in a while I will go for a sat by myself. I will get there in the morning hit some attractions I like at mk, studios, ak, then mid afternoon head over to epcot for test track then bounce between rose and crown and the beer cart in canada while listing to off kilter.

Thanks for the tips everyone! As the next few months go by I would love to get to know a few people here to meet at WDW. I have been there many times with family, and have a few of my personal favorites I want to visit, but for the most part I there for the meets and some me time! As we get closer to the 180 day mark it would be great to have a meal or two arranged to have as a group if anyone is interested!

would love to meet people also let me know!!

The dates for the major MouseFest activities should be released soon, so hang tight. As soon as that's nailed down, we should be able to start working on meets and meals!!! YEAH!