Me?? Travel Alone??
One thing I have NEVER done is travel alone…well not never, but definitely a new experience. I have been to conferences (one coming up actually..woo hoo excited!) and to the occasional “girls” trip which I don’t really count as alone trips. BUT next week I get to go to Animal Kingdom….ALL…BY….MYSELF!
There are so many mixed emotions about this…anxiety, fear, excitement, hopeful. I’m not sure which to feel first. My initial thought was OMG I have never driven to a park alone before, what if I get lost? what if I can’t find it? I am naturally prone to a bit of anxiety and being in a large crowded place alone will definitely trigger it a bit. However, I remembered that I’m not visiting a foreign country or a place that is new to me…I am going to one of my favorite places ever!!!
Once I told my anxiety self to shut up…I got SUPER EXCITED!! I was going to one of my favorite places a VIP tour and I am going alone. No children, no husband, no stroller or backpack…the more I thought about this the better it sounded. One of my friends began to remind me of all the things I could never do because I had the kids, or places I had wanted to try and eat but the kids main food groups are chicken nuggets and spaghetti…OMG I was in heaven! Now my to do list is like a mile long!
I’m still not totally sure I will survive a day on my own…I am way to much of a social butterfly so I think i’ll feel antsy by like noon but I am determined to take advantage of this experience and LOVE EVERY MINUTE!
Some advice about going to Disney theme parks alone (courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog):
1. Eat where you want
2. Use the Single Rider Line (if available)
3. Treat Yourself (yes have a Mickey Ice Cream, pretzel, and popcorn all in one day)
4. Be someone else
5. Be Social
6. Vacation Kingdom- go beyond the parks, visit resorts, try transportation, just explore.
7. Choose your adventure- do what brings you joy- no 2 trips are the same
8. Fly by the seat of your pants (this one will be hard for me lol I ALWAYS have a plan!)
9. Make “internet friends”
10. Disney enlightenment- take your time, meander around, get to know the parks
Check back with me next week when I recap my solo day at the parks and what we learned/experienced at our Magical Vacation Planner Conference…I’m so excited for next week!!!