Hollywood studios

Yes, you read that title right I went to Disney World alone but before I spill the tea on how I conquered Disney World alone below is a bit of background about myself for reference and then i will divulge how i picked my resort, dates, parks, and then finish with how my itinerary went for my stay!

I am a 28 year old wife, mama, blogger, content creator, small business owner and a full time employee. Last year in 2022 I took a trip with a girlfriend and she made the comment why don’t you come by yourself sometime. I instantly had a lightbulb go off in my head why had i never thought about coming by myself. I started making a pros and cons list in my head. I was filled with anxiety and excitement all in the same time. I discussed it with my husband and he fully supported my endeavor and with that here is how I made the most magical memories for myself on my solo Disney World trip!

First thing was picking when to go:

I knew i wanted to go in April due to its my personal favorite weather in Florida. My trip dates set for April 20th through April 25th. I made my plans 8 months in advance which gave me time to pay for the trip in payments.

Second Booking where to stay:

i knew i wanted to stay on a Disney resort due to how much safer i personally felt staying on property. I compared prices of resorts and landed on All-Star Movies! It was in my budget and i had not stayed there before. 

Thirdly how to get to Disney World and to the Resort:

i knew i wanted to fly! I live in North Carolina which is about a 9 hour drive to Orlando and i did not want to drive that far alone and a flight is 1 hour and 45mins no brainier i was going to fly. i flew with Spirit airlines which offers cheap flights, i will add here that these flights can become more or equally as expensive as American airlines if you add on things such as picking your seat, multiple bags, in flight snacks ect. My round trip flight with 1 checked back and 1 carry on was $211.00. I also got ground transportation to the resort via Sunshine Flyer which i had used before and was highly satisficed with, i booked this 2 months in advance and was able to secure this for $15 round trip, due to they were running a special on their transportation prices. This trip usually cost $35. I know some folks swear by uber/lyft but traveling alone i personally wanted to use a trusted Disney Transport.

All Star Movies Resort Impression:

All Star Movies was fun and truly made me feel like a kid again with its exterior theming. The resort offers 5 different themed sections. i got the pleasure of staying in the love bug building which was themed to Herbie the Lovebug! i also wondered the resort and really enjoyed the interactive theming of each building. The resort also include a cafeteria which served an array of foods from hamburgers to pot roast dinner. it really had something for whatever you were craving. During my stay i did not spend much time at my resort due to i had packed my weekend trip with park time but the time i did get on my resort was a great experience.

Friday, Arrival day:

After unpacking and settling in i caught the Disney Transport bus from my resort to Disney Springs and grabbed a bar seat at The Edison which is steam punked themed with American cuisine. I had an exquisite time! My bartender was spectacular and I highly recommend the Strawberry Fields Forever drink this drink was so smooth and perfect combo of tart and sweet that i ordered 3 even with the $18 price tag! my main coarse was The Edison, which is their Signature Beef Blend of Sirloin, Short Rib, and Brisket topped with White Cheddar, Crispy Onions, Smoked Bacon, Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato, Special Sauce, with Fries and oh my goodness it was delicious.

Saturday:

I took a trip around the world showcase of Epcot. Epcot is a absolute breath taking park but especially at this time of year due to Epcot celebrating the Flower and Garden festival which brings nature to you right on a plate or in a drink. I took my time getting ready that morning after i had woke up at 6:55 AM and purchased Genie + for the day and purchase my Individual lighting lane ticket for Guardians of the galaxy rewind (need to understand Genie+ link here to our blog post). I took the resort bus to Epcot. I was not rushed for time this park day and the resort bus is free and i was fine leisurely arriving at the park. The buses arrive and depart about ever 15-20 mins give or take if any the buses are delayed. there was a coinvent board that would updated about every 5 minutes and let guest know when next ETA was for whichever bus. Once at Epcot I made my way to all the rides i wanted to complete. I wanted to get the rides done early so i could just enjoy the park. Epcot during flower and garden offers so many unique drinks, foods and exhibit i didn’t want to miss any time exploring those options by standing in line for a ride. My purchase of genie+ for the day was well spent. I enjoyed a variety of snacks and drinks throughout exploring the worldshow case. personally my favorite drink was the La Vie en Rose Slush which returned again to this year’s Flower and Garden Fest It’s made with Grey Goose Vodka Orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White and Red Cranberry Juice. Its an expensive choice but well worth it! My favorite Snack was the Beef Tenderloin Tips found at the Canada booth, this was made up of a mushroom bordelaise sauce, and whipped potatoes with garden vegetables. It was mouth watering! I ended up leaving Epcot around 7:30pm as i had an early morning planned for Sunday at Magic Kingdom (MK). 

Sunday:

I ventured to Magic Kingdom. Which is the one park most folks think of when they hear Disney world. Magic Kingdom is more family friendly with over 40 rides and attractions with not many of them having any height limitations. **I got to Magic Kingdom 1 hour before park opening** this is a huge pro-tip this is how i got some great castle shots before the park was overflowing with people! I had a breakfast reservation at the crystal palace to eat with Pooh bear and his friends. I was late for this by almost 30 minutes due to the resort bus had a break down and had to send another bus to pick up. This was frustrating but again when using a free services there is only so much you can complain. When going again i will use an uber or lyft when i need to be there on time. 

The weather this day was astonishingly. It was sunny and 75 with a breeze i truly couldn’t have had a better weather day! Magic Kingdom is typically opened the latest so to prepare myself for that i went in that morning with a plan to do my top 6 rides and then head back to my resort at 2pm relax change clothes and arrive back at the park by 5pm and it worked out perfect sticking to this plan. I felt refreshed and no sore feet or overly fatigued. I really enjoyed engaging with others on their magical vacations. I offered to take others photos often and in return they would take a few for me. I met a lovely family with their daughter, who were visiting for their first time and we had great conversations waiting on the fireworks to start. Watching them watch their daughter as she took in the magic for the first time truly brought me to tears. I took photos of them before and during the show and airdropped them the images and the mom was crying with gratitude and i was just over joyed to be able to bring some magic to their trip! After the fireworks I wondered around the park and Let me just tell you if you can manage to hang around even just 1 hour after the fireworks you wont be disappointed! Mainstreet will be swamped with folks shopping and exiting the park but the other lands are empty and i was able to get amazing shots of the park at night. I also spent time just soaking in the atmosphere, people watching and just the magic that can be felt in the park itself. I headed towards the buses about and hour before closing as the line for resort buses at park close can be extensive. 

Monday:

Hollywood studios was my last stop on my solo Disney trip! I started my day here with  a warm hug from everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf. Grabbed a Joffrey’s coffee and a huge doughnut and sat Infront of runaway railroad and people watched. I also got to ride Mickey & Minnie’s runaway rail road for the first time and it was so adorable! A must do if you have small children or as a solo Disney adult as i did! Afterwards i spent the next 4 hours in Galaxy’s Edge. I had drinks at Olgas canteen which was fabulous. I did try nearly every drink but the outer rim was my favorite. I spent so much time in this area really living out my Star Wars fan girl fantasy. I had dinner at the new Woody’s BBQ Roundup in Toy story land. The food was impeccable but way to much food for just one person and i felt terrible leaving so much uneaten food. Toy Story Land is my favorite land at night. The auroras of the Christmas lights from above and the screams of laughter from Slinky Dog Dash pulls me back to my childhood and i cherish that feeling every single time i visit. In true Florida style it started to pour rain so i actually go a table Olgas again and had a few drinks. Olgas experience is truly above and beyond, Especially for someone whos’ a die hard Star Wars fan. I am not a fan of the bar food as it is more adventurous then my taste buds are but the drinks are amazing and the cast members go out of their way to make you feel special and truly transport you to another galaxy far far away. As i took shelter from the down pour at Olgas i met a plethora of other Disney adults and struck up conversations about the drinks, food and atmosphere of Galaxy’s Edge. Once the storm dispersed i headed back to my resort to prepare for my next day of traveling home.

Tuesday:

 Departing day, because i used the Sunshine flyer for a round trip to and from the airport on the day prior to departing day they sent me a time as to when i should be at the front door for pick up and this time can be multiple hours prior to your departure due to they pick up from other resorts. This part was discouraging as i had a 1pm departing flight but i had to be on the bus at 7am. I believe my next trip i will use them for arrival but not departing as i would’ve liked to have slept in, enjoyed breakfast and shop some before arriving to the airport. I will also say that the bus will leave if you are not outside at your appointed time. on my previous trip i was literally one minute late and the bus driver was about to pull away and i had to bang on the door, so if punctuality isn’t your thing maybe look into alternatives transportation. 

Big take aways from this trip:

Using Disney transport is cost effective but can burn so much time, Next trip i will consider using uber/lyft for transport on the mornings I’m looking to get somewhere at a certain time. Buses fill up and they get delayed often, I was trying to stay on a budget this past trip and used the free options which did save me money but cost me some valuable patience and park time. 

Spending time with cast members was a delight. I made it a point in asking them questions,  advice or just small talk. I made keychains prior to my trip and put a little thank you note with them and I handed them out to cast members and it truly delighted them. It made my heart happy to give back to them as they do so much to make everyone else’s day perfect! I will definitely continue this tradition. 

This was the very first time I ever went back to the resort in the middle of the day and took a rest. This was huge and so important for me on my Magic Kingdom day. I don’t believe i will do this when i have a large group due to how hard it can be to get people up and going again but with no one else to wait on but myself i will do this again. 

Buying Genie + , I bought it for my entire trip and i bought two individual lighting lanes. My thoughts on this one are money over time spent waiting in line. I am someone who wants to be able to plan out my day and know what to expect next. I miss the FastPass system so much when it comes to this due to i was able to know 60 days prior to arrival what rides/attractions i had booked however i will say that i was able to ride more rides with Genie+ than the FastPass system but its such a give and take because i spent so much time checking my phone for availability which this wasn’t a big issue when it was just me but on my previous trip with my family i felt i was missing out on family time because i was looking at my phone constantly. I would still buy Genie+ again on my next solo trip. 

I packed 3 park days into my 5 day trip and it left no time for relaxing or shopping. My next trip i will either do only 2 park days or book a late flight on my departing day so i can spend time lounging and enjoying Disney springs. 

I will stay at a value resort again. I know some people swear by staying at a Deluxe resort but for me I would rather save the money to enjoy dinners, experiences or purchasing souvenirs then pay for a more luxurious resort. 

This whole experience was so liberating to not wait on anyone else. When i wanted a break, i took one. I wanted to take 150 pictures of everything so i did. I wanted a snack, i got one. This trip was absolute bliss. I was so scared going into my first park day that i would be lonely or stick out among the multitude of families vacationing together but i truly enjoyed my time watching folks, exploring each country and taking in the atmosphere. If you have every considered a solo trip i highly encourage you to do it!