Amanee's Ultimate Solo Travel Guide: Disneyland

I'm the type of person who loves to do things alone. I'm completely content going to the movies, eating at restaurants, and traveling to the other side of the world all by myself. 

My most recent solo adventure took me out of my comfort zone and I'm so happy I did it. What is "it," you may ask? 

I conquered Disneyland ALONE. 

I love Disney. I’ve been to both Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California quite a few times. I’m not one of those people who has a season pass and goes every weekend... Although I'm strongly considering it... But, since I live in Florida now, I try to go at least once a year. 

Here’s the dilemma: Have you ever wanted to go to Disney and had no one to go with? I have! So why not go by yourself? I did! 

Keep reading for a play-by-play of my day at The Happiest Place on Earth.

In April, I was in Anaheim, California during my month-long spring college tour to attend the Orange County National College Fair. Disneyland was walking distance from my hotel and I just couldn’t pass it up. I bought my ticket online the day before and unfortunately, Disney doesn’t offer discounts for single day tickets and it was during the peak season, so it was $150… Which isn’t terrible.

Leading up to the day, I did a ton of research and read all of the Disneyland blogs to see which rides were the best for adults. I know that a lot of people assume that Disney is just for kids, BUT it’s truly fun for people of all ages!

I began my day bright and early around 8 a.m. 

I got dressed in comfortable clothing: a flowy shirt, leggings, tennis shoes, sunglasses, a hat and a jean jacket. California is so strange. It’s chilly in the morning/evening and burning up hot in the afternoon so I had to cover all my bases. 

I planned to stay at the park for the entire day so I was well prepared… I had a fanny pack with all of my necessities— especially hand sanitizer (lots of germy children) and my portable charger. 

Major Key: I spent A LOT of time on my phone— whether it was checking the map to see which ride to go to next, taking pictures, or scrolling on Instagram while I was waiting in line. My portable charger kept my phone charged alllll day long.

I arrived at the park at around 9 a.m. after walking 15 minutes from my hotel. It wasn’t too crowded yet so I walked straight through security, scanned the ticket on my phone, and was in the park within 10 minutes.

TIP: Download the Disneyland phone app ahead of time. You can check ride wait times, view park map, parade hours, display park tickets, check FASTPASS return times, make dining reservations, view menus, order food ahead of time, and view Disney photos all from your phone!

Disneyland consists of eight themed “lands” and occupies approximately 85 acres. 

This includes Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, and Mickey’s Toontown.

My first stop of the day was Tomorrowland. I rode Star Wars Star Tours first. It wasn’t really anything spectacular. It was a simulator flying through space… Good thing I only had to wait 15 minutes.

Amanee's Rating: C

Next, I rode Space Mountain. It’s a fast indoor roller coaster that zips through twists and turns in complete darkness. I waited 45 minutes to get on… Definitely my longest wait of the day, but it was totally worth it for the thrill!

Amanee's Rating: A-

  

One of the only downsides to going alone was that I didn’t have any one to talk to while I was waiting in line! Small things. Like I said, I had a portable charger so I just scrolled through Instagram and Snapchat to see what everyone else was up to.

Next, I walked through Adventureland and picked up a cup of Dole Whip for $6. Dole Whip is a pineapple-flavored dairy-free soft-serve dessert. I LOVE ice cream and this is even better because it’s dairy-free and I’m lactose intolerant.  

Amanee's Rating: A

My next ride was The Indiana Jones Adventure. Luckily, this ride had a single rider pass option. I skipped the ENTIRE line, walked through the exit, and got to the front of the line in five minutes instead of an hour. 

Once you board the military transport truck, you're whipped through a quest through a dangerous lost temple guarded by supernatural power with Indiana Jones himself. It was a lot of fun!

Amanee's Rating: A

Next, I rode Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square. It was a slow boat ride that had some amazing visuals… But it was really dark so I didn’t bother taking any pictures.

Amanee's Rating: C

After that, I head to the Haunted Mansion ride. This one was slow and dark too. It's a spooky tour through an eerie haunted estate... Just like the movie. Nothing too thrilling, but the visuals were cool!

Amanee's Rating: C

Around 1 p.m., I had lunch at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland. It’s an Old West-style show palace. I ordered chicken tenders, fries, water cup and it ran me $11… Not outrageous for Disney. There was a show going on while I ate my food, so I even had some entertainment!

Amanee's Rating: B

Next, I rode Rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Loved it! It was fast and bumpy and I got to sit right in the front row. It was hot outside and the sun was beaming down, but the wait wasn’t too bad… Only about 10 minutes. 

Sidenote: I overheard that this ride has helped people pass kidney stones… Gross, but interesting. LOL.

Amanee's Rating: A+

My next ride was the Matterhorn Bobsleds right on the border of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. They had a handy-dandy single rider line so I walked right up to the front again. 

This had to have been my absolute favorite ride of the day. It’s a three-seat bobsled that quickly weaves through a “mountain.” I sat in the back row behind a woman and her son who looked to be around six-years-old. They were both screaming their heads off the entire time. Every time she asked him if he was okay, he screamed “NO!” Meanwhile, I was in the back cracking up at them.

Amanee's Rating: A+

By 3 p.m., I completed every "adult" ride on my list. I decided to take a break to watch Mickey’s Soundsational Parade. It didn’t start until 3:30 p.m., but I found a spot on a wall to people-watch. It was hot as I don’t know what out there! I thought I was gonna melt!

Almost all of the characters marched through the parade. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Aladin, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Simba, Princess Tiana, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, and Mary Poppins

Amanee's Rating: A

I loved seeing all of the families with their matching outfits and tee shirts on. So adorable! Being surrounded by kids all day long honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. 

After the parade, I needed something to cool me down so I picked up a frozen raspberry lemonade and people-watched for a little while longer. So many interesting people!

Amanee's Rating: B

Random thought while people watching: I could never ride Splash Mountain. It’s one of those log rides that barrels down a cliff. The ride itself is fine, but the people get soaked and then smell like cheese after. Yuck.

Next, I decided to ride It’s A Small World and when the ride attendant asked me how many were in my party and I said “One,” she looked at me like I had three heads! Was it strange that I was riding the kiddie ride by myself? Don’t know, don’t care!

The ride features over 300 audio-animatronic children in traditional costumes from cultures around the world, frolicking in a spirit of international unity, and singing the attraction's title song, which has a theme of global peace.

I’ve always loved this ride. I just think it’s so adorable! I could’ve done without the little bad kid behind me who wouldn’t sit down, though. -_-

Amanee's Rating: A

After that, I decided to ride the Disneyland Railroad just to take a little break. It circles the entire park with four different stops throughout the park. It wasn’t a must-do thing on my list, but I was tired of walking at that point.

Amanee's Rating: B

Around 7:45 p.m., I picked up a couple of warm, sugary Mickey-shaped beignets and claimed my spot to watch Fantasmic. The show didn’t begin until 9 p.m., but I wanted a spot in a prime location. I stood at the top of a set of steps and didn’t care if I blocked any kids. Shoulda got there first. Lol.

Amanee's Rating: A

I LOVED Fantasmic. I always have. It's full of fireworks, characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats, and mist screen projections. The show centers on a voyage through Mickey Mouse's imagination that culminates in a battle against the Disney Villains. It's just so magical!

Amanee's Rating: A

Afterwards, there was a fireworks show and that was pretty cool too. Nothing spectacular though... Fireworks all look the same to me.

Amanee's Rating: B

At the end of the show, Mickey said “Thank you for joining us at the happiest place on earth!” and this dad standing behind me said, “He must mean the most expensive place on earth.” LOL. People crack me up… But, I’m sure it’s ridiculously expensive with kids.

I didn’t see as much “Disney stuff” as I expected and I hardly saw any characters other than the ones in the parade and Fantasmic. 

I also had to stop myself from buying rose gold Minnie ears… I love rose gold and they’re so cute but, 1) I had no more room in my suitcase and two more weeks of travel and 2) Once I saw that they were a whopping $30, I ran in the other direction. HA! I'll be back to get them one of these days.

So, that concludes my day at Disneyland. I had an amazing time all by myself. 

I ran around the park like a little kid from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

When I arrived that morning, I had no idea what I was about to get myself into. 

Would I be lonely with no one else to talk to? Would I get bored at an amusement park all by myself?

I had a general idea of the rides that I wanted to get on and although I didn’t really map anything out beforehand, I had no issues getting around at all. 

I made friends with other people waiting in line. I talked to cast members. 

It all worked out perfectly. 

If you're feeling inspired and you're thinking about conquering Disney by yourself, here's my pro/con list for a solo trip to Disneyland:

Pros: 

Didn’t have to worry about other people walking too slow and getting lost in the crowd.

Didn’t have to worry about when other people had to stop and take a break or use the bathroom.

Didn’t have to worry about other people’s opinions about what rides they did/didn’t want to ride or agree on someplace to eat.

Cons: 

No one to talk to in line.

No one to take pictures of/with me.

No one to hold my spot at the parade/restaurant when I wanted to go get food.

Totally unrelated to Disney… But, the night before my solo adventure, I needed to get my nails filled in and if you're ever in the area, I highly suggest O Happy Nails in Anaheim. Nam did a fantastic job! Also, I dyed my hair blonde all by myself… Gasp! I was tired of the brown hair and needed some excitement!

Anywho, Disney was magical.

Amanee's Overall Rating: A+

That’s all, folks! I hope you enjoyed and as always, thank you so much for reading!

Have you ever thought about traveling solo? Let me know in the comments!

 

Until next time!

-A.