Why you should take solo park trips on your DCP
When you take part in a Disney College Program, there will inevitably be times when you’re free to go the parks but your friends aren’t. Whether it’s a morning before clocking in for work, a few precious hours after your shift finishes early evening, or a whole day off with no concrete plans, you shouldn’t let not having someone to go with stop you from hitting the parks in your spare time.
I know so many people who expressed their concerns about going it alone, and I have to say I felt those too – will people be staring at me? Will I feel lonely? Is it weird to ride by yourself? For me personally, the answer to all those questions is not at all!
While I loved spending time with friends whenever possible on my program, having some one-on-one quality time with Cinderella Castle is something quite special I recommend experiencing.
Here’s why I suggest going to the parks by yourself at least once on your program.
1. You do what you want
There’s no more compromising. If you don’t want to wait 45 minutes for Haunted Mansion, you get to skip it. Equally if you want to queue an hour for Mine Train, then go ahead! You’re also more likely to score last-minute fastpasses to top attractions like these when you’re searching for a single rider, meaning you may get to do things you wouldn’t otherwise.
When it comes to food as well, if you decide in Fantasyland that you want a dole whip, you can make that trip across the park especially without inconveniencing anyone who maybe wants a Gaston's cinnamon roll instead.
2. People-watching
If you find yourself eating alone in a quick-service location, or perhaps on the curb of Sunset Boulevard, this is a great time to sit back, relax, and take it all in. You see all sorts of guests at the parks, from the families decked out in matching shirts to the adorable kids who’ve just gone through Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Getting to see this can reaffirm to you why you came to the DCP in the first place – to make magic for these people, so they have the best vacation possible.
3. The smaller details
Again, something that comes with having ample time on your hands is noticing and appreciating things you’d miss otherwise.
Whether it’s searching out hidden mickeys, noticing the different animals carved into the Tree of Life, or taking in all the windows of Main Street (and learning the stories behind them), you can find so many gems in the parks that get overlooked when you’re busy with your friends and always rushing onto the next thing.
4. Great photos
As you take in everything you hadn’t seen before, be sure to have a camera on hand to snap away. This goes for other shots too as you can take the time to unashamedly get that truly perfect pic for Instagram.
Buy your Starbucks coffee and snap away with the castle as your background, wander through Pandora at your own pace without worrying about wait times, and start building up a collection you’ll look back on in the months to come when hitting up Magic Kingdom before work is no longer an option and you’d do just about anything to go back.
5. Relax and enjoy
This is the overriding reason I recommend visiting the parks alone. They can be pretty crazy places to be, and yet within each you can find some sleepier spots where you could bring a book, grab a treat, sit back and whittle the hours away knowing you didn't pay a penny to get in there.
Magic Kingdom - try the hub grass or the covered tent next to Barnstormer in Storybook Circus, which also comes with power outlets
Epcot – there are numerous World Showcase spots including the entire Morocco pavilion but also the gardens at the back of the UK
Hollywood Studios – the seating behind Trolley Car Café (Starbucks) or outside Pizze Rizzo after 4pm when it closes always have plenty of space
Animal Kingdom – the wild treks are, contrary to their name, typically quiet, but numerous benches are positioned by each animal enclosure as well
