Why going to Disney World by yourself is perfectly o.k.

ORLANDO, FL - MAY 11: General view of Epcot International Flower And Garden Festival at Epcot Center at Walt Disney World on May 11, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MAY 11: General view of Epcot International Flower And Garden Festival at Epcot Center at Walt Disney World on May 11, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images) /
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Going to Disney World by yourself may seem boring but it is far from it.

Sometimes we have opportunities to visit Disney World and that may mean leaving the family at home and if you go, don’t feel like your cheating.

On social media, I am often asked or see the question being asked, “I have a chance to go to Disney without my spouse and kids. Should I go?” The follow up is a fear of “cheating” on your family. I’m here to tell you that is 100% o.k. to “cheat” on your family.

My family is a Disney family and we absolutely love the parks in Orlando. Whether there are large crowds or not, the atmosphere is always amazing. I have been to the parks so many times with my wife and kids that I have lost count but believe me, I don’t miss a chance to go even when my family is all the way back in North Carolina.

It sounds bad but is it really? When I go, alone, I typically hit Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or my personal favorite, Epcot. I don’t think I have ever gone to Magic Kingdom by myself unless I was running in to buy one of the apples they sell back in the kiddie land.

I miss my family when I’m there, a little. I mean it’s Disney and Disney is better with friends and family but there is nothing that compares to doing the parks at your pace. Ride what you want or skip what you don’t. I don’t have to sit for a parade or stop at every Wilderness Explorer kiosk or stop to see a princess around World Showcase at Epcot.

Epcot
The 2020 Epcot food and wine festival /

No, I get to enjoy a refreshing Guinness while sitting at an outside table at the England pavilion. I get to stop and listen to a concert on the American stage or type out an article on my laptop while I sip wine in France. I am on no bathroom schedule and don’t have to listen to everyone tell me they are hungry at different times. It sounds selfish but it really is not.

I don’t eat at the restaurants, however. Those I save to experience with the kids and the wife and I typically don’t ride too many rides either. I may do something like Test Track or Soarin but I’m more likely to take in one of the many movies that play in various countries in World Showcase.

The point is we shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying Disney or any other theme park by ourselves. Sometimes we get to see more than we have and we even find gems to share with the family on the next trip. So if you have the chance to go, go.