An increasing number of solo female travelers think that the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ might just be even more magical when visited alone.
It’s 8 p.m. on my third and final day at Tokyo Disney Resort when someone finally notices that I’m alone. I’m wearing Mickey ears, clutching a bag of two more brand-new pairs—plus keychains, pins, and other paraphernalia you didn’t think could be shaped like a Walt Disney creation—and trying my luck for a last-minute reservation at a restaurant where I can try a curry in the shape of Baymax, from Big Hero Six.
“You’re alone?” the cast member asks after I request my table. Upon confirmation, she nods, rushes to a desk, and passes me three Mickey Mouse stickers with a congratulatory smile. “It’s good for you,” she says.
She’s not wrong. But while I may be alone, I’m far from alone. Tokyo Disney Resort marks my fourth solo foray onto Mickey’s turf. Along the way, I’ve spotted dozens of my fellow solo travelers, almost all of whom are women.
Online, you can find even more. The 10.2 million posts tagged #DisneyParks across both platforms are packed with tips for everything from saving money as a party of one to the best places for taking photos at Disney World without a buddy to hold the camera. (Spoiler: It usually involves propping your phone on a trash can.)
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The path to my first solo Disney trip mirrors that of many other certified Disney Adults. Born into a family that prioritized trips to the Magic Kingdom, I soon realized after hitting adulthood and trying (unsuccessfully) to convince friends to book similar trips that not everyone was eager to plan vacations around a militaristic schedule of rides, fireworks, and popcorn dinners.
After an unfortunate incident in London in 2019, my confidence traveling solo waned. By 2023, it had been three years since I vacationed alone–or visited Disney. But after watching a YouTube series in which Disney creator Emily Nelson embarked upon a solo Disney Cruise, it clicked: I could combine the two, reclaiming my confidence while also falling back on the familiarity of Disney. Nelson, as it turns out, took a somewhat similar path.
How Do Women End up Visiting Disney Solo?
“I first decided to visit Disney solo a few years ago when I was going through a lot personally and felt like maybe it would help me with what I was going through,” Nelson says. “I was extremely anxious at first but found a lot of peace while walking around the parks solo. I’ve struggled a lot with seeing my friends get to travel places with their significant others, and as someone who has not found mine yet, I felt like my life was passing me by as I was constantly waiting on other people to experience life with. I realized that maybe I could find those experiences I was craving, just in a different way.”
It’s hard to ignore the role safety plays in making Disney feel like a restorative option. Much like the idea you’re never further than 6 feet from a rat in New York, you’re never far from the Mouse’s nearest representative, a.k.a. cast members. Guests are screened before entering the parks, with all bags X-rayed or searched by security. Disney-owned transportation shuttles you from hotel to park. You eat, drink, stay, and play in the “Disney bubble”—and in a day and age where 61% of women say safety fears hold them back from traveling solo, that’s tough to beat.
Nelson hails this as one of Disney’s strongest selling points.
“There are so many wonderful cast members around to help you with anything, and there is a ton of security,” she says. “I think it is one of the best places to visit solo or try solo travel for the first time.”
Having grown up visiting Disney, that’s why Leonela Aybar decided to use it as the launchpad for her solo adventures. First stop: Disneyland. She’d never been on a plane, but after growing up visiting Disney World, Disney’s OG Anaheim resort seemed a safe choice.
“It’s not a place where you can get lost, or things get stolen easily,” she says. “The majority of other guests are more stressed out about which ride to go on. So you’re not stressed out, especially when you’re by yourself.”
Her confidence in the Disney bubble was well placed. During her trip, Aybar aggravated a recent injury. Thankfully, cast members were quick to help.
“I ended up having to take breaks in the nursery,” Aybar recalls. “The nurses were amazing and so accommodating. They gave me ibuprofen and a pack for my back. It was great.”
Finding Community at Disney
Disney parks are designed to appeal to wildly different personalities. Foodies can devour both $6 churros and $300 sashimi platters. Adrenaline junkies sprint to Tower of Terror, while the thrill-averse camp out for Broadway-style shows. Yes, you can visit the same place over and over, but no two trips are the same. When the only person you have to please is yourself, the options are endless.
For Lucy Le Prevost, an ideal Disney day means rope drop to park close. When we speak, she’s en route to the maiden voyage of Disney’s newest cruise ship, but her park strategy is simple: start with popular rides, buy passes to skip hectic lines, then fill the day with character meet-and-greets, Starbucks, and fireworks. “Lots of snacks will be eaten,” she adds.
Aybar “never really got a chance to go on roller coasters” growing up, which means her solo time is all about rides, rides, rides, punctuated with occasional snacks. In contrast, Nelson takes her solo time “very leisurely.” After a slow morning, she will “grab a coffee, walk around, and see where the day takes me.”
Inevitably, when so many women navigate Disney solo, they find each other. Connected via social media, a tight-knit community of solo female Disney travelers has emerged, giving women the confidence to venture further in search of the magic.
“I’ve made friends on both coasts of the U.S.,” says Sarah, a UK-based Disney fan. “I’ve had a drink with people I’ve bumped into from Instagram and even gone on a fireworks cruise with someone I’d only met for 30 minutes once before.”
You may start your visit solo, but you can end it with a brand-new group of Disney besties.
Technically, at Disney, everyone is a “friend.” It’s what cast members call every guest who walks through the gates. Alone, the sentiment proves especially true. Asking strangers to take your photo in the real world is awkward. At Disney, it’s almost expected—and other women are especially quick to help. A girl in a Daisy Duck dress once tweaked my exposure settings to capture the best sunset picture at Magic Kingdom, while a Tokyo Disneyland cast member all but marched me down Main Street, U.S.A., to snap “prettier” portraits.
That’s not to say solitude doesn’t occasionally take its toll.
“You’re going to see a big group of friends, a big family, couples, and you’re there by yourself. It can make you feel a little lonely in a big crowd,” Abar admits. “But it’s just more freedom.”
Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons–especially with the right mindset.
“I think it’s really cool to see so many people, even if I never get a chance to meet them, because it reminds me that there are so many people out there that I haven’t had the chance of meeting yet, and you never know where life is going to take you next,” Nelson says. “I’ve made a ton of friends while solo traveling. More than I think I would’ve made if I were with people I already knew.”
To Infinity and Beyond
For Nelson, what started small has evolved into a string of solo adventures.
“I hadn’t traveled anywhere else solo before visiting Disney,” she says. “I started off with just an evening by myself, which led me to staying at a Disney World resort for a day or two by myself, which led me to booking a Disney Cruise by myself, which led me to booking a trip to Disneyland across the country by myself.”
My own trajectory is similar. Long weekends in Disneyland Paris and sporadic solo days at Disney World turned into a week at Tokyo Disney Resort, bookended with days in Tokyo and Osaka. Next is Disneyland Resort, plus a whole week in LA. I may gradually branch out further. But none of that would have been possible without using Disney as a touchpoint along the way.
That Tokyo Disneyland cast member was right. I’ll bear the brunt of every ill-intended “Disney Adult” label, because visiting the parks solo has, in fact, been good for me. And I’m not alone in that fact. Nelson recently went on a solo trip to Utah and sees more trips in her future.
“I definitely feel more inspired,” says Nelson. “I don’t think I could have done it without my experience at Disney solo.”