Disney World Adventures: My Solo Park Day at Disney's Hollywood Studios

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Disney World isn't just for kids.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time at Hollywood Studios all by myself.  I had a great time!  Yes, I missed my family, but it was nice to have a little Mom time.  It was rather fun to be the one completely in charge of the itinerary.

Below is a breakdown of my day with a few tips at the end for single travelers. 

I am a big proponent of getting to the parks early, and today was no different.  In fact, without any kids to buckle into car seats or strollers to push, I scanned in quite early, about 8:15, despite leaving at our "regular" departure time.

The park didn't officially open until 9 AM, but they've been unofficially opening Toy Story Land early and I was hopeful that they would do the same today.  I was not disappointed.  At exactly 8:45 the cast members began walking the massive crowd to Andy's Backyard.  The crowd can get mob-ish with hundreds of people trying to be the first to get to the same place.  Since I was all by myself this wasn't a big deal, but it could be stressful with the kids and a stroller.

I waited in the line for Slinky Dog Dash for about five minutes.  The line moves pretty quickly first thing in the morning, but it doesn't take it long to back up.  The line was out the door and around the bend by the time I was off.

After Slinky Dog I quickly walked over to Toy Story Mania and waited about 10 minutes.  I was so hoping to break the 200,000 mark, but I failed.  I had a great time anyway and I was "Best in Vehicle"!  (This is a rarity for me as my wonderful husband usually is the one to claim this honor.)

My first FastPass was Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, which I picked up using the app while in line earlier, so I headed over there and had a blast.

The lines were getting pretty long at this point, and I couldn't modify my FastPasses to get anything better, so I hopped into the single rider line for Rock 'n'.  I waited only about 20 minutes, which was great since the posted wait time for Stand By was 65 minutes.  (While in line I was able to modify my second FastPass to a better time.)

After the roller coaster thrills, it was time for a quiet show and food.  I love the live Beauty and the Beast show!  It's a Broadway style show with singing and dancing.  I found it really relaxing to watch the show alone.  I used this time to eat some of the snacks that I brought with me.  (Food is allowed in this semi-outdoor theater!)

My second FastPass was Slinky Dog Dash, so I skipped on back to Toy Story Land.  At this point the park was packed and Stand By wait times were quite high.

As I was exiting Toy Story Land, I realized the Indiana Jones show was about to start, so I quickly worked my way there.  The cast members warned that it was standing room only by the time I got there, but being a party of one it was pretty easy to get a seat on the edge.  (Then the family in front of me left after about five minutes, so I ended up having a great view, even if it was a little off center!)

My third FastPass was Tower of Terror.  I'm a little bit unique in my perception of this attraction.  I find the theaming to be excellent, but in all honesty, a little creep-tastic; while the ride itself is a blast and not even a little scary.  I do really enjoy it though, so I was really thankful to have the FastPass as the Stand By line was at 105 minutes!  Even the FastPass line was a little backed up, but that gave me the opportunity to take a few photos.  I have to say, I'm pretty happy how this one turned out!

At this point I was thinking about heading out, it was crowded and I already had been able to do many of the big attractions, but decided to see what was available.  I refreshed the app a few times and to my amazement scored another FastPass for Slinky Dog in ten minutes!  I couldn't pass that up, so back to Toy Story Land I went.  (You might not know it from this blog post, but Slinky Dog Dash is currently one of the most difficult to obtain FastPasses.)

At about 1:30 I decided to call it a day.  It was a great day!  Being a local passholder is so much fun, but it is a little disjointing to go from the magical World of Disney in the morning to running mundane errands in the afternoon. (I'm looking at you, Sprint.)

Photo courtesy of Disney's PhotoPass System.

A few tips for a solo Walt Disney World Disney park day:

1. Use the My Disney Experience App.  The smaller the party the easier it is to score great FastPasses.  Keep in mind that you might need to refresh the page often.
2. Pack light.  I wore a sling cooler (older and not as cool as this KAVU Ropesicle Insulated Cooler Rope Sling Bag).  This was plenty big for my lunch, snacks, phone, wallet, keys, and portable cell phone charger.  I realize many people wouldn't consider this "packing light", but since I typically also have diapers, wipes, baby blanket, a change of clothes, sippy cups, pins for trading, a camera, three kids, etc., this was light for me.  
3. Utilize single rider lines when available. Only a few attractions in Disney World have them, but when they are available they are almost always better than Stand By.    

What about you?  Have you enjoyed a Disney park solo?  What are you favorite things to do?  Have you been able to ride Slinky Dog Dash?  What are some of your favorite things to do at Hollywood Studios?

You also might enjoy:

Where is Minnie Mouse in Walt Disney World?

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No Disney World trip would be complete without visiting Minnie Mouse, so where can you find her? Well, the answer is pretty simple: just about everywhere!  

Keep in mind that Disney is constantly changing, so while this information is true now, it might not be true when you visit.  This post was updated February 2020.

Currently, there is a Character Meet & Greet with Minnie Mouse at all four Disney World Parks in Orlando, Florida.  You can get your picture together, get Minnie's autograph, and give her a hug.  Here's where to look on your park map to find Minnie:

Magic Kingdom

• Pete’s Silly Sideshow (across from Dumbo) -- There are no FastPasses for this attraction.  This is indoors.  (Pictured above.)  Minnie wears a fun pink ensemble.

Epcot

• Character Spot -- FastPasses are available, and I would recommend them for this attraction.  The lines, while indoors, can get quite long. (Pictured below.)  UPDATE (2/1/2020): With the vast construction happening at Epcot right now, Minnie is meeting in the gazebo just inside the world showcase.  There are no FastPasses and the line gets very long.  Minnie wears her iconic red dress with white polka dots.

Hollywood Studios

• Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams (on Commissary Lane) -- No FastPasses available.  A large portion of the line is outdoors, although it is shaded and has fans.  Minnie wears a very elegant pink dress.

Animal Kingdom

• Adventure Outpost -- FastPasses available.  The line is indoors.  For some reason, I personally find this particular line to move quite slowly, so I highly recommend getting the FastPass.  Mickey and Minnie wear their safari outfits.  

Character Dining

Minnie is popular at many of the Character Dining experiences as well.  (Be warned, characters are never guaranteed at dining experiences, but they are typically there if advertised as such.)  The Disney website will be the best place to get the most up to date information, however, if you're looking for Minnie the following would be a good place to start!

• Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast Cape May Cafe (Beach Club Resort)
• Chef Mickey's (Contemporary Resort)
• Hollywood And Vine (Hollywood Studios) Seasonally/occasionally
• Tusker House (Animal Kingdom)
• Topolino's Terrace (Riviera Resort)

I hope that I've answered the following question for you:

Where in the "World" is Minnie Mouse?

But, if you have any questions, just ask! 

Where have you met Minnie Mouse?

Disney with Two Little Kids and One Adult

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(Note: I need to write an update for this post, because now I regularly go to Disney World with my THREE kids while my husband is at work!)

We're addicted to Disney.

We go often.  It's a rare week that we aren't there.  (Unless we're blocked because we don't have the crazy-super-duper expensive passes.  Just the regular ol' pretty expensive passes.)

Almost every time it's the whole family: me, Daddy, Catherine, and Dominic.  However, it has been just me and the kids a more than a few times.  Am I crazy?  Well, maybe.  But not for this.

Since I've done it successfully so often I thought I would share some tips that have worked well for us.  I know there are lots of scenarios out there that equate into only one parent being able to bring the kids, so maybe something in here will help you.  Also, a lot of these Disney tips could apply to anyone, so even if you're just a kid at heart something here might help you!

1. Pick your park.

I recommend sticking with Magic Kingdom.  As I write this, my kids are two and six.  Catherine, 6, can ride everything Magic Kingdom has to offer.  Dominic can ride a lot, but certainly not everything.

While you could piece together a fun trip to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom with proper planning (and we have) I think Magic Kingdom is the best bet.  The only Disney World park that the kids and I haven't done without Daddy is Hollywood Studios -- but a lot of that has to do with him being a major Star Wars aficionado.  (At the bottom of this post check out my links for "What to do at Disney's ______ Park with Little Kids and Babies" for planning help.)

The one big negative that Magic Kingdom has is getting over the lake.  If you drive to Disney, which I do as a local, getting from the car to the front gate at the other parks takes ten minutes, tops, at Magic Kingdom it frequently takes a half an hour or more.

2. Adjust your expectations.

If you're solo with the little people there's a good chance that you won't be able to do everything that you'd like.  Space Mountain is one of my favorite rides at Magic Kingdom.  I simply can't ride it though when it's just me and the kids.  I've even had to give up an elusive Mine Train FastPass that I somehow scored because, clearly, Dominic can't wait for me by himself while Catherine and I ride.  (That was a day we thought Daddy might be able to come.)  I'm one of those people that could be at the park from opening to closing and be totally happy.  My kids can't do that.  Acknowledge that this might not be your ideal trip and then, well, let it go.


3. Watch carefully for tiredness.

I think this is especially important whenever the children outnumber the adults.  You only have so many arms!  Maybe you have mastered baby (or toddler) wearing, pushing a stroller, carrying an umbrella, juggling three cups of water, AND not bumping into other people, but I haven't.  Getting tired and cranky isn't good for anyone; sometimes cutting a visit short is the answer.  When it's been just me and the kids we typically stay at the parks for about 4 to 6 hours.  More than that gets dicey.

4. Bring the stroller.

I never go without a stroller.  My Fitbit shows that I average about 7 miles a day in the parks.  (Keep in mind, these are short park visits -- for a longer visit it's easily over 10 miles!)  That's a lot for little legs.  I've been looking for one of the sit and stand type strollers, but haven't found a good one in my price range.  (Meaning I haven't found a good one at a yard sale or on Craigslist yet!)  Catherine does a great job of keeping up, but I have had them both ride in the single stroller together more than once.

A word of caution about strollers: If you aren't at the park early (which you should be!) you will probably need to take a tram in the parking lot.  Please note, you must fold up your stroller to get on the tram.  This means that you, and you alone, will be carrying your stroller, the bags, and the kids.  That can get quite overwhelming.  If you're early you will most likely be in one of the close parking lots and can skip the tram.  (I almost always chose to skip the tram.)

5. Plan your visit.

Get those FastPasses!  Lines for Winnie the Pooh, Buzz, and especially Peter Pan can be quite long.  Also, ask the kids what they would like to do, their answers might surprise you.  One time both of my kids wanted to spend time in Pooh's house.  We hung out in front of the ride playing in Pooh's house for over half an hour.  They loved it.  Another time Dominic wanted to ride the "horses" over and over again, so we rode the Carousel a half dozen times one morning.

6. Get there early.

This is a good Disney World tip in general.  My kids tend to be early rises, so getting there early isn't really an issue for us.  While the initial opening of the gates surge can be intimidating if you've never been there before, it typically is the least crowded part of the day.  Enjoy it!  Seriously, you can get on about a dozen rides by lunchtime if you're there for the gate drop.


7. Pack carefully.

We typically have three bags: small cooler, diaper bag, and a rain gear bag.  The cooler (similar to this one) generally has PB&J and a few snacks (we don't pack water since it's free at all of the restaurants), the diaper bag has one day's worth of supplies, and then we have some type of rain protection for each person (especially during the rainy season).  Try to keep each bag as minimal as possible.  Whatever you bring you will be lugging around for the entire day.  You will also probably be lugging your children at some point.  I sometimes ditch the rain gear bag, although that has been a bad decision more than once, and sometimes we bring our pin trading bag (similar to this one, but ours is pink, with princesses).

8. Have fun!

It's Disney.  Enjoy yourself!  A Disney day, or week, will be different if you're the solo adult, but everyone can still have a great time!

Do you have any great Disney tips to share?  Let me hear them in the comments section!

Be sure to take a look at what you can do with little kids and babies at each of the Disney World parks!

Clicking on the above photos should get you to the right post, but just in case, here are the links again:

Magic Kingdom with Little Kids and Babies

Hollywood Studios with Little Kids and Babies

Epcot with Little Kids and Babies

Animal Kingdom with Little Kids and Babies

I will be sharing this post at various blog parties, including these. 

7 Unique Ways To Display Your Disney Memorabilia

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A trip to Disney is special, whether you go once in a lifetime or once a week, and you're sure to bring home some goodies from each visit.  What should you do with those pins, maps, pennies, bands, and the like?  Below are some of my favorite unique ideas from around the web.  (Be sure to check my Disney Souvenir Ideas Pinterest board for even more ideas!)



1. Economy Class Magic has a great tutorial showing you how to turn your Disney Park celebration buttons into refrigerator magnets.


2. Disney at Home shows you how to display your Mickey Ears.

3. Parental Perspective has a great DIY Pin Trading Display Case.

4. Military Disney Tips has shares a great Mickey Mouse Hands Magic Band Display.

5. The Farm Girl Gabs will show you how to turn extra Disney Park Guidemaps into Christmas Ornaments.

6. Clever Pink Pirate shows you have to turn those maps into a Disney Map Clock.

7. Home is Where the Mouse it Alex and Ani Style Bracelet.

Bonus: While not incredibly"unique" these pinboards are actually rather cool.  They would be great for a Disney collage!

Get it here.

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