Solo Trip To Disneyland? Am I crazy?

Who would go to Disneyland by themselves, you'd ask!  Well, I have, crazy as it may be.

It was one of the summers when I was working in the US.  I was an independent consultant where I had to travel to different parts of California to conduct training on site at the client's offices.

One afternoon, I found myself stuck in a hotel room in California after my training session was done.  I was nowhere near anything that is interesting, a place where I could at least walk out and explore the area.  If I remember right, the outside of the hotel I was staying was a rundown train track and some auto repair shops.

So an idea popped up in my mind.  I realized I was in Orange County where Disneyland was a few minutes drive away, the Indiana Jones ride just launched, I wanted to be the first ones to try it, I still have a free pass from years back,and this is a chance I don't get often.




I turned off my laptop, got my stuff and drove to Disneyland.  It was a weird feeling but the opportunity was there.  But wait, it wasn't that easy! As soon as that idea popped, I got really excited but at the same time, I got really anxious too! Who would go to Disneyland by themselves?  I felt so pathetic, yet the other half of me says just go do it.  My mind was just like a busy traffic maze.  But my excitement seemed to be overpowering my anxiety.

On the way, I was already imagining people's reactions to my being alone in Disneyland.  As I drive up to the parking attendant booth, I was imagining his sympathy over my being alone.  I felt pathetic.  I even tried to pretend in my head that I was there to pick somebody up or meet someone there, just to make myself feel better.  But as soon as I stepped off the car, all those worries disappeared.  I saw lots of people on their own, old people, young mothers, and just anybody.  I never realized this because I was always in a group and I never noticed those individuals who are on their own.  Now, I started to wonder why they were here on their own.  But hey, I'm here on my own, ain't I?  Whatever their reasons are, it's not so weird after all.

I headed straight for the Indiana Jones attraction, and the line was long, a 2.5 hour wait, even on a weekday.  Being alone has its advantages too as there is a separate line for single riders which is much faster because there is always an empty seat that groups refuse to fill.  The wait still took almost 2 hours but it was well worth it.  I especially loved the run where the big rock almost touches you as you make a clean sweep away from it.  After that ride, I walked around to other attractions and just enjoyed the afternoon at Disney.

Sitting to have some food and drink, I begin to wonder why there are so many people who are not at work or school.  Are they unemployed, have they been expelled from school? haha.  It's the same question I have whenever I go to the malls on a midday during the week.  Well, there is a life outside of those, different albeit, but there is something going on.  And that opened my eyes.  Life is not just all about work and school. 

This experience taught me that it's okay to be on my own at times, and that it didn't feel so bad.  So these days,  I can go to the mall on my own, eat on my own, and I can travel alone.  It taught me to become more aware of things around me, that when you're in a group, I don't notice.  There are advantages to being alone too and I've learned how to make myself not feel alone even when I'm alone.  Because of this, I don't miss out on things, and I get to experience more and live life, with or without someone at my side.