Girls Trip to Walt Disney World

What happens when the Walt Disney World trip gets out of the group chat?

Now, as you probably know, I am a solo traveller. I typically go to Walt Disney World twice a year solo. I know how to “do Disney” as a solo traveller, going with other people is actually a challenge for me, I knew I would have to adjust my expectations.

As with all group trips, there is a little back and forth and then, BAM, there is a trip! It started with my friend saying “Michelle and I are going to Walt Disney World in September”, and all of a sudden, two more friends were coming! Awesome! We all work together and have been friends for years.

Planning for a group, instead of a solo trip

Planning was easy as they all trusted me. Having been the number of times that I have, and having some open conversations about what everyone wanted, I was pretty confident that everyone would have a good time. We all had a “must-do” list and thankfully, most of it overlapped.

Our plans were fairly simple, one park per day, take our time and enjoy ourselves. This would require sacrifices on my part, I’m use to being on my own, doing things at my pace, whether that is fast or slow. I had to continually remind myself to stop, this trip wasn’t about me, it was about all of us.

I loved watching them enjoy the parks, the rides and making use of all the Disney Photopass Photographers we could find! Having motion sickness means, waiting while they went on some rides, and that was ok with me, perfect time to go to the washroom, get a drink and shop!

They enjoyed riding Guardians of the Galaxy, Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest. I enjoyed looking at the ride photos and hearing about it when they got off the rides. One of the great joys of going to Walt Disney World is seeing it through the eyes of people experiencing it for the first time, it doesn’t matter if its a child or adult.

My friends are amazing. They know I suffer from anxiety and were great about giving me the time and space if I needed it. On our last day, I needed time to myself. I’m a pretty outgoing extrovert but I always need time to recharge my batteries. I took a couple hours to myself and headed to Epcot. I needed this for my mental well being.

What I learned

Was the trip perfect? No, of course not. Would I plan another group trip? Yes, likely, if I could have my own room.

The biggest issue is always sleep. One of the things I love about solo travel is having my room to myself. I’m a terrible sleeper to begin with. Every noise wakes me up, if the bed or the temperature aren’t perfect, I can’t sleep. If I can’t sleep, I feel sick. This is one of the biggest problems I have with travelling with friends. I wish I could pile into a hotel room with 3 friends, but sadly, that’s not for me. I even have to travel with my own pillow! It’s very frustrating.

The need to be very honest when planning a trip is huge. If there are things that you have that are not negotiable then you need to speak up. Travel costs money and it’s not cheap, being miserable and possible causing issues in relationships is just not worth it. My issues might mean that the trip costs a little more for me, but I’m willing to accept that if it means a happier trip for everyone.

Trips and travel in general are never going to be perfect, but if you can look back on it and say you would do it again, then it was a success!

Thank you Melanie, Arlene and Pam. Love you bunches!