Solo-lando

Less than a week after a thrilling Arctic adventure vacation, (ICYMI, you can read about that trip here...I Saw the Light)... That’s right, I said LESS than a week after returning home from that vacation, we took off on another trip, one that you might say was the polar opposite. Rob, ever the hard worker, had a business conference/trade show in Orlando, Florida. Gwen, ever the fun seeker, decided to tag along on his trip. This Orlando trip was the polar opposite of our Norwegian Arctic vacation, because sunny Florida was very warm, hitting 85deg F (29deg C). Shorts, tshirts, and bathing suits, instead of snow pants, coats, and boots.

Not only that, this Orlando trip was the polar opposite of our Norwegian vacation because, instead of touring and exploring all day with my family members, as I did in the Arctic, I was often alone in Orlando, finding ways to occupy myself. Left to my own devices to pass the time. Rob’s work colleagues generously included me in wine & dine dinners at night. Everyone was nice and it was fun to mingle with different groups of people. But, during the day, the majority of the time Rob was working at the trade show, meeting with clients and suppliers, and shaking hands. So many hands to shake.

Most of the daylight hours, I was Solo-lando.

I have been married for nearly 40 years, with 4 grown kids to show for it. Between my family, my sister, and various friends, I usually have someone who will accompany me on activities and adventures. However, I don’t mind doing things by myself. Mostly, I will go to places or do things solo if I feel comfortable and have some familiarity with what lies ahead. Sure, it can be a little awkward, but, you know, you make it work.   I was not familiar with Orlando at all, so I was a little bit nervous about trekking out on my own.  I decided to tackle it with confidence that I might or might not have.

As impressions go, I thought Orlando, Florida was extremely touristy. Our hotel was in the International Drive/Universal Drive area. Home to approximately 10,000 hotels, 20,000 tourist shops, and 50,000 restaurants. Maybe I exaggerate. But, in this area, there were a boatload of businesses, a boatload of people milling about, and a boatload of attractions vying for everyone’s attention. Just outside of our hotel was ICON Park with the giant Orlando Eye Ferris Wheel, as well as several other fling-you-around-in-the-air rides. Traffic was a complete nightmare. So many cars. So many traffic lights. So much congestion.  I did a short stint at the hotel pool, but I decided not to hang out there. It just wasn’t my vibe.

I decided, Solo-lando, that I would hit a famous Orlando theme park. As a solo traveler, I thought it might be weird to go to a theme park, Disney or Universal, by myself. But, I did it anyway. The last time I set foot in a Florida theme park was fifteen years ago, when our family concocted a budget trip to Disney & Universal in Orlando. You can read about that here here...Stretching Dollars for Disney. Now, on my own, I decided to visit Universal Studios theme park, because I had never been there. Universal Studios park provided a Harry Potter section that was different from the Harry Potter World we visited at the OTHER Universal park fifteen years ago. The park also had an abundance of rides that didn’t feature giant drops or twirling carts or slinging seats or upside-down hanging moments, or all those other dreadful experiences that I shy away from. There were a few thrill ride coasters, but I knew I could avoid them and still have fun. *Side Note: within weeks, a whole new Universal Epic Universe theme park will be opening in Orlando. But, that was not available yet.

Walking around Universal Studios, I felt a big sense of freedom. That I could go wherever I wanted to go and ride whatever I wanted to ride, at whatever pace I wanted. All day, I walked around the park with purpose, daring people to notice that I was all by myself. 

 I quickly discovered that many rides had a Single Rider line, which allowed a party of one to skip the traditional line, even the Express Pass line, and walk directly to the boarding platform so that staffers could stick him/her into an empty seat to fill carts with passengers. Not every ride, but many of them had this streamlined option, and I used it repeatedly. I rode 4-D virtual reality / motion simulation rides, where video screens make it feel like you are traveling through space and time, even though your cart is mostly stationary. Even the non-stationary rides had video displays that kept your head turning around absorbing all the sights. There was a constant stream of movie screen action, motion simulation, and special effects. A feast for the eyes, and the other senses.  After back to back to back 2B 2B 2B simulated experiences, my head needed a break. It was like watching a movie from the front row of the theater. So much to see. So close to the action. And just the slightest hint of nausea. I was over-SIMULATED. But that was ok.

The whole day was great fun. Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley section was fantastic, and I drank Butterbeer there with gusto. I loved the Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts ride.

I saw shows, rode rides, and be-bopped all around the park. The Jason Bourne Stunt Show was very cool. There was a humorous moment on the Simpson’s Ride, when I was added into an 8-seat cart that contained a family of 7--Mom, Dad, and 5 small children--who didn’t speak English. Two of the little boys kept looking over their shoulders at me, trying to figure out what I was doing there. Mom gave me a few suspicious side-eye glances. I said ‘hi’ to the little girl that I sat beside, and she whispered ‘hi’ back. I would love to see the ‘official photo’ that the ride snapped at the most exhilarating moment of action--this weird woman riding with the family--but I didn’t notice it on display as we exited the ride.

On the Men in Black Alien Attack ride, I had a blast (literally) as I shot aliens with my laser gun, and I proudly noted the final score of 12,000 points displayed on my seat. Until I glanced over and saw my cart-mates scores of 200,000 and 300,000 points. I slunk away from the ride quickly, because I was embarrassed to be the weakest link. But, I did notice the flashing sign that declared our cart the ‘winner' because we bested the grand total score of the tandem cart that we were competing against. No thanks to me. I hate that.

There were lots of other fun rides, shows, and activities. By quittin’ time, I was beat. A very successful day of fun.

After that action-packed day, I decided to be less ambitious. The next Solo-lando day, I drove to the retail mecca Disney Springs, which is just a giant outdoor shopping mall. Again, not really my vibe. I did see Mickey Mouse, but only the LEGO version of him.

At Disney Springs mall, I went to the movie theater, where they were still showing the movie “Wicked”. I had missed the movie when it was released in late 2024. Because the movie was nearly 3 hours long, I couldn’t imagine finding time to watch it at home, even via a streaming platform. It seemed like a good use of my time in Orlando. A first, I thought I would be the only person in the theater for the 11:00am showing, but three or four people trickled in at the very last minute. Rats, I was hoping for a private viewing. Oh well. I really loved the movie. It was quite spectacular. Big thumbs up from me. Whoever thought to cast Arianna Grande as Glinda—brilliant. And, Cynthia Erivo—unbelievable talent. I highly recommend the movie, if you are into musicals, and all.

My final act of Solo-lando fun was playing a round of putt-putt golf with me, myself, and I. When purchasing my ticket, the attendant said “Your group…oops, I’m sorry, I mean, You…can start playing on either course.” I nodded with a measure of aloof certainty. I chose Blackbeard’s Challenge course. Turns out, they had extremely interesting trivia about Blackbeard the Pirate posted at each hole. I’m not kidding when I say that I never would have read the signs if I had been with a group. There would have been too much banter and silliness and competition for me to pay attention to the placards. But, alone, I gave everything at hand my full attention. I learned a lot about Blackbeard the Pirate. If, of course, one can put stock in history lessons from a miniature golf attraction in Florida.

How was my game? I ended with a decent score just a few strokes over par, with two Hole-In-Ones, thank you very much. I’m sure the other golfers were amused when I jumped up and down and shouted “YES!” to celebrate, all by myself. That’s ok, let ‘em laugh.

So, now I have to ask...

>Do you enjoy solo activities, doing big or small things by yourself? I realize that many people do not have built-in partners, and they face solo adventures on a regular basis. For me, it’s more of a novelty to branch out on my own to do something that I want, all by myself, whether by necessity or by choice. I find it challenging, but, usually rewarding. In many cases, I don’t want to NOT do something just because I CAN’T find someone to do it with me. How do you feel about that?

>Do you second guess yourself if you are the only person there? My biggest concern in solo adventures is that I will miss something—a traffic sign, directions, or information that I really need. There’s no one to commiserate with, no discussion, no combined knowledge, it’s all on me. I don’t always think fast on my feet, so sometimes that can be nerve-wracking.  Not to mention the fact that there is no one to laugh with and share reactions. What do you think?

>When alone, do you notice that you pay more attention to things around you? When there are no distractions or conversations going around, are you more focused, more perceptive? Would you read the pirate signs?

This discussion could continue on and on, because there are a lot of issues at hand. But, I won’t belabor the point. I’ll let you ruminate on your own time.

Suffice it to say that my Solo-lando trip was fun and satisfying. I look forward to the challenge of entertaining myself in unknown territories again. One of these days.