Traveling solo has its rewards
Been a solo traveler for decades, even when my husband was alive [“A Single Rider Does Disneyland,” July 5]. (He preferred staying home with the Wall Street Journal to traveling, which he’d done years earlier.) So I travel alone, with guide books, novels and enough attitude to ignore the maitre d’s who suggest I take the table near the kitchen traffic.
I’ve loved Airstreaming, taking Viking Cruises and Road Scholar trips. Haven’t been to Disneyland, which I loved, in years, but your article has inspired me. Here’s to many more travels for all of us.
Carol A Cunningham
Tehachapi
My name is Bobbie and I am a single rider — there, I’ve said it! Todd Martens nailed it with vivid descriptions of the joys and awkwardness of the single rider at Disneyland. Your article has given me the strength to continue to “play hooky” solo at Walt’s place. Being there washes away the heavy dust of reality with a little pixie dust.
Have a Goofy day! Bobbie Hill
San Diego
Like most modern “aficionados,” what you consider to be your connection to the park misses the substance and ideals Walt Disney espoused. He didn’t want to create an empty space for you to retreat into your head. Disneyland was to serve as the background canvas to facilitate all members of a family to enjoy each other’s company and to paint new memories of each other together.
Can you go to Disneyland by yourself? Of course you can. But don’t do Disneyland the injustice of warping its raison d’être in order to ease your social anxieties about having friends or not being able to enjoy the “Pirate ride” with others.
Try it with an inexperienced visitor ... and you may find that your old eyes see the ride from an entirely new perspective. Keith Hively Garden Grove
I might add a few other perks to going it alone in the crowd. You can appreciate the varied “soundtrack” music, which ranges from classic Disney scores to Bernard Herrmann and other surprising choices. Ditto for the super landscaping throughout the park, from the fanciful Mr. Toad and Haunted Mansion gardens to a fairly authentic evocation of an Alpine meadow always in bloom around the Matterhorn.
And there’s no single supplement. Yet.
Ross Care
Ventura