My First Solo Pool Day at Walt Disney World (And Why I Waited Way Too Long to Try It)

I’ve done a lot of solo Disney things over the years. I’ve gone to the parks by myself so many times, eaten lots of meals alone without a second thought, and even did an entire character meal solo. None of that ever fazed me.

But pool days? For some reason, that was the one thing that made me nervous.

Why Pool Days Felt Different

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, why did THIS activity make me nervous to do alone? Maybe it’s because I don’t even do a lot of pool days when I’m there with friends so it feels less familiar? Maybe, but the more I thought about it – the more I realized – a pool doesn’t give you anywhere to look! At a restaurant, you’ve got a menu. In a line, you’ve got your phone and a ride ahead of you. In the parks you’re on the move or wandering around. But at the pool, you’re just… there, no phone and in a swimsuit, which already feels a little vulnerable. And everywhere you look, it’s families, friends and couples, all talking and sharing the moment together. There’s no obvious place to rest your eyes that doesn’t feel like you’re staring at someone else’s group and listening to their conversation!

While I’m generally pretty comfortable talking to strangers (I’ll talk to anyone), for some reason the pool feels different. And honestly, my solo trips are my time to decompress and be a little “anti-social” so I’m happy not to talk to anyone. BUT where do I look??? This stress seems so much sillier when I write it down here, but it was a real issue for me.

The Trip Where I Almost Talked Myself Out of It Again

On my most recent trip, I stayed a few days at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort before moving over to Saratoga Springs. I told myself I’d do a solo pool day at Coronado. I thought about it. And then… I just didn’t.

I even walked over to the quiet pool on my way to do some laundry, I figured I’d scope out the situation first before putting on my bathing suit. In the end, I did my laundry and never went back to the pool.

By the time I got to Saratoga Springs, I’d had enough of my own excuses and quite frankly the HEAT! It was September and some days the “felt like” temperature was as hot as I imagine the surface of the sun to be. I longed for a nice refreshing dip in the pool.

I decided it was time to suck it up – I go to the parks alone all the time. I eat by myself constantly. Why on earth was going to the pool such a big deal? So I made myself a promise: walk over, get in, get back out. Even if I only lasted five minutes, that counted as a win in my books.

Walking In

I put on my swimsuit and headed to the pool. Now fun fact about feeling exposed in a bathing suit – I have swim shorts and a swim shirt! It’s not like I’m walking over in a bikini, but yes – still nervous walking over. There were maybe eight to ten people there when I arrived, mostly couples paired off around the deck, plus one group of four. Some were in the water, some were lounging on the deck chairs.

I set my towel down, put my water bottle and phone on the chair, and didn’t give myself time to overthink it. I walked straight to the pool stairs (grateful it wasn’t a ladder – no awkward, attention-grabbing entrance required) and walked right in. There was a woman nearby reading her book. A few people glanced over.

I smiled, closed my eyes, and floated.

And that was it. It was lovely. It was so lovely that I realized I’d been avoiding this for no reason at all. Nobody cared that I was there by myself. Some people looked, sure, but so what? They had no idea whether I was traveling solo or whether my whole family was off at the parks that day and I was enjoying the break from them, and either way, it didn’t matter to them at all. I ended up staying in that pool for a couple of hours, partly because it was so hot outside that the water felt genuinely wonderful, and partly because I just didn’t want to leave.

The ONLY reason I finally got out of the pool? The afternoon thunder started and I knew the storm was coming. Otherwise, I might have done another hour.

My One Regret

Here’s the part that still bugs me: I did this on my second-to-last day of the trip. Which meant I didn’t get another chance to do it again before heading home. I should have done it on day one.

Lesson learned. This is officially becoming part of every solo trip I take from now on.

One of my trips with my friend earlier this year we did the same thing. We never prioritize a pool day and did it on the LAST day, and then kicked ourselves we hadn’t done it sooner. It really is a wonderful way to relax.

If You’re On the Fence About a Solo Pool Day

If you’re a solo Disney traveler and pool days make you nervous the way they made me nervous, here’s what I want you to know: nobody is paying as much attention to you as you think they are. I promise. The people around you are wrapped up in their own trip, their own families, their own conversations. They’re not clocking whether you’re alone. And some of them? They WISH they were alone and might even be a little jealous of you.

Give yourself permission to walk in, float for five minutes, and see how you feel. You might end up staying for hours, like I did.

Listen to my full trip report on podcast 288.