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More so than most cities in the U.S., Orlando feels like a place of stereotypes and preconceived notions — most of which are incorrect. That’s because when so many people think of the central Florida metropolis, what they’re actually thinking of is the theme parks that flank it, and the kids, families and honeymooners that swarm them. Universal Studios is on the southeastern edge of the city, while Disney World is a good 25 minutes away at best, not even technically in Orlando. As much as it once pained me to admit, as an unabashed Disney Adult myself, there’s so much more to Orlando than Disney. In fact, as I’ve found over the years, it’s actually the best city to visit solo.
Don’t get me wrong, Disney is a surprisingly wonderful place to visit solo, too. As an annual passholder, most of my visits to the parks have been alone, shamelessly posing for photos with characters and getting sloshed on Manhattans at The Hollywood Brown Derby. But Orlando is a bustling, diverse and inclusive city in its own right. Featuring Michelin-starred restaurants and world-class museums, distinctive neighborhoods and one of the largest Pride festivals in the Southeast, it’s got the amenities of a much bigger city, and all the solo-friendly comforts that come with them. I know, because I almost moved there alone.
When I was going through a divorce in 2022, I thought I wanted to start over somewhere fresh — somewhere happier, unmarred by trauma. The obvious choice for me was Orlando, where I had spent months living in my RV, and where some of my best friends reside. I wound up staying in Oklahoma City when I met my correct husband, but between my friends and my Disney pass, I always had excuses to keep returning to Orlando. Each return, usually solo, made me feel more at home. The City Beautiful, as it’s aptly called, is so much more than the stereotypes that shroud it.
The Heart of Orlando
I’ve done my fair share of solo travel, from big cities to smaller towns, and I’ve found that destinations that are particularly friendly to people traveling alone are those that bustle without too much hustle, that feel widely welcoming to all walks of life and that teem with multifaceted cultures. They’re places filled with restaurants that offer single barstools, enthralling art museums and endless events where you can easily get swept up in the crowd.
Orlando ticks all those boxes. It’s a city that feels comfortable to exist in, and navigate, whether it’s your first trip or your fifteenth. And unlike Disney itself, it’s truly got something for everyone, with its array of high-caliber restaurants, chic wine bars, lush parks, cobblestone streets, worldly boutiques and action-packed nightlife. Plus, being such a global tourist destination, thanks in part to the nearby parks, direct flights are ample (and usually fairly affordable). The city also boasts an abundance of hotels across an array of budgets, like the Conrad Orlando at Evermore, with its Mexican rooftop restaurant and idyllic beach, and the luxe Grand Bohemian Orlando, a downtown property with a rooftop pool, jazz brunch and jacuzzi suites.
Get to Know the Neighborhoods
There’s also a surplus of ride-share options and public transit, making it easy to get around and find your favorite haunts throughout Orlando’s varied neighborhoods. Downtown, I like to walk around Lake Eola, and grab a coffee at Deeply Cafe, or a cocktail in the tree-lined courtyard at The Wellborn, just a few blocks south. In nearby Ivanhoe Village, visit Washburn Imports, a wonderland of Asian antiques, furniture and artwork, much of which is scoured by my well-traveled friend, Paul. The shop also features an on-site bar, The Imperial, so you can drunk-purchase a sea turtle carving from Bali or a bookcase from Java.
In Mills 50, just north of downtown, you’ll find a wider world of flavor than anything at EPCOT, from bagels and bialys at Deli Desires, and izakaya fare at Tori Tori, to toasted-rice cold brew and croissant waffles at Korean-inspired Haan Coffee. There’s also Kaya, a lauded Filipino restaurant from Chef Lordfer Lalicon, globally inspired Pig Floyd’s Urban BBQ, and a smattering of pho shops.
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In the Milk District, a near-east enclave so named for the historic T.G. Lee Dairy plant, I skip milk in favor of patio beers at Sideward Brewing Co., rum cocktails at Otto’s High Dive and banana-bread lattes at Easy Luck Coffee & Bodega. Oh, and don’t sleep on the roast-beef sandwiches at Beefy King, an institution that looks like an old-school Arby’s.
In Audubon Park, I love exploring the esoteric beer list at Redlight Redlight Brewpub, singing karaoke at Stardust Video & Coffee (Fleetwood Mac, if you’re curious) and shopping for “Don’t Tell Me to Smile” T-shirts at family-owned Hellcats USA. In nearby Baldwin Park, a twee neighborhood right out of The Truman Show (in a non-creepy way), Golden Hour is the bottle shop and wine bar of my dreams, and I love to sit and linger by Lake Baldwin in Harbor Park.
Just north of the city, the pastoral community of Winter Park touts some of the best restaurants in the area, including Italian-inspired Prato for pretzel-crusted calamari and blistered pizzas strewn with spinach crema, and The Ravenous Pig, a convivial gastropub that won’t bat an eye if you forget to take your Peter Pan hat off after rushing to dinner straight from Disney World. Speaking of Disney, Scenic Boat Tour is like a real-life Jungle Cruise, offering narrated pontoon rides through Winter Park’s labyrinthine canals.
A City That Will Surprise and Embrace You
For me, one of the things that makes Orlando feel particularly solo-friendly is its omnipresent sense of inclusivity and Pride. Come October, it’s loud and proud at the city’s massive Come Out With Pride festival, which draws more than 230,000 people to Lake Eola, after which revelers descend on the city’s numerous gay bars and clubs, like Savoy Orlando and Southern Nights. Less clamorous than clubs in cities like Miami or San Francisco, they’re spaces that are as friendly as they are fun.
The most infamous gay club, Pulse, has been demolished to make way for a permanent memorial honoring the victims and survivors of one of the deadliest acts of domestic terrorism in American history. Meanwhile, even as the governor erases rainbow crosswalks, Orlando resists. When they painted over the crosswalk outside of Pulse, LGBTQ-owned brunch spot Se7en Bites revealed “Parking Spaces for Pride,” transforming 49 of its parking spaces into rainbow-themed murals — one for each of the victims of the Pulse shooting in 2016.
That’s the kind of city Orlando is. It’s a place that’ll surprise you and embrace you. It’ll wow you with its food and wine, and chuckle warmly when you forget to change out of your Disney ‘fit. It’s a city that shows its Pride and protects its people, even outsiders like me. Now, after countless solo trips to this most underrated city, I’ve come to feel right at home.
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