Hiya Vanessa!
Welcome to planDisney, the most magical place on the internet! I am so glad to hear you are planning a Disney vacation with your family and that you will be able to experience the magic together. I have the most wonderful memories from my trips to the
Walt Disney World Resort with my family, so I cannot wait for you and yours to make magical memories that will last a lifetime.
To ensure that everyone can experience Disney's magical offerings and to provide lower wait times,
attractions and shows typically require Guests to fill out all available space. Indeed, this optimizes the number of Guests who can experience these offerings and ensures wait times are not longer than necessary. Some attractions like
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain also include "Single Rider" lines to fill these spots. While I would recommend asking a Cast Member if it would be possible to keep an extra seat next to your family member empty, Cast Members may not always be able to fulfill these requests depending on crowds.
Now, I recommend having a rotation within your family so that it is not always the same person sitting by themselves. You can also avoid attractions with Single Rider lines, but I promise you can still have plenty of fun while sitting alone! In fact, after visiting the theme parks by myself many times, sitting by myself or next to a stranger allowed me to talk to such wonderful Guests and make memories that I otherwise would not have been able to make.
I hope this was helpful, Vanessa, and that you and your family will have the most magical vacation ever on your next trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach back out! It is always an honour to help fellow Canadian Guests plan their Disney vacation.
Have a magical day,
Ariane