When Sydney Stinner is feeling bored or burnt out, she visits her 'happy place' - Disney World.

But the 32-year-old New York City native doesn't go for a few days like most people. She goes for a few hours.

Stinner flies from Manhattan to Orlando, Florida, in the morning, spends the day at the theme park, then catches the last flight back home all in one day once every month.

And while she admitted that the solo day trips are exhausting and intense, she said they're totally worth it to her. 

While chatting with the Daily Mail, Stinner, who works in tech, explained that fitting in a multi-day trip to Disney 'isn't always realistic' with her busy schedule and 'limited PTO.'

She took her first solo day trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth in September 2025 and became hooked.

'I just wanted a few hours in my happy place. I figured out the logistics and realized how easy it actually was,' she explained.

'I genuinely believe you have to prioritize the things that make you happiest in life, even if that only means a few hours.'

Stinner, who has now set the goal of taking one solo day trip to Disney every month this year, explained that Disney is the 'one place where she can completely switch her brain off' whenever she gets stressed out.

'There is so much going on in the world and in life, and when I walk through those gates none of it follows me in,' she shared. 

'Disney has this magic where you cannot help but smile the entire time you're there - and I think as an adult that is actually really rare and really valuable.'

She added that going for one day saves her 'time and money' and 'fits perfectly into the gaps in her schedule without eating into her PTO or budget.' 

'There's actually something really freeing about it. I'm in my own bed that night, recovered by the next morning, and I already have my next trip on the calendar,' she dished.

Stinner explained that she usually wakes up around 4am to catch the first flight of the day out of New York, which usually departs around 6am and lands in Orlando just before 9am.

'I'm through the park gates by 9.30am and I try to stay until at least 7pm or 8pm to catch one of the last flights home. That gives me eight to nine hours in the parks,' she shared. 'I am back in my apartment by 1am at the latest.'

She admitted that it's 'absolutely exhausting' and joked that she sometimes needs to 'recover' the next day but vowed that the pros far outweigh the tiredness she may feel.

As for cost, she explained that before Spirit Airlines shut down she was able to book round-trip flights for around $50.

'Now, I rely more heavily on points to find cheap airfare,' she said. 'Outside of flights, I usually spend around $200-250 on food, drinks, and Ubers to and from the airports. I have a Disney annual pass, so my park ticket is always free.'

But she confessed that she's faced a few travel mishaps along the way. Back in January, for example, a snowstorm in New York forced her return flight to be canceled.

She ultimately had to rebook a flight that left at 3pm, leaving her with only a few hours at the parks. 

'I made the most of it, but it was a lesson to avoid traveling close to a snowstorm,' she reflected.

Stinner vowed that she never gets bored at Disney, explaining that she tries to 'come up with a theme or a focus so it never feels repetitive.' 

'[For example], in March I focused on Women's History Month and only did rides inspired by female leads or designed by female Imagineers,' she said.

'My trips are short enough that I'm rarely doing the same things twice, and I genuinely love solo travel. 

'When you're by yourself you move at your own pace, you do exactly what you want and you never have to negotiate with anyone.'

Stinner has been documenting her solo day trips on her TikTok, and she admitted she sometimes faces cruel judgement over it. 

'I think there are a lot of people who don't understand why I do this, or think I should be traveling to other places instead,' she said. 

'But I think everyone needs to find something that makes them as happy as Disney makes me. 

'I don't expect Disney to be that place for everyone, and I don't expect everyone to understand it - but I do think everyone should find the things that bring them that kind of joy, and be supportive of other people for doing the same.

'And for the record, I do make traveling to other places a priority too. I'm going to Italy for ten days this summer and I do an annual solo trip to Paris every year. 

'The day trips to Disney actually make that possible - they scratch the itch without eating into the vacation days and budget I need for everything else.'