Single Parents??

[NYMomof4]

I have had some of the best trips alone with my kids, starting about 5 years ago. I usually take 2 kids with me on the trips and have a similar itinerary to the one Lady V mentioned. We never try to commando at the parks, but prefer to swim, enjoy the resorts, do EMH days etc... I sent my youngest two on the GF Pirate Cruise a few years ago (they were 4 and 7) and they loved it!

I think Disney has the best set up for single parents with the Magical Express service and easy access to transportation on property. We have an annual long vacation in August now, where I do down with 2 kids for a week and my mother joins us later on. Last year we did 3 weeks between DVC and POR resorts and loved it! Planning a similar trip for earlier in August this year.

The one thing I love about Disney is that both the kids and parent(s) can have a great time together

My one bit of advice is to do some pre-planning research and plan some downtime each day.

 

[tjmw2727]

I am not a single mom but my dh dosen't get much vacation time and dosen't "love" WDW like my dd's and I do so we go solo at least once a year. I have been taking them as the solo adult since they were 3 and 5 and we always have a great time. Do some planning, go with the flow and remember that sometimes the pool, playing in a fountain or just listening to some live entertainment can be as magical for kids a the rides/attractions.

We always make an ADR for one sit down meal a day, usually late lunch or late breakfast. While I don't feel "tied down to them" it helps to know we have an option if we are hot and tired and want a break. On the days where the ADR doesn't work we just cancel and go with the flow.

Have fun, and if you have questions please ask away

TJ

 

[Jordans_Mommie]

I am going with my DS3 in May also. It will be our first visit to the world, and our first solo trip. He has traveled with me before on business, but we have never had a vacation together. Usually when we travel, I have a few people along to assist with him.

I am beyond excited and really looking forward to this trip. We have had quite a rough couple of years, but we made it through and this is our celebration!

 

[momtomari]

I will be taking my dd5 in December for a mommy and me trip. Last year I did a 4 generation trip with my mom and my grandma. Usually I take my grandma along for help, but out trip last year was a blast and I'm ready to take her alone. We just got back from a 2 day stay at Kalahari Waterpark with just me and her, so I think it will be fine.

Amanda

 

[MommyBuzz909]

We've done DL before twice, but that's just a 20 minute drive down the freeway. I'm excited to go though to WDW - I can't wait!! I don't know who is more excited - him or I!!

 

[guzwoman]

HI all...

I too am a single mother and going to WDW to celebrate my graduating Law School. We will be out there in August a week after I take the Bar. My DD will be freshly 7. I have traveled Disneyland by myself with her and it very easy. I always bring my own stroller rather than rent b/c DD has some health issues and tires easily.

Hope to hear from others who are traveling at the same time as me!

mg

PS we are so excited to go been planning this trip for 4 years since I started law school!!

 

[MissMommy928]

PS we are so excited to go been planning this trip for 4 years since I started law school!!

Yes!!! We're going in May after my BSN graduation!! We went to Disney before I started into the actual nursing program (you know the 928749283742 million credits of useless gen eds) and I promised her that after nursing school was over, we'll go to Disney again.

Now school is ending and we both can't wait to just have 8 days to relax and have some fun!!!

 

[MelanieRI]

I've been going every year for five years to WDW with DD since she was 4, as a single parent. We are going again this year in just a few days! It is certainly doable. When she was younger we took it nice and slow, with naps in the afternoon. Now, we book it around Disney and break for a dip in the pool midday. We have lots of fun even though it's just the two of us. I definitely recommend using a stoller even if it's just to carry stuff. DD is now 9 and we are just going strollerless this year! Although, DD is very petite. I'm sure you'll have fun! Good-luck!

 

[mylilnikita]

I started taking DD9 since she was 5 to WDW and DCL for 3 trips, except last year when we went to Oahu to see friends and will be doing that again this year. I would love to somehow slip a little WDW trip in before we go or alittle after, just have to wait and see on that.
DD always wants to go to the Neverland Club for a couple of those nights while I go get my thrill ride scream on. We always stay on property, last time it was at Pop Century but most times it has been All Star Movies.
You will have a great time!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MissMommy928]

I went to disney to celebrate my graduation too...Nursing school...blech! I needed a vacation after that!

LOL! And the nursing school crowd says... amen! I feel like I've had no life for the past 3 years. Nursing school has sucked the fun right out of me and we're soooo ready for a "play-cation" as my DD says.

 

[LisaZoe]

I took my DD, then not yet 3, to WDW alone and we had a wonderful time. We stayed onsite (AKL and then WL) and I'd arranged for car service from the airport to the resort and back. I would love to go again now that she's older because there was so much we couldn't do... but plenty she could do to keep us interested. I liked not having to work our schedule around any needs other than our own. If we decided to leave a park mid-day to go have lunch at a resort other than our own, we did without worrying it would inconvenience anyone.

My biggest mistake was not realizing how much the travel to FL from OR would tire us on top of the heat/humidity. I have wonderful photos of my DD from that day... as she pouted in a corner of AK. LOL I probably should have used that first day for time in the pool, a character meal and early bed.

My biggest complaint about the trip is something that isn't specific to WDW. Since DD wasn't (still isn't) old enough to go to the bathroom alone, I needed to accompany her. That meant at meals we'd have to leave the table. Unfortunately a couple times we came back to find our table cleared. I know the CMs were only doing their jobs but it's frustrating. I even tried leaving DD's sweater on the table once in hopes the CMs would see it and understand we'd be back but they just thought we'd forgotten it and had it at the reception desk. :-( It's not as big a deal at buffet restaurants as counter or table service but it's still inconvenient. As I said, this has happened at restaurants other than at WDW, too, so I've just learned to get DD to "try to go" before our food has come or try to get her to wait long enough that if our food is gone on our return, we've eaten as much as we needed already. ;-)

 

[Candikayne]

HI all...

I too am a single mother and going to WDW to celebrate my graduating Law School. We will be out there in August a week after I take the Bar. My DD will be freshly 7. I have traveled Disneyland by myself with her and it very easy. I always bring my own stroller rather than rent b/c DD has some health issues and tires easily.

Hope to hear from others who are traveling at the same time as me!

mg

PS we are so excited to go been planning this trip for 4 years since I started law school!!

Congrats on your graduation and welcome to the boards!

 

[guzwoman]

Actually this is a big celebration for my little one too! She has epilepsy and had her first grandmal and Disneyland...lucky us! She started medication and has been going to DL every six months to "test" her medication, dr.'s recommendations no less...b/c can't the the over stimulation and multisensory stuff anywhere else! Go Figure! She almost had brain surgery last year and miracle of miracles she did not need the surgery and has since been seizure free. Knock on wood, she will be celebrating 1 1/2 years seizure free in August! YIPPEE! I am hoping that we get disability access b/c standing in lines is just way too much for her. So if any single parents are going at the same time as us, you may be able to tag along with our disability access. We use a stroller in lue of a wheel chair, makes it easier! Last time at DL we were able to get it and bring up to 5 extra people. It was great, but got some weird looks when they saw a "normal" 5 yr old getting access.

happy thursday,
mg

mg

 

[jrandtysmom]

I'm so glad I found this thread. I am a single parent and taking me 2 DS's (7 &4) to WDW for the first time this Oct. I thought I was crazy for doing it but I see now I'm not the only person.

I was wondering about rides since there are 2 of them and only 1 of me. How many people do the rides for younger children hold in each car/ride? Anyone know how much weight the stroller holds? Just wondering if my 7 yr old (who is big for his age) could ride with his brother because I'm sure they'll both get tired.

 

[ty&brenmom]

I'm so glad I found this thread. I am a single parent and taking me 2 DS's (7 &4) to WDW for the first time this Oct. I thought I was crazy for doing it but I see now I'm not the only person.

I was wondering about rides since there are 2 of them and only 1 of me. How many people do the rides for younger children hold in each car/ride? Anyone know how much weight the stroller holds? Just wondering if my 7 yr old (who is big for his age) could ride with his brother because I'm sure they'll both get tired.

I took my sons on our first "family" vacation just the three of us last year , when they were 10 and 5. On rides like Dumbo and magic carpets, finding nemo, the speedway, and a few others, where there is only room for two we would trade off, they would sit in the car in front of me and I would sit behind them or later on in our trip my 10 year old thought it was cool to get in the ride cars all by himself. I was really worried that someone would get left in line or get off before the others and get lost. This is not the case. Disneyworld is the most single parent friendly places around. CM helped me when we would get food and I would have the boys and the stroller and no hands. I felt very safe in the hotel room, even though it was just the three of us.
We have had a rough few years with personal issues, my younger son has some developmental delays, and my going to school and working full time, Disneyworld was just what we needed. In fact my sons still talk about Disneyworld and how much fun they had, and it was the best vacation that they have been on, and I believe it was due in part to the fact is was just us.
I don't know the answer about the weight, but I don't see why a double couldn't fit both of them.

to all us single parents and to disneyworld for being so single parent friendly

 

[KELSTER]

I'm a single mom and take my dd to WDW every year. This trip (9/18-9/22) this year will be dd's 8th and she'll be 11.

The first year I learned the hard way that rushing around and trying to "do" everything just doesn't work. I got crabby and dd just was exhausted.

Now we do WDW at our own pace. The day of arrival we check in and swim for a couple of hours. Then we take the boat to DTD for a while. We always stay at POR or POFQ (Love, love, love the French Quarter!!!! That's where we'll be again in Sept). Just being able to relax when we get there is a huge thing.

Also, I don't do a ton of ADR's. Usually just 1 or 2 and always with an early seating time. This year we've got Hoop-dee-doo Review on Saturday and Fulton's on Sunday. Both at 5pm. But that's it.

Enjoy yourselves!!!!