Am I insane for thinking about this?

[sl_underwood]

Just found out my hubby will be gone for two months for work and I am thinking maybe a trip to Disney with the kids for atleast a week of that. Am I crazy? Most likely if we go, it will just be myself and my younger two, ages 14 and 7. My older daughter has already made plans to visit NY with a friend from my high school days who is now a fashion designer during spring break. I know spring break is a pretty busy time and ds wants to stay at ASMO because of the TS. I should also mention ds has autism but is high functioning. I am not so much worried about rides because dd is not a thrill seeker. Infact ds is far more likely to want to ride something she will not, lol. However, I really do not know what to expect. I have never done a vacation or much of anything without my husband along. Can anyone give me ideas, suggestions, ways to stay sane, lol, while enjoying a trip alone with two kids? Also, if any of you have ideas for helping the kids get through the two months without their daddy, suggestions are more than welcome there too. TIA

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think it depends on how your son will handle the crowds and lines. It will be insanely busy but you can still have fun. ASMO is also very loud and busy. If it is in the budget and he would agree to change, we find "WL to be a quieter choice.

I would decide soon and make some ADRs ASAP. Maybe a lunch sit down to escape the crowds for a little bit???

 

[katie111]

We just got back from an 8 day trip & my husband was gone for 4 of the days because he had to attend a conference. I also took my two older ones for a 4 day trip 2 years ago. My kids are much younger than yours, DS3, DS7, and DD8. I thought it was pretty easy & a lot of fun. My DH isn't as into Disney are we all are so when he was gone, we really got to go commando which we enjoy. He likes to take things at a much slower pace & really doesn't enjoy crowds. I think at your kids ages, it would be a really easy trip (although I have to admit I don't know much about traveling with a child with autism). We've done Feb break before & it was really crowded but the key is to get to the parks at rope drop. This makes SUCH a difference in what you will be able to ride. Then in the afternoons you can just relax & do your fast passes or go back to the hotel for a swim. I would definitely make some ADR's, I loved having a sit down break in the afternoon for everyone to relax a little bit. Personally, I don't really care for CS at all, its just always way too crowded, trying to order & find a seat.

I think with your kids ages you would be able to take the younger ones on some of the thrill rides while your DD waits outside. Or she could wait in line with you and then just exit before the actual ride. I found people at Disney to be very friendly & helpful. I had a lot of nice conversations with people in lines & on the buses which was enough to give me some "adult conversation". I would do as much planning ahead of time as you can (which parks on which days, ADR's etc) but then be willing to be flexible when you get there depending on what you & the kids feel like doing. If you haven't been to Disney before do as much research as you can on these boards, it is so helpful. Just relax & have a great trip. My DH travels a lot for work but only a couple days at a time but I find Disney planning a great way to pass the time when he is gone!

 

[momto2inKC]

I have taken my kids twice without my husband and the trips turned out to be great (once for 10 days at Disney, the other a couple days of Disney then a Disney cruise). He can't always get away from work and doesn't mind missing out. The first time they were 8 & 10 then again at 10 & 12. I say go for it

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I say go for it. Have faith in yourself and you will be amazed what you can do without your husband along. At 14, your dd will be more like a friend to you rather than a child who you have to take care of. I know because my dd is 13 and sometimes I think she is my best friend. (And other times, not so much) For your son, you can get the GAC (guest assistance card). At guest services tell them you need one because your ds is autistic. This will allow you to skip long lines and wait your turn in a special area for a ride. You still wait just as long but not with so many people around. It offers other help too and I know many people on these boards use it. (Maybe someone can offer more info.) I would also try to book it towards the middle to end of the 2 months and give them something to think and dream about. Try to get them involved (saving extra change, making matching t-shirts, packing, watching the WDW planning dvd etc.) I think knowing what their reward will be will make the time pass faster as they will focus on their trip rather than their dad being away. Good luck and if you decide to go for it have a magical trip.

 

[sl_underwood]

Thanks to everyone who answered. My husband and I have taken him to Walt Disney World once since he joined our family and on many other non disney vacations and he did great. We did get the GAC at Disney but really only used it so that he could stay in his stroller in lines (he has a physical problem that causes him pain if he walks to much. He will have to use a stroller again this trip and I would use the card again. I do not think dd will be to difficult as long as she does not get to tired. She has medical issues as well and needs lots of rest. We know we will not be at the parks at rope drop, nor will we plan to commando it. We have been to Walt Disney World twice already and the kids know we will be back again the following year with dad in tow. He already is planning the 2012 trip as he is dissapointed he wont be going with us this time. I definitely want to do a very relaxed trip but I do worry about horrible crowds. Any strategies for picking the least crowded parks, etc? I am also concerned about ASMO. We stayed at POR with our son this past trip and it was nice and quiet but he did have a difficult time walking from the bus to the room and needed to be carried by dad. He also noticed that there were no disney statues, etc. He has specifically asked about ASMO. I will definitely try and get him interested in another resort. If he is stuck on ASMO, does anyone have experience with their busses?

 

[WantToGoNow]

I think you could have an awesome time without your dh - some special time for you and the kids. Since you already know that you can't do rope drop and commando, plan your days to be more relaxed, take advantage of fast pass, plan breaks and swim time into your schedule so not to tire your dd and use the GAC as much as you can to keep from over exciting your ds.

We are planning a trip without dh in October. Right now he's laid off but hopefully he will be working again by then (me and my oldest dd are splitting the cost and already making payments toward the trip so we won't be stressed when the time comes to go) and he knows that he wouldn't have any time off that soon after a new job. He's not a big Disney fan anyway so he doesn't mind being left behind.

 

[sl_underwood]

Thanks again to everyone who posted. Last night, I got him looking at CBR because of the cool pirate rooms and nemo rooms- no statues like he wanted but it looked like it might work better. A lot more relaxed. Of course, I think the pirate pool had something to do with him liking it. I still dont have anything set in stone. DH loves Disney and is not happy to be left out but hopes the kids will have fun. Plus its an excuse to plan another trip in the near future, lol. Think we are definitely going to go! Wish us luck!

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I took my 2 sons by myself last May and we had a good time. I made an effort to do things we wouldn't normally do on a longer family vacation and kept our schedule fairly flexible. I knew which parks we'd go to on which days, but if the kids were whiny, we went back to the resort for a rest and time in the a/c. One night on the way back from the food court getting drink refills, they wanted to play in the splash pad at Pop, and while I almost said no because it was getting late, I thought better of it and let them run wild and get wet in their clothes - I figured they needed a bath anyway so it was a good excuse. They still remember that and talk about it. We also made time to swim in the pool, which we rarely do since we can swim anytime at home. Little things really made the trip special.

Go and have fun!

 

[3pletprincesses]

I went with my 4 yo girls this pass fall and it was soo much fun. I would go for it.

 

[3boys4me]

I;m taking my 3 boys alone in March for Mardi Gras break. I'm more nervous about the drive alone than being there. You know the limits of your family and you will do fine. Have fun!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

You can do it! Most of our DLR trips in 2009 *see below* were just the 3 of us *me and my 2 kids - back then they would've been 9 & 6* And this past 4th of July weekend at DLR was just DD & I ~ for her B-day which is 7/3 It's not as though it's your 1st time visiting Disney. I hope you can make it happen. Have fun if you do

 

[stazmatic]

Thanks again to everyone who posted. Last night, I got him looking at CBR because of the cool pirate rooms and nemo rooms- no statues like he wanted but it looked like it might work better. A lot more relaxed. Of course, I think the pirate pool had something to do with him liking it. I still dont have anything set in stone. DH loves Disney and is not happy to be left out but hopes the kids will have fun. Plus its an excuse to plan another trip in the near future, lol. Think we are definitely going to go! Wish us luck!

I think CBR would be better than Asmo. It is much quieter and laid back. The pool is much better too. However, I hate the buses at CBR. I think the buses do not run as often and there are not as many as other resorts. If you do stay at CBR you would want a preferred room as some of the rooms are VERY far away from the food court and main pool.