Attractions for 1 parent and two kids?!?

[spidey_99]

Hey all! I am a single parent with two amazing daughters. We all love Disneyland very much and are getting the most out of our season passes.

Question is, I usually take them one at a time or together when I can wrangle the ex wife or uncle or grandparents to go with me. But the frequency of that is not as frequent as I or my kids would like and so I wonder:

short of taking them one at a time (which as they get older, neither of them care for) is there enough to do at Dland when you are dealing with odd numbers in your group (in our case, 3 people) where two of the party members (my kids) are too small to ride by themselves (they are 3 and 5).

Can you make a day of the park even if you can't do the stuff like Mickey's coaster and Dumbo and Alice In Wonderland? The only ride I can think of where we can all sit together is Small World. And I don't want to take them together with just me and have to keep saying no to everything they want to do

Thanks for any tips or ideas in advance!

Spidey

ps. is there a thread about kids getting lost at Disneyland? Precautions to take, stuff like that? My biggest fear walking the park with 2 rambunctious kids is losing one of them and the challenge that will ensue in getting my party back together. Thanks again!

 

[clairabell29]

I don't know about the dilema with the rides, unless you were comfortable with the 5 year old sitting in her own seat, which depends on the child. I know all the shows would be great, the tea cups, chew chew train, POTC, Tiki Room, IASW, nemo, jungle cruise, Monsters Inc, Casey Junior, Mark Twain, canal boats, and the carosel are rides you could all sit together on.

As for keeping the girls with you, they make cute animal backpacks with leashes on them and a sit and stand double stroller would do you well.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Many (most) of the ride vehicles that sit two people side by side can also sit three....for example Dumbo, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (although there's only two guns), ect.

Some ride vehicles sit four to a car.....for example Snow White, Pinnochio, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Tea Cups (our family of four can all ride together in the same tea cup), Alice in Wonderland, Monster's Inc., Winnie the Pooh (although I think up to six can ride Pooh together), ect.

Some rides vehicles fit large groups of people.....for example Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Star Tours, Soarin' Over California, Tower of Terror, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Storyland Canal Boats, Disneyland Railroad, Golden Zephyr, Grizzly River Run, Nemo, ect.

I'm betting you and your daughters will be able to easily ride most attractions together (that they're tall enough to ride) without a problem.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

We were just there earlier this week and I was able to ride Dumbo with DD2 and DD7 in the same elephant. For Alice, my cousin and I both rode in the same row with our little ones on our laps, so there were 4 of us in one row. Other rides we have done with 3 before are Peter Pan, Monsters Inc., POTC (of course), HM, Pooh, Teacups and I am sure more I can't think of right now. I think most of the Fantasyland rides you could do that (if your kids like them).

As far as lost kids, we have pet tags that we made at Petsmart that we loop through the girls shoelaces. They have their names and our cell phone numbers on them.

 

[jolynda]

I'm a single mom with 2 kids - the first time I took them, my son was 7 and daughter was 3 1/2. I was always worried about losing them too, so I trained them to look for a castmember if they ever got separated from me. That goes hand in hand with their strict orders to go to a store employee if they get lost in a store. Having a stroller helped keep one kid in check so I only had to keep track of the 2nd one.

And you don't have to forego rides. We were able to go on a lot of rides with 3 of us - Buzz Lightyear, Nemo, Jungle Cruise, POTC, Haunted Mansion, Pooh, many of the Fantasyland rides, Small World, etc. Investigating Toontown can be fun, riding the train, etc. If you go over to CA Adventure, there are lots of other rides you can all do there!

A few hours can be spent exploring out on Pirate Island or playing in the play area in CA Adventure.

I think you'll be surprised at how much there is to do for a single adult with 2 little ones! We were able to keep busy for 4 days!

 

[nancy drew]

I'm a single mom with a 3 year old and 5 year old. Last year we all rode Alice, Dumbo, Buzz, Haunted Mansion, Toad, Pooh, Monsters Inc, etc. I can't think of any ride that we couldn't all fit on together in one row. We spent 5 days there and never got bored, and I never once said "Oh, sorry kids. We can't ride this one because we won't all fit."

And as far as worrying about them getting lost, I told them to look for a Mommy with kids or a Grandma. Sorry to sound sexist, but statistically men are more likely to be harmful to kids than women, and a woman with kids is likely to understand the importance of finding a lost child. I wouldn't tell them to look for a Cast Member. The CMs all dress in different clothing, and the only identifiable item they have is a name tag, which is way out of a child's sight line. All they can see is legs and waists. I also have Safety Tats, which are temporary tattoos with my cell phone number. I've told the kids that if they get lost, show a Mommy or Grandma that tattoo with my phone number and have them call me.

 

[Snow Orange]

Safety tats? First I heard of them. Tell me how to get them. I like idea better than trying to stick paper in their shoe or tag on their shoe.

 

[GBShorts]

Hi there! I saw a woman in this same situation as you a few years back at DLR. She was in line on Gadget's Go Coaster with her 2 children. One of the children said they wanted to ride but when it came time to go, they didn't want to ride alone. It was the older of the two children and she felt she needed to stay with the younger in his car. The eldest child began crying. When they got to the front of the line, a cast member asked if there was anything they could do to help and they explained the situation. She got on the coaster with the older child, just to hold his hand. The child, when the ride finished, wanted to go on again! Sometimes you may be able to find a CM that would be willing to ride along with your older child. It's better than a random stranger!

In addition, I posted the safetytat website awhile back on another forum around here...

http://www.safetytat.com/

They're really neat!!

 

[S. S. Columbia]

IIRC, the following 2 attractions won't have enough room for 1 adult and 2 children:
Autopia (32” or taller)
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies (36” or taller)

Other than those 2, I think you'll be fine.

My wife won’t go on any fast rides, so I ride with my DS6 and DD4.

We had no problems riding:

Astro Orbitor (no height rqmt)
Gadget’s Go Coaster (35” or taller)
Matterhorn (35” or taller)
BTMRR (40” or taller)
Mulholland Madness (42” or taller)
and many, many others

For many rides, DS6 and DD4 would sit together in 1 row (or in front), and I would sit directly behind them.

HTH

 

[pixiewings71]

My girls aren't as young as your kids but we do DL just the 3 of us at times. We manage to find many rides we can do together. I'm sure you will be fine.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Chickysmom]

Altho when I first took my DD she was a little older, we stopped at a couple CM's and showed her how nice they were and what their badges looked liked in case she got seperated she would feel more comfortable approaching them. Also, I had her carry our cell phone numbers with her so she could ask a CM to call her lost parents.....

 

[tripletlyblessed]

I go to DL with my triplets alone most of the time. A lot of the rides where you can sit two side-by-side you can also put one on your lap. For most things, just ask the CMs before standing in line.

As for not losing them, I use the Brickhouse Locator (from the Duracell commercial). My girls have also learned that I will pack up and leave so they behave. I've only had to warn them and not leave DL, but I've left other places so they know I will follow up.