Disney trip with one parents and two kids?

[erineab]

My children are almost 6 and 9 and I am considering doing a trip on my own with them this August. My husband can't get the time off work but he is able to work remotely as long there is wifi.......we are essentially just trying to decide if it worth the cost of his flight and food to come with us or if I should just venture on my own. I have booked AKL. Is there anyone out there that has had a successful (or unsuccessful) trip with their kids on their own that can offer input or advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[lauradis]

I would go if my husband couldn't, but we would miss him horribly. If he wants to come when can he take off work/ does he really want to go?

 

[minnie mum]

I did it oce with my two DDs when they are a bit older than yours. We had a great time. Especially since they are past stroller age, and both tall enough for all the rides, I don't see why you would have any problems. It would be great to get in that visit before your elder child turns 10.

 

[ConnieB]

I have traveled to DL and WDW with my girls (twins) since they were 7 years old. My husband is not a Disney fan, so he prefers not to come more than once every several years, and then usually only stays for a few days. Sure, we miss him, but he's happier not being somewhere he doesn't enjoy (ok, and we're happier that he's not complaining about being done with the park, lol).

I suppose a lot of it depends on the individual children and whether you have trouble with both of them at events near your home. If that is a struggle alone, then Disney isn't going to be any better....on the other hand if you are able to successfully be with them on your own, Disney shouldn't be all that different.

Are there particular things that concern you?

 

[ekatiel]

One thing to keep in mind for rides that seat only 2 in a row: Children under 7 cannot ride without someone 14 or over accompanying them in the same row or the row behind them in the same ride vehicle. So there may be cases where you will have to ride with your 6 year old, and your 9 year old will have to ride in a row or "vehicle" by himself.

 

[erineab]

One thing to keep in mind for rides that seat only 2 in a row: Children under 7 cannot ride without someone 14 or over accompanying them in the same row or the row behind them in the same ride vehicle. So there may be cases where you will have to ride with your 6 year old, and your 9 year old will have to ride in a row or "vehicle" by himself.

 

[erineab]

The rides meant for 2 are definitely a concern, but even if my husband comes we will have to deal with that since he won't be able to spend many hours in the parks. My kids are easy going and well behaved (for the most part!!!) and my husband wouldn't mind if we ventured on without him (he enjoys disney for the most part but we typically go in March and we are both concerned about how he will deal with the heat of august). It's reassuring to hear that others have had good solo trips with their kiddos. I am planning to book our flights when southwest releases their late August itineraries this week so have to make a decision ASAP! !

 

[Marthasor]

I have traveled to WDW countless times alone with my son since he was 3 (he is now 7). I know it's a little different because I only have one child, but it is very manageable, particularly as you won't have strollers and lots of baby/toddler stuff to carry around!

 

[dsdeleon]

My sons are that age and we are staying at AKL for a week alone in April. I can't wait! I have only ever done a solo trip with my 6yo before last August and it was one of the best trips ever!

I am dropping the youngest at Simbas Clubhouse and taking the oldest to the night Safari. Also planning on a fishing excursion on Bay Lake. My youngest likes to stay out at MK late late so we might do one Kids Night Out as well.

I am a bit crazy and am also doig three nights at Universals Royal Pacific.

My kids are pretty well behaved and we have done Disney/Universal a million times so I am not too worried. You'll be fine! Late Aug is a great time.

 

[BlueFairy]

We did the exact thing in August last year. 2 girls are 6 and 9. It was a success. Ours was a short 3 night stay. I laid lots of ground rules ahead of time.

I tried to pack light for airport or in the parks. Lightening the load allowed me to keep my hands free for the kids. Made sure to use DME. I think renting a car and retrieving luggage would have been stressful. Also, allowed plenty of extra time in our itinerary for everything.

The kids missed DH. Longer would have been a problem for them I think, mostly because they kept thinking about how Dad would really enjoy this or that.

I would say that if your husband is seriously considering trying to work using wifi, do your homework. We found it to be glitchy and very slow whether in our room or in public areas.

Both DDs are tall enough for most rides. However, I can see a tiny issue if you have 1 brave soul who wants to ride and one who doesn't. I do not, so that wasn't a big deal for us. My only real nervousness came when DD9 wanted to ride and DD6 did not on Dumbo and the carousel. Keeping an eye on DD9 to be sure we met up at the exit made me nervous. DD9 was also anxious about riding in a row without me on Barnstormer. These were minor hiccups. For the most part our rule was that if one person didn't want to ride something, we skipped it. I made sure to plan a time for their favorite thing each day. Everything else was compromise or Mom decides. Another big rule was everyone takes a restroom break every time we go.

We had lots of extra resort time. It was easier for me to relax there and at FW than in the parks. I also made sure to provision our hotel room with yummy snacks for me, wine, and books and a laptop so that I could enjoy time in the room after their bedtime. Shuffled my shower to after they were sleeping, too, which made mornings easier.

TS meals are easier than QS meals. Plan accordingly. I find it difficult to juggle trays and young children in a crowd. At TS someone else is doing the grunt work.

 

[ayohey]

I took my two boys last March on my own while my husband stayed home with our 11 month old son. My older two were 6 and 8 at the time of the trip. We went for 6 nights/7 days and had a GREAT time! It was a last minute trip - my husband couldn't come due to tax season and I knew I couldn't handle the baby with the older two on my own so we kept the baby home. I surprised my older two with the trip. I followed their lead for the week and made the trip all about them. As long as you don't go with high expectations and are willing to go with the flow, it will be a great trip!

 

[tjmw2727]

I started taking my girls solo when they were 4 and 6 and we always had a great time. As long has you have manageable expectations and focus on the million things you can do and ignore the few things you can't do you will have fun. You should be able to fit 3 in a row on most rides, IIRC there were only a few that we couldn't but you can sit with your youngest and your older dd in front.
If you take your girls out routinely at home you will be fine, zoo, park, even grocery store
I did book our "big meal of the day" as a sit down meal for a late lunch so as not to worry about carrying counter serve food and give us a relaxing break. Breakfast was cereal/bagel in the room and dinner was often a few different stops for counter service depending who was hungry when.
I loved our trips and would definitely recommend it !

 

[WillAustin]

I took my 3 kids (10,8, and 8 at the time) over Star Wars Weekend a couple of years ago and we had a blast.

 

[Frozen2014]

You don't mention if boy and a girl or similar interests. I could never come without dh since DD is a princess lover and DS is anti-princess. Also there are rides DS loves like Splash Mountain that DD wouldn't go on. But if similar interests or if one child is ok going on a ride alone (I would never leave a child alone waiting for the riders), then should be ok.

 

[picprincess]

I took my 2 kids on my own, ages 9 and 5, back in July of 2012. It was one of my favorite trips of all time! Of course we missed Daddy, but we were forced to take it slow because of the heat and the fact that I was also pregnant. We took time to see all the small details, shows, play the sorcerer's game and meet characters that we normally don't get to see. I let the 2 of them lead the way most of the time. I would agree that the TS meals were much easier than the QS when it came to getting everything to the table, plus it was a nice break from the heat. We did have friends in Orlando who would have been able to help me if any problems came up.

If it were me, I wouldn't hesitate to take the kids on my own! We were able to ride most of the rides as 3 across, but when we couldn't, my 9yr old was ok riding in front of us on his own. My 9yr old was fine waiting outside the restrooms on us girls....I was a little nervous about him having to stand by himself, but there were never any problems. I also utilized the companion restrooms on occasion.

 

[disnut8]

My children are almost 6 and 9 and I am considering doing a trip on my own with them this August. My husband can't get the time off work but he is able to work remotely as long there is wifi.......we are essentially just trying to decide if it worth the cost of his flight and food to come with us or if I should just venture on my own. I have booked AKL. Is there anyone out there that has had a successful (or unsuccessful) trip with their kids on their own that can offer input or advice? Thanks in advance!

One thing I wold recommend, and I haven't traveled with kids of my own on my own but have traveled solo a few times, is that you have each of your kids carry their own stuff. If they use a backpack for school, they can carry that with them in the parks. Then they can have extras with them and you don't have to be the pack mule. If they don't use a backpack for school, get them waist packs or a day bag worn on the back or something so as the sole adult, you aren't being constantly asked for snacks or an extra shirt or whatever you usually carry in the parks. It will also be a learning lesson for the kids so they can understand what it's like to be the "carrier".

I would also ensure that the kids will be able to carry their own beverages if you eat at a counter service place. Trying to carry one tray with three beverages on it plus the food and find a table to sit at is a challenge. If the kids carry their own beverages, it's much easier.

 

[tjmw2727]

One thing I wold recommend, and I haven't traveled with kids of my own on my own but have traveled solo a few times, is that you have each of your kids carry their own stuff. If they use a backpack for school, they can carry that with them in the parks. Then they can have extras with them and you don't have to be the pack mule. If they don't use a backpack for school, get them waist packs or a day bag worn on the back or something so as the sole adult, you aren't being constantly asked for snacks or an extra shirt or whatever you usually carry in the parks. It will also be a learning lesson for the kids so they can understand what it's like to be the "carrier".

I would also ensure that the kids will be able to carry their own beverages if you eat at a counter service place. Trying to carry one tray with three beverages on it plus the food and find a table to sit at is a challenge. If the kids carry their own beverages, it's much easier.

Great suggestion - my dd's wore a light colored Disney baseball hat to have autographed and a small waist pack with quarters and pennies to press, a sharpie for autographs and a few dollars of their own $ as well as two snacks from the room that they could pick each morning. I carried a mid size sling bag for the rest of our stuff, sunscreen, extra snacks, band aids .... etc. We did use a locker on a few days when it was cool in the am/pm but warm during the day to store jackets and warm clothing.

 

[erineab]

Thanks for all the great advice! My 9 year old is a boy and my 6 year old is a girl so there will undoubtedly be times when there is some eye rolling regarding our princess visits. My son is a good sport though and I will be very clear with them beforehand that there will have to be some give and take on everyone's behalf. Will I feel odd or out of place at the dining venues? I will still attempt to make ADR's for the restaurants I am hoping to eat at...Boma, Sanaa, 1900 Park Fare, Be Our Guest and Akershus. I also really want to eat at Jiko. Should I bring the kids there or send them to the kids club while I have a solo dinner? I have never went out to a sit down restaurant on my own before so I'm not sure how I would feel about that!

 

[WillAustin]

Thanks for all the great advice! My 9 year old is a boy and my 6 year old is a girl so there will undoubtedly be times when there is some eye rolling regarding our princess visits. My son is a good sport though and I will be very clear with them beforehand that there will have to be some give and take on everyone's behalf. Will I feel odd or out of place at the dining venues? I will still attempt to make ADR's for the restaurants I am hoping to eat at...Boma, Sanaa, 1900 Park Fare, Be Our Guest and Akershus. I also really want to eat at Jiko. Should I bring the kids there or send them to the kids club while I have a solo dinner? I have never went out to a sit down restaurant on my own before so I'm not sure how I would feel about that!

I'd take the kids. We've taken our kids to Table Service Signature restaurants since they were 5 and they are very well-behaved. They enjoyed Jiko.

 

[tjmw2727]

Thanks for all the great advice! My 9 year old is a boy and my 6 year old is a girl so there will undoubtedly be times when there is some eye rolling regarding our princess visits. My son is a good sport though and I will be very clear with them beforehand that there will have to be some give and take on everyone's behalf. Will I feel odd or out of place at the dining venues? I will still attempt to make ADR's for the restaurants I am hoping to eat at...Boma, Sanaa, 1900 Park Fare, Be Our Guest and Akershus. I also really want to eat at Jiko. Should I bring the kids there or send them to the kids club while I have a solo dinner? I have never went out to a sit down restaurant on my own before so I'm not sure how I would feel about that!

Good question - while I never did the kids club on solo trips we did do it on family trips so DH and I could have dinner and my girls LOVED them. They actually said they liked having "a night to themselves" lol and enjoyed relaxing and doing kid stuff with other kids - playing games and such in addition to the parks.

This reminds me that our best trips were the ones when I remembered to let the kids be kids in the parks and at the resorts! I tried to find the playgrounds and hands on activities in addition to just rides and shows - and letting them swim in the afternoon or even a special late nigh swim!

If you do decide to dine solo at Jiko I bet the kids will love the AKL kids club - it was my girls favorite just after the Poly club !

Can you tell I am excited for you My girls are now 18 and 20 and we are doing another "girls only" trip in April and I can't wait.