Disney World by myself with 3 kids?

[Sarah936]

I just booked a cruise for myself and my 3 kids. I figured I could handle all three myself on the ship, but I'm debating about adding a day or two at the parks before. I'm concerned about the adult to child ride ratio.

Has anyone else traveled with more kids than adults? They will be nearly 7 when we go. Am I be crazy to add in time at the parks?

 

[rwdavis2]

You need to consider what you will do if you want to ride something where you all cannot sit together. In some cases it might work (Pirates, Small world) but none of them are old enough to ride completely alone. I'm sure someone will come along with better info.

 

[123SA]

You need to think in terms of the rides you want to do. For example -- you can't do the barnstormer or Buzz LY, since the 4 of you will not fit. Probably can't do Peter Pan & Haunted Mansion. For rides like Splash & Big Thunder, 4 do not fit across, but I think it is okay since you'd all be in the same car/log.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I just booked a cruise for myself and my 3 kids. I figured I could handle all three myself on the ship, but I'm debating about adding a day or two at the parks before. I'm concerned about the adult to child ride ratio.

Has anyone else traveled with more kids than adults? They will be nearly 7 when we go. Am I be crazy to add in time at the parks?

You will likely run into issues with rides where the ride vehicle isn't big enough for all 4 of you. Kids need to be 7 years old to ride by themselves and yours won't be 7 yet. You'd be fine for rides like it's a small world or the teacups where all of you can fit. But on rides like Dumbo or 7DMT where you'd have to split up into separate rows or vehicles, it will be a problem.

 

[ErinsMommy]

I wouldn't travel or go to Disney with just 1 kid alone. LOL.

 

[BLLB]

I traveled with 2, when they were 2 and 4. It's doable. Looking back, they are now 14 and 16, it was a nice experience, just the 3 of us.

 

[123SA]

I went with two kids when they were 6 & 9; I left the 3 yr old at home. That wasn't bad since minimum age wasn't as issue for the oldest. Last year, I went with the 3 kids, but at 10,13, 16 it was no problem at all.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

It really depends on the kids. Are any of them wanderers? Do any of them just run at the sight of an ice cream cone or Mickey? Are any of them super hyper?

My son was all 3 of those until he was about 7ish. I could've traveled with him alone but no way would I have done WDW with him and his little sister when he was 6. He was liable to dart off and he was FAST.

 

[prprincess]

I traveled with 2, when they were 2 and 4. It's doable. Looking back, they are now 14 and 16, it was a nice experience, just the 3 of us.

Same here. I just went in August with my 12 and 10 year old. I found it to be a bit more laid back than when my husband goes with us. It was a very nice experience, and I thought it would be a week of the boys bickering over rides and food, but we talked about compromise before the trip and they did very well. The only issue we had was that my little guy didn't like ToT and my older one didn't want to ride it repeatedly like he did. It caused an argument and hurt feelings, but of course, things went back to normal the next day.

 

[Sundowner2]

I think you would be ok if the kids are good listeners. The Peter Pan ride, my family of 4 squishes in one ship. Pooh ride, its 2 in the front, 2 in the back.

 

[johnsgrl]

For years I did it with my three, but the oldest is 5 years older than the middle and 6.5 years older than the youngest, so that helped a lot as she would take charge of one while I did some thing with one, or take the middle on a ride that the youngest couldn't go on yet. I probably would have still tried it if they were closer in age, just planned to do less big rides and spend more time chilling by the pool. I started taking them at ages 9.5, 4.5 and 3. Now that I think about it , I was nuts! But we always had an incredible time.

 

[bumbershoot]

They will be nearly 7 when we go.

Since they won't be old enough to ride alone, you might run into continual problems with ride configuration.

I personally would wait until they are 7 and the issue of sitting alone is gone.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Is it doable? Sure! I would just look at the attractions before you go so you know which rides you will be able to do together. For instance, AK might be a good bet - you can do the Safari, all the shows, the animal trails, Wilderness Explorers. As long as you know ahead of time what is rideable, it shouldn't be a problem.

My bigger issue would be the traveling and the packing and unpacking. Are you driving? I've cruised and done the parks along with my DS (but I only have 1!) and personally, with 3 younger ones, you may just want to do the cruise this time and the parks on another trip. It would definitely be more relaxing for you.

 

[nicki.momof3]

It is very doable. Starting when my kids were 2,3,4 I started taking them alone for 2-3 days while my husband worked. He then joined us (he couldn't take as much time off) after a few days. There is a ton to do at WDW. So what if you can't do a few rides. There is so much to do and you only have a few days. I promise they won't miss out. You will have an amazing time. Go and enjoy your family time.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I have done it a few times with my two girls who are now ten and four. Mine compete for my attention and have different interests, and they pick at each other to get a reaction. The biggest issue I have is their arguing with each other.

I plan every minute to minimize waiting in line (rarely do any lines more than fifteen minutes) and try to reward positive behavior. There is definitely a lot of stress in taking two or more to the parks because they have to compromise and some kids don't do that very well. I can't separate them when one or both misbehave.

I have done 5-10 night trips with just my girls in the parks (Mom goes, but she stays in the resort) and it is a lot of work and can be stressful, but I still find it better than not going at all.

When my husband goes with us it can help alleviate some of the stress. On the other hand, he adds some stress that is not there when he isn't there, also.

If your kids get along well and have similar interests, you can have a great trip. If they don't, well, you are in for some challenges. Still, you can make nice memories.

 

[quandrea]

I thought seven was the age at which kids could ride alone? I recall cast members asking my kids how old they were and at seven it was okay. Under seven they needed to ride with someone over 14.

I would do it. I've travelled alone with my three kids. We did it two years ago. They were 5, 5 and 10. Did it again this year at 7, 7 and 12. They were great on the plane and in the parks. We had a wonderful time. My kids are experienced travellers, which really helped in the airports.

 

[ShellieMimi]

I thought seven was the age at which kids could ride alone? I recall cast members asking my kids how old they were and at seven it was okay. Under seven they needed to ride with someone over 14.

I would do it. I've travelled alone with my three kids. We did it two years ago. They were 5, 5 and 10. Did it again this year at 7, 7 and 12. They were great on the plane and in the parks. We had a wonderful time. My kids are experienced travellers, which really helped in the airports.

Yes, it's 7, but OP's kids won't be 7 yet.

The choices then become:

- Everybody turns 7 a bit early. (No judgment. You do you.)

- You see shows, meet characters & enjoy the rides you can go on as a group.

- Skip the parks. I'm guessing this wouldn't be the kids' favorite option.

 

[quandrea]

Yes, it's 7, but OP's kids won't be 7 yet.

The choices then become:

- Everybody turns 7 a bit early. (No judgment. You do you.)

- You see shows, meet characters & enjoy the rides you can go on as a group.

- Skip the parks. I'm guessing this wouldn't be the kids' favorite option.

Missed that. Sorry.

If it's just a day or two, I'd go and enjoy the attractions we could do together. There is plenty to do. My kids would ride Peoplemover and the tea cups all day if I'd let them.

 

[Mainemama]

If you are going anywhere alone with 3 kids, WDW is a great place to be. I have done it and am doing it again this summer for 3 nights. I do not bring my 3 to the grocery store with me. But Disney, no problem! That said, the age of riding is a real issue. My 1st 1 parent trip was with 3, 7, and 10, so I could always ride with the little. Have they been before? Would they handle missing a favorite ride okay if you can't sit together? A possible alternative... hire a sitter to go in with you. (Expensive, but possible.)

 

[Dashzap]

If you are going anywhere alone with 3 kids, WDW is a great place to be. I have done it and am doing it again this summer for 3 nights. I do not bring my 3 to the grocery store with me. But Disney, no problem! That said, the age of riding is a real issue. My 1st 1 parent trip was with 3, 7, and 10, so I could always ride with the little. Have they been before? Would they handle missing a favorite ride okay if you can't sit together? A possible alternative... hire a sitter to go in with you. (Expensive, but possible.)

It might be cheaper if you can hire a sitter or mother's helper down there to spend the day in the park with you. I guess it would cost a park ticket plus the sitter's wages.

I googled and found one http://vacationsitterfl.com/

From their site:

Extra Hands
Navigating parks, delegating fastpasses, and trying to keep your kids occupied in a hot theme park line is no easy task. In the midst of that pixie dust induced chaos is where our in-park professionals shine! Equipped with annual passes and knowledge of the parks, rides, height requirements, fastpass systems, restaurants and so on, having an extra set of hands and a capable guide can really save you time, energy and money!

In-Park Helpers can assist with:
-Transportation via shuttle, car, monorail, and ferry
-Bag-check points and park entry
-Navigating the parks and locating rides, bathrooms, first aid, and baby care centers.
-Advising on age appropriate rides for children based on height, age and temperament.
-Taking photos so no one in your family gets stuck behind the camera
-Mealtimes so parents can finish eating too
-Sitting off with a child if the party would like to experience a ride or show that is too intense or the child doesn't yet meet the height requirement
-Holding a spot in the line
-Pushing strollers and carrying diaper bags
-Bathroom breaks

Our in-park family helpers are right there with you to share in all of the work that goes into producing the perfect Disney vacation and aid in making it as stress free as possible for everyone involved.