Going alone (just me and kids) for first time. Help!

Bethany

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
128
So I have this crazy notion of taking my 2 oldest kids (*just* turned 5 and 7) for a mini vaca. to WDW. Dh would stay home with our 2 yo. Reasoning behind this... dh doesn't do rides (bad motion sickness) and 2 yo. wouldn't do rides either. So... older 2 and I can cover more park and have a better time (no 2 yr old tantrums to deal with.. that will be a treat for them).

The thing is I have never traveled alone (as in without another adult). I'm not worried about keeping tabs on my kids.. but I'm slightly nervous about going on such a big adventure and being the only adult.

Any tips or words of wisdom from others who travel solo with their kids?

ETA we will be flying and using Disney's Magical express so that it's that much easier to get around.
 
Just be organized! When I traveled w/ my two I was very nervous. Organize tickets and such. Also, be sure to pencil in enough rest time. When you are the one and only responsible one you will need your rest! ENJOY!:thumbsup2
 
I would love to hear some tips too!! I am taking dd in May to DL. She is six with HFA. So it will be a bit challenging. But totally doable, specially with out DH! haha He doesnt want to spend much time on the girly stuff. SO that is good
 
Have your kids wear some kind of ID with your cell phone number on it at all times. Put it on them when you leave the house and only let them take it off in the hotel room! This way if you do get seperated someone will be able to contact you. Teach the kids how to id Disney CM's, airline personel etc since these should be the safest type of adults to approach if they are lost.
 

Just this past December I travelled alone with those 3 little angels you see below:goodvibes . At first I was a little unsure as to what I was putting myself in, but I got a hold of my nerves and started planning. I think just having patience, organization and a lot of rest time and just have FUN!
 
Okay, bear in mind that I only have the one, so I don't have the whole sibling dynamic to deal with...


I have traveled solo with my kid since he was a couple months old including cross country flights and long car trips. I am comfortable traveling solo without him and it wasn't a big step to be good traveling alone with him. We enjoy each other's company and have the same attitudes toward vacations and what's important so that helps a lot.

Are you worried about being the only adult to manage them or are you just timid about traveling as the only adult period? Have you ever done any traveling on your own or do you always go with a buddy? I'm trying to get a feel for which part of it is nerve-wracking for you because that changes what the best management techniques are. :)
 
I also just have 1, but have been traveling alone with her since she was 4. Our first trip to WDW when she was 5, I was apprehensive, what if I forget to pack papers, etc. but it all went fine. I had a dvd and had her help me plan what she wanted to do. I also set up a couple nights that turned into almost every night for her to go to the NEverland Club so I could ride some rides she wouldn't / couldn't. We didn't over do it, if we were tired, we went back to the hotel and rested.
I assume your kids have flown before?
I know this sounds silly but here is the story: When DD was 4 I decided to take her on a Carnival Cruise cruise to nowhere out of our home port. She wouldn't give up FLuffy to go through the x ray machine but finally did. So after that and Iknew we were going to eventually fly, we started playing airport / cruise terminal security and airplane, especially the turbulence. We went to Oahu last year right after she turned 9 and we still play it, except she is getting too big for me to rock a chair with her in it to simulate turbulence, but she is the best traveler.
You will have a great time!!!!!!
 
My girls are 8 and 5, and I have been taking them to WDW w/o dh for several years now. We love Disney, and I am happy to share with you what has been a challenge for me and what has worked.

I find it easiest to rent a stroller. Yes, normally my girls don't use strollers; but until very recently, I just found renting the double stroller the easiest way to go. I still carried everything -- snacks, wipes, pins/lanyards, autograph books, pens, etc. Hauling that bag on the bus and trying to hold the youngest's hand was enough. I knew I couldn't handle a stroller as well. Also, at the parks, there were times when I liked having them both in front of me when we manuevered through big crowds. I also liked that the stroller offered me a place to stash the aforementioned bag.

Meals could be a challenge as well. Again, trying to carry the bag, carry the tray of food, keep up with the kiddos. (My oldest is very good about sticking close. My youngest is a wanderer though.) Also, I wasn't comfortable leaving them at a table to save a place or something like that while I went to order. My girls lik the Mickey waffles, so we would have breakfast at the food court before we left. I found the food courts at the resorts much easier to manage than the CS places in the parks. I'd bring snacks, and we would often have a late lunch. After the lunch crowds died down, it was much easier to order our food. We'll stake out a spot and eat while we wait for the parade. If it was a late night at the park, we'd just snack. If we were in our room, they love to get pizza.

The rides were also a challenge for us. They just had to accept that if we couldn't all ride, then we couldn't ride. I also told them that I would not force either of them to ride something they didn't want to ride. Some rides I was comfortable letting my then 7 yo sit by herself, and my youngest and I would be right behind her -- like Buzz Lightyear. My girls also learned to compromise. My youngest would occassionally agree to ride Splash Mountain if my oldest would agree to do Stitch's Great Escape. However, when they couldn't reach an agreement, we couldn't ride. Like I said, I didn't force either of them to go on a ride they didn't want to(or were too frightened to do). Sometimes that meant they missed out on their favorites, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. (We live about 90 miles away and go often, so missing out ona favorite ride isn't too big a deal.)

Restroom breaks. The companion restrooms are great, but we don't always use them. My girls go into their stalls and stay there until I come get them. Yes, it means they are in there a little longer, but I prefer that to them leaving the stall themselves and washing their hands and such while I'm still in a stall. There has been a few discusions about boys going into the women's restroom and how old is too old. I think this method works great for the moms with boys. If they are in a stall, they probably aren't making anyone uncomfortable. Although personally, I don't think a 5 yo boy is too old to be in a women's restroom but is too young to be left outside one on his own and I wouldn't feel comfortable sending him into a men's room alone either.

Those are really the biggest issues I've had with having 2 children that age and not having another adult along, and they really aren't a big deal. We go all the time, so it hasn't deterred us at all.

Go and have a great time. Your 2 oldest will enjoy having your full attention for a bit, and it'll be fun fr all of you. I'm sure.
 
if i can do it with 4 yr old twins i am sure u can do it with ours. you know your kids better than anyone. go with their flow and make sure they know that they will have to take turns pickin the ride and other things. just go and live thru their eyes. i had the best time with my girls. i went at their speed and try not to over do it. i am lucky since mine are the same sex. so no fighting over boy/girl stuff. go and enjoy your time with them. they grow up so fast.
 
definately do it, dd5 and I have been 10 times and Dh only joined us twice:lmao: We have had no prob at all, we always carry a backpack(hands free) and always rent a stroller in the park- so easy on off busses and M express. No issues at all. (I tell my DD5 if she cant walk to the bus at the end of the nite we will leave earlier, ....incidentally........we have NEVER left early! She walks!):banana:
 
We are potentially planning to do the same thing. DH & 2yo (then 3yo) at home - the toddler is VERY resistant to change right now (a previous trip to San Antonio almost had us packing up the room at 1am because he was SCREAMING to go home), so we are considering this to rescue DH blood pressure and salvage our pre-paid, non-refundable DVC rental.
I am not really worried about my 6yo on the trip. I think we'll have a blast and use the kids club so I can ride my 'big' rides (he's a little timid on some things).
 
I traveled alone with my three oldest children in 2005. (dh stayed home with ds 1) I wasn't the only adult because I brought my sister and her two children too. However, neither my sister or her children had ever been on vacation before and it was the first plane ride for all of them. It went very smoothly but I agree organization and planning is a must. We had a great time with very few difficult times.
 


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