Going alone with a 7 and a 5 years old

[fac]

I am planning my February trip. This is my first time travelling alone with the girls. DH does not have the time and I think I can handle the travel. However, my question is on how to handle the rides.
My 7 years old likes to try any age appropriate rides, but my 5 years old does not. In the past, DH and DD5 will wait for us, but now if I were to go alone with the girls, can I leave DD5 with the CM just before getting on the rides? I also thought that DD7 is too young to go on the rides alone.

Anyone has similar experiences ?

felicia

 

[MAKmom]

I would wait until your husband can go ...or your mom ect. You can not leave your 5 year old with a cast member. You won't be able to do any rides that everyone does'nt want to do. Its a pain,DH stayed behind 1 day on a trip & I encountered the same problem. How can you tell your older daughter no to a ride in WDW?

 

[DawnaJean]

I wouldn't leave the 5yo with a CM. You would need to select only rides that either everyone wants or the kid(s) can ride alone....Fantasyland at MK would be good. There are plenty of shows and activities so I don't think the ride issue would make me change my mind from going without DH. If though you can reschedule to a time DH can go, you may have a more enjoyable time with the options that extra adult will provide (as well as enjoying your husband's company!). However, if you have your heart set on going and it just won't work out that he can come, then have a girls trip and adapt the plan....the 7yo won't get to do all the things that she wants but you can focus on the things you CAN do together!

Have a wonderful trip!
Dawna

 

[tjmw2727]

My girls are two years apart and we have been doing a trip a year without dh since they were 3 and 5, its a blast!! They are 9 and 11 now and we did our most recent girls only trip in October 05.

You can't leave your 5yo alone and ride with your 7 yo. WDW will allow a 7 yo to ride alone, however, so you and your 5yo could walk her through the queue, put her on the ride and wait at the exit but only if the 5yo meets the height requirement. Otherwise your 7yo would have to wait the line, ride and exit all by herself. On something like the barnstormer or Primevil whirl this is easy because you can see them the entire time. If you are comfortable with this its allowed. I did it once at Primevil whirl when my dd's were 7 and 9 and my 7yo didn't want to ride.

Our rule was everyone rides or nobody does and honestly we didn't have any arguments because we planned in advance. There weren't too many that one didn't want to ride when the other did and I usually had them come up with a compromise. The only ride we couldn't ride three in a row was space mtn and I don't think you will be riding than anyway!!

Try and focus on the many wonderful shows and rides you will do together and not so much on what your 7yo will have to wait for dh to do. You can fill fill a day easily and keep everyone happy. Some of our best moments were catching the live entertainment like the acrobats in Epcot and such.

Neither child ever felt it unfair that they couldn't ride something, it was worth it just to be at WDW. FWIW it wasn't always my youngest that didn't want to ride! My youngest LOVES TOT but my oldest really dosen't, my oldest likes Space Mtn and my youngest dosen't. So they had to make a deal or skip them both and I stayed out of it and went with their decision.

We hit the parks early, do a late lunch at TS as our big meal of the day and we usually hit the pool for a while before heading back to a park. Breakfast in the room and CS dinners made things easier for me.

Just being alone with my girls, relaxing and having fun was so wonderful the first time that we now do it every year. We go during one of the school vacations and dh saves his vacation time for other family vacations as he dosen't enjoy WDW like we do.

Any more specific questions just ask away.

TJ

 

[fac]

Thanks for the encouragement.

I have been debating on whether I should go, but probably I will as tjmw272 pointed out on "just being alone with the girls and relaxing" would be priceless. Deep in my heart, I am envisioning a yearly girls only trip as well.

DH just started a new job, hence getting a week off won't be a good idea. In addition, he hates to go to WDW. He is encouraging me to go in February, otherwise, he will have to go with us in April. On the other hand, I cannot count on getting DD7 to go on rides alone. Last year, the CM didn't let my DD6 to try Barnstormer alone because I didn't go to the line with her and she was quite upset. Probably we will focus on relaxing and see how it goes.
thanks again.
Felicia

 

[ValDisney]

i have been going by myself w my 2 for the last 2 yrs. (i used to go w my parents) My son also didn't like the rides but my daughter did (he was 5 and she was 7). I walked her up to the entrance and watched her go on. I then waited at the exit for her to come off) The CM's knew she was alone and I told them to please make sure she gets off at the exit. It was fine. I felt bad, that she had to go on alone. She didn't mind too much. It was only for a few rides. it will all work out. Have fun. I really enjoyed myself and the kidsw had a great time. I am going agn in dec.
Valerie

 

[tjmw2727]

I am glad your considering it. The official age to ride alone at wdw is 7, probably why she couldn't ride alone last year at 6. So if your dd wants to and you are comfortable with it she can ride alone, just tell the CM she is 7 if they ask. My dd's at 7 and 9 rode alone on barnstormer alot (once or twice was enought for me!) and the CM checked each time to see if my youngest was 7 so I am pretty sure on that.

Otherwise going through the list of attractions try and figure out which ones your 5yo won't want to ride and come up with options ahead of time to avoid tears or false hopes. Honestly most of the rides will be fine for the 3 of you. I recommend the WDW for Kids By Kids so the three of you can read together and plan.

At 7 she is probably old enough to be able to choose if she would rather go to WDW and mabye skip a few rides or not go at all.

I loved the time with my girls, no distractions like homework, meal prep or housecleaning made much more time for talking, laughing and relaxing. Take your time, relax and enjoy the resort and notice the little things at the parks.

I do recommend staying onsite and using Disney transportation, it makes a solo parent trip much easier. If our budget allows we opt for the boardwalk area or a monorail resort. Otherwise we have found the bus service very good.

If you decide to go for it let me know if you have any more questions or need suggestions on anything.

TJ

 

[alicenwonder99]

I went last month on a trip with just me and my dd7 and ds5. It was a fun trip. I plan on doing this once a year. My dh likes Disney, but just not every year. My dd7 is the "chicken" so we just skipped all of the rides she doesn't like. I went over this thoroughly with the kids with what rides we were NOT going to ride.

On a side note, here's some things that were helpful with me going alone with the kids:

We used DME. It was the simpliest thing. I get lost so easy, so there was no way I was going to rent a car. DH dropped us off at curbside at the airport. DH even checked in our luggage for us at the skycap. So, the only thing I had to do was get to our gate with the kids. Getting around Orlando airport was a cinch.

We stayed at POP, but I don't think I'll stay there again. I think next time I go alone with the kids, we'll stay at a monorail resort. Also, keep in mind that with children that young, you can't just leave them in the hotel room to run to the food court for coffee/pop/snacks. I brought along my own coffeemaker to use in the room. But it would have been nice to have a refridgerator.

Remember to not stay until closing at the parks. How would you carry 2 sleeping children back to your hotel room? The long bus ride back to the resort would make the kids sleepy and I had to keep on shaking them to stay awake...lol.

I rented a double stroller for the kids, but it really wasn't necessary for most of the parks. But, it was nice when they were both riding in it because I didn't have to fear that one would get lost. The double strollers are expensive, $18 a day!!

Have fun. PM me if you have any questions.

Mary

 

[fac]

Just booked the tickets last night, therefore we are definitely going.
I had been worring on the negatives until seeing some of your responses.

I will stay onsite and have been thinking of POFQ, we stayed on boardwalk before, somehow I didn't like it (except for the pool) but then at the time we had a rental car, therefore not seeing the benfits of being closed to EPCOT. I haven't considered monorail becuase I used to think it was expensive for rack rate during peak season. But then DH will be spending the weekend at Atlantic CIty after dropping us off, therefore comparatively, staying in monorail may not be too expensive LOL.

I booked 7 nights instead of 5 so that we can a very flexible schedule.

I will definitely use ME. I love it last summer but DH also got a rental car at the time. I hate to drive and can easily get lost. I only drove rental car once and it was in my own town. However, I plan to get a rental car for 2 to 3 days only when I get up the nerve to drive LOL. I think we had annual passes for seaworld good till April and our universal tickets are good till summer. My girls like the water parks and is more convenience to have a car. I will check with transportation board to see which rental car company has Toyota, as it is the only car I feel comfortable driving or to find out how I can go to Universal from WDW.

Double stroller is a good idea as I can keep them with me. I plan to pack light to see whether we can fit everything in a small lugguage. The girls will have a backpack with them.

Again thanks for the encouragement. Can't wait.

 

[stacy6552]

All rides have chicken exits right where you get on. When I was alone with my boys, I would walk them both through the line, see the big one onto the ride, then "chicken out" with the little one and go down to the exit of the ride and wait.

Only once did we have an issue. On Space Mtn we were waiting by the exit (where you actually get off the ride) and the little one had to go potty BAD. A CM offered to wait for my son and showed us to a CM bathroom very near by (which was cool by itself). My older son was ok because the CM simply met him where he expected to find us and waited with him and didnt ask him to go anywhere.

 

[anewvance]

I just went last month alone with my 4 and 6 year olds. Luckily they are both chickens and won't ride the coasters and haunted mantion and a few other things. But we did ride tons and tons and we had the BEST time. They pretty much chose the pace we went and what they wanted to do. It really was fun and quite stress free. But remember without another adult with you, some of the rides don't allow 3 in one car or row or whatnot. So your older has to ride alone which my 6 year old was fine with... like Aladin flying carpets & the dino spin ride in AK.

 

[beattyfamily]

We've also done 2 girls-only trips and they were just 'different'. They weren't the same as our family trip because my then 5 year old would not go or couldn't go on many rides. I prepared my 9 year old that it would be a different kind of trip; that she couldn't go on some rides this time around. But we were so lucky to be able to go again that she should be happy we are at WDW and not home.

We still had a great time. It is different with just one adult to make all the decisions. We shopped more and swam more and eat more. DH doesn't really like doing those things. We did Fantasmic without the package, something DH wouldn't want to do. We waited over an hour for Spectro, something DH wouldn't want to do.

It wasn't bad at all without DH. It has it's good and bad but is very doable.

I even rented a car and drove myself!!

Go for it!!

 

[poohfriend]

the 7 and 4 year olds were easy. We had a double stroller so they could ride if they wanted. If you get tired of the stroller, you can always take the name plaque out and get one at a train station later! (Keep you receipt and get one at another park the same day too!) You can also do multi-day to save a few dollars each day.

Even with the 2 year old, at MK we could ride almost everything the kids wanted to:

Dumbo
Carosel
Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan
Small World
Transportation Authority
Buzz
Alladin
Pirates (2 year old hated this)
Train
Philharmagic

We stayed at POR -- I wish I'd stayed at POFQ just because everything is more compact there. Disadvantage is no sit-down restaurant.

Our best day we scheduled a lunch at Crystal Palace. (I would consider the meal plan if I were you.) We rode rides and then had a relaxing and delightful lunch with Pooh and Friends. It was time for a nap (remember the two year old) by the time we finsihed lunch. We then went to the hotel and swam that afternoon (plus both POR and POFQ have playgrounds. IMHO POR had the better playground, POFQ the better pool. And if you get to POR early in the afternoon (by 2) you can canepole fish. There are also bike rentals. Stick away from the surrey bikes (you really need the second adult, trust me).

The only thing that we didn't do that the kids wanted to was see fireworks. We just could not stay up that late! Meltdown every time!

My biggest mistake was trying to do too much every day. But it sounds like you've already got that figured out! We enjoyed DTD (we went by boat). We also loved MGM and AK. We didn't make it to Epcot, but we didn't have a full week.

If I had it to "do over" I would have planned a little more. I especially would have made More advance dining times. (a sit-down meal once a day is REALLY NICE and not unreasonable with the meal plan.) With a full week, you might schedule a down-day to go to a dinner show or just to walk around DTD.


I gave my girls a choice of any one souvineer they wanted. (within reason) and I think they enjoyed shopping and deciding what they would get.
I wish I were going with you. It's fun to be with your children!