Help! Im taking my 5 and 3 yo by myself!

[aussieinvasion]

Hey there,

I'm planning our upcoming trip to WDW in September and I was hoping to learn some tips from other single parents out there in regards to how they coped with taking their two young children by themselves. My main concern is how to navigate the rides, especially if one child wants to ride and the other doesn't.

I plan to start and finish the day early to avoid the afternoon meltdown, but aside from that I am starting to get a little concerned about coping with it all

Anyone wish to give me advice (if not a little luck haha)

Cheers,
Mel

 

[Hannathy]

Unless you find another family/older child at Disney in line you are going to have to all ride together or miss the ride. You have to be 7 to ride alone at Disney.

I would explain this to the kids and explain that everyone has to cooperate and compromise which means you may have to ride something you really don't want to if your sibling wants to ride it and vice versa. It will be a good lesson in working together and give and take.

 

[soonerfan2008]

I'd just ride things you can all do together, which is most things at Disney. And, I'd schedule some sit down meals that are not buffets! I'm taking three kids solo this summer, so I understand the anxiety!

 

[eebadeeba]

I have done several trips with a 5 and 1 yo. The 5 yo did not know what she was missing by not being able to go on the big rides, and there was plenty to ride with both of them. Also, you could look at hiring a babysitter for the 3 yo and take the older one on some of the big rides.

As for the buffets, I was okay with them. We would sit as close as possible to the buffet line, where I could still see the kids. There are also the children's buffets that the 5 yo could do by themselves. I am not sure which ones are like this. Better to try and go when it is not busy. It does take more work doing the buffet with only one adult, but I still enjoyed it. Sometimes it is better than trying to entertain the kids while waiting for the food at a table service.

 

[squirrel]

I think the CM's do try to put you close to the buffet area.

I was watching my neighbour's son and also had my niece with me. I had a table very close to the buffet and I could watch one or both if I needed to get something.

You will have to skip the bigger rides that the younger one can't ride. There aren't that many rides that have height requirements. I just means you will have to go back in a few years when everyone is tall enough.

 

[figment301]

I took my two when they were 4 and 5 yrs old. A sit and stand stroller was a godsend. Water bottles and snacks are also great to have on hand. I brought a small soft side cooler in the stroller basket each day. Saved waiting in lines for purchasing snacks and drinks. I used character meals and parades as down time. We would grab an ice cream or late lunch and sit along the parade route. Giving us time to relax while also grabbing a great seat. Have a great trip.

 

[aussieinvasion]

Thanks so much for your tips! Last year there was another adult with me and being that it was my families first trip we didn't know what to expect and did very little advanced planning in terms of the actual rides. This year I can see it will take a little more forethought on my behalf. I've booked on the bounceback so I've got a few character ADR's booked but now I think I will review exactly how many buffet meals I have as this side of things makes me a little nervous. Something I hadn't even considered so I'm so glad the point was raised