Oh Crapola!

[SwirlyGirly]

We are leaving on Sat for DLP for 4 nights and knew that my husband could join us for only the weekend, so we planned to do all the rides my 8 year old loves and my 5 year old hates. Now we just found out that he'll be working all 5 days we are there. My poor 8 yo won't get to ride any of the rides she's been looking forward to. My 5yo won't even ride Thunder Mt. She won't do anything scarier than Snow White. I feel just awful ((((

 

[DLPdaft]

Thats a shame - but you could change the focus of the trip and make it more about all the Halloween stuff the girls can see and do instead! Take costumes, get their faces painted, make a point of seeing the shows and staking out good character-spotting places, all that good stuff. Make it a girly trip .

By the way - my DD is 9 and reckons the Snow White ride is so scary she won't even amble past it - she runs! Way way scarier than BTM!

 

[SwirlyGirly]

Thanks for the quicky reply! )) I'm trying to present it as best I can to both of them. The 8yo refuses to ride "baby" rides and the 5yo refuses to ride anything that isn't one. They have very few rides that overlap. I'm really worried.

 

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

could you explain to them that they will need to comprimise to do there fave things, ie if the older one goes on IASM then the younger one would have to do a ride that she isnt particularly fond off or else they will only be able to do the rides the can both agree on. For the record i hate the snow white ride and i am 30 lol!

 

[SwirlyGirly]

I'm looking on the site for kids' clubs and I'm not finding anything. Is there nothing like the kids' clubs in WDW? What about mother's helpers for hire?

 

[DLPdaft]

I don't think theres anything like those at DLP.

Can I make a suggestion? If you've just found out about your OH not making it with you on the trip, and you've told the girls, give them a while (a day or so) to let their disappointment etc out. Then have a word with your 8-year old. She's old enough, in my opinion (only going by my DD who is a similar age) to understand that, to make the absolute best out of the trip for her and all of you, she may have to compromise a little this trip. Whats the alternative? None of you go on any rides and you all spend the whole time miserable? If it helps, offer her a little treat when she comes home for being such a grown-up young lady and helping you out .

Another suggestion - do you have a family member or adult friend who can take your OH's place? Then you can split up the girls and each can do their own thing.

 

[Carpgirl]

Would your 8 year old not queue on her own?

I've just been on my own with my 8 year old & 5 year old & my 8 year old went on Space Mountain, Rock n Roller Coaster & RC Racer loads of times on his own. We just made sure we were waiting where we said we would be when he had finished

 

[stargatebarbie]

I'm looking on the site for kids' clubs and I'm not finding anything. Is there nothing like the kids' clubs in WDW? What about mother's helpers for hire?

oh a mothers help i would love that job pitty they dont have them at DLP it would be my ideal job ,is noone else from here going at that time with their kids may be you could met up and sort a couple of rides out

 

[Brummig]

you can all queue together then but not get on the ride - just tell them and they will tell you where you can wait. We do this on BTM as I am scared but as this is my sons favourite ride and he would go on this all day with OH- so I would spend a lot of time waiting on my own! At this time of year queues should not be too bad after weekend so might not be too bad.

 

[flortlebap]

Could you not queue with them then use the chicken exit with your youngest?

My OH hates any scary rides so it's almost like having a child!!! But we did this and it worked out fine. They wouldn't have to miss out then and they'd be fully supervised - you could then meet them at the exit so they aren't wandering off on their own.

 

[Carpgirl]

You can't queue for the ride if you're not tall enough to ride it. I begged the CMs on Space Mountain & RNRC to let my daughter & I queue with my son, but they wouldn't let her queue. She's way too small & I told them there was no chance I was going to try & sneak her on, but they wouldn't budge.

 

[SwirlyGirly]

Really? That's awful (( . It's funny how you never even think of things when you don't think they apply to you. I'm now really surprised at how uninterested Disney is in accommodating single parents. No kids' clubs, no sitters for hire, no waiting in lines with kids...nothing.

You can't queue for the ride if you're not tall enough to ride it. I begged the CMs on Space Mountain & RNRC to let my daughter & I queue with my son, but they wouldn't let her queue. She's way too small & I told them there was no chance I was going to try & sneak her on, but they wouldn't budge.

 

[Rachie B]

wow thats really bad isnt it!
like you say you dont really think of these things until you are in that position!

I am a Nanny and so if ever anyone needs a "helper" whilst in DLP I would be only too happy to oblige

My son is 8 and not sure I would be happy with him queuing up on his own! even though he prob wouldnt care lol

 

[Ware Bears]

You can't queue for the ride if you're not tall enough to ride it. I begged the CMs on Space Mountain & RNRC to let my daughter & I queue with my son, but they wouldn't let her queue. She's way too small & I told them there was no chance I was going to try & sneak her on, but they wouldn't budge.

How does Babyswap work then? I've never used it myself but just assumed you all queued in the usual way until you got to the CM allocating the seating etc.

 

[SwirlyGirly]

The child swap works only if you have two adults, one to wait with the child and one to ride. It benefits only couples with kids and in no way helps single parents. I was just at Universal Orlando and their child swap was lightyears better. Just about every ride had an air conditioned, sectioned-off room that overlooks the loading dock. You go all the way to loading with your family and meet them when you unload. I didn't have the need at the time, but I could've easily allowed my daughter to ride alone under those circumstances.

 

[Ware Bears]

Yes, I realised it could only be used if there were two adults and wouldn't benefit you but what I am getting at is that if a family is using babyswap and if they still queue along with everyone else then surely there will be children under the height requirement in the queue?? If so, it seems very unreasonable that they won't let you queue with your DD then use the chicken exit.

Hopefully by the time you get there both your DDs will be so excited to be there that any disappointments will be forgotten.

 

[SwirlyGirly]

Oh, sorry for the confusion. No, you don't go through the line with your family. The stay out in the park waiting for you, you come out with a little ticket, switch the older kid and the ticket with your partner and they go through the fast pass line.

 

[Ware Bears]

Ahh, I see.

The only other thing I can suggest is that Monday and Tuesday should be a lot quieter ~ would you be happy for your elder DD to use the Fastpass line for her thrill rides on these days? Hopefully there may be another family joining the queue at the same time who will be happy to keep an eye on her. We've been asked to do this before at WDW.

Anyhow, hope you all have a lovely time.

 

[wideeyes]

They can't be many rides that a 5 year old is not tall enough to ride? My dd could ride everything except SM2 when she was 6. So you should be able just queue with the 8 year old and wait near the exit for most things.

 

[flortlebap]

I've just had another thought.

I wonder if, if you went to city hall and explained the situation you're in, they'd be prepared to help you out?

They might give you a note... or a pass or something... that would allow you to queue with your child even though your other child is too small?