safe for single mom ?

[Hallo from Sweden]

Hi everybody and thank you so much for all the wonderful information I´ve found here.
We are planning our first visit to WDW the week before christmas and we had originally booked at the Fantasy World Villas which I thougt sounded like a nice alternative. The thing is now that my husband can´t come with us so I´ve decided to go alone with my two children (10,12).
We had also planned to rent a car at the airport but now I am getting second thoughts on about everything. We have a really long flight and we arrive at night (6 pm) so I think I probably would b better off taking a town car. I ´ve been looking at a few alternatives like Tiffany, Fl and Happy Limo, they all seem to be fairly the same, any comments on that ?
After reading a lot on this site I ´ve realized there is a big difference in staying on site so I´ve been checking out the moderate resorts and the Swan/Dolphin which seems to be available for 20-30 dollars extra per night.
I think they all sound very nice. But there is this little concern hanging over me about feeling safe. Haven´t found anyone commenting on that so maybe it´s not a big issue ?
We will probably spend 2 days at MK, one day at Epcot, one at MGM and one at Seaworld. Maybe go to the Boardwalk or Downtown Disney (or is it the same ? it´s all terribly confusing and hard to get a grip of).
Please please give me lot´s of advice, on resorts, on saftey (or is it security ? ) . Places to be aware of etc. For example is it safe walking to and from Epcot (if you stay at the Swan) even at night ? Are all the resorts safe ?
Oh I have lots of questions but I´ll stop for now.
Best regards from Sweden

 

[Baileymouse]

Hi and Welcome!

I've always found that staying on property is very safe. I'm from the New York City area, so I am street-smart and know my way around. I have never felt unsafe on property and the security presence is very high.

If you're coming without your husband I would definitely stay on property, and you won't need a rental car.

Best wishes for a fantastic trip!

 

[Kimberle]

Welcome!
I would highly recommend staying on site. You will be very safe. You really don't need a rental car. Disney transportation is very good.

I've stayed at Wilderness Lodge & Contempory in the MK area. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about those resorts.

You can take the Orlando City bus from the TTC (ticket & transportation center) right to SeaWorld. I believe it's bus #50.

Enjoy your stay!

 

[Grumpy92]

Welcome Hallo,

I think you are smart to switch to an on property resort. Staying on property will be to your advantage and will make things a lot easier for you. All the Disney resorts have guard gates. WDW has its own security group which is very large. You dont have anything to worry about with regards to safety As for the walk to EC I have done that many times very late at night, alone, again no worries.

The idea of a town car is a good one. Especially when you are by yourself. Have heard good things about Tiffany. Let them do the driving for you, once on property the Disney transportation is pretty good and you wont need a car. As for SeaWorld you can easily arrange for a Mears shuttle or Taxi to take you there. The front desk will be glad to help you.

Sorry to hear about your husband, he is going to miss all the magic.

 

[>>^..^<<]

I travel alone with my 9 year old daughter all the time.

Disney, more than anywhere else feels the safest and secure, with the great transportation, parks & resorts all on site.

Have fun,

>>^..^<<

 

[pogo123]

I'm a single mom, and had that worry the first time also. Staying onsite is your best bet, I have never had any problems at all, even very late at night. Hope you have a great trip!

 

[campinggal]

Greetings!!

I just traveled to WDW solo with our 6 1/2 year old daughter. I stayed onsite at the Wilderness Lodge and used Tiffany Town Car for airport/Lodge transportation.

I felt totally safe traveling solo. Tiffany Town Car was waiting for me right at baggage claim and whisked us off to the Lodge. Easy! While we were at WDW, just used the Disney transportation which worked great.

The onsite and towncar really helped with that feeling of safety.

Have a great trip!!

 

[sjw4870]

Hello and welcome.....

Here are my thoughts on some of your questions:

Safety:

I've traveled all over (I've even been to Sweden!) and Disney World is a safe place. All the resorts and parks have plenty of security and are very well lighted. I've always felt safe here even if I am alone and it's late at night.

Staying on property:

Staying on Disney property will make it much easier without a car (though if you do decide to get a car, I have found that the roads both inside Disney World and the main roads to the airport are VERY clearly marked).

I've stayed at most of the moderates (Coronado Springs being my favorite). Coronado has a Mexican/American Southwest theme; Port Orleans has an American south theme. The rooms are the same size, the difference is the decorations. You can get pictures of all the resorts at:

http://www.wdwig.com

I've never stayed at Swan or Dolphin but you can see pictures of them on the wdwig site also.

Difference between the Boardwalk and Downtown Disney:

They are 2 entirely different places. The Boardwalk is over near Epcot. It includes the Boardwalk hotel as well as a shopping and dining area along side of the lake (in view of Epcot). Hotels in the neighboring area are Beach/Yacht Club and the Dolphin and Swan.

Downtown Disney is really 3 different areas; "The Marketplace" is a shopping/restaurant area; "Pleasure Island" is nightclubs (requires admission) and the "West Side" is also shopping and restaurants.

 

[claudia]

Just wanted to add that I always use Atlantis Limo (www.atlantislimo.com)....have for several years and always found the service to be excellent. If you wanted to take a car over to SeaWorld I believe their round trip in a sedan is $45.00. I like to do this as I like to arrive and leave according to my schedule and also because I do feel safer traveling with a company I know. I've done the taxi round trip, but didn't like the waiting time to get a cab back to the resort. A bit more expensive, but when I travel alone with the kids I do feel more comfortable with a company I know and trust.
Staying on property at Disneyworld is the safest way to travel with your children alone....I have never had one problem in over 20 visits there.

 

[Hallo from Sweden]

Thank you so very much for all your answers.

I really feel good about the the trip now and are looking forward to it with joy.
Just going to decide which resort, if I have got things right they offer very much the same it´s just the theming that varies.

Regards from Sweden again

 

[disney queen]

we have used tiffany towncar many times. have always found them to be professional, friendly, and on time. i agree w /the others in that you would be perfectly safe onproperty. the disney transportation is very reliable.

 

[MarkLem]

Hej

Definitely stay in the park and use the Disney transportation to get places. There are also taxi's if it is late or you want to get somewhere quickly. It is quite safe

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

My DD(5) and I have made about 5 trips to DW alone... THE MAJOR reason I stay on the property, in a deluxe is due to the interior corridors and the feeling of security. I usually stay a week and have NEVER had a problem
Enjoy!

 

[jwfla422]

I've taken my now 5 yr old dd to WDW quite a few times myself. We usually stay at the S/D too. We have stayed at WL too but I can tell you, you'll find the EPCOT resorts more convenient. The S/D are beautiful resorts with great CMs. They will bend over backwards to accomodate any requests you may have.

There is also Tubbi's at the Dolphin which is open 24 hrs (a cafeteria style restaurant). There is an arcade your boys may enjoy.

I really never had any concerns taking my dd myself since dh & I had been there so many times prior before she was born and when she was very little. Since I know my way around so well and always keep aware of my surroundings I've always felt comfortable with it just being her and I.

Since you may not familiar with the transportation system and such, you can check Deb's Site for info as sjw4870 posted the url.

If you need any detailed information about the S/D please feel free to PM me. We have stayed at both resorts at least 10 times and love them! I definitely would choose the S/D over WDW moderates anyday for many reasons (and even over many of the WDW deluxes).

 

[swilphil]

We stayed at the Dolphin this summer. It felt very safe. Inside corridors helped quite a bit. Lots of staff around the public areas of the hotel at all times of the day and night. We took Tiffany Towncar from the airport, and they are also quite reputable.

As far as walking from Epcot to the Swan/Dolphin at night, I would recommend taking the route through the Boardwalk as opposed to the route through the Beach and Yacht Club resorts. There should be lots of people at the Boardwalk in the evening which should discourage any mischief. If you leave Epcot and don't see too many people around, you can always take the boat from the Epcot exit to the Swan/Dolphin. Better yet, ask the staff at the Swan/Dolphin about the safety of walking. They will be able to tell you based on the time of night, time of year, etc.

Have a great trip. You will love the Swan/Dolphin. Both are great hotels, and the location is the best. I would hate to be staying off site with my kids and no husband.

 

[drp4video]

I am a single mom too. I go places all the time with my daughter and her friends. Been to disney many time. I like to stay on property, and ususally stay at Allstar Music. Have felt very safe. We are going to Popcentury Dec. 30. and will be arriving at night. I always rent a car, as I like to have my own transportation in case we do other things around Olrando. I just always am aware of my surroundings, try no to do stupid stuff, and play it safe. Have fun!

 

[froglady]

I've visited many times without my husband, and with my children from the time they were toddlers. I have never felt unsafe while staying on site; I did feel a tiny bit uncomfortable staying offsite and entering an "outside" door late at night. I wouldn't do it alone again unless I'm staying onsite. (I'll be travelling solo in a few weeks and have no safety concerns. I know a few single women who have stayed multiple times without any incidents.

I would be more cautious about going to PI solo; I went with friends. Since you'll have small children with you that wouldn't be a good option anyway. Of course, the presence of alcohol always increases your risk for possible unpleasantness. I have had to ignore a drunk at PI. (But I wasn't alone, so I wasn't frightened, just annoyed.)

 

[DMRick]

While I think the safety at Disney is very good compared to many other places..keep in mind you should always think safety. If it's dark and you may be going in areas that don't have a lot of traffic, feel free to stop at the front desk and ask for an escort. I've heard other women doing that. I think the brush around, for instance POR (my favorite place to be) would make me a little nervous alone at night. If I want to go wandering, I take someone with me. Remember, you may be at Disney, but common sense still rules...they have no control over wierdo's. I would not walk to my car by myself in some area's of DTD.
I definately think staying onsite is the wisest choice for a person alone.
Some people have never had anything bad happen to them or their family..so they naturally feel safer..especially when you think Disney..the happiest place in the world. I prefer to err on the side of caution.

 

[MinnieGi]

I think you will feel very safe at Disney especially staying on-site. Most areas around the resorts and parks are very well lit and there are visible cm's everywhere if you need help. I think the S/D would be a great choice as it is close to two parks, has loads of restaurants and you can easily walk over to the Boardwalk area too for more restaurant and entertainment options. Plus the interior corriders may help you feel safer.

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[elismom]

I also am a single mom and my ds 9 and I will be at the All Star Sport this Christmas .
This time we wont have a rental as I have no plans to leave disney.
But when ds was 6 we were in disney with a rental car and we did go to the ocean.
This summer ds and I were in mexico we did a lot of day trips all of them we went on our own.
Just use your street sense and have a great time.