Single parent travel and weather

[LisaZoe]

I am a single mother of a daughter, 2 1/2, and am planning a trip to WDW - in fact I'm considering going in just a few weeks. A friend loaned me the Unofficial Guide to WDW by Sehlinger and I'm now concerned that timing might not be great due to the weather and the crowds. Any feedback on both would be appreciated.

In addition, I wonder if WDW might not be just too much for my daughter and I to do on our own right now. We went to Disneyland (CA) last year. We had a great time but my sister was able to go with us then. My daughter enjoyed it but everything we needed was within easy walking distance of the hotel/park. After reading the UG, I wonder if just getting around with her and all the stuff, i.e. stroller, snacks, etc., will be overwhelming. Any single parents tackle WDW with such a young child? How was the transportation experience?

Finally, I'm considering either one of the value resorts or a Downtown Disney hotel (non-Disney). Any recommendations on that choice is also appreciated.

Thanks

 

[MsMulan]

Dear LisaZoe,

As a fellow single parent, I feel your anxiety over your upcoming trip. I did Disney last year with my then seven year old daughter. Although, my dd is a lot older than yours the best advice I can give you is to listen to her signals. I am sure that you know by now when she is hungry, tried, etc. Her clues can be the success to your vacation. Don't plan too much...you will never get to it all. Try to pick 3 or 4 attractions that are in close proximity to one another. If you have time and energy after that, do more. Make sure you take snack foods for standing in line. This can help push lunch back some and give your dd something to do while you are in line. Try to eat at off times so that you will not have to wait in line forever. Take your time with your lunch break; this will give your daughter the opportunity to wind down and rest and to gear up for the remainder of the day.

Also, a show midafternoon can be a bit calming and it will give you a well deserved break.

It will inevitably rain in the afternoon; you could take this opportunity to go back to the hotel for a small nap. Return to the parks later that night for one of the nightly shows. We did not stay onsite; however our hotel was only a 5-7 minute drive away. So, I did utilize this option also.

Since the majority of the nights we ran really late returning to our hotel (11 PM), we grabbed something from counter service restaurants or if we made it back around 9, I would grab us something from an outside restaurant take it back to our room where my dd could take her time and eat, lay down, watch TV, etc.

Just remember to take your time and enjoy the parks.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me...

 

[Sumac]

MsMulan had some good advice. I think that you might have a better time if you were to wait a few months and go in the fall. The weather would be cooler and the crowds would be much smaller. Since your daughter isn't school age, you should be able to take her at any time of year. Last year we went the week following Thanksgiving and the weather was beautiful and we never waited more than about 10 minutes for anything. The hot weather of Florida can be tough on the little ones...

 

[MsMulan]

Good advice! I forgot that you dd was so young. By all means, if you can avoid the summer crowds, do so. Unfortunately, I did not become a Disney fan until my dd had started elementary school.