Single parent trip

[candielips]

I have a DD7 and DS4, at time of trip. How many folks on here have gone with just one parent and two younger children ?
I'm concerned about some of the rides where my DD isn't quite big enough to ride solo and my DS can't ride alone.
Also wondering how many of you opted to bring a friend or relative to help you? And if you didn't, how did you enjoy your trip?

 

[Fjobe]

I went last summer by myself with my (then) 4, 6, and 9 year-old kids and my 16 year old brother. My cousin also lives there and meets up with us at some point each day. Even with my brother and cousin around, there was plenty of time it was just the kids and me.

The fact that your oldest child is 7 means that she can ride by herself. That will help sometimes. Many rides you can ride 3 across. The two rides I can think of that I didn't like riding 3 across are Peter Pan (I prefer looking over the side), and Toy Story Midway Mania (can't shoot ). With your oldest being 7, you would not need to ride 3 across on either of those rides (but can if you choose).

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would simply make it clear that you guys will only do rides this trip that everyone can do. If the little one is 40 inches there are not many in question. the 7 year old can sit in front of you and the little one on the few rides that three will not fit on.

 

[ktmo]

I took a solo trip with my girls (7 and 5) two summers ago. Like PP mentioned, I made it clear that we couldn't do everything - we would only do things that we all could do. It was a blast. I did bring a stroller for my youngest, more for me. I knew she wouldn't be up for all the walking and I wanted an option for when she was tired. I knew that I couldn't carry her (like DH does).

On our last trip, DH ended up going home a couple of days early, so I had the girls solo again. They were 8 and 6.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

My two kids and I have taken several just the three of us trips *only to DLR* most recently 10/12, many times in 2009, back then they were 5 and 8 and later on in the year 6 and 9.
We'd squeeze together for some rides, Peter Pan - others my kids would sit together and I behind them and sometimes DD would be next to me and DS in front of us *he's my oldest.

 

[lovetogowdw]

I've done multiple trips with at least some days as a solo adult. Since my oldest child is always looking forward to the next thing he can do, I really hate to keep him from riding something that he has grown tall enough to ride since the last trip. He may have to select just one or two 44" or 48" ride, but he gets at least one. Here are the things I've done:
1. Called friends/co-workers who live in the area and asked if they wanted to meet up at the park for part/all of a day. It is amazing how excited folks with kids can be about the idea of getting to ride a roller coaster with a child who is riding it for the first time. One co-worker (most of us work from home, so it doesn't matter where we live) seemed "honored" to get to ride Space Mountain with my DS on his first ride.
2. Use one of the hotels child care evening options - like the Poly's Neverland club. Let the younger child play there for a couple of hours and then focus on one or two rides that the older child can ride in Epcot or MK.
3. Get one of the sitters for several hours. We loved our Kid's Nite Out mother's helper!!! She happened to have WDW pass, so she actually joined us in the parks. We spent a couple of hours in HS where she and I traded off kids so I got to have a breakfast snack with toddler and then ride one "big kid" ride with older child , and she rode two "big kid" rides with older child first then took the toddler to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playgroun. We did similar switch off at Epcot. It was great, as I got 1 to 1 time with each child that day.

 

[laceyinwonderland]

aprox when is your trip? I am taking my kiddos alone for the first time in june. my girls will be 6 and 2 at time of travel. I don't know if this is good advice, but in my head, it seems logical.... even though this is a budget trip, I still chose to book a sit down adr each day. I did the math, and for example, a cheeseburger, fries, drink, kids chicken nugget/finger meal is only $6 more (not counting tip) between cosmic rays and liberty tree tavern. I was concerned how I would keep my 2 kids close, probably hold my youngest, carry a tray of food and search for an empty table in the middle of busy june season. id gladly pay a little extra, sit down, and not have to worry about getting up and down. In case your trip is after mine, i'll come back and let you know how my theory works out. lol

 

[mslhb]

Our last trip my DD was 4.5 and DH, her and I pretty much rode everything all 3 together. Even Peter Pan I don't remember being much of a squeeze. Only exception I can think of was Spaceship Earth when we were in the same car but split up 2 and 1.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I have done it 3 times so far.

2010: dd 7, ds 10 months
2012: dd 9, ds 2.5
2013: dd 10, ds 3

Going again in May. They will be 11 and 4.

Now I will say the ride thing as far as my son not being tall enough for the height restriction rides has not been an issue for us because my daughter has no interest in them. It’s kind of the opposite. She has low level anxiety and some of the non-restricted rides she won’t do due to darkness so we miss out on those. I’m thinking in a couple of years when she’s 13 and my son has hit 40 inches we’ll be leaving her waiting on us outside some rides

Thankfully there’s plenty to do as we have been 3 times and still have yet to do everything we can all do or there’s something we just don’t get to during the time we are there. Part of that is because we have our favorite things that we tend to repeat as anyone who has read one of my trip reports can tell you. We are Philharmagic and Small World junkies. Toy Story Mania too.

On rides where we can all sit together (most of them) we do. For some, dd will sit in front of us. We always have a great time, even in 2012 when Tropical Storm Debby significantly impacted our trip. There’s 6.5 years between them, but my children are good about going along when part of the trip benefits one more than the other at Disney. My daughter sits through Disney Junior Live on Stage and meals at Hollywood and Vine and rode that tiny train with ds at Downtown Disney. My son sits through princess meals and BBB makeovers. Although, ds pushed his flirt button during the Princess meet and greets last summer. Started showing off his dance moves in Town Square Theater. Rapunzel in particular thought it was hilarious. My daughter wanted to shove him through the floor.