Taking my child alone, without husband, anyone ever done this?

[Kat&Dom]

Do any of you feel weird sleeping in the room with just you and your kid (s)? I know chances are that a serial killer wont be prowling around the Pop Century and break in and kill us but..............

Not at all - I know that my 4 year old would protect me.

Enjoy your trip - your child will enjoy the one on one time with you!

 

[littlbugmom]

I haven't taken one but would be totally fine with a Mommy and Daughter vacation. It will be a completely different experience for the two of you and I'm guessing, wonderful!

My husband would worry, too and I'm sure he'd voice his concerns. He worries because he loves us, not because he doesn't think we could handle it, right? He job has him gone half of every week. He works 24 and 48 hour shifts and has done so for the past 15+ years.....he STILL asks me each of those nights over the phone, "Did you check the doors? Is the alarm on?".


Stay alert, be safe and have a great time!!

 

[jjjmranch]

I've taken my boys on vacations without DH. Either his work schedule didn't mesh or he didn't want to go. The boys DS8 and DS6 and I are going to WDW this May. We're staying off-site, I'm renting a car and we'll have a blast. I took them to Ft.Lauderdale last year and we did a FL tour w/o Disney. KSC, Manatee Rescue, even went to the gulf side and hung out. We called DH every night to chat. You'll be fine.

 

[Junebugwv]

The first time I took my youngest children without my husband was when they were 5 & 9. It was such a great experience that we continued to go 2 or 3 times a year (we home schooled) for quite a few years. This was before ME and I was comfortable renting a car and driving all over WDW and the surrounding area. A few times we stayed off-site in a timeshare, but mostly we stayed onsite.

 

[ShannonMB]

Just chiming in to agree with everyone else, you will be just fine! I think your DD will get a lot out of a trip with just the 2 of you -- what great mommy/daughter bonding time it will be!

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Once again, just use your street sense as if you were at your house. There are usually a lot of people at the hotel outside and about as well as on the bus.
Sleeping in the room, not a problem , lock the door as if you were at home.

No, there are many single moms who don't stay home all the time. I even know a married woman who would never even go anywhere without their husband even 30 minutes away such as kid's museum and the like, which has got to be the most pathetic thing ever. So, he doesn't want to go, they don't go at all. 9 years old their dd is, never even been to the B. Gardens near us.
Life is too short for that. But then I the old" How can you stay in a hotel room by yourself? or go out of the country? are you kidding me? I have always been a very independent person. What is sad is for my frined, if her husband should die before her or leave her, she would not know how to do things for herself. Not the role model I would want my DD to see.

Absolutely agree. My DH has health problems, literally from head to toe. I've taken my two boys everywhere from NY to Florida and dozens of places in between, by ourselves. I hitch up our 30-foot camper and haul it camping. We've tent camped, just the three of us. I've taken the guys to new cities.

I hate that DH can't be with us, but do I want my kiddos to not have those experiences? If it's going to happen, I do it myself. If I had daughters, I'd especially feel strongly about it, for exactly the reason that PP says.

Go for it, be smart and safe, and have a wonderful time!

 

[PrincessInOz]

9 yo DS and I have had holidays without DH...especially during school holidays when DH is working. We have a really good time but miss DH a lot. And the holidays we have are non-Disney ones. We always keep safe and never stay out too late. We are more careful than normal and make sure that we lock up and triple lock up!! the hotel room at night.
I would have no problems staying on-site at the Happiest Place on Earth and going by ourselves.

 

[mousebit]

Just wanted to add my experiences. I started taking DGD (yes, that's granddaughter so I am an old woman ) when she was just a little younger than your DD. Now we go every year - just the two of us - and stay at POP. We've never had any issues with safety. She will be 15 when we go this May.

My DH - being the lovable old fart he is - had concerns for our first trip or 2 as well. It's just what we do as a couple, a family. We support and encourage - and we watch out for one another.

Just take normal precautions. Stay alert, carry emergency information, make sure DD knows what to do if you should become separated, etc. Then relax and enjoy your time together.

 

[tjmw2727]

I have been taking my dd's to disney alone since they were 3 & 5 years old. DH didn't have as much vacation time and other than every few years he prefered to use his time for family vacations elsewhere. So we did short "girls only" trips ourselves and I am so glad we did.

Now that I am a widow I have that experience and I know we can travel where and when we want without depending on others to accompany us.

I have never felt unsafe at Disney - or NYC for that matter. Just be aware and have clear rules and expectations for your dd. Talk about what you want her to do if you get separated and consider letting her have a cellphone for the trip just in case. (Go phone, borrowed etc)

One on One time with Mom or Dad is so precious for kids so to have this during a vacation IMHO is terrific. You can focus on her with no cooking, cleaning or chores. Ice cream for lunch - sure why not

 

[sunnyday123]

Another single Mom chiming in here! I've taken DD to Disney twice on my own, and the last trip she said was the best vacation ever. We've been to Philly for museums, NYC, and anyplace else we feel like going. We just went to Harrisburg PA for a dog show kind of thing sponsored by a therapy dog group, which is 2 hours away, we've been to the Poconos, the beach ( ok, that ones not far away but still ) and hopefully soon we'll drive to Disney. We're also planning a trip to see friends in Ontario in September.

Now, within 5 minutes of meeting DD she will tell you I am directionally challenged. I have a GPS, directions from mapquest, and I usually still screw up. But it doesn't stop us!

Disney is a great place to go with just your child, I never felt threatened, worried or apprehensive about being out at night-we did EMH till 1am one night-and honestly you'll be so tired you won't worry about sleeping in the hotel room alone.

I did make a bag for DD to carry her stuff, including her cell phone and key card to get into the park and hotel room, just in case. If we got seperated she knew to immediately go to a CM at the last place we had been, NOT wander around looking for me. I also told her it was fine to let out a loud, MOM! if we did get seperated.

Just pace yourself to your childs pace, and look at everything they way he does. It will be one of the best vacations of your life, and a wonderful memory.

 

[ihave4kids]

I definitely think you will be fine.I have taken my 4 kids 3 times by myself,the first being when they were really liittle- 2,4,5, and 7.That trip was a little hard just to keep an eye on everybody,but we all had a blast and the kids who are now 14,16,17, and 19 still remember some funny things from that trip. It should be a blast.

 

[SnowWhite607]

Okay you all have made it sound like so much fun that I cant wait!!

I think it will be a great bonding trip also, since she is about to enter the world of "tweens" or pre-teen and I am not so sure how much she is gonna want to hang out with dear old mom. I hope we make some super memories!

 

[DisneyDorkORama]

Sounds like fun!! I would do it if I could but I have 3 kids so I doubt there would ever be a trip with just me and a KID it would probably be me and the KIDS..lol

I say GO! have fun! enjoy that one on one time! Try and make it a really fun mother and daughter trip!

 

[scarlet_ibis]

That sounds WONDERFUL! With one child, especially an older one, I think it would work really well.

My kids are younger and I have been known to take off with all three (last trip, they were 6, 4, and 7 month) to the park on my own if everybody else is taking too long to get ready. The downside of that is that we can't ride "big kid" rides or anything that the littlest one(s) can't go on, but there's still PLENTY fun to do.

 

[sunnyday123]

Okay you all have made it sound like so much fun that I cant wait!!

I think it will be a great bonding trip also, since she is about to enter the world of "tweens" or pre-teen and I am not so sure how much she is gonna want to hang out with dear old mom. I hope we make some super memories!

THAT is the perfect age!! Old enough to enjoy certain things-DD loved going to the nicer restaurants, but young enough to get excited at BBB. We did character meals and she got autographs. I really would have sold a kidney to have taken her at that age. I even talked her into wearing a Cinderella dress for one day, and a couple of floofy skirts with crowns on them.

Enjoy, and take LOTS of pictures. We're having almost as much fun putting our album together as we did on the trip.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I took my DD when she was 9 on a mother/daughter Disney trip for 4 days. We had a mostly wonderful time. DH and DS stayed home.

We flew, took ME to POP and used the buses to get around. She did have a couple of grumpy girl moments but that wasn't anything new.

I now owe my DS14 a mother/son trip so we need to do that before he gets too much older and doesn't want to do anything with me.

 

[december]

ds12 asked for a mother/son trip to Universal for Harry Potter stuff when he turns 14 (summer 2011). So we decided that a one-on-one trip would be a tradition for each of their 14th birthdays. It is really their last year of "childhood", last year of middle school, etc. I'm already planning it!

 

[ebtbmom]

You'll have a great time!

DS is an only child, so when we went to DLR in Jan I took his cousin. It was just the 3 of us because DH couldn't go. I think Disney is the safest place to travel alone with kids.

Me and DS once even went to LA alone. I had a conference there, so at night we went out all over Hollywood and LA. The only time I was a little nervous was in a cab with a shady cab driver. Obviously we survived!

 

[TxDisFans]

I just decided (after consulting the Dis, of course) to take my two kids (5 and 7) for three days solo. DH will be joining me after those three days, but we'll be on our own for the beginning. My main concern wasn't safety (is it bad that I didn't really even think about that?) but rather if we'd all be able to do the rides together (i.e., could three of us sit together on the rides).

Now that I've decided to go, I'm just jumping in with both feet and hoping for the best! I think you'll have fun!

 

[EKW]

SnowWhite, what you have to remember is that, for us single moms, it's just us and our kids ALL the time! Trust me, Disney is a whole lot safer than the neighborhood we lived in when we lived in KCMO!

For those of us who are single parents it's a little baffling when our married friends mention things like being afraid to sleep alone without their husbands home. That's not part of our universe!

Now, if you want stories about the Days Inn on Washington Street in St. Louis, I'll tell you about a time when I was afraid to be somewhere alone with my kids. But, honestly, a husband, a dozen sharp shooters, a batallion of infantrymen, and a bullet-proof vest wouldn't have made me feel safe there, lol!

Go to Disney! If you're worried about being alone, make sure you leave the parks at or before closing and you should always have people around even when walking to and from your room!