Taking the kids without DH for a more enjoyable time... need ideas

[TheLittleRoo]

I admit it. We are that family that is featured in the other thread where people get into altercations with my family, well namely my spouse. He is the single only person I know who can have a bad time at Disney, and he usually manages to spew his venom and frustration on those around him.

Rather than lose our family vacation, I think I'm going to carry on with my plans to take the kids and leave him at home sulking.

That said, it was going to be a 7 night/ 8 day trip at POR to accomodate 5 people. We can now downsize to a Value and keep free dining, or we could use the room only discount and get a room at WL for $149 and eat OOP.

Not sure the best way to approach the room, since we are now a family of 4.

Also, need ideas on how long I can keep the kids entertained by myself. We normally go for a week, and it's full speed ahead with a park every day. With no back up for myself, I worry I may not be able to carry out my initial plan of 7 days/ 8 nights

I want to hit that balance of just right number of days , long enough to relax and see everything, but not too long to the point of frazzling mom. My kids are 13, 6, and 3 and have very disparate ideas of fun. I'm skipping the water parks and hoppers to save money.

Thanks for any practical advice you can offer.

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

Well, I guess downsizing to a value would make sense. We loved Pop with our 2 and 4 year olds (at the time). I would do rope drop and then leave after lunch and relax at the wonderful Pop pools. With the money you save you can send 13yo to the arcade while you nap with the little ones in the afternoons and then go out again at in the early evening.

With the right attitude it is do-able. Plenty of single parents do disney and have a great time. Be sure to send DH a "wish you were here" postcard .

Enjoy your trip!

 

[dzneelvr]

There must be a Birnbaum's guide for a single parent out there for advice. or re-title a thread: single parent advice for a great WDW vacation...something like that to draw the right information. For Values, we LOVE the ASMovies Try for a room in Toy Story or Fantasia for closest proximity to the main lodge. The main pool and toddler pool are very close and the whole lay-out is big enough but not too big that you'd be worried about losing one of your younger ones, and your teen can do some things like shop, arcade, and food court on their own. I'd advise pool time every morning (our teens liked to sun and read) and hitting the parks after you've had a relaxed meal in the food court and a nap. then you can do a TS for dinner and stay later in the parks. There's plenty of good ideas out there for your vacation if you are sure you're doing the right thing for the family.

 

[lucigo]

I did 5 nights in March with 3 kids, left my DH and oldest son at home (they came for nights 6-8). Mine are older, 5, 13 and 19, but I think I have a little advice that might help.

The parks will wear you out, make the highlight of your day the TS meal and plan the rest of the day around that.

Plan at least one day just for DTD and maybe even one day just to stay at the resort. (We stayed at Pop and loved it).

Don't over-do the standing in lines, explore the playgrounds, water jets, shops, etc.

Don't make the mistake of pushing your kids around in a stroller all day and then expecting them to be as tired as you are at the end of the day.

Bring entertainment for the room and don't feel bad to just hang out there and relax with some unstructured time. Let your older one have some internet time, bring a deck of cards, some good books, board games, etc. Your little ones will enjoy some "floor time" with you probably more than they will the parks!

Remember, as the adult your attitude sets the tone for the entire trip. If you are happy and laid back they will be too. Go with the attitude that you are gonna have a great time - and you will!

 

[saratogadreamin09]

you have a 13 year old, i'm sure he/she will be able to help you with the little ones

 

[sohappy]

I think that it is do-albe for sure. I would stay on the dining plan and try to do a sit down lunch. Give everyone a mid day break to relax. I would also try to figure out what is most important to each one. Get everyone involved in the planning and teach them to be respectful of each others wishes. Good luck.

 

[Belle1962]

I would stay on the dining plan. Plan one character or sit down meal each day and as previous poster said--make that an "event" for the day. Plus everyone enjoys getting out of the crowds and over stimulation of the parks. Plus--you can use your counter service at the different hotel food courts. We loved Coronado Springs food court and it it strecthed an evening into an event.

The 13 year old should be able to help you with the younger ones and pushing a stroller. In exchange for maybe some "quiet or special time" when you get home ( mom and me day type thing, even if it's just a movie.) Or if all else fails--PAY the 13 year old.

Let each person pick two things (ride, fireworks, show, etc) per park (have them write it down --the 3YO can whisper in your ear) and tell everyone that those 8 things (sometimes less if they duplicate each other--that's why you do it in secret--you avoid the "s/he stole my idea" and have the possibility of more duplicates) are the things YOU WILL do at each park and work around those things. (That gives you 8 things per park that are must do's).

With 8 days I would do park, park, nonpark/sleep in, park, park, nonpark/sleep in, park (park). This gives everyone "rest/down time". You can do Downtown Disney, minigolf, visit the different hotels and play in the arcades, watch the movies in the lobby, or do pressed penny collecting. Spend time at the pool. Go to the movies.

Put the 3 & 6 YO in a kids club (minimum 2 hours @ $11 each child per hour $44) and you and the 13 year old go have "fun time".

I agree that you can do without the park hoppers and water parks and more option. The pools are awesome. Take your time in the parks, don't be "commando" mode, enjoy yourself and your time with the kids.

HTH

 

[Microcell]

Whenever we go for more than 6 days, we usually get "park'ed out" and take a day to drive to Tampa and go to one of the beaches. It is much more restful to drive the 90 minutes and eat a cuban sandwich somewhere then go to Clearwater Beach than to stay in Orlando and go to the park even!

If you aren't renting a car, just call the Disney Car Care center and they can rent you a car for one day, the shuttle picks you up and takes you to the counter!

 

[daisy2jae]

We've stayed at the pop century and it was a nice price, clean, friendly people, etc... That's one way to stay for a longer stay and save a little money.

 

[carrie1626]

Good for you, taking the kids without the hubby. I didn't know 21 yrs ago just how important a future mate's opinion of WDW would mean to me. Mine has no interest to ever return. I honestly believe it's because he doesn't have the "I feel like a kid again" mentality and I do.

 

[The Disney Fanatic]

Don't forget to take a break in the mid-day and hit the resort pool to relax. It will help you recharge yourself. The kids will get recharged too!

 

[gower525]

I just back from taking dd3 and ds6 on my own. We had a great trip! We stayed for 6 nights at pop. I was worried about doing everything on my own, but there were not problems at all. Make sure that you all take a restroom break often! We had the rule " if one of us has to go, we all go". Restroom issues were our only real problem. Twice we were in line for the bus at POP, when one of the kids had to go immediately. Of course, we missed the bus. Another time, we had all our food at the table at pop, and dd3 had to go. What to do? Leave the food and hope it didn't get cleaned up? Leave ds6 to sit at the table? I piled it all up and took it with us into the bathroom! ugh. That was the worst of it though. Have fun, relax, and enjoy not working on having to please dh.

 

[newbydisney]

Have you thought of taking a Mother's helper with you instead of HUbby?

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

Since you are the only adult, I would definitely do some whole break days. Something like 2 park days, one day sleeping late, swimming, and Downtown Disney. Another park day, then a water park. Finish up with 2 more park days, or something like that.

I did the Disney College Program last spring, and the BEST day my roommates and I had ( and we went to the parks A LOT!!!) was the one day we went to Typhoon Lagoon. Yes, it's still technically a park. But it is sooooooo relaxing!! It's worth a try!!!

 

[mom2zandjsquared]

I have to say that since your oldest will be with you it will be much more manageable. I went by myself with my 3 kiddos in April and they are DS9, DS7, and DD2. It was so much fun for all of us - yes it was a little be easier on me since my couin was there with her 2 DD's 7 & not 1 yet for parent swap, etc but with the 13 year old you should be able to handle it as well. The breaks helped us a lot and my kids loved POP!!

 

[TheLittleRoo]

Thanks for the great ideas! I have some idea of how this will go since we have season passes to Busch Gardens Wmsbrg, and I've taken the three kids there by myself. I can handle the pace, it's the competing interests that kills!

My DS13 likes to ride the roller coasters, and that means he HAS TO do them by himself since there's no way I can join him with a 6 and 3 y/o in tow. That makes me sad for him to not have anyone to share it with. At Disney, I guess I can let DD6 ride most all the scary rides with him, and wait nearby with DS3.

DS3 is a little anxious about loud noises and fire, so that may be a problem on some of the simpler rides, even POTC or Star Wars. I'm sure I can figure out a way to connect the dots for them.

Someone suggested taking DD6 and DS3 to the child care facilities like Never Never Land, but I thought kids had to be at least 4 to stay there? Do they check? He is potty trained...

It might be worth getting a babysitter from Fairy Godmothers for one night to go to an EMH evening with my two oldest kids or just my oldest since he's going to helping me so much during the week. I've considered a mother's helper but that would be so expensive to bring with us, and honestly I don't want to have a stranger with us on vacation. I can't imagine having enough to talk about for a week, and I'm sure she'd get tired of my schedule!

I am considering the Autotrain to get from DC to FLA with the kids too. I wouldn't have to worry about driving or getting a flat on I-95 at midnight, we could sleep on the train, and wake up in FLA with our own car.

 

[DisneyBrat]

Nice to know that I am not alone with a less than enthusiastic hubbby about seeing the mouse... I have to usually start 1 - 2 yrs ahead of time preparing him for the meer thought of going. He is NOT a happy camper about going and I can't even think of going without him. We have neer done vacations away from each other. How does everyone mentally get that around their brain to be able to go see Mickey without their hubbies? I think I need to maybe learn how because I honestly feel that after our next trip in 2010 will be his last.

 

[irene_dsc]

IKWYM about the competing interests. We went in January with DD3.75 and DS6.5. We did end up splitting up a fair amount, esp. after ds decided he didn't want to ride any "baby rides." But, we did stay together a lot, too. And if we had had more time, staying together might've been easier. Does the 13yo have a cell phone so you can keep in contact if you split up?

I think the idea of a babysitter one night is a good one - probably with the 13 yo only, I would think, since I'm sure you will be working him pretty hard!

I'm pretty sure the childcare places were all 4 and up - since we didn't qualify, either. We used Kids Night Out and were very pleased.

Oh, and if you do DDP, the 13 yo can pay for his food by himself just using his KTTW - that might come in handy, rather than having to give him cash. (I'm assuming snacks or drinks rather than that he would eat entire meals by himself. Tho, not knowing - that might not be a good thing, if he uses them all up!)

 

[cheerforchelsea]

My husband is also very Anti-Disney.....says he has been before and doesn't go back - and he makes the rest of us miserable when he does go.....SOOOOOO.....the rest of us go at least twice a year and leave him home with the dogs. I have been doing Disney without him for years!!

 

[TheLittleRoo]

My husband is also very Anti-Disney.....says he has been before and doesn't go back - and he makes the rest of us miserable when he does go.....SOOOOOO.....the rest of us go at least twice a year and leave him home with the dogs. I have been doing Disney without him for years!!

Okay, finally someone I can totally relate to! This is my DH too! When he goes, he is adamant that we NOT split up, ever. Which is ridiculous when you have such disparate interests and energy levels. I wish he would stay home by the pool with DS3 some mornings and let me do rope drop with the two springer spaniels, er DD6 and DS13! By the second evening, he is grumbling about being tired and just wanting to stay in, but he expects the rest of us to want to stay in with him. It makes me want to pull my hair out just thinking about it now!!

So, how do you get around spending that much money and your DH isn't going to enjoy any of it? That's what MY dh would throw at us if we tried to go somewhere that expensive without him. Sigh... I wish I could get him to open up to the idea of staying in if he wants to, and letting us run ahead sometimes. Or going back with the 3 y/o for a nap or a swim and letting us stay on at a park without giving me a ration of dog poo about it...

But I digress. This is why I want to go without him, suffice it to say.