tips for traveling solo with a toddler?

[nancy drew]

cross posted from the resort forum, hope thats ok.

hi all. i am thinking about taking a last minute trip to disney with my almost 15 month old. ive got baby #2 due in the fall and i want to get away with her before travel becomes impossible. i would like to go asap, which means i cant really wait for special deals or discounts. i was thinking may and april might be cheaper anyway, but i guess not.

anyway, im looking for the "easiest" and least expensive place to stay. by "easiest" i mean something with easy access to magic kingdom and other parks, maybe on the monorail? is there a thread or place that lists which hotels are on the monorail system? is the monorail even the easiest way to travel between hotel and parks with a toddler? and i want to stay somewhere nice, since its just going to be the two of us i want to feel safe and have dining options and everything nearby.

other travel tips for traveling solo with a toddler in disney?

thanks in advance!

 

[Colinsmom]

Take a good, comfy, lightweight easy to handle stroller!! The hotels on the monorail are not at all inexpensive - Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian (am I missing one??) but the monorail is a good way to get around because you don't have to fold and carry the stroller like you do on the busses. You don't have to fold your stroller to get on boats, either.

I'd definitely head back to the hotel for a nap for both of you around lunchtime!!

But if I were you, I'd wait until baby #2 arrives and go when #2 is a couple of months old. The weather will be cooler, and you will presumably have a second pair of hands to help you manage everyone.

 

[d-man's mom]

How much do you want to spend? Do you have any discounts? AAA maybe?

You might be able to get a decent rate on the cabins at Ft Wilderness- they have full kitchens and bedrooms and there's a boat over to MK from there.

I looked into it for myself and my son, but it was cheaper for us to stay at ASMo and rent a car. (car & hotel for us was also cheaper than monorail hotels)

 

[nancy drew]

thanks for the tips.

i got all hyped up and made my reservations at the wilderness lodge. i figure we can take the boat (right?) or the bus to the parks. i have a decent stroller but i might need to find another one for the trip.

i have to take this trip now, i seem to be turning into a single mom so after baby #2 arrives the babies will outnumber me and ill have no extra help at all. thats part of why i need/want to go asap. if we dont go now ill have to wait til the kids are like 3 and 4 years old and thats a long time to wait.

 

[jcemom]

As long as you take it slowly, at your DD's pace, I think you'll be fine. I stayed at WL in February with my DD and we thought Fort Wilderness was great. You can take the bus or walk over. It's very relaxing and my DD loved the pony rides. She also enjoyed playing in the kiddie pool at WL, and in the sand on the beach. I think she enjoyed the WL and FW as much as she did the parks. I would probably concentrate most of my time at MK if I were you, since it will be the easiest to get to and has a lot of great stuff for little ones. You can wheel the stroller right onto the boat. DD was 2 1/2 this time, but we took her last year at 16 mos and stayed at AKL. She was the easy one, LOL. My older boys (9 and 10 at the time) were much more difficult! DD slept in her stroller whenever she wanted and was just happy taking in all the sights. She was actually a good deal easier at 16 mos than she was at 2 1/2. We're going again next year (just the two of us) when she's 3 1/2!

 

[nancy drew]

ill definitely watch her mood and take things at her pace. though it will be hard since im so excited about going!

i have a follow up question that i might ask in its own thread if necessary, but should i visit all 4 major parks? i bought the "magic your way base ticket" but i dont know if that means i can only go to one park and stay at that park all day or if i can go to other parks in the same day, or if i can leave a park and come back later, or what. i definitely want to focus on the mk, but are the others worth it too for a 15 month old? and i read someone else posting that you cant go on some rides at ak if you are pregnant, is it still worth going there? what about the rides at mk? i wouldnt go on space mountain with my 15 month old anyway, but what about rides like pirates or the haunted house or something? ill be 20 weeks when i go, so not HUGE or anything.

argh, so many questions.

 

[Nicolepa]

and i read someone else posting that you cant go on some rides at ak if you are pregnant, is it still worth going there? what about the rides at mk? i wouldnt go on space mountain with my 15 month old anyway, but what about rides like pirates or the haunted house or something? ill be 20 weeks when i go, so not HUGE or anything.

argh, so many questions.

I've been to DW twice while pg. Most of the rides that your 15 month old can ride you will be able to ride as well.

As for other parks, MK will keep you busy for at least 2 days. MGM has lots of shows (including playhouse disney) that you child may like, but there are not really any rides that you two will be able to ride. I would skip Epcot this time, mainly because it is a lot of walking which might be too much for you two. You guys would probably have a good time at Animal Kingdom. Even riding everything I find it to be a 1/2 day park so you should be able to do it in a day.

 

[jcemom]

The base ticket allows you to visit one park each day, though you may leave and return again to the same park if you want. I'd say Animal Kingdom would be a good half day park, since it closes earlier and doesn't have any fireworks, if you need a shorter break day. MGM, IMO, is an easier park because of all the sitting for shows and it's not that large...IF your DD doesn't mind sitting still. My DD enjoyed Epcot Future World, so I'd probably stick with that and skip the World Showcase to save the extra walking. It depends on how many days you have. MK would be priority and I'd want at least two days there.

My DD particularly enjoyed:
AK...TriceraTop Spin, the Boneyard, (Festival of the Lion King might also be a good choice)
MGM...Playhouse Disney, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, meeting JoJo and Goliath
Epcot...Living Seas, Fountains
MK...pretty much all of Fantasyland and Toontown, Aladdin's Carpets, Buzz Lightyear, Tomorrowland Transit, Railroad, SpectroMagic and Wishes, (Country Bears might also be a good choice)