Hello DISers!,
We went on a big family trip in Dec 2013 (my kids, grandparents, cousins - 10 people total) and had a great time. It was an "all out" kind of trip with tons of planning, great ADRs, stayed at Poly club level, etc...but it was a TON of planning and kid of stressful with that many people. I'm now a single parent and have 2 girls - ages 7 and almost 5. I really want to take them on another Disney trip, but I'm nervous about taking them by myself. Just dealing with the sheer size of the place and having no one else to help (for eg. someone stays with kids at table, while another adult gets food, trips to bathroom, differences in what girls want to do - my youngest is fearful, oldest is a daredevil.) If I went I would do it on a smaller scale - a few days instead of a week, stay at Swan/Dolphin, stick to MK and Epcot, fewer ADRs - basically make it less complicated and less expensive. The benefit is that we can do it however we (I!!) want. I would try and plan the trip in a lower crowd time if that makes any difference.
The other option is to try a Disney cruise, since that seems less tiring, less complicated. I've never been on a cruise myself, so that also seems daunting!
I'd love to hear from other single parents with similar aged kids about your experiences at WDW (or just parents who have taken the kids by themselves without another adult). Thanks!
We went on a big family trip in Dec 2013 (my kids, grandparents, cousins - 10 people total) and had a great time. It was an "all out" kind of trip with tons of planning, great ADRs, stayed at Poly club level, etc...but it was a TON of planning and kid of stressful with that many people. I'm now a single parent and have 2 girls - ages 7 and almost 5. I really want to take them on another Disney trip, but I'm nervous about taking them by myself. Just dealing with the sheer size of the place and having no one else to help (for eg. someone stays with kids at table, while another adult gets food, trips to bathroom, differences in what girls want to do - my youngest is fearful, oldest is a daredevil.) If I went I would do it on a smaller scale - a few days instead of a week, stay at Swan/Dolphin, stick to MK and Epcot, fewer ADRs - basically make it less complicated and less expensive. The benefit is that we can do it however we (I!!) want. I would try and plan the trip in a lower crowd time if that makes any difference.
The other option is to try a Disney cruise, since that seems less tiring, less complicated. I've never been on a cruise myself, so that also seems daunting!
I'd love to hear from other single parents with similar aged kids about your experiences at WDW (or just parents who have taken the kids by themselves without another adult). Thanks!