Single parent...contemplating first trip alone

[nvsnot]

Hi all! I'm a single parent of a 6.5 year old girl. I'm contemplating taking our 3rd trip to Disney with just the two of us in May or June of 2016 and for some reason it's giving me a bit of anxiety. Our first trip was a 7 day, grand gathering at the Treehouse Villas with our large, extended family. Needless to say, our first trip turned us into huge Disney fans. We returned in 2013 with my mother for 10 days at Port Orleans Riverside. My mother came along to be an extra pair of hands, but she is not a huge Disney fan like the two of us so I doubt that she'll be returning with us. My large, extended family takes a family reunion vacation every summer where we have a ball. We've gone to Disney, Pigeon Forge, TN, Hilton Head, SC, and cruises together before. This year the family wants to fly to Mexico. I'm not sold on this idea since my daughter isn't really into beach only vacations and neither am I.

So, next year I may skip the family vacation and make the trek to Disney all alone with my daughter who will be 7.5 by the summer of 2016. She's a great kid who does her best to be well behaved but we have never traveled alone. As a single parent, I know that we'll eventually have to begin traveling alone and I figure Disney is the best place to got our feet wet; however, I get nervous just thinking about it! Getting through the airport with luggage alone and meltdowns are what's making me a bit hesitant to go at it alone.

All you single parent, experienced travelers please give me advice and help me calm my fears. We haven't been do Disney since 2013 and I feel we are long overdue. Any advice would be helpful! Thanks in advance!!

 

[MsMamaBear]

I haven't don it alone yet (mom and sister went on our first trip and my mom is coming on this trip.) but I am looking at next Christmas break alone. I think at that age, you'll be especially fine! I think flying, getting on the ME (I think that's what it's called.) and going to the resort would be easy.Everything is taken care of versus if you were driving. Hopefully some of the parents who have done it alone will chime in soon with some valuable tips!

 

[NCTwinMom]

You can totally do it! I remember my first time planning a vacation with my boys and I was freaked out, but it went much smoother than I could have dreamed. My tips:
- use back packs for carry-ons, one for each of you. each should have a simple change of clothes, essential meds/toiletries, empty water bottle (if you use one), snacks and entertainment. I let my kids use my iPhone and an iPod Touch when we are traveling - it's like sedation for them
- check your other bags if flying - it's much easier to mind the children when your hands are free
- have a plan in the unlikely event you get separated. I use safety tattoos imprinted with my cell # on my twins when we travel and I have taught them to "find another mommy" if they get lost.
- arrive early for flights and reservations. I find it much less stressful to be early in bored than late and frenzied
We're doing Disney for the first time next year, my boys will be 5 when we travel and I am sure we will have a blast!

 

[nvsnot]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice! I'm really looking forward to Disney in 2016 and unless I can persuade a friend to come along it'll most likely just be my daughter and me going at it alone. Most of my friends think staying on property is too expensive so they won't likely tag along unless we get a town home or something somewhere off site. I, on the other hand, won't even consider staying off site because I love being in the "Disney bubble" and the added convenience of the Magical Express and transportation to the parks.

Thanks for your replies and keep them coming!

 

[Carie Baker]

Hey... you've got this. You do miniature vacations every day just being a single parent doing routine stuff. This is just a bit more. Most of the vacations my son and I do are just the two of us. Just be very organized. Make sure you have all the info you need in one place with you so you aren't going through multiple papers and stuff. Get your daughter involved in the planning and in the execution. We did a trial run to the airport a few weeks before our first trip (obviously not all the way to the gate) so we knew where we wanted to park/or be dropped off, where the ticket counter is so we could drop off bags, where security is... it was good for him to see the people all in line so it didn't bother him the day we are trying to rush through to get to the gate. He's a pro now. We looked at the flight boards and made it a game of who could spot the flight info first. Have your daughter look for signs. Those things always kept my little guy right with me b/c he wanted to let me know he saw the signs for the gate and so on, by making him feel he was "helping" it cut down on meltdowns. The earlier comment about checking your bags is great esp when traveling to Disney b/c they take care of your bags. Put the tags on them and the next time you see them they are at your resort (if you are staying on property). Take breaks, even if its to sit and eat a mickey bar. Some of the meltdowns come from the rushing from ride to ride. We pick out 3 rides each that we don't want to miss. We try to knock those out first and then relax and take what ever comes. Take advantage of dining reservations at the 180 day mark. Make those your mandatory slow down times. Play things by ear... you don't have to stay all day. If you need to go back to the hotel and take a nap do it... go back later or don't. Give your daughter a say in what to do next. Colin and I go over the park maps on the computer and plan where we want to go first and so on. Also, try to limit as much as possible what you are carting around with you. That makes us tired. I use to get a locker to store stuff but now... I'd rather pay $2.50 for a bottle of water for us to share during a get break then lug a backpack with a water bottle in it... or the $5-6 dollars for a dole whip to share then carting snacks. Some of it is just part of the experience. That's just me... I've found that the easier and more calming I make the trip for myself the better things go for Colin and our time together.

 

[loves to dive]

I've been taking my son with just he and I most of the time since he was 3, he is 34 now. There were a few trips my mother would be along and as he got older his girlfriend or wife came but when he was little it was just us. Just go at her pace. Don't try to over plan, it's only going to stress both of you. If she is tired go back to the resort, if she is hungry eat, you can' schedule fun. Keep an eye on her but don't smother her, show her what the cast members look like and tell her to find one of them if you get separated.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi, I'm not a single parent (hope it's OK to post here) but I did a trip with just me and my then 4-year old son last September, so wanted to share my experience - mainly because it was an AMAZING trip for both of us. Our previous two trips had been the three of us. Now don't get me wrong, our trips as a family have been great, but this trip created a lot of special memories. With just the two of us, it made touring so easy and I found myself really taking in his enjoyment of the environment (one of the main reasons we continue to book Disney trips). We could be so mobile and spontaneous - even in the FP+ era - it just really worked out well for us at his age.

We enjoyed our little "boys trip" so much we're doing it again this year in October.

Obviously all of this is very subjective and may not be relevant to your situation, but here's a couple of things that worked for us:

- We stayed at Poly, so on the monorail. Having the monorail access to two parks certainly made the stress of getting around a bit easier, although we bussed and cabbed quite a bit too - all so easy. We did have park hoppers so oftentimes would do a park in the AM, hit 3-5 things, afternoon rest, and then back out in the evening for a bit.
- I know this isn't for everyone but we stayed CL on our trip - not going to lie, being just me and him this was also a huge benefit, particularly for breakfast. Rough on the wallet but very high on the convenience scale at his age (note, convenient for ME). I would absolutely be OK booking non-CL too if I was doing the same trip, it just made it a touch easier.
- As others said above, we kept our schedule somewhat light. I had overplanned a bit and found myself cancelling ADR's right and left. Some of that was a function of sometimes needing an afternoon nap or downtime - plus having to deal with any meltdowns or other attitudes! My son is a relatively well adjusted traveler and goes with the flow well, but stuff happens.
- One of the best days last year was our "off" day where we decided over breakfast at Ohana's to go to Blizzard Beach. It was a blast, even though we were hitting it hard on a "rest" day (may or may not have paid for that later).
- As someone said above, I also had my son very involved with the planning - yes, even at 4. We'd look at the Disney app every few days and use the map to zoom around to different parks, talk about what rides we'd go on, etc.
- Not quite sure how old is too old for a stroller but I'm going to ride that train until his legs are dragging on the ground!

Maybe we just got lucky but for whatever reason that trip turned out great... it was just easy and stress-free. Best of luck in your planning. Go for it!

 

[alopez926]

I have traveled with my daughter solo on most of our trips, starting when she was 7. No issues whatsoever. We have a wonderful time, and it's so easy. We stay onsite for the added convenience of everything....wouldn't do it any other way. She has always been a trooper throughout, and i never felt like I had to cut our days short because she was tired--she wanted to stay as much as I did! We are not rope drop people so if we go all day, I don't feel the need to rise early to get to the parks the next day. We enjoy our time at the resorts and our down time almost as much as the parks. I love all the thrill rides and she wasn't ready for some of them until she was about 9. So the one year we went to Disneyland, I booked a babysitter one night and enjoyed the parks by myself. I know lots of parents would balk at the thought of hiring a sitter at Disney, but I interviewed the sitter beforehand, stayed with her for 30 minutes before leaving my daughter with her to make sure my daughter was comfortable. We both had a great time apart for one night. My daughter is now 12 and we so enjoy our trips together.

It is totally doable, and you will have a wonderful time. Best of luck!

 

[Tiffylv]

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[nvsnot]

Thank you all for your responses! I think i'm going to go for it, just the two of us. I'm a planner by nature and although i've only been twice before I believe I have enough Disney experience to have a magical trip at a much slower pace than i'm used to. During my last two trips I always had a family member or my mom to take care of my daughter so I could do the thrill rides and have a cocktail by the pool. I'm sure it'll be different, but better if we make a go of it alone. For the two Disney vacations i've taken with extended family and my mom I was the "vacation planner" I did all the research made the reservations, bought a subscription to touring plans to map out our plan of attack, and chose the resort that we'd stay at. Now that I think about it i'm sure this vacation will be the best one to date because I won't have the resistance from anyone who doesn't understand that it takes all of the planning, imo, to have a successful Disney vacation. That's it! My daughter and I are going to Disney alone! I'm looking to book soon for May or June of next year at POR. I can't wait until the special offers come out for then, but i'll book a room-only and change if necessary.

Thanks y'all!

 

[milza26]

I'm so glad you decided to do the trip!! We are leaving soon for our first alone trip and so excited to go. Of course I'm a bit nervous but planning everything out is a huge help! You guys will have fun!

 

[Carie Baker]

I'm so glad you decided to do the trip!! We are leaving soon for our first alone trip and so excited to go. Of course I'm a bit nervous but planning everything out is a huge help! You guys will have fun!

POFQ is so great. That is where we stayed last time we were at WDW. The doorman is fantastic make coming in magical. Are you doing the MNSSHP? We did that a few years ago and had a fantastic time. Have fun.

 

[milza26]

I love POFQ, it is such a nice small resort. Everyone is so friendly!! We will be doing the MNSSHP for the first time!! The plan is to have fun.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

Thank you all for your responses! I think i'm going to go for it, just the two of us. I'm a planner by nature and although i've only been twice before I believe I have enough Disney experience to have a magical trip at a much slower pace than i'm used to. During my last two trips I always had a family member or my mom to take care of my daughter so I could do the thrill rides and have a cocktail by the pool. I'm sure it'll be different, but better if we make a go of it alone. For the two Disney vacations i've taken with extended family and my mom I was the "vacation planner" I did all the research made the reservations, bought a subscription to touring plans to map out our plan of attack, and chose the resort that we'd stay at. Now that I think about it i'm sure this vacation will be the best one to date because I won't have the resistance from anyone who doesn't understand that it takes all of the planning, imo, to have a successful Disney vacation. That's it! My daughter and I are going to Disney alone! I'm looking to book soon for May or June of next year at POR. I can't wait until the special offers come out for then, but i'll book a room-only and change if necessary.

Thanks y'all!

Good decision! You and DD will have a great time!!!

I took DS on a Disney cruise for his 1st birthday, by myself and it was the best! I'm so glad it was just the two of us. I wanted to make his 1st birthday special. Because it was just the two of us, I didn't have to take into account what anyone else wanted to do. It was our vacation, so we did only the things WE wanted to do. The hardest part was getting our luggage (one suitcase) and his car seat from the curb to the ticket counter to be checked. Everything else the entire trip was a breeze! I only had a carryon and DS in his stroller going through the airport. I made tentative plans for each day, but went in with the mindset that we would go with the flow. If DS needed a nap at the same time we'd planned to attend a character meet and greet, guess what? We opted for the nap. As a result, I had a happy baby, who wasn't cranky. It was very nice and convenient to just go back to our cabin when he needed downtime.

I'm planning to take him on his 1st trip to WDW this December. It will be just the two of us again and I purposely am not inviting anyone else. Disney is now "our thing". I'm driving down and I'm excited about not having to deal with traveling via airplane. DS will be 19 months old when we go and I'm super excited to be "road tripping" alone with my little buddy! I've rented a villa offsite. I think that's best for us, because I can cook DS meals when we're hungry, as opposed to when the resort restaurants are open. Also, after some time at the park, DS will not want to sit through dinner at a restaurant. That's a meltdown waiting to happen. So, going "home" to our villa and having a nutritious dinner cooked by mama, is a way for us to stay on a somewhat normal routine. So, for us, staying offsite will be better.

You're a planner and you know your DD better than anyone else. So, I know you'll tailor your WDW trip to both of your needs. Thus, you two will have the best time, making wonderful memories. I'm excited for you both!

 

[nvsnot]

Good decision! You and DD will have a great time!!!

I took DS on a Disney cruise for his 1st birthday, by myself and it was the best! I'm so glad it was just the two of us. I wanted to make his 1st birthday special. Because it was just the two of us, I didn't have to take into account what anyone else wanted to do. It was our vacation, so we did only the things WE wanted to do. The hardest part was getting our luggage (one suitcase) and his car seat from the curb to the ticket counter to be checked. Everything else the entire trip was a breeze! I only had a carryon and DS in his stroller going through the airport. I made tentative plans for each day, but went in with the mindset that we would go with the flow. If DS needed a nap at the same time we'd planned to attend a character meet and greet, guess what? We opted for the nap. As a result, I had a happy baby, who wasn't cranky. It was very nice and convenient to just go back to our cabin when he needed downtime.

I'm planning to take him on his 1st trip to WDW this December. It will be just the two of us again and I purposely am not inviting anyone else. Disney is now "our thing". I'm driving down and I'm excited about not having to deal with traveling via airplane. DS will be 19 months old when we go and I'm super excited to be "road tripping" alone with my little buddy! I've rented a villa offsite. I think that's best for us, because I can cook DS meals when we're hungry, as opposed to when the resort restaurants are open. Also, after some time at the park, DS will not want to sit through dinner at a restaurant. That's a meltdown waiting to happen. So, going "home" to our villa and having a nutritious dinner cooked by mama, is a way for us to stay on a somewhat normal routine. So, for us, staying offsite will be better.

You're a planner and you know your DD better than anyone else. So, I know you'll tailor your WDW trip to both of your needs. Thus, you two will have the best time, making wonderful memories. I'm excited for you both!

Thank you! I know you and your son will enjoy Disney World. My daughter's first visit was at 2.5 and she absolutely loved it.

 

[MissDisneyDora]

I'm so glad to hear that you've decided to take the plunge and go for the Disney trip. I have 4 trips as a single parent under my belt and trust me, every one of them has been absolutely delightful. Please keep us posted on how it all goes.

x
Dora

 

[Carie Baker]

Good for you.

 

[nvsnot]

I'll definitely keep you all posted. My tentative plans for now are:
When: Mid to late May or Early June
Where: Port Orleans Riverside (can't afford deluxe, have never stayed value, and loved POR when we stayed during our last visit)
Who: Just the kiddo and me!

 

[Txjedi]

My son and I do a disney trip every year, mostly just us, sometimes we meet friends there, but we always travel there just us 2. I understand the concerns about traveling meltdowns, we had those early on. In fact we will be there in 2016 for Star Wars weekend in June as well, great time to go. And we will also be at Riverside.

Just like anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. He has gotten more comfortable with traveling and airport procedures and airplanes. Each trip is easier. Have an entertainment bag for the airport, plane and magical express to keep them busy. We pack books, magazines, word game books, cards or games, toys, video gaming devices, etc and snacks. He is 13 now and goes through the airport like a pro. The secret is to keep them busy, but the problem with that is it keeps us busier and we want to relax. But good news is as they get older and more comfortable it gets easier on us.

Also this is special one on one time for the two of you. I understand that we single parents are always one on one with the child but traveling is different than the daily grind and is a rare time that we actually get to enjoy the child versus being responsible with and for them. We both get to actually have fun. We used to play games and have fun when on vacation, now we actually talk, about real things that interest us both and I don't have to lecture on something every 5 minutes. We now use this time to set goals for the upcoming school year, discuss what he wants to do with his life as well as relationships with friends and families and eventually I am sure we will talk about girls and dating. This is the time I get to actually sit back and see how much he has matured each year. I have come to actually enjoy our time waiting at the airport and traveling more than our time in the parks.

Another thing about traveling alone is meeting new people and my son gets to see how it is done and has actually come out of his shell and began to initiate conversations with other kids and families while waiting or traveling. He really enjoys talking to people who are on their first trip to Disney and sharing his tips and tricks with them. He has come a far way with this and I don't think he would have if we traveled with a large group, he and I would just stick to our group. This proves to be more the case actually on Disney property.

My point is, although traveling alone through the airport or even a car, may seem to be stressful and difficult with a child alone, the time spent alone with the child away from the daily grind is well worth it and as she gets older this quality time will be more rare. I say establish it now and set a tradition of this special time with just the two of you now. She will get the procedures down eventually and you two will establish your own airport travel process in time where she knows exactly what to do and when without telling her 9 times in a row. I don't have to brief my son on security line procedures any more, he knows what to do on his own now. The first time will undoubtedly be the hardest but like I said it can only get easier and will definitely get better. Enjoy the special time you have together!

 

[nvsnot]

My son and I do a disney trip every year, mostly just us, sometimes we meet friends there, but we always travel there just us 2. I understand the concerns about traveling meltdowns, we had those early on. In fact we will be there in 2016 for Star Wars weekend in June as well, great time to go. And we will also be at Riverside.

Just like anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. He has gotten more comfortable with traveling and airport procedures and airplanes. Each trip is easier. Have an entertainment bag for the airport, plane and magical express to keep them busy. We pack books, magazines, word game books, cards or games, toys, video gaming devices, etc and snacks. He is 13 now and goes through the airport like a pro. The secret is to keep them busy, but the problem with that is it keeps us busier and we want to relax. But good news is as they get older and more comfortable it gets easier on us.

Also this is special one on one time for the two of you. I understand that we single parents are always one on one with the child but traveling is different than the daily grind and is a rare time that we actually get to enjoy the child versus being responsible with and for them. We both get to actually have fun. We used to play games and have fun when on vacation, now we actually talk, about real things that interest us both and I don't have to lecture on something every 5 minutes. We now use this time to set goals for the upcoming school year, discuss what he wants to do with his life as well as relationships with friends and families and eventually I am sure we will talk about girls and dating. This is the time I get to actually sit back and see how much he has matured each year. I have come to actually enjoy our time waiting at the airport and traveling more than our time in the parks.

Another thing about traveling alone is meeting new people and my son gets to see how it is done and has actually come out of his shell and began to initiate conversations with other kids and families while waiting or traveling. He really enjoys talking to people who are on their first trip to Disney and sharing his tips and tricks with them. He has come a far way with this and I don't think he would have if we traveled with a large group, he and I would just stick to our group. This proves to be more the case actually on Disney property.

My point is, although traveling alone through the airport or even a car, may seem to be stressful and difficult with a child alone, the time spent alone with the child away from the daily grind is well worth it and as she gets older this quality time will be more rare. I say establish it now and set a tradition of this special time with just the two of you now. She will get the procedures down eventually and you two will establish your own airport travel process in time where she knows exactly what to do and when without telling her 9 times in a row. I don't have to brief my son on security line procedures any more, he knows what to do on his own now. The first time will undoubtedly be the hardest but like I said it can only get easier and will definitely get better. Enjoy the special time you have together!

Thank you for this perspective! Although we travel together every year we've never traveled alone just the two of us. Every vacation the two of us have ever been on has always been with a huge group except the one time my extended family didn't want to do Disney and I convinced my mom to skip the family vacation and travel with us to Disney for 10 days. Now i'm looking forward to having conversations and truly being able to enjoy our one one one time without everyday life interfering. Thank you!