Solo Parenting at Disney World

In September my husband and I took our 3-year-old to Disney World- it was great! We had a blast! It was easy! In December I took our 3-year-old to Disney World by myself- it was great! We had a blast! It was hard! If you’re headed to the parks as a solo parent soon I’m here to bring you a few tricks I learned l during our adventure (mostly the hard way)!

Have a plan

Being organized is key to getting the most out of your day (and let’s be real,  Disney isn’t exactly cheap so naturally, you’re going to want to maximize value)! If you’re a park veteran, you probably have a preferred order in which you tackle the parks, but if you’re a newbie study the park maps and familiarize yourself with the way each park is laid out. Go about your day by tackling each area as you get to it (For example: At Magic Kingdom, I like to start in Adventureland and make my way clockwise ending in Tomorrowland). This will minimize your end of day exhaustion and make sure you didn’t miss anything. It’s a good idea to know to familiarize yourself with the rides and attractions too to make sure that you know what your “must do’s” are.

Throw it out

This was my single biggest stumbling block on our mother-son trip. I’m a planner, perhaps a compulsively so. When preparing for a Disney trip I make detailed touring plans that I can time to the minute! On our last trip, I learned that is a luxury I cannot afford when it is just my son and me. Going with the flow and being willing to make last minute changes to the daily plan is vital for an enjoyable trip when you are the solo parent. Expect the unexpected. Trust me. For example, our itinerary said “2:00 pm: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We got in line at exactly 2:01. So far so good. Except, Pooh has a play area for kids. As it is designed parents wait in line while kids play. Great concept!!! Except my son lost sight of me and began to cry. He thought he was lost and was too upset to hear me calling his name. I had to get out of line to get him and spend a few moments comforting him and reassuring him that he wasn’t lost. The people behind me were unwilling to let me have my space in line back so we ended up having to go all the way back to the end of the line. As we were already about halfway through the line, this ate a significant chunk of time. Had my husband been there, he could have held our place while I swooped in and dried the tears.

Travel light

When I’m there with my husband I  have an extra set of arms and a strong back to help me carry everything. With just me, juggling the toddler and the stroller proved to be challenging enough. I quickly decided we didn’t need juice boxes, snacks, band-aids, an entire change of clothes, toys to entertain in line, 2 sippy cups (just in case one falls), every type of medication I could possibly imagine him needing, and all of the other supplies that I usually keep in the park bag. Instead, we did something crazy and went bag free! It was amazing! It made transportation a breeze, getting through security was super fast ( since we got to go through the bagless line) and it was honestly less stress. So what about all that “stuff”? We utilized free cups of water when he was thirsty (better for him than juice anyway), we had a dining plan so when he needed a snack we used one of our two snack credits per day, I knew if we had a medical issue we could go to the first aid center in the park, we talked and played games like “I Spy” in lines (and didn’t have the “no, not that toy, it makes noise/blows bubbles/has parts that may hit someone” struggle in line, I threw a pair of pants in the basket of the stroller just in case of a potty accident and I brought a shout pen in case of food spills. The world didn’t end and chaos did not ensue without a bag stuffed to the brim.

Utilize space

That said, I did let him take his lightsaber our Hollywood studios day, and I’m so glad I did- the photo ops we’re fantastic! I mean just look at this:

But carrying it around all day was tedious. Add in a 3-year-olds propensity to wave objects around and my fear that he would smack someone and it was a bit stressful. This is where your inner MacGyver comes in handy. Making the best use of what you have is the key to keeping frustration at bay. I used my jogger strap as a lightsaber holder and immediately everything seemed a little better.   

Also get creative. My son decided that his MagicBand was just not something he was going to wear. And yes, I could’ve gotten a puck holder for it but we were on a budget and I really didn’t want to spend the money. I also didn’t want it getting lost either, obviously, so I got creative:

Just one of those silly small things that just instantly decreased frustration and stress. When little frustrations arise, take a deep breath and see if you can’t find a non traditional solution to make your park days more convenient. You’ll be glad you did.

Adjust expectations

Solo parenting at Disney means you don’t have an extra set of hands to rely on. That makes everything take longer. Those that come away from Disney trips unhappy and saying they’ll never go back are typically, I find, the ones who didn’t expect lines, didn’t plan for the random expenses, and expected to be able to do everything. If the Parks are even a little bit busy there’s just no way you’ll see everything – especially as a solo parent. That’s ok! There is so much to do and see that your days will still be filled with magic and fun, and bonus- you’ll have a reason to come back for a second trip (as if you need a reason)! We didn’t expect crowds, we chose a traditionally slow week, but boy were there crowds! We adjusted what we thought was feasible and moved on with our days. No big deal! 

Know your child

This common sense advice is a lifesaver once you’re wrapped up in the excitement of a day at Disney. It’s easy to want to keep going, to keep pushing, to keep exploring and to keep having fun. While that may be totally in the realm of possibility, only you know your child best. Keeping activities in line with what they can do is vital- especially when solo parenting at Disney!  If they typically nap at home, odds are they won’t be able to go rope drop to fireworks. Take a break if you need to. While it may feel like wasted opportunity to go back to your hotel for a rest, it is in everyone’s best interests to do so if needed. An overtired child is a cranky child. Cranky kids=stressed out parents. Trust me… I discovered this the hard way. When you’re solo in the parks there’s no chance to trade off- soothing your child and yourself is entirely incumbent upon you.

Also, know your child’s likes and dislikes. While it does happen (Disney is a magical place after all), chances are if they are afraid of the dark at home they’ll be afraid of the dark at Disney. You’ll want to know ahead of time what rides tend to be dark so that you can make an informed decision as to whether or not to allow them to ride. Just because they meet the height restriction doesn’t mean they are ready to ride.

Allow Yourself Plenty of Time

I don’t know why,  it’s just one of those mysteries of the universe that you just can’t explain, but everything takes so much longer when I’m parenting solo than when I’m tag teaming it. 9:30 am ADR? No problem as a parenting duo. Solo? We arrived at 10:45 (luckily they let us in any way). So make sure you allow plenty of time to get where you need to go. It somehow takes twice as long with half the people!

Just Enjoy

Even though having a schedule, and a plan, and knowing what we’re doing and when is important- I think the most important thing was just to stop and realize what a great opportunity I had with my son. Unlike on trips past, we slowed down and took in the sights in a way that we never have before. We laughed and went where the wind took us and if we wanted to ride something again we got back in line for it! Some of my most precious memories from this trip were things that could not have been planned. Like the excitement on his face when he saw the pirate bed in the hotel or the subsequent game of pretend that followed as we explored our hotel as pirates!   That couldn’t have been predicted but it’s a memory I will cherish always. Make sure if you’re solo parenting that you have the chance to just enjoy what makes your child unique.

Despite how hard and how tiring it was, I wouldn’t take this trip back for the world! Solo parenting at Disney can seem daunting but it’s totally doable. We made amazing memories that will last a lifetime…but whew, I need a spa day now!

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