“Mama, you’re so crazy!” one of my 7-year-olds exclaimed when I told my three kids I was taking them to Disney for one day by myself. Maybe I was crazy to attempt a big trip alone with three children, but I think it’s necessary to be a little crazy every now and then.
It all started three weeks before.
For the second year in a row, I contemplated taking a solo trip to Florida for my birthday. Suddenly, the idea hit me: Why don’t I take the kids? None of us had ever been to Disney, the kids had never been to Florida, and my little girls had never even been on a plane.
As someone who has always had so much anxiety over taking all three kids by myself anywhere, even the playground or out to eat, I decided to surprise them with a one-day trip to the Magic Kingdom.
I waited until their dad dropped them off at my house Monday morning and told them we were getting on a plane and heading to Disney…in three hours!
They were so excited, and so was I. But doing a trip of this magnitude alone wasn’t for the faint of heart. So, I’m including a few tips that I found helpful when planning a very short trip to Disney by yourself with kids.
1. Paying a little more for convenience is worth it.
Paying $11 to have seats together on the plane? It’s worth it for not stressing about where we are sitting. $25 for Lightning Lane? It was worth skipping a few lines to get on the rides we wanted to try without standing outside in the heat for an hour. $13/day for the SunPass? It was worth it, so I didn’t have to worry about having cash for tolls.
Yes, the small amounts of money added up, but I went in with the expectation that I would be spending money like this during the trip, and it was all worth it for a little more convenience when traveling with children by myself.
2. Use a Disney Travel Planner.
Using a Disney Travel Planner is free. They are there to help you get the most out of your Disney experience. This was key for someone like me who had never been to the Magic Kingdom since I did not know where to start. She advised me which resort to choose to get me the most bang for my buck (single mom over here!). She even booked all of my resort reservations and park tickets, helped me navigate the app, and went over her suggestions for experiences and dining. Having someone dedicated, I could go to to ask “stupid” questions was so valuable, especially as a first-time visitor!
3. Call the airline to check if there are any discounts.
It turns out I missed the window to get a specific discount by one day—ugh! So I called the airline and asked if they had any other discounts. They pretty much always have a $20 off-per-ticket coupon when you travel from New Haven. That alone saved me $80!
4. Rent a car.
Everyone told me not to rent a car and to use a service to go to and from the airport to the resort. However, I don’t like being on someone else’s timetable, especially when traveling. The car become SO important. Once we landed and finally got our car (it was a hassle, the line was long, and the kids complained that it wasn’t as good as our car at home), it became totally worth it.
We stopped at the grocery store for sunblock, breakfast items like muffins and fruit, additional snacks, and a ton of water to get us through the next couple of days. We went to dinner before we got to the resort to save money. Just knowing we could leave the resort at any point without having to rely on anyone else to pick us up gave me so much peace of mind.
5. Stainless steel water bottles for all!
Florida is hot, and my kids drink a truckload of water even when it isn’t hot. I knew we would need a ton of water in the park. Before the trip, I grabbed some large stainless steel water bottles and kept them full of ice (hotel ice, ice in restaurants, even walking into a random coffee shop asking for full cups of ice). My kids made fun of me initially for always obsessing over having enough ice, but boy, were they thankful I kept their water bottles in good supply. One of the security guards (yes, we got stopped for EVERYTHING…in the airport and the park) said, “Wow, you’re a well-hydrated family!” when she saw all the water I had brought with us. That’s right!
6. The Mobile App is your friend.
The Disney mobile app helped so much! We could list the rides and attractions we were interested in, check out the approximate wait times for rides (although these weren’t always accurate), book Lightning Lane times, book dining, etc. It was also a key card for our room at the resort. I could not have survived the day without it!
7. Pack light.
For the four of us for one day and two nights, I packed two carry-on suitcases and each of our backpacks. This ensured we did not have to check a bag (an added expense and more wait time after the flight), and everyone had everything they needed at all times. My 11-year-old was a great helper and took care of his luggage (which had his stuff plus some of his sisters’ things).
My suitcase held all my clothes and some of the girls’ things. Everyone’s backpack had their toiletries, headphones, tablet, book, plane activity, water bottle, a bag of snacks, a change of clothes, sandals, and a bathing suit. We brought their booster seats for the rental car. We tied those onto the suitcases for the airport, and they fit nicely in the overhead bins once on the plane.
8. Talk to other kids who have been there to see what they liked the best.
This wasn’t only my kids’ first time at the Magic Kingdom; it was mine, as well! I love that we all got to experience our first time together, but it also meant that I had no frame of reference for the sheer magnitude of the place or the good rides (Hint: They are ALL good!).
I enlisted the help of my boyfriend and his daughters to fill me in on what they liked best when they went there a few years ago. Since they knew what my kids would like, I listed their favorite rides. It worked out so well because this list became our Lightning Lane picks!
9. Remember: You can do it!
Parenting is difficult, whether you’re single or you have a partner. It can be daunting and anxiety-provoking to bring children on a big trip. However, everything really can work out. It probably won’t be relaxing, and it definitely will be expensive. Still, nothing was better than spending that time with my children, watching their excitement and wonder, and finally feeling confident enough to enjoy my children’s company on my own.
