Single Parent Support Thread

[nvsnot]

I haven't finalized my stroller plans (Orlando rentals was out the day we needed one, but they are supposed to get new ones in, so just waiting to hear if they'll have one for us) - plan is to get a City Mini Double since all the reviews say it's the best all around (Orlando rentals agreed it was what I'd want with my kids' ages and being alone too) - I think we'll probably take our sit 'n' stand or single to the airport and gate check it (my 2 yr old would sit in the basket of the single if necessary, though I think the sit 'n' stand without the canopy/tray folds up as small or smaller than the single we have). We COULD use the same stroller in the park, but I want my son to have the flexibility of being able to nap or just sit/rest comfortably b/c I don't plan to go back and forth to the resort during the day. Plus the sit 'n' stand doesn't allow my daughter to nap comfortably either and I don't think it's that much smaller than the City Mini seems to be (though I don't have any first hand experience with it).

I love that someone mentioned asking for help... I'm hoping I get some groups of understanding people on the buses we attempt to get onto! I'm pretty good about speaking up and saying, "I'm really sorry.... we can be a circus act sometimes!" My son is very used to not being the baby and doing things for himself... like walking alone and staying close, etc... being in a stroller will be a new thing for him actually. I do have a mei tai carrier that I have only rarely used with my daughter, but I'm hoping to get a few more practices in over the next two weeks because I bet at the end of the night, she's going to not deal well with having to get out of her stroller.

I'm sure it'll be a huge headache riding the bus, but what else can we really do? Renting a car wouldn't even really help b/c we'd still have to take a tram or something? Plus then we are talking about carting car seats on the plane too.

There is a lot to consider, but I'm glad to hear that most of you don't think I'm too crazy! (DS wanted that icon )

Any suggestions about Photopass? Is it worth it to buy the CD ahead of time? Being that I won't have a lot of hands for the camera let alone to get any pics of us together... will I have a lot of opportunity to use Photopass? Or should I just wait and see what pics I get first and then decide if I want the CD?

I didn't buy the CD before my trip and regretted it tremendously. I thought I wouldn't have that many pictures and $99 was a bit steap for the few pictures I would take. I thought it would be a hassle finding a photopass photographer. Boy was I wrong! The photos that my daughter and I took with the characters alone would have been worth the cost. After coming home and looking at the pictures on the photo card that I didn't pre-pay for, I was saddened because I couldn't afford to get them at $15 a sheet or something like that. I say do it since your children are at the age where they'll enjoy character interactions.

 

[angleicka]

If you preorder the photopass CD and decide that it isn't worth it they will refund your money. We didn't do a great job of seeking out photopass photographers but still ended up with about 120 photos. Once borders were added it ended up being over 800 pictures

I didn't buy the CD before my trip and regretted it tremendously. I thought I wouldn't have that many pictures and $99 was a bit steap for the few pictures I would take. I thought it would be a hassle finding a photopass photographer. Boy was I wrong! The photos that my daughter and I took with the characters alone would have been worth the cost. After coming home and looking at the pictures on the photo card that I didn't pre-pay for, I was saddened because I couldn't afford to get them at $15 a sheet or something like that. I say do it since your children are at the age where they'll enjoy character interactions.

Thanks for the input! I guess we better go for it! I know I'll want every picture anyway, so at that cost/sheet or $50 more for the CD I guess it's worth it!

 

[angleicka]

I'm so excited that our trip is sooooo close!

I actually even snagged an 'Ohana reservation last night and a Cinderella's Royal Table this morning! They may not be hugely worth it for my kids being so young, but I'm sure I'd pay a chunk of change to feed them their own meals anyway... at 'Ohana they can eat off the buffet and a review I read of CRT said they served the under 3's plain pasta, drink & dessert.

My son LOVES the castle and I think it'll be really fun to get to go INSIDE! It's a late reservation, but we're going on EMH day, so we may take late naps at the resort anyway since we'll have the extra time at MK.

I also decided to do MNSSHP the day of our arrival to give us a preview of the MK and HOPEFULLY get to see Flynn Rider since he's my son's FAVORITE!

I ended up renting a stroller from Orlando Stroller Rentals - thankfully they added new stock to accomodate our reservation! (well they added stock b/c they wanted to, but they put it on the system to get us our reservation!)

I'm still worried about the bus, but I think otherwise I have a pretty solid plan for our trip thanks in part to this support thread!

Mickey Mouse.... here we come!!!!

P.S. I hope it's okay I post this here... I obviously haven't posted much and just wanted to share our excitement!

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Hello everyone! I haven't posted on this thread since last year. Boy how time flies. DS started the 1st grade this month and is having a great year so far. I have booked us on a trip for May this year. We are doing a 5 day Magic cruise and a couple of days at WDW. My mom is going to go with us.
I am so looking forward to it!

However, I am not looking forward to dealing with DS's school when it comes to vacation. We went to WDW in December of 2010 and he missed a few days of school. I had given plenty of notice but the school district made me feel like a horrible mom! The letter I got from the school implied that I was damaging my child by missing 5 days of school and let me know that he would not be allowed to make up what he missed. This was for a kindergartner who had not missed a single day of school, that was already reading! I know I should try to schedule vacations in the summer but unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way.

Anyone else have issues in their districts?

I am enjoying catching up on this thread and excited to see so many happy successful single parents that have joined!

 

[Cierese]

Hello everyone!

Single mom of 6 yrs here. I have 3 kiddos: DS11, DD9 and DS3. We've been to Disney several times... I went as a teen, took my two oldest with my exhusband when they were 1 and 3. Then I took the two twice the following summer with my mom while he was deployed. We went on our first SOLO trip, just the at Thanksgiving 09! FAVORITE TRIP EVER!!! They were 1, 7 and 9 and only stayed for 4 days. I had to work half a day the day we left so we didnt' get there til 2am! Then then when we were packing up to head home, my van wouldn't start! It was crazy, but I still maintain that it was the best trip!! We went for a week this summer with my parents and neice and nephew, too. Stayed at OKW. I don't think more than 2hrs passed where someone wasn't mad about something! So... we are planning to go back next year with NO ONE else! LOL!!!

We can not decide on anything!! Fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Spring??? DDP or OOP?? Plain ol' hopper tickets or YES??? Rent DVC or pay for value/mod??? And if so, which resort period?? Too much to decide

Anyhow, just wanted to say hello! Hope everyone is having a great day!

 

[Cierese]

Hello everyone! I haven't posted on this thread since last year. Boy how time flies. DS started the 1st grade this month and is having a great year so far. I have booked us on a trip for May this year. We are doing a 5 day Magic cruise and a couple of days at WDW. My mom is going to go with us.
I am so looking forward to it!

However, I am not looking forward to dealing with DS's school when it comes to vacation. We went to WDW in December of 2010 and he missed a few days of school. I had given plenty of notice but the school district made me feel like a horrible mom! The letter I got from the school implied that I was damaging my child by missing 5 days of school and let me know that he would not be allowed to make up what he missed. This was for a kindergartner who had not missed a single day of school, that was already reading! I know I should try to schedule vacations in the summer but unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way.

Anyone else have issues in their districts?

I am enjoying catching up on this thread and excited to see so many happy successful single parents that have joined!

I say get ahold of a school policy book and use it! Here in our district, my kids can take off 3 days for family reasons without penalty and several others for sick days, etc. We just try to make sure we plan trips around days they have off of school. Instead of going during a long break like fall or springbreak, we will take off when they have just long weekend breaks. This way I only have to take them out 1 or 2 days from school. That's why we go over Thanksgiving break or like to most. They are already out of school for the Wed-Fri, so I just add that previous Mon and Tues. I know they don't ususally have tests those days and so they aren't missing much of anything. I know most people like to spend the 'holidays' with family, but we plan trips over fall/springbreak or summer/winter for family trips instead.

 

[pookybean]

Free to good home:

Disney family, one mom, 2 DD's and 1 DS.

Thats why this is on the single parents thread! LOL

I bought the family and had my son try to put them on the car and they wouldnt "stick". Instead of trying to do it myself (i am so not handy, crafty, whatever...if i had did it they would be all over the place), i took his word for it and just bought another family on our next trip. For whatever reason, i didnt throw the first away. I had a friend put the others on for me and lo and behold, he wasnt putting them on the right way LOL

sooo....i now have a single mommy family up for grabs. 2 of them are not in the packaging, but the back hasnt been taken off and they have been in a ziploc, so still perfectly useable.

any takers? pm me an address where i can send them and off they will go.

Megan

 

[Liza111577]

Single mom here. DS just turned 6. Have been a single mom ever since he was born, his dad wasn't in the picture much. He passed away a few days after DS turned 1.
We're headed back to WDW in February for 7 nights. This will be our second solo trip. Our first was in Feb 11. He was in WDW at age 3 with my mom, bust doesn't remember much of it.
He talks about it constantly and is super excited about doing the Jedi training this year (last year I had no idea of how it worked and unfortunately I found out on the very last day of our trip.)
Hoping to do MNSSHP in 2013 and MVMCP in 2014!!

 

[Trep72]

Single dad here. The kiddo (13) and I are headed back to POP Century for our 3rd trip in 4 years. We are planning on being there Oct. 17-21.

 

[SenecaWolf]

Single mom here, DD almost 16 and DS almost 14. My husband passed away unexpectedly a little over 5 years ago, 2 days before Christmas and 4 days before our first trip to Disney World. Needless to say we didnt go and for awhile I just couldnt handle the thought of doing the trip without him. This year my daughter wanted to go to Disney for her sweet 16 and seeing as how this past Christmas was the first time I have felt festive, I know I am ready for Disney.

 

[Rachella76]

Hi everyone!

I'm headed to WDW in early June with my two girls- 7 and 5...excited and terrified at the same time for this trip. We all went for the very first time in June of 2011. But when we went it was with lots of family and my husband. Quite a bit has changed since then and needless to say I am planning this trip alone, and taking the girls alone. It will be a magical trip I am sure, and I am excited to do this by myself. But quite nervous at the idea of the crowds and trying to navigate the lines, and the rides with my 2 kiddos as you can't really ride the rides all together...they will be sitting next to each other and I imagine I will be sitting behind them? Hahahaha, so many things to consider. Haven't ever done anything like this by myself with them before.

Anyway, this trip is a surprise for them, I'm not telling them until we are on the way to the airport! Any suggestions on traveling alone with 2 little ones are welcome!

 

[tinker_princess]

Hello everyone... Im a single mother to a wonderful 8 year old little diva. I just graduated from nursing school and got my LPN license. Working on getting a job so I can plan our next trip to Disney....

 

[MamaSammy]

Single Mom here! DD 8 and DD 6. We are all Disney addicts and we are planning our third trip to the world this July!

 

[michelles1987]

Single mom here to DD 6 and DS 2. Thinking about planning a trip for us in July but unsure since it is just me!

 

[MamaSammy]

Single mom here to DD 6 and DS 2. Thinking about planning a trip for us in July but unsure since it is just me!

Hello there! We are going in July! July 15-20th!

 

[michelles1987]

Hello there! We are going in July! July 15-20th!

We will be there July 26th-31st

 

[DanielleandBrady]

Single mom to a wonderful DS 8.. We are going aug 28-sep 2!! Can't wait!!

 

[310girls2]

I'm so excited to have found single parent thread! Like a lot of you my last trip to Disney was as a family with my exhusband (he complained the whole time). My youngest is 9 now (she took her first steps at Disney) and I'm taking her for birthday Oct 9 to 14. Just booked POFQ with dining. My oldest daughter (20) will be coming too. Any cool birthday ideas? I'm so excited. I feel like I'm coming back to life!

 

[Mommaof3]

I'm so excited to have found single parent thread! Like a lot of you my last trip to Disney was as a family with my exhusband (he complained the whole time). My youngest is 9 now (she took her first steps at Disney) and I'm taking her for birthday Oct 9 to 14. Just booked POFQ with dining. My oldest daughter (20) will be coming too. Any cool birthday ideas? I'm so excited. I feel like I'm coming back to life!

I was excited to see this thread. I am "almost single" and feel a little low at times. My thoughts were to gather up what kids I can and head for our "happy place". My children are all grown now so I don't worry about the logistics. But just seeing how many single people do those "normal things" was just what I needed to help me start my journey of "coming back to life". Thanks to all who shared. I appreciate you letting me have a tiny glimpse of your life.
Melissa

 

[Ruthiesmama]

Hi everyone!

I'm headed to WDW in early June with my two girls- 7 and 5...excited and terrified at the same time for this trip. We all went for the very first time in June of 2011. But when we went it was with lots of family and my husband. Quite a bit has changed since then and needless to say I am planning this trip alone, and taking the girls alone. It will be a magical trip I am sure, and I am excited to do this by myself. But quite nervous at the idea of the crowds and trying to navigate the lines, and the rides with my 2 kiddos as you can't really ride the rides all together...they will be sitting next to each other and I imagine I will be sitting behind them? Hahahaha, so many things to consider. Haven't ever done anything like this by myself with them before.

Anyway, this trip is a surprise for them, I'm not telling them until we are on the way to the airport! Any suggestions on traveling alone with 2 little ones are welcome!

I just found this thread- yay! I am taking my 6 year old daughter back to WDW June 7-14 and we are staying at POP Century. LIke you the last time we went (Mar 2012) we went as a family with my husband and stepson. Like you said, so much has changed since then! I am excited, but also NERVOUS and us going alone. I am horrible with directions so I'm a little worried about navigating through the parks alone. I havnt told Ruthie about the trip yet, its her birthday the day before we leave and I was originally going to tell her on her birthday but my Mom and Grandma want to give her presents for the trip for her birthday so I may tell her a little sooner.

Yall have a good trip!!!