Best FL/Orlando Theme Park for Solo Parent with 3 young kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would do Magic Kingdom. There are tour guides you can hire that could be a helping hand.

The official Disney "VIP tour" guides? Those are very expensive. And I don't think they could be alone with a kid, for liability reasons---like if OP wanted to take one child to the restroom, I don't think the guide would stay alone with the other kids.

This isn't what the Tour Guides do. You could hire a sitting service to go with you.

But seriously, if you can bring your kids out in the real world, you can handle them at WDW.

[Anonymous]

While not 3 kids, I took my 5yo and my just-turning-3yo to Disney and it was great. You didn't say when you're going but 4/10 is a general number (across all the parks) and actually on the low side. Some parks will have higher crowds and some lower crowds. If you don't mind paying the $10 or so, sign up with touringplans.com and it will give a park-by-park break down.

For Disney with small children, I would recommend Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. MK tends to be a little more crowded. AK closes the earliest of any of the parks (they feed the animals after park closing).

Ride logistics may be an issue with some rides. Your oldest is able to ride by him/herself, but your younger 2 have to be with you. Also, some rides also have height restrictions (38", 40", and 44" are the most common) though there is still a LOT to do that does not involve height restrictions. However, some rides w/o height restrictions won't have room for all 4 of you together so your 7yo would have to ride in a separate car (Under the Sea, for example, might not fit all 4 in the same car). I don't know if they would let your 7yo and 5yo ride in one car and you and the 2yo in another. I do know on Barnstormer, I had to find another adult to ride beside my 5yo when we went even though I was directly behind him with my 3yo. When I went, my youngest was just barely 38" so we couldn't go on many headliner rides, but we still had a really fun time. I still think you would have fun, just be aware and set your kids' expectations first.

[Anonymous]

Try Gatorland for a day. Seriously - they have a "waterpark" which is really a splash park so no pools of water requiring total hands on supervision. Its not as big of a to-do as the theme parks, but I went to Orlando with DH for a conference while super pregnant and took my 18 month old to there and to Animal Kingdom. Gatorland was super easy and didn't break the bank.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. Our one child is still under 2, and we're wondering about going at this time or waiting a bit still. I'm just curious, are you all flying down or driving?

[Anonymous]

I am a huge fan of gator land. And forever Florida. (Check them out.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. Our one child is still under 2, and we're wondering about going at this time or waiting a bit still. I'm just curious, are you all flying down or driving?

Not OP but the PP with an 18 month old. I'd wait. We only went b/c it was easy to go anyways with DH's room covered and it wasn't a big deal finance wise for us at this time. If you are toying with waiting or have any kind of expectations around the trip, I think you will have more fun if you wait. Happy we went, but we had very low expectations. DS couldn't have cared less whether he was in the toy aisle at Target or Animal Kingdom. I knew at his age it was really more for me than him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. Our one child is still under 2, and we're wondering about going at this time or waiting a bit still. I'm just curious, are you all flying down or driving?

Not OP but the PP with an 18 month old. I'd wait. We only went b/c it was easy to go anyways with DH's room covered and it wasn't a big deal finance wise for us at this time. If you are toying with waiting or have any kind of expectations around the trip, I think you will have more fun if you wait. Happy we went, but we had very low expectations. DS couldn't have cared less whether he was in the toy aisle at Target or Animal Kingdom. I knew at his age it was really more for me than him.

20:26 here - thanks for responding, PP. Just curious as well, did you guys fly, and if so, did you get a seat for your child? We have yet to fly with our child, so that's a whole new topic by itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. Our one child is still under 2, and we're wondering about going at this time or waiting a bit still. I'm just curious, are you all flying down or driving?

Not OP but the PP with an 18 month old. I'd wait. We only went b/c it was easy to go anyways with DH's room covered and it wasn't a big deal finance wise for us at this time. If you are toying with waiting or have any kind of expectations around the trip, I think you will have more fun if you wait. Happy we went, but we had very low expectations. DS couldn't have cared less whether he was in the toy aisle at Target or Animal Kingdom. I knew at his age it was really more for me than him.

20:26 here - thanks for responding, PP. Just curious as well, did you guys fly, and if so, did you get a seat for your child? We have yet to fly with our child, so that's a whole new topic by itself. [/quote

Yes - we did and did get a seat. Makes life easier - my son is not content to just sit quietly on my lap, but is content to sit in a carseat (for a defined time period). Plus I traveled a lot for work and know turbulence while rare, does happen. IMO if you can afford it, you definitely want a seat. I won't travel without one.

[Anonymous]

OP. Magic Kingdom for the win here. It offers the most activities you can all do together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say Magic Kingdom. Tons of rides and shows with no height restrictions, plus playgrounds. I would get there at opening do a few hours, have a character meal (I vote Crystal Palace with Pooh, we usually do the very last breakfast seating) do a few more hours and go home.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. Our one child is still under 2, and we're wondering about going at this time or waiting a bit still. I'm just curious, are you all flying down or driving?

Not OP but the PP with an 18 month old. I'd wait. We only went b/c it was easy to go anyways with DH's room covered and it wasn't a big deal finance wise for us at this time. If you are toying with waiting or have any kind of expectations around the trip, I think you will have more fun if you wait. Happy we went, but we had very low expectations. DS couldn't have cared less whether he was in the toy aisle at Target or Animal Kingdom. I knew at his age it was really more for me than him.

20:26 here - thanks for responding, PP. Just curious as well, did you guys fly, and if so, did you get a seat for your child? We have yet to fly with our child, so that's a whole new topic by itself. [/quote

Yes - we did and did get a seat. Makes life easier - my son is not content to just sit quietly on my lap, but is content to sit in a carseat (for a defined time period). Plus I traveled a lot for work and know turbulence while rare, does happen. IMO if you can afford it, you definitely want a seat. I won't travel without one.

20:26 back - thanks for the further mention, PP. I would definitely want a seat, hopefully my husband would agree. I just couldn't see it working with the lap sitting for hours in a row.

[Anonymous]

If you're in the DC area - fly Jet Blue. They have direct flights from National, give you a snack, and have tv in the seatback. I've done it three times, and it's very easy.

[Anonymous]

Peter Pans flight isn't scary but the lines are horrible after the first hour or two after the park opens. But you just have to plan to get a FP+ or ride it early. It is hard to see all ofMK in day.

[Anonymous]

Just returned from a trip to Disney with out 3 y/o over Thanksgiving week (9-10/10 on the crowd scales). It was really crowded, but incredibly doable. Definitely book FP's for the afternoon, get to the park early and do the popular rides first (Peter Pan, Anna/Elsa if you have any girls) then hit things like the Dumbo, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, etc. Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Stitches great escape and it's a small world didn't have waits over 20min so save those for between FP times.

You can leave for naps/break or just stay (if the 2 y/o will nap in the stroller). Also utilize the train that goes around the park. It has 3 stops and comes every 4-5min. Stops are Main Street, Frontierland and Fantasyland. They also nickname it the napper since a lot of kids end up falling asleep on it (stay to the back away from the whistle if that's a goal).

You could also book a character lunch (Crystal Palace is a good one with all the Winnie the Pooh characters).

[Anonymous]

Magic kingdom is doable and tons to see just by being there. Ride the train around. Find all the rides that seat 4 at a time (or 3 plus your toddler on your lap). Save the rides that wont fit you all for your return visit with DH on the last day.