Doing Disney as a Single Parent with a Toddler

Well, I certainly wish that there had been a guide for traveling to the Wonderful World of Walt Disney last spring when I decided that I was going to take my 1 year old to see the Mouse with no spouse, no friends, no family, no one...just the two of us. Let's face it, a normal trip to Disney World for a family with two parents and 2 kids can take weeks of preparation, don't believe me, type 'Disney planning' into your favorite search engine, and you will surely come up with an overwhelming amount of sites. That being said, my first trip alone with my toddler took more time to plan for than I will ever admit to, but we sure did end up having the perfect and most relaxing week ever.

While Walt Disney World and staying on-site can cost thousands of dollars, even just for two people, it doesn't have to. I wanted to stay onsite, but at a resort that wasn't overrun with children, was quiet, was beautiful and easy access to all the parks. Most of all, I needed a resort that was going to be affordable. In my research I found that Disney has a timeshare called Disney Vacation Club (DVC). This program works on points rather than blocks of weeks, and with a little more research I found that I was able to stay at a deluxe resort by renting points for a cheaper rate than what it would have cost me to stay at a Value resort and have all the things that, I personally, was not looking for. So in total, I paid a little over $900 for a 6 day stay in a beautiful studio room, with kitchenette. The beautiful Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. The resort was everything I was hoping for. The rooms are all within walking distance to Downtown Disney with the option of a boat ride from the dock at the main building. Bus transportation to any of the parks, transportation between the resort and airport, that included them picking up your luggage and delivering it to your room. There are several pools and splash pads that offered something for kids of all ages. Most of all, the resort is spread out enough that you can easily get your P&Q's, even with a toddler in tow.

Now many people will look at you like you have two heads when you tell them that you are taking your little one to Walt Disney World. In reality, I found that we had two options, we go on a trip and I get the vacation that I need, or we stay home. I didn't feel comfortable with a trip to the Dominican or to Mexico with a little guy that needs to be doing something different every 10 - 15 minutes. In reality, 7 days at a beach just weren't going to fly for us. Disney has so many different activities that you can do, from character dining, rides (yes, there are more rides that you child can go on, then he can't go on), musicals, character meet and greets, Disney themed playgrounds, trains, and anything else that you can imagine. The best part about the parks is that if your child is under the age of 3, they don't need a ticket to get in to the parks, they don't need to pay to eat at the buffet's (which most character dining experiences are), and best of all, they aren't old enough to throw a tantrum when you refuse to spend $25 on a light up toy that you can find at Walmart for under $5. So I decided that I was going to pay for the tickets when I got to the resort, which I also found to be a very helpful option that you are given when using the DVC program. I think that I paid around $225 for a 6 day base ticket for the parks, which allowed both of us entry into one park per day, which was perfectly fine for us.

Next, I found out that Disney has a Dining Plan. There are several different plans that you can choose from, ranging from eating hamburgers and french fries to eating steak and lobster. The benefit of the dining plans is that you won't have to carry a wad of cash with you around the parks, prices on the menu become obsolete, and the dining plans do give you a huge amount of food for the price that you are paying. I choose the plan that is between the french fries and the lobster dinner. The plan is called the Disney Dining Plans and includes one table service meal (entree, non-alcoholic drink, dessert), one counter service meal and a snack credit. I have to admit, this was more than enough food for me and my son to share, and he has a hearty appetite for such a little guy. There was the odd meal that I did add a small side to, simply because I wanted to have something to eat that I knew my son wouldn't eat, but for the price, we did pretty well. The dining plan is available to all guests staying at a Disney resort, but everyone in each room has to be put on the same plan for the duration of the stay.

Be prepared to do a little research a few months before you plan on heading to The World, on where and when you want to eat. You can start making advanced dinner reservations, 90 days before your stay begins (was 180 days in advance in 2008), and a lot of the popular restaurants do fill up within a few hours of the phone lines opening to take reservations. So if you want your child to eat with Cinderella in the castle, make sure that you drag yourself out of bed and get on the phone early, because it is the one that will book up within minutes. There are quite a few character breakfast's and putting aside the fact that we were out of the room by 7am each morning, while on holiday, I was happy that I booked so many meals before the parks open. The benefit of doing this is that you can enter the park before the park opens for days in most cases. This is perfect for pictures of you and the Castle, without hundreds of people milling around in the background. For the little one's I would highly recommend Hollywood & Vine at Hollywood Studios (Disney's playhouse characters), Chef Mickey's at Contemporary (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Daisy), Crystal Palace (Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger) and Tusker House at Animal Kingdom (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy).

Lastly, there is a program called the Photopass, which is great if it is just you and your little one traveling alone. There are photographers scattered all across all the parks, and are easily found at all the main attractions. All of your photos are put on to a card that you give to each photographer as your trip continues. Once you get home you can go on to the website, input your photopass card numbers, and can view your pictures and have them sent to you in photos or on a CD. This feature does cost a little more than what I think its worth, $99, but again, if you do your research, you can find groups of people that are willing to do what is called a Photopass Share, where you share the price, but also share the CD, making the cost around $20, which is absolutely worth it to me.

All in all, my son and I went to Disney World for 6 days, we went to each park, and went on a ton of rides. Our stay was full of so many different activites, and I generally only got about 5 hours of sleep each night, but somehow, perhaps with all of my planning, I came home completely refreshed and relaxed. People even commented on how happy and energetic I look in all the pictures. In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much, that we will be heading back to Walt Disney World this October and November for 12 days, splitting our stay between Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Animal Kingdom Villas. The planning has already started 8 months away from our arrival.

Must do's with your Toddler:

1. Winnie the Pooh Spot

2. Dumbo Ride

3. Crystal Palace

4. Jungle Cruise

5. See the parade

6. It's a Small World

7. Donald's Boat

8. Mad Hatters Tea Cups

9. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

10. Mickey and Minnie!