Call me crazy! I'm planning a solo trip to Southern California with my two kids. We're taking Amtrak from Oakland, Calif., to San Diego, stopping in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Anaheim, and San Juan Capitstrano along the way.The big highlight for my children is Disneyland. When I shared with them our spring break plans, I thought I had discovered a new alternative energy source. They were so excited and bursting with energy that I was tempted to connect them to the dishwasher. They were giving off at least 100 kilowatts, I'm sure.
What about mom? Is she energized? Well, yes, of course, we're going to Disneyland—the happiest place on earth. But my enthusiasm is overshadowed by a sense of dread because my partner in parenting—my husband—is staying at home. I'm certain our day will be filled with fun but also long lines, lots of tantrums, and disappointment when we're told a family of three can't all sit together.
This is why I took comfort in reading The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook author Bridget Smith's blog. Smith has tackled Disneyland, Seaworld, and Legoland with three kids--yes, one...two...three. If she can do it with trio of kids, I can certainly make it with two. In her blog, Smith offers up the following tips on how to survive a theme park with one adult and multiple little ones.
- Plan ahead. Know the age and height restrictions for the various rides. Try to have some rides and attractions in mind that the whole family will enjoy. My book, The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebook includes pull out sections that give detailed ride suggestions for every age group. There are many great web resources for other themeparks. If you do some digging, theme park websites also have this information.
- Prep your kids. When I am going solo, I make sure that my nine year old knows that there will be some activities that we won’t be able to enjoy due to our parent kid ratio. I make sure that everyone knows that the goal for this trip is to have fun as a family. I try to have a future “Mom date” visit planned, so Justin can look forward to enjoying a few more thrills at some point.
- Take a picture of your kids using your digital camera before entering the park. That way if they get lost, you have an up to date picture to share with the theme park staff.
- Have a family motto. Ours is “The Smith Family Stays Together.” This is our travel mantra. We repeat it often throughout the day.
- Enlist your older children’s help in keeping an eye on the little guys.
- Bring a stroller. It’s a great place to store your stuff and make a quick exit during that end of the day tantrum.
- Bring a friend if possible. A theme park is actually a great place to have a playdate, and you can switch kids, if your family is like mine half timid/half brave.
- Bring a big kid buddy. Believe or not some of my most fun adventures came with bringing four kids to Legoland. Since Justin had a buddy he could ride some of the big kid rides, and both boys were helpful in wrangling the little ones.
- Pack lots of snacks. You never know when a break or a bribe will come in handy.
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