Just about everyone knows how much I love being in a Disney park. Even more know how much I love my children. When I decided to take my preschooler and infant with me to the parks for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, without my husband, people thought I was crazy. Heck, I even considered having myself committed. Once I really thought about it, sat down and made solid plans, everything seemed to fall into place. While our trip was not without bumps and bruises, we still had a fantastic time. Here are some tips if you are travelling to the parks as a single parent with one or (gasp!) more small children.

Do not try to do everything.

Never did I expect to go and be a Disney commando. In over ten years of visiting the parks, there are still some things I have yet to experience, and there were no plans to squeeze those into our short vacation. Taking cues from the children, we had as much fun as we wanted, even visited Epcot and Magic Kingdom parks on the same day. Make plans prior to your trip on what your “must-dos” are and just focus on those.

Opt for quick service meals over table service.

I wouldn’t say both of our table service meals were disastrous, but dining at quick service locations was much easier to manage. We had reservations at 1900 Park Fare and 50’s Prime Time Café. Wait staff at both restaurants was awesome; they were very sympathetic to us. They helped keep the kids entertained, offered to help me make plates at the buffet, even watched the little one play in her high chair as I took my big girl to the restroom. Between cutting food into small pieces, feeding the baby, and managing meltdowns, I barely ate. Quick service meals just worked better for us. We could order and immediately sit down to eat, or I could park our stroller in front of something fun that kept them distracted while I ate. Quick service options are plentiful and delicious; a fact I’ve come to appreciate in recent years.

Appreciate and accept the kindness of strangers.

Only once did I actually have to carry the baby, our bag and get the double stroller on and off the bus, and that was because we were the only passengers. Even when buses were filled to capacity, someone always offered me a seat, helped my daughter onto the bus and insisted that they could help in some way. One gentleman gave me his seat and stood the entire trip holding my bag and stroller, in addition to his own stuff. Many people offered to carry food trays at quick service restaurants, or pick up napkins and condiments for us. I’d like to say it is part of the magic of Disney, but I recognized the empathetic look of parents with older children right away. If any of you are reading this, your thoughtfulness will never go unremembered. Should I attempt to do this again, I will be going with pile of small gifts to thank everyone who offers help.

Make sure you have the right equipment with you.

This time, I carried the baby in a sling carrier and did not take a stroller for the preschooler. I rented a double stroller that I was very happy to see waiting for me when we arrived at Pop Century. So happy that I picked it up from baggage services before I even checked in. Between the sling carrier and the stroller, there were no problems getting the kids around the park. Since strollers must be parked before getting into any attraction queues, the carrier was invaluable. Long lines and heavy babies make waiting unbearable!

Take lots of pictures.

No one will believe you traveled alone, so take pictures to prove it! Take advantage of Disney’s Photopass service, otherwise all the pictures will be of your children and other random Disney “stuff.” It’s your vacation too, and you’ll want to remember it fondly. When Photopass photographers aren’t around, hand your camera to a fellow park guest, you will be happy you did.

Request ground floor accommodations, close to transportation.

If you’ve paid for standard view rooms, ask for this when you do online check in. It wouldn’t hurt to mention it if you have preferred rooms, too. We’ve never stayed on the ground floor in trips with the children; those few extra steps and pushes to the elevator after spending an exhausting day at the park are the hardest. When you get off Disney transportation, you want to be in your room as soon as possible. My last request was a room near laundry. I always wash on vacation; toting kids & dirty laundry halfway across the resort isn’t fun, either.

Enjoy yourself.

So many times I was asked, “Are you here by yourself?” or told, “You are a superhero!” I was even asked, “How are you managing this alone? We have two kids and both of us are going nuts!” My favorite was, “You and your children look like you’re having such a good time!” The latter was not always the case. Our flight was canceled, I was stung by a bee, vomited on, cracked my cell phone and dealt with a massive crayon throwing tantrum during dinner. Through all of it, I reminded myself where I was and that these very same things could be happening at home and enjoyed the moment. The comments from fellow park visitors were like encouraging chants from a sold out crowd when the game is tied in overtime, and I had home court advantage. For us, Disney World IS home. Even under the most trying of circumstances, there’s no place I’d rather be.