Solo Parent Travel: How to Survive Airports & Theme Parks with Kids

Ready for your fast pass to the perfect vacation? This is Talk Travel to Me. Join host Kristy Ouellette and the Mickey Guru Travel Company team for one big travel question every episode. Solo insights or expert roundtables all with a sprinkle of magic and the ultimate insider edge. Fasten your seatbelt, it's time to talk travel.

Hey traveler, welcome back to Talk Travel to Me. This week we're answering the question, is traveling solo with your kids total chaos or is there a way to make it enjoyable? And I brought in reinforcements for this one because our Mickey Guru travel agent, Breanne Sherwood, has been doing this for years. So much so that she actually pitched this topic herself. So Breanne, welcome to the show.

Hello, thanks for having me. I am Breanne Sherwood and I've been with Mickey Guru since 2025 and been traveling with my kids solo since they were born. So quite a while of travel.

All right, so upfront everybody. for our listeners, this episode really is leaning on Breanne's experience, not mine. My first solo trip with my own daughter, she was like 12 or 13 ish. So a totally different stage of parenting travel. And we're really thinking that this is going to be a conversation about starting when they're young and then continuing on. So let's get started with this idea. Breanne, if someone is listening to this episode and they are a parent who is thinking, oh my God, I would never survive flying alone, traveling alone with my kids. What would you say to that?

Not with that attitude. I mean, I do think that your state of mind is a really key factor to traveling solo with your kids. If you think I can do this, I've got this and you build the right foundation of expectations for yourself and for your kids. I think you can do anything you put your mind to. Yeah, for sure. So I think that that part's key is just knowing yourself. You can do it. You're strong. But if I if you still said, I don't know, I would support you as a travel advisor and give you lots of tips and tricks like we're going to talk about today.

Tell us a little bit about your kids are a couple of years apart, right? So like how do you start with just? one of them or did you go like right off the bat with both of them?

Yeah, so Jean Molly is my first born and I remember being pregnant with her and thinking I don't want to just because I'm a mom, it changes the way I live my life. And as a couple winter and I always take lots of random road trips and I wanted to be able to still see my parents and do activities and just bring the kids along or kid initially. So yeah, so Jean Molly started out in the car and then two years later when a brother arrived, we lived six hours for my parents and four hours from my in-laws. And it meant that we all got really good with how to pack up our stuff and go see grandparents because winter was working. It had to be just me. And then at age one for James Henry, a year later, we moved from Washington state to Boston. And so their first flight he was one and she was three. I will remember that really well because we hadn't gotten tablets yet and we got fire tablets and Jean Molly sitting. there and her three year old self. She was just so sweet and she was so excited to have like games and shows that she could watch. And she was like an angel. And I remember thinking I will fly to Australia with her like she's so good. But then my squirmy one year old was like on my lap and all over the place. And a year later he would I would find myself right at the captain's door because he would book it all the way down the aisle. And I was so grateful that Jean Molly was so content with sitting at her seat because that I could chase after him. And I just had to be confident in the fact that like everyone around me was giggling and laughing. Some people might have been annoyed, but you know what? That's OK. That's just part of traveling with a kid.

Yeah. Well, I think there's some people that struggle with the idea that children are allowed to exist in the world. Right. So there's that. But I also think that one of the things that as a traveler who observes and we traveled a lot with Alison when she was younger, but never solo. But I think that a lot of people when they're paying attention probably give a parent that is just a single parent on a trip some grace with that if they're paying attention.

Yes, I think about every flight until maybe this year, I got at least one comment from another traveler who was like, good job, mama, you're doing a good job. And I appreciated that.

So for those first trips, are you saying you did mostly like traveling back and forth between home and grandparents?

Yes. Yeah. For the first few trips, they didn't. we didn't do a Disney trip until James Henry was four and Jean Molly was six. I had done camping with them younger, which is a whole nother kettle of fish. I was in the same age group with them, but not to Disney yet or not to any big amusement parks till they were four and six. And I learned a lot from from that from that trip, from expectations with that also.

Yeah, but so tell me about that experience because I think that the flying thing is challenging enough, right? But they're relatively confined. Oh, actually, that was a question I have for you. You mentioned like James Henry being wiggly and stuff. Did you take him as a lap child or did you buy a seat for him?

Yes. So the first first flight, he was a lap child. And then when I started flying solo, I bought a seat for him. And so I would sit on the aisle and I would keep them at bay. And then I also. some of my tips are that I have some cool tools. I'm going to show you. I know this isn't a visual, so I'll explain it. So I have this travel tray which comes in a pouch and there's a whole bunch of different brands for it. But basically, it's a tray with edges with sides. And I'm going to make a post about it. So I'll show you all. But it hooks onto the tray of the airplane and it has like little two inch sides to go all the way around. And that makes it magical because nobody wants to be on the floor crawling around looking for Legos for tiny toys, even for like their water bottle. Like it. keeps it on the tray, art supplies, anything like that. So I bought two of those for that first flight because I knew at least he would want snacks and things like that. And I would keep it kind of sane for me. So I would say, yes, I pay for a seat. I also get them each their own snack bags that we put together at home because cranky child on the airplane. And I think that's a good thing because most of our trips are six hours from coast to coast. I mean, a nice short trip of three hours down to Orlando. Right. Seems like a breeze these days. But having their own snack bags from little till now at age 10 and eight is a lifesaver for sure because then they can eat as they want to.

And that's a big misconception among people that I talk to. that people think that because you can't bring liquids and gels that you can't bring food, but you can bring food. They just can't be liquid or gel. So no peanut butter. But you can actually have peanut butter on bread. And that's fine. But yet bringing snacks. for them that they like that you know that they'll eat.

Yes. Well, and to be honest, if you buy those individual applesauce pouches that are sealed, I have gotten those through security many times. They have to take them out and they have to look at them. But I believe that they treat them the same way they do like when I would go with my breast pump and I'd have all my frozen milk. So I've had great experience with that. And when they were really little, like they really wanted those those fruit pouches.

Yeah. And I do think that that works when they're little. I don't know what the cutoff is. Right. Because there's definitely a cutoff. Because yes, they breast milk and breast pumps. The breast pumps don't count as a carry on even though you're carrying it on and you're allowed to have the milk. You're also allowed to have formula and medicine and things like that for kids. I do know that as a diabetic, they will let me bring protein shakes.

That's good to know.

But a lot of people don't know that. So even at the TSA, like they've given me a hard time before. I'm like, it's like medicine. And then they'll go into that mode and they they test the bottles and stuff and it's fine. But I think that if you're somebody that needs to bring those type of things, definitely there's ways to get that done for sure.

Yeah. And I think when it comes to like going through TSA, goes back to my idea of like or my thoughts on packing is that if you're traveling solo and you're having to carry all this stuff, you better pack smart because you if you have little ones like when I first started flying, I was putting every single thing up to go through TSA. So it was beneficial to me to pay for a checked bag. So I didn't have as much to carry. Now we have three carry on bags because they can load that sucker up and go through TSA. And they're comfortable and big enough to manage their own things. But definitely, I think packing smart, whether that's, you know, not as much stuff or the right things really saved my sanity.

Yeah. Yeah. All right. Let's talk a little bit about traveling as. a solo parent with kids to a theme park or destination where grandparents are not waiting to assist. Like, what is that like? How do you survive that? Not even survive. How do you enjoy that? Because I know you do.

Yes, I do very much. So I keep coming back to the idea of expectations. What are my expectations before I go to the park? and and what age are they? So at four and six, I thought that we were going to, you know, hang out on Dumbo's ride. And I had this list of things that I thought we would ride. It's a small world on, you know, repeat. But no, they had other ideas and they were daredevils from day one. So I had to really shift on that first trip my expectations and my itinerary, I think. So now when I've gone on trips, I've thought about what's the one thing each day that I want them to experience that that will be, I think, a lifetime core memory. And then what things are they into now? And that helps helps me not feel sad or overwhelmed in the middle of the day where I'm. the first time I was like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I have like this really, you know, perfect itinerary. And I'd planned out the whole scheme of where we started and where we went and rope drop. Oh, goodness gracious. I tried to do that with a four-year-old. I don't know what I was thinking. And I just think that watching them and learning, really trying to pay attention to what they like was the biggest thing. So we got to Thunder Mountain and James Henry saw that and he was like, I got to go on that. And we got the very front of the train and it ended up being dark by the time we got over there. And it stopped at the top of the track. And it's just the two or the three of us squished in the front, which was so fun. And we took a video for my dad because that's his favorite ride. And they will still talk about that ride specifically. I don't know if they remember anything about the day, but that was that really set me up for the rest of that trip. Thinking about what to pay attention. to, what they liked and what they were excited about and not. Yeah.

Well, it reminds me of the idea that parents, especially moms, I think, but parents get so in the weeds with the details and the planning. We've had clients before that are like, I want to have a ride by ride itinerary and blah, blah, blah. The magic is never there. That's actually where a lot of the fights break out and the overwhelm and the tears, adults and children, happen. Yes, that was like a ride malfunction, right? But a memory that they have for the rest of their lives and so do you. So remembering that it's not all about getting the checklist of rides done. It's not about that militant approach, even though you might want to get to all the attractions. It's the moments of that connection and the fact that you're crowded together in the front of that train and then you're just sitting there. Yeah, that I think is key for someone that's trying to plan a trip, whether you're going with a multi-generational multi-generational group or just a parent and their kids. OK, pause. I need you to think of. someone in your life right now, a friend, a sister, a coworker, that one person in your group chat who plans every trip and takes it very seriously. Got them? Good. I need you to send them this episode. Not later. Now. Well, wait, wait until were done. When you're not done listening, then you could do it. But soon. OK, word of mouth is how little podcasts like this one grow. And I would love nothing more than to be the show that your whole travel squad is listening to. So if Talk Travel to Me has ever saved you from a bad hotel, helped you survive a theme park or just made your commute a little more fun. Pass it on. Your people will thank you. Probably. I mean, I can't guarantee it, but I feel pretty good about it. OK, back to the good stuff. What is the hardest part for you about traveling solo with them?

Having to make all the choices. Especially when they were little, I felt like I had to pack everybody's things and then I have to like make decisions for where we're going to eat and what we're going to do this. and that. And I think that that got kind of taxing. It's gotten easier as they've gotten older and they have opinions and can do input. But that part initially was really overwhelming. I remember the first few flights solo, especially the flight part, because because they're confined, actually from that a lot harder because James Henry has so much energy. I would say that I felt relieved because I knew it. Like, I tried to get all the wiggles out of him, but I just I couldn't. So I think that, yeah, the decisions, the decisions. What do you want to eat this or that? And then just picking for them and then be like, I don't actually want to eat that. You're like, oh, that's fun. So now that's a lot better. I would not say perfect because, you know, that's a whole other beast now of having other people's opinions with it. But I think they understand that their words have consequences, too. So if I choose this, this is what I'm choosing and I don't get to like be a complain about it. That doesn't mean they don't complain because they totally do. Specifically with a. budget of buying things. So the first time we went to Disney, I kept their gift cards, but they had been giving gift cards from my mom and dad. And so they knew they had X amount, but they were so little they didn't understand basic math. Like, here you've got 50 bucks. But how much are things worth? So they would say, do I still have enough for that? Do I still have enough for that? Do I still have enough for that? And two kids saying that the first couple of days, I was like, oh, this is really overwhelming. So by the third day, I remember I was like, OK, I have to at least tell the older one. Sorry, Jamal, you always get the brunt of it. You got to wait because brother can't. And I need you to wait so we can figure the maths out. And as much fun as it would be to have Disney math for our gift cards, we can't. So we have a set amount. And that's evolved to now be a really good thing that Jamal is really good at budgeting. And on the last day, she just went. to the Emporium and went crazy, which was fun because she had a lot of money left. But it meant that in January, James Henry spent a lot of his money at the beginning and then was mad that he only had $13 left for the last couple of days, even though we had that conversation. So I, as the parent, had to prepare myself that I knew that's how he kept spending, like that. that's not unusual. And that I needed to prepare myself. It's not my choices. It's his. And I don't have to take the... I don't have to feel bad or guilty that that's how he spent his money. Sure. Because I think as a parent, I want to, yeah, I want to get you that extra thing. Like, I know it'll make you happy, but will it make you happy for more than five minutes? I don't know. And so having them learn that their choices affect the rest of the trip potentially, I think has been really, has been really good. But also taking the guilt off of myself, which I do have to tell myself as he was really wanting a pair of. Mickey Sorcerer ears that he did not have enough money for. I had to keep saying like, it's okay, Breanne. It's okay. This is fine. This is a learning experience. He's not going to die because he doesn't have the Mickey ears.

Right.

I'm still going to feed him.

Right. Like you're not making them budget food and then having to be at the end of the trip with no food. Right. And it reminds me of, I say this a lot to when I was younger and my daughter was younger. myself, but also now to clients is taking your kids on vacation is not vacation. And I know that sounds crazy, but you're just parenting in a different location. Yeah. Right. So you're teaching them incredible life skills. because you are having this conversation about how money works. Unless you are Taylor Swift and have a billion dollars, right? Like your money, whatever, how much your budget is, you have to take care of that. You have to budget it out. And if you buy everything in the beginning, well, then you don't have anything left towards the end. But to your point, kiddos as they're younger, they. have big emotions about that. And it's not a concept they're familiar with yet. And as moms, we want to solve their problems. Yes. And but I can tell you, having been now at the other end of the spectrum, that is the worst thing we could do for them because they have to understand that if they spend all their money and I like rescue you at the end, that's going to happen when they're adults and they don't have money for their car payment. Right. And they think you've got to learn that lesson. And it's a lot easier when the only thing you don't get to have is so it's for Mickey Mickey years.

Right.

Right. Like that's and I think that the and I've I've I know that you do this, but like the verbalization of all of these things as you're going through, whether it's what we're choosing for dinner or where we're going or that sort of thing. It's like that process is all part of that experience. And so you're solo traveling with your kids, but you're really solo parenting them when their other parent is not there. And honestly, that feels true. no matter whether you're just at the grocery store or across the country.

Right. Yeah, because the grocery store is going to have sometimes the exact same problems that you would have at the Emporium.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, definitely for sure. And I think that that's a big, big thing to remember. Right. That was just preparing yourself like it's not going to be magically. They're always going to be perfect and everything's sunshine and rainbows like the fits will happen. And he probably threw a fit this last trip like every single day. And I don't see that to scare people. I just say that to like. the reality is that I had a blast with them. It was so wonderful. And we made so many good memories in January. And yet still, still those regular fits, most of them all pertaining to money or order of events. So when I was chatting with Jean-Mali about doing this podcast, she gave me some of her own tips. And one pertained to this is you don't have to buy every single thing you want. And I thought that's a good tip. That's a good one. And then siblings need to. compromise. It's OK with going second. So if you each have a ride and I made them this year for the first time, a checklist per park. So my aunt had this idea. She used to take her kids every summer to Disneyland and they would drive because they had family down there. And she would pass around a notebook in the car and they got to pick their number one thing they wanted to do. Their second place thing and the thing they did not want to do at all. And so two kids and two grownups for always these for these trips. And so they could divide and conquer sometimes and sometimes they had to compromise. So I took that concept this year with the kids. And once again, Jean-Mali being the oldest and I don't know, she's very kind. She would be like, it's OK, we'll do that second. And sometimes I would be like, no, that doesn't make any sense. We're standing right in front of the Haunted Mansion. We're going to go in there first. Or like we don't even have tickets today because we were just doing single day tickets. We're not even at. Epcot. So we can't do the test track like kind of thing. So I think that that helps my brain to just say like, hey, we all have a priority and we're going to try to hit that priority per person. But it might mean that we don't do it first. You might have to wait till four o'clock till we do your activity. It's again, they have to learn those events and someday and might as well learn it at Disney when you're going to do something fun.

Well, yeah. And I think otherwise, we've all been around people that can't share the space or think that their needs are more important. And I think it's a great lesson also to show Jean-Mali that her needs are important, too, and she doesn't always need to go second. Yes. And I do think we could go totally down the psychological situation. But girls and women definitely need to to learn that because that is something that I know as adults. We look back and we're like, wait, why don't? why don't my needs matter? And for you to stand up and say, no, it's OK for James Henry to go. first sometimes, but it's also just as OK for you to go first. Or here's one that's controversial. Mom gets to go first. Which I think a lot of moms don't. And I think that in the roundabout way, we end up teaching our kids that they are more important and then we create that existence later. That's not great either.

Right. And and I did with the checklist. So we didn't do we did Magic Kingdom this last trip as our third day, which was I hadn't done it that way yet. And I kind of liked. it was like that building of expectations and experience and excitement. But I said, OK, I was like, this is how this is going to work. There are going to be some times where I am watching. I am watching my phone for wait times and we're just going to have to run or you're just going to be patient with the order. I do things in. We're going to get to everything. We're going to have to do it. And it means that mom's going first. We're doing seven doors, mine train first. Yeah, that's my expectation. And he eventually realized that this was a good choice. But it did take a little bit of a conversation still ongoing, which is fine. That's part of it.

It's part of parenting in a different location.

Yep.

That's what that is. So what would you say was the most or is the most fun part of traveling solo with them?

Seeing seeing things through their eyes, like just because I've done it a few times, they're going to notice something that I I don't see or I don't think of or I take for granted. Like I am trying to remember. Well, they're really great at finding hidden Mickey's specifically at Disney. But I think the things that they learn, they both really love science and history. So learning something about an animal or an attraction or a location and them getting really, really excited about that is extremely rewarding. It's my dopamine levels for sure. I thought that Epcot was really interesting with that, that they loved figment before and they did again. But they really liked the countries this time for the first time. It was more like they wanted to read and they wanted to learn about, oh, these are. Norse gods. Like, yeah, let's go in that space. A little, you know, a little lovely museum that we definitely didn't hit when they were four and six. So I think that that that and wonders is why I keep doing it over and over again, whether it's camping, amusement park, a long road trip, a cruise. That was really cool. Like them being on the ocean like that, that was very eye opening to me. how magical they thought that was.

Not that I don't want to talk about camping, but I what cruise ship did you do with them? Have they been on more than one or just one so far?

Just one so far. OK. It was Royal Caribbean and it was Liberty of the Seas. So it's not a very big one and it's older. And we just had an ocean view too. We didn't have a balcony, but I didn't quite know how they were going to react to everything. And I thought, oh, this feels like a safe bet. But yeah, it was the Gimali Gek, seasick. I knew she probably would. So I didn't start meds soon enough. So that was on me. I learned. I learned on that one. But we made we made do with that. And they were. they were so much fun to have in the formal dining room and getting used to their wait staff. They they thought that was so fun to be fancy and to eat with a full silverware set and get to have a fancy goblet to drink out of and order cookies every night. Like that was pure joy for me to watch them like embrace that because we don't eat formal like that at home. And I don't take them to fancy restaurants like that very often or ever.

Well, that's something I honestly never thought of. in the idea of that's how you can expose them to things like. I don't know a lot of parents that do eat fancy at home. I mean, we certainly don't. But the idea of bringing them to a place where it is perfectly fine for them to be children. But learning and having that experience is so important to them when they're young.

Yes, definitely. And I think like my grandmother was Finnish and a new immigrant family. And so she was she would. teach me like this is how we set the table and these are all the different utensils are for. And so it was really fun to pass on that knowledge and be like, hey, your great grandma taught me this. And here's this place setting and we can talk about that. And so some of that like family history too, that I think you start to share on trips, not just the trip, but like sharing things about yourself because they I think my kids sometimes forget that I was a kid.

Oh, absolutely.

Yes. Wait, what? You did what? Yeah. Yeah.

My daughter actually said to me just this week and she like I said, she's an adult. She's 23. And she said to me, I often forget that you had a life before me. And it was funny because I was like, yeah, and it's not even just before but before she was aware of things. Right. Yeah. And we were talking about high school and my first year of college and things like that. And it was funny to me that like, yeah, that. but I think that's what traveling, whether it's camping or cruising or theme. parks, whatever it was, is a space for connection. So you're having a chance to like, sit by the campfire, which I is the one thing I love about camping for sure still, and having conversations about your family and you know, it opens up. We actually were talking recently too about having growing up having conversations of depth with your family.

Yeah.

Is something that some people miss out on. So as they're adults, they are like, oh, the weather is great. And that's all they can kind of do. But like, instead of being like, you're creating a container on these travel experiences where you're not working, they're not at school, you're not chasing them to do, you know, their homework or what have you. But you're able to, to really just connect and have these deep meaningful conversations, whether they're about your grandma and how she taught you how the salad fork was or what have you. Like that, that container is great. And I wonder if that is easier when you're traveling as one parent versus two also.

Yeah, I think so. Because I was, as you were talking, I was picturing eating Dole Whip, like. in the very back corner of Adventureland and just sitting there with them and letting them guide the conversation. And I remember it was so peaceful and I can see it so clearly. We all three got different Dole Whips. And so we were sharing, which is not always something that we're good at, and trying new things. And they were talking about how it reminded them of a previous trip and what things they liked of that previous trip. And then asking me, did you have Dole Whip when you were little at Disneyland? And I was like, I don't remember. And they're like, why don't you remember? And I was like, we didn't take as many pictures back then. I don't know. And I was like, oh, I should ask my mom. But it kind of spurred on more conversations with that. But just those peaceful moments of just being able to look at them. I've posted this before, but it's something I want to share all the time is you will never be as little as you are right now. Like, I think that all the time when I look at them or when I hold them, because tomorrow or even five minutes from now, they're a little bit older, they're a little bit bigger. So I think traveling solo with them keeps me present in that moment that I get to absorb their littleness, their curiosity, this moment. I kind of wish I would have taken them even earlier to Disney. I just heard a lot of people saying things like, you know, like, well, they're not going to remember it. And I should have ignored them because I would remember it.

Yes. Yes. And I actually say that to people all the time because one of my favorite and Eric's favorite trips ever was Allison's first trip. She was 14 months old. Oh, she does not remember that trip at all. But she knows the stories of it because it has become family lore, right? That her standing in front of the hippos, the animal kingdom, and there's obviously fish in there. And she was like, fish, fish. She was trying to label every single fish. And there was like hundreds, if not thousands of them. And like, we go by there now and literally fish, fish, like because it was a memory that we. have. The idea that we do everything for their memory is just not accurate. It's like as parents that is there. But to your point, the idea that like we don't bring the same kid on vacation ever again, like you only have, you know, five years, three months old. This is where you are. This is the things you're into. And so when you talk about like they're suddenly into the Norse gods stuff, it's like, oh, my gosh, that that is a game changer with how they interact with the world and how they can see the information and the people that work there. Like that they're from Norway and yeah. All right. So as far as tips, things that like we want to make sure that someone considering this, what is your number one tip for someone that is thinking that they want to go try this?

I don't know, because I'm always like a top five of kind of tips kind of girl.

But give us top five. But quickly.

But quickly. I think if you're considering it, that means you want to do it and you should do it. You can always try something once. and you can say, that's not for me. I don't like doing this solo. Then don't do it again. But, you know, if you're thinking about it, you should try and then you should think about yourself at home. Like when if you're always a solo parent, you probably used to this and that's going to be your jam and you're going to do great because you've solo parented at home all the time. Great. Go for it. If you parent with a partner, think about all the things you do do by yourself and what parts you would be missing from your partner about not being there. And can you pick up that space? You probably can. You're probably a rock star. Either a parent, whether you're the primary parent or the secondary parent, whatever, you're going to be great. So I think those are probably my top two tips.

All right. So let's let's go to the idea of. let's circle back to the title question. Is there a way to do it with chaos? I think we'd both said yes. Yes, it's worth doing.

All right.

So if you are interested in talking with someone who has. a plethora of experience booking these solo travel with children, including the one you're leaving tomorrow.

Correct.

For an extended 3 a.m Oh, my goodness. Please reach out to Breanne. You can find her at mickeyguru.com. slash Breanne. You could also just go to mickeyguru.com and you'll find her smiling face. But I think that that would be a great way to connect with someone that's done this before. She's got so many tips. I do think that we'll probably have at least a couple of shared posts on social media with some more tips because we couldn't get into anything. Everything here. So I think that would be fabulous. And next week, I don't know yet what our question is going to be. So you'll have to subscribe and then you'll be surprised to learn what question we're unpack next week. OK, until then, see you real soon, traveler.

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