Hi, there!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Amie. We're so glad you stopped by!
As a mom of three, I can totally relate to your question. When we made our first visit to the Walt Disney World Resort as a family of five, my husband and I quickly realized that the 'divide and conquer' strategy we used as a family of four wasn't quite so simple now that we are outnumbered! Luckily, there are lots of
family-friendly attractions that we can experience together. Some of these attractions feature bench seating, like Frozen Ever After, and we can all sit in one row. Others feature ample ride vehicles that can easily accommodate three to a seat, like Peter Pan's Flight. On these attractions, we'll split up into one group of two and one group of three.
For attractions our little one is just
too little for, we take turns riding with the bigger kids. For example, my husband will take our oldest on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train while I wait with our middle kiddo and the baby. Once they've exited the attraction, I'll ride with our middle child while my husband waits with our oldest and the baby. Whoever is waiting will usually use that time for some shopping, grabbing a snack, or stopping for a bathroom break.
Sometimes we'll use
Disney's Rider Switch to make sure everyone gets a chance to ride a popular attraction. When we use this family-friendly service, we only experience
one wait time, even though we're taking turns riding!
Another option is to allow your oldest kiddo to ride alone while you and your husband pair off with the other two.
Guests older than 7 may board an attraction without an adult as long as they're comfortable doing so. My 9-year old loves that freedom, but honestly, we haven't found the need to employ that strategy more than just a few times.
I hope this was helpful, Amie. Please let me know if you have any other questions about traveling to the
Walt Disney World Resort with little ones in tow!
Ashley