Wouldn't you kids rather stay home?
Jan 07 '01
I've been to Disney World with children (three teenage boys) and without, and I must say that though I love my children more than anything in the world, I had a better time when they stayed home.
1. Plans - The more people in the group, the more difficult it is to get a consensus on where to go, when to go, how to get there and how long to stay there. You try to please everyone because this is a rare (read expensive) vacation but it's not easy.
There is the "are we there yet" issue. Disney World is a walking world. At home, my boys drive to the next door neighbor's house. Walking is not a preferred mode of transportation.
My older son preferred to stay by the pool and did not want to visit any of the Disney parks. He was not amenable to many of our plans. I think he would have preferred to be with another family (any other family) than with us. Having your family separated leads parents to worry about those members that are not in sight i.e. at the pool looking at teenage girls. Worrying is not supposed to be part of the Disney experience.
Teenagers (my only point of reference) like to sleep late. If they do, you'll generally miss out on the early park openings. Early park openings enable Disney hotel guests to get an hour or two head-start on rides before the general public is admitted.
Four or more people in a small room with one bathroom for a week can be a bit painful. I don't know know about your kids but mine don't always get along. WWF type bouts can start with a simple "he called me stupid". Having them in a small space doesn't enhance the relationships.
2. Cost - We stayed in the World. Most Disney hotel rooms accommodate four or five comfortably. So you wouldn't save on the room by leaving the kids at home. However, you would save on airfare, passes to the Theme parks and meals. Now, I do not say leave the kids home because of cost. That would be selfish. My kids didn't want to go back so I had a good excuse.
3. Adults only - I'm not really a club person nor is my wife but we had the opportunity to visit Pleasure Island - home of assorted nightclubs and a comedy club - without the kids. You may want to visit one of the finer restaurants in the World, like Wolfgang Puck's and have a quiet and leisurely meal. As you know, most children prefer fast food. (I do too, but don't tell my wife).
If you go without children, be sure that YOU like what Disney has to offer - rides, shows, characters, walking, and so on. If Space Mountain or Test Track are not your cup of tea, then a different vacation may be in order.
4. Summary - I'm sure there is good day care available at Disney so that you could bring the children AND get away by yourselves if you want. I must say, also, that we had a great time both times we visited Disney World, the first with the boys and the second without.
The second visit though was simpler and more relaxing. By the time I can afford to go back, I'll be bringing grandchildren and I'll let you know how that works out.
Thanks for reading!
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bceaglesfan
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Member: Mike S
Location: 25 miles Northwest of Boston
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Enjoy epinions, family, friends, not in that order, ok maybe in that order.
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