Should he stay or should he go (if he goes there could be trouble)

[echovictor]

Very brief background: My 7 yr old and I are Disney obsessed. Husband not so much. Let’s just say he tolerates my obsession. He enjoys our trips to the World but doesn’t understand the need to visit as often as we want to.

Dilemma: I’m in the middle of planning our next trip and husband mentioned this weekend that he’d rather stay home with our 14 month old this time around. At first, I was very excited (don’t take that wrong, I love having him there).

Pros of husband NOT going:

• husband insists on staying at the monorail resorts so we can save some money by staying at a mod,

• his favorite part of Disney is the food, we don’t care about it so don’t have to do DDP (have room discount pin code so can save more money),

• don’t have to take as much time away from parks for TS meals and the down time at the resort for the toddler,

• we only have 3 ½ days in the parks and can commando-style tour without worrying about the slower pace needed for him and the toddler,

• toddler isn’t a great traveler at this age, has difficulty sleeping in strange places.

But now I’m starting to feel a bit guilty and a little sad not having my youngest there. He gets so excited when he sees Mickey on TV, and I would love to see his reactions to the characters. I know it would be a lot more work, more difficult travel, more money and we wouldn’t get to do as much but I’m wondering if I’m making a mistake by not taking my son at this age.

What would you do given that it is such a short trip and we plan to return in spring of 2013 around my son’s 3rd birthday?

(Is it obvious I'm trying to justify being selfish? :lol

 

[WDWmazprty]

Well, if your husband is willing to stay with the baby, I say go for it. Sure,he gets excited seeing Mickey, but he's still only a little over a year; I don't think he'll miss it as much if he were 3 or 4. Plus, you said you're planning on going back in a couple years.

I say, go with your 7 year old and have fun! Do things in Disney you never have done with your husband there; make it a memorable trip because you'll probably never go alone like that again.

 

[Lucky]

Well, if your husband is willing to stay with the baby, I say go for it. Sure,he gets excited seeing Mickey, but he's still only a little over a year; I don't think he'll miss it as much if he were 3 or 4. Plus, you said you're planning on going back in a couple years.

I say, go with your 7 year old and have fun! Do things in Disney you never have done with your husband there; make it a memorable trip because you'll probably never go alone like that again.

My opinion exactly.

 

[Mukta]

Great thread title!!

I'm sure that if you go without them, you will have moments of missing them and feeling guilty. I'm going to try and help you ease the guilt.

A toddler that young will really slow you down. You only have 3.5 days there. You can do so much more without the baby there. If your trip was longer, I would say bring the baby.

Your older child has recently experienced a permanent change that will drastically change his life forever (younger sibling). Let him have some time alone with Mom. I'm sure he doesn't get that much alone time with you anymore.

You want to see the baby's reaction to the characters? There is a good chance that reaction will be terror and tears.

This is also a good chance for your husband to spend some quality time with your youngest.

I think 3 is a great age to bring your youngest. The 4 of you can go in 2013 and have a great trip. You'll have time to save up and make it a longer trip at a monorail resort (so husband is happy).

 

[echovictor]

Thanks for the great feedback! And yes, it does make me feel less guilty.

I knew my fellow Disney fans would see it more clearly and rationally than my coworkers :animwink:

 

[ThatMouse]

You could all go and split up when you get there, but I can't imagine where I'd go with a 14 month old. You can only drink so much at the pool bar before it's child endangerment. I think I'd hate going to Disney too if I had a baby to take care of. They are so needy and ungratful! lol!

 

[Obi]

and if he stays it will be double.... :ROFLOL:

sorry, had to finish the verse.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I'd say leave the husband at home. lol. I love traveling with all my family but sometimes I enjoy trips with just me and my mother or me and my sister. This will give you and your oldest some special bonding time and also give Dad and your youngest some bonding time as well. I say if you two love Disney that much, go and have a blast!!!

 

[draybook]

Husband not so much.

Step 1) Get a divorce!

Step 2) Enjoy your Disney vacation!







Just kidding, but I can't imagine my spouse not enjoying Disney as much as I do. My wife was on the fence before our first trip, but she's hooked now.

 

[R W B]

Yea, go with just the 2 of you and make the most of it. In the end you will most likey get to do more in the parks and still save a good bit of money too. Cant beat that.

 

[westie]

I agree with your husband. If I'm going to drop a couple grand on a trip, I want a trip! I do not want a death march, all day, all night, trying to get my bucks worth. I want to sleep in! I want to go to the pool! I want fine dining! Its a vacation! Please, let me have some rest....

 

[echovictor]

You could all go and split up when you get there, but I can't imagine where I'd go with a 14 month old. You can only drink so much at the pool bar before it's child endangerment. I think I'd hate going to Disney too if I had a baby to take care of. They are so needy and ungratful! lol!

I didn't know that you knew my husband. :lol:

and if he stays it will be double.... :ROFLOL:

sorry, had to finish the verse.

Yeah, I was scared to finish it myself! Afraid I might jinx him!

 

[coltow]

I would love to take a trip alone with my 7yo, it would be truly magical to have some 1 on 1 time like that

 

[erinshaneb]

I agree with your husband. If I'm going to drop a couple grand on a trip, I want a trip! I do not want a death march, all day, all night, trying to get my bucks worth. I want to sleep in! I want to go to the pool! I want fine dining! Its a vacation! Please, let me have some rest....

Sorry I disagree..we go on vacation to do just this..we set alarm clocks and I wake up sleeping children (something I never do at home), we don't swim in pools (hey we have pools in Texas too), although I do wish we a little time play in the pool...we go go go go..that's what vacations are for, I can sleep when i am dead..

Now for the thread..I have a 5 year old and 20 month old..my hubby is the same way..he goes and has fun, but sounds just like your hubby..he loves food and sit down dinners.. me, hand a hot dog from point a to point b...i can rest standing in line..lol...If it was a short trip and he told me the same thing, I would do it too..my daughter is sooooo needing extra just "mommy" time and i am sure your son is too...my husband loves to stay home with the kids in short bursts a couple days with the youngest would probably do them some good too....don't worry, your youngest isn't gonna grow up and need therapy bcuz "mommy took my brother and not me" (he might need therapy for the disney obsession that seems to take over our lives..lol)

Don't feel guilty, go, spend some good time with your son and enjoy every rope drop to EMH you can !!!

 

[slappy magoo]

My general feeling about babies and WDW: If you have a baby, and you want to go to WDW, and you understand all the extra logistics that go into bringing a baby to WDW, and that you might not be able to tour as extensively, you may have to do less in your day...go for it.

But whenever I hear people talking about taking a trip to WDW FOR their babies, I always shake my head & wonder. The trip's for you, the baby's not going to remember it. To spend thousands of dollars on a trip for a smile on your baby's lips that you could get just by spending some quality time with the baby at home, it just flat-out makes no sense to me. Others beg to differ. Slappette & I took our Slapperina when she was 4-5 months old, we took her because we wanted to go. The smiles we got from her were definitely a plus, but I'd never say that trip was for HER benefit.

So if you have a husband that doesn't want to go, and a baby that won't necessarily remember going, just leave it be. To have them go means you'll be doing less and you won't have as much fun because you'll always be trying to make the trip a little bit better for someone that doesn't want to be there and someone else who will be totally reliant on what two people at odds on how to spend the trip will decide to do.

 

[RobnRachal]

As long as your husbands being completely honest about staying home with the "baby", there should be zero guilt involved. You'll be spending quality time with your oldest, and hubby will be spending quality time with "baby". Children need that one on one time with each parent. We try to have "Daddy/daughter" and "Mommy/daughter" days (two girls :animwink as often as we can. This is the exact same thing, just in a super cool place
Have a GREAT time!!!!

 

[toystorymaniacs]

Go! Don't get me wrong I think toddlers are a lot of fun at Disney. I'll be taking my youngest (17 months) for her first trip in September and both of my boys had been twice by her age. But if someone told me I could have one on one time for several days with any of my kids I would jump on it. As your kids get older (and if you have anymore) it gets harder and harder to have one on one time. If your husband is really willing to stay let him and enjoy time with your oldest.

 

[kstella]

Take the 7 year old and go!!!! Think of the special mommy and me memories. The baby will never remember that you didn't take him on this trip and if your husband doesn't really want to go then let him stay home.

 

[BUZZCRUSH]

Go and don't look back - the little one gets all the attention I'm sure - what a great way to spend one on one time with the 7 year old. We did the same thing when our youngest was 1 and our oldest was 7 and had a great time. Now our youngest is 4 and has been to Disney twice already.

 

[CLandrum]

You can only drink so much at the pool bar before it's child endangerment. I think I'd hate going to Disney too if I had a baby to take care of. They are so needy and ungratful! lol!

This is so going in my favorite quotes!

I agree have fun with your 7 year old son. My daughter and I do a trip with just the 2 of us every couple years and we have a blast. We get to do what ever we want and don't have to worry about anyone else. My favorite thing is having Pineapple float Dole Whips for dinner and riding BTMRR over and over again for hours. You can't do that with a whiney husband and toddler.