News Remaining child care centers closing July 31st.

[Tom P.]

To each his own.

Our kids are still young. The oldest is ten. When we take our kids to Disney, like we did in September, we do everything together as a family. But in October, my wife and I took a trip to the Biltmore Estate for our tenth anniversary and left the kids with grandparents. That was our time for us.

That's how we choose to do it. For others, it may be different. I think the important thing is that it has to be a balance of time with and for the kids and time for a married couple to focus on each other.

 

[nickys]

the big difference now vs then is that WDW used to be a "resort" in the traditional sense. It was a place that was an adult getaway, with family things, like the theme park. Back in those days, the resort lead with the amenities and extras...golf, tennis, boating, fishing, adult themed dinner shows, sophisticated lounges, etc...The theme park was always the big family draw, but I remember spending a week there and having two or three days that didn't involve going to the parks. We would just swim, go shopping, rent a boat, golf as a family and do Hoop de doo. On a few nights, my folks would head to "Top of the World" for a dinner show, go to some of the lounges or just have a night out on their own.

Now the focus is on PARKS!!!!!! WE MUST SPEND ALL OUR TIME ON RIDES!!!!

I feel like we lost something when that all shifted...it stopped being a family resort vacation and became a weird form of death march that doesn't offer adults a chance to relax.

Well this is how we do WDW! Never do rope drop, everyone decides when they have "had enough" and heads back to the villa. Early morning swims or late night swims, chill in the room, stroll around the resort or along the Boardwalk. A few hours in the park and call it a day, or sometimes stay until closing. Stroll from BLT to MK for EMH on the spur of the moment, or after a day out at Kennedy.

And no, we don't go 4 times a year, we go once every 3 years. But we make it a real vacation. Helps to have anything between 10 days and 3 weeks, helps to have a DVC villa where we can have a family dinner.

It takes more planning than it did. That's fine, I do that, have a rough plan and a list of everyone's must-do stuff, and we tick things off as we accomplish them. And everyone gets to relax and enjoy it the way they want. And if that means DS sleeping in and meeting us for lunch then that's fine. Or if I take myself off for an afternoon around WS whilst they go off to the malls then it's all good.

 

[TeriofTerror]

That type of weird obsession kills marriages and wrecks kids...My ex was that way and she still has a strange obsession with the children. They are teens and fairly independent, but she treats them like they are still two years old. The kids really resent her for that and I feel bad for her...she doesn't really realize that the kids cant stand being around her. Its almost depressing to see parents ruin their entire life trying to make their kids happy, when all they are doing is making themselves miserable and their children helpless.

Personal experience, but its my own observation...

As the mother of an only child and a control freak, I can tell you it's extremely hard to let your child grow up fighting its own battles, but you absolutely must. I mean, unless you want to spend your entire life wiping your adult child's nose. No, thank you!

 

[21stamps]

As the mother of an only child and a control freak, I can tell you it's extremely hard to let your child grow up fighting its own battles, but you absolutely must. I mean, unless you want to spend your entire life wiping your adult child's nose. No, thank you!

It is so hard.

One of the most painful moments for me as a mother, was when I watched a newly-turned-7-year old cry his eyes out after letting nerves get the best of him at a baseball tryout.
As in, choking sobs and words of self-doubt, and anger at himself. Then later on crying himself to sleep alone in his room. It shattered my heart because I couldn’t fix it. I wish I could have spared him from that for a little while longer, but I think in the long run it was a good lesson to have. They have to find their own inner strength.. we’re just here to support them.

 

[LAM378]

This is disappointing (and surprising, considering that Lilo's Playhouse got that big overhaul just a few years ago). Those centers are a blast for kids, and a great way for parents to enjoy some of the more adult-oriented places on property.

I'd never use the in-room babysitting service because I don't want my kids cooped up in a hotel room while I enjoy a nice dinner, no matter how fun the sitter might be. I also don't want them walking around the resort with said sitter, because my trust level doesn't go that far.

I can see how the childcare centers don't get a lot of business, because hardly anyone even knows they exist. They're a footnote on the WDW website. Most of their business probably come from repeat business and word of mouth, or from those of us who remember spending time in those same centers as children.

Disney knows how to heavily promote what it feels like promoting. If they wanted more people using the centers, they would have thrown more money at letting people know they were even a thing.

 

[TeriofTerror]

It is so hard.

One of the most painful moments for me as a mother, was when I watched a newly-turned-7-year old cry his eyes out after letting nerves get the best of him at a baseball tryout.
As in, choking sobs and words of self-doubt, and anger at himself. Then later on crying himself to sleep alone in his room. It shattered my heart because I couldn’t fix it. I wish I could have spared him from that for a little while longer, but I think in the long run it was a good lesson to have. They have to find their own inner strength.. we’re just here to support them.

I can't "like" this, because my heart aches for both of you. So <3 to you both!

 

[winstongator]

This company has a bunch of clowns running it. You have parents that want to enjoy the adult offerings you promote without kids and unless you pay a baby sitter to hangout in your room you just took away the ticket to a more enjoyable vacation. btw... $100 for 8 hours to watch twin 5 year olds girls for the night was a bargain. I would have paid $200. Do your homework Disney

I would pay it too for my 7 & 10 year olds, but it seems like it was not very crowded. I understand the parents who say it’s a family trip and we want to stick together. Many parents work a lot or travel. I’m with my daughters at least 6 waking hours every weekday, and don’t have consistent babysitting, so an adult night out is nice. Any news on the Swolphin kids club?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I would pay it too for my 7 & 10 year olds, but it seems like it was not very crowded. I understand the parents who say it’s a family trip and we want to stick together. Many parents work a lot or travel. I’m with my daughters at least 6 waking hours every weekday, and don’t have consistent babysitting, so an adult night out is nice. Any news on the Swolphin kids club?

I just learned about this, and it really brings me down. For my wife and I we don't have a lot of family that offer to baby sit much, so when we go on vacation to WDW, we loved taking advantage of one night to put the kids in the club and grab a dinner at a finer restaurant. Those few hours were a treat for us. Universal does have clubs though I think.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

When we took our kids it was about THEM, not us. Time enough after they leave home for you and your husband to explore Disney with no kids. We have, and it's a whole new experience, and we have all our nights free. Take grandparents, and trade off times if you can't wait for then.

And talk about seeing things from only your view. BTW, the nights my kids did them, they did not want to leave. Also, how many times didbkids say they just want to go swimming and parents drag them to a park anyway, I am sure that never happened right?

 

[Club Cooloholic]

They don't have to stay in the room. They will take them out and around the resort and even take them swimming if your are comfortable with it. Besides, your children will be grown in a blink of an eye. Then you can have all of the date nights you can handle.

Yeah not happening, and the blink of an eye , oh please....

 

[NiarrNDisney]

Looks like these new Pixar events might be a great option for parents wanting a date night.

https://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/di...nce-coming-to-disneys-contemporary-resort.htm

 

[jaklgreen]

Yeah not happening, and the blink of an eye , oh please....

What do you mean "oh please"? Maybe time drags on for you but for us it seemed to go way too fast. My kids are almost adults now it seems like they were little just a couple of years ago.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

What do you mean "oh please"? Maybe time drags on for you but for us it seemed to go way too fast. My kids are almost adults now it seems like they were little just a couple of years ago.

I did not say time drags on, some of us spend a lot of time volunteering with our kids, chaperoning, running youth groups and while spending time with our kids on vacation is valued we also value time to converse and connect with our spouses. The way you put it you must never tried to go on a date with your spouse and that is your right but don't give us the kids grow fast, we know they do, and we hear plenty of that from Disney in their marketing. We have taken out daughter to grand canyon, Yosemite, the Florida keys and lots in between, so a few hours of not having her ask when dinner will be over in a nice place is not missing a blink. So yeah Oh Please.

 

[jaklgreen]

I did not say time drags on, some of us spend a lot of time volunteering with our kids, chaperoning, running youth groups and while spending time with our kids on vacation is valued we also value time to converse and connect with our spouses. The way you put it you must never tried to go on a date with your spouse and that is your right but don't give us the kids grow fast, we know they do, and we hear plenty of that from Disney in their marketing. We have taken out daughter to grand canyon, Yosemite, the Florida keys and lots in between, so a few hours of not having her ask when dinner will be over in a nice place is not missing a blink. So yeah Oh Please.

I have no issue with people going on dates with their spouse, or doing anything without their kids. And my statement stands that time flies by. It was more tongue in cheek then any kind of sensor on my side.

 

[bektex]

The babysitting service is honoring reservations only until July 31st

Does this include in room baby sitting?

 

[JaxFLBear]

Does this include in room baby sitting?

Independent childcare provider Kid's Nite Out will continue to offer babysitting. To contact Kid's Nite Out, please call (407) 828-0920, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, 7 days a week. Pricing is from $18 per hour.

https://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wa...hildrens-activity-centers-later-this-year.htm

 

[George]

They should have in park babysitting and promote parental unit alone time in the room

 

[jaklgreen]

They should have in park babysitting and promote parental unit alone time in the room

I am pretty sure that the Kid's Night Out sitters will take your kid to the park if you pay them to.

 

[ToTBellHop]

They should have in park babysitting and promote parental unit alone time in the room

They do have in park babysitting. Just leave your kids in the park and train them to say “I’m 8-years old!” on cue when asked. The CMs will babysit for you while you go to Universal for the day!

 

[slappy magoo]

Looks like these new Pixar events might be a great option for parents wanting a date night.

https://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/di...nce-coming-to-disneys-contemporary-resort.htm

My guess is, if this is successful enough to the point that there's a demand, they'll open more of them. Not in every resort or anything, but maybe one in one of the Epcot resorts, maybe one in the DS area, strategic to places grownups might want to go but be close to their kids.