Bringing a friend

[tinkerkailey95]

Hi all, my mom and I will be in the world May 1st-11th. Originally it was going to be a mother daughter trip but, recently my mom has been saying she wants to sleep in more where as I would want to be in the parks. She said it would be ok to bring a friend. I had two friends in mind but one got ruled out after spending 5 days with her haha. What should I ask myself before inviting her? I just want to make sure it will be the right choice.

 

[TDF]

Hi we travel with a friend most of the time for my brother, he isn’t a huge Disney fan so having someone with him makes it more enjoyable for him. I would definitely ask myself, “Will I still want to be friends with her after staying 10 nights with them?” I would also want to ask myself, “How will my friend feel coming for 10 nights?” Make sure both of you guys will be comfortable with each other for that amount of time. I wish someone my age would come with me… being a 19 year old boy Disney fan isn’t the greatest! LOL
- Justin

 

[tinkerkailey95]

Hi we travel with a friend most of the time for my brother, he isn’t a huge Disney fan so having someone with him makes it more enjoyable for him. I would definitely ask myself, “Will I still want to be friends with her after staying 10 nights with them?” I would also want to ask myself, “How will my friend feel coming for 10 nights?” Make sure both of you guys will be comfortable with each other for that amount of time. I wish someone my age would come with me… being a 19 year old boy Disney fan isn’t the greatest! LOL
- Justin

Hey, being an 18 year old girl Disney fan isn't all that awesome! While most of my friends tolerate it, they think I'm insane! Haha

 

[Raven66]

We went to Disney in June to celebrate our daughter's 16th birthday. As another part of her gift we told her that she could bring a friend with her. We paid for just about everything she would need. We adore this girl. She is sweet, funny and she is my daughter's best friend. WE WILL NEVER TAKE HER WITH US ON ANOTHER TRIP!! It was horrible. She complained about everything. Our daughter picked Boma for her special dinner and her friend picked it apart piece by piece. She refused to take anymore pictures, she took forever to get ready in the mornings. I explained everything to her before we left and before she decided she wanted to go. She understood and agreed to everything. We never even got a thank you. Lots of people told us we shouldn't do it but did it anyway. We still love the kid, just won't travel with her anymore.

 

[Britt]

Definitely think about it before inviting her. LOL What kind of person is she....Does she like crowds? is she impatient? Is she a kid at heart? Is she a bathroom towel hog?? if she's a towel hog, boot her.

 

[Weather_Lady]

In addition to the questions suggested above, ask yourself:

1 - Will your friend appreciate the fact that she is a guest, abide by your family's rules and treat your mother with respect and gratitude?
2 - Is your friend a happy-go-lucky, go-with-the-flow kind of person, or someone apt to complain easily if a flight is delayed, a wait is long, etc.?
3 - Does your friend enjoy the same kinds of attractions you do (and can she handle them, or be patient if you want to do something that she has to sit out? (e.g., my DH can't do rollercoasters, but he's a great sport about waiting around for those of us that do). Can she handle hot, humid weather without feeling miserable?
4 - If you like to be present for rope drop, is your friend an early riser (or willing to become one temporarily)?
5 - Is your friend a "low maintenance" kind of gal? Does she show up for things on time? Not make a fuss if her hair is out of place? Never expect things to be "all about her" or create drama for drama's sake?

If you're unsure, I would suggest doing a little "trial run" before even asking your friend to come along. Have her accompany you to an amusement park, a local historic site or festival -- something that requires her to arrive early, walk a long distance, spend an entire day, and participate in collective decisions about what activities to do. Then you'll have some idea how she might conduct herself in Disney World.

 

[Tuvalu]

Hi all, my mom and I will be in the world May 1st-11th. Originally it was going to be a mother daughter trip but, recently my mom has been saying she wants to sleep in more where as I would want to be in the parks. She said it would be ok to bring a friend. I had two friends in mind but one got ruled out after spending 5 days with her haha. What should I ask myself before inviting her? I just want to make sure it will be the right choice.

As a mom who has taken mother-daughter trips with my daughter, that time together was precious and I would have hated to "share" her with a friend. Since you are a "go-er" and your mom wants to sleep in, have you considered going to the parks by yourself and having her meet you there later? Lots of folks do the parks solo. You can choose whatever attraction you want to ride (or gift store to visit) at whatever time you want and not have to feel guilty for being selfish! And no worries about a friend mocking you for your Disney love or complaining about something while you are there. If you fear being lonesome, it is easy to strike up a conversation with others waiting in line.

Also, once your mom sees how excited you are when you've arrived, she may not want to waste any time sleeping in late!

 

[smk]

We went to Disney in June to celebrate our daughter's 16th birthday. As another part of her gift we told her that she could bring a friend with her. We paid for just about everything she would need. We adore this girl. She is sweet, funny and she is my daughter's best friend. WE WILL NEVER TAKE HER WITH US ON ANOTHER TRIP!! It was horrible. She complained about everything. Our daughter picked Boma for her special dinner and her friend picked it apart piece by piece. She refused to take anymore pictures, she took forever to get ready in the mornings. I explained everything to her before we left and before she decided she wanted to go. She understood and agreed to everything. We never even got a thank you. Lots of people told us we shouldn't do it but did it anyway. We still love the kid, just won't travel with her anymore.

First thing I was going to say it make sure your friend can and will get along with your mom. No complaints only please and thank you's.

 

[Raven66]

First thing I was going to say it make sure your friend can and will get along with your mom. No complaints only please and thank you's.

The whole trip just stunk. I told her before we left how hot it was going to be. And how we would be hitting every photographer and character. We got photopass+ and only ended up with about 150 pictures and saw less then 5 characters. She had to stop at every restroom to check her make up even tho we told her before we left that it would be silly to use foundation and powder because it would "melt" off. My kid uses make up but she was like it's way to hot to care. That's why I didn't do a trip report, just too much of a downer.

 

[stevehousse]

The whole trip just stunk. I told her before we left how hot it was going to be. And how we would be hitting every photographer and character. We got photopass+ and only ended up with about 150 pictures and saw less then 5 characters. She had to stop at every restroom to check her make up even tho we told her before we left that it would be silly to use foundation and powder because it would "melt" off. My kid uses make up but she was like it's way to hot to care. That's why I didn't do a trip report, just too much of a downer.

I think this would make for a rather interesting trip report, sorry to hear u don't agree

 

[Disney Shib]

Hey, being an 18 year old girl Disney fan isn't all that awesome! While most of my friends tolerate it, they think I'm insane! Haha

My friends think the same thing. Luckily I have a best friend who I met through the Disney College program who moved to Orlando after our program and now lives there. My other friends think I'm crazy LOL.

 

[disneygirl76]

Hi all, my mom and I will be in the world May 1st-11th. Originally it was going to be a mother daughter trip but, recently my mom has been saying she wants to sleep in more where as I would want to be in the parks. She said it would be ok to bring a friend. I had two friends in mind but one got ruled out after spending 5 days with her haha. What should I ask myself before inviting her? I just want to make sure it will be the right choice.

Have you and your mom ever had a mother daughter trip together - just the two of you? If not, just go with your mom. I went in May of 2011 and it was the most amazing wonderful experience I have had. It will be something I will cherish forever. Traveling with friends is tricky. No matter how close you are to them or how well you get on, its just tricky.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Have you and your mom ever had a mother daughter trip together - just the two of you? If not, just go with your mom. I went in May of 2011 and it was the most amazing wonderful experience I have had. It will be something I will cherish forever. Traveling with friends is tricky. No matter how close you are to them or how well you get on, its just tricky.

As someone who lost her mother last summer, I feel compelled to "second" this wonderful advice. Chances to enjoy that kind of one-on-one time with your Mom are precious and rare. Your mother's offer to let you bring a friend is very generous of her, but in bringing a friend you may be sacrificing special memories with your mother that would last a lifetime. You may also find, if your mother sleeps in every morning as she anticipates, that you really enjoy that extra hour or two to yourself each day...

Just a thought.

 

[lunchbox1175]

As a mom who has taken mother-daughter trips with my daughter, that time together was precious and I would have hated to "share" her with a friend. Since you are a "go-er" and your mom wants to sleep in, have you considered going to the parks by yourself and having her meet you there later? Lots of folks do the parks solo. You can choose whatever attraction you want to ride (or gift store to visit) at whatever time you want and not have to feel guilty for being selfish! And no worries about a friend mocking you for your Disney love or complaining about something while you are there. If you fear being lonesome, it is easy to strike up a conversation with others waiting in line.

Also, once your mom sees how excited you are when you've arrived, she may not want to waste any time sleeping in late!

I agree with this idea, wouldn't change my plans and add a person.

 

[dkosdros]

I say enjoy your time with your mom. Let her sleep in and who knows once she gets there she may be to excited and want to be up early to be part of the magic. If she does sleep in head to the parks solo. I guarentee you will enjoy this time just as much. No schedule, no consulting with anyone. just going to do what you want when you want. you'll probably like it so much that future trips with family/friends you find yourself loathing for alone time again.

 

[LucyK]

As a mom who has taken mother-daughter trips with my daughter, that time together was precious and I would have hated to "share" her with a friend. Since you are a "go-er" and your mom wants to sleep in, have you considered going to the parks by yourself and having her meet you there later? Lots of folks do the parks solo. You can choose whatever attraction you want to ride (or gift store to visit) at whatever time you want and not have to feel guilty for being selfish! And no worries about a friend mocking you for your Disney love or complaining about something while you are there. If you fear being lonesome, it is easy to strike up a conversation with others waiting in line.

Also, once your mom sees how excited you are when you've arrived, she may not want to waste any time sleeping in late!

As a daughter who always go on mother-daughter trips, I couldn't agree more. This time together is very special to us and bringing a friend would only interfere with our bonding time.

I especially agree with the bolded part. Once we're there she was a bundle of energy and was more than happy to get up early and go to the parks with me. Have you considered asking her how she feels about getting up early to hit the parks and taking a mid-day break? We did this for our most recent trip and she loved it, we would hit rope drop, do all major attractions and then go back to our resort after lunch. Once I went to the parks by myself but most of the time I'd go to the pool or just walk around the resort. We then would go back around 5PM and stay till closing time.

 

[Spikerdink]

Like the other posters, I have to agree that a mom-daughter trip would be best. Let me sleep in, and you can go explore things that mom might not enjoy, or you can hit rides a third or fourth time that would be part of your 'best ever' vacation...then mom can call you to find out where you are and you can meet up and do things together.... it would be the best. I have done this with friends and it makes for a harmonious trip - they get up and out early and I get myself together and meet up when I am showered and dressed.....