Depression of being in Orlando but can't visit WDW

[Doug Means]

There's good news and bad news. Lets start with the good news and why I'm even going to Orlando. My son starts his Disney College Program Monday Feb 3rd. For reasons way to detailed and not that important to really go into, he is not taking a car with him. So, Me and my wife are taking 2 days off work so we can drive him down. Its a long trip and the 2 days we are taking off are all we can do right now. so, no extra days for vacation. just driving for me. I don't mind. This is a very exciting time for him and really us/WE as a family are so excited he is doing this. He will be great at it and has grown up a WDW freak. We lived in South Florida when he was 8 to 11 and had Florida residence annual passes while there. We've also made the trip to visit enough in between. so, he knows his way around the parks in general and has an excitement for this up coming adventure. I'm just giddy for him. But by this point you can see where my depression starts to creep in. Not only do I not really get to visit any parks when i drive him down on Sunday, but for the next year basically he will be there (i know working) but getting to enjoy this wonderful place and without me. How bad is it going to be for me to be ON SITE and not get to do anything?

 

[danyoung56]

I've had this happen before when I was working events at the Orlando Convention Center. I usually tried to book a few extra days at the end of the job, so I could get a vacation more or less on the company. But occasionally this wasn't possible, and I had to do my work knowing that the World was only a few miles away!!!

Even worse was visits to SoCal when I couldn't afford a ticket into DL. I could walk through the plaza, and even stand right at the gates, staring into the place that I didn't have the rights to visit!

Pathetic, I know . . .

 

[TotallyBiased]

Been there. I had to drive down to go pick up my daughter from her college program (she left, she's a little unique and her roommates were tough on her) and was bummed I couldn't go. Glad I got to the hotel late and left early in the morning. The longer I stayed the worse it would have been.

 

[Doug Means]

Been there. I had to drive down to go pick up my daughter from her college program (she left, she's a little unique and her roommates were tough on her) and was bummed I couldn't go. Glad I got to the hotel late and left early in the morning. The longer I stayed the worse it would have been.

i wish they hadn't been rough on her. we also will arrive late and leave early.

 

[Raineman]

I will be in a similar situation in March. We will be renting a vacation home in Davenport with friends of ours, and we will not be heading to WDW at all. My DW was thinking of going to the parks for 1 day, or even heading to a resort TS restaurant for dinner, but I told her I wasn't into it, for a simple reason-if I can't spend a week at WDW, I don't want to go. Spending a few hours there, knowing that I will be in the area for a week and a half, is just a tease. It's like having a plate of your favorite food in front of you and knowing you can only have one small bite. This trip will be about relaxation and checking our other non-WDW things in the area-even though I will be able to hear The Mouse calling faintly in the distance

 

[Lilofan]

Connecting flights through OIA and stuck in Orlando's mega mall/airport. Thoughts have come to mind if I could go to MK for just an hour or two...

 

[Doug Means]

I will be in a similar situation in March. We will be renting a vacation home in Davenport with friends of ours, and we will not be heading to WDW at all. My DW was thinking of going to the parks for 1 day, or even heading to a resort TS restaurant for dinner, but I told her I wasn't into it, for a simple reason-if I can't spend a week at WDW, I don't want to go. Spending a few hours there, knowing that I will be in the area for a week and a half, is just a tease. It's like having a plate of your favorite food in front of you and knowing you can only have one small bite. This trip will be about relaxation and checking our other non-WDW things in the area-even though I will be able to hear The Mouse calling faintly in the distance

IDK i might have just had to have dinner if i could...in fact i just made a late breakfast reservation for Ohana's on Monday...you gave me an idea for at least an hour of enjoyment, thanks

 

[epcotisbest]

IDK i might have just had to have dinner if i could...in fact maybe this monday lunch for me somewhere

I think I would go over to Disney Springs, explore there a little while, maybe do a little shopping and get lunch there. Lots of free parking and good choices for lunch. If you have the time you could always catch a bus to any resort and do some resort hopping. We have stayed multiple times when we chose to never set foot in a theme park.
This past October we stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for a week, with a view of the Epcot fireworks from our room every night and never once went inside a theme park. We did go to DS multiple times, and from there one day took a bus to PoP, rode the skyliner over to HS, then over to Epcot, walked around Boardwalk, and walked back over to HS, took a bus the Poly, walked around the Poly, got a dole whip, walked over to Grand Floridian, hopped on the monorail over to MK, got off there, walked around a bit then walked over to Contemporary, hung out there a little while then took a boat over to WL and explored a little, then boat back to MK, monorail to Epcot, bus from Epcot over to POR, walked around POR then boat back to DS to get the car.
Now, that was a long day with lots of hopping and no hurry, and we had a great time at a total cost of about $5 as we did share a dole whip. You could do an abbreviated version of this depending on how much time you have.

 

[Doug Means]

I think I would go over to Disney Springs, explore there a little while, maybe do a little shopping and get lunch there. Lots of free parking and good choices for lunch. If you have the time you could always catch a bus to any resort and do some resort hopping. We have stayed multiple times when we chose to never set foot in a theme park.
This past October we stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for a week, with a view of the Epcot fireworks from our room every night and never once went inside a theme park. We did go to DS multiple times, and from there one day took a bus to PoP, rode the skyliner over to HS, then over to Epcot, walked around Boardwalk, and walked back over to HS, took a bus the Poly, walked around the Poly, got a dole whip, walked over to Grand Floridian, hopped on the monorail over to MK, got off there, walked around a bit then walked over to Contemporary, hung out there a little while then took a boat over to WL and explored a little, then boat back to MK, monorail to Epcot, bus from Epcot over to POR, walked around POR then boat back to DS to get the car.
Now, that was a long day with lots of hopping and no hurry, and we had a great time at a total cost of about $5 as we did share a dole whip. You could do an abbreviated version of this depending on how much time you have.

That sounds great. We only have really a couple of hours if we wanted to not head back right away. So, i've made a reservation for a late breakfast at OHana's. We will drop my son and then head over there. Then hit the road home as soon as we are done there.

 

[Rinx]

I completed two CP's and always had a guilty pleasure of texting my brother when playing in the parks on my days off

 

[epcotisbest]

That sounds great. We only have really a couple of hours if we wanted to not head back right away. So, i've made a reservation for a late breakfast at OHana's. We will drop my son and then head over there. Then hit the road home as soon as we are done there.

Sound's good if breakfast is OK instead of lunch. No lunch at Ohana. When you finish up, I still suggest at least walking around Poly a little bit and getting a dole whip for breakfast dessert (is there such a thing?) at Pineapple Lanai before hitting the road.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Do what my coworker always did....
1. Call the boss and say we came down with the flu and wont be in, taking meds and hope to get over it in a couple of days.
2. Call the boss and say.. the car broke down and we are stuck here for a couple of days while they wait for the parts to come in.
3. Call the boss and say...Drove son down and he tripped while moving in, ended up in the ER. we need one more day to help him out.

If none of these work for you.... Have your son sent you lots of videos, run FaceTime while hes in the parks on his off time so its like youre with him, get him to mail you lots of new merchandise that you cant get yourself.
Its all about him anyway so as much as it hurts that you arent there with him, enjoy his getting the most out of his time there. It will be great having a DCP in the family that can tell you lots of behind the scenes stories.

 

[RustySpork]

How bad is it going to be for me to be ON SITE and not get to do anything?

It's not bad at all, there's plenty to do without stepping foot in the parks. There's also more to Orlando than Disney World.

 

[epcotisbest]

Can't guarantee you will get a dole whip like this one we got one time, but you never know:

 

[RustySpork]

Can't guarantee you will get a dole whip like this one we got one time, but you never know:

View attachment 445767

Awesome! MK or Poly?

 

[epcotisbest]

Awesome! MK or Poly?

Poly. No one around, told the young lady there how I used to make some really tall ones when you could make your own and challenged her to make a tall one. Doubt she would have, had there been anyone else around but my wife and I. Got a good laugh about it and told her it still was not as tall as I used to make them (which is probably why you can no longer self serve them). My fault.

 

[RustySpork]

Poly. No one around, told the young lady there how I used to make some really tall ones when you could make your own and challenged her to make a tall one. Doubt she would have, had there been anyone else around but my wife and I. Got a good laugh about it and told her it still was not as tall as I used to make them (which is probably why you can no longer self serve them). My fault.

 

[Raineman]

It's not bad at all, there's plenty to do without stepping foot in the parks. There's also more to Orlando than Disney World.

The only thing we have planned for March is a trip to Kennedy Space Center and maybe Cocoa Beach. The rest of time will be spent in Davenport in the pool or on the patio, most likely with a cocktail in my hand

 

[dreski]

I also had a similar situation. My son went for his college program but I wasn't able to spend any time in the parks. We had planned a couple of visits while he was there to make up for the drive down and fly back (he took his car with him). It was hard to leave him living so far away but also because he would experience the parks all the time. He was worried the magic would disappear, it didn't. He ended up leaving early due to getting a job he had wanted back home. DD and I did go on one of the planned trips cause it was too late to change. The other situation is I had gone down for 3 years for a work meeting but they never allowed us time to go and do anything at night so we couldn't even go to Disney Springs for drinks. That was very hard traveling from the north to Orlando in February and not be able to do anything Disney related.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

I feel your pain, had to baby sit an alcoholic soldier, once. He got kicked out before I could even get parked and bring my NCO's camera. Spent my one day MWR trip to WDW, trying to find a non-Disney property to hang since he was trespassed.