Going to WDW with best friend & no kids!

[Monty]

DS12 and I have been on 8 Disney trips together [one was DLR/CA the rest WDW] and have two more already planned. The first four trips I brought my already ex-wife along so my son would experience the "magic" with his mother. The last four and future trips until he's done High School he's going with me. But he's also always known that I fully intend to make solo trips once he's in University. He's perfectly happy with the concept. Because he knows my love of Disney. :shrug:

He also knows and is very confident in my love of him.

 

[The Red Head]

Keys to the Kingdom Rocks!!

I agree with some of the other folks here, the Keys to the Kingdom tour is AWESOME!!!! I went this past year as a birthday treat to myself (my husband opted to go to work that day instead). Yes its an extra $65 bucks but that includes lunch and a cool pin and it is well worth the money.


Also...

- at Disney Hollywood Studios to the left of Playhouse Disney there is the "The Magic of Disney Animation" with drawing classes every half hour. You can learn to draw Disney characters and even take the pic home with you as a keepsake

-and of course a trip to Disney is not complete without at least one night at the Adventurer's Club (at Pleasure Island)

Have fun!!!

 

[echoreyn]

My mom went to Disney World with some friends a few years ago during school. I was happy for her because she finally got to reward herself for being such an amazing parent! :sohappy: I bet you'll have a great time!

I agree with the person who suggested that you should do all of the things at Disney that you can enjoy with your adult friends. Ride on the rides your kids don't like as much or spend some more time just relaxing or shopping in Downtown Disney. And best of all, you can completely embrace the child in you! You can let loose and pretend it's the first time experiencing the magic of WDW all over again. :king:

 

[TwoTigersMom]

My boys are 3 & 6. Up until last September, my husband and I had not been away from them for longer than 24 hours. We went to a, out of town football game and stayed 2 nights. Although, I missed my boys, cried a few times and had a hard time explaining that we were actually going to an Auburn football game without them, it was a wonderful time! At first the boys were upset and couldn't understand why. I just explained to them that sometimes mommy and daddy need to spend some time together and that Maw Maw and Granddaddy really wanted to spend time with them. They were fine. They watched the game on TV with Granddaddy and called me constantly to yell "War Eagle" during the game. Then New years eve, we did it again. This time the boys just said "Can we watch the game with granddaddy again? Will you call from the stadium so we can hear everyone yelling?" I called them several times during the game and let them hear the crowds. My husband and I needed that time together. I have been a mom for 6 years and have felt I could never relax and let my hair down. My boys are my world, however, they are very active children and I'm one of those parents who is mortified if they disrupt other people. So I constantly feel like I'm a mother hen running in 10 different directions. It felt great to be alone with my husband and have all our attention on each other without having to share that attention with the children for a couple of days. And no I am not being selfish. Those couple of days rejouvenated us both enough to come back and give our boys our full attention again.
Last week I went to Disney by myself. I had a blast! Of course I thought about them constantly and called them often. It was a totally different experience to just do what I wanted when I wanted. I was able to browse through every store I had wanted to go to, but couldn't because no one else wanted to. It was weird at first not pushing a stroller or carrying a diaper bag around. It didn't take long to totally get into it though. I had a great time exploring and riding rides and checking out sites I'd never seen before, either because no one else wanted to or we didn't have time.

Have fun and enjoy yourself! Everyone needs to take a little time for themselves every once in a while. It not only helps you it helps your interactions with those that you love as well.

On the "while the cat's away the mice will play" note, before we had kids I had an opportunity to go with my grandmother to Germany for a little over 3 weeks. I jumped on it! My husband basically told me I was crazy if I didn't go. It was an amazing trip and a memory I will have forever, being able to spend that time with my grandmother in her home country. I had no thoughts at all of my husband being unfaithful. We made that vow on our wedding day that most everyone else does and we've never even considered breaking it. The thought never enters either of our minds. I guess you just have to be secure in your relationship and with yourself to feel that way, and some folks just aren't.

 

[KingStefan]

...Take your girlfriend and indulge yourself at the spa at the Floridian or Saratoga Springs. ...

Ooooo! Forgot about the spas! Great idea!

 

[bjlc57]

I guess if you go all the time..

think about where I live as opposed to where some of you live. We go to WDW about every 3 or 4 years. not 3 or 4 times per year.


But when you go, on the basis when we go, each time is a SPECIAL EVENT. its not going to the dime store on the corner.


and when you go this time without your kids, what do you when, OH, I wish, little Johnny or Janey was here to see this.


and again, some of you go to WDW 10 times or more per year. We have gone 5 times per family. ( although I have been going since it opened. ) And while my children are now adults, since they are not married, its not the same as when we are there with the whole family.


if you go all the time, while its a great time, it loses some of the luster. when you go on the time frame that we have gone because of distance and expense, it becomes 5 special days of your life.


and I stand behind my statement. the family that plays together, stays together.

as for someone's husband not wanting to go. Leave him home. but also remind him of how much he is hurting the family unit. I find it hard to find someone who doesn't enjoy WDW, but I read about them every time I come here.

I am promoting family here. and not the breakup there of .

 

[KingStefan]

think about where I live as opposed to where some of you live. We go to WDW about every 3 or 4 years. not 3 or 4 times per year.
...
I am promoting family here. and not the breakup there of .

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!

You promised it would be your final post! You LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(Picture the angry German kid that's all over YouTube here!)

 

[maggiegrace1]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!

You promised it would be your final post! You LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(Picture the angry German kid that's all over YouTube here!)

:ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

I just Laughed Out Loud...:lol:

Sooo funny!

 

[TwoTigersMom]

think about where I live as opposed to where some of you live. We go to WDW about every 3 or 4 years. not 3 or 4 times per year.


But when you go, on the basis when we go, each time is a SPECIAL EVENT. its not going to the dime store on the corner.


and when you go this time without your kids, what do you when, OH, I wish, little Johnny or Janey was here to see this.


and again, some of you go to WDW 10 times or more per year. We have gone 5 times per family. ( although I have been going since it opened. ) And while my children are now adults, since they are not married, its not the same as when we are there with the whole family.


if you go all the time, while its a great time, it loses some of the luster. when you go on the time frame that we have gone because of distance and expense, it becomes 5 special days of your life.


and I stand behind my statement. the family that plays together, stays together.

as for someone's husband not wanting to go. Leave him home. but also remind him of how much he is hurting the family unit. I find it hard to find someone who doesn't enjoy WDW, but I read about them every time I come here.

I am promoting family here. and not the breakup there of .

Sure, we are able to go more often than you, but I assure you Disney has not lost it's luster in our eyes. Each of our trips together are very special and important times and memories for us. We have our time to play together as a family and we each have our times to play separately as well. So far all this playing together and playing apart has kept my hubby and I married for almost 13 years (we'll be celebrating that anniversary together in WDW again this year). So we must be doing something right. I guess we just aren't so insecure that we feel the need to be each other's shadow constantly. I'm sorry you're having trouble understanding this concept. Each family is different, each person in that family is different so no two families work exactly the same. Maybe this all for one and one for all thing works for you and your family and that's wonderful, but some families can not function in that mannor.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!

You promised it would be your final post! You LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(Picture the angry German kid that's all over YouTube here!)

:ROFLOL: I was so thinking the exact same thing! :lol:

 

[lunalovegoddess]

My best friend and I have been Disney fanatics for quite a long time. Neither of our husbands understand the obsession we have with Disney. Both of our husbands have said "We've been to Disney enough times, we don't need to go there again". So my friend and I have decided to do a "girls" trip and go by ourselves! Neither of us have ever been to Disney without our kids, so this will be a real treat for us. We have decided not to stay at our usual Pop Century and have upgraded to POR because it looks quieter and a little more "grown up". Is there anything you would recommend we do that we would not normally do with the kids?

As a mother of two, I agree that you need a "girls' trip". My husband and I enjoy our couple time and family time at WDW, but recognize the need to do things as individuals from time to time. We've been together for twelve years. When I lived in Orlando, I had a blast on day-trips with my best friend to Animal Kingdom, and I'm thankful to him for offering to watch the kids so that I could take some desperately-needed time for myself. (Our daughter had medical issues when she was younger, so I ended up being a stay-at-home mom. I seldom took time for myself, risking my health and sanity.) On occasion, I'd take the kids to AK while he chilled out at the Cricketer's Arms pub watching cricket and European football, since it's not his favorite park.

My family and I took an August trip with my mom a few years ago, since we had begun looking at houses in Orlando. About a month later, he drove from Boston to Orlando, to get settled before we joined him. I flew down for a weekend just after Halloween to look at houses with him, and we had a great time. It was the first time that I'd ever gone to Pleasure Island, actually. It felt great to be able to do things without the kids, since we rarely went out on dates. (And, for the record, the kids had no problem with us going to WDW without them...)

Having stayed at both Pop Century and Port Orleans Riverside with our family, I can give you a balanced opinion of your accommodations. First of all, POR has a laid-back feel to it. The river view is lovely, and we've rented surrey bikes and small boats to enjoy it. We've gone to the theme parks in the morning, and then chilled out at POR and Downtown Disney in the late afternoon. For a quiet place, there is plenty to do, plus access to the French Quarter as well. The ferry takes you to Downtown Disney, where you can catch a movie, dance at Pleasure Island, go shopping, head over to DisneyQuest or Cirque de Soleil, etc. If you don't feel like eating at DD, Boatwrights is a lovely restaurant whose staff is amiable and sensitive to dietary needs such as food allergies and restricted sodium intake, as we've discovered firsthand. (Their banana-stuffed French toast is amazing!) The River Roost lounge can be crowded depending on the season, but I recommend relaxing with a Mississippi Mudslide or a Sassagoula Sunset. Absolutely delish!

Seriously, we've had a great time there, and the rates were reasonable. We spent time at the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, which was lots of fun. I enjoyed so many attractions that the kids either were not tall enough to ride or otherwise might bore them. If you haven't gone on the Carousel of Progress at MK, it's a nice way to beat the heat or lines. I always crack up laughing because of the script. Hmm... the Behind the Seeds tour is worth checking out at least once in your life. Pretty much, when you decide on what attractions you both would like to do, think about what you'll most likely end up doing later this year with your family... :wave:

 

[daliseurat]

think about where I live as opposed to where some of you live. We go to WDW about every 3 or 4 years. not 3 or 4 times per year.


But when you go, on the basis when we go, each time is a SPECIAL EVENT. its not going to the dime store on the corner.


and when you go this time without your kids, what do you when, OH, I wish, little Johnny or Janey was here to see this.


and again, some of you go to WDW 10 times or more per year. We have gone 5 times per family. ( although I have been going since it opened. ) And while my children are now adults, since they are not married, its not the same as when we are there with the whole family.


if you go all the time, while its a great time, it loses some of the luster. when you go on the time frame that we have gone because of distance and expense, it becomes 5 special days of your life.


and I stand behind my statement. the family that plays together, stays together.

as for someone's husband not wanting to go. Leave him home. but also remind him of how much he is hurting the family unit. I find it hard to find someone who doesn't enjoy WDW, but I read about them every time I come here.

I am promoting family here. and not the breakup there of .

I'm guessing you just don't get it. No one would think anything negative of you for simply saying that you, personally, couldn't take a trip to WDW without your family. I get that. You are very pro-family. That's a good thing. Everyone here will agree.

But you just can't seem to resist JUDGING everyone for being able to see that they might enjoy a trip without their family as well. And now you are promoting GUILT. Dragging an unwilling member of your family on ANY vacation is likely to cause stress and dissension in the family. If a member of the family doesn't wish to go somewhere, and the rest of the family is okay with it there's no problem. So knock off the guilt trip.

And here's something for you to ponder. Why is it just WDW that is so FAMILY special? Many, MANY families enjoy trips to New York City and Las Vegas. Why is it okay by you for a member of the family to go on a solo trip there, but not WDW? Everyone is different. Most of my extended family have no interest in Disney at all. I'll never get to have one of those family reunion type trips to Disney. Does this make my family a bunch of selfish weasels? I would dearly love to have a reunion trip like this. Not going to happen. It's okay. We get together elsewhere. Disney is my thing. And I'm fine with it. We still have wonderful times without DISNEY. And I don't resent anyone who doesn't want to go to WDW with me. I can go by myself if I want, and no one will mind.

To sum up:

Your own personal way of going to WDW: Good. (For YOU and YOUR family)
Judging everyone else in a thread that was started simply to ask for some suggestions of what to without kids: Bad.

 

[Eljay]

Is it really fair to hijack this thread? :shrug:
This started as a simple request for hints on how to enjoy an adult WDW trip and has turned into a morality rant.

 

[SallyShine]

Girls trips are fun :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy: As stated earlier, I went with 3 friends in the fall. Two of us were having so much fun joking with a ToT cast member he put us in an elevator all by ourselves. Talk about a picture of a lifetime! Get crazy!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I think I need to look into the spa thing some more. That's appealing to me now!

I forgot to mention this splurge I had on our last trip that may be fun for you gals. We were in the GF walking around after having breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. We happened to stroll past the hair salon. I stuck my head in the door and found the place empty of patrons. I asked if the nice CMs had a minute to fix me up with a couple french braids and they did. So spur of the moment I had my hair braided. It's something small that you don't really think of but it's nice if you plan to go get a quick braid so you don't have to fuss with your hair one morning. I'm lazy, I know. Wouldn't it be fun if you and your girlfriend had matching braided do's??? Well, I guess if both your hair is long enough.... LOL!

Have fun!

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

Gosh. unless your kids are real young, I couldn't do it. But if you have kids that are old enough like 8,9,10, and you don't take them, well, don't take it out on them when you get pounded when you get home.

my kids, are ADULTS. and after having a discussion on vacation, my kids decided not to go to WDW this year. One is going to London, the other on a mission trip.

So that was the end of going to WDW. End of discussion. why? because its not the same without your kids.

how interesting and selfish are you. Now if you weren't married or a couple without kids great. But to go and then throw it up in your kids face with photos and the like when you get back, how much more do you think kids who aren't infants, are going to take?


its either all for one in a family or not.


Now you know why the divorce rate is so high.


Oh and I have been married 29 years as of last week. Its either Family or no go.


but this is a great way to cause big problems at home. Next your husband will take a vacation by HIMSELF. Alone.

gees. what happens when he gets "lonely"?


yep. you go and have a great time.

you want to go on vacation as a couple, then go to a place where its not condusive to children. But don't go to DISNEY, and then gloat on the kids for the next year or two. want to go to Vegas, fine. New York, great, some all enclusive resort, you bet..


But not WDW. too many repercussions.



and then you will blame the kids for acting up.


what a great idea.

uhhhhh.....OK I am guessing this poster has "issues"
I see nothing wrong with you all going.... go have a great time..
Have a magical Day :kiss:

 

[Cane27]

think about where I live as opposed to where some of you live. We go to WDW about every 3 or 4 years. not 3 or 4 times per year.


But when you go, on the basis when we go, each time is a SPECIAL EVENT. its not going to the dime store on the corner.


and when you go this time without your kids, what do you when, OH, I wish, little Johnny or Janey was here to see this.


and again, some of you go to WDW 10 times or more per year. We have gone 5 times per family. ( although I have been going since it opened. ) And while my children are now adults, since they are not married, its not the same as when we are there with the whole family.


if you go all the time, while its a great time, it loses some of the luster. when you go on the time frame that we have gone because of distance and expense, it becomes 5 special days of your life.


and I stand behind my statement. the family that plays together, stays together.

as for someone's husband not wanting to go. Leave him home. but also remind him of how much he is hurting the family unit. I find it hard to find someone who doesn't enjoy WDW, but I read about them every time I come here.

I am promoting family here. and not the breakup there of .

Please, no grape koolaid.:lookaroun

 

[bjlc57]

Gosh. unless your kids are real young, I couldn't do it. But if you have kids that are old enough like 8,9,10, and you don't take them, well, don't take it out on them when you get pounded when you get home.

my kids, are ADULTS. and after having a discussion on vacation, my kids decided not to go to WDW this year. One is going to London, the other on a mission trip.

So that was the end of going to WDW. End of discussion. why? because its not the same without your kids.

how interesting and selfish are you. Now if you weren't married or a couple without kids great. But to go and then throw it up in your kids face with photos and the like when you get back, how much more do you think kids who aren't infants, are going to take?


its either all for one in a family or not.


Now you know why the divorce rate is so high.


Oh and I have been married 29 years as of last week. Its either Family or no go.


but this is a great way to cause big problems at home. Next your husband will take a vacation by HIMSELF. Alone.

gees. what happens when he gets "lonely"?


yep. you go and have a great time.

you want to go on vacation as a couple, then go to a place where its not condusive to children. But don't go to DISNEY, and then gloat on the kids for the next year or two. want to go to Vegas, fine. New York, great, some all enclusive resort, you bet..


But not WDW. too many repercussions.



and then you will blame the kids for acting up.


what a great idea.

Okay.. well in two years things change.. I am going to Disney with my Best FRIEND.. MY WIFE.. and no kids.. and we can't wait to go..

but things have really changed for us in the past couple of years, like they have for every one else..

and yet.. in the back of my mind, if my one child wasn't getting married this year, I have been waiting for both of them to say.. Hey.. since you are going to be there.....
well we are going "on our own" but the same week that you are..

and I wouldn't be shocked if it happened up to and including the day we get on the plane..

its going to be totally and shockingly different for me and for us..

and with kids that are 30 and 26, its time for them to create their own adventures..

but.. still..
its still Disney World..

 

[LoriMistress]

DH and I don't have kids, but every four years we go to WDW, and every two we always go to DLR.

 

[The Disney Kid]

My best friend and I have been Disney fanatics for quite a long time. Neither of our husbands understand the obsession we have with Disney. Both of our husbands have said "We've been to Disney enough times, we don't need to go there again". So my friend and I have decided to do a "girls" trip and go by ourselves! Neither of us have ever been to Disney without our kids, so this will be a real treat for us. We have decided not to stay at our usual Pop Century and have upgraded to POR because it looks quieter and a little more "grown up". Is there anything you would recommed we do that we would not normally do with the kids?

La Nouba

 

[stlbobby]

There have been some great ideas tours, spas, World Showcase entertainment and food, and lounges are all great. I would suggest taking time to relax at the resort. POR has some great quiet spots.

If you go to the California Grill ask for the wine room, they only seat small parties without children, it's worth the extra wait.

Some of the more upscale out of the way places like Narcoossee's or the Yatchsmen's Steakhouse would be nice too.

If you and your girlfriends are into golf definitely play the courses. Try some of the water activities or rent a boat for a relaxing ride.

The mini-golf courses can be a blast.

Some people have mentioned Pleasure Island and the Adventurer's Club, but the AC is closed. PI still has some nightlife, but it isn't what it once was. For nightlife check Ragland Road or the concert schedule at House of Blues. The boardwalk has some great bars too.

But the biggest thing is to just be able to slow down and take in the ambiance in the parks and resorts. There are so many hidden and subtle touches to enjoy.