When the kids are no longer children...do you keep going to WDW??

[DisneyFairyTale2012]

Well I am one of those "kids" that is no longer a child anymore. I grew up going to WDW every year, even multiple times a year. Now my DF and I are actually getting married at WDW this November. We are adults who love Disney and will be having the fairy tale wedding of our dreams, disneymoon and all. Not to mention heading back as frequently as possible in years to come! Disney truly is the place to get secluded away from the world!

 

[Pats Dragon]

Been every year since 1971 and so the kids are now adults!! What I have done is change itineraries to match interests. Water parks and Disney Quest and shopping were winners for teens. We then started to include bars and fancy restaurants. There is fishing, renting boats, the driving experience, lots of activities that adults will enjoy.

 

[tink2044]

I just found this thread, but yes keep going without kids. It is a different find of trip and can also be a slower trip. We are now able to visit the different hotels, not have to plan when to me up and just do what we want at our pace. Of course, there are also trips with the adult kids and their grandchildren which are also great!!! We have one of those family trips coming up next Dec. 2013, but just the husband and I came back from an October trip and then a DLR trip with just the 2 of us.

 

[scdak]

Disney without kids is AWESOME! Now before anyone kills me, let me say that I have taken all ages from an 18 month old (by myself, it was a neat trip) to an over 80 year old, and every trip has been special and different. I just came home from a trip to the world and it was just 2 adults, we were able to do things that we had never done before, just when I think I have done it all, there is something else to try! We might not have had kids with us but we enjoyed seeing the smaller kids seeing Disney for the first time esp the characters. We enjoy seeing the kids just starting to enjoy pin trading, and we give away pins to them to help them trade for more that they like. I learned with my own family that when they got to the age that they didn't think Disney was cool, I just sat back and within a few years they came to their senses and were Disney fans again!

 

[denman007]

I think the magic is wearing off especially after so many trips in the last 10 years. My dd is now 13 and she was able to ride many things for the first time but it's not the same when she was 3-8 years old.

Also, I am not too fond of pop century - I walked over to AOA and that makes PC look like a dump. Eating dinner at POR made me want to stay as a nicer place with a bar/lounge/fireplace, etc.

It's mainly the same attractions over and over. I think I would try once with just my DW and stay at a mod or deluxe. I did not like the cool weather last week either.

I have decided to stop using my disney visa for the rewards.

 

[tinkbyday]

For all those that have teens and up who still enjoy going, I must tell you how envious I am - I've brought my daughter 6 times since she was 4 years old (now 13) and she has no interest in going again.

It breaks my heart because I absolutely love Disney. I am a single Mom and I work very hard - I think it is just a wonderful escape from reality for me, but for her it is just not her thing anymore - we have hoppers and airfare on reserve for a trip I cancelled just a short time ago and I am itching to go so bad, but know that she is just not interested - I want her to be into it when we go so that we both enjoy.

So, again, if you have older children that still love to go - that's awesome - wish we were in that place!

 

[tinkermommyof3]

We will go as a couple when our children are grown. Probably not as often as we do now though. Love Disney. But, want to fly and visit destinations that we can not afford to as an annual vacation for a family of five. For now, still savoring our annual Disney vacations with our children until they are grown or no longer want to travel with us.

 

[Dreamer7787]

I'm 25 and still look forward to my family's biannual trip to Disney. I couldn't imagine going to Disney without the whole crazy crew!! FI and I are going for our HM which will be our first "solo" trip, but after that we'll be back to the usual family trips. Disney will always be a family thing to me.

 

[darkwing818]

My DW & I went to WDW before our 2 DDs were born, and at least annually after their arrival. Now they are in their 20s & in College (in fact our youngest is doing the Disney College Intern program this spring semester ). So while the girls have been in school my DW & I have had great vacations at WDW & DCL & really enjoyed our trips. Of course our girls still find a way to hit the parks & DCL, with us, when they are on break e.g. we're cruising on the Dream the 1st week of January.
But to answer the OP original question, I don't see us ever stopping our annual trips to WDW or taking Disney cruises.

 

[chemnerd09]

I really need to show my mom this thread. My parents started going to WDW before I was born, took me when I was three the first time, and now we go every year since then for 23 more years. We even started going twice a year, one time with dad, and another with just the girls. When mom and I go we do the adult things like the spa. My dad has had a lot of health problems and I doubt he would be able to handle WDW if I wasn't along to make it bearable. I'm definitely my father's little girl (even at 26) and he loves to go to WDW with me even when it drives him nuts. The best part is he complains when we are there but then goes to ask when the next trip is once we get home. I can't imagine any of my family not going to WDW even if its not all in the same trip. Its a place where we share fond memories and celebrate achievements like surviving brain cancer and being the first to go to college. When I finish my Ph.D., my parent asked what do you want to do? I said WDW but this time we're adding DCL to it since that will be new for us. They should have known it was coming.

 

[Singinglizzie]

Oh all these posts are making me cry! No one wants to go with me to WDW anymore. It isn't my husband's thing, my DS is getting ready for college and my teenager jDD ust isn't that into it. You folks are all so Lucky! I Keep trying to plan the next trip to Disney - looks like I may have to go solo !!!

 

[artemis908]

If you're paying for the vacation, it's your choice. How ungrateful to roll your eyes when you're an ADULT and your parents are saying they'll pay for your vacation!

My parents and I continued going to WDW together for years after I turned 18. My mom and I were going together up until 2006 (and that last time *I* paid for her). Now we don't go together now because I have limited time off and I'd rather spend it with my husband. But if my parents offered to take me on vacation with them for FREE I never rolled my eyes or got pissy about it. Luckily my mother and I have very similar traveling styles so it was really easy to figure out where to go.

 

[B-Ride]

So, are we the only parents in the world who want to keep going to WDW even after the "kids" get older and lose interest? Maybe there is a support group we could join?!! (LOL)

Wish I could say the same. DW has never been as big a fan of WDW as my two sons and I. I figure I can still get a couple more trips out of DS19 and DS17 but after that I think I'll be out of luck. Maybe my sons will let me tag along once they start taking their kids.

 

[pigletto]

I have an 8 year old and an almost 16 year old. Every time I suggest we take a break the 16 year old protests. They both just chose Disney over a cruise for our February trip. She has been on 3 continents and several types of vacations and enjoyed them all, but Disney is in our bones I guess.

I can't imagine going without them but I know at some point we will. When she's off at University we may go with just her younger brother if she can't get the vacation time. I know vacations will change but I don't see her ever not wanting to go again.

 

[wdwmaw]

Yes and we actually feel more pressure from them to go know than when they were kids. We give them more control over where we eat and they plan more of our trip than use to. We give them more freedom to tour the parks seperate from us, esp at night, and this gives DH and I more alone time.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

We are also a Disney Family. I have been 39 times -DW 34 times DD-15 times and other DD 13 times. They are now 19&21 and we are going again in May with their BF's. Just bought DVC because we will constantly need bigger places to stay and the one thing, no matter where their lives lead them, we all can count on is a WDW vacation.

 

[DanInMN]

Our kids (now DD 24 and DS 32) lost interest in Disney years ago. Our son was on the WDW College Program, and appears to have little desire to go back as a visitor.

My wife and I enjoy Disney, and go almost every year. We really shouldn't be doing it, as I lost my "real job" 2 years ago and am self employed (www.AlphaZuluLLC.com) now for much less money. Disney gives us a nice break, and we manage to do it pretty cheap.

We hosted exchange students for several years, and have taken them to WDW. We stopped hosting a few years ago, but the organization needed us to take one more kid this year. She is from third-world Nigeria, so everything is new to her here. We are taking her to WDW in January!

 

[vdoucet78]

DH and I have gone once with my stepson (he was in high school at the time) and once without. We are going without him again next month, even though we'd love for him to be able to come his schedule won't allow it. We have plenty of fun just the two of us, and while I'd love the chance to bring our own small children one day (if we ever have any) or my young nephews, we have a great time by ourselves too. We are actually looking into buying a DVC membership because we love WDW so much, even if we never have kids to bring with us! When we took my stepson, he did everything with us the first half of the trip, then wanted to go off and do his own thing without us alot of time the last half (swimming, DisneyQuest, ESPN weekend events, etc.).

 

[chemnerd09]

Oh all these posts are making me cry! No one wants to go with me to WDW anymore. It isn't my husband's thing, my DS is getting ready for college and my teenager jDD ust isn't that into it. You folks are all so Lucky! I Keep trying to plan the next trip to Disney - looks like I may have to go solo !!!

I'd say go solo and see if you can meet with other people on the boards. I'm sure you could find them.

 

[Sue M]

My daughters are now 22 & 27, and still love to go with me. But the 22 yr old cant join us because of school & work sched, at the moment.