Should I Bring My Family To DIS-Con 2...

[luvdsny]

...or should I come solo?

This question has been posed to me 6 times since returning from DIS-Con. The most recent being this evening. So I am bringing this discussion to the DIS-Con Convention Board---in great hopes of discussing the pros and cons of bringing a family or coming solo.

I want to keep this :) NICE :) , but I also think that it's important to be honest about your feelings so that DIS'ers who are weighing this option will have some helpful info. to use.

I'm pretty sure everyone knows how I feel ;) , but I will chime in a little later in the discussion. :)

Okay.....so, how do YOU feel?

:) :) :) :) :)

[Snowwark]

Oh I can't be first Tia!! LOL

I'll wait until others have posted, then give my take on it.

Kim :)

[NancyIL]

I was at DIS-CON with my DH and kids, as well as the in-laws, but I was the only one in the family attending the convention. We were at WDW 3 days before it officially started, but I still felt guilty every time I said I was meeting my DIS friends. I stayed out late every night once the convention started, and had to tiptoe back to bed so I wouldn't wake the family. I will definitely be solo in 2002!

[DaisyDebbie]

I came to Dis-Con with my Mom and 2 kids. It was fun but I was limited in my movement. I wanted to do the Thrill ride tour but it's hard with an 8 yo who is afraid of most of them and a 5 yo who really just wanted to be at the pool. I did manage to go out 2 nights but then felt bad that my Mom was in the room with the kids, she really didn't care.

I think for Dis-Con II, I will maybe just come with dh and leave the kids home.

Although, Tia, is was fun watching Fantasmic with you and my children for the first time.

[luvdsny]

Okay, Okay. Apparently noone wants to be FIRST! LOL :D

I'll put my .02 in......but expect me to come back later on as well. ;)

Originally I was going to bring my DH, our 2 kids, and my mother. And we were all going to partake in the convention events. My mother was going to watch the kids at night so we could go out and do some 'grown-up' things also. ;) Well my mother backed out early-on (w/o telling me first I might add. :mad: ) claiming that it was just too close to Christmas for her to be away from home. :rolleyes: Oh well. So then it was going to be just our family of 4...but then came the tragic events of 9-11. :( :( :( From this point on, we just weren't sure what to do. And a lot of you know how I struggled (and boy did I struggle with this!) with whether or not to attend DIS-Con or not. After weighing in the 9-11 events...AND...the layoffs at my DH's workplace...we decided that taking a family vacation to WDW during DIS-Con just wasn't in our best interest. :( So we cancelled. :( this decision about killed me! Our family did some neat stuff with the money we saved by not going....but the 'neat stuff' didn't cure my "I'm not going to DIS-Con Depression", so DH strongly encouraged (he's The BEST! :D ) me to go to DIS-Con...are you ready for this?...SOLO!.

This was a bitter/sweet offer. Yay! :bounce: I get to go to DIS-Con...but :( :( :( I was going to miss my kids. :( :( :( I had never been away from them that long. This was a :eek: scary :eek: decision for me to make. Another 'issue' was my 10 y/o DD. She was soooo excited about going. And she was going to be with one of her best friends, Mackenzie (Judy from Boise's DD). They were going to ride ALL of the rides together. :( So I almost decided to bring her...and leave DH and DS at home. But as time went on.....and as The Commandos got serious about their ITINERARIES (I love this word :D ), I realized that it would be difficult to keep up with everyone with a 10 y/o 'in tow', so to speak. :rolleyes: She would have been 'good to go' all day, but by night fall she would be dead*ss tired and would probably want to go back to the room. :( :( :( Nope. No way. I knew that I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy ALL the pleasures of WDW that DIS-Con had in store for me. I knew that my DD would get easily bored as I 'chatted' with my DIS friends. I knew that once we went to the Magic Kingdom she wouldn't want to leave. She doesn't care for the other parks as much. I don't think I can put into words how I came to this decision.....but I decided to go SOLO. :smooth:

~*~And this was The BEST decision for all of us.~*~

I was able to get up with the chickens and stay up with the owls. ;)
I only visited the restrooms when I had go. :rolleyes:
I was able to Go, Go, Go all day without having to go back to the room for a nap or swim. :)
I was able to be spontaneous. :D
I was able to 'chat' with fellow DIS'ers without someone impatiently waiting for me. :)
I was able to go into Jellyrolls, Kimono's, The Adventurer's Club, etc. without getting a sitter. (not that I would have ever done that. It's just not our thing. Nothing against anyone who does do this.....we just don't. :) )
I was able to catch rides with people easily.
And here is the biggy.....I didn't have to cut up anyone's food. :D :D :D j/k :p

Now, I would love for my DH to come with me next year, but I would never leave my kids with my mother that long. :( That would be too hard on my mom---and especially the kids. LOL ;)
Also, DH says that he doesn't think either of us would have as much fun if he came along. He's probably right. ;)

Okay, so these were MY reasons why MY solo trip suited me so well. :)

Now who wants to chime in? ;)

[luvdsny]

Debbie, I distinctly remember your son making the sweetest little comments and 'oohs' and 'ahhs' during Fantasmic. :) That truely was wonderful. :)

And I will add that seeing Shannon's (bashful64) kids made me miss my own sometimes. :(

And I will also add that seeing Katelyn (CDoobee's DD) and Mackenzie (Judy from Boise's DD) have such a good time with their mom's made me a little sad. Maile and I could have had fun too......but not as much fun! ;) if you tell her, I'll deny it! :D

[mnbrowns]

Wow Tia, that's pretty close to our story.
The whole family was slotted to come, including my parents who were more than willing to stay with the kids for all the late night events. Well, they ended up backing out. Then 9/11, and I was already somewhat afraid to fly. I was unemployed and finances became an issue... Well, dear DH just decided we all needed a vacation no matter what. So there we were. I was very pleased to have my family with me to experience DIS Con and finally meet all these great people I'd become "aquainted" with, but from now on, SOLO. We did have an incredible time, but I was too exhausted to attend more than 1 late nighter. And I was a zombie at that.

[Barb]

I knew I was going solo right from the start. While we have a great time at WDW as a family, I knew this was something I wanted to do without worrying about leaving them behind for any reason. I would have been too torn between the two groups. They wouldn't have liked the late nights and early mornings at all. I would have felt very guilty leaving them in the room to go to Jellyrolls or Kimonos. We DIS-Con'ers packed a lot into our time together. As a family, we tend to not "party so hardy"! LOL I think Tia's list said it best. I think it also depends on how much into the whole WDW experience your family is. My family loves it, but they're not Disney addicted like I am. They don't get silly on the rides (well, sometimes they do) and they don't get misty eyed at the parades. They like the characters, but don't go out of their way to get a picture. Bottom line for me is that I don't think it would work out well if they all came with me. I'm better off alone on this trip.

[Mackey Mouse]

I would bring my family to DisCon in a heartbeat.. They are joiners and if they choose not to participate, there is plenty for them to do there. I know my husband had a great time and when my daughter showed up, she did as well.. of course, it is your choice whether you feel they will mix in or not.

[luvdsny]

Marsha, I did notice that Tom was quite the trooper. :) I think that is so nice. :) And it's helpful if your kids are grown--less responsibility ;)

I also want to add that if there had been more activities planned for younger kids (perhaps ages 3-10) ((and I know, trust me I do, that Janette and others tried their best to do this)) that might have helped. I think it depends on how much of a DISney fanatic your s/o or spouse is....and it depends on how old your kids are.

I certainly do NOT want to discourage people from bringing their families....I mean that is what WDW is for afterall :) :) :) , but in my case, it would have been a lot more straining on me to tear myself between my young kids and my DIS friends.

Shannon and Jody, do you guys have an opinion about this? ;)

[Mom2Em]

Now, I am quite confused. I would love to go to DISCON II but my family and mother is a must!! WE have been planning this trip for 2 years so they can not be left out. It may be best for us if it is forgone until some time in the future when I (or DH and I) can travel alone because I cannot imagine ever going to WDW without my DD who loves it almost as much as I do.

[DixieDreamer]

I made the decision for DIS CON II to go solo. I knew based on the itinerary and reports from DIS CON I that although DD would probably be okay - DH would be "antsy" at the convention events. He is not a DISer and would try hard to be patient... but it is not his thing. DD would have fun at most of the events (and being a DISer would love to meet people)... but the spontaneity and ability to attend the more adult functions would be lost if she were along. I travel alone alot for my business - so solo travel does not put me off at all. I would love to share with DD - but I think I will get more out of the experience solo. Because I have already made this decision - and because our spring trip is mostly the DCL Cruise (only 2 days at WDW) - I booked a 7 day June trip for just DD and I ("girls only") - so that she and I get to share time together doing what we love. I hope this makes my decision to go solo to DIS CON II easier to take for her.

[luvdsny]

Jan, don't worry. I think I can make this make sense for you. :) Since you already plan on being at WDW---for your family vacation---I think you'll be fine. :) You already know in your head and your heart what your family will be able to handle....so you'll be able to make your plans accordingly. The 'official' convention events--in and of themselves--were very family-oriented! No doubt about this! And I must admit that I wish my family could have been there for some of the special events that Linda put together; such as the Fantasmic Dessert Party, the Illuminatins Dessert party, the Character Breakfast, and the ToT event. All ages were able to enjoy every bit of the 'official' convention events. The only time it got tricky is during some of the mini-meets....and especially during the late-night meets. :D Jan, if you want to do a family vacation to WDW and do the convention to get a great deal on some spectacular events--AND--meet some fellow DIS'ers...you'll be just fine! :)

I don't know if you lurked on this board last year while the Commandos were planning....but if you were, you might have been scared off by our itineraries. :rolleyes: :D :rolleyes: :D We have tamed our ways a tad and plan on taking it a little slower next year. ;)

[disneycub]

Well, on a slightly different bend.....I've always taken someone with me to WDW (on me I might add), mostly friends, my ex, etc. So I was a bit nervous about going to DIS-Con solo. But there's only so much you can do when you're "tied" to somebody. I have a tendency to play "tour guide" and make sure that the other person sees everything they want to see and has a good time, mostly at the expense of what I really wanted to do.

So at this point in my life (subject to change, however ;) ), I plan on doing all the DIS-Cons solo. I can get up when I want, stay up late (or go to bed early), and do the things I want to do. Which is mostly be with my new friends and enjoy WDW with other fanatics.

[DumboOrBust]

Originally posted by luvdsny


I don't know if you lurked on this board last year while the Commandos were planning....but if you were, you might have been scared off by our itineraries. :rolleyes: :D :rolleyes: :D We have tamed our ways a tad and plan on taking it a little slower next year. ;)

<font face="comic sans ms"> What? Why wasn't I informed of this. Was there a memo? I'm outraged at--Oh, wait. I want to take it easier next year. Nevermind. ;) :p :D </font>

[luvdsny]

Dayna! You goof! Didn't you get the memo? ;)

[Mom2Em]

Thanks for your reassurance... I was a little scared. I am very excited about meeting people that I have corresponded with for awhile now, but I am also concerned about including my family. I was not on here last year because I knew it was not an option to go, which is probably good because I would still be in hiding! :)

[fostrmom2mny]

OK, you all know that I brought my girls. Ages 17 and 13 .

I will comment only briefly about the 13 year olds experience with us as she had a BIG problem with complaining, whinnying and she just has the knack to bring a person down. Nothing seems to ever satisfy her. There were times that she had a really good time (like the time that was spent with Katlin during the evening of our resort hopping and at the ASMovies pool , and when Janette's daughter, Katie joined us for part of our day at Magic Kingdom, and at the pin meets; she became quite a trader I think and everyone was so nice and patient with her) After we returned home, however, she complained that there were ONLY four or five parks and that there wasn't near as many rides as what was advertised in the WDW trip planning video. She didn't act or tell anyone that she had fun :( :( :( (This was a BIG disappointment to me!!) Note that Sam has a social disorder and a child without this disorder cannot fairly be compared to our experience.

My 17 year old is a quieter child that is VERY easy going, she'll go along with most things (except TOT, couldn't get her talked into that one,:) :) but she found commrodery with a few other nonTOT souls :) while she bravely waited in the waiting area found at the end of the ride. Both of my girls, Tia and Barb were really Great cheerleaders cheering folks on** Again and Again :) Vicky was even pin trading with CM's before the end of DIS CON. The joy that I got from watching her come out of her shell, and bond with some of the DIS CON commandos was very good for my soul and it is part of my best memories for DIS CON.

We took part in all of the Convention only events, and a couple of dinning meets, and had a blast with other Dissers when we met up with them, but the rest of the time, we sort of went our own way and did our own things.

I will not be bringing Sam again unless things change with her disposition. :( Vicky I'll bring again in a heart beat! My 13 year old son (that stayed home last time), insists that he wants to come next trip, (but he'll be 15 then so I don't know if he'll want to come by then. He stated that he didn't want to do the convention thing, but I know him, he'd fit right in and have a BLAST!! There is nothing he wouldn't ride or do! He even bungied this past summer at our local amusement park :) I know that he would have really enjoyed a thrill ride tour with teens. I've told him about meeting Dean (Tinkerbel129's 14 yr old son) They have much in common except their size :) :) (I still think that Dean is being raised on some kind of radioactive growth stimulater) (That is being said with the greatest of respect, Dean seemed to be a very nice, mannerly young man!)

Now for my feelings. Sam was a bring down, for my trip, set that aside and I had a really nice time. I really enjoyed meeting all of my new DIS friends, but I have to admit that I have had the "post DIS CON blues" that has left me wishing I had spent more time doing more things with my DIS CON buddies. I have so much admiration for you guys! I wish that I had attended some of the adult stuff.

About needing more for the kids to do, Yes, Jeanette tried to set up a kids only tour, which I volunteered to host and chaperone, (Would have LOVED this for myself, and to have given other adults time to be with other Dissers w/o worrying or feeling guilty about their children) but we just didn't have enough children of similar ages this trip to do this.

I would highly suggest this be an option for DIS CON II!! I think there will be more in attendance and there would be more kids to make up the tour. It would be good for the kids to have SAFE time away from their parents, learn something new and exciting, and give the adults time to hang out and do some mini meets and chat with their DIS Con buddies without feeling guilty in doing so. It would work out better if it was toward the last part of Dis Con, to give the kids the chance to meet other kids and be more comfortable in doing this. IMHO

I now that I have posted this very LONG boring post, I'd love to go solo, but I also enjoyed the best of both worlds by attending all of the CONVENTION only events and then going out on our own too. And the scavenger hunt with my girls as our team was SOOOoooo much fun!! I just wish we would have started working on it when it was handed out, instead of waiting till the last day to join in all the fun :)
Gerri

[Judy from Boise]

Time for me !
I admit, I wanted Tia to bring her family because it would be perfect for the Hubbies to do fun stuff with the kids, while we were at the adult late night things :D . Also our DD's have a fantasy to be at WDW together :) . But I totally understand her reasoning and admit she did have a better time without them.

Given the choice, I too would go solo ! But it is never going to happen ! So, it worked out pretty well to do a family trip with some DIS breakout moments. Yes, I am jealous all the times that I missed out......but we do have some great family memories too :)

As I can see the DIS con events stretching into the future for eons ;) , perhaps to be fair it could alternate every other year is solo ?

Also how hard would it be to organise some late night kids stuff on the big nights out ( Jelly rolls, DATW ) ? Could we arrange a child care type event through convention services ???? On the cruise ship they do character sleepovers !

[luvdsny]

Gerri, I noticed that for the most part you and your girls did your own thing....popping in here and there for a few of the mini meets...but mostly sticking to the convention events. :) I could tell that that worked best for you guys. :) I still remember Vicky and Samantha hanging onto me for dear life as someone (I think it was Dean's mom...but I don't really recall) was tugging at them to try ToT just once. :D I felt like a savior that night. ;) I never really noticed Sam's discontent, but I did notice that Vicky was having a good time. :)

Judy, I think you might have something there. I wonder if Linda will see this and inquire about 'child services' through the convention folks. It would be nice to have somewhere SAFE for them stay while the grown-ups did a little 'whoopin' it up' LOL :D

[Patinmn]

I want you to know how very thoughtful and introspective everyone has been in their responses. I know this was probably a diffucult thing to discuss publicly and everyone has been so honest and sincere with their responses.

[luvdsny]

Steve, you mentioned being a 'tour guide', and I think I remember NancyIL kind of struggling with that same dilema. Nancy I remember you going back and forth....LOL :D Wasn't that a roller coaster ride? :eek: ;)

[Tinkerbel129]

My husband (who is not on the boards,yet) and son (Dean - Buzz_Lightyear) had agreat time and are looking forward to it this coming December. I wasn't sure how they would react to doing this but, when I finally got home, they asked "Can we do the next one". Sonow we are waiting for the details to be released for this year.

As for Vicky and Sam, I knew I could get them laughing. Vicky, you are going to do it next trip right,
;)

[NancyIL]

I already posted, but I want to add a comment or two. Our family vacation was already set for the week after Thanksgiving when the DIS-Con dates were announced. My DH didn't want to spend the money for everyone to be part of the convention, so only I registered. Our family grew, as first my in-laws and then my sister and brother-in-law and their 2 kids decided to join us. At one point I even cancelled my convention registration, at my DH's request - to spend the majority of my time with the family. After regaining my sanity, I re-registered for DIS-Con, and I've never regretted being part of the most WONDERFUL gathering of friends! I really wish I had been there solo so I could've participated in more mini-meets. As it was - I did the best I could to balance daytime hours with my family and evenings with DISers.

[luvdsny]

:wave: Hi Tink. :wave: I was hoping you were out there. :) I remember Vicky thinking that Dean was kind of cute. ;)

Nancy, I remember seeing you at most--if not all--the night events. ;) :D ;) :D

I am starting to think that the age of your children is going to make a huge difference! Duh! ;) But it seems that the people who had older children were able to participate more, while some DIS'ers with younger kids found it a bit more challenging. Interesting. :smooth:

[janette]

I also brought the family and regretted it at times. They demanded attention and I'd rather have gone to all the meets and spend time with other DISer's

My 10yo DD was able to go on her own on the thrill ride tour and had a great time. She also spent a day with Gerri and her girls while my 7yo rested one afternoon. Geri - when she was with me my Kate could also be clinging and whiny. She just doesn't do that to other people. Maybe next time we should swap children - they seem to do so much better for someone else. :D

I'm not sure I'll bring the family next time. They had to miss school and would again so that is a drawback. I'm thinking I'll talk to DH and if he will agree that he will be responsible for them I'd consider bringing them again. DH will also be on his own, I'd like for them to be there I just want the freedom of going when and where I want.

I do think that more children meets would have helped. It wouldn't need to be ride meets but just a playground time, pool time or something. My kids loved meeting all their new friends. They also did best when they had someone to spend time with. My girls made lots of friends as DaisyDebbie, Debbie from San A. , Gerri and Emmy and others can attest too. If we planned something where the kids could play safely and we could do our visiting I think that would have helped with the non-solo attendees.

[disneycub]

I didn't hear nothing 'bout no memo going out saying we commandos were going to settle down. :D Certainly not Ms. Tia, who at last check, was already starting her itinerary. Ahem...

That being said, only 7 more days till I can book my flights for November/December.

;)

[luvdsny]

Hi Janette. I know that I met you, but unfortunately we didn't really spend any time together. In fact, this year I missed quite a few people. :confused: :( I think I will add to my 'resolutions' list to mingle more. :D

And Steve...you always make me giggle. :D I did say a tad. ;)

[Judy from Boise]

Dave and I went to chinese an hour ago, and I took part of dinner talking to him about maybe inviting one of his sister's and her 2 children to DCII. That way there would be a group of people for he and Kinz to hang with if I was at DC events. I know his family appreciates some alone time with him anyways. We know we will be spending Thanksgiving in CA where his family lives.....we could just fly out of LAX together :)

Of course we still might just go to DL instead...or me solo...or another nuclear family trip.......I'm sure to have months of rambling to entertain you :rolleyes:

[dvc_bwv]

If I had it to do over again I think I'd go solo (of just DH and I), but there was no choice in the matter this time. We had already had our vacation scheduled and had asked my DS (Preston) to join us beofre DIS Con was announced. My DH and I were excited about it and when I asked my DS he said yes, but......when it came down to it we only attending the scheduled DIS Con things and didn't do any of the mini meets, which I would have loved to do.

If I ever get the chance to go again, I may bring my DH, but I think I'd have more fun solo. Then I wouldn't have to answer to anyone but me and I could do whatever pleased me without worrying about someone enjoying themselves. (I'll find out how this works next week when I go to WDW solo with a group of ladies!!)

Just my 2 cents. The only thing is that as long as it is scheduled for a December time slot I won't be able to attend as I can't take off work in December!!! :(

[Barb]

Steve, that's how I would feel, too. If I had the family with me, I'd be going out of my way to make sure they are having just as good a time as me. That would be taking a lot of emotional energy to do that and for me to have the fun I want to have, too. I would end up way to weary to enjoy the trip. Bill is not a "bar" person, he really hates smokey areas. He wouldn't have had fun at Jellyrolls and I wouldn't have been able to have fun because he wasn't having fun.:confused: I'd have spent my time trying to entertain him. He agrees that I should take this trip alone. So we're both ok with the solo thing. :)
As for the memo...................who said we were slowing down?!?!?!?!:eek: :p :eek: :p
One more thought, (& maybe this is selfish of me) I want to devote all my time to being with my DIS friends. For me, that was the whole idea of this trip.

[perfectmatch300]

Well, as most of you can probably guess, I wouldn't consider coming without DH, Barry. Even though he NEVER comes on the DIS unless I call him over to show him something, he loves DIS meets and meeting new people. We also like doing the same kinds of things, so neither of us has to worry about if the other is having a good time, so for us, it works out fine.

I agree with Marsha, I wish Barry would register on the DIS, too. Like Tom, he loves DIS meets and meeting DISers, but I'm always having to explain to him all the little inside jokes that fly around here all the time. I mean, I had a heck of a time explaining to him about the tiaras! :D :D :D

We don't have kids of our own, and at our age aren't going to :eek: , so that's not an issue. I really don't know how I'd feel about bringing little kids if I had them, but I imagine I'd miss them terribly, since I really missed my cats while we were there! :D Barry's 2 DD's from his previous marriage are 24. I would definitely not bring them because they don't like doing the same kinds of things on vacation as we do, & we'd just make each other miserable.

As for slowing down.......:earseek: Are you feeling OK, Tia? :confused:

My final thought on the subject is that you have to look at your own family and decide what works best for all of you, then plan DIS-CON from there.

[Smee]

Tia,
It was my first time to WDW without DS in 12 years (and DS and I have been there together over 25 times), and I missed him A LOT while there.
However,
I also had lots of time where that didn't enter into play.
The worst time for me was MVMCP. We had gone a few years ago, and DS LOVED it, so
I missed him a lot during that. As a matter of fact, when I saw that they were telling "Polar Express" by the castle------yeah, I know, it's stupid,but it made me tear up 'cuz I missed DS.
However,
without a doubt, I will go SOLO again to DIS Con! It's been a LOOOOOOONG time since I only had to be concerned about me, myself, and I.......and it was thoroughly enjoyable!!!!!!!!!
By the way as some of you probably already know, my DH is a Disney Grinch (liked it once, no more) so he doesn't enter this equation at all.

SOLO is the way to go for me.

Corinne:)

[bashful64]

I haven't read all the replies (I am smack dab in the middle of year end so I don't have much time to access the boards) so I am sorry if I repeat anything.

I had my DH and three kids aged 7, 5 and 2 with me on the trip. We had a wonderful time but it was really hard to participate "fully" in DIScon with the kids there (if it had been just DH and I then he could have joined in rather than having to watch the kids or done something on his own). I had to try and balance being with the family and being at DIScon. I missed a lot of really fun stuff because I was with my family but didn't want to abandon my family to do all of DIScon. It ended up that I felt guilty on one hand for leaving my family and felt like I missed a lot on the other hand when I heard all the stories of what everyone had done the night before. If I had to do it again I would either go solo or bring someone to watch the kids during the DIScon part of our trip.

[CDoobee]

Well, as you know, I had my 10 year old DD, Katelyn, (aka CDoobeeJr.) with me and I wouldn't have had it any other way!!:) Well, actually, the only thing that would have made it better is if my DH and DS could have come, too! We are ALL big Disney fans!! But, it just wasn't possible for Jared (aka TigCollins--SOCD) to miss school. And since Kevin had to go to Iceland, he couldn't come, either. And it WAS nice to have a mother-daughter trip!:D I had been to WDW alone with my other DD, alone with my sister, and alone with my DH. Now, it was Katelyn's turn! Someday, I hope to bring Jared on a mother-son trip!

Yes, I missed out on the "adults only" activities, and I'm SURE I would have enjoyed them!!:bounce: But, I look at it this way. I can do that anytime. I can do that when she is not able to come with me. Or when she's old enough to do her own thing during that time. Or when she's old enough to join in!! I will never again get to take a mother-daughter trip with my 10 year old! Maybe when she's 11, 12, 13, whatever, but never 10 again!! Someday she won't be able to come along. Something will keep her home:school, as in her older brother's case; work, as in her Dad's case; or marriage, as in her older sister's case! (Hi Hil!)

It also helps that she's not a "little" kid. I could leave her in the room alone while I went to the food court to get us breakfast or a snack. (She even went and got our breakfast once!) I could let her go to the restroom on her own. I could go to the restroom on my own while she waited outside. Etc, etc.

I also think that if I had been solo, even though I would have been kept busy, I KNOW I would have been really missing my family! And I would have been really lonely in my room at night. Since 9-11, I just don't think I'd like being alone.

So, in summary, I did not go solo. And I'm glad I didn't!! If my family was not into Disney, or the DIS, I probably would come solo. But since they all love WDW, and are all registered DISers now ;), I think I'd always have more fun with them along. Now that being said, if the only way I can come this year is solo, I will do it. BUT, I'd prefer to have someone with me!!:D :D

[Nancy]

If I get to go to DIS CON 2 I'll be going solo. DH just doesn't get the whole DIS thing. My girls would be my top priority and I just don't think I'd have as good a time. My 13 yr old is not a very easy person to travel with, she doesn't deal well with schedules and having to go along with the crowd. My 12 yr old could probably come and fit right in with everyone...she's a big goof and a Disney nut! My almost 9 yr.old would have everyone wantimng earplugs...she never shuts up!!! So as much as if it was a regular trip to DW I would love the whole family with me, when it's DIS stuff I'm better off alone.

[luvdsny]

Life is busy.....I need to catch up here. :) I'll work backwards. :)

Debbie.....thanks for your input. I had a feeling you would feel that way. ;) I'm just so glad you two came. I know that you struggled with whether or not to come after 9-11 too. :( I'm glad we were able to support eachother and to help talk eachother into going! It was The Best, wasn't it? :bounce:

Shannon, I often think about the night we went from MGM to EPCOT (anyone else remember this? Had something to do with hailing a taxi! LOL :D ) and how sweet your DH was to take all 3 kids back to the room BY HIMSELF so you could come with us girly girls! :) He was carrying one, had the hand of another, and the 3rd ran off to join us! :D And you said to your DH, "yoo-hoo, I think you're forgetting someone!" LOL :D I also remember you at The Fantasyland meet....3 kids, 2 strollers, and a partridge in a pear tree! :D You just gotta come to DISneyland in Feb.!!!! :bounce:

Smee......However (LOL) Julie doesn't count as you NOT coming solo. Two grown-ups together is 'kind of being solo' ;)

Nancy, I wouldn't DREAM of you and Barry not being together. :D In fact, one of you without the other is just 'so'...or is it 'lo'? ;) LOL :D Two peas in a pod counts as one bean! ;) Plus, like you said, I think Barry really enjoyed everyone's company. He always seemed to be 'yacking it up' with someone! :D

Norma, your DH seemed to have fun too! Maybe not as much fun ;) but enough fun. :) I rarely saw Preston, what did you guys do......lock him in the room? :D I think my DH and I most closely resemble you and Wayne. :) I think my DH would be fine...and he would keep up just fine also.....but he'd get lost in the 'shop talk' :rolleyes: Besides, he is my live-in sitter. :D

Judy, as you've said before...big crowds aren't really your thing....and not Kinz's either. So I think the way you guys did the convention (or didn't! LOL) was probably perfect for you three. :) You had a lot of slow morning family time, and yet we got see you at Jellyrolls, DATW, and Kimono's.....I remember thinking that Maile and I would NEVER have gotton up there and sang like you and Kinz! :) Good for you two. :)

Barb.......I already knew how you felt. ;) I think we've discussed this a couple of times before. ;) Now will you be considered 'solo' if you come with your sister next year? ;) Something to ponder. ;)

[luvdsny]

:wave: Hi Nancy. :wave: We must have posted at the same time....I missed your post. I can't wait to meet you. I didn't want Barb to miss you too much so we "whoo-hoo'd" every single little 'drop' at WDW during DIS-Con. ;) It was a blast! I can't wait for this year! :bounce: