Need advice for teen opposed to Disney trip!

[SabbyR]

Just curious....what stops them from grabbing a cab and going anywhere else? That is a false sense of security b/c if they want to, they can do whatever they want anyplace they are vacationing. Most of these kids are going off to college to live on campus a few months after graduation, so I'm not sure what the difference is. I agree sending them of to Bourbon street or Vegas might not be wise, but there are still other vacation places that are just as safe as disney. An all inclusive where you never leave the resort could be just as safe depending on the area.

I think all you can do is hope all the things you and others have taught them kicks in and teach them to trust their instincts. Id send my 17 year old DD somewhere over my 35 year old sister. My dd has traveled around the world and well Im not saying nothing bad could ever happen to her, she uses her head. And the same things could happen to her in our town as easily as a travel destination.

 

[mrsbicewdw]

Wow! Thanks for all of the wonderful, speedy advice! I know the decision isn't mine but my DD is so disappointed I thought some of you may have great suggestions and you do. We'll see what those 17 and 18 year old minds ultimately decide is the best plan. Thank you!

This says something to me - your daughter wants to make memories at Disney during this big time in her life. If she misses out on that, it is going to be a pretty big let down. I wasn't lucky enough to get to take a senior trip/graduation trip, but if I had gotten to I wouldn't have settled for somewhere I "sorta" wanted to go. For your daughter, if she has her heart set on disney then that is important. For the other girl, it seems just as important to not go to Disney. She where she wants to go - if she wants to go on a trip at all really. See if the girls can work something out. But if they don't do disney, it could be a really lovely memory to sneak off for a weekend just you and your daughter, for a day or two at Disney. Then she still gets her disney, has a trip with friends, and maybe you get to see your daughter light up like a little kid again and have a bonding trip.

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

But if one of the friends doesn't want to go, how could the affordable trip have been planned without her involvement? It sounds like two of the friends are helping with planning with the third one not involved. The "we" doesn't sound like all three are included.

I love Disney World and would do anything to go on a trip. But not everyone is me. If the third friend doesn't want to go, then she doesn't go and the other two do. Or, the trip doesn't happen and all three go somewhere all three can agree on.

You are a proud parent and grats! But, this decision should not be yours.

I absolutely love Disney but this sounds like a problem. It looks like the third girl was left out of the planning part but is expected to help make the trip affordable for the other 2 by paying her third.

Now I could be wrong but that may be how the third girl feels as she isn't into Disney but the other 2 are so this trip was planned around that. Personally, how it should have started was all 3 talking about places they can afford that they would like and finding one that fit in with all 3. Then planning the trip from there. Surely the other girls can find something other than Disney that they would enjoy. It is a big world out there.

 

[tim123]

My daughter and two of her friends since kindergarten days would like to take a trip together for their graduation in late May. My DD and one friend love WDW so we have planned an affordable trip the girls can help pay for from their weekend job money. The third friend has never been to WDW and has no interest in the trip. Being huge fans, we cannot understand her feelings. Any advice for trying to change her mind without being to in her face? It sounds like a dream grad trip to me!!

leave her be….
i for the life of me can't understand how anyone wouldn't enjoy a visit to wdw..but she should be free to be left out of it….

 

[siskaren]

leave her be….
i for the life of me can't understand how anyone wouldn't enjoy a visit to wdw..but she should be free to be left out of it….

Just because the one girl doesn't want to go to Disney is no reason to leave her out of the trip. Believe it or not, not everyone wants to go to Disney.

 

[nugov2]

I think all you can do is hope all the things you and others have taught them kicks in and teach them to trust their instincts. Id send my 17 year old DD somewhere over my 35 year old sister. My dd has traveled around the world and well Im not saying nothing bad could ever happen to her, she uses her head. And the same things could happen to her in our town as easily as a travel destination.

That is my point too. That other poster said the only place she would allow her dd to travel alone to is Disney. I just think that is pulling blinders over your eyes. Bad things happen everywhere and while I do believe there are places with a higher risk, there are also many places as safe as WDW. You can make bad choices anywhere and bad things can happen anywhere.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My daughter and two of her friends since kindergarten days would like to take a trip together for their graduation in late May. My DD and one friend love WDW so we have planned an affordable trip the girls can help pay for from their weekend job money. The third friend has never been to WDW and has no interest in the trip. Being huge fans, we cannot understand her feelings. Any advice for trying to change her mind without being to in her face? It sounds like a dream grad trip to me!!

I'm bringing this original post back as I'm still not comprehending how anyone can suggest leaving girl #3 at home without even considering other destinations. Having "a" senior trip is the idea these 3 friends have had for years. Making it a Disney trip appears to be OP's idea (and/or her daughter). By all appearances, this trip was "planned" without any input from girl #3, possibly girl #2 for that matter. It was then later presented to the 2 friends, 1 of whom would prefer not to do that.

And what's "affordable" mean? Going in peak season means no room or dining discounts, so the most likely way this is going to be "affordable" for 3 teens is if they have significant help from parents or if they stay offsite & eat most of their meals offsite. Does girl #3 even HAVE the $ required for such a trip.

Now, I will say if other destinations are discussed & #3 poo-poos them, sure DD & #2 should go without #3, and then they can go ahead & do Disney - albeit at a higher cost since they're now splitting travel & room costs 2 ways instead of 3. But, #3 deserves some respect here. Her input is every bit as valuable as DD & #2, and certainly should weigh heavier than OP's opinion.


I have to say, this thread touched a nerve as the previously mentioned Daytona trip I took with my friends after graduation didn't happen without a little effort. At one time, we had a group of over 10 guys planned for the trip. By the end of our senior year, it had dwindled down to 6 with a 7th "maybe". A few weeks before graduation, 3 sets of parents ambushed us after a band concert (not attended by ALL the parents) and presented an alternate plan to us. We weren't going to Daytona - we were going to Lake of the Ozarks & that was that. It was all set.

As calmly as I could, I explained that there was no LOZ trip. I was going to Daytona with or without their sons as that's what we had ALL agreed upon more than 2 years prior. 2 other friends jumped up & said the same. 6 of us eventually went. Point was, it was "our" plan, not "Mommy & Daddy's". And 30 years later, we all still laugh & smile when we talk about that trip. It was the last time all of us were ever together for more than a day. And now as our parents are becoming elderly (and in a couple cases, deceased), I'm glad to still have that bond with those guys.

If we as a group had decided to go somewhere else, we would have. And we'd still have great memories. But, had we gone different directions because of Mommy's interference, no doubt that week would have turned out a lot less fun for all of us.

 

[siskaren]

And what's "affordable" mean? Going in peak season means no room or dining discounts...

I've seen room discounts for summer dates. Other than that, I totally agree with everything you said.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I love WDW but it's a big world out there, surely there is someplace all three of them would look forward to and enjoy.

 

[cgattis]

This has been an interesting thread and as the parent of a fully grown adult daughter I can admit that when she was a high school graduate there was NO WAY she would have been allowed to go on a trip "out of town" without adult "supervision" anywhere EXCEPT (perhaps) WDW. It is the one place where as a parent I ever felt it was even reasonably safe to allow a youngster to move about "alone". I realize that technically 18 is an "adult" but really ??? If the trip is for the girls on their own I would continue to try to convince the third girl that they will have a great time and if it is going to include adults then I would try to sell the fact that WDW is a place where they could enjoy "maximum" freedom as it is a very safe place. What are the thoughts of the other girl's parents in all of this?

My parents did not allow me to take an unsupervised senior trip, so I didn't get one at all. Three months later I moved away to college (3 hours away) and lived by myself until I graduated (thankfully, safely). I wish I could've had that experience with my friends, but I didn't.

I am going to TRY to remember that when my DD graduates in 5 years!! But I will definitely suggest WDW, as I do feel it is at least safER in the bubble than anywhere else like a beach or out of the country. They need to learn to have fun while being conscious of the world (and the potential dangers) around them.

 

[wickersham]

Hello, everyone! DD here! Thank you all so much for your advice. Things have ended up working really well! As my mom pointed out, friend A and I were really upset that out plans could end up falling through, but we decided, after some reflection, not to push the issue. However, over the course of a few days, friend B changed her mind and, as of Monday, we're officially going to Disney!

Thanks again for all of your advice! I'm glad that the three of us ALL get to go somewhere we want now! It will make all the hours spent working worth it!

 

[labfan]

wickersham - glad to hear the 3 of you are going. Make sure you take time out to do something all 3 of you want. Maybe even have day 1 planned out by you, day 2 planned out by friend A and day 3 planned out by friend B. That way everyone will have one day totally around what they want to do.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Hello, everyone! DD here! Thank you all so much for your advice. Things have ended up working really well! As my mom pointed out, friend A and I were really upset that out plans could end up falling through, but we decided, after some reflection, not to push the issue. However, over the course of a few days, friend B changed her mind and, as of Monday, we're officially going to Disney!

Thanks again for all of your advice! I'm glad that the three of us ALL get to go somewhere we want now! It will make all the hours spent working worth it!