Parents & Disneyworld lovers. Do you ever take a trip w/out the kids? If so how?

[dalayney]

Hubby and I are starting to plan a couple's only vacation to Disneyworld in the next 2 years. (yes, we are Disney dorks)

We have a 7yr old that we took last March and he adored the trip as we were there for 10 days. Always talks about it, saying how he wants to go back. He adored the place and it was his first time there. 15yr old, ... lol... not so much.

Our 20th wedding anniversary is coming up, and we really want to take a couples only trip there. We have never been on vacation without the kids. (we have a 15yr old and soon to be 8yr old)

Have you ever taken the trip w/out the kids? How did you go about it? We're they upset? Did you feel guilt when you were there? That the kids we'ren't with you?

I have a feeling, I would feel really guilty once we got there. Thinking to myself, "Oh Hayden would love this!" ... He is such a sweet boy, and I really think he would be crushed if we didn't take him. We have talked to my MIL and she said she would fly up here to stay w/him for the week which he would ADORE that. But would it be enough? And I don't want to lie to him about going.

I seriously, don't know what to do. I have told my friends and some of them think I should not live my life around an 8 yr old's feelings. (he'll be 10 when we go) That mommy and daddy need a couples vacation once in awhile.

LOL, what do we do? What have you done in the past? How did you work it? Or do you just say, wait till the youngest is in college? (which by then, I don't know if I'll be able to take the roller coasters. LOL)

And no, we don't want to go anywhere else. We adore Disneyworld.

During this trip, we also plan on going 2 days to Un/Isl of A .

I'm just so torn.

WANTING TO ADD: We will be taking him the following year after our couples trip, to Disneyworld.


********THE MOST WONDERFUL UPDATE! ***********************
Thank you so much for all the replys!

My son is pretty sensitive, and he teared up when we brought this up.... and he is also very BRILLIANT! Because HE is the one that found the perfect solution! I said something to the fact that Grandma Toni could come up and watch him for the week. He was still pretty sniffly, sad... and then he's like, "Wait! Mom! How about you fly me to Nebraska on your way to Disneyworld, and I can stay w/Grandma Toni so I can play w/Jake and Cameron all week!" ... his 2 cousins he adores!

So yes! It might be a bit more expensive to stop off at the Omaha airport on the way down, but it solves our problem! The kids is so stinkin' smart! He's happier than happy now about it!

Genius little dude that I adore. Big happy sigh~

 

[jimandami]

We are about to go on our 4th Disney trip sans kiddos. Twice was centered around the marathon, twice just for fun. We just simply tell the kids we are going and that's that. We explain that parents need time to themselves, and that our marriage is just as important to the family as us being parents. There was a very small amount of whining the first time and now, they are used to it. No, I do not feel guilty while we are there. Sure, I occasionally think they would love whatever we are doing, but in all honestly, we work very hard, we spend 99% of our energy on our kids, and we deserve time together. I will not feel guilty about that.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

If I had family near me to watch my daughter, I'd do it in a heart beat. I think it's important to have alone time between spouses.

 

[pandas138]

I would explain that you and DH are planning a special anniversary trip as a couple, and tell them it's DW once it's been planned. As long as someone trustworthy will be watching them while you're away, and that they can reach you anytime, they don't really have a say in where you celebrate. . I'm sure there are things you' want to do that you haven't because of having youngsters along, for example tell them about long, fancy dinners that you get dressed up for. We recently went to Sandals Jamacai without DD12 and she was fine because it was only the 3rd time we vacationed without her.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We do get away alone sometimes, mostly just long week-ends with one recent 5 day trip since the oldest is old enough to take care of the 7 year old now. We however have not done WDW without them and I doubt we will until they tell us they don't want to go. Now we are going to take the little guy next weekend for a day trip while visiting friends and the college age kids will be at school but even he is not trilled to miss that. I know we would be thinking about the kids the whole time and yep.....guilt wins. You are not a bad parent to take the trip....it just would not work for us.

 

[worm761]

I think you should do it and not feel guilty. Miss the kids? Sure. But guild? No. As long as you are still taking them at another time I see nothing wrong with it.

Now, take that with a grain of salt since I have never actually done it. We tried once. DS was 13 and DH and I were going to take a long weekend to go to Food and Wine Festival. Not something DS was interested in doing. And he was old enough that I was OK leaving him with my father. (DS is a high functioning autistic so I am a little paranoid about leaving him). We were all set to go and book and then I got pregnant. What fun is a wine festival if you are pregnant? And I would have been 8 months. So we cancelled. DD is now 4 and I am not ready to leave her for a long weekend yet. The longest I have been away from her is about 8 hours. Maybe.

 

[powellrj]

We took our 7 year old and our 12 year old on our 25th anniversary trip to WDW, so I guess I am not the right person to ask! That said, we did take a trip when our middle DS was in HS and his show choir performed. Our youngest was 12 at the time and she still has hard feelings about it because we left her at home since she had school. She stayed with our oldest DS who was already married and didn't want to go.

I would never leave a child the age of your youngest to go to WDW without them. I would go another place and save the trip until they are older and don't care about going.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

We have taken our kids twice and been 4 times without them. I love the adults only vacation. It is so relaxing and stress free with nobody to worry about but ourselves.

The first time we went without the kids they didn't really care because they had just come back from an 11 day vacation there in Oct/Nov and we turned around and went back without them in January.

The second time we went without them they sort of seemed a little jealous about it.

But we did not feel guilty about it at all. Our kids are tween and teens and we never lied to them about where we were going.

Taking the whole family costs us $7,000. Taking ourselves costs us about $2,000.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We did, for our tenth anniversary. I didn't feel guilty at all. The boys stayed with the ILs and had a great time. We had been twice before as a family and took them again a few months later.

 

[kim929]

My girlfriend and I w e nth for 5 days without husbands or children. While planning I was feeling guilty but once there and I could sit by the pool reading and not worry where the kids were, the guilt went away.

When I came home I did plan a family trip. I keep dreaming of going solo one day....

 

[dvczerfs]

we did our 25th at wdw less dd. at the time she was 16 and stayed with her god parents who are also Disney lovers. by that time she already had 23 trips under her belt and she didn't mind. we didn't tell her we were staying at the contemp., mk view till we got there.

she was fine and the following year she graduated from high school. I said she can have anything she wanted.(with in reason) she wanted a week in the contemp. mk view. we did it again but with her. she had a blast.

little did we know two years later she would be working in the mk and for eight months I got messaged a picture everyday from the magic kingdom while I was at work. (rotten kid!)

so JUST GO!!!!!! things always seem to work out!!!

 

[monorailmom]

My husband and I honeymooned at the Grand Floridian in 1990..so we have pointed out that we started going to Disney World before any of our kids were even born!

The only time (so far) we've gone without them was for our 20th anniversary. My husband's parents watched the kids for us, so there was no worry there. We had a fabulous 3 night trip, stayed at BLT, and enjoyed the Food and Wine Festival.

Next year is our 25th, and now the kids are older. We are planning a 4 night trip, and now our oldest daughters will be old enough to handle things while we are away.

We do not feel at all guilty about these trips. We've tried to teach our kids that a happy marriage is the foundation of a happy family. I really believe that our kids like to see us happy, and they don't feel bad because they know that we go every year as a family anyway!

If you can manage a couples trip, do it and enjoy it.

 

[ajwolfe]

My husband and I would adore taking a couples only trip to WDW, but I can't imagine we will do it until the kids are old enough they don't want to go anymore. We would both feel guilty the entire time thinking how much they would want to be with us...Just wouldn't feel right for us, but I know everyone is different.

 

[ellemenohpee]

We have taken a few adults-only long weekends, and one "real" (five day) vacation since our son was born, the real vacation being just a few weeks ago. He is five.

Do we miss him? Heck, yes. We love him, he's awesome and we have a blast together. However, DH and I also need time to ourselves and our marriage, and I don't feel guilty about that at all. DS was in great hands with my parents, and had an incredible time with them. He also loves sleepovers and so the times he has stayed with friends for a quick overnight or two, he's had a blast.

We tell him that we are going away, we make sure that he knows that he can call us or Skype us whenever, and we bring him home a cool souvenir.

I say go. It's important to have time to yourselves, and your anniversary is a great reason to celebrate. Enjoy!

 

[dvczerfs]

My husband and I would adore taking a couples only trip to WDW, but I can't imagine we will do it until the kids are old enough they don't want to go anymore. We would both feel guilty the entire time thinking how much they would want to be with us...Just wouldn't feel right for us, but I know everyone is different.

nothing wrong with that!! but

they will never get old enough that they wont want to go anymore.

I don't think there will ever be a day when dd wouldn't want to go. in my old age, im looking forward to taking grand kids one day!!!!
that should be good!

 

[DawnM]

I would not do it. That might just be me, but I couldn't do it and feel comfortable about it.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My husband and I would adore taking a couples only trip to WDW, but I can't imagine we will do it until the kids are old enough they don't want to go anymore. We would both feel guilty the entire time thinking how much they would want to be with us...Just wouldn't feel right for us, but I know everyone is different.

This. So, on those rare occasions DW and I go somewhere alone, we tend to avoid places that are overly kid-friendly.

 

[k_hase]

We go twice a year, one 5-7 day trip with our song, and one 2-3 day trip for FWF alone (DVC makes that a bit easier). While I miss him we aren't doing stuff he would want to do--wine tasting, nice meals, sleeping late, drinks at the pool. Victoria and Alberts!!

We also do 2-3 very short (1 night, maybe 2) trips without him every year. Again, non kid friendly stuff. Honestly, he thinks its just grand staying with his grandparents, eating junk food, and getting doted on.

There is no guilt in this. My family is not just my kid, its my husband too. Our son gets to go places plenty, he's not missing out.

Go.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We've been twice without our kids and don't feel guilty about it at all. In the years when we've had annual passes, WDW is a reasonable destination for us -- it's only 6 hours by car and we can go for a long weekend. I figure if we already have the passes, that means we've already got a family trip planned (or have already had one) and so it's not like we're depriving them of a Disney vacation, not like we're going instead of them. It's a bonus trip.

Truthfully, the first time we went without our kids, I was positively giddy. Our oldest was about 5 and our youngest under 2. At least once a day, I looked at my husband and gleefully said, "I don't have to push a stroller today! and I don't have to change any diapers today!" The second time, we went with my sister and BIL, and we did 2 tours (16+ only) and Candlelight Processional, and ate meals the kids wouldn't have enjoyed. Not a pang of guilt.

I think the key is making sure they know (and you remember) that your trip to WDW is not replacing a trip with them to WDW, it's in addition to. When you can say, "Mom & Dad are going this time, but you get to go in a few months," it's easier.

Go and have fun!

 

[Zooshoveller]

We have taken our kids twice (and hopefully many more to come) but our next trip is just the two of us for F&W.

We all wear many hats. I'm a friend, coworker, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin and a wife.

I strongly believe in date nights. Both sets of grandparents live in town and always have the kids over to spend the night so we can have wife/husband time. Sometimes we stay home and watch Netflix, sometimes we go to a nice restaurant, and sometimes we go out of town for a night/weekend. I believe our time alone makes us better parents than before because it makes our marriage stronger. Do not feel guilty.