Parents going to Wilderness Lodge without kids

[MickeyNola]

So my parents are going to stay at the Wilderness Lodge for the first time next week without any other family going with them. They are both recently retired, and my sister and I went to Disney World more than our fair share as kids for sporting events, class trips where my Mom was a chaperone, and just regular summer family vacations. My sister and I are both grown (25+) and married, no kids, and this is the first summer after my Dad retired from being a HS principal.

They offered to plan a summer vacation to get us all together, but with new jobs, new mortgages, and other stuff going on it just didn't come together. They decided to go to Dis on their own. I realize how selfish this sounds, but with now I feel bad that they're going to Disney without us, like its going to be sad for them to be lonely in the happiest place on earth. We've both struggled having kids of our own and I know Mom has grand baby fever even if she's been good about not putting additional pressure on us.

The flip side of that is that they're entering the 3rd act of life, can do whatever they want, and don't need anyone's permission to have a good time. This could all be in my head and maybe they're not even thinking along these lines. They've earned the right and flexibility to enjoy themselves, and if that means a Disney trip, more power to them.

ANYWAY- didn't expect this to go there. My Parents are staying in the Wilderness Lodge and I was wondering if there was something my wife and I could do do make their stay a little more "magical." I don't know if there's some package we could set up in the room when they get back from the parks or call the front desk and ask them to do something for them, I'm looking for advice from the experts out there.

I want to tell them thank you for all the wonderful memories they've made for our family at Disney and see if Disney can sprinkle a little fairy dust. Any ideas?

Thanks,

 

[midnightlouise]

That's a really great idea! Check out the in-room celebrations and gifts at Disney Floral and Gifts. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/floral-and-gifts/

I am doing this for my sons at Christmas Some of it can get a little pricey, but they have lots of options for gifts in every price range.

 

[yooperfan]

First, did they plan meal ressies way ahead of time. You don't want to plan something that will mess up their plans. That said, what about prepaying for memory maker, or a photo session at the lodge. Then maybe you could get copies for you and your siblings also. If they are winging it, you could treat them to Artist Point at the Lodge or Hoop Dee Doo at Fort Wilderness.

 

[GaryDis]

like its going to be sad for them to be lonely in the happiest place on earth.

Didn't they do a commercial on this exact theme some years ago? Senior parents having a blast while adult kids worry about them?

 

[disnut8]

This is your parents' first trip to Disney World with just the two of them and no other family. There are in room celebrations Disney provides but those can be expensive. You can send flowers but then your parents would have to carry those home. Why not check into a basket of their favorite snacks and goodies for the room? You and your siblings and other family members could get all the items, pack them up in a box and have it waiting for them when they arrive. Each person could then write a note and have it attached to the snack or goodie they picked out and share a memory of a Disney trip they enjoyed with your parents. It wouldn't be showy or glitzy but it would be very personal.

 

[Marthasor]

We've used Disney Florist as the PP mentioned above. Yes, it's a little pricey, but they are the only company that can actually deliver and/or set up something directly in the room. I did a birthday celebration for my DS a few years ago and it was really nice!

Also, you would have to alert them to it, but maybe you could schedule and pay for a fireworks cruise? Send them a gift card to go to V&A.

You are so sweet to think of your parents. I hope they have a wonderful trip and you can all travel together again sometime soon.

 

[tiger4me2]

My son surprise me on my birthday last year with chocolate covered Strawberries. Cost $45 + $25 delivery fee. We were staying at the BWI Club level & by mistake he called the CM at the desk at club level & she ordered it but told him she would call him back with price & collect the money. (she never did) I was shocked when I came into room with the table set up with the platter with balloons etc.. He called & wish me Happy Birthday along with my grandson. He also told me he would pay me back as the CM never called him back I said fine. I took one of the strawberry out to a CM who was a friend of mine and she told me that she heard about it. I said it was okay & she told me the other CM should have given him the correct number to call instead of doing it herself ( she was trying to be nice to us ) So my friend said it was on Disney as the CM's there was going to do something for my birthday anyhow. ( I didn't tell him that though as it was the thought that counted) It was a nice touch. Just a side note if you add wine someone has to be in the room to accept it. But I loved the white chocolate covered strawberries rather than the chocolate lol. Thing about doing this again for my husband who had a rough year with his health.
Good luck !!

 

[BobC]

You can upgrade them to Club Level or even call and see if you can nominate them to raise the American Flag in the morning

 

[winterman]

OP, I think you are underestimating your parents ability to have a good time without you. My late DH and I took 10 trips to WDW when we were between the ages of 48 and 62. One of those trips included our 2 kids, who were 22 and 25 at the time, the rest included just the 2 of us. We had a far better time when we went by ourselves. We could do exactly what we wanted, when we wanted. I can't suggest any special gift but I do want to reassure you that chances are good that they will have a great time.

 

[Fizban]

So my parents are going to stay at the Wilderness Lodge for the first time next week without any other family going with them. They are both recently retired, and my sister and I went to Disney World more than our fair share as kids for sporting events, class trips where my Mom was a chaperone, and just regular summer family vacations. My sister and I are both grown (25+) and married, no kids, and this is the first summer after my Dad retired from being a HS principal.

They offered to plan a summer vacation to get us all together, but with new jobs, new mortgages, and other stuff going on it just didn't come together. They decided to go to Dis on their own. I realize how selfish this sounds, but with now I feel bad that they're going to Disney without us, like its going to be sad for them to be lonely in the happiest place on earth. We've both struggled having kids of our own and I know Mom has grand baby fever even if she's been good about not putting additional pressure on us.

The flip side of that is that they're entering the 3rd act of life, can do whatever they want, and don't need anyone's permission to have a good time. This could all be in my head and maybe they're not even thinking along these lines. They've earned the right and flexibility to enjoy themselves, and if that means a Disney trip, more power to them.

ANYWAY- didn't expect this to go there. My Parents are staying in the Wilderness Lodge and I was wondering if there was something my wife and I could do do make their stay a little more "magical." I don't know if there's some package we could set up in the room when they get back from the parks or call the front desk and ask them to do something for them, I'm looking for advice from the experts out there.

I want to tell them thank you for all the wonderful memories they've made for our family at Disney and see if Disney can sprinkle a little fairy dust. Any ideas?

Thanks,

So let me give you a small view into what your parents are going to experience when they get there. My wife and I did our first couple-only trip a couple years ago. The first day we didnt really know what to talk about because we've always been wrapped around raising our girls. It was really funny because we really couldn't think of anything meaningful to say that didnt involve our girls. That lasted a few hours. Then we went out to dinner and drinks at DTD and just strolled around. From that moment on we just enjoyed our time together and did the parks/dinners/resorts at our own pace. Don't feel bad for them, because I can guarantee they are going to have a great time.

If you want to suprise them i would suggest send a picture of your selves in a frame and have it delivered to their rooms with a bottle of very good wine.

 

[prgal0715]

The in-room celebrations are quite pricey, but you can have a custom cake (mini or larger) delivered to the room as a surprise or have it brought to their table at one of their TS rezzies. (WL is serviced by the Contemporary bakery. Their cake decorator,Chef Brian, rocks!) Also, the Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party is lovely and a "bargain" at $49pp. If that's not their jam, perhaps one of the tours might be more up their alley. You are so sweet doing this for your parents!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I'm a little LOL that you think the parents are going to be sad to be vacationing alone. My ILs are retired and we (and the grandkids) pretty much cramp their style when we're around. Not that they don't enjoy spending time with us, but you can tell that they're no longer used to having to adapt to other people's schedules, which is great for them. I'm glad to see them so relaxed and happy these days, because then they were working, they were much more uptight.

Without knowing what they're into, it's hard to make a recommendation. Do they like to drink? Do they have any favorite restaurants? For me, personally, someone arranging a meal at Artist Point would be fun. Or just giving me a gift card and telling me to spend it drinking around the world. If they're drinkers, actually, that's what I would do. Put together a creative little list of drinks to try in the WS, and send it along with a gift card to the WL. You can address it to them as a guest and it can be waiting for them when they arrive.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

We have orders a cake to be delivered to our room at WL to celebrate the kids' birthdays while we are there. Why not have something delivered to them? They don't have to be present when it's delivered.

 

[MickeyNola]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and comments, and yes, I do fully appreciate that my parents are going to have a perfectly good time without the rest of the fam in tow. I think it's just different at this point in all our lives, and I think I'm not coming up with the right words to express that transition. I remember that commercial of the senior parents with adult kids worrying about them and yes, it totally fits in my case.

We are probably going to send flowers and a hand written note, they'll be there Sunday- Saturday so at the end of the trip they can throw away the flowers and pack the vase for home. Now I need to work on the note. The other option is depending on their plans, we might cover dinner for one of their advance dining reservations, if Disney can accommodate that. I made arrangements before at a nice restaurant in our hometown that at the end of the night instead of getting a bill they got a note from my wife and I. Might be tough to pull off though. I'll report back and let everyone know how it works out. Thanks again.

 

[happymommy]

At first, your post almost made me laugh (thinking about your parents not taking their grown kids!). I took my daughter without her brother last spring, since he wanted to hang out with his friends over spring break rather than go to Disney! Go figure. She and I had the best time ever! Also, my husband and I went multiple times before having kids. Honeymoon too. And, I have taken my kids without my husband since they were 4 and 6 (he works, poor fellow....). He does go sometimes, but now it's like every other trip or third trip or so.
Anyway, I think you know your parents best. What they like and all. Flowers are a cute idea, but in a hotel room maybe not so much? Maybe at home when they return? I'd think more along the lines of a gift from the Disney florist of wine and snacks or something. Cake is fine, but my husband sent one to us this spring break for my daughter's birthday, and we had a hard time finishing it (yeah, tough job but someone had to do it!). He sent a huge expensive package - it was sweet, but over the top! They have a ton of things to choose from on the website, and you can call to customize.

 

[tiger4me2]

You can also arrange to have them pick up at the airport and resort by a town car service. Nice touch

 

[eliza61]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and comments, and yes, I do fully appreciate that my parents are going to have a perfectly good time without the rest of the fam in tow. I think it's just different at this point in all our lives, and I think I'm not coming up with the right words to express that transition. I remember that commercial of the senior parents with adult kids worrying about them and yes, it totally fits in my case.
.

LOL of course it's going to be different. It's supposed to be different. If they didn't want it to be different they would have invited you guys.

isn't it funny that no matter how adult we become it's still hard for us to remember that our parents where individuals before we came along

As parents of grown adult (almost) children we are waiting with baited breathe for that magical day when we retire and return to be sort of "DINKs". I love it when my kids come home from college for about a month and then I realize how much they cramp my style. lol. I fall back into "mom" role and when they are in school I'm "Eliza" the adult women.

Here's what we enjoyed about going without the kids.

1) meals Being able to eat what and where we want
2) resorts/parks. If we decided to not go to the parks, no biggie. if we went to the parks and decided to just stroll, no worries. I like to take pictures, without the kids I could stand somewhere for 30 minutes to capture the light without stressing I was holding everyone up.
3) conversation. interestingly enough we met tons of other solo or just adult couples. conversation was totally, totally different and enjoyable.

send them a gift basket, maybe some bubbly and don't worry

 

[jerseygal]

So my parents are going to stay at the Wilderness Lodge for the first time next week without any other family going with them. They are both recently retired, and my sister and I went to Disney World more than our fair share as kids for sporting events, class trips where my Mom was a chaperone, and just regular summer family vacations. My sister and I are both grown (25+) and married, no kids, and this is the first summer after my Dad retired from being a HS principal.

They offered to plan a summer vacation to get us all together, but with new jobs, new mortgages, and other stuff going on it just didn't come together. They decided to go to Dis on their own. I realize how selfish this sounds, but with now I feel bad that they're going to Disney without us, like its going to be sad for them to be lonely in the happiest place on earth. We've both struggled having kids of our own and I know Mom has grand baby fever even if she's been good about not putting additional pressure on us.

The flip side of that is that they're entering the 3rd act of life, can do whatever they want, and don't need anyone's permission to have a good time. This could all be in my head and maybe they're not even thinking along these lines. They've earned the right and flexibility to enjoy themselves, and if that means a Disney trip, more power to them.

ANYWAY- didn't expect this to go there. My Parents are staying in the Wilderness Lodge and I was wondering if there was something my wife and I could do do make their stay a little more "magical." I don't know if there's some package we could set up in the room when they get back from the parks or call the front desk and ask them to do something for them, I'm looking for advice from the experts out there.

I want to tell them thank you for all the wonderful memories they've made for our family at Disney and see if Disney can sprinkle a little fairy dust. Any ideas?

Thanks,

You are a VERY CONSIDERATE AND THOUGHTFUL SON! Hope that you are BLESSED WITH CHILDREN SOON!
Your parents raised a GREAT KID!
P.S...We are just starting to "kick up our heels a bit" now that youngest DS is in college...2nd trip to WDW "childless" this coming October...
We're having a BLAST! Hope your parents have a FABULOUS VACA!

 

[worleygirl26]

Nothing to add but this is super sweet I hope my kids are this thoughtful

 

[Spoiledraf]

We are both 61. We have gone half a dozen times without kids but quite honestly I would rather go with my grandkids every time. They range from 3-11 and we both enjoy watching them have fun more than anything else. But it is more relaxing to go alone. That's more of a "vacation." Hope they enjoy!