Adult only DL Visits

[Yukonjack]

My wife and I are going to DL and staying at the Grand in February without kids I feel a bit guilty for not bringing the kids, but we are not even telling them that we are going. This is just a trip to CA

At any rate, my wife and I have been twice before, so we know how to do things with little kids, but I thought I would ask what everyone here who goes without kids likes to do. We are going to probably have lunch one day at the BB and dinner one night at the Napa Rose (chef's counter). I am guessing that whatever we do, it will be MUCH easier without kids Anyway, just thought I would ask and get some tips. We do not get away without our children very often, but when we do we really like to savor our "grown up time" (funny that we are spending grown up time in DL of all places

Greg

 

[Kayla's Mom]

When DH and I went last year for our anniversary we did the Fantasmic Dessert Seating and the segway tour at DCA. We really enjoyed the tour and would love to do it again someday.

 

[Mister Toad]

My wife and I are going to DL and staying at the Grand in February without kids I feel a bit guilty for not bringing the kids, but we are not even telling them that we are going. This is just a trip to CA

At any rate, my wife and I have been twice before, so we know how to do things with little kids, but I thought I would ask what everyone here who goes without kids likes to do. We are going to probably have lunch one day at the BB and dinner one night at the Napa Rose (chef's counter). I am guessing that whatever we do, it will be MUCH easier without kids Anyway, just thought I would ask and get some tips. We do not get away without our children very often, but when we do we really like to savor our "grown up time" (funny that we are spending grown up time in DL of all places

Greg

I don't have kids so I have never been with them. Things I can see changing whenever I do have kids would be that we will be moving MUCH slower. We can just fly through the attractions and we have a blast. We can do all the rides we love twice during the day (pirates, hm, indy, space, mr toad, etc.).

Also with dinner - You can take kids to the nicer restaurants, but its probably not the same. We love going to BB when we are there and have gone every time (we are shaking it up this time around though).

I agree with the Fantasmic! dessert seating, we did that for my fiance's birthday last year and it was great. I imagine it would be lost on a kid though.

Also, shopping, we like to look through the stores and see all the stuff, again, I think kids would get super bored if it wasn't toys or other stuff they want to look at.

Staying late is another big thing. We always stay til close, especially on Saturdays. There is nothing like Disney at night. There is just something so fun about walking onto rides at 11:40 at night, hanging out with all the lights on and the people clearing out. As much as I love DL during the day, that calm right before it closes where you are able to just enjoy the magic of the park is great.

Hope this helps, I will try to think up some other stuff as well.

 

[letthembelittle]

My dh and I just got back from a kidless trip, it was a whole different park without the kids! We enjoyed going through all the shops, lingering over meals, not setting foot in Fantasyland, hearing a kid cry and being so glad it wasn't ours!!

 

[farmgirljen]

I would think that the port and cheese tasting would be a very adult activity, as well as just sitting on the deck at the cove bar and enjoying some cocktails and people watching.... strolling around and lingering with out purpose- enjoying all the sights and sounds and smells....

 

[Yukonjack]

Since the park opens later in Feb, we will also be able to sleep in! Not something we ever get to do at home

 

[funatdisney]

Just so happens that my DH and I are going without the kids the first weekend of Feb. We do it all the time and so enjoy it. It reaffirms your relationship and you will soon want to go again without the kids. We sleep in, walk down Main Street and look at all the store windows and ride the rides we want. We book a 0ne-bedroom (no studios are available when we book, but will be in one this Feb), so we make margaritas in the room. Sometimes we go for a drink at the Hearthstone Lounge and enjoy other adult company or go and finish our drinks outside by the fireplace (it will be cold in Feb.) Maybe we can meet up of we are there the same weekend.

I would think that the port and cheese tasting would be a very adult activity, as well as just sitting on the deck at the cove bar and enjoying some cocktails and people watching.... strolling around and lingering with out purpose- enjoying all the sights and sounds and smells....

Where is this? at Napa Rose?

 

[farmgirljen]

I believe it is at the Wine Country Trattoria in DCA.

 

[Twinkledust]

DH and I try to get to DL/CA on a date night once every couple of months. It really is a different place without kids! We have always enjoyed the evening shows...Fantasmic, etc. but this past anniversary we really enjoyed the WOC dining package over at CA! We ate at the Wine Country Trattoria and it was wonderful.
We also enjoy getting a beer or margaritas and just people watching!

 

[funatdisney]

I believe it is at the Wine Country Trattoria in DCA.

Thank you for the information. I think my DH and I will enjoy that very much.

 

[DizMe]

Besides the port and cheese tasting, they also offer port and chocolate tasting . We did this in Jan on a girls-only trip and it was fabulous!

I will also second the recommendation for having a drink at the Hearthstone Lounge. You can have it there, which is very nice, or you can take it out to the big fireplace in the lobby area. *I only learned this on my last trip: there is a "twin" fireplace to the lobby one on the outside of the building! It's a cool little hideaway.

 

[Colfireman]

We will be enjoying our Adult only trip in less than 6 days. We are celebrsting our 20th anniversay and will enjoy every minute of it. This will be our 1st trip w/o kids. Plan to do all of the thing we don't usually get to see and more.

 

[Yukonjack]

Wow, all these ideas are getting me excited about this trip! I am looking forward to doing what we want, and just taking our time. I like the idea of getting a drink at the Cove bar and watching all the people. I also look forward to the colder weather. It is still warmer there than New Mexico in February, and it will be nice to not cook all day

Thanks for all the tips!

 

[Diznygrl]

The Cove Bar is located in the upstairs area of Ariel's Grotto restaurant.

 

[pedestrianme]

My wife and I are child-free and we love going to Anaheim. DL without kids is awesome, mainly because you can stay in the park until closing time. The huge collection of dark-rides in Fantasyland is much more romantic at night when the lines are almost non-existent. Pirates of the Caribbean has a better queue at night. The Haunted Mansion is much nicer without shouting kids. And children might not appreciate the Tiki Room as much as someone born in the twentieth century; as a hipster I think the Tiki Room is the coolest attraction ever. Vintage, people! The theming of Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain is more convincing at night, too. However the line for Space Mountain won't be any shorter because teens like the ride and they also stay until closing time.

Also, you get to sleep in and enter the park in the afternoon, yet you're still able to ride everything you want.

 

[farmgirljen]

I have to say that taking an occasional child free trip anywhere is wonderful! The last time DH and I did an adult only getaway was just a night at the coast- but it was the last weekend of spring break, and we had left our son at grammas for the weekend and decided to go at the last minute. The hotel was so busy with families traveling during spring break, and all of the parents had this exhausted zombie look to them- we were the only ones there with out a child, and the only ones who seemed rested at the end of a busy spring break, lol....

 

[funatdisney]

Besides the port and cheese tasting, they also offer port and chocolate tasting . We did this in Jan on a girls-only trip and it was fabulous!

I will also second the recommendation for having a drink at the Hearthstone Lounge. You can have it there, which is very nice, or you can take it out to the big fireplace in the lobby area. *I only learned this on my last trip: there is a "twin" fireplace to the lobby one on the outside of the building! It's a cool little hideaway.

Did you say port and chocolate?!! I have got try that and the cheese. Maybe try cheese on the first day and then the chocolate the next day.

 

[lochcarron]

We're not ready for a kid free disney trip yet but one day maybe! I think of the benefits of not having kids is the freedom to do what you want in the park such as staying late or out for a nice dinner. In February we will have my parents with us on our disney holiday so at least my wife and I can have a couple date nights without the kiddies

 

[DizMe]

I have an AP and go ~5 times/year. I take the kids one of those times and the others are for me and my sister, adult dd, friend, or combination of those. I'm often asked why I go without the kids and after a lot of consideration, I decided it was because I spend so much time being Mom the Responsible Adult that it gives me a chance to be the child and not worry about caring for anyone else for a while. I really need those breaks from time to time and I think most adults benefit from giving the caregiving role a few days off. Why don't I go with my DH? Well, who would watch the kids? Actually, he finds once/year more than sufficient to satisfy his Disney needs and truthfully, I have more fun with the girls because we're all pretty much in sync with our Disney obsession.

 

[funatdisney]

I have an AP and go ~5 times/year. I take the kids one of those times and the others are for me and my sister, adult dd, friend, or combination of those. I'm often asked why I go without the kids and after a lot of consideration, I decided it was because I spend so much time being Mom the Responsible Adult that it gives me a chance to be the child and not worry about caring for anyone else for a while. I really need those breaks from time to time and I think most adults benefit from giving the caregiving role a few days off. Why don't I go with my DH? Well, who would watch the kids? Actually, he finds once/year more than sufficient to satisfy his Disney needs and truthfully, I have more fun with the girls because we're all pretty much in sync with our Disney obsession.

I have the same experience. When my girls were young, I would take them once a month with friends or with other families to DL. We went so often that when DH and I would go by ourselves, the kids never complained about leaving them behind. In the beginning, DH would only go once a year. Now he likes our day together at DL, and will mention (on his own) if we can have a day together at DL. We now do a weekend at DL once a year, and a few day trips a year together. Now that the girls are older (12 and 15) they don't want to go as often, so DH and I are having more days at the parks and enjoying them more and more.

Friends used to ask me if I felt guilty about leaving the kids behind. I would explain that DH and I have a great time and it reaffirms our relationship. Nothing like letting go and acting like a kid together at DL. Besides, the kids are going in a couple of weeks anyway.