Better alone or with friends?

[April2012]

Our first ever trip to disney was spent alone and we had THE best time ever!! This time around we may (or may not) be going with friends and hubby & I have slight reservations that it's going to work out for the best!!
For us, we think disney is a place where you don't necessarily need to be with someone else. Maybe it'd be a bind always having to consider what someone else might want to do all the time instead of what you wanted??
On the other side of the coin it might be fun sharing all that fun!

Just wondering if anyone could share their experiences for and against? xx

 

[2Tiggies]

This will vary from person to person/family to family. I will preface this by saying we have a lot of friends in the USA and love socialising and meeting new people there too. We always try meet up with our US friends who can make it when we go now. It's usually just at random intervals for a day or two during the trip, but I would never do a whole trip with other folk. Especially not a first trip.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Kath2003]

I would set expectations from the start that you will be doing your own thing as a couple - if that works out for them, great, go together. If not, the party splits. I would avoid sharing ADRs, transport etc. so that neither party is reliant on the other.

 

[wayneg]

As Lee says this will vary from family to family.
We have done over 30 trips to Florida, some alone, some with friends and some with family.
The most relaxing trips by far are the trips alone.
Shared holidays need planning to accomodate everyone, we all have different ideas for a perfect holiday.
Our first trip to Florida was in 1993 with relatives, we went as 4 adults sharing 1 hotel room, while it was a fantastic holiday halfway thru it became strained with our snoring 2nd week they had to get another room. 20 years later we are still very close (went out with them on Saturday)

We went with friends a couple of times worked very well in seperate hotel rooms, great evenings around the pool with a few drinks.

Last few years been with relatives 3 times, again seperate rooms, doing some things together and some apart.

What I am trying to say is we would find it difficult to live in each others pockets 24/7, we need seperate rooms, seperate cars, days apart etc. To do a holiday with another family full time would not work for us but having time apart they can work very well.

 

[April2012]

Yes this is exactly what I thought! TBH its not set in stone yet but they have made it clear they might be interested in coming with us next year....although as always this was discussed whilst having dinner and free flowing drinks

They have a child a year apart from our son so the thought of the kids sharing the fun is appealing but it's their first visit so part of me feels as though we'd be taking a bit of their 'magic' away iykwim?

I defo get what your saying though about not living in each others company 24/7!

 

[2Tiggies]

Our first trip to Florida was in 1993 with relatives, we went as 4 adults sharing 1 hotel room, while it was a fantastic holiday halfway thru it became strained with our snoring 2nd week they had to get another room.

I can just picture the scene at reception

"Excuse me, we have a room, paid for, but would like to pay for another one because our room mates have some disturbing sleeping habits"

You need to ask yourself: Do we want a family holiday or a trip with friends? Once you have decided that as a family, start referring to it when they bring it up again in the terms you want them to understand it, making it quite clear if it is a family holiday, that this is why YOU are going. There is a difference between going on holiday together and meeting up at intervals during the trip. They are worlds apart and as it has been pointed out already, trips involving two separate parties take a lot of planning, a healthy dose of compromise and a bit of sacrifice. There are rewards in other areas, such as if you have both have a child/children too young or unwilling to ride some of the bigger attractions, you can take turns riding and watching the kids, the social aspect and more.

What you do need to keep in mind is that a first trip to WDW is a sensory overload and can be overwhelming at the best of times. Tempers and patience are a little more volatile, paces may vary and interests certainly will.

Perhaps you can suggest (if they bring it up again) that if they happen to be there at the same time as you or overlap some of the time you are there, that you join up for a full park day once or twice. If you let them have a few days to themselves before having a day together and pack in a full day, you may well find that they start craving a bit of space and freedom.

 

[flortlebap]

We just did a trip with a friend and his son. We were in separate hotels but we spent half the holiday together and had a blast!

I think he appreciated the guidance of a Disney expert though and was happy to go with the flow. It would be much harder if people were pulling separate ways and didn't have the same interests though.

I've also done it with another family of four meeting up occasionally and with our whole family of 12, which frankly was a nightmare.

Point is its doable and really fun if you have separate accommodation and don't feel the need to live in each others pockets!

 

[joolz1910]

Personally, I wouldn't want to go on holiday with friends. I would be happy to meet up, spend a few days together and have the occasional meal, but the idea of trying to please everyone would be too stressful for me.

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

We're going next year with my sister, her son and her partner.

Whilst this will be their 1st time to WDW they've been to DL many times. We have separate hotels rooms at the YC but we will definitely be making our TS ADRs together. Also with the introduction of FP+ and magic bands and having to make FP+ 60 days in advance I suspect that we will be touring together as well. Having said all that they arrive in Orlando 4 days after we do and they are staying there for 3 days after we leave so we will all have some time without each other.

 

[Clare D]

We've been with friends and family and TBH I would go for just us each time because it's easier and more chilled out that way.

If you do go together consider having a separate car so at least then you can do your own thing and also make it clear that you are happy for them to go off and do their own thing too.

 

[queendisney]

we have been with family and we have been with friends. Neither of which we would ever do again! Unless you all have the same touring styles then it's really stressful. It's also hard going if they have never been before as it makes the touring so much slower and you will have to do 'its a small world' again
I would however definitely meet up with them on occasions if they were going the same time.
Space is the way forward, separate itinerary's, otherwise like us, you may find you start to resent them being there and your friendships start to struggle.

With our friends we wanted to snack our way around Epcot but they were health fanatics and only wanted to eat the norm breakfast, lunch, dinner and def no snacking so again touring styles!

I am sure there are also many people that have fantastic times with family and friends we are just not one of them

 

[April2012]

Hmm, definitely food for thought! I must admit though everyone's opinions are making me sway toward us going alone.

It's also hard going if they have never been before as it makes the touring so much slower and you will have to do 'its a small world' again

This made me laugh so much as a small world really is a painstaking ride isn't it?

 

[2Tiggies]

Hmm, definitely food for thought! I must admit though everyone's opinions are making me sway toward us going alone.

By all means, meet up with them if you want to. My point was simply that we go on our own vacation, and share specific, pre arranged days/times with others and then head off. It's much easier adding time together during the trip than having to try explain that you really just want to be on your own. Rather than book together and schedule days apart, my preference is to book my own trip, plan my own trip and try and co-ordinate days together. Then if you want to spend an extra evening tearing up the Magic Kingdom or playing mini golf, you can do it then and there.

 

[tinkerpea]

We are actually going with friends in October that we met here in the DIS lol!

Which is rather funny as we have always said we
Never wanted to holiday with anybody before, and that we wouldn't do it, but since we both have been to disney plenty of times and get on great we decided to try it
We already spend our time talking about disney when we meet up, they was actually the ones going and asked if we wanted to go at the same time as we was looking at going again at around the same time!
We're staying at different hotels, and they arrive a few days before us so we each have a few days as just family,
We also have a different dining plan to them as they do tour slightly different when it comes to eating!
We love our TS meals they prefer to do QS with a few TS meals added in.
So we have planed around 5 meals with them plus a firework cruise " a 1st for both family's" & were doing MNSSHP together which I'm so excited for!
We have an understanding that if it gets too much and they or us need time alone then we would say BUT we just adore this family and can't wait to share our love for disney together in the happiest place.

That being said I think you would have to be mega comfortable knowing that you have to speak up before things start to go wrong! They have 1 boy we have 3!! So we know it can get a bit much and over bearing and I know they will say if there little one would like alone time.

If you know that you would've worried about speaking up you will end up resenting the people your with.

 

[April2012]

By all means, meet up with them if you want to. My point was simply that we go on our own vacation, and share specific, pre arranged days/times with others and then head off. It's much easier adding time together during the trip than having to try explain that you really just want to be on your own. Rather than book together and schedule days apart, my preference is to book my own trip, plan my own trip and try and co-ordinate days together. Then if you want to spend an extra evening tearing up the Magic Kingdom or playing mini golf, you can do it then and there.

No, I definitely agree with you. The problem we may encounter is as it's their first trip they suggested coming with us and staying at the same resort but not the same room/apartment. My worry is that we'll all end up getting stressed with always trying to please each other when we all really want to do something else. I think your all certainly right about laying down our intentions from the start.

I don't know, maybe it won't come off in the end but Disney is just one holiday I don't want compromising you know?

 

[April2012]

We are actually going with friends in October that we met here in the DIS lol!

Which is rather funny as we have always said we
Never wanted to holiday with anybody before, and that we wouldn't do it, but since we both have been to disney plenty of times and get on great we decided to try it
We already spend our time talking about disney when we meet up, they was actually the ones going and asked if we wanted to go at the same time as we was looking at going again at around the same time!
We're staying at different hotels, and they arrive a few days before us so we each have a few days as just family,
We also have a different dining plan to them as they do tour slightly different when it comes to eating!
We love our TS meals they prefer to do QS with a few TS meals added in.
So we have planed around 5 meals with them plus a firework cruise " a 1st for both family's" & were doing MNSSHP together which I'm so excited for!
We have an understanding that if it gets too much and they or us need time alone then we would say BUT we just adore this family and can't wait to share our love for disney together in the happiest place.

That being said I think you would have to be mega comfortable knowing that you have to speak up before things start to go wrong! They have 1 boy we have 3!! So we know it can get a bit much and over bearing and I know they will say if there little one would like alone time.

If you know that you would've worried about speaking up you will end up resenting the people your with.

You see this sounds perfect! You all know where you stand and that should make for a smooth ride. I think if it goes any further we need to have a more in-depth conversation about things so we all know where we stand.



Thanks for all your advice everyone, always sooo helpful

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I went with my brother, his wife and 2 kids.

I vowed never ever to go on holiday with family ever again after that. Nightmare from start to finish.

Its too much for 2 weeks, I think the idea of a holiday is to spend time with your wife or kids because life is busy enough, going with friends or other family detracts from the whole aim of a holiday, which is to relax and chill out and spend great time with the ones you really love the most.

 

[Summer-Caitlin]

Although at times it was great to have others along, (my mum came with us for a week as part of our wedding/honeymoon) I much prefer it when it was just me and DH. This time however there will be my (will be then 3 year old son). I debated whether or not to ask my brother and mum along but after very little consideration I decided that I like to plan what we do and I remember my mum was quite tired doing as much walking as we do, making the effort to stick to all my meal reservations etc. My mum wouldn't want to go if she was told to do her own thing, neither would my brother, so for me it has to be a no!

It is much more relaxing just us

 

[higgy66]

We're going with 2 other families this year and I must admint I'm a little nervous

Having said that my own family have been several times and have already booked for next year so we're tackling this as an entirely different holiday

We've agreed that we will probably start off in the same parks but eventually will split up as it's impossible to please 12 people all day long regardless of where you are!

After a few days when the other familes have got used to Disney transport etc they may well want to venture to different parks etc and do their own thing but we have made ADRS for each evening so we can all catch up and share our day.

As we've been several times we might want to go back to pool earlier in the day but they may want to stay and make the most of everything which is fine as long as we all realise we're not offending anyone by doing our own thing. Once that is established you will be fine

We've all been away before but not to Disney and I am looking forward to experiencing everything again through first time visitors eyes IYKWIM


Failing that - the Disney Christmas shop has two exits.............

 

[2Tiggies]

Failing that - the Disney Christmas shop has two exits.............

So do the bathrooms outside Splash Mountain And of course there is always the good ol' briar patch round the corner

It sounds like you have set clear boundaries and expectations and I'm sure it will be just fine, and lots of fun