Disney for Empty Nesters?

[Pacific Northwest]

DW and I are already talking about and looking forward to the time when we can go without kids. We spent our honeymoon at WDW and fondly remember taking our time to do whatever we wanted without worrying about our kids' stamina, needs, and wants. We have been on many Disney trips with our kids and have loved every minute. I'm looking forward to visiting WDW with them in a couple of years, but still have the desire for an adults only trip. We conidered going to Disneyland for our 20th anniversary in a couple years, but the guilt of going without our kids was too much! The adults only trip has now morphed into the aforementioned trip to the world! When they are all out of the nest, DW and I are heading to WDW!

What comes after that? Taking the grandkids of course!

 

[amberpi]

.

 

[Belleandtinker]

We actually met a couple of empty nesters at WDW and they dropped their son at college then went there. Ever since then, we discuss doing the same thing. Please note - we have 10 years until that happens and at the current price of colleges, it might never happen.

We have even joked with out son - college for you and WDW for us. Since he's only 8, we did tell him he can go to WDW (or anywhere else) before he goes to college.

 

[MeanestMomEver]

We did a family trip in March and a couple trip in June and they were Equally fun! Different- yes. But equally fun. No worries!

 

[MeanestMomEver]

We are finding that the tradition from Disney with kids to Disney as a couple has not been an abrupt occurrence but, rather, a gradual transition and it has been very nice.

If you ever read trip reports, you might check mine out. I've been lazy about finishing it up but enough of it is there, that you will get what I mean.

I'm not sure how to post a link using my phone so if this link doesn't work, look for the report called: How to Turn a Romantic, Affordable Trip for two into a Ruckus.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3238608

 

[PrincessAli]

As Grandparents--we now realize that Disney is not for children--its for Adults!! Enjoy yourselves--its so much fun doing it on our own!

 

[JoeA]

My kids were born in FL and we had season passes so they grew up "Disney kids". We have pictures of my youngest daughter on my shoulders before her sister was born.

They're both in their 20's now.

Wife and I joined DVC "for future grandkids" and go alone until they come. We love it. Disney is for kids of all ages.

Out kids laugh at us, and want to join us every trip but we tell them, "this trip is for mom and dad!"

 

[jemlover]

Trips to WDW are so much fun with just DH and me. We loved our trips with our son but we really love our adult only trips. We like walking through the parks holding hands, strolling through the shops and late evenings. We can also act silly and remember what it was like to be a kid. It doesn't get any better than that.

 

[jerseygal]

Following along here...

First "Empty Nest" Trip this coming December...Eldest son is 27 and youngest, soon to be 19 will be entering college this August...This is our "we're over the hump" trip! So EXCITED!!! SO BLESSED that both sons are doing so well, are healthy, and happy!

CAN'T WAIT for our first WDW trip NON SUMMER time! Have NEVER been to WDW any time of year other than summer as we have always planned our vacations around sports schedules and camps! First NON SUMMER trip was our end of May graduation trip to Aulani Hawaii and it was INCREDIBLE, the four of us celebrating the "next chapter" in all of our lives!

CAN'T WAIT to see WDW at the Holiday Season for the first time, 4 night, 5 full day trip early December! Really looking forward God Willing to all of the "next steps" in our lives, marriages of our sons, and hopefully grandchildren one day WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT!

 

[PSUGuy]

Forgot to mention a favorite way of enjoying an Empty Nest trip, torturing the kids. We have a video of us on our Swan room balcony on New Year's Day evening in 2005. Wifey is on the phone with our youngest daughter who was expecting at the time which was the reason for us going alone and at that time. I'm filming and describing the scene which wifey is passing along to Liz. Fantasmic was on and we could clearly see the fireworks from it, when I described our location as being 'a drive and a 7 iron from Fantasmic' Liz said she was actually POed that we were there and she was not!

Actually it worked out because they became motivated to go and they joined us at the BoardWalk in March of 2007 and 2008.

Bill From PA

 

[disnut8]

My husband is 54, I am 52. Our only son is 32, happily married with two kids of his own and lives 800 miles away from us. My husband and I have been to Disney World about 60 times. Most of those trips have been post 2001 when we moved so much closer and our son was still in Nebraska. So we've done Disney World with our son, with our son and our daughter-in-law and with our son and his entire family. Most most of our trips have been just my husband and myself.

How do we enjoy? We just focus on one or two things we've never done or haven't done recently. We did that a few years ago and finally went to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Now it's a can't miss. We finally watched Flights of Wonder and now it's a can't miss. I've never done Dumbo so that's a choice. We ride the Magic Kingdom railroad. Now that we can reserve FastPasses in advance, we did Toy Story Mania for one of the few times we could do it and laughed and joked about the scores and realized that while I may have "lost" to my husband, our scores were close but his accuracy on the ride is so much better. We walk around World Showcase and peo0ple watch and talk about everything, not even Disney related things. We find new things to eat and we're not rushed to finish a meal. We relax and get away from the daily work life we normally have.

Quite honestly, going to Disney World with just my husband is one of the best treats I can have. We are away from the day to day stuff we deal with, no one calls us, it's just the two of us. That's the best thing.

Empty nest doesn't mean empty life. It means new adventures every single day. Life it, love it, enjoy it.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Not an empty nester but My trips have mostly been adult only trips. We have a fantastic time. Plenty to do there for adults.

 

[circus4u]

Wife and I are both in our 60s. We lived in the Tampa Bay area where we raised our four children, and used to go at least once a week with annual passes. I was transferred out of state, and we had not been back to WDW for about 20 years, until last year. We went one time, had such a great time, we bought annual passes and have been a total of five times in that year. We love being able to eat at all the different places and do all the things that we could not do with the kids. Nothing was rushed as there was no hurry to get to attractions for the kids. In fact, the last two or three times we were there, we rode very few rides, sometimes, only one a day. Living in Arizona, we are much closer to Disneyland, but have only made two trips there in the past 15 years. It's just not the same as WDW. We have decided to wait a year or so for our next trip, until a lot of the construction walls are down. For us, it is the ambience and the leisurely strolls in the parks. But we will go back.

 

[DaisyNY]

Our kids are 19, 25, and 27...two live on their own, youngest is in college...I think they would be so upset if we went without them. Helps that we are able to treat them, but they love Disney every bit as much. Still enjoy going and building different memories with them!

 

[Nohal]

Love going without the kids. DH & I just do what we feel like doing and seeing, no asking what everyone else wants to do and eat. We went for many years when the kids were younger and loved it. The kids also loved going. They are grown now and sometimes still go with us. Both DS's are Disney kids but DDIL not so much I think she comes just to appease DS. We enjoy each others company and just go with the flow. We now have a granddaughter and in a few years will be taking the princess with us and the trip will be totally different.

 

[Cee]

I enjoy it more without children, because now it's all about ME. LOL! Give it a try, but don't try to make it the same. It will be different, and that's the great part.

Enjoy!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[jerseygal]

So much has always been ALL ABOUT THE KIDS!!!

Time for Mom and Dad to kick back and HAVE SOME FUN! YAY!

 

[lauradis]

7 more years till FREEDOM.

FREEDOM

Yes I love our children, but I'm ready to be alone with my husband without having to manage a child's schedule to be alone with him at Disney, non Disney, in the closet, just blessedly alone.

Your a very blessed man to have a great family. Enjoy Disney threw your wife's eyes now.

 

[suzimar57]

we've been "empty nesters" for some time now (DS will be 29)

the first trip we took without him was during a F&W - we literally danced around world showcase, food & drink in hand, not having to hear any whining about rides, or heat, or not walking fast enough, blah blah blah....

(if DS is reading this: we missed you TERRIBLY and could barely get thru those days without you in the parks - it was hard, but we made the best of it..)

ok, back again: it was the BEST being just us 2! the pix don't lie, we were smiling and i think singing, too!

and do you know what's even BETTER than being in disney without the kids?? - WITHOUT THE HUSBAND!! - yep, did 4 solo trips during the F&W and they were the BEST trips ever!!! no having to find benches to sit down on, no trips to the first aid station for his migraines, no whining about my shopping - heaven! (can you hear angels singing?!)

(if DH is reading this: i missed you TERRIBLY and could barely get thru those days alone without you in the parks -it was hard, but i made the best of it - you believe me, right?)

 

[The Princess]

We are looking forward to doing disney with just the 2 of us. Love being with the kids but now its time to try disney without them…..just once anyway!!