Disney for Empty Nesters?

[BeerMe]

Our youngest child is 33 and we have been taking trips, just the two of us, for 15 years. On occasion kids and of grandkids come with us but usually it's just the two of us. We're made over 40 trips this way and love it. Going again in February.

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[disfan4life1]

Dd's are now 18 & 23... On our way home from a family trip as we speak but DH and I just took our first trip without them this past April... Had the best time ever.. Missed the kids but had put off doing a "just us" trip for so long because they love Disney as much as we do. We finally did it.. Felt a little guilty before we left but after we got there just kept sending them pics to keep in touch. As others mentioned it is different but awesome at the same time... Never rushed from place to place.. If we came upon a ride that we wanted to ride we did it.. Had no "plans" other than a couple of Adr's that we normally don't do. Went back to the room every day to nap and refresh and only went back to the park after we felt ready. No hurries or worries... Do it and enjoy yourselves. Can't wait for our next one.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We are in our 40's and our boys are in college. We aren't quite empty nesters because they are still living at home while going to our local university. But we take off for DLR every summer without them. They have to stay and work summers to have spending and living money. This year we went to WDW for the first time and it was just us. We celebrated our 25th anniversary and had so much fun for two weeks. And it is so much cheaper with just us! Young men eat a ton!!!! We go and see what we want to see, split a meal when we are hungry, and make spur of the moment decisions.

Now that our kids are in college we love the flexibility to take off on a weekend trip or plan big vacations for just us. I figure when we have grandchildren someday, it will go back to being about the kids so we are enjoying this time.

 

[Micca]

DW and I have been empty nesters for well over 10 years and we still go to WDW at least once a year. Can't say that we go alone tbough as one or both of our daughters still go with us (which we love!). We only bought into DVC after our kids graduated from college (school being just the slightest financial strain)

DW and I both grew up as Disney fans, and only became regular park visitors after we were married. So we've gone before we had kids, after we had kids, and after our kids were grown. We're now eagerly anticipating getting to take our granddaughters. They're just a little too young right now but we hope to take them on many trips in just a few years.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

My babies are 26 and 20 and on just got married and one is in college and they still talk about wanting to do Disney Vacations with us. Just recently the oldest wants to plan a family trip for her little brother's college graduation.

I am always looking for a great reason to go to Disney though my husband doesn't love it like the kids and I do. Or so he says. I mentioned wanting to take a mother/son trip for SWW next year since the kiddo will get out of school mid May and I got the stinkeye big time so I guess he wants to go.

We loved going with our kids and we love going with our adult kids. We love doing evening EMH and staying up late and I love that my kids have the Disney bug and have fun. Our first "grown up trip" was on our 25th wedding anniversary I found a new way to do it that made everyone happy! We cruised Royal Caribbean out of Port Canaveral and came back into port on our anniversary, rented a car and came back and spent two days, including our actual anniversary at Epcot. It was awesome. We slept in and then took a cab to the Beach Club and went in through the IG and spent the whole day lazily wandering the WS. We saw every single movie (something the kids never had the patience to do) and we enjoyed Voices of Liberty. We meandered in the shops. We never even went into FW. It was a grown up fun time and we capped it off by going back to the hotel, showering and cleaning up and spending our anniversary dinner at the California Grill and watching the fireworks. And my DH, who had endured many trips full of autograph books, and IASW and switched up ADRs and me agonizing over what resort to book was able to watch the fireworks and tell me "Next to you is my happiest place on earth and I"m so glad to be here with you."

My husband loves to cruise and so this Sept, to celebrate getting the baby off to the second year of college and successfully paying off the wedding, I booked another cruise out of Port Canaveral. My husband and I love to cruise so that works. It sails on a Sunday but he travels a lot so we often travel on points. It seems we really should fly in the day before the cruise, right? Oh no! No points flights on Saturday but we can fly on Friday super early. Now what to do with a Friday night and Saturday in Orlando. What? MNSSHP is on Friday? And we have enough points to check a DTD hotel so if we just go to MNSSHP on Friday night we won't need park tickets because we can go for the evening and see the final Fantasy Land Expansion and do something we haven't before, since we're going to be there after all. Maybe we will spend Saturday at DTD or we can book a dinner at a resort or do a progressive monorail CS dinner. It's kind of fun to be able to be creative with it. It won't be a true "Disney trip" but it will be fun. It's nice not to have kids who will want to go see it all and to just toss in a few WDW nights.

We don't go every year but every few is fine and I can work with that. I think it would be fun to go with the kids and spouses sometime too. I hope their spouses are ready though. My kids have Rope Drop philosophy and have a plan mentality ingrained in them since their first trip at age 3. But hey, I think that just means I raised them right.

Hope you find a way to tour the parks that works for you. I think there is enough of "something for everyone" that it really can work for every age.

 

[lustergirl]

My two sons are 25 and soon to be 21 (next Thursday). Their days of going to Disney with us are long gone. I do miss them on the trips but also enjoy time alone with my husband. And if hubby doesn't want to go then I go solo, like my upcoming trip in November.

Now I found out that I am going to be a grandma in January (a boy). So already I am thinking of taking my grand kid when he does get a little older. My family didn't start going to Disney until the boys were in the teens so this will be a new experience for me, taking a youngster.

 

[North of Mouse]

So how can you enjoy WDW without children- especially when your experience has always centered around your children?

In other words, how do you enjoy WDW as an empty-nester?

Well, how will you enjoy home life when things have always centered on your children??

DH & I always have maintained our lives as a 'couple' with each other, as well as a 'family' with our children.

So, in that light, we too, went to Disney with our children. Now, we enjoy the same things just the two of us, and we 'love' it. There are some things that are different, but there are lots of things that are the same.

You will need to adjust to most things in everyday life without the children, this is just part of that great alone time. Enjoy! We are!

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

You can also come out of the shower naked in the resort and not have to worry about drawing the curtain closed to get dressed! Major bonus!

 

[jerseygal]

WOW, AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!1

REALLY looking forward to one day, "when the time is right" for our sons, to vacationing at WDW with little grandchildren! WOW!

EXCITING for you!!!

 

[lustergirl]

WOW, AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!1

REALLY looking forward to one day, "when the time is right" for our sons, to vacationing at WDW with little grandchildren! WOW!

EXCITING for you!!!

Thanks. This baby will be my first and I plan on taking him to Disney World without his parents

 

[poeticdiabetic]

The comments were really cool and I appreciate them! My point of view was that when I planned my first trip to WDW, I did it with the intention of my kids having a lot of fun. My fun dovetailed from their fun. I like putting a smile of their faces. To me, the bonus is that it became my wife's favorite place on the planet.

So I feel better about it all. I talked to my kids about it and they said that as long as we give them some money for gas and food and keys to the car, we can go to WDW, Jamaica, Riviera Maya (my favorite place on Earth), or Timbuktu. They would stay home (Which is another fear.)

But this has taken us a long way. We may even take a quick WDW vacation within 2 years.

 

[jerseygal]

The CM asked me if we were celebrating anything special in December...

I said it joking and replied OUR FREEDOM!!! YES....GETTING OVER THE HUMP!!!!!!!!!!

Thank GOD we really still ENJOY EACH OTHER!
31 YEARS TOMORROW!!!

 

[xipetotec]

Ok, my DW is a big Disney lover. I like WDW too, but it's because it was my dream as a kid to grow up and take my family there one day. Well, we've been- many times over.

So I have two boys and they are getting older really fast. In 2 years, my eldest will be in college and my other son will be joining 2 years after that. My wife was saying that she would like to continue to go to Disney even when they eventually leave the house and start their own independent lives. And that is to my horror because I don't think I would have a good time.

See, the first time they went to WDW, my eldest was 7 and my youngest was 6. They grew up going to Disney. All of my memories of Disney is with them- watching their wonder, excitement and amazement as they watched shows, rode rides and interacted with the characters.

So how can you enjoy WDW without children- especially when your experience has always centered around your children? I mean, do you go walking around, talking about how you remember your kid's reaction when your kids first did this or that? Do you go around trying to interact with other people's kids because you are missing your own? Or is it just a good thing to go and bring a God-daughter or a friend's child and take them?

In other words, how do you enjoy WDW as an empty-nester?

We are not Empty Nesters yet. out of 3 kids, only one has moved out.

HOWEVER, I can tell you that an adult trip is very different from a family trip. Like you, we usually go not only with our kids, but also my parents, my brother, a couple of cousins and their kids. Yes, it's a big group and all family. without going into those details, we spent a LOT of time with our own kids there and have always seen it as a playground where it doesn't matter what age you are, you just all have fun together.

Now, when DW turned 30, we did a Hallwoeen trip, ( She is an October baby ) *just the two of us* left the kids behind. ( They had school anyway ). We did MNSSHP, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, and best of all, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. We had a *little* big of guilt at first, but really we had a BLAST. It's a completely different experience to just worry about what you two are gonna do today. and certain considerations can go right out the window.

now over a decade later, we are doing it again this coming October. I was afraid of what the kids would say ( they love Disney too, even now that they are older ), but instead of even a joking "Oh sure, YOU guys get to go to Disney", instead they were just happy and said they hope we hav ea good time. It will be weird without them, but I know we'll have a great time.

 

[jerseygal]

My husband has a co worker that goes annually with his wife and they are LUCKY enough for the grandparents to watch their younger kids for 4 nights/5 days!

He said F&W is a "blast"! Thinking in October '15, maybe the two of us will try that! 4 nights, 5 long days is a great "mini vaca"!!!!

ENJOY F&W!!!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

It is different with out kids and no doubt you will find yourself saying remember this or that. I do. Places bring back memories. As adults only you can relax and go at your own pace. It was amazing to me to not have to worry about taking care of anyone and just relax.

 

[jerseygal]

Yes, will be nice to do WDW at our "own pace", relax, and enjoy! No rushing!

Noticed from your signature that you stayed at GF...Did you enjoy it and did you have a good experience?
Thx!

 

[staxia]

I haven't read through the thread, but thought I'd chime in anyways..

I'm not an empty nester, but I'm a single gal in my mid 30's and I *LOVE* going to Disney.. either alone, with friends or extended family. There's always something to do!

What I've found even more interesting, however, is the growing appreciation my parents have for WDW as they're now in their retirement age.. See, they live in Florida, and we went on occasion, and as *I* got older, I took myself with my friends during college, so it was less of a family thing. But now, my dad, who just retired in March, is starting to see all the fun adult stuff that he can partake in! He loves going to Animal Kingdom Lodge and sitting on the rocking chairs and watching the animals. This September, I'll be meeting them there and sharing lodging with them, but I'll be going to Night of Joy in the evenings and my dad is already planning on spending at least one of the nights at Epcot at the Rose & Crown with some Guinness.. We also are doing the Epcot Wind Down at La Cava Del Tequila in Mexico... tequila tastings paired with food!

I was absolutely shocked when my dad, who was never the big Disney fan, started giving me an annual pass for my big birthday/Christmas present!! I was even more shocked that he got one for himself and mom! As empty nesters with APs, they're now taking random weekend trips when the mood strikes and the price is right, "Just because" They love the food and wine festival and Christmas decorations!

Like my sig below says, Disney's fun for EVERYONE!

 

[dzneelvr]

I too had doubts about how DH and I would like WDW without our kids, but those were put to rest on the flight down...it was WONDERFUL to do what we wanted, when we wanted, at the pace we wanted...you get the picture We love love love it and our EN trips now represent a new and exciting time in our lives. And guess what...the kids want to come along again...with their spouses