do you have friends who go with you

[Kurby]

i've always thought it would be great to have friends vacation with us but none of our friends are even remotely interested in disney.

who do you go with? or do you just go alone (well with your kids)

on the same note non of our friends like camping either so we're always going in the summer alone too.

hummm maybe we need new friends LOL

 

[UAN]

I think we must have the same friends!!! All ours think we are mad going to Disney all the time. I just wish they would go, just the once, to see what they are missing.

 

[DBorges]

This trip we are going with friends for the first time ..

We got a 2Bdr club level at Akv from april 18-27 we got the DDP and I have plans for a major trip report with Pics

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH's company has been sold and he's seen his vacation day count go from 29 to 20, so my Spring Break next March will be with friends. They've all responded and it's a "Go!" We also have friends who live in Florida, and we often meet them in WDW.

We have had some very nice family vacations with friends over the years. You guys are just starting out (we're celebrating our 40th anniversary this year ) so I'm guessing that you'll be making new friends, especially as your family grows up, who are interested in the same things you are. You may find even people here who become close friends too!! Once we were bringing DH's DCuz who had an 11 year old DD at the time. We hooked up with a fellow Diser who was bringing her DGD who was also 11 and we all had a great time!

Bobbi

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Nope... Just us. We've talked about bringing some friends, but just haven't gotten there yet. I think DW and I have such a comfortable and enjoyable routine that we're not ready to change it.

 

[tomandrobin]

We took my brother's family once. They were not WDW people, but we dragged talked them into going with a free room. They use to make fun of us and thought we were a little nutty. They had a blast. It was actually the happiest I had seen my brother since we were kids.

We took our neighbors down last Halloween. They had such a good time, that they bought DVC soon after they got home.

 

[PutnamDS]

I booked AKV at the 11 month window and plan to take my two grown sons, their wives, and children. I even invited one of my daughter-in-law's mother to go along. Here's the fun part. I don't want the trip to be a burden for my sons, so I decided (since we know so far in advance) to make all their gifts for this year (birthday, Christmas, etc.) relate to the trip. So, for example, instead of buying a birthday present for my son on March 3, I gave him a "gift certificate" for airfare to Disney. For each occasion, they will get something else, like their park tickets or Disney Dining Plan meals. By the time our trip comes along next January, they will have everything they need to go without any burden of expense for them. I hope this will work out well for all of us. I can't wait to share this week with all of them. I think it will be awesome. I've thought about friends, but haven't gone there yet.

 

[SCDizneyDawn]

We have taken friends and family to both WDW and on DCL.

Took our best friends to WDW twice and on a 4 day DCL.

Took my parents to WDW I think 4 or 5 times and have taken them on 7 day DCL.

Also have taken several differnet friends over the years and have even taken my boss once to WDW cause we had friends cancel and no other friends could go. We have had people cancel on us twice. The first time I was able to get a single friend to go so we had 3 people in a two br unit! The second time my boss got a free room at the brand new BCV!

In May we are taking friends that have never been to WDW and we are staying in a 2br at AKV cannot wait for that trip! We do not have children and it is fun to go to WDW with others! Love sharing the Magic.

We will use the better part of two yrs points to take DMiL (plus her DH) and DSiL and her DH and our DNephew on a 7 day DCL in 2009. Three cabins total all on points! I don't want to mess with trying to rent 900+ points.

I cannot remember the last time we went to Disney without someone.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have plenty of family and friends who love to take Disney trips too, so we are never at a loss of people to ask to come with us. The good thing is that we also have never had anyone back out of a trip except for one. I think that is a good track record for 11 years of ownership. We especially love taking newbies. It's like seeing it through new eyes again.

 

[mouse4ever]

Within our "group" of friends (8 families in our neighborhood) 4 of us own DVC! We travelled with one family in 2006 to WDW, that same family and another to HHI last summer, we have another trip planned to AKV in December for my birthday and their son's birthday, and are talking about a possible cruise in summer '09! When you find people who you get along with and who vacation similar to you it can be a lot of fun! We do go with the understanding that we will not necessarily do everything together. If they want to go somewhere and we don't, they go and we do what we want to do! It works well and hopefully will continue for years to come! We are very lucky!!!!!

 

[mommylibrarian]

So glad I found this thread, as I've wondered if we're the only crazy ones.

We LOVE traveling with friends. We have a pact with two of my college friends (and their spouses/children) to go every other year. One friend has a timeshare with RCI. We have DVC. On odd years we take a trip together. In 2001, they took us to an offsite. In 2003, we took them to BWV. In 2005, we broke the pact because we were in the midst of having babies. In 2007, they took us to marriott cypress harbour. In 2009, we are taking them to AKL and we're sharing the cost of a 3-day cruise. (We are paying cash because we've been hogging points this last year). The other family tags along when they can... usually staying onsite somewhere. But I have taken her on a "girls' trip" recently.

This year (since it's an even year), we are taking new friends and their children, staying at our home resort (VWL). We can't wait. They used to live in Florida and went to school in Gainesville, but they didn't do Disney a lot outside of things like Grad Nights. They are looking forward to going back as grownups.

We've gone just as a family as well, but I really enjoy taking people with us. It just makes the vacation that much more memorable. (So far for only the best reasons!)

 

[DisneyPhD]

I remember about when DD was born and when we bought DVC DH and I were hoping for friends that would love WDW as much as us and go with us.

After that I meet my best friend and her family (kids the same age as mine, but boys.) We travel very well together and they have been to WDW 3 times with us so far. They are going again in May. They don't like WDW nearly as much as us (I admit we are over the top) but love going with us since we know every in and out and just how to do it. It is really fun for the kids to have a friend too. I remember after their 1st trip with us I was a bit disappointed we didn't get to do everything I wanted. She said "We had loads of fun each day all day, what more then that can I hope for?" She was right.

We have traveled with DH's brother and his wife a few times too and that is fun. we keep trying to get him to buy DVC, but the boy wants a boat (they don't live near the water.) His wife wants DVC too.

I am so excited we are going back in May. We are staying at AKV (in a studio) and they are staying at AKL. We will be there a few more days then them. It works out well because we get some alone family time, and friend time too.


It just has to be someone you travel well with and is a good fit for you. They are really laid back and so are we. They do kind of make fun of the fact that I plan everything and am a bit pushy about getting us out the door on time. Someone has to do it!

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't have kids or a spouse so I have friends who come with me quite often.

 

[Tiggerlover48]

I went with my Dsis and her DS last Aug - but we hadn't joined DVC then. I have asked friend to come with us next year, and they are interested, but.... If someone asked me to go with them, I have my bags packed and ready to go. What is wrong with people?!?

I do plan to get some of my friends who haven't gone yet and MAKE them go. I also want to do a girls getaway. I can't wait to go and make memories with my family and friends!!!

 

[Kimmumum]

We have friends from high school that go every year and sometimes we go together (but not every year). For marathon weekend the last two years we have had a group of 10-12 that went together. We have brought my sister a couple of times. My DH's best friend got married at Disney (very cool). We have gone to Disneyland with my Inlaws. We are going to Washington DC with my inlaws this spring break.

We go on vacation with and without family/friends. It just depends.

 

[BroganMc]

I've taken a friend, my sister (+ family) and my cousin so far. We always seem to have an invite out there to someone and open invitations to the regulars. Funny thing is too few actually want to go when we do. Either it's a kid thing (school schedules), work thing (lack of vacation time), finance thing (too little money), or simply a preconception thing (Disney is just an amusement park and/or the trip always has to be high adrenaline).

I have dreams of arranging a big grand gathering but my brothers are the hold outs. First it was the "we arranged a cruise instead" and now it's a "can't take kids outa school, maybe a long weekend instead". And burn all my points on weekend nights? I don't think so.

The funniest visitor we had was my cousin. His reaction to the spur of the moment invitation was to immediately get on the net and buy his plane ticket. When he was there, he was fabulous. Kept up with my dad and I, even at late night EMHs, never complained and was just genuinely excited to be there. When we came home and decided again that we'd like to repeat the trip next year, the words weren't out of our mouths before he was whipping out his credit card for another airline ticket.

We don't charge anyone for rooms, so it really is just a free offer to go somewhere. You pay your travel and park tickets. You'd think there'd be more takers.

Oh well, you know anyone else who'd like to travel to Disney in April/May or Sep/Oct?

One thing I did notice. When you take someone new, it is a wrench in your works. The more people the more frustrating it can get. Makes you appreciate the solo trips more.

 

[tjcj]

Having people join us is one of the things we love about DVC. Our 1st trip home we took our "travel buddies" with us, had a blast and never looked back.
We did a big family trip for DWs family (10 of us), and are planning a big trip for my family (17 of us) for 09.
Its all about sharing the fun!!!

 

[pyrxtc]

I ahve gone with family once, it was horrendous, not much fun, especially for our first trip there. We ahve had much more fun being with just our family. Even my DH agreed no more vacation with his relatives.

Now after going a few times ourselves, my siblings will be joining us in December in the Villa's. Will be our first vacation together ever and is only for half of our weeklong vacation. We'll see how it works. We all want to do Hawaii together so this is our trial. It will be different though since I am the only one with kids and the other may/may not have kids by the time Hawaii comes around.

 

[JimMIA]

We've taken one trip with Grandma and Great Aunt, which was great.

On our last trip, relatives met us there. One group was camping at Ft. Wilderness and the other group was staying in an offsite condo owned by a friend. We only spent one full day with them, starting at Bibbidy Boppity and ending up at the princess dinner at Norway, but it was a great day.

Our next trip, we have friends who will be there the same time we are. (Not exactly the same dates, but most of the trips overlap. They're staying at WL, we're at SSR. We'll spend a good bit of time with them, but they'll have their vacation and we'll have ours. It's their first time at WDW ever, so they're in for quite a shock.

Most of the time, however, it's just DW, DD5, and myself.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Since DH and I are of the "older" generation our friends aren't interested in all of the walking. LoL Even my younger DSis doesn't feel the magic the way I do. We do travel with our grown DS and DD and their families and have awesome trips. Our DSIL's DB and his family accompanied us a few trips ago and fell in love with WDW and DVC. They are saving their money to purchase a contract of their own. They'll be coming along on our spring 2009 trip and already counting the days.