Do your children Bring Friends to WDW?

[goofydiz]

We are going to let our DD bring a friend on our next vacation for Thanksgiving, and I was contemplating if we would pay for the Admission or Food or both for her friend. We are driving - so we don't have to think about Airline tickets.

So my question is - if you have your child invite a friend - what do you pay for?

 

[Laurajean1014]

We haven't yet. My DS is 10.

But when he is old enough I will pay for the:

accomodations
meals
and non related stuff (mini golf, bike riding, games, etc.)

The child would need his own airline ticket, WDW passes and souvie money...

I think that is fair.

How old is your DD?

 

[Alexis Green]

I'm going with my friend (both teens) this year to Disney. I'm very excited! We'll both be sixteen by then so most of the things we will pay with our own money. We are takin a plane so her mom is paying for her ticket and my family is paying for ours. Planned dinners (ADRs) will be paid by my parents. Her mom is paying for 1/4 of the trip. We are using our own money for snacks, "extras" and suveniers. No car rental this time so we'll just take the buses back and forth.

It all does depends on how old your DD is and her friend.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My dd has brought friends for the last 2 trips and will be bringing one along this time. But our situation is a bit different -- my "children" are 22, 5 and 2. My older dd needs someone her age to hang with -- although she likes seeing Disney through her siblings, she also likes to have some time with someone her own age. The first friend she brought was her Jr. year of high school. We paid for everything for that friend except her souvenir and extra snacks. The last trip, her friend paid everything of her own with the exception of the villa rental, which we took care of. The same friend is going this year. She asked us if she can go. This caused us to have to have a 2nd room. She and my dd split the cost of that room and she paid for her tickets and dining plan. She will also be providing her own expenses while there.

 

[goofydiz]

My DD is 13 and her friend is 13 also. We have let her bring a friend in the past - but it was always the same friend and I was pretty close with the Mother - and she insisted on paying for the Tickets, Food and Airline Tickets. This time she's bring a friend she's only known about a year. So - I'm kinda torn on what to do.

 

[Maverick Mike]

Two summers ago, we brought our daughter's friend. (They were both 8 at the time!) They had a blast together! We drove, so we didn't have to worry about airline tickets. Her parents got her a VISA Prepaid Debit card, so she used that during the week to pay for stuff that she needed. We paid for the room and all, but she paid for souveniers, etc. We were on the Dining Plan, so that worked well..

It worked so well, in fact, that we are going back in June with her whole family (who has never been!)

MM

 

[*Fantasia*]

If I ever invite my kid's friend to WDW, I don't expect for the child to pay for anything except maybe if she wants a souvinier, I would hope that the parents would give the child some money to spend. Other than that, if I invite, the child should not have to pay for food or lodging or tickets.

Just like if I invite my kid's friend to see a movie, I don't expect for the child to pay for the popcorn and pop nor pay for the movie ticket.

 

[Twinprincesses]

I brought my boyfriend with me in highschool. My parents pretty much paid for everything except park entrance.

 

[UP Disney]

My oldest daughter was invited to go with her friend when she was 16. They paid for everything but souvenirs.

We are going to invite a friend for my younger daughter this trip since my oldest does not want to come with us. We will pay for everything except for souvenirs. I would not do this for just any friend. This is a close family friend that we are inviting and her parents & brothers are not the least interested in Disney so she will never have a chance to go if it isn't with us.

 

[goofydiz]

I would not do this for just any friend. This is a close family friend that we are inviting and her parents & brothers are not the least interested in Disney so she will never have a chance to go if it isn't with us.

That's what I'm torn about I guess. She's a good friend but only for a short time. It's not like it's someone she's known for a long time.

 

[Teacher03]

My daughter always brings a friend. We pay for everything except souveniers. She always brings the same friend; they have been BFs since preschool. They are now juniors in high school. Her parents do the same for my daughter. I don't think I would want her to bring someone we were not close to.

 

[maelstrom]

I never got to bring a friend to WDW but it was occasionally discussed. We seemed to agree that we would get a seperate room for my friend and I which would be paid half & half by my parents & hers. We were driving down at that point so plane tickets were not an issue. My friend would've had to pay (well, her parents, really) for her park admission, and contribute money for meals and souvenirs. My parents would've picked up table service meals, but counter service would be on her. I think that seems fair.

 

[CA Disney Fans]

Our DS brought a friend with him this past trip. His friend's family paid for his plane ticket, dining plan, admission ticket (we were there for two weeks, so we got annual passes) and souvenirs. We paid for the room with our DVC points and miscellanous things (mini golf, other recreational things, snacks, groceries, etc.).

 

[dreamergirl78]

I think the best bet is to decide your comfort level and then talk to the other parents. I don't think there is a completely right answer. You know your financial situation better than we do, so really that is going to be the deciding factor. I would NOT feel bad in any way if you can't pay for the whole trip. I think the fact you are willing to take the friend with you is awesome! I hope it works out for you and you all have a wonderful time!

 

[rie'smom]

This Thanksgiving will mark the 4th time our DD who is 12 brings a friend. We pay all expenses except souveneirs. She loves having a friend and we love introducing WDW to kids who have never been.

 

[fAnnF]

I took my first friend when I was 10, I didn't want to hang out with my 3 younger brothers. We flew and my family payed for my friend's food, gave her some spending money, and accomodations and ticket into the park so my friend's family paid for her plane ticket.

In 2001 when I was 15, I took my then bf with my dad and his gf, my dad payed for his ticket into the park, accomodations, food, and some spending money(half of my daily spending), we drove on this trip so there was no airfare.

 

[Kay1]

We live close enough that twice we took my son's friend to a park for the day in place of a b'day party. The first time we took the girl next door and paid for her ticket, Crystal Palace, and ten Disney dollars each, in place of gift bags.

The second time we took a friend from school to Epcot. The boy had his own AP so we took them to lunch in Japan and gave them twenty or so for snacks.

We've considered taking the boy for a weekend and would pay for the hotel and meals but let him bring his own snack/spending money.

 

[Nancyg56]

Whenever one of my kids brought a friend on a vacation with us, we paid all expenses except spending money. Now my DGD is an only child and so far she has nor cousins, so we would love it if she had another little girl to have some fun with. When she is a little older and has established a friendship we will take her friend with us and we will expect to pay for the airfare. I do think that it is an individual choice though, and what you decide to do should be within your own comfort level. There is no "one answer fits all" IMO.

 

[blessedby3]

My DD16 took her best friend last Nov/Dec and this was the first time we did anything like this. Usually her friend goes with us to the beach or camping and we pay for that stuff. That said, Disney is different and very expensive for our family alone, so her friend did pay for her 5 day park ticket, MVMCP ticket and souvineers. She also gave us $100 toward her food, which no where covered what she ate seeing as we did 3 character meals and we were gone for 10 days. Her parents had no problems paying for this and we told DD that if her friend wanted to go that would be fine, she would just have to pay for some things. We of course covered the hotel in Raleigh the night before we flew out, gas to get to Raleigh (a 3 hr drive) and since we decided to fly after already planning everything we paid for her plane ticket and the hotel at Disney. Going to Disney is a lot more expensive than going to a movie. I also pay for a movie if I invite a friend, but I dont think parents expect for you to pay for a vacation at Disney for their child if you invite them. I certainly would not. My DD went with her friend to an Amusement park for an overnight trip and I paid for her ticket and gave her money for food.

 

[LargoLori]

DD 10 will be taking a friend this Dec. She will pay for her park ticket and we will cover everything else. We drive so plane tickets aren't in the picture. We took the same friend in July and paid for everything. At that time we did not do any parks just hung out at SAB. The friend also had her own spening money. The friend is the daughter of a neighbor and we are pretty close. At one time the mon told me she would be happy to pay for a ticket if the situation ever arose. They have 6 kids and can not afford to go to Disney with the whole family. We did bring another friend 2 years ago and we paid for everything including ticket but it was only a one day park ticket.

Lori