First trip taking a friend.

[photobob]

My DD18 wanted her senior trip to be a stay at BCV and was hoping the my DS24 and DDIL could go with us. DS and DDIL can't go so we just found out that DD friend who has never been to WDW is going with us!

I grabbed a 2 BDR lock-off at BCV at the 7 month mark so DD and her friend will have the studio portion with their own bathroom, big plus! Looking forward to giving the girls the freedom to go where they want to instead of being tied to what DW and I are doing. Obviously if they would rather tromp around with us that would be great too, but it will be nice to give them a little taste of freedom. Both girls will be starting separate colleges in the fall so this will be a fun time for the two of them!

DW and I have taken one trip that it was just the two of us so this trip should let us relive some of that trip. DW and I both love strolling around Epcot so You can't ask for a better location than BCV! Sorry if I sound a little giddy, but I am quite excited about the upcoming trip!

 

[mdsd8700]

How Fun! Sounds great and congrats on snagging that 2 Bdrm at the 7 month mark. Gives hope to all of us I am sure your DD and her girlfriend will have a blast. It is great that you share your DVC with others!

Enjoy your time with your DH as well. I am sure it will be memorable for all.

 

[photobob]

How Fun! Sounds great and congrats on snagging that 2 Bdrm at the 7 month mark. Gives hope to all of us I am sure your DD and her girlfriend will have a blast. It is great that you share your DVC with others!

Enjoy your time with your DH as well. I am sure it will be memorable for all.

I'm really glad this particular friend is going to go. She has never been so we should really be able to show her a good time. It will be neat to see WDW through the eyes of first timer!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

DW and I have taken one trip that it was just the two of us so this trip should let us relive some of that trip. DW and I both love strolling around Epcot so You can't ask for a better location than BCV! Sorry if I sound a little giddy, but I am quite excited about the upcoming trip!

I share your feelings, it's nice to give our children that freedom but it's also so nice when they actually still enjoy spending time with us! My son has been travelling to Disney with his best friends since the age of 5, now at 14 w/ cell phones and a bit of maturity we allow them to wonder the parks without us but we always meet back for lunch and/ or dinner!

Sounds like you are all in for a wonderful time, look forward to a trip report!

 

[RumpleMom]

When we take extended family and friends, I make one ADR per day, either lunch or dinner.

I give everyone a copy of the day's itinerary, which park and scheduled meal. This helps everyone get back together easily, if we decide to split up for awhile.

Be sure to have everyone's cell number.

 

[Cee]

Every time we thought the kids would go off on their own, they never did. We just can't shake them. DH says it's because we keep feeding them.

 

[photobob]

Every time we thought the kids would go off on their own, they never did. We just can't shake them. DH says it's because we keep feeding them.

I'm figuring we'll have a good bit of the same. What I foresee is all four us heading out to a park together and staying together through lunch, which is almost always our TS meal of the day. DW and I head back to the resort for a little while and the girls hang around longer at the park or head to another one.

 

[Cee]

That's pretty much what we do as well. They stay with us through the meal so that we can pay.

 

[photobob]

That's pretty much what we do as well. They stay with us through the meal so that we can pay.

At least we know our roles!

 

[CleoPahd]

We let our DD15 bring a friend who had never been to disney for the first time last year. I thought for sure the girls would be delighted to get away from us. I bought them both gift cards to cover food/snacks when we weren't planning to meet for a meal.

I have to say....we couldn't shake them. Not that I minded a bit! I was just surprised. It was the first time we gave the ok to wander off a little, but besides taking a trip to the pool, they stayed with us almost the entire trip. I guess we aren't as un-cool as I thought.

 

[photobob]

We let our DD15 bring a friend who had never been to disney for the first time last year. I thought for sure the girls would be delighted to get away from us. I bought them both gift cards to cover food/snacks when we weren't planning to meet for a meal.

I have to say....we couldn't shake them. Not that I minded a bit! I was just surprised. It was the first time we gave the ok to wander off a little, but besides taking a trip to the pool, they stayed with us almost the entire trip. I guess we aren't as un-cool as I thought.

We are very close with our DD, the same could happen with us and I won't mind that either! I've always been the one who guides us through the parks and has the touring plan in mind so they may hang with us.

 

[ogguls22]

We stayed at BCV - 2 bedroom with 3 teens (my two 16 and 18) and another 18 year old friend; I was very comfortable letting them go off on their own in any of the Disney parks - have fun!

 

[pkitty]

We are to the point now where we book 2 studios so DD and her friend are independent of us.....I add charging privileges to her room key and we meet for breakfast. I usually have ressies for dinner and we decide if we are park hopping or whatever....if we want to go to the parks at noon and they want out at 9 am....go for it. It gives everyone the flexibility they are looking for and that little break from each other (too much family togetherness can sometimes play on the nerves ). Nine times out of ten we end up hanging together. In the evenings everyone is free to do as they please. DD has been so many times that the bus is her best friend. Cells are great and keep everyone in touch. It is an ever evolving vacation as everyone ages (DD is now 17 so to be 18) so it is important that everyone gets something out of it. It's hard on dad sometimes when he see's her get in her car and drive away off on one adventure or another (she is our only one after all) but she is growing up and so are our vacation needs growing and changing to. I am just glad that she still wants to hang out with us at all

 

[Micca]

We love our trips with our adult DDs. It's also fun to to have first-timer friends that come along from time to time, but so far none of them have gotten the WDW bug like our family has.

 

[CaskPeg]

PhotoBob

I guess I agree with you about giving them the lock-out portion/ girls and bathrooms need priority at times. I gave my DD21 use of a reservation as a gift senior year of college at spring break for her and two other girl friends. They drove down together and had a great time. Enjoy!

 

[photobob]

We are to the point now where we book 2 studios so DD and her friend are independent of us.....I add charging privileges to her room key and we meet for breakfast. I usually have ressies for dinner and we decide if we are park hopping or whatever....if we want to go to the parks at noon and they want out at 9 am....go for it. It gives everyone the flexibility they are looking for and that little break from each other (too much family togetherness can sometimes play on the nerves ). Nine times out of ten we end up hanging together. In the evenings everyone is free to do as they please. DD has been so many times that the bus is her best friend. Cells are great and keep everyone in touch. It is an ever evolving vacation as everyone ages (DD is now 17 so to be 18) so it is important that everyone gets something out of it. It's hard on dad sometimes when he see's her get in her car and drive away off on one adventure or another (she is our only one after all) but she is growing up and so are our vacation needs growing and changing to. I am just glad that she still wants to hang out with us at all

There is great comfort in knowing that we have WDW transportation to take the girls where they want to go, and even greater comfort having two of the four parks so easily accessible to the BCV!

 

[Louiepipbgeeco]

Sounds amazing. I remember getting to this stage as a teen...when my Parents let me begin to bring a friend and we would explore the parks independently. I can see this happening soon with my family. DD is just 13 now...but we have already started a bit..we now have a few trips with a friend and their family --Next will be her and a friend with just our own immed. family.
I just think personally..it is more fun for them to have a companion at a certain age (her sibling is 7 years apart!) and Eventually they would rather stay home...so I would rather just bring the friend to keep her involved in family vacations!!

 

[PinkTink63]

I think this is great! We are planning a senior trip next year for our son! We told him that he could invite a friend and the one he chose has never been to DW and is very excited to go! We thought we would do a couple of weeks at DW and then some days at Vero so the friend can experience the Atlantic Ocean, because it is so different from our coast.

 

[photobob]

I think this is great! We are planning a senior trip next year for our son! We told him that he could invite a friend and the one he chose has never been to DW and is very excited to go! We thought we would do a couple of weeks at DW and then some days at Vero so the friend can experience the Atlantic Ocean, because it is so different from our coast.

There seems to be more excitement about our upcoming trip than there has been in along time. The trip is coming on the heels of graduation and a big grad party at our house, just a very exciting time! You should see my schedule for the week prior to the trip it is kinda scary! I'm a photographer and have a major freelance job the day of graduation, we'll have probably 100+ people coming to the house for a party after graduation. I'm shooting a wedding two days after graduation, attending a wedding the next day, catching our breath on Monday and packing for the trip and heading to WDW pre-dawn on Tuesday!

 

[margitmouse]

Up at o'dark thirty to go to the world!!!!

Hi Bob
Glad to see you didn't end up selling!
Sounds like a great trip... it's really fun for the kids to have someone to share it with. We don't tour quite as commando as we used to, especially now that the kids are independent, so they can commando and we can sniff the flowers if we want.

Have a great time! When are you there? we're there 5/14-21?

Sending you a camera ? pm.