Looking for advise: sending two 21 year olds to WDW by themselves- first time!

[cyndik1111]

Sending my daughter and her fiancé to WDW by themselves in December (xmas gift and chance to "adult" a little)
Neither are good at planning, getting up early, Genie+ (or whatever its name is now) or being organized. I've always done all this and they just followed along (shout out to all the uber planning moms!!!)
They'd never make it to rode drop. They sleep till noon most days lol
If I don't do a little pre planning, they will just show up at the wrong park, on the wrong day and get into a few long longs and waste their trip

I'm gonna have them stay at one of the all star hotels to make transportation easy.

Thinking of maybe booking them MNSSHP and Jollywood Nights, then maybe get a 2 or 3 day pass for the other parks.
They are really only interested in rides and just being at Disney. (not into characters, shows etc)
Would this be the best way for them to do the rides?
I'm wrestling with allowing them to do this themselves and not wasting a ton of money for a trip that they couldn't get anything done.

 

[buzzrelly]

Sending my daughter and her fiancé to WDW by themselves in December (xmas gift and chance to "adult" a little)
Neither are good at planning, getting up early, Genie+ (or whatever its name is now) or being organized. I've always down all this and they just followed alone (shout out to all the uber planning moms!!!)
They'd never make it to rode drop. They sleep till noon most days lol
If I don't do a little pre planning, they will just show up at the wrong park, on the wrong day and get into a few long longs and waste their trip

I'm gonna have them stay at one of the all star hotels to make transportation easy.

Thinking of maybe booking them MNSSHP and Jollywood Nights, then maybe get a 2 or 3 day pass for the other parks.
They are really only interested in rides and just being at Disney. (not into characters, shows etc)
Would this be the best way for them to do the rides?
I'm wrestling with allowing them to do this themselves and not wasting a ton of money for a trip that they couldn't get anything done.

To be honest, if you don't think they can manage to wake themselves up or get to the right park, maybe they aren't ready to be traveling by themselves...or at least not on your dime.

My DD and her two good friends are there right now as her college graduation trip. I booked the room with DVC points and she has an AP but other than that she's done and coordinated all the planning with her friends. They bought their plane tickets and park tickets and decided on which parks to visit. I'm not managing their trip from home but am here if she has specific questions. Most of this she can figure out there on her own or asking a CM...she even asked for a room change since when she arrived they were put in a ground floor room and they didn't feel comfortable with that.

How interested is your daughter in taking this trip? It seems like if she really wants to go she could plan and figure this stuff out.

 

[jo-jo]

I agree with Buzzrelly, with they need to be in the planning. You are giving them an amazing gift worth thousands of dollars and people tend to appreciate gifts more, when they realize the work/value behind it.

If you are doing all the planning, they will always be a step behind and I'm afraid may lead to hard feelings. You may regret wasting all that money and they hardly went to the parks. They may think it was an awful trip, cause they didn't get to do what they wanted, since you planned it all.

 

[holden]

My DD21 is going with her boyfriend and another friend. I'm helping with booking the DVC room, finding flights, etc, but she'll take over from there. I feel like she's and adult, she wants to go, she should run the trip.

 

[lanejudy]

You stated this is a 'chance to "adult" a little' -- let them do that. It may not be the trip YOU would enjoy. But if they sleep until noon and hang out in some long lines, so be it. As long as they are happy that's all that matters right?

 

[cruising spud]

Being the parent of adult children has its headaches, doesn't it? On one hand, you want the two of them to have a great time. On the other hand, you want them to take some responsibility for the trip. Add to that, a Disney trip costs a fair amount of money, so you want them to get the most out of the trip.

It sounds like you already have talked to them about the trip.

A few possibilities:

#1-People who sleep in can most certainly have fun at Disney parks. Would the two of them be willing to sit down with you and create a practical approach to visiting Disney in the afternoons and evening hours? Maybe watching some videos would get them excited and willing to help plan. Maybe watching the videos would even get them willing to get up earlier.

#2-Just a thought-if they are all about the rides, what about Universal with Express Passes?

Best wishes.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

#2-Just a thought-if they are all about the rides, what about Universal with Express Passes?

Best wishes.

For people who love rides and don't care about the characters or shows, I would say this would be the play for sure.

 

[barb969]

#2-Just a thought-if they are all about the rides, what about Universal with Express Passes?

Universal takes very little planning, except with a few ADRs if they want certain restaurants. You can get on most rides with little waiting if you have the express pass. Also Universal is a lot less expensive than Disney.

 

[Disneylover99]

If you’re going to plan everything, you might as well go with them. Lol.

I like the Universal idea. Book one of the hotels that offers free express and be done with it.

 

[reddog21]

ready to be traveling by themselves...or at least not on your dime.

If your going to gift someone a vacation then you shouldn't dictate how they use it. If they want to wake up at noon and stroll around the parks without reservations and that what's makes them happey so be it. You can very easily make same day dining reservations it, we did they last time we went and it worked out perfectly.

Also Universal is a lot less expensive than Disney.

No it's not.

 

[sponica]

I went at 21 with 5 other 20-21 year olds over Christmas break, we were fine. Granted it was way back in the paper FP days and it was crowded and lines were long (seriously I think we waited an hour for a bug's life). Did we make it to EVERY rope drop, no. Was it a fun trip? Yes.

This type of gift, if you're not willing to write the check and close your eyes, doesn't seem like it'll be any fun for anyone.

 

[Disneylover99]

No it's not.

You’re right. Universal will likely be much more expensive if you’re comparing an .all Star resort to an express pass resort.

 

[Travel60]

They are adults. People learn from their mistakes. If Mom bulldozes ahead of them clearing all problems in advance, they don't learn. How will they ever survive marriage if they can't survive Disney?

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

Do they want this, or do you want this? I do not mean that to be snarky at all, just wondering who has the highest interest in a December trip to Disney for these kids? If they are not showing an interest, it is a lot of money to spend. Maybe your kids would do better at Universal. Still fun, less planning.

They are adults. They should be able to vacation the way they want. If you need to set every step for them, you should just go with them and make it a family trip.

FYI - MNSSHP isn't going on in December.

 

[gottalovepluto]

If I don't do a little pre planning, they will just show up at the wrong park, on the wrong day and get into a few long longs and waste their trip

A teenager can look at their Disney app or a piece of paper where they wrote the plan down and say where they should go. These 21yo’s are either not competent enough to travel alone or are way more capable than you think they are.

It’s nice of you buy them a trip (as long as they want to go) but stop there. It’s their trip, not yours, and if they have a miserable time because they couldn’t be bothered to plan, or try at life while there, maybe they’ll take that lesson to heart for their future vacations. No vacation “just happens” unless you are a child. They are no longer children.

 

[Mommb]

I would mention to your daughter and her fiancé that lines may be long and that they may want to make some plans in advance to minimize their waits. Then provide only the help they ask for. If they say “Can you make plans for us?” you can offer to sit with them as they figured out what they want, and explain what they need to do to book dining, activities, and rides if your daughter doesn’t remember/didn’t pay attention during your family trips. You can also mention any special events (Christmas party, Jollywood nights) that they could book and tell them where to find more information about them.

If you want them to practice adulting, then they need to be making the plans for themselves. As long as they know what could happen if they don’t (long attraction lines, inability to dine at table service restaurants where and when they want, inability to attend special events) it is their choice how much planning to do. If their idea of a great vacation is sleeping until noon, walking through shops and getting snacks at an park and doing 1 or 2 rides, then that’s their choice. It may not be what you would do, but you are not them.

I also agree with previous posters that you should make sure a Walt Disney World vacation is what they want, and that they are aware of other options (Universal Studies, Caribbean cruise, other cities).

 

[barb969]

.
No it's not.

You can get a non discounted room at RP for $300 including express pass. which is more than All Stars.
But,
Disney 3 day park hopper ticket $450, Universal 2 parks $320. Geni + and LL will add up depending on usage. Express pass is like having an unlimited fastpass for almost every ride except Hagrids.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Give then the gift of the trip and then step back. This is their trip for many reasons. They will find what works for them, even if it us very different from the trip you would experience.

 

[Skippyboo]

You can get a non discounted room at RP for $300 including express pass. which is more than All Stars.
But,
Disney 3 day park hopper ticket $450, Universal 2 parks $320. Geni + and LL will add up depending on usage. Express pass is like having an unlimited fastpass for almost every ride except Hagrids.

RP for $300 - definitely not in December.

Why not let the couple plan their trip with a travel agent instead of you basically being their travel agent.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

21 is a good time to cut the cord. If your afraid they will waste an expensive trip of your making, maybe give them $ toward a trip of 'their' making. Or perhaps discus with daughter your intentions and let her tell you some basics of what they will do - splurge for that and not micromanage something you won't be at.