Moms: How on earth do you RELAX on a Disney Vacation?

[eliza61]

Sorry if I seem like a crab b*tt....but I'd like to share. =))

First, I don't go to Disney to spend time away from my kids, it's because of my kids I want to spend time with them at Disney.

I think both DH and DW need to take turns doing stuff with kids to make it enjoyable. Neither one of us wants to be alone w/o a kiddo, so I take my DS and the DW takes my DD and we do whatever. We also spend a lot of time together as a family, since we both work and have crazy schedules.

Disney is a time for us to be together, not alone. You have 8hrs a night to be alone in bed, asleep =)) each day.

Sorry, but I love my kids and I take them to Disney to enjoy it with them, my DW and all the other guests at the park. I see it as one big party and have fun, life is short.

Have a great 4th of July vacation, wonder if they do more, bigger fireworks on the 4th???

Enjoy the little ones now, they grow up fast.
bfrosty

Sorry totally disagree!
We love our kids just as much and one thing we love about Disney is that they have so many well supervised, kid clubs. We always plan one night with the kids at a kid club (which they love) and Dh & I go have a romantic dinner and some relaxing time on our own.

 

[las3888]

I must say that DH and I travelled extensively before DS was born and I find that vacations have changed dramatically, however, if you are going to travel with young ones, the best place to go (IMO) is WDW. Relaxation isn't exactly what's on my mind, but I just love the pure JOY that is going on with DS and it really rubs off on us. We don't get to do alot of what we used to do pre-kids (maybe babysitting is an option in a few years), but I just get a huge kick watching my DS enjoy the things I enjoyed when I was a small one too.

Our DS is still very small (2 y/o) so there is a tiny bit of actual "relaxation" sometimes while he naps. I just bring a good book and/or sometimes DH will stay in the room while I lounge at the pool.

Have a great time!

 

[tink_about_it]

I get what you are saying. But this isn't about couples' time, I am asking how do you relax WHILE your kids are nearby playing?

We will not split up during our Disney vacation. But since this will be the only vacation we take for the rest of the year, I'm wondering how to relax with young kids in tow.

PP has given me some ideas though

I don't relax...It's impossible. I haven't had my eyes closed in a lounge chair in 11 years.

 

[cuppycake]

Our relaxation time doesn't come during the day, but at night when the kiddos are sleeping.

We've stayed at Pop quite a few times, requested a room on the first floor near the pool (usually we end up by the computer pool). Then, when the girls are sleeping, we pull a couple of chairs from the pool and put them at the door to our room. We either leave the door cracked a bit (with the lock flipped), or shut it if we brought a baby monitor. We grab a garbage can from the room, fill it with ice and drinks that we had a grocery service deliver (beer, coolers, etc) and proceed to talk, people watch, have a ball!

This way, we're right there if the kids wake and need us, and to (obviously) keep an "eye" on them, but we're still having some "quiet" moments "alone" (not that POP is really quiet..EVER! ).

I have to agree with the PP who suggested that she simply can't enjoy when she's away from her kids at Dinsey. In THEORY, I'd LOOOOOVE to have that "break", but then I find myself wondering what they are doing, etc etc. Not ready to let go of that yet at Disney (but maybe when they are a bit older...they are only 4 and 2 now). Eventually, we will probably try a kids club for a romantic dinner...but just for a couple of hours, and only because I think that at a certain age (the oldest is almost there) they would have a total BLAST at the kids club!

 

[lou7401]

I relax best in my own home, sleeping in my hown bed. When I go to Disney we aren't really there to relax - we are there for an adventure!

 

[powellrj]

the only times we have had relaxing disney vacations are when we stay off-site. We will get a 2 bedroom condo and there is plenty of room to spread out. When we stay on-site the rooms are too small to really kick back and enjoy the room, so we are usually on the go and only use the room to sleep and shower.

We stayed at Universal a couple of years ago and stayed on the club level and that was really relaxing because the kids would go down and watch a dvd and I could spread out the read the paper and just chill. We have never stayed on the club levels at the disney hotels, but I assume its the same with the dvd players and board games available for the kids to use.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

I don't relax...It's impossible. I haven't had my eyes closed in a lounge chair in 11 years.

I hear ya! There is no time to relax on vacation or not on vacation. Theres always something to do. Plus I'm afraid if I get a chance to relax I might fall asleep and no one will be able to wake me up! I'm enjoying my kids while I can - soon they won't even want me around - not cool ya know!

 

[ekball]

Taking a little time to yourself while on a vacation is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. Our Disney vacations are all about family time, but DH & I most definitely find times during the week where we can enjoy a little down time by ourselves. Here's what works for us:
1. During nap time we split "room duty" - I stay in the room with the napping kiddos while Dad goes to the pool or beach for an hour, then we switch, Dad stays in the room while mom hits the pool. No time lost with the kids as they are sleeping and recharging their little batteries too!
2. I love to sit out on our balcony after the kids go to sleep at night for some quiet time - depending on our resort this could be time to watch the EWP, the fireworks, or to just sit and reflect on the day.
3. One night during the week we each head out to a park alone, after the kids are in bed and asleep. (on a late night, or maybe an EMH - though we're not big fans of the EMH) Then it's all about what we want to ride, see, do, eat. Fun!

We take no time away from our kids to do any of this (though I would never ever judge anyone for doing so - it's all about what works best for you!!) I really think that it's so important for mom and dad to have a little time to R & R too - good for them, the kids, the family. And we have found ways to do so without taking time away from the family time that we enjoy so much. It's called balance folks!

 

[Minnie824]

I go shopping! DH is normally as worn out as the kids at our 'nap time' and I have extra energy on vacation - especially in Disney. So, he stays with the kids, and I go walk around the resort, or depending on where we stay, shop at MK for a bit or at Epcot. Sometimes DH will go in the afternoon if he wants to and goes on a ride or looks around. Then in the evening at bedtime, I'll normally walk around the hotel and look at hotel shops or take pictures. Or just sit out on the balcony when kids are asleep

 

[disykat]

We take family vacations to be together but still want a few minutes "off" every once in a while. When the kids were younger, we definately took turns watching them. Usually in the pool, one of us would watch while the other did a few laps or just relaxed by the side of the pool and then we'd switch.

We both love spending time with our kids, but that doesn't mean we didn't miss having a minute to actually swim - something you simply can't do while watching young kids. For us, being in a pool is a real treat and we wanted a chance to swim.

We also would take turns going for a walk or running an errand to the lobby or the giftshop while the other one was tucking the kids into bed. Taking a few minutes to focus on ourselves made our vacation better.

 

[twob4him]

I hear ya! There is no time to relax on vacation or not on vacation. Theres always something to do. Plus I'm afraid if I get a chance to relax I might fall asleep and no one will be able to wake me up! I'm enjoying my kids while I can - soon they won't even want me around - not cool ya know!

Hi! I just wanted to say congratulations on your terrific weight loss!

Taking a little time to yourself while on a vacation is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. Our Disney vacations are all about family time, but DH & I most definitely find times during the week where we can enjoy a little down time by ourselves. Here's what works for us:
1. During nap time we split "room duty" - I stay in the room with the napping kiddos while Dad goes to the pool or beach for an hour, then we switch, Dad stays in the room while mom hits the pool. No time lost with the kids as they are sleeping and recharging their little batteries too!
2. I love to sit out on our balcony after the kids go to sleep at night for some quiet time - depending on our resort this could be time to watch the EWP, the fireworks, or to just sit and reflect on the day.
3. One night during the week we each head out to a park alone, after the kids are in bed and asleep. (on a late night, or maybe an EMH - though we're not big fans of the EMH) Then it's all about what we want to ride, see, do, eat. Fun!

We take no time away from our kids to do any of this (though I would never ever judge anyone for doing so - it's all about what works best for you!!) I really think that it's so important for mom and dad to have a little time to R & R too - good for them, the kids, the family. And we have found ways to do so without taking time away from the family time that we enjoy so much. It's called balance folks!

Agreed! Great suggestions!
I was wondering if kids, WDW and relaxing all go together in the same sentence

 

[hpygrll]

It's happy hour every afternoon in our 1 bedroom at OKW while the boys are napping. And they nap long!!!!! I read three books the last time we were there in May!!!

We love being together because we are not rushed and we don't have to push them out the door.

love it love it

jenny

 

[Rustysmom]

I'm a SAHM and home with my DD all day long, and DS when he comes home from school, so when I go on vacation, Daddy is in charge most of the time. My DD loves her Daddy and when he's around wants to be around him constantly, which is fine with me. LOL

I don't swim and if I go in the pool, I'll hang on the edge for dear life, so he's in charge of them in the pool.

My DS is almost 12 so it's really only 1 little one that we have to worry about, so it's not so bad I guess. Even so, we'll probably come home from vacation dead tired because we're usually on the go all the time, but that's ok with me because in August for instance, I made sure we had a couple of days to recuperate before school starts up again. In November we'll take it easier because the kids have to go to school the day after we get back.

 

[girlsx4]

Honestly, I don't think there is time to relax. I just want my kids to have a super vacation! There will be time to rest when we get home(maybe)

 

[taximomfor4]

We go to the parks early, stay for just a couple of hours. Then we go back to the resort and lollygag around all afternoon. Then we go back to the parks occasionally (or not!) We get the kids into bed at 8;30pm, just like at home except for one night (Illuminations, usually). We skip the rest of the night shows. In that couple of hours per day at the parks, we don't get everything done. But we all have fun, and all stay pretty relaxed.

Once the kids are asleep, dh and I sit and talk, watch TV, whatever but we fall asleep early too, so we can get up in the morning easily and do it all again!


Also, we are very relaxed going into gift shops every day -- the kids know we will NOT buy a souvenir till the very last day. So they have a blast looking in different shops all week long, and I don't have the "I WANT THAT" stuff to deal with.

 

[Starr W.]

My husband says he can see me relax the moment we walk in the resort. I love to travel, and have done alot of it, so planning and organizing are a labor of love for me. As for the pool, I usually go swimming with the kids(think my time in the pool at VWL in May really helped my 6 yr old get over his fear of water, he jumped off the starting blocks into the deep end at the Y during swimming class ).

We just have a ball, it helps being DVC members that we get 2br villas so we can spread out. I also tend to plan ADR's around our park plans and where we are staying. We got our waitlist for VWL in May, so I changed our first night ADR from WPC to WCC(really didn't want to ride the bus to DTD). So no stressing about trying to get from resort A to resort B(I don't care what people say the bus service from DTD to the resorts leaves alot to be desired). No early morning character breakfasts, we eat in the room.

I'm a pretty organized packer with my lists, pack the bags the day before we leave. I am a seasoned traveller so nothing much phases me other than getting the kids and DH through security with boarding passes, shoes and bags in tact.

 

[traci]

We pick a hotel that we can relax in unwind in. Traveling with 2 little kids, the resort is just as important to us as the destination

Happy Travels!!

 

[mumom95]

I just want to needlessly defend my split up position. I'm a stay-at-home mom who's idea of vacation is not watching the kids 24/7. My husband and I arrange a date night with out of town relatives maybe 2-3 times a year and this is our first night away from home/vacation in FIVE years. Disney is a very romantic place for me & my husband (we got married there for crying out loud) and appreciate it as adults and not just as parents. We anticipate plenty of family adventures, but appreciate couple & alone time as well - on vacation as well as at home. That's just us and I offered it as a suggestion to the original poster - not as the standard of the 'proper' Disney vacation.

*off soapbox* *hugs*

Just wanted to let you know that I totally understand where you were coming from. I am also a stay at home mom, so I don't necessarily need a vacation to spend time with my children (heck if the definition of a vacation is spending time 24/7 with your children, I guess my life is a vacation). I get all the house work and shopping and various other things done during the day, so pretty much every evening and weekend is for family time at our house (although, as the kids get older and involved in sports, that takes up most of our weekends) I don't think Disney is by any means just for families, lots of couples without kids go every day.

Now, that being said, we won't be seperating from our kids on our vacation in November, because there is just too much to do. This is our kids first trip to Disney (ages 6 and 8) and who knows when we will go back (we have too many different places we want to go visit to be able to do disney every year). So I'm trying to fit it all in in 8 days (yeah, wish me luck on that). But I have no problem with spending a little time away from the kids on vacation.

 

[kaysmommie]

ditto!

it is relaxing in the sense that you are away from the day-to-day stressors. dh and i are always pretty 50/50 on childcare when we're together, so that right there minimizes the "work" compared to my normal routine. as the pp mentioned, it is easy to entertain kids there, even if the actual physical care isn't much easier.

i think it's great that you and dh are discussing expectations beforehand. i imagine that that will make for a smoother trip.

as for actual "relaxing"...i've told dh i'm ready for a "break" and gotten a huge margarita in the mexican pavilion. i spent a nice mellow hour or 2 trailing along with the rest of my family and watching/enjoying the kids' experiences while dh handled all of the logistical stuff.

along with the pp, dh tends to spend more time playing with the kids in the pool, while i just sort of float around and pitch in when needed, which is a lovely break, especially since it just sortof happens that way and everyone is happy with the arrangement.

we generally go to sleep not long after the kids when we're all in the same room, so dh and i get a TON of sleep...no staying up late to do dishes, laundry (that gets done while 1 of us takes the kids to the pool), pay bills, search online for random info, etc. like we do at home. all of this sleep is WONDERFULLY relaxing, even with the craziness of the days there.

also, i generally find the "childcare" part of being at WDW enjoyable and invigorating (not the meltdowns, potty breaks, and dealing with ocassional whining and bickering, of course, but the REST of it) ...EVERYONE is generally happy most of the time while at WDW, so it is the BEST time to be with the kids. childcare is also easier there because we're a lot more laid back on vacation as far as indulging the kids (not behavior-wise, but with food, treats, activities, timing).

i find that when i've told dh i want a "break" and he takes the kids somewhere by himself, i end up missing them, and wondering what great experiences i'm missing.

THIS is the hardest thing about "relaxing" as mom, i think, no matter WHERE i am. i want to a "break", but i can never really "let go". kwim?

I feel the same way you do. I guess we don't have alot of time to relax at disney but we do enjoy our family time together. Sometimes DH will tahe DS back to the rrom and they nap while DD and I swim or watch the parade in the afternoon. We usually take turns with the kids but I can say I've never closed my eyes by the pool. At most I might lounge for a bit while DD plays by me. We do come home pretty tired after a weeks vacation at Disney but we have such a good time so it's worth it.