One parent takes the kids to Disney..Have you done that?

[Lorix2]

I'm really hoping to go in August for a 3 or 4 day trip with the kids ages 14 & 8.

DH isn't a Disney fan and it's hard for him to get summer vacation time (construction) anyway.

I"m wondering if it would be too overwhelming to do it alone and I'm feeling guilty about going without him since he's been working non-stop on our house for over 1.5 years now on renovations and never asks for anything for himself, ever.

We've been married for 17 years and have never vacationed separately and don't want to, but our April vacation had to be postponed since DD has her 8th grade D.C. trip and the kids and I are missing Disney terribly

Have you done this and did you feel guilty leaving you're spouse/so behind?

Thanks for hearing me out

 

[mommiepoppins]

I have gone with 2 out of my 4 children ( the youngest were 2 and 1) the older ones had school. I went with my dad I had a blast. Ok we are going the whole family in Aug. I am doing only MK with my 2 little ones and dh is going to do MK, AK, and Disney Studieos. We will split up some and some we will be together.

 

[Teacher03]

I say go for it. You will feel a little guilty and you will miss your husband, but you and your children will have a wonderful time together. I have never done Disney without my husband (this June will be the first), but we have done other vacations without him due to work schedules, etc. We miss him, but we call everyday. My husband feels the same, so when we do vacation together it is special.

 

[mjmcca]

Hubby HATES Disney but he knows I love it. I take my kids all the time by myself. Even when he goes to central Fla I only get him to go to Disney for about 1 day and he spends the rest of the time with his friends who live there. My kids are a lot younger than yours only 4 and 5 and I have taken the muyltiple times even whent hey were babies. I say go and have fun as long as hubby doesnt mind.

 

[missymagic]

I would definitetly do it!! I take my girls every year since they were little and they are now 8 and 5. Have a blast. When I was married my ex never came with me because he owns a excavating company. Thier is soooooo much to do.

 

[Schmeck]

We went without hubby last August, took my mom with us instead! It was great fun, a totally different feel to the trip. Hubby isn't a big Disneyaholic like I am, and I like to let the girls (14 and 11) decide a lot of the attraction agenda. My mom just goes with the flow, and we have a wonderful time.

When we got back, hubby was a bit off because we stayed at BC and had a super time, but now he knows not to turn down a trip!

 

[vicceja]

Hi!

My husband loves Disney as much as we do and I couldn't see myself experiencing Disney with the boys without my husband. Our last trip this past December I had to make that very same decision. My husband was given a hard time at work regarding taking time off. It was a possibility that I would have had to take the boys by myself or cancel the trip. Fortunately they gave my husband the ok to go and we were able to enjoy this special time together. Disney for us is something we will always experience together - all 5 of us! Good Luck!

 

[BraveMom3]

Only for the past 10 years! I have 3 children who are now 13, 9, and 8yo, and I love going without hubby. He just didn't get into it as much as we did and did not mind if we went without him as long as the children were happy. We stay for about 16 nights, and sometimes he would join us for a couple of days. Well, last year he worked his way up to about 5 days, and now says he is staying for a whole week this year!!! The kids love him being there and so do I, but it so much easier to accomodate them when it is just the four of us, but there are some activities that are much more fun with him there. It's funny how he has made this transformation to liking our Disney trips - maybe it's because of how much fun he has witnessed them having and now he hates to miss out on that. We still get about 7 to 10 days of our trip sans Dad, so I guess we get the best of both sides.

 

[penguin087]

My husband refuses to fly if you can believe that! My son and I went with my best friend and her son and daughter. The boys are the same age. We had a great time and are going back next year. My husband is always welcome to go but if he won't it isn't going to stop us!

 

[mommyof3grlz]

Last July I took my three dd ages 11, 9, and 7 with their two friends ages 12 and 7 for 7 days and 6 nights. It was the first trip for both of their friends. I got so much joy out of seeing them enjoy it. I really missed my husband because he loves Disney too. However, we were so busy and tired that I did not have too much time to think about it. I say go for it but be prepared to miss him some too. My husband is also in construction work.

 

[dixipixi]

I have been once (when DS was 4) w/out DH. We had planned on going and then he just could not get off work during the time we had scheduled. My mom and sis went with me instead.

I did miss DH (we had never been to Disney together at this point), but he wouldn't have dreamed of keeping DS from going because he had been SO looking forward to it. DH would not have been able to get a week off work for many months and he did not want DS to have to postpone his trip "indefintely".

I talked DH into going 2 yrs later and we have been back almost every year since then.

We will all be going this June, but next year it may just be me and DS (he'll be 14 then...so it's not like I'll be alone with a "little" one).

DH and I will be married 15 yrs and we are planning a very nice anniversary trip. He doesn't like to leave home more than once a yr....so that will be his trip for the year.

 

[mtblujeans]

I find myself in a similar situation: I invited DD and her family to go with us the next time we went to WDW but was having trouble coordinating the time for everyone to take off work. Now, within the last few days, DH says he doesn't want to go so he doesn't care when the rest of us go and I can't get DD to commit! DSs want to go during SWW but don't want to miss any school so that would make it the weekend of June 10....

So, now, DH does not want to go and there would be more of us in this group than I have ever planned before + 14yo DS, 18yo DS, and 5yo DGS! I am excited AND overwhelmed!! I will have to look at renting points to stay on-property and I don't know anything about that!!!

 

[eeyoregon]

You can sooooooo do it!!! I'm a single mom and this May will be my 5th trip with my sons who are now 10 and 13. Not to mention what a great example you will show your kids: "Mom is one independent, strong woman!" ROAR!

Just take along a little extra pixie dust and you will be just fine!

 

[newholidayx2]

Ive been taking DS13 on vacations w/out DH since DS was 4. Last Aug DS & I took our first mother/son two week WDW vacation. This Aug DS & I will be at WDW a week before DH joins us for our 2nd week.

 

[tiggercrew]

I made my first trip without DH this Dec with DD13 and DS9. We wanted to go down and see the Christmas lights (DS had never been in December) but my DH had just started a new job and didn't feel comfortable taking the time off. He encouraged us to go (even though he loves Disney and wished he could be there). We had a great time, but there were times when one of the children would say "we can't do that without Dad".

Good luck with your decision.

 

[mrsgus06]

Not only do I take all 5 of the youngest (ages 11 to 3) by myself, I stay all summer without hubby! We stay in our camper at Ft. Wilderness, it has all the comforts of home (washer/dryer, kitchen, 2 bathrooms). This year we are arriving June 1 and staying until Aug 5. Hubby tows camper down there and I follow a day later with the kids and golf cart. He uses the first day to stock up the camper with groceries, set up the satellite system and relax before we get there. He will only stay for 2 nights as he also owns his own construction company. Actually, this summer, our house is getting the addition! He states the best present I could give him is a quiet house so he can get the work done! Go, have a good time!

 

[mjmcca]

Not only do I take all 5 of the youngest (ages 11 to 3) by myself, I stay all summer without hubby! We stay in our camper at Ft. Wilderness, it has all the comforts of home (washer/dryer, kitchen, 2 bathrooms). This year we are arriving June 1 and staying until Aug 5. Hubby tows camper down there and I follow a day later with the kids and golf cart. He uses the first day to stock up the camper with groceries, set up the satellite system and relax before we get there. He will only stay for 2 nights as he also owns his own construction company. Actually, this summer, our house is getting the addition! He states the best present I could give him is a quiet house so he can get the work done! Go, have a good time!

The whole summer!!! can I tell you how jealous I am of you!

 

[Lorix2]

Well you all have convinced me I wouldnl't be a selfish wife to leave my hard working husband at home. I work too!

Tiggercrew - I'm afraid my kids will say the same thing - "we can't do that without dad" too! But if we were there already he tell them to do it anyway.

eeyore - I love you're way of thinking!

Thanks everybody, I think I will be okay on our own

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I went with my daughters (9 and 6) last August for 5 days. Dh couldn't go because he was busy with work. We had a great time. It was totally managable. They even went on Big Thunder Rainroad without me. I walked them up tothe CM and then I went to the exit to wait for them. They loved riding it together and wanted to do it again.

 

[3mickeys&me]

I just did this in November of 05. My kids are 7 1/2 & 10. We had a blast!!!!
Dh likes Disney but not as much as the rest of us. It was a great time!!

I say go for ir!