Scared to go to Disney with just my husband and kids...Am I crazy?

[khertz]

You can absolutely do it. We MUCH prefer going just the 4 of us!! We have gone with anywhere from 2 to 9 additional people along with us, and it's so much harder to coordinate with everyone with a big group. We went on our own in October when DS was turning 5 and DD was 3 months. It was challenging with the baby, but we had a great trip. Fast forward a few months and we went again when DD made 6 months with a big family group. We spent so much more time just standing around waiting for everyone...bathroom breaks, stopping to get a snack/drink, who wanted to ride with who, etc. DH and I were both happy it was a "bonus" trip of sorts because I would have been even more disappointed had that been our only Disney vacation for a year. We are planning our next trip for October again just the 4 of us. I have mentioned to my mom that her and my dad can tag along if they want to, but I don't think they will. I am looking forward to just being our family again though!

 

[Princess Minnie321]

My kids will be 5 and 3 when we go and I am so glad to be going alone. We traveled with friends to a local amusement park when the kids were 1 and 3. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of waiting for others. Last summer we went alone and enjoyed it so much more. I love being alone and saying lets go do this and not have to worry about what others want to do.

I also could not imagine traveling with my inlaws. They are no planners and complained their last Disney trip about long lines and the food. They booked a few weeks before so did not have fast passes or dining reservations. I am a planner with my reservations all set and will be making my fast passes 60 days out. Their travel style is opposite ours so I do not think it would work.

 

[wishinitwas]

8 and 6? That sounds great. Ours are 9, 6, 4, and 18 mo and we are going in Nov just us. Also driving 19 hours each way most likely. We did DL once 8 years ago with my parents but most times we are solo so no big deal to me. You can go on most rides all together, move faster with out a big group, etc. Have a great time!!!

 

[kuhltiffany]

Honestly, we've been to WDW many times, and the easiest trip I can remember was when I went ALONE with my 3 and 4 year olds. Best trip ever. I didn't have to co-ordinate with anyone, they napped in the stroller in the afternoons so I could shop, in the evenings they went to bed and I got organized for the next day.

 

[happymommy]

Honestly, we've been to WDW many times, and the easiest trip I can remember was when I went ALONE with my 3 and 4 year olds. Best trip ever. I didn't have to co-ordinate with anyone, they napped in the stroller in the afternoons so I could shop, in the evenings they went to bed and I got organized for the next day.

I couldn't agree more!

 

[LovePug]

I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised at how much EASIER it is without a big family group to coordinate, especially since your kids are 8 & 6. At that age they are past the "feeding and diapering" stage and that makes everything so much easier on you. Something that may help you a little bit is to rent a stroller for the 6 y/o. That age can go either way with a stroller at WDW, but that would be a call only you can make. Relax and have a wonderful time with your family.

 

[hammie59]

Unfortunately we've never had the luxury of traveling with grandparents or anyone else that would really help with our kids. To me that would be a Godsend. Mine have not had the typical "grandparent experience" due to deaths etc...so it's usually just been the four of us going places. On the flipside, we haven't had the coordination issues that go hand in hand and have had more freedom on our trips (given the choice, I'd rather have the grandparents and extra planning of course). You are extremely fortunate to have such a close family and I'm sure you'll do fine one trip "on your own". Like someone else said, you might actually like it.

 

[rideswithchrist]

A good idea, if no one has said it yet, would be to take a mini-vacation as a test run. Also, get one of the Unofficial Guides to Disney for them to read and decide what they want to do.
But honestly- your kids are old enough that I can't see how it would be overwhelming. We did Disney with a 2, 4, 6 year old just the hubs and I; It is easier to not have the added "family schedule" for us.

And I have to ask just out of curiosity, do you normally take family help with you for other trips, or is it just one this big that is causing you hesitation?

 

[ATLMinnie]

Every year for the past 5 years, I've gone to Disney with my whole family. This includes my parents and my siblings plus my own husband and children. We are very close and we have so much fun vacationing together. Some days we were all together, many days we broke up into smaller groups, but at the end of the day we always come together for dinner. This year the rest of my family wants to take a break from Disney, but I'm getting the itch (especially since free dining was just released). So I said to myself, I'll just go with my own family. Seems simple enough, right? Well when I was about to book, I started having serious reservations about whether I actually want to go "alone" with just my husband and kids. I'm afraid it won't be as fun and probably a lot more work since my parents won't be there to help with the kids. Am I crazy? Help me.

I am just the opposite of you. We have always done Disney trips just the 4 of us, and we love it! We are able to do what we want, when we want without having to factor in anyone else. Now, we are doing a big family trip, and DH and I are a little worried that it won't really feel like a vacation because we will be worried about what everybody else wants to do. Thankfully, we have already been twice in the past year, and we know we will go again, so we're not stressing, and we know we'll enjoy it. We just also know that we won't be able to do everything we normally do.

 

[tdmollyb]

Hello again all. I've been off the boards for a couple of weeks but I've read all of your replies now. Thanks for all the encouragement and tips. After reading all of the replies, I started to realize that my main fear wasn't so much that it would be too hard, (because I'm a SAHM and its just me and the kids most of the day, so I'm used to it). My fear is that I'd be missing out on fun. My life is my kids, why does my vacation have to be also? And if it's just my husband and me and the kids, that is what it will be. My family dotes on my kids as they are the only grandchildren so far. So I know that at least some parts of my vacation can be about me, since my life rarely is. Sounds a little selfish, I know, but so true.

Wow, this is very cleansing.

 

[Macprincess]

My children are teens now, but I too am a SAHM. I also home school two of our three children. I so understand the need for some me downtime on vacation. I would suggest looking into the possibility of the children going to one of the onsite kids club options for one evening. They will love it, and you and your husband can get a night off. Yes, it's expensive, but your sanity is priceless. Also, it took me a while to figure this one out when we vacation, but why is it that you can't take some alone time off for a evening or afternoon? Especially if your at home all day everyday with the kiddos. Let Dad take the children to the parks for a while and do something you enjoy alone for a few hours. Just talk through this and have a plan for it before you leave. My husband also takes a few hours alone one day. It works out well for us.

I also would suggest a Disney Cruise. Best family vacation ever in my book. I often feel like I'm traveling with my full time Mom gig in tow. The Disney Cruise was the only vacation I have ever been on as a Mom where I returned home rested and refreshed, as in the way I did when I vacationed before children. Great balance of family time, adult time, and even alone time. Love it! Worth every penny...I have even done a Disney Cruise without my husband alone with my children twice and loved every second of it.

 

[kreckl]

Definitely plan some alone time for yourself during your vacation. I would recommend a splurge on one of the cheaper massages- we've done the Floridian spa. Just be sure not to plan running around park time right after, plan to meet your family for dinner, or a show, or back at your resort. It will give you something to look forward to! We never did the kids care centers, but why not consider that for a nice adult dinner/sleep/whatever time? Disney can be overwhelming and exhausting. The key is pacing and being okay with prioritizing some things and letting others go, IMO. I remember when our son was 5- on our first family trip- we happened upon the spray fountains at Epcot. He had a ball playing there in his shorts for over an hour. At first we were a little impatient after 15 minutes or so. Then I decided to jump on a single rider line, then we got a cold drink, he just played. And we were all recharged afterwards.