Something Really Sad Happened

[nickspace]

My wife and I went to the mall and went inside the Disney store and realized that all our kids are now too old for everything they were selling. We miss the wide eye wonder the kids used to have looking at all the toys and stuffed animals. It was a very sad moment.

We are DVC owners and are going on our first trip as a couple in May and are wondering if we are going to have the same feeling when we walk through the Magic kingdom without them.

 

[Micca]

Nick the Disney store has been a wasteland for a long time. The cool thing is that when you go to WDW, much of the merch will be just right ...for YOU!

 

[Sorceress_Minnie]

I think that feeling will definitely be there walking through MK, but I do not suspect it will be long lived. Enjoy your trip!

 

[lsutigger2]

Smile that you have a Disney store near you. the one in our mall closed some time back and they didn't even tell me

although, i have to admit they quit selling most of the stuff I would have been interested in, so now I just save up until we get to WDW.

 

[pnyltwk]

When I bought in to DVC I did it for me and my wife. Sure the kids have gotten to come with us for the past few years. But I know that soon enough we will be going by oursleves and I look forward to that. There will be a period of time before the grand kids start showing up that the wife and I will be able to vacation more often because we will require a smaller unit that will be less points. Is it wrong to think like that.

 

[SamSam]

Our kids have been grown and on thier own for many years now and we love going to WDW by ourselves. We look forward to bringing grandkids, but for now we are really enjoying our adult time at our happy place.

 

[robertdangelo]

There are a couple good books... "Walt Disney World For Couples" and "Walt Disney World Without Kids". You may find them at your local Library.

Bob

 

[pickles]

probably. I took a hubby and me only trip about 2 yrs ago and I admit, it was a bummer in some ways without the kids. I was happy in some ways without the kids, but their joy and living in the moment I missed

I will be a total mess in a couple years when many others things will be of more interest to them than hanging with old mom at Disney

Disney trips by yourself(after the kids) just means you are getting old...er , nothing worse than being reminded of that with the empty nest syndrome

 

[nunzia]

..and then the grandkids come

 

[dianeschlicht]

We LOVE going as a couple. It almost makes it difficult to go with family and friends once you get used to going as a couple. We find we spend less and less time at the MK and more and more time at Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

 

[Crystal_27]

Smile that you have a Disney store near you. the one in our mall closed some time back and they didn't even tell me

I know -- ours is closing on February 20th.

To the OP, enjoy your adults only trip. I'm sure that, although the kiddos won't be around, you guys are going to have a great time and probably do things that you've never done before since it will be just you.

 

[bobbiwoz]

There are things about the MK that make me happy, no matter who I'm with. Wishes, listening to the Barbershop quartet, trying to get there early to hear the Welcome song (they still do that, don't they?), and seeing the characters are just some. I'm not sure our DGC would have been able to sit thought the Hall of Presidents show, so DH and I were sure to do that in December!

Here's hoping you'll enjoy the different experience of an adults only visit!

Bobbi

 

[dburg30]

My wife and I went to the mall and went inside the Disney store and realized that all our kids are now too old for everything they were selling. We miss the wide eye wonder the kids used to have looking at all the toys and stuffed animals. It was a very sad moment.

We are DVC owners and are going on our first trip as a couple in May and are wondering if we are going to have the same feeling when we walk through the Magic kingdom without them.

I'm sure you'll have some pangs of sadness, but as a PP said, it wont last long. The place is too darn happy to let you stay sad too long

 

[LSchrow]

most of what the TDS's sell now is overpriced dollar store items....add to that the very unhappy employees, and they're just not worth a visit anymore, imho (it's sad that most know little, if anything, about WDW or DVC)sad1:

but going to wdw with 25yo DD, DH, and/or my parents, DB and family, etc is wonderful!! every day is an adventure, with so much more to see and do without little ones getting tired, no worry about nap times, diaper changes, strollers, daily tears, etc......just enjoying one another's company, doing different tours, drinking around EPCOT, staying out late, not hurrying to make rope drops....as much as we enjoyed WDW when the kidlets were little, i think we actually get to savor so much more of it now that they are grown

 

[jade1]

Was at TDS at Mall of America a couple weeks ago and it also had nothing to look at if you were a teen or older. But we never did equate TDS to WDW actually-we like getting keepsakes from the real thing. Our kids are young adults and still love it as much as ever.

 

[Judique]

My wife and I went to the mall and went inside the Disney store and realized that all our kids are now too old for everything they were selling. We miss the wide eye wonder the kids used to have looking at all the toys and stuffed animals. It was a very sad moment.

We are DVC owners and are going on our first trip as a couple in May and are wondering if we are going to have the same feeling when we walk through the Magic kingdom without them.

It depends. I often think of when the kids were young at MK and how things have changed. I was just there in January and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's just a new experience! I have all the photos of when the kids were young and all the memories. Now, I don't have to go on Dumbo unless I want to. I can ride Buzz until my trigger finger gives out. And if I feel like shopping - I shop. There are many positives to travelling without kids or with older kids. Plus the sofa bed in my DVC villa stays made.

 

[Checkers]

Our DD loves WDW as much as we do and now that she has given us 3DGC, it is just great. We are slowly converting our DSIL to being obsessed like we are! My DH & I love going as a couple, too, and as dianeschlicht said, we just don't spend as much time in the MK. I'm sure once you experience it as a couple, you will appreciate the difference of a more laid-back vacation.

 

[Starr W.]

I went solo in October and after I did tea at the GF(not something DH and 2 DS would be interested in) I headed to MK.

When I got in, it was the same feeling I've always gotten when looking down Main St. at the castle.

I actually enjoyed my solo trip, stoping and looking at stuff. My kids were a bit older when we first started going. And to be honest, having boys there was nothing really in the Disney store that interested them. Way too much Princess stuff.

 

[Disneypirate85]

It all starts over when the DGC come! I have gotten 3 in the last 2.5 years and 1 of them, Lexi, LOVES our paintings done by Larry Dotson and she is 4 months old! OH YA we are very excited about her! Shawn

 

[dburg30]

Was at TDS at Mall of America a couple weeks ago and it also had nothing to look at if you were a teen or older. But we never did equate TDS to WDW actually-we like getting keepsakes from the real thing. Our kids are young adults and still love it as much as ever.

Yep, before our first trip back in Dec 07, I went to the local Disney Store. About 15 seconds into the store I realized I had just wasted an hour each way. My wife and I were just going to get a couple of shirts, but as you said unless you are a little girl that likes princesses or hannah montana (at that point) there really wasnt a darn thing there for you.