Tell me it's worth it

[abmitch01]

I would bring DH to AK and have him do what he wants the other two days. It's not worth dragging around an adult who is miserable.

is this your only opportunity for a trip in the next few years? if it is, I would postpone til she's older and can remember the magic more

 

[butterfly71076]

Please, someone just remind me that it's worth it. I'm ready to cancel the whole thing. My DH does not like Disney. At all. I worked for months trying to get him to agree to this, and he finally gave in to do 3 days at the parks while we're visiting his dad. But...
If your DH is going to be a downer, leave him! My DS and I go without my DH all the time! Out of all the trips my DS and I have been on, my Dh came on about half. He doesn't enjoy it and is happy to stay home while DS and I have a great time. When he goes, even though he really doesn't like Disney, he has a good time because he's with us and we are having fun!

My LO is obsessed with princesses. Especially Frozen (I know, shocking). We are going in September, missing the Frozen celebration. I just tried for FPs and of course, nothing. This stinks! But, don't give up, something could open up!

We were able to get an ADR for CRT, but it's at 9:15 PM. If you've ever met a normal 3 year old, you know 9:15 is not a good time for anything other than wrangling them into bed. I hate to say it, but I think I'm going to have to just give it up. I've been stalking for an earlier time, but I have forced myself to step away. It's almost like an addiction. I want this trip to be perfect, it might be my only chance to take her if DH has anything to do with it. 9:15pm ADR can be a bit much for a 3 year old. Maybe a later nap could help, otherwise, keep trying for something earlier. ADR's are cancelled everyday. Check the cancelled thread for your month on the Dining Board.

And that leads me to giving up on the whole trip. Why am I spending thousands to not get to do what she would love the most? We are doing 1 day in AK (DH insisted), 1 day at MK and 1 day at HS. Thousands of dollars. If I'm going to spend 3 hours in line to see A&E, WHY. Why am I spending the money. Why am I stressing about everything. She isn't tall enough to do a lot of the rides. We could do a week at the beach and save a ton of money. If you have really spent thousands of dollars on 3 days in the park, you did not research enough. I can get my family of 3, resort, tickets, dining, and airfare (7 days)for less than $3500.
Your DD is fine on most rides at MK, just not the "mountains". She is able to ride anything without a height restriction (most of MK). There is more rides for her to do, than not to do!

I realize I'm on a board with fellow Disney fanatics, but really. If you can't do what you really want to do while you are there, why bother going? Am I crazy?

My answers are in red above. To answer your last question, not crazy, just maybe your expectations are a bit high. Nothing is ever prefect, not even trips to WDW (although according to my DS, it IS the prefect place! I tend to agree!) Just take a deep breath and relax! You and your DD will have a wonderful time! And if your DH really doesn't like it that much, leave him home next time!

 

[AlexLovesCats]

I have to disagree with the poster who claims that when your LO is older she will look back and be sad that her dad wasn't at Disney with her when she was 3. My dad absolutely hates crowds and the whole theme park environment, it makes him very irritated. My mom and I know this about him and accept it. As a child my mom brought me to Disney various times and dad stayed at home, and I have amazing memories of those trips. If you would have asked me when I was 8 if I wanted Dad to be with us at the park I would have said no, because I know how his mood can effect our day in the parks. Doesn't mean anything bad about him, it's just who he is. Disney was mom and I's thing, and dad and I had different fun things we would do together. I'm sure it would make for a better, less stressful day if dad didn't come along if he's anything like mine. You will have more opportunities of non theme park things to do as a family!

 

[mom2rtk]

I wouldn't do CRT that late at night with a 3 year old. I'd wager though that if you are diligent about checking, you'll find a better time between now and then. I'd keep looking though. Yes, it's overpriced, but I think it's an awesome experience at that age to go meet the princesses in the castle.

Remember people cancel trips all the time. Many do it at 45 days when the final package payment is due. Many keep extra ADRs until the last minute then cancel closer to the trip date to avoid penalties.

Keep looking.

And feel your husband out on why he's so against it. You might find that he'd enjoy a couple days with Dad, or sleeping in at the resort. The goal is to get everyone some of what they want. At least go on record about your concerns so hopefully he'll be more mindful of his attitude.

3/4 is a magical time with this Disney stuff. I think you'll have a great memory when this trip is over. I hate all the advance planning required by Disney any more. But I always have a great time once I get there.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Sorry, it's not worth it. Not because you may not meet A&E, no single character meet should make or break a Disney trip, considering your DD doesn't even know that's a possibility. I mean to any 3 year old meeting the fab 5 is magical enough to make memories that last a lifetime. The problem is you are going with someone who sounds like they will go out of their way to make sure everyone has a miserable time. He'll likely complain about every little thing and 3 year olds are very easily influenced. Once he starts hating everything, so will she. Don't let her become sour on Disney, maybe someday she'll have her own family and will get to experience WDW to the fullest.

 

[tofubeast]

I am of the 'let him stay at home' camp. Go have a fun day at MK with your daughter. Remember, she can at least see A&E in the 3pm parade, so there's that, too.

My hubby used to not be a huge WDW fan. He went for me. But now that we have a daughter, he's a lot more into going and seeing the magic through her eyes. But if he was Mr. Grumpsters about it all, you better believe he'd be staying home.

 

[OfTheWind]

I am of the 'let him stay at home' camp. Go have a fun day at MK with your daughter. Remember, she can at least see A&E in the 3pm parade, so there's that, too.

My hubby used to not be a huge WDW fan. He went for me. But now that we have a daughter, he's a lot more into going and seeing the magic through her eyes. But if he was Mr. Grumpsters about it all, you better believe he'd be staying home.

I agree. I don't have the patience and I would tell him to stay home or in the hotel room because my babies are going to enjoy this vacation with or without you.

Sorry, it's not worth it. Not because you may not meet A&E, no single character meet should make or break a Disney trip, considering your DD doesn't even know that's a possibility. I mean to any 3 year old meeting the fab 5 is magical enough to make memories that last a lifetime. The problem is you are going with someone who sounds like they will go out of their way to make sure everyone has a miserable time. He'll likely complain about every little thing and 3 year olds are very easily influenced. Once he starts hating everything, so will she. Don't let her become sour on Disney, maybe someday she'll have her own family and will get to experience WDW to the fullest.

To the OP, many of us have taken 3 year olds to Disney. You're stressing yourself out over nothing. A 3 year old will be ok with one character meal, no character meal or 20 character meals. They really don't care. It's usually the parents who want the perfect trip and the kids are ok with one souvenir, a few favorite rides and the hotel pool. It sounds like you want to make sure your husband is happy and you're stressed because he already seems like he'd rather be anywhere else than Disney.

But who knows, maybe when he sees your daughter's face light up he'll keep the negativity down for her sake. I would keep the trip.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

No it's not worth it if he is going to miserable the whole time. You will be spending all that money on him and he's not even going to enjoy it. You will be spending on yourself to listen to him complain and be miserable.

I'm the type of person that I really can't enjoy myself if I know the people around me, that are supposed to be having fun on the vacation, are miserable and don't want to be there.

Personally I would wait a year and take her by yourself. Plan it out with ample time to get the ADR's you want and FP+. Your DD will be 4-5. IMO perfect age. The best trip we ever did was when DD was 5.

I have no issues taking solo vacations or vacations alone with my kids. I can't wait until DS nears senior year because I plan on doing solo trips with each kid when they hit 16-18. Before they graduate. Then again with DD.

 

[Indio]

Don't tell your daughter that Anna and Elsa are there and she'll never miss it. Also, eat at one of the other character meals if you want the princesses. You can still walk through the castle and she'll know she's been in it. You can still have a great time - little ones love whatever you show them. Her eyes will light up whether she's meeting Elsa or Winnie the Pooh! Try not to stress and know it's worth it. My husband used to be the same way. We've been going for 20 years and he only started going with us about 4 years ago. Now he actually has a great time.

Oh - and 9:30 is waaaayyyy to late to eat. I had us eating at 8:45 one night so we could watch the fireworks from O'Hana - by the time we got our food we were all so miserable we could've cared less about the fireworks!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have a supremely pint sized 4yo. We just took her for the day to MK after our cruise in FEb when she was 3. She is on the growth charts in the 1 percentile--an improvement after spending her first 2 years at the 0 percentile. She was rear facing in her car seat until her third birthday because the recommendations are now 2 years and it took use that long to be the size of a 3yo. We went to Hershey Park this month and the gate attendants didn't understand why we had a ticket for our four year old who they thought was 2 at the most. The kid is TINY!

That said--she can ride a lot except the mountains, rock n roller coaster, Everest and TOT. So I wouldn't let your child's size stop you.

We spent $600 to get our family of 6 in for just ONE day. OUCH! But we had a blast. My 4yo doesn't know you can eat in the castle. So she didn't miss it. No meet and greets for us--waiting to see a character is not our thing. (To be fair, we met several characters on our cruise including Anna, so we were good.). We do prefer character dining as a way to meet characters.

Disney can be fun without 3 hour waits and CRT. Not sure how to address the Fp+ system not having anything available. Strategy can help you with standby waits though.

For us--we plan dinner around 6--7 at the very latest. For us, Be Our Guest is what we wanted and I got lucky and was able to snatch an ADR in that time frame. It would not have been the end of the world if we didn't get in.

Now--onto the miserable spouse. Sometimes they end up not being miserable. And others they remain miserable. Disney isn't everyone's cup of tea. I travel with someone sometimes whose husband supposedly "loves" Disney. I feel like I am traveling with the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I would jays to see now be behaves when he hates a place. A grumpy travel companion can be a real killjoy. Maybe let hubby hang with his dad and you and your girl enjoy some mother/daughter time? Hubby won't be a grump, you will save money, and you can enjoy the place with your daughter. I realize that this is not a choice all would make--but I have read some trip reports a where it worked REALLY well for some families. So perhaps consider doing that.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I would tell the husband to stay home too. I actually think that's the biggest issue….someone who is clearly not having fun and bringing you down. NO amount of money is worth that, let alone what Disney costs.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I would tell the husband to stay home too. I actually think that's the biggest issue….someone who is clearly not having fun and bringing you down. NO amount of money is worth that, let alone what Disney costs.

 

[salamander3]

OP here. Who says there is no surprise in marriage? I think someone sprinkled pixie dust on our pillows last night.

We just had a long come to "Mickey" talk. He told me not to change anything, except... ADD A DAY. That way, if we don't get around to doing something, we can try again. We'll just tell DD to pick her favorite park.

I talked to him about cancelling CRT, and suddenly he's asking which date we can cancel the reservation at and not get charged. Since we're adding the day, she could take a nap and come back. He has agreed to not be a pain. I told him if he gets grumpy he's going back to the hotel. So...

I guess I can say it... I'm going to Disney World!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Stop stressing!!!! Your daughter is 3 she has no expectations!!! Honestly you are the one that is letting your hopes down not her, not the fps, not the adrs but YOU!! I am sorry I really am but your trip is what you make it to be! She is 3 it will be the most wonderful, happy trip that she has ever had. Relax and let it be what it is. You may not get to meet every princess that you want her to or eat a meal in the castle but she will never know what she missed and she will have an amazing time anyways. And believe it or not you will too and you will go home with wonderful memories that you will never forget.

There are PLENTY of rides that she can ride on. There are plenty of characters that she will be able to meet without an unreasonable line to stand in. There are other character meals that she can experience and be in awe of.

As parents we always try to make things the most perfect and magical experience possible for our children without realizing that they don't require us to orbit the moon for them. I am completely guilty of this myself at times. We should all just sit back and pay attention sometimes we are so busy planning and worrying over every little detail we compeletly miss out on the big picture.

Relax and enjoy the trip. I am sure she will as well

1. Cancel CRT. The food is mediocre and the cost exorbitant! Instead, plan dinner at 1900 Park Fare, at the Grand Floridian hotel (accessible from the Magic Kingdom via the monorail, so you don't have to go back to your car and drive around just to eat dinner). Dinner characters there are Cinderella and the Prince, Lady Tremaine, Drizella, and Anastasia (step mother and step sisters). It's a wonderful meal and I have heard the character interaction is wonderful, too.


3. If DD really needs princesses, she can meet Belle at "Enchanted Tales with Belle" and Ariel in her Grotto in FantasyLand. Jasmine and Aladdin are in AdventureLand. There's always the Princess Hall (or whatever it's called) in FantasyLand. Don't panic- princesses ABOUND at WDW and yours will get to meet many of them! Go see the Lil Mermaid show and the Beauty & the Beast show in HS. ALSO… if she is too short for many of the attractions that one would normally FP+, use your FP+s for meet and greets.
Check out this link for "royalty" locations and suggestions:
http://www.charactercentral.net/CC7_DisneyCharacters_PrincesPrincesses.aspx

4. Handling Hubby. This is a bit more delicate. DH isn't a huge Disney lover, although he understands my fascination with it. While he is often happy to have DD and me go, he, himself, doesn't enjoy our repeat trips to WDW very much. He is a wonderful guy but being in large crowds with poorly behaved adults gets his goat. He gets irritated, and that rubs off on our pleasure. He is fairly orderly, a quasi-rule follower, and likes a relaxing schedule. SO… we go to WDW without DH much of the time. When he IS with us, I have found the following to be helpful. First, I don't make him stick to our itinerary. When DD was little I had an umbrella stroller for her and a backpack for me, so I could manage getting us on to the buses, etc., by myself We'd set out and he'd call when he got up. We'd arrange a meeting time/place, often being our lunch break (whether ADR or QS). I found that keeping DH well-rested was tantamount to our enjoyment of the parks- even more than making sure DD got her sleep! He always knew if he was "done" he was free to return to the room, and I made sure that I NEVER whined about it or made him feel guilty for doing so! DH takes WDW in smaller doses, at a much slower pace, than DD or I ever did.

I think both of the pp's had great advice. Your DD is 3, so Anna and Elsa will only be a big deal if you let it be a big deal. There are definitely plenty of other princesses to see at WDW. And I would definitely cancel CRT. I think 9:15 will be pushing it even if your DD takes a nap. If I only had 1 day at MK I would probably skip TS meals just to have more time in the parks.

OP here. Who says there is no surprise in marriage? I think someone sprinkled pixie dust on our pillows last night.

We just had a long come to "Mickey" talk. He told me not to change anything, except... ADD A DAY. That way, if we don't get around to doing something, we can try again. We'll just tell DD to pick her favorite park.

I talked to him about cancelling CRT, and suddenly he's asking which date we can cancel the reservation at and not get charged. Since we're adding the day, she could take a nap and come back. He has agreed to not be a pain. I told him if he gets grumpy he's going back to the hotel. So...

I guess I can say it... I'm going to Disney World!

I'm glad that you were able to add an extra day!

 

[tofubeast]

OP here. Who says there is no surprise in marriage? I think someone sprinkled pixie dust on our pillows last night.

We just had a long come to "Mickey" talk. He told me not to change anything, except... ADD A DAY. That way, if we don't get around to doing something, we can try again. We'll just tell DD to pick her favorite park.

I talked to him about cancelling CRT, and suddenly he's asking which date we can cancel the reservation at and not get charged. Since we're adding the day, she could take a nap and come back. He has agreed to not be a pain. I told him if he gets grumpy he's going back to the hotel. So...

I guess I can say it... I'm going to Disney World!

Yay that is all worked out and yay for an extra day. Keep checking the dining reservation site a few times a day. You will be SURPRISED what pops up here and there and especially at last minute. You never know!

Have a great time.

 

[Heidi K]

OP here. Who says there is no surprise in marriage? I think someone sprinkled pixie dust on our pillows last night.

We just had a long come to "Mickey" talk. He told me not to change anything, except... ADD A DAY. That way, if we don't get around to doing something, we can try again. We'll just tell DD to pick her favorite park.

I talked to him about cancelling CRT, and suddenly he's asking which date we can cancel the reservation at and not get charged. Since we're adding the day, she could take a nap and come back. He has agreed to not be a pain. I told him if he gets grumpy he's going back to the hotel. So...

I guess I can say it... I'm going to Disney World!

Yay!!! I love the "come to Mickey talk"!

 

[cobright]

Pixie dust ... yeah, or he realized if he's not gonna give you the Mickey, someone else will.

 

[pixiepurls]

Please, someone just remind me that it's worth it. I'm ready to cancel the whole thing. My DH does not like Disney. At all. I worked for months trying to get him to agree to this, and he finally gave in to do 3 days at the parks while we're visiting his dad. But...

My LO is obsessed with princesses. Especially Frozen (I know, shocking). We are going in September, missing the Frozen celebration. I just tried for FPs and of course, nothing.

We were able to get an ADR for CRT, but it's at 9:15 PM. If you've ever met a normal 3 year old, you know 9:15 is not a good time for anything other than wrangling them into bed. I hate to say it, but I think I'm going to have to just give it up. I've been stalking for an earlier time, but I have forced myself to step away. It's almost like an addiction. I want this trip to be perfect, it might be my only chance to take her if DH has anything to do with it.

And that leads me to giving up on the whole trip. Why am I spending thousands to not get to do what she would love the most? We are doing 1 day in AK (DH insisted), 1 day at MK and 1 day at HS. Thousands of dollars. If I'm going to spend 3 hours in line to see A&E, WHY. Why am I spending the money. Why am I stressing about everything. She isn't tall enough to do a lot of the rides. We could do a week at the beach and save a ton of money.

I realize I'm on a board with fellow Disney fanatics, but really. If you can't do what you really want to do while you are there, why bother going? Am I crazy?

Try to get a fast pass for the daytime parade they are in at fantasy land so they get a nice look and wave and smile at them atleast!

 

[MomNY]

I think it is totally worth it. I took my five year old daughter on her first trip to Disney in February. She has mentioned it every single day since. When we ate at Cinderella's and she was given a Wishing Star and asked to make a wish, she said, "I WISH I COULD LIVE AT DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!"

My daughter also loves Frozen. We did not see Anna and Elsa while we were there because that was before FPs and the lines were rumored to be five or more hours. I didn't even tell her they were there and she never asked because there was so much else to do. I still don't feel like we missed out all that much, being that we saw every other princess.

While you're at Disney, just be sure to be at the park you're going to each day at opening. You should have around 1.5 hours to really walk on most attractions. That was my experience, anyway. Fantasyland was empty and there were plenty of characters around. My daughter danced with Alice and the White Rabbit at the tea cups and walked right on to a Merida meet and greet.

And keep calling and checking on ADR cancellations, it happens all the time (especially the closer you get to the day of the reservation as people want to avoid a no show charge and plans solidify.) Keep your CRT res if no other time comes available. Other good restaurants to look into would be Akershus at Epcot (princesses and decent food) or Crystal Palace in MK (Winnie the Pooh) or Play n Dine at Hollywood and Vine (Doc, Sofia, Jake). Also I think 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian has a Cinderella dinner that might fly under some people's radar.

At any rate, you should still go. Pretty much everything I've read on the subject says that while planning is advisable, you can go without planning anything and still have the best vacation of your life.