What is Wrong With My Kids!!!

[Khill]

Well here we are a month from the trip. Our first ever trip to the World. My kids have helped make the countdown calender, and are excited to check it off daily, but I am not feeling their love.

I told them we are 30 days away, and I get a little " cool, or okay " but for goodness sakes, you would think I had told them we were going skating, or the playground or something...:

Do you think it may stem from the fact they have no clue what they are going to see, so therefore they have nothing to compare it to? They have seen the videos, and DVD's, but you know how those are.

I know that once they get there it will be on like Donkey Kong, and it will be all my wife and I can do to keep up with them, but geez, I feel like I got Debbie Downer living with me.

Please confirm that all good things will come, and that I am not getting all worked up over nothing.

P.S. I am the only one that has ever been in the family, and it has been 20 years. I am jumping out of my skin to play and have fun.

Thanks to everyone for any words of advice!!!!!

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

When we took our kids the first time they were exactly the same. Now they are complete addicts. I think it has to do with not knowing what to look forward to. Your new problem will be answering the question of when you are going back.

Don't stress it and have a blast, remember you will not be able to do everything in one trip. Just enjoy the time with each other and everything else will fall into place.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[canfield77]

When we took my BIL and SIL at ages 12 and 14, they were exactly the same. They had never been, and even though I told them all about it and showed them videos, etc., they just didn't get worked up about it. Probably due to their ages as well, they didn't get the Disney Magic until Day 3 of our trip, when we finally visited the Magic Kingdom. Even at that age, they got so psyched about the castle and getting all the character autographs and pictures. After that, we mainly just went to the Magic Kingdom and I was amazed. I had thought for sure that the "older" rides of EE, RnR, ToT, etc. would be a higher thrill for them, but they just really enjoyed the atmosphere of the Magic Kingdom. I'm sure they will get the magic as soon as they get there, but I would definitely start with the Magic Kingdom. Just keep telling them stories, but maybe it is good that they aren't getting TOO excited because kids have a tendency to make things more unbelievable and then get let down.

 

[GrumpyCAdad]

No one in my family gets as excited as I do when it comes to WDW. My wife is a purist (she'd rather go to Disneyland) and my kids, while they do love being at WDW, don't get quite as excited as I do while watching the planning dvds, or anything else Disney related. Once we get there they pick up the excitement level quite a bit, even the wife has fun.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Well the 5 year old probably is like most 5 year olds and doesn't REALLY get the concept of time as well as the 9 year old. He/She will get more excited that final week.

However, bottom line is that not every kid is an excitable kid. I never was. You could give me a million dollar and I would have said "thanks" My brother you could give a piece of gum and he'd run around the house excited. My DD is excitable but even so, doesn't like the drawn out process of counting down to WDW. Personally, I'd stop counting until like 10 days beforehand. That's when the packing starts and it gets more "real" kwim?

 

[melancholywings]

My family doesn't get excited in the planning phase. But usually the day before when we are packing they go all crazy. My husband says it's because he's storing up all that excitment for when the vacation starts.

 

[mjkacmom]

When did you tell them? I find that if I tell my kids too far in advance, by the time the event happens, they're not as excited.

 

[poohfriend77]

30 days is FOREVER to a kid! When we planned our last trip, I was so excited to tell them. Exactly 6 weeks before we left, Tinker Bell left a big box full of Disney stuff, with a note and countdown chain. I got almost NO reaction! Finally, DD6 said "Tinker Bell shouldn't have told us this soon. Six weeks is too long to wait."

They did get more excited closer to the trip, and they had a fantastic time! Your family will too. Just hang in there!

 

[brergnat]

Look at the bright side: at least your kids aren't scared to go to WDW! I have two sons, who will be 5 and 4 on our trip next month. The little one is TERRIFIED of the idea of taking a trip. He cries when I mention it. He has some sensory issues and a speech delay, and lately he is having these inexplicable fears of stuff that never bothered him before. We go to Disneyland like once a week,which he loves, so I'm not worried about when we finally get there. I'm worried about GETTING there. Ha ha! He's full on freaked about flying, even though he's done it twice before. What can you do, though?

Your kids will come around. It's because thay have never been there before. After the first day, I bet you'll WISH they would calm down.

 

[tinkerfan1]

I agree with some of the other posters. It's because they've never experienced it. It's like explaining this Disney addiction I have to somebody. Unless you have it, you can't understand. Once they go and feel that magic, they will LOVE it. I can't imagine otherwise.

 

[okeydokey]

Don't take it personally. You'll have a great time.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Many people stress out because of their focus on making every moment perfect for themselves and others. Forget it. Go. Have fun. Enjoy the trip. Let others enjoy it in whatever way works of them. You will all be happier for it...

 

[Disnewbie76]

We are 27 days away and our 4 girls are exactly the same....my wife and I went for 2 days about 2 years ago and we can hardly contain our excitement about going this time for 10...but our kids are like....ehh...ok....lol. They just don't have any idea what they are missing. I can't wait to see their faces when we walk into the magic kingdom and they see the castle....its gonna be awesome!

 

[ShannonMB]

OP, I'm not at all worried for you. Time is a weird thing for kids, and I agree with a PP that 30 days is like a year to us. Add to that the fact that they don't even know what they're in for, and they just aren't totally feeling it yet. My DD, even though she LOVES going to Disney more than anything we've ever done, doesn't even show the same level of excitement as I do before our trips. She even said once, "Mom, can we talk about something besides Disney?". All bets are off when we get there, she has a GRAND time every time!!!

 

[disneydad78]

the first time I took my kids,I was jumping and excited(but i had already been). They looked at me as if DAD HAS LOST IT. next time they where alot more excited because they have been and knew ,it wasnt no 6 flags!!. Now we are going again 3rdtime for them ,in May ,we are bringing our best friends and my sons best friend,they cant stand it. My 4 yr old,who had 2 birthdays at WDW already,,is driving us crazy about going. They love watching disney rides on YOUTUBE and disney movies. He was driving us crazy ,I had to get on my cell phone ,pretend I was mickey mouse(which im not good at)LOL and say im WDW is closed,and Ill call you when I open. He said in a sad voice OK. and stopped asking us.He is waiting for mickey mouse to call him,LOL BUt now the saints won the superbowl,and he saw Drew Brees in the Disneyworld parade the other day,so now he thinks its open,but I said no its not,so he is ok with it. But trust me they will get excited,and they will LOVE THE MAGIC!

 

[iwrbnd]

My kids did the exact same thing because they didn't really know what they were excited about. Then they loved it once they got there, but even then it took about 3 days for them to get the shock off their face and actually smile!

 

[Fantasmic23]

Yep! My kids were exactly the same way when we first took them in 2008. They could've cared less. All they really cared about was that they had a week off from school. Of course once we returned ... Disney World mania!!!

We leave on Saturday (!!!) for our 2nd Disney World trip and the kids ... could care less again. I'm doing the old "We leave in a few days!" routine and I get "Uh huh, yeah, okay." What the H is wrong with them? They're just getting older, I guess. My DD (11) seems to be more excited about the new season of "Glee" starting and my DS (7) ... Maybe if I told him that a Wii and a Nintendo DS store was now open in the Magic Kingdom he'd be excited

Although, I did have a heck of a time getting them both to go to sleep tonight. They were jumping all over the place and I caught my daughter humming the Splash Mountain "How do ya do?" theme.

We're driving down (yikes) and I'm sure that once we see the first palm tree, the excitement will begin.

 

[Khill]

Thanks everyone!!!

This allmakes me feels a little better. Though last night, taking my DD9 to karate, she did tell me she cannot wait to ride the TOT and ride with a bunch of drunk ghost in haunted masion

That made me laugh, so she may be coming around.

Also my DD5 turn 6 tomorrow and I think after her birthday, she will get more in tune.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

Well here we are a month from the trip. Our first ever trip to the World. My kids have helped make the countdown calender, and are excited to check it off daily, but I am not feeling their love.

I told them we are 30 days away, and I get a little " cool, or okay " but for goodness sakes, you would think I had told them we were going skating, or the playground or something...:

Do you think it may stem from the fact they have no clue what they are going to see, so therefore they have nothing to compare it to? They have seen the videos, and DVD's, but you know how those are.

I know that once they get there it will be on like Donkey Kong, and it will be all my wife and I can do to keep up with them, but geez, I feel like I got Debbie Downer living with me.

Please confirm that all good things will come, and that I am not getting all worked up over nothing.

P.S. I am the only one that has ever been in the family, and it has been 20 years. I am jumping out of my skin to play and have fun.

Thanks to everyone for any words of advice!!!!!

When we told them last week we booked Disney again
lets see DD (5 )got a huff and said "again????? I wanted Mexico"

And then DS (8) almost started crying because he wanted to go to India

 

[la79al]

I'm just sitting here laughing. The first time we took the kids to DW, we told them in the car on the way to the airport that we were going to DW. They were both like oh, okay, whatever. Huge letdown for me because I thought they would be sooooo excited. In reality, they were super excited once we got there. They really had no idea of what to expect. They looked at Disney World like a Six Flags or the rides at the beach. Even if you have tried to beat into your kids heads what DW looks like and even if they have the planning DVD memorized, they will have no real concept until they get there. My kids now can't wait to go back and my stepdaughter will bring up DW every single chance she gets, even if we have no trip planned.