Would you let your child wait for you outside of ride???

[robinb]

That's completely different from stranger assault or abduction.

That happened in a hotel room, not at a theme park and had probably been going on in some form well before the trip. Hardly the same as a stranger snatching an older child from a crowded theme park.

Yes, I know. That was part of my point. The only reported sexual assault of a child on Disney property was done by her father. Not an unknown stranger or boogyman. I edited my post to make my point more clear .

 

[mjkacmom]

This works for my family. I don't understand how any family could go on vacation and NOT do everything together.

Things usually work a little differently with a larger family....

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I agree with this. A vacation is different than everyday life. When my family goes on vacation, we make a point to do things together, not separate. That's what a vacation is for, from our point of view.

For those with this point of view the solution is simple. One kid doesn't want to ride the Haunted Mansion, nobody rides the Haunted Mansion. Not everyone has that viewpoint. Many groups, even nuclear families, are absolutely fine with splitting up for rides or even for the day.

 

[bdklein]

Or you could flip this very negative view of the situation to a positive teaching moment that even your xx old child must do some things they don't want to do for the benefit of others.

I agree, but not when it involves fear.

 

[PrincessJo]

Things usually work a little differently with a larger family....

Well that's great. Sadly for medical reasons, I wasn't able to HAVE A LARGER FAMILY.

What I'd like to say is not very nice, so I'll be going home to my wonderful family now. Good luck doing things separately with your family. Hope that works out for ya.

 

[mjkacmom]

For those with this point of view the solution is simple. One kid doesn't want to ride the Haunted Mansion, nobody rides the Haunted Mansion. Not everyone has that viewpoint. Many groups, even nuclear families, are absolutely fine with splitting up for rides or even for the day.

The only experience I have of having an only child was only for 20 months, but I think that if DH and I took one child to WDW (can't image being anywhere with one child...), if he or she didn't want to ride, we'd say "bye see-ya" and have he or she wait.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well that's great. Sadly for medical reasons, I wasn't able to HAVE A LARGER FAMILY.

What I'd like to say is not very nice, so I'll be going home to my wonderful family now. Good luck doing things separately with your family. Hope that works out for ya.

Hey, you were the one judging other families for splitting up (which is usually pretty necessary for those who have bigger families, which even a parent of one should be able to figure out).

 

[PrincessJo]

Hey, you were the one judging other families for splitting up (which is usually pretty necessary for those who have bigger families, which even a parent of one should be able to figure out).

My grandfather was one of eight children. They never did anything separately either. I was raised differently. To each his own... which is what I said a million posts ago. Stop attacking people for what they do and stop being snarky and we can all agree to disagree.

Sheesh.

 

[robinb]

Hey, you were the one judging other families for splitting up (which is usually pretty necessary for those who have bigger families, which even a parent of one should be able to figure out).

FWIW, I was "one and done" by choice and we still split up sometimes.

 

[Granny square]

I agree with this. A vacation is different than everyday life. When my family goes on vacation, we make a point to do things together, not separate. That's what a vacation is for, from our point of view.

Just out of curiosity do you have more than one kid, kids with spread out ages, or opposite sex? Even when ours were little we'd sometimes do different things, but I don't have a problem with making individual memories as well as family memories.

My second son was Icked out by ittbab, so while the other 4 went with their dad and grandma to watch it, ds and I would get an ice cream and sit and talk, go to the boneyard or shop. He never lost anything by not being with them. those are some of our best ak memories.

Then the older guys got to the point they wanted to ride tot, and rnrc. Not my thing. So they'd ride that with their dad and the youngers and grandma and I would do something we wanted. My husband has never liked spinny rides so teacups and mib were for the kids and I. Learning flexibility and enjoying the differences in our family has been a benefit.

And time alone in wdw is a treasure. Lol, still. As a kid it was that wonderful sense if freedom and independence. Just a thought.

 

[ChuckGA]

I agree, but not when it involves fear.

Whose fear and of what? The comment I was responding to said that the simple act of going on a ride while the child waits outside is making the judgement that the ride is more important than the child. I call hogwash on such a belief and is a very negative way of looking at things. If my child doesn't want to do a scary ride (Dinosaur! actually) but has no issues waiting outside then they can wait outside. No muss no fuss.

If I followed the "whole family must always be together for everything" of the other poster, then we can either force the fearful child on the ride or have the other sibling miss riding it. Both options are much less acceptable.

 

[bdklein]

When we all go together, we only do things as a family. Period. I don't understand how any family could go on vacation and NOT do everything together.

Is this a joke? Or trolling?

You have 1 child!!! Of course you can make it work!!! Try having 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or more, in all different ages and sexes. Make a young child go on Tower of Terror?? Make an 18 year old boy ride Dumbo? Or make that same 18 year old boy do Storytime with Belle? What if a child has special needs? How can they do Everything together!!

We sit down as a family before we go and we make a plan. What we want to ride, where we want to eat, what shows we want to see... so we already know what we're doing before we go.

That sounds like fun. No spontaneity? No living in the moment? No going with the flow?

 

[disney1990]

I agree with this. A vacation is different than everyday life. When my family goes on vacation, we make a point to do things together, not separate. That's what a vacation is for, from our point of view.

By the time our daughter was 11-12, she was off in the parks by herself - taking advantage of those single rider lines. And those were the days before we all had cell phones, only a time and place to meet back up. She grew up in Disney from age 5 and went on to do the Disney College program.

 

[JustAKid]

Is this a joke? Or trolling?

You have 1 child!!! Of course you can make it work!!! Try having 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or more, in all different ages and sexes. Make a young child go on Tower of Terror?? Make an 18 year old boy ride Dumbo? Or make that same 18 year old boy do Storytime with Belle? What if a child has special needs? How can they do Everything together!!



That sounds like fun. No spontaneity? No living in the moment? No going with the flow?

Uh oh. You done did it, now.

 

[bdklein]

Just out of curiosity do you have more than one kid, kids with spread out ages, or opposite sex?

One child according to the icons, hence the statement of everything together.

 

[tjmj9801]

Somebody put this poor horse out of its misery!! This is ridiculous!

 

[Angel Ariel]

Stop attacking people for what they do and stop being snarky and we can all agree to disagree.

Good luck doing things separately with your family. Hope that works out for ya.

This comes across as pretty snarky to me.

My brother and SIL have 2 boys. One who is 6, one who is 3. The 3 y/o wants to do *everything* the 6 y/o does - but at WDW, he couldn't (height requirements). Rather than listen to the meltdown that would ensue from the 3 y/o by not being able to go on the same rides - or by the 6 y/o being told he couldn't go on a ride because the 3 y/o couldn't - they split up at times. When the 6 y/o was riding BTMRR with his dad, mom and the 3 y/o were riding Buzz.

Everyone had a blast, they all enjoyed family together time as well (more together than apart) and there were no meltdowns. That's a successful vacation, IMO.

Just because a family does some things separately doesn't make them any less of a bonded family than the family that does everything together.

 

[bdklein]

My grandfather was one of eight children. They never did anything separately either.

You were around when he was a kid to witness this? Really? Impressive.

 

[Granny square]

That sounds like fun. No spontaneity? No living in the moment? No going with the flow?

No kidding. My friend is like that. Makes me crazy. The family has to do everything together. No one is allowed to have their own opinion or do anything separate from their family. To have his friend at his 16th birthday party my kid had to plan a "family" party. It isn't good.

 

[Granny square]

One child according to the icons, hence the statement of everything together.

Geez. That is like the "expert" on potty training who had one kid for whom their system worked.