Is it possible to totally skip a Disney vacation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

+10000

+ 1 million.

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure there is a law that Americans have to take our kids to Disney.

I seem to recall filling out forms at the pediatrician's office to verify we did this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up on the east coast and never went to Disney during my childhood, so, yes, it can be done.

Different generation. I never went either but it used to be completely out of reach for most middle class people.

My kids are 16 and 13. We've never gone. They don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up on the east coast and never went to Disney during my childhood, so, yes, it can be done.

Different generation. I never went either but it used to be completely out of reach for most middle class people.

It still is.

[Anonymous]

Spend a couple of days at EuroDisney next time you're in Paris. You still get your European vacation and the kids get some Disney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We solved this problem by taking our DC to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen which was Walt Disney's inspiration for the Magic Kingdom. Win-win.

Sorry, no comparison. And I have spent many weekends in Tivoli, but you're comparing apples and oranges.

I've been to both Disneyworld and Disneyland. At each I waited in (long) lines, rode on rides (some of them very old), ate food and saw some dress up characters. How is that different from Tivoli or Hershey? What else is there that I"m missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

There's nothing wrong with your family doing so, you're right. But resources are ALWAYS finite. Even if we have "enough" money to do Disney - that's still money that's coming from somewhere else. It's true that we choose to give our children different experiences than you might choose. But our children are no more "missing out" on Disney than yours are "missing out" on the experiences that our children have had.

+1

Even if money is unlimited (not the case for 99.99999999% of people), time is always limited. Many of us just don't prioritize Disney over other experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

I took my kids to Disneyland when we were in California. It was hot and the lines were long. Even with that, my kids (ages 5 and 7) had a fine time (despite being terrified by some children's ride that sent you through hell). They liked the parade and enjoyed coming home with the obligatory mouse ears. However, I am 100% certain that they will tell you they preferred their trip to London (they went there at ages 4 and 6). Obviously some love Disney but others find it to be just another amusement park. Different strokes for different folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

There's nothing wrong with your family doing so, you're right. But resources are ALWAYS finite. Even if we have "enough" money to do Disney - that's still money that's coming from somewhere else. It's true that we choose to give our children different experiences than you might choose. But our children are no more "missing out" on Disney than yours are "missing out" on the experiences that our children have had.

+1

Even if money is unlimited (not the case for 99.99999999% of people), time is always limited. Many of us just don't prioritize Disney over other experiences.

Yes, this is how we are. The money and the time has to come out of something else, and it's just not a priority for us to take the money or the time away from other things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

For crying out loud, there's not one single "quintessential" childhood trip out there, not just one amusement/theme park that EVERYONE who has the means must go to. It's almost cult-like how all you Disney folk are adamant about this - I think that's what people are reacting to.

I'm the PP you quoted and we actually have the finances and time to make a Disney trip possible. It hasn't been one of our priorities. We have no relatives or friends near any Disney places and when we travel we usually stop by grandma's house or an aunt/uncle's place on route to our destination, or go to places to see friends. No, we didn't bring our 3 year old to museums in Europe. But we'd have had to give up some other great trip/memory if we'd gone to Disney. See how that works? If you choose to go to one place, you don't get to go to another.

My kids like roller coasters and arcades. They like popcorn and ice cream and cotton candy. So 1-3 times a year we bring them somewhere for the day where they can access those things, whether at a amusement park or a county fair. It's enough for us.

Meanwhile, the 2 things my kids talk about the most from our past vacations are snow tubing in Maine when they were 4 and 8 and the all-day rafting trip down a tributary of the Colorado river when they were 5 and 9. Have you done both those things with your kids? If not, well, I don't really care. It's that simple.

we do similar stuff pp. DC has been to 46 of 50 states. Everywhere there are interesting and more authentic things to do than a place like Disney. That's for people with no imaginations.

Disney is all about imagination and stepping into the fairytale world that they create. You haven't been, so you don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spend a couple of days at EuroDisney next time you're in Paris. You still get your European vacation and the kids get some Disney.

We actually might do this at the Hong Kong one the next time we go back to China to adopt child #2. That's really the only time I can see doing a Disney visit, for us at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't compare Disney to Hershey. You just can't. Hershey is a theme park but Disney is so much more than just rides. Until you go there, you won't get it.

Like others have said, sure it is possible to skip a Disney vacation but why? There will be plenty of time for your family to do other trips to other places. As the kids get older, they may truly appreciate those other places a little bit more. But while they are young, it is okay to do a fun trip to Disney. You won't be wasting your money or vacation time on such a trip. If done correctly, you will have a great time making great memories on a Disney trip. Do it - your kids don't know what they are missing (do you?)

.


No, I don't get it. I just don't get this mentality. This idea that you HAVE to go to one certain place or else you are neglecting your children (as some people on this thread are implying) doesn't make sense to me. I don't doubt you've had fun and great memories at your Disney vacations. But it's one thing to say we had a great time and another to start insisting that every child must go to Disney or "miss out" on some essential part of life. Guess what, your kid is going to miss out on something too. We all miss out on something. The world is full of amazing, beautiful, and fun places, and life is short. Most of us don't have endless supply of money and time for traveling/vacations. Pick and choose the places that mean the most to you and let others do the same.

Well, of course, all of us will miss out on something. I completely understand if your family doesn't have the finances/vacation time to make a Disney trip possible. I fault no one who doesn't go to Disney for those reasons.

But the people who do have time and money for a Disney vacation but don't go and love to give their reason as they won't go out of principle/because their precious 3 year old would rather explore museums in Europe/because they feel they are above Disney? Yeah, those people need to STFU and get over themselves. Yes, those people need to have their children experience Disney when they are young and they can truly enjoy it. Museums in Europe will be there when they are teenagers. Don't let your kids not have a quintessential childhood trip just because you think you are above it. Give them the experience, just once. There is nothing wrong with doing so.

For crying out loud, there's not one single "quintessential" childhood trip out there, not just one amusement/theme park that EVERYONE who has the means must go to. It's almost cult-like how all you Disney folk are adamant about this - I think that's what people are reacting to.

I'm the PP you quoted and we actually have the finances and time to make a Disney trip possible. It hasn't been one of our priorities. We have no relatives or friends near any Disney places and when we travel we usually stop by grandma's house or an aunt/uncle's place on route to our destination, or go to places to see friends. No, we didn't bring our 3 year old to museums in Europe. But we'd have had to give up some other great trip/memory if we'd gone to Disney. See how that works? If you choose to go to one place, you don't get to go to another.

My kids like roller coasters and arcades. They like popcorn and ice cream and cotton candy. So 1-3 times a year we bring them somewhere for the day where they can access those things, whether at a amusement park or a county fair. It's enough for us.

Meanwhile, the 2 things my kids talk about the most from our past vacations are snow tubing in Maine when they were 4 and 8 and the all-day rafting trip down a tributary of the Colorado river when they were 5 and 9. Have you done both those things with your kids? If not, well, I don't really care. It's that simple.

we do similar stuff pp. DC has been to 46 of 50 states. Everywhere there are interesting and more authentic things to do than a place like Disney. That's for people with no imaginations.

Disney is all about imagination and stepping into the fairytale world that they create. You haven't been, so you don't know.

You sure have bought into the whole Disney thing. That's great for you but I presume you do have enough perspective to realize that others might chose to spend their dollars/time on other types of fantasies.

[Anonymous]

Most people who hate their Disney experience go when it's really crowded and spend their whole trip standing in lines. It's not always like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people who hate their Disney experience go when it's really crowded and spend their whole trip standing in lines. It's not always like that.

That's right. There are ways to beat the crowds--go during non-busy times, get fast pass, got at rope drop, etc.

Do you have to bring your children to Disney? Of course not. Will they have a really great time if you do? Most likely.

[Anonymous]

I used to live an hour away from Disneyland, and every kid in my kid's class was there in preschool. I didn't take them. So YES, it's possible.

I did take them when the youngest DD was 8. I did it because we had a day off, it was a Wednesday (the least populated day of the week because it doesn't but up against a weekend), and because I did not feel pressured by them or anyone else to do it.

It was really fun, the kids were old enough to both enjoy and remember the experience. And it was not as princessy-marketed as I thought it would be--it felt old fashioned in a good way.

BTW I also did this with American Girl stuff. We had an American Girl store about 20 min drive from us. Also, most of the other kids were getting AG dolls in preschool. They thrashed them. Then they'd get another. ugh. I remember one girl had 15 or so. All sitting on a shelf, thrashed.

I waited until…I think they were 8, because that's the recommended minimum age. I bought the historic ones (one had Josephina and one had Rebecca) and we read the books (all the books, not just Josephina and Rebecca). They were awesome! The kids loved their dolls. And when we finally went to the AG store, it was like going to Disney for them. It was not "just to go," but for one kid's birthday, and just the family went (not a class party). It was very exciting for them.

I guess where I'm coming from is, if you wait and make it special, you've got something they will look forward to, and they will appreciate it more. And then, so will you. Right now, your reward for taking them to Disney is that they nag you to go back to Disney again. LOL