Guilt about lack of variety for DD

[Giselle]

My DD is 4 y.o. and she thinks the only places on earth are indiana and disney world. I feel a little guilty for not "expanding her horizons", but i LOVE LOVE LOVE Disney World and would like to just live there. Any one else feel guilty or have some guilt relieving things to say?:blush:

[busterthebronco]

we hear all the time "why dont ya'll go somewhere else"?
we do but everyone just pays atention to our disney trps.
but dont worry, when she gets to her teenage years you might have to take her other places like we have started doing with our DS14.
you can allways just go to the WS at epcot! ;)

[DDuck66]

Don't feel guilty!!! Make sure that she gets introduced to lots of different people from all walks of life and take her to all of the different countries in Epcot. That way she is getting a true variety of experiences.

[#1donaldfan]

I agree with the responses so far.....where else in these great states can you find such a congregated amount of diversity than at EC ?? Her horizons are probably much higher than others her age, who may visit the mountains for a week of skiing, or a fishing trip in the great lakes...etc....you can get it all and meet so many diverse culters just standing in line for a popcorn and coke......:mickey:

[Disney Doll]

Whether it be Disney World or a week at the beach, I know tons of families that regularly vacation at the same place. How lucky is your little girl to already have so much Disney experience! Maybe you could plan to drive on your next Disney trip and stop by a few things on the way.

[Tinkerfreak]

we have also felt this way. We have been 7 years in a row and I have often thought that maybe my girls were tiring of it and that they might rather go someplace else. When I asked them if they were getting bored with Disney they said "hello mom who could get bored at Disney, it's Disney". We will probably keep going back when we can but also plan to do some other things now that they are a little older.

[Lizzie]

I agree. So many other vacations you can take aren't designed for young children. We have only taken our kids to disney so far but when they are older we might do some other trips. But with young kids its so nice to take them to a place that is designed for kids of all ages.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Why not save for a couple of years and visit other Disneys? Like California, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo?

That way she can experience some other places in the world and still have the comfort and fun of Disney. Plus you can do other things in those cities as well.

Or visit other theme parks. I mean, for the most part, the others aren't horrible but they clearly aren't Disney.

[rwdavis2]

Don't worry. Given the fact that she's only 4yo she won't remember most anywhere she's been in a few years anyway. If you all like WDW then go! The only vacations I've taken in the last 10 years have either been to California (mostly the same places) or Orlando.
Bob

[KineGirl]

When my daughter was your daughters age (shes almost 18 now) we hadnt ventured far outside of WDW either but as she grew older (like 6 or 7) we went to other places as well. We mostly went places that were closer to home like D.C. (museums, restaurants, zoo), Ocracoke Island (beach, kayaking, camping), Williamsburg (historical) or do things when we visit family in other areas like upstate NY (vineyards, Niagara, Canada) and Chicago (musicals, museums, zoo). We've also taken her to Mexico twice now on family vacays. We're hoping to take a trip to Japan in 2 or 3 years and hopefully Europe within the next 10 that we will invite her to join us on.

We also like attend local festivals & going ons in our county/state. We go to pig pickings, blues fests, strawberry fests, state fairs, oyster roasts, concerts, musicals etc...

I agree that Epcot is a great place to sample other foreign cultures but nothing actually beats being in the real place (near or far) and being submersed in the culture itself. You dont have to venture overseas however to experience different cultures. The North is different from the South; the beach is different from the forests; Chicago is different than Miami, etc..

At 4 I wouldnt worry myself too much as to whether shes been to the real Italy or Italy at Epcot.

Edit to add: I was just thinking that when I was a kid my parents took me to Japan, Hawaii & Mexico on top of other state side vacays .. all before I was 11 years old and I remember every detail.

[Goes4FastPass]

It's certainly OK for a 4 year olds world to be Indiana (a fine place) and Disney World.

When she gets a little older you should either take her other places or by all means, feel guilty.

And bytheway,

EPCOT, my wife's hands down favorite, is a theme park. China is a country. EPCOT is a theme park.

PS: Chicago is a GREAT close by child vacation destination for Indiana folks. Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Arts Institute, the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium...

and Canada is the wonderful country not far from you - not the place at Disney World where they put Outback in a basement and call it Le Cellier.

Happy travels south and everywhere else...

[WhiteRose1]

My parents took me to Disney every 5 years. Between those trips we did other fun things. I've been to other countries and can tell you, it's not like Epcot. I've seen Niagara falls, and there is no musical accompaniment...usually. I've been to New York City, and the streets are not that clean. I've been to the Jersey Shore, and it does not look like the Boardwalk Hotel.

I've stayed in places that are not Disney...And I'm glad I have. It makes my trips to WDW that much more impressive. If I only lived in PA/NJ and traveled to WDW...I'd be a very sheltered adult, and never know the real world out there is not just 'a small world'.

I'd think, every hotel is as beautifully themed... And everyone in the world is that nice and helpful. If I lived in a bubble forever it would be a wonderful exsistance. In short, when I did explore out past my own backyard, I'd be very very disapointed.

Please...please..expose children to the wonders of the rest of the world, as best you can....they will learn to appreciate Disney even more!!!

(my husband's cousin just came back from Peru - she is 9. She has more stamps on her passport than most adults I know. She is the most well developed, bright, worldly child I know! She wants to go to Disneyworld, her parents have never taken her...!)

[kadesha]

Sometimes it's fun to do Disney for a few days, then drive over to a beach and say for a few days. It only takes an hour to get to Daytona, and it's a lot of fun! :)

[illini]

At age 4, I don't think you need to start feeling guilty. However, I do believe it's important to give our children as broad a worldview as possible, especially in this day and age. I love Disney, but it's not the only place in the world I want to see or that I want my children to experience. Epcot is cool, and they can get a taste of other cultures but IMHO, to compare Epcot to actually visiting other countries is absurd. Epcot is great for kids, but it doesn't come close to the reality of travelling abroad.
I wouldn't worry about it yet, but start thinking of some cool trips you can take as she gets older. Oh, and I agree that Chicago is an AMAZING place!!! My kids love it!

[LauraleeH]

Don't feel guilty if she's only 4! My parents were never able to take me out of the country, we mostly went to Disney World. I wouldn't trade those memories for the whole entire world. I don't feel like I missed out on different cultures. What I have is absolutely priceless.