Disney Au Pair???

[svarhall07]

this kind of sounds crazy, but here is the back story to the idea.

I'm 21 and a student at the University of Tennessee. I have been tutoring 6 different families' children for the past 3 years in math (my major is elementary education and mathematics). One of my families has 3 kids, 15 and 13 year old boys and a 11 year old girl. They are taking a family vacation to disney at the ned of June, and asked me to go along to hang out with the kids in the parks, spend evening with them when the parents out for alone time, and just help to keep up with the kids. I'm a camp counselor at a boy's athletic camp during the summers, so I was unable to go. However, the mom suggested that because I have been to Disney so many times, love going, and work great with kids, I should somehow try to find families that want/need extra help on vacation and go with them as a "disney au pair".

so, my question is, what do you all think about this? my first thought was that would be the dream job, but I don't want to appear as a creeper. I do work very well with kids, have many years of experience as a tutor, camp counselor, and substitute teacher, and I'm an avid disney lover. But what do you think the response would be? The mother's point was that many families go to Disney, but the parents are unable or don't want to ride the rides and keep up with there kids for a long week and that parents like to get out at night and go to eat at nice restaurants or go to the Boardwalk or Pleasure Island but are unable to because of their children. She very much thinks it would be an excellent service, but I'm not sure how people would respond. In no way am I looking for a free vacation, and would definitely offer to pay/contribute to my part of the vacation. I do feel that I would have fun and that kids would have more fun with a younger, full of energy, disney loving guy, but I'm still very unsure. What are your thoughts?

[Strmchsr]

I can see where the idea could seem fun, but it doesn't sound practical. I just can't see families paying for someone else to play with their kids on their vacation. And if they weren't picking up your vacation tab you'd either have to charge a ton for your services to cover your costs or lost money every trip. It might be more feasible if you were operating out of Orlando like the various babysitting services that serve WDW. So, if you can find families willing to pay you to do this, go for it but I don't think I would count on it.

[deedeenmickey]

Don't count it out so fast. I don't think it would be good for 1st or even 2nd trip families because being there together is part of the magic but for people who go often it might be. The parents may not feel the need to go cammando style but the kids would be bored lounging around all day. Also if the parents want to go out at night and don't feel the kids are old enough to stay alone. I think this may be a good situation for what you are talking about. I agree you would need to be located in the Orlando area and you would need an AP each year. This may be a better service for Disney to offer because they could provide entry to EMH and a place to stay and make this more cost effective.

[Strmchsr]

Another issue I just thought of (but don't know the answer to) is what sort of credentialing / certification / license you would need for working with children in Florida.

[MidnTPK]

What are you doing in late September?....kidding....;)

Anyway, you've already discovered that there is at least one customer for this service.....now its just a matter of finding other customers. I'd think families with a large number of kids spread over a wide age range would be candidates. You could supervise teens and tweens while parents managed the toddlers...or vice versa.

Then there are families where Mom loves WDW and Dad hates it. You could help with family management while Dad played golf (thinking of BIL here).

Another way to go would be a a family like mine...with a baby. We got a sitter for three nights on a past trip. Maybe a sitting/trip trade would work.

But I'd focus on your network of families. I wouldn't be comfortable working out a deal with someone who wasn't already familiar with my family. there's too many dynamics to work out to do something like this blind-date style. WDW is enough of a pressure cooker sometime on normal family relations that adding a new dynamic to the mix could have a bad outcome in a strange place.

But if one of our regular sitters had a friend that she vouched for and we met a few times briefly before the trip, I'd consider it. Especially if it turned out to be a good deal for both the sitter and the family.

[SBETigg]

I've known people to bring their own nannies/au pair with them. I'm not sure a lot of parents would be comfortable trusting their children to strangers, even certified ones. It's such a job to find the right fit for a family in every day life, let alone on vacation. The resorts offer childcare. I think most people would stick with that option, or bring their own childcare with them if they could afford/wanted more while on vacation. Plus, Disney is such a family place. The idea is to be with your kids there. I'm not sure this would work out.

My main argument against is that if you think there's a viable market there, why wouldn't Disney have already exploited it? So many Caribbean resorts already offer this service that surely Disney would have looked into it. But the fact is that a tropical beach vacation is the kind of vacation that maybe Mom and Dad brought the kids but want some alone time. But the majority of Disney time is family time, and it would be intrusive and not relaxing for most families to have a stranger along. Their own nanny is part of the family, so I can see more that people might bring her/him along. But to hire one just at Disney? I don't think there would be enough business to make it work. Maybe there would. I don't know. If you had the right business plan in place, it might work. I just don't see it.

[MidnTPK]

I can see where the idea could seem fun, but it doesn't sound practical. I just can't see families paying for someone else to play with their kids on their vacation.
I don't think that's the biggest hurdle because:

One of my families has 3 kids, 15 and 13 year old boys and a 11 year old girl. They are taking a family vacation to disney at the ned of June, and asked me to go along to hang out with the kids in the parks, spend evening with them when the parents out for alone time, and just help to keep up with the kids.

[svarhall07]

But I'd focus on your network of families. I wouldn't be comfortable working out a deal with someone who wasn't already familiar with my family. there's too many dynamics to work out to do something like this blind-date style. WDW is enough of a pressure cooker sometime on normal family relations that adding a new dynamic to the mix could have a bad outcome in a strange place.

Just to clarify for everyone - if I ever was to pursue this, which I'm still very leery, i would advertise though local schools, academies, churches, and my camp that I am familiar with. I would definitely not just simply post an add asking a random family from around the country (or world) to let me tag along on their vacation.

Because I am a college student and work in the local public schools, I am on the same schedule as most school-aged children. therefore, it would allow me the availability to do this in my free/off time - in no way am I trying to pursue this as a career or great source of income.

thanks for your thoughts, i love reading what others have to say. keep it coming.

[SBETigg]

Just to clarify for everyone - if I ever was to pursue this, which I'm still very leery, i would advertise though local schools, academies, churches, and my camp that I am familiar with. I would definitely not just simply post an add asking a random family from around the country (or world) to let me tag along on their vacation.

thanks for your thoughts, i love reading what others have to say. keep it coming.

I understand now, thanks. I thought you were trying to take it on as a bigger business venture. I still don't see that many people would be taking you up on it, but I suppose it could happen. I can't imagine bringing someone along on my Disney vacation, but I guess people do.

[mickey&missy]

It's to bad you can't go with the family that offered, that would great!