My family is done with Disney!

[Disneymom4ever]

I'm just a little sad and whining right now, so please forgive me. But my family has told me they are done with going to Disney World, and it's just boring. Gasp, I know! My two DS's are 16 and 19, and my older son is actually going to college at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fl. Yes, 30 min. from Disney World! As I was trying to plan our annual trip (now with him going there, it's before we drop him off in Aug.), he proceeded to say he'd rather stay home than go there beforehand. Really?? Stay home? He said it's boring, and the same old thing. My DH rolled his eyes and said "Not again!" At least my 16 yr. old said "Well, it's better than staying home doing nothing." What have I done? I could live and breath Disney, and live in the castle on Main St. if they'd allow it. So It's hard when the whole family is against it. When the boys were younger, they absolutely loved it! Even DH was ok with it. maybe they just grew up on me, and this is supposed to happen. And to top it off, we drive right by it when we take him there/pick him up. I waved to AK Lodge back in June. Ugh, that one gets me. I miss Disney not knowing when we'll go back. It's hard to even come on here sometimes! Anyone else have this problem? Thanks for letting me vent. :mickey:

[MizMissy]

I understand your pain! My children are quite a bit younger (12 and 9), but they are thrill ride junkies and the trip last year to Universal with the unlimited express pass ruined them forever. After our last trip to WDW in 2010, we had a wonderful family trip, but my DH said he had spent his last hour in Disney. HUH???

One time, when I was whining because I missed WDW and no one would go with me, my DS relented and said he would go again with me. But if given a choice, both kids would pick Universal every day of the week and twice on Sunday. SIGH. At least you managed to get a few more years out of your children than I did.

[Katzateer]

Understand completely!! Started taking my oldest every year when she was 2 and she went happily until high school. Once she got in college she said she never wanted to go or see WDW again:confused: she was TIRED of it.

Now, 4 years later, she said maybe she would like to go sometime with us.

Luckily, our youngest still loves to go. And she is really bummed that we are staying at Art of Animation and she can't go in October.

[Dulcee]

Hah, my mom ran into the same issue when my older sister was 14 and my brother was about 12. They told my parents they were done with disney. Mom wasn't, so Mom had another baby and started the disney trips all over again with me, and later my little sister.

Oddly enough me and the little one never grew out of the disney love.


Perhaps its time for an adult only trip? You may not rope the kids back in but you might rope your DH back :)

[Gregandmel]

Maybe they just need a little break from it? I have taken my family twice and all I can think about is how to afford to go back! I could go EVERY year because I love it so much and so far my 2 boys (ages 12 & 21) ask every 4-6 months when we are going back. Maybe because we will only be able to afford to go every 3-4 years it will keep the interest alive for them. Maybe you can do a few other trips to someplace THEY want to go and put Disney on the back-burner for the time being. Give them a chance to miss it! Good luck though - I know it's probably very difficult to have to stay away, or get some resistance from your family on this. Hang in there!!!!!:thumbsup:

[mgmnut]

I am so sorry to hear it, that must be rough! Can you enjoy Disney with friends rather than family? Do you have any friends that enjoy Disney like you do that you could travel with?

I have a funny feeling that this coming trip may be our last, at least for quite a while. But then again I felt that way before our last trip. My twins (DS, DD) are 14. We (DW, DS, DD, and myself) went just last July, had unlimited VIP passes at Universal Studios for 2 days of the trip. I was very surprised that the kids still said they enjoy Disney more than Universal and wanted to go again this year. We have never gone 2 years in a row. If the kids give up on Disney then I am done too, and I will be heart broken. My love for Disney is not just because of Disney, it is the one on one time with family that brings me back. I don't think I could do a trip there without the kids.

Maybe your family will still come around, realize it is the quality time that you spend together at Disney that makes it special and not the rides and attractions. There is too much to do to call it boring.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Yes, I feel your pain. My first trip I went with my mom, sister and son. After my second trip my sister bowed out saying it was getting old for her. (Granted she already had two more trips in than me) After our third trip my mom said she was getting burned out and although she did go on my fourth trip, she's said she doens't care to go back for a long time if at all. Up until this last trip my son's been saying don't worry mom I'll always want to go with you but now he says he doesn't want to go back for a long time either. Granted he was sick on our December trip and he is 18 now where he wants to do things on his own but it still makes me sad. I would go back again in a heartbeat if I had the chance always dreaming about trying new restaurants and staying somewhere new:mickey2:

But we are doing a couple of small non Disney vacations in the next year. A four day trip to Pigeon Forge in September and a three day trip to Pensacola Beach in April. We are planning on moving in the next year and a half so it will probably be a long time before I get a chance to do a Disney trip anyway. Hopefully by then everyone will want to go again.

[buzznwoodysmom]

On our Christmas trip (and honestly the few trips before that one) DH did say he was done with Disney for a while. He enjoyed the trip, and there was nothing that went wrong to make him feel that way, just kind of bored with it I guess.

My boys (12 and 10) on the other hand still love it, will often tell me they miss it, and will ask when can we go back.

Our solution is for the boys and I, along with my mom, to go without DH. DH will be in Germany for 3 weeks so we decided it was the perfect time for us to go to WDW.

My oldest son's bday is the day before Mardi Gras next year. They have off of school, and slowly we are learning of lots of family and friends who are planning to go for Mardi Gras. If DS asks to go for his bday and DH won't go then I may try to go without him again. I think if we did a shorter trip, say 4 or 5 nights, DH may come. Other than that we won't go back as a family till Thanksgiving of 2013, when DH's entire family is going.

[scooterca42]

Well. Um.
Regarding the family, I wouldn't take their Disney denial at face value. Things always change, and if they have a break for a few years then I would bet they start having wistful feelings towards it. Maybe it's just overexposure for them - even cake gets boring if you have it every day.

For you, I'd agree maybe an adults only trip, with far less emphasis on the parks. Take some time to explore what else the resorts have to offer - fishing, riding, golf.

Give them time to remember how much fun it is.

[MaterializedHaunt]

How? What! Why? Ok... I am 27 and I have been going to Disney with my parents since I was 2or3. I have NEVER complained! It's always the trip I look forward to going on the most! So if you ever need a 'son' to go with, just call me up and Ill grab my :mickey: and meet you at the airport! :number1: haha! As for your kids (I speak to all who commented having this problem), the way my parents changed it for us so it wasn't just a 16-24 year old guy going to WDW with his parents was to invite a friend. At first it was a friend here and there, then it was a gf. So I always had someone else to go with. We would stay at DVC get 2bedroom or villa and then we would have our own room and privacy. (I have a brother who is 3years younger which is why so many rooms) So this definatly helps big time. So if your willing to have another person on the trip, that you like a well, then I would offer that option. As kids grow up they do like to drift away a little and this will help. Just give them some guidelines to go by. Such as, everyday they have to have at least 1 meal with the family. And as you may think that they will do only 1 a day, you will be surprised how much they LOVE it when mom and dad pay and will do more then 1 :woohoo: Well I hope this comment helped a little. I think I am acception to the rule of not wanting to go to Disney. I have my soap bar from the store "Lush" that smells like 'the burning of Rome' in Spaceship Earth. So my room ALWAYS smells like Disney! (I know its not the prettiest of smells, but hey... its Disney who cares! lol

[EeyoresBestFriend]

I think we tend to forget that it's special to us because alot of us didn't get to go often, or at all, when we were younger. If our kids go every year, it's routine to them. Other things are 'treats' to them.

My thoughts are to go by yourselves then and plan alternate times with your children until they might appreciate it again. You probably will enjoy it even more without them dragging you down while there.

[Disneymom4ever]

Thanks everyone! It's nice that you all understand, and I'm sorry for all of you that are in the same boat! I guess I just pushed it too many times with them, and now they're done for a long while. Gosh, I could just go every day, I really could, so it's hard to comprehend for me.

Well, I've decided as a compromise when we go next month to drop off my son, that perhaps we could just go down a day early, and go to Downtown Disney (I said I needed my yearly calendar!). Then perhaps check out the new A of A resort. Heck, maybe I can even talk them into riding the monorail around the resorts! It gives me something, and they are not burdened with just going on ride after ride, same old thing at the parks. I mentioned it this morning, and the boys were actually ok with that. I guess it's all about compromise at this point. And we are driving RIGHT past there twice a year! Thanks again everyone. :mickey:

[Wolf]

I've always gone with my Mom and when we didn't start going until I was 15 . One trip we had a :thedolls: trip a few years ago with LOTS of BTG and it did us in for alittle while, we took a 2 year break and came back with a vengence lol we have times when we can't afford it but now we just avoid the times with the BTG are attacking, which is a shame because my birthday is in Jan but its not even worth it anymore. I feel your pain hun, I'd cry if she ever told me she "didn't want to go" but its a escape for us, from all the junk that crowds our lives it lets us just hang out together with noone to get in the way. I'm sorry your family has fell out of love from the Mouse, they will come back from the dark side one day, I'm sure. :hug:

[SBETigg]

Lisa, how frustrating! I think maybe they just need a break. I've always worried that going every year would do that to my kids-- which is why we go every few years instead (though I would be happy going twice a year). And my kids were still saying enough with Disney two years ago. They wanted to go somewhere else. But, now, they both miss it and want to go back. There's hope that they come back around to it eventually.