| the day I spend money on Disney will be the day Louboutins are on clearance at Target |
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| Written by OHmommy | |
| Monday, 15 February 2010 00:00 | |
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I have a million blog posts floating around my head, on any given day. Topics I want to discuss but not motivated to elaborate on until life happens and scratches that tiny thought bubble so much it itches.
I have this one post already published in my head, "Seriously. I need a vacation away from my kids." It itches so bad I need to find a good dandruff shampoo. And another title I'm struggling with is "Dear God. It's Me. OHmommy. It's been 10 years since the husband and I vacationed together." After spending some time alone on Facebook I wrote another post in my head titled, "I wish there was a dislike button I can hit each time one of my friends uploads a photo from Vegas with her husband."
Happy marriage equals happy family. I get it, really I do, and hope that my husband gets the subtle hint before our 10th wedding anniversary this August.
The truth is. We like to vacation with our kids. They met Marta in Mexico which opened their eyes to poverty. They met French ambulance drivers that gave us a behind the scene tour of the Eiffel tower. They admitted that the White House would be so much cuter as the Pink House. They walked through a castle built in 1274. And created smiles on the beaches of North Carolina. This alone in the last three years. Lucky kids.
As much as I crave, desire, need, want, expect, hope, dream of a vacation alone with my husband the reality is that we are a family on a budget (shut the front door - it's much cheaper to go to Paris/Mexico/White House/North Carolina/Poland with kids than to Disney with all the frills - to each it's own - we know we are lucky to even vacation). Which brings me to say that the day I spend money on Disney will be the day Louboutins are on clearance at Target and the world will be treated of dry scalps. Because the globe is our playground and we have so much to see and do and learn and conquer, as a family. Disney seems so "blah" and just a glorified amusement park forced upon us.
So. We vacation with our kids, far away from Disney.
Alternatively titled by our middle child, "THE most magical vacation on earth, ever." I would have to agree with her, for once.
PS. "Better than Paris and almost as fun as 'The Great Wolf Lodge' in Sandusky, Ohio." GAH. Kids! PSS. "This is the worst sport ever. Ever. Ever in the history of sports!" Heard from one of my off-springs while on the chair lift for the very first time only to exclaim at the bottom of the hill (after two full days of intensive ski school) "Let's do it again. And again. Until my legs are like noodles." Nothing better than an early addiciton to sports. PSSS. I fell in love with my family, all over again, this weekend. PSSSS. Thanks to the incredible family that hosted us in their log cabin, I forsee many wonderful memories made in your vacation abode. You guys really know what's important in life. Life. Laughter. Love. PSSSSS. Where do you purchase webcams for cheap so we can install in the friend's ski log cabin before the kids start high school? PSSSSSS. I've been wanting to write an Anti-Disney post forever. Bring it on, you Disney lovers and tell me why it should be on my bucket list. I'm listening... |
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| Last Updated on Monday, 15 February 2010 08:55 |
Comments
However I have been having the same feelings as you and our oldest is only 4! Ack!
And the disney thing, that should be a good one since I couldn't be bothered with the place and have never had a desire for a single disney product at that. However I have a daughter who thinks she is a princess and from the disney commercials thinks she needs to go to the castle. Hmmm.....ya.
Luckily, our eldest (4yo girl) has the desire to travel to Northern Africa to see scorpions. I think if we tried to take her to Disney to have breakfast with Cinderella, she'd look at us and say "What the hell?"
The world is our oyster...
I think Disney has its place. We live 350 miles away from Disneyland so lots of families around here go once a year. I think that's overkill. We have been with our kids twice and the first time was great, the second time was fun, but not as magical. We decided to make the drive every three or four years.
I probably have a different perspective since we don't have to fly to get there and can make a weekend trip out of it. I must agree though that vacations where you take advantage of the "globe as your playground" are so much more valuable to children and the family!
This July we will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in London (with our children).
(By the way, I've been to Africa, Grand Cayman, Disney World, and more, and loved each place for very different reasons!)
Everyone has their priorities, preferences and opinions, right? I mean, I think the amount of money spent on a pair of fancy shoes is ridiculous..but I wouldn't think twice about spending the same amount on a vacation. Differences is what makes the world go round.
Besides, one less person vacationing here means less people in front of me in line at It's A Small World.
But maybe your Dad is right. He thought spending money on ski trips was a waste of time but took you anyways so you can experience it. AWESOME point Kelly. I never thought about it like that.
We love to travel down the shore (we're lucky enough to have a place to go there for free - which we do often) and around different states visiting family and exploring new things. The Disney vacation we took last year was a family reunion (we all rented a house, 16 of us, off site and stayed there together)
I've lived abroad, traveled to Barcelona, Belfast, Berlin and Budapest (to name a few places where alliteration works). I whole heartily agree about traveling the world and experiencing it. Happily our daughter is a good traveler. She just turned 5 and has been to 8 states and 2 countries.
This year we'll be traveling as a family to 4 different states and we're saving $ for a trip back to China. Times are tough here economically but saving for this is a priority, so we do have to save over a long period of time...
But we did also enjoy Disney and that look of excitement our 4 yr old had when she saw live princesses all dressed up in pretty dresses wearing tiaras that hugged & talked to her was well worth the trip. And yes, it was magical for her.
So, my vote is...if you're interested in experiences, Disney can be an experience as well...don't wall yourself off from some possible wonderful ones.
I've never taken my kids to Disney.
and yes, an anniversary trip for the two of you is a must. To Disney.
Now that I have kids, I couldn't wait to take them to Disney. We got to go this past year ... Disney had an amazing deal for military families (another reason I love them!). Our tickets were really inexpensive AND we got a great discount on our hotel room, so we were able to stay right there on Disney.
On our last day there we stood in line to see the Disney princesses. Our son is refused to be photographed or go near the Princesses. My hubby explained to the guy keeping things moving that our son is on the autism spectrum and has some issues. Our daughter took pics with the Princesses and we went to leave. This guy called us back, cleared the room and ALL the Princesses came over to greet both our kids, took pictures, etc. It was AMAZING. My husband and I were both tearing up. Kids that have siblings with disabilities rarely get special things happen to them ... we have to make an effort to make things special for our daughter ... carve out time for her. Disney did that. They go over and beyond. There are almost hourly parades, a huge fireworks show EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. It's an awesome experience for your kids AND you. Other places make for great family vacations, but Disney is certainly one of them!! Don't take it off your list!! :o)
It's not just the place, but the people that work there and make it so magical.
Just don't go from the fall of 2010 'til 2012 - they're renovating fantasyland and that would kill the magic. =) Though, also limit the crowds, maybe?
And you can afford a cheap vacation away to Vegas with your man. If WE can afford it, YOU can afford it. You just have to make it a priority. You do. It is much cheaper than you think. We go somewhere every fall just the two of us.
But, sigh, it has been way to long since I have seen a sandy beach.
We might go for a day as part of a larger trip to Paris this summer, but I don't see us planning an entirely Disney vacation anytime.
We went as part as an exteneded family vacation in August(!) of 2007 when M was 2 months old. My parents booked the trip to celebrate their 40th anniversary and chose the location based on the ages of the older grandkids. We paid for Disney tix and it was insane! One day in the park (which was forced because my parents booked the princess breakfast - GAH! and a family photo shoot) cost more then a plane ticket.
The whole Orlando area bummed me out: all crazy-touristy and fake. I'd much rather go to a National Park, a beach or just about anywhere else.
ps: skiing is our fave. whistler is surprisingly inexpensive, especially late in the season, and the mountains are HUGE!
This summer friends of ours all want to get together and do a group vacation and one couple suggested Disney. The rest of it put the kibosh on it and instead proposing renting a house down at the beach so we could all be together, cook meals ourselves and enjoy each others company rather than trying to fit everything in and see it all.
I'll probably have to do the Disney trip once because I'll probably lose that argument with my wife, but I'll delay it for as long as possible.
We enjoy it but I can't ever imagine, even living this close, it ever being more than a once in a blue moon kind of thing.
We are Irish, and both our families live in Ireland. So, guess where we go on vacation?
This is just one of those individual differences things. Some people love to soak up foreign cultures, others prefer the thrill rides and experiences parks have to offer.
Going with toddlers is hard. I think Disney is best for pre-school age kids and up. Staying right on Disney is great b/c you can easily go back to your room and take naps during the hottest part of the day, play at the pool and go back to the park for dinner, more rides and the fireworks (being on Dumbo when the fireworks started was the highlight for all of us - it was like they were going off ALL around us ... soooo cool).
Anyway, just don't discount it completely. You can get the packages to save serious money. And we set rules - our kids could pick out one toy and one shirt that we would buy the last day there. That way, it wasn't just a place to buy a bunch of plastic stuff (b/c that stuff is all around!)
but honestly, I'd LOVE to hear about your trips that weren't expensive. I would love to travel more with my kids to give them the experience...I am just always so amazed by how much it costs.
I know my kids would love it. But the thought of paying $$$$ to eat breakfast with a princess with mediocre food is killing me.
Glad you guys had an excellent time.
I'm just not convinced and would rather spend my money elsewhere.
Hopefully soon we will be able to take them but I just can't guarantee it!
Just wanted to clarify...I love the magic of Disney and will be taking my kids there, hopefully next year. BUT, I think that the camping trips I went on as a kid were just as, if not more, memorable. I think there is room for both in your life. I also think that unless you live nearby, it's really only a one time thing for most people. So not so different from going someplace else just once.
Does that make sense at all??
We only have room for one awesome family trip per year and the kids are getting older and there are so many things we want to see and do (like camping!) and I just don't know if we should squeeze Disney in or just move onto our next adventure. That's my issue.
You could always try a Disney cruise. My brother and his family go just about every year now. They LOVE them. You get to see some great tropical locations and still have kid-friendly entertainment, food, all the characters, etc. Of course, they also still live in the area so they have year-round passes to Disney and they go all the time to the real thing. Lucky!
If you are thinking about Disney, my advice? Go with the cheapest Garden view room you can get. Our "cheap" room at the Polynesian was beautiful! And big! And it's not like we wanted to hang out there much anyway.
Disney has a special place in my heart because I think that Walt Disney was one of the greatest people that ever lived. He had a good heart, and wanted to bring good into the world, and I just think the parks still stand for that. I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 12, but my family is doing the give a day get a day program this year. Its nice because even though the rest of my family is across the country, its a way we can come together to do something special.
I do still want to travel the world though. I just don't think you have to be anti Disney to do it
My girls won't get to go on a "real" vacation, so we supplement with the "fakeness" of Disney. They love it, we love it.
To each, her own.
The price of a lift-ticket for one day is much cheaper than the price of a Disney Park.
I wasn't so much bashing Disney, but more so weighing my options. If I have to spend over $1000 on a vacation.... is Disney worth all the buzz? Because you and I both know, I would rather do something else.
As for the Grand Canyon, I'd save that trip for when all of your kids can appreciate the wonder and splendor that type of vacation can offer.
And as for a couples only vacation, that is great you might have the opportunity to get away sans kids. I'd go somewhere tropical!
That's all I have to say...was that enough LOL.
If at all, take your kids while they're young enough to still think like kids and can see the magic and not the dollar signs.
(contd in next comment because even though it says I have symbols left, it won't let me post this comment; sorry)
If I am spending SO much money on a vacation I would much rather do something outdoors, hands-on, in nature. Which better fits our family anyways.
That said, I was just in Orlando with the b/f to try to watch the last shuttle launch. Stayed in Orlando because it was much cheaper than staying on the coast, and I almost lost it just driving around there. So touristy, it made me feel claustrophobic - think Niagara Falls times 100. Maybe 1000.
I made him swear that if we ever have children and they will JUST DIE if they don't go, we will send them and Grandma and Grandpa. As much as I'd hate to spend that much money on a vacation I wouldn't go on, I'd rather do that than be stressed out for the week.
Ha. Im sold!
So glad to hear you all had a wonderful weekend. It looks and sounds like it was a blast with many great memories.
P.S. Stay at the Hyatt if you can!!
Our favorite trip was staying at my mom's timeshare very close to the park. It's SO nice to have the extra space without having to pay Disney prices for it. Anyone can get rooms there, too. I would suggest that Spring Break may not be the best time to visit if you're already on the fence. To optimize your experience, slightly slower times would be beneficial. We LOVED going the week after Thanksgiving.
Obviously every parent has different views on kids missing school. But I think it's worth it for family memories and optimizing the experience.
I think the scam is in getting kids to believe that magic lies in cartoon characters. I am trying to teach my kids that the REAL magic lies within themselves, setting goals and reaching them, and if you have to believe in something, have it be yourself, not a cartoon mouse.
Having said that, my mom really wants to take my kids, so I'm sure it will happen, but I would much rather then tour the world, heck even the US.
But, then again, you've gotta do it once, right, just to experience it?
Oh and one more thing...I went to Disney with my family in 3rd grade and thought it was the most magical place on earth.. Truly it was my favorite childhood vacation. Then, I went in college and it was just okay. When I went as a MOm-- it was magical. So, it does depend on perspective.
www.ashortguidetoahappymarriage.com
PS. Love the ski wedges. Too cute!
When I became an adult, I really didn't have any desire to go to Disney at that point, and my husband didn't either. We envisioned many of the things people have mentioned - crowds, heat, amusement park rides... it just held no appeal. We went anyway though.. decided it was something we wanted to do for the kids. Guess what? We all had a GREAT time! Sure, it was a very different type of trip from other trips we've taken to NC beaches, New Mexico, NYC, etc., but we truly had a lot of fun. It surprised us. We had planned well - off season, low crowds, etc. Anyway, all that is to say, if you ever decide to try a Disney trip, it might surprise you! You might end up feeling a little "Disney Magic" whether you want to or not!!
Tressa
Really??? Is there harm in letting kids believe in the magic of a fairy tale or the enchantment of shaking hands with a princess? Teaching kids to believe in themselves and allowing them to see the magic in Disney are NOT mutually exclusive, IMHO.
I prefer natural wonders, history or something a bit educational. I would LOVE to travel the world with my kids -maybe someday!!!
I do love Disney movies and my girls have ADORED the princesses for years, but not sure I want to spend a week surrounded by it. Just seems so incredibly commercial. And I hate crowds, cement, lots of noise and music - reminds me of a child's version of Vegas (which I absolutely abhorred). Nothing wrong with it, but just not for me!
The jury is still out whether we will eventually make the trek.
My kids have never been to Disneyland, but they've been to see the Pyramids, Petra, the Taj Mahal. They don't know what it is to know what they're missing. For now.
I say give your kids an experience to remember... whatever that experience may be. My most memorable vacation was renting a motorhome and driving across the country - stopping at every single "monument" on the way from Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore to the Hoover Dam and everything in between.
P.S. Love that you took your kids skiing. It's something I dream about doing with my kids.
P.S.S. Check out the Kinderhotels in Europe. They have hotels geared solely towards families - and they have all inclusive packages that include meals, kids clubs / daycare, outdoor activities, and the like. They're AMAZING!!
This summer we're going to Taos, NM with my parents and god only knows how many other crazy relatives. A week in a house a friend owns. No big plans. No frills. Just a week with family. Is my kind of vacation.
(Although, I do love churros. Ha)
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