April 27, 2011

Disney-ed out?


Could it really be possible?

Could my boys one day not want anything to do with Disney World?

I got an email from a friend this morning who is currently visiting Disneyland in California and she said that her family is Disney-ed out. Somehow the magic is no longer there like it was the first couple of times they went with their daughters. They have not been to a Disney related property nearly as much as we have, but they have had there share over the years. My oldest son claims to have been to Disney 17 times, that includes Disney World, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris, not to mention trips on the three Disney Cruise Ships, The Magic, The Wonder, and The Dream. He is turning seven in July. You get the idea, my son is spoiled.  His life without Disney?  No way!

We go a lot because it's fun, not only for them, but for us. I look forward to the annual Food and Wine Festival every fall as much as any trip we take throughout the year. Trips to Disney can be daunting for families as it seems years are spent planning one magical vacation. Really, it is an easy trip. Granted we own too much Vacation Club, which makes planning a little easier, and my wife's family has been going there for years, but a trip to Disney should not require three ring binders full of information about where to eat, where to watch fireworks, or where to sleep. There are message boards full of people requesting information on how to visit all of Disney Parks. I can see that burning people out, all the effort put into the trip and not getting as much in return.  The idea that my kids could one day not care to go is something I can't even comprehend, although I am sure that day will come.
Tyler flexes with The Incredibles
There was a point a couple of years ago that Tyler showed zero interest in the Disney characters, and honestly it was the most depressing vacation we have ever been on. Here was a boy that LOVED the characters and whose favorite show on TV was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and he was over it. It was as if someone shoved a dagger in our hearts. We had just bought Vacation Club property, Disney's version of timeshare, and our son was telling us by the way he acted that he didn't want to go there again. It was a great investment on our part if that was the case.  Fortunately for us he got over that the next time that we went and he was back to his normal self.

My friends email this morning got me thinking about that time, and the inevitable point in our lives that Disney will no longer be the big part that it is today. My kids will grow up and start wanting to go to the park across town, Universal. Tyler has begun reading the Harry Potter books and I can see that day coming sooner rather than later. I don't know how I am going to react when Tyler no longer wants to pose with Mickey Mouse, I might just cry that night.
The family with Mickey... Carter still scared
So is it be possible that MY boys could get Disney-ed out. Sure but hopefully that day doesn't happen anytime soon.


John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

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3 comments:

  1. My daughter is 14, and we are still waiting for the time to come! We asked her before planning our trip this year where she'd like to go, and she looked at us like we had 3 heads. So far, so good!

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  2. Good to know... maybe we have some time then!

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  3. My oldest is 11 and my youngest 5 so far both love Disney. I hope the day never comes when they don't love it. We are going on our 3rd DCL cruise and 5th time to WDW in October.

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