Not an adult vacation?

[cobright]

I don't normally understand why people make these comments.

Going to the same destination each year does not mean it's the same vacation.

As someone who visits the Bahamas and Caribbean fairly often including quite a few beach resort vacations, Looking at Islands from all the major groups ... It really is the same every time. Notable exception would be for someone who is an avid snorkel/scuba diver. Another notable exception is if you're young enough to go 'clubbing' Puerto Rico is a lot of fun, but I wouldn't spend money on an all inclusive resort in PR. Notable exception is Cuba, which has a surreal 'parallel' history and great people.

Otherwise, it goes like this. 5-7 days on an Island. One day visiting the historical landmarks which amount to various forts that England, France, and Spain fought over and various Mission houses Spain built. One day seeing the assorted sights of natural splendor, which amounts to some cliffs and maybe an inland lake the locals will certainly call some form of 'blue hole' and maybe a couple beaches other than the one at your resort. The rest of your trip is spent on the same beach, looking at the same water from the same three angles, drinking the same bottom shelf liquor one tiny cup at a time.

Next year, you go back to the same resort and get the same thing. There's only that much to do one one small Island. Curacao has a brothel that's notable for its historical significance and for having very cheap food and drinks (but that's all I'd buy there).

Or you go to Mexico and you don't step off the resort for even a minute.

We did an AI resort vacation...once. I almost cried with relief when 7 days were over. There was not enough liquor on that island to numb the boredom. Cannot understand how people do those year after year, but I never make fun of my friends who seem to enjoy them.

I am the same way. It's like, I can get drunk for 7 days straight at home, just watch me, and that happens without the sunburn.

To be honest, I would like the beaches better if they were indoors.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As someone who visits the Bahamas and Caribbean fairly often including quite a few beach resort vacations, Looking at Islands from all the major groups ... It really is the same every time.

Then you and I vacation way differently

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

When our children were young, I was 95% a stay at home mom with a husband who travelled a lot for work. If we went out for a dinner date, I wanted to go wherever had the least chance of kids being around. I would probably have been okay with a few days at Disney if we didnt have the kids with us, but would have wanted a kid free environment, too.

 

[cobright]

Then you and I vacation way differently

Maybe you're just happening onto better Caribbean all inclusive resorts than I am.
Here's Barbuda...

Easily my most favorite island ever. I have never not had the same, nearly identical, vacation there. I don't think it can be done. And that's not even adding an all-inclusive resort to the formula which pins you down to the resort are even more.

There just isn't more to do here than can be done in a single week or 10 days. I would say the same thing about most Caribbean islands. 90% of your vacation's waking hours are spent on or near a beach.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Maybe you're just happening onto better Caribbean all inclusive resorts than I am.
Here's Barbuda...

Easily my most favorite island ever. I have never not had the same, nearly identical, vacation there. I don't think it can be done. And that's not even adding an all-inclusive resort to the formula which pins you down to the resort are even more.

There just isn't more to do here than can be done in a single week or 10 days. I would say the same thing about most Caribbean islands. 90% of your vacation's waking hours are spent on or near a beach.

Maybe I'm just able to look at things differently. I've never been on the same trip twice despite going back to certain places (and I mean in general) more than once. Somehow I'm able to do that guess others aren't. I'll count my lucky stars that I can I guess. I'll leave it at that and say no more

 

[ozliz]

When our children were young, I was 95% a stay at home mom with a husband who travelled a lot for work. If we went out for a dinner date, I wanted to go wherever had the least chance of kids being around. I would probably have been okay with a few days at Disney if we didnt have the kids with us, but would have wanted a kid free environment, too.

Whereas because I don’t have children I often wonder whether that’s part of why I like Disney. If I had kids I’d be surrounded by that stuff and would have limits on my adult time. Without kids I can do what I want when I want so I’m never short of adult time and like getting lost in the immersive escapist bubble that is Disney.

 

[Lilsia]

Whereas because I don’t have children I often wonder whether that’s part of why I like Disney. If I had kids I’d be surrounded by that stuff and would have limits on my adult time. Without kids I can do what I want when I want so I’m never short of adult time and like getting lost in the immersive escapist bubble that is Disney.

It is definitely 2 totally different experiences. We went 4 times before we had kids, then started taking them when they were 1 & 2 years old, and annually since. My kids have grown up going to WDW and every trip was different because they were a year older. But I LOVE my solo trips. I can weave in and out of the crowds, go on whatever I want, eat when and where I want, etc. Not having to worry about anyone else is also very freeing and relaxing. My youngest will be 18 on Saturday and I look forward to adult trips with my kids. But I do miss the times when they were little and they still believed everything was real.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

So I have a friend from my time in the Navy and we have been friends since we both retired...what kills me is he will say things like, "You know... an actual adult vacation," or something like, "This is where adults go on vacation, doing adults things..." etc...I know he thinks he is being funny because he knows we choose Disney and have always chosen Disney.

As a fully-functioning adult, I do not allow any friends to put me down that way. I recommend you talk with this person and let him know that it isn't funny to you, because of course, as he well knows, you are a mature adult, and it's insulting to be described otherwise.

If he doesn't stop the put-downs, I'd drop the friend. Really. This is like a very common type of letter to Dear Abby, where the letter writer says, "I have a great friend/spouse/bf/gf who keeps putting me down. What do I do?" The answer is to set boundaries against being verbally disrespected, and if they continue to be violated, to walk away from the relationship, which isn't a great one if you're treated poorly.

Sorry if this isn't the answer you were looking for, but this isn't really about Disney vacations, it's about standing up for yourself and being treated with respect. Hopefully it's just a lapse on your friend's part, and when it's pointed out to him that it's unfunny and disrespectful, he will stop. If he doesn't, that tells you everything you need to know to solve to problem by walking away.

 

[VandVsmama]

So I have a friend from my time in the Navy and we have been friends since we both retired. We live nowhere near each other, but communicate weekly in email.

This week he and his wife are off to an all-inclusive Caribbean type vacation. They do this every other year in February. They are both out there this year and enjoying the vacation. But what kills me is he will say things like, "You know... an actual adult vacation," or something like, "This is where adults go on vacation, doing adults things..." etc.

I know he thinks he is being funny because he knows we choose Disney and have always chosen Disney. Even before kids my wife and I went three times, just the two of us, in between my deployment schedules. Today we continue to go to Disney now with family and to be honest, if fates would have it and we could go on a vacation alone, leaving the kids at home... we'd go to Disney today.

Just bugs me when I hear it.

Your friend may think he's just joking and mildly pulling your leg, but since it's bugging you, then that makes it not cool.

So you have a few different options on how to handle it:

• ignore his comments
• when he brags about his 'adult' vacations, find a way to poke fun like he's poking fun at you. Essentially, give him a taste of his own medicine. Something like "Oh, so you mean, like, sit around on the beach and drink all day? Pssh, talk about boring. Haha!"
• be direct. Something tells me, though, that this will result in more teasing, not less.
• when he says something like "oh, you're going to Disney AGAIN?!" you can say something like, "Like you go to the exact same place very year and basically lay around the entire time pretending to do adult things?"
• Respond in a very nonchalant way. Like "Huh, why are we going to Disney again? Because we enjoy it. How come you go to _beach_place_ every year?"

Your friend sounds like he's a bit of a butthead about this topic.

 

[Lucifer12]

Want to jab back him?

 

[My Grandpa]

Look on the sunny side .... if EVERYONE loved the World the way we do ..... there'd be no space to squeeze into at the parks.

 

[Lilsia]

Look on the sunny side .... if EVERYONE loved the World the way we do ..... there'd be no space to squeeze into at the parks.

Great point. I don't even try to convince anyone to like WDW anymore. It is way too crowded as it is. My new strategy is to tell everyone how horrible it is now and then say that I am vacationing somewhere else.

 

[disneyseniors]

Orion - we are a 60+ couple going to WDW next week, and yeah, family members think we're nuts. We're going to see Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, walk around Epcot, going to some nice dinners, have drinks, watch shows and fireworks, explore all the attractions that are new since our last trip. yes, some friends and family think it's weird, but I don't care. Our kids are grown up and we don't have to schedule it around what they want to do, so It actually IS an "adult vacation." Drinking, eating, but no "lounging on the beach" because that sounds boring. (also, I burn too easily!)
My reaction to your friend is - going to a Caribbean all-inclusive resort is, to me, taking the SAME vacation every year. WDW is constantly evolving, there is something new each time we go, so it is never the same.

Very well said, you "youngsters" LOL. My husband is 73 and I am 70 and we go every year. Our friends and family just know that we love it, and just accept it. I agree with all you said. I get bored at the beach after a half hour of sitting there in the sun, too. We like to be active and see new things at Disney, and experience the "old" experiences. Having someone else do the cooking is icing on the cake to me So, we will keep going until we get "old".

 

[tguz]

We think it is an adult vacation. We have been the last 3 Summers. The first Summer we took my son, the second Summer, just my girlfriend at the time (now Fiancee) went by ourselves and last Summer we took my son again. All three vacations were wonderful. It is a vacation for kids and adults alike.

 

[sheilafri]

Orion - we are a 60+ couple going to WDW next week, and yeah, family members think we're nuts. We're going to see Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, walk around Epcot, going to some nice dinners, have drinks, watch shows and fireworks, explore all the attractions that are new since our last trip. yes, some friends and family think it's weird, but I don't care. Our kids are grown up and we don't have to schedule it around what they want to do, so It actually IS an "adult vacation." Drinking, eating, but no "lounging on the beach" because that sounds boring. (also, I burn too easily!)
My reaction to your friend is - going to a Caribbean all-inclusive resort is, to me, taking the SAME vacation every year. WDW is constantly evolving, there is something new each time we go, so it is never the same.

Also 60+ couple, AP holders. We know we are blessed and take a variety of vacations—national parks, European cities and, yes, WDW! To each his own is most appropriate when it comes to vacations. We currently enjoy that we are active and mainly outdoors on a Disney trip. We people watch and remember previous trips with our children. We take childlike pleasure in the little things. We are sometimes surprised at finding other adults who also like to visit the Mouse, but from our people-watching we know there are a lot of us.

 

[dvcterry]

Look on the sunny side .... if EVERYONE loved the World the way we do ..... there'd be no space to squeeze into at the parks.

If I could do quarantine over again, I would plop myself down in WDW for 14 days. All day. Everyday. For me. With the kids, they're grown, all alone, sure. You can't go too long without O'hana. Pixie Dust.

 

[cobenz]

I'm 27. I've been to Spain, New Zealand, all over the US, and on multiple cruises. If given the choice I will ALWAYS choose Disney. The experience is so immersive. The food is beyond amazing (hello Morimoto duck ramen). And it all just makes you feel like you're home. Don't feel bad. All of us on this site are in the same boat as you

 

[LifeTheDisneyWay14]

Maybe I'm just able to look at things differently. I've never been on the same trip twice despite going back to certain places (and I mean in general) more than once. Somehow I'm able to do that guess others aren't. I'll count my lucky stars that I can I guess. I'll leave it at that and say no more

I agree with this! It's like rewatching a movie or rereading a book - it's a slightly different experience every time, because you're a slightly different person each time.

... this, from someone who's seen Onward, Inside Out, and Monsters University upwards of twenty times each.

 

[bakerworld]

I had a coworker who once said, "When my kids go to Disney, I'm gonna ask you how they should do it." I replied, "I wouldn't have much advise for anyone under the age of 21." She just looked confused. Had another coworker who said his 9y really wanted to go to WDW but the rest didn't so I told him not to go because he'd just ruin it for her - got another surprised look. My Chiropractor said he likes WDW but waiting for everyone was a pain so I told him we try not to go with family, which is true.

Years ago I started saying 'We're going to Florida." Best part of WDW is not having to drive and it's clean - no homeless, panhandlers, loose animals and sand immersion is optional. I think that right there takes care of the glamour of the Caribbean versus WDW.

 

[Cruz85]

Honestly, your friend doesn’t sound that nice. Either he thinks you two have the kind of relationship where you pick at each other about things and doesn’t think this will bother you or he’s intentionally picking at you. If it’s the first, then saying something should help. “Listen friend, I know Disney isn’t your type of vacation but it is my type of vacation and I enjoy it. That’s why we keep going back. Just like why you keep going back to your all inclusive. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of adults go every year and have a blast, so it’s not like I’m unique. Please stop implying I’m not a real adult for enjoying Disney or that I’ll grow out of it.” If he really cares about your feelings and friendship, that should get him to back off about it. If not, then he’s not really that nice of a person and I’d question whether or not he’s that good of a friend if he’s going to judge and put down your choice of vacation spot every time you announce a trip.

Personally, I do like to relax and read and hang out with my husband but I love that Disney has the option to go do fun things or relax by the pool. We’re not relay drinkers so going somewhere where all there is to do is drink and sit by the pool and get sunburnt isn’t that pleasant to me. Lol I think people really don’t realize how much food (and drinking, if you want it) is at Disney, and how many fun rides and shows and other interesting things there are to do at Disney. It’s one thing to ask someone why they like Disney so much or what all there is to do there as an adult but it’s rude to act like you’re childish for enjoying going there.