To let DD's go away on their own?

[eloquentlyineffable]

DD's will be 18 & 21 next year and to celebrate their birthdays they are planning a trip to Disneyworld in Florida. They have been saving up the money all on their own and it will be their first holiday abroad by themselves without relatives to stay with.

They will both be adults however the few friends I have mentioned the trip to have said it's mad that I'd let them go so far by themselves!

Am I being unreasonable to let them have this holiday? It will be for 2 weeks and they will spend their time on Disney property, universal studios or at the mall there, and neither will be drinking alcohol at any point or visiting any kind of nightlife (they are not the kind who enjoy that)

What do you think?

Who are these friends who are horrified? Have they actually got/had teenage /early 20s children? It sounds from your post as though you were totally happy about it, till your friends sowed the seeds of doubt in your mind.

It's normal to go travelling at their age. They'll be fine!

let them go ???????

These are adults. Some people their age are married with children. Some have emigrated. Some are back-packing around the world with no regular communication with home.

Of course they should go. They will have a great time.

This week particularly I think a lot of people will be wary with going to Orlando, but last weekend's nightclub shooting will cause some people to demonise the whole country. This is what might be causing the reluctance of some of the people you have spoken to.

On the balance of probabilities, there is such a tiny likelihood of your DD's being involved will be less than 0.00001%.

They should have a great time!!

Quite difficult to actually get drink in the states. We always found the bars very c strict on id.
Also, if they wanted to go for a booze fuelled holiday it wouldn't be Florida.

Are they not a bit old to be going to Disneyworld? They're certainly too old for you to dictate whether they go on holiday.

Marmalade they're definitely not too old. I went in my 20s with my husband and loved it!

I left home and moved to London on my own at 19, can't imagine what I would have said to my mother had she suggested I wasn't mature enough to go to the US alone at 21...

I presume it's the Orlando thing? Otherwise I can't imagine what the issue is? they are adults!

At 18 I travelled around the world for several months backpacking and staying in hostels in USA, Australia, Thailand etc..no eyelids batted, surprised anyone would think a trip to Disneyland beyond capabilities of an 18 and 21 yr old.

Are they not a bit old to be going to Disneyworld?
It's not all Disney princesses and stuff for little kids! There is a lot of stuff for adults.
And yes, very hard to drink alcohol in the US if you are underage (i.e. under 21); presumably DD1 isn't going to go off by herself.

I went to NYC by myself a week before my 21st. They'll be absolutely fine.

It's not your place to "let them" so it's a non-issue. That's what I'd tell these highly strung friends.

Thank you all for your responses! At the time I laughed and found it ridiculous that I would have anything against adults going away together - sensible adults at that too! But then I wondered if I was the minority in thinking that - I now see that I am not

"Let" - they are adults.

You can't stop them & neither should you.

Sometimes when other people say something completely mad you can kind of get carried away and start thinking "well maybe it was me that was wrong all along, maybe I am in a minority", just because they sound so plausible. Rest assured, OP, that it is you and not your friends being sane and sensible here.

Thank you corythatwas my mind is at rest now! I was so surprised when my friends said I was being mad to let them, for all the reasons that people have already given in response to this thread! But I'm happy to know now that I'm not parenting badly

the few friends I have mentioned the trip to have said it's mad that I'd let them go so far by themselves!

Your friends are unhinged.