Ideas for birthday getaway please

[hungryhippo90]

I know it’s not really an AIBU, but I live here, I’ve only strayed from AIBU once or twice and I can’t remember my way around past here...

So anyway, I’m trying to plan a getaway for DD for her Birthday.

She’s long wanted to go to NYC, I’ve spent a long time telling her that I think she should wait until she’s 12,

The thing is, we’re already away for her 12th birthday, we’re going to WDW and taking her grandparents with us, which has been planned more as a big family holiday whilst the inlaws are still able to make the trip.

It’s looking likely they’ll both need mobility scooters for that trip. Sorry I’ll get back to my point.

I’ve been thinking maybe we could go to NYC with DD this year for her birthday. Her bday is just after Christmas and i was thinking that we could go for a 3 night break or something, but there’s part of me that’s worrying that she’s too young to really appreciate it for what it is,

Are we maybe better off going somewhere else? I can’t think of anywhere else that would be as enjoyable for her.

We did DLP for her birthday last year.

DD is 11 this year, don’t know how I managed to leave that out. She’s 12 next (2019) year.

You do know it will be freezing in January right? I don’t mean a bit cold - properly perishing so plan for indoor activities or very warm clothes. Presumably she has an idea of what she wants to do in NYC but if it’s her ambition then why not if it’s affordable? She will appreciate it differently from an adult - but children take a lot of stuff for granted.

What’s DLP?

Disneyland Paris.

I'd be afraid of setting a precedent of going away for her birthday each year. These trips seem to be quite pricey and an 'experience'. If you can afford it outright and not go into debt for it then fair enough. I personally feel a bit uneasy getting a child into the habit of expecting a flash holiday as a birthday gift each year. Say if one year you can't afford it or can't go for some reason, how would she react?

If you can afford it and want to go then do, it’ll be very cold though at that time of year.

All I’d say is I was very very underwhelmed with NYC and that was as an adult after years of wanting to go. Why does she want to go there in particular? It’s quite an ‘adult’ location, might not be as fun as she thinks!

I love NYC but I think you definitely appreciate it more as an adult. Does she have to go away? As others have said it will be very very cold, -10 in New York feels much colder because of the biting wind, it’s difficult to spend prolonged periods outiside.

outside

Have you booked WDW? You can get good deals on indirect flights and do NY for a few days on the way?
Grandparents do the bits they fancy and chill at the hotel.
Your DD is very lucky- I didn’t get NY for my 40th and she’s 12!

I do agree with Tiffinbox somewhat...going away every year to big ticket destinations does seem a OTT. I’m all for adventurous travel but I’d be worried about some horrible sense of entitlement creeping in. I think to be persuaded to set foot in NYC I’d want to know particularly what she was keen to experience and know that the whole family were going to enjoy it.

Why does she need to have such a big fuss made? It's not a milestone birthday!

Ah, it seems a lot of people share my concern that it’s an older location and she may be too young, she wanted to go to broadway and see a show, she wants to go to Central Park, Times Square. There are a few food places she wants to have a visit of- she’s heard about a bakery called Milk that she would like to go to. She’s mentioned a few other things but for some reason they don’t spring to mind.

I knew it was cold but wasn’t quite expecting that cold!

It is a big trip, but because of when DDs birthday falls, a lot of people aren’t really around for a birthday party, and it’s a time we’re off of work anyway so I thought maybe we could just bring it forward as when she turns 12 we won’t be able to do that trip, not on her birthday anyway.

I did think about going indirect and having a few days break in NYC before or after Florida next year, but we got the holiday at an absolute steal for us and PILS, I wouldn’t want to lose any potential savings.

Maybe we would be spoiling her, but next year me and DH will be going away for a week over our anniversary, and I thought it made sense for her to have a break aimed solely at her wants.

It has been a long term want since she was about 7, funny really, and I did think that given a couple of years her want to go there would be diminished, but given the opportunity to go anywhere she would choose NYC.

I am scared of making her entitled

Peachy petite, I just wanted to plan something nice

Well she’s quite well researched so give her credit for that. Although I still think the weather at that time of year might hinder the plans quite a bit. NYC is a city to walk through for me ( at least in part) and I’m not sure you’re going to want to do that much. I’ve been in NYC in early Dec and we got blizzards the day after our arrival - so snow is definitely possible.

Snow is lovely in NYC though, when I went at Christmas it snowed 10 inches on the first day and looked amazing! The pavements were clear overnight and they did the ritual melting in time square. It’s the bitter cold wind that’s the problem.

Yeh but she's already got a big one for next year, you're going to make a rod for your own back and set a precedent for big holidays every birthday? Just seemed a bit OTT given how young she is.

We took DD (11) in Feb this year. We went for 3 nights and the first day is pretty much wrote off as she'll be asleep by 7pm with Jet Lag. She had wanted to go for ages and although she enjoyed it, mainly because we woke to snow the next day and we walked to Central Park with a Starbucks, due to said Jet Lag, it was 4am and this was the highlight of her trip!
She has expressed she wouldn't return, even though she enjoyed it.

If it was me, it'd take the opportunity to go to Lapland, we went a few days before Christmas a couple of years ago and it was Magical with loads to do. A whole day dedicated to a Santa workshop, met Mrs Claus, decorated cookies with her, Elf workshop, Husky Rides, Sledging, Ice Bar, as well as actually meeting what felt like the "real" Santa. Even if she doesn't believe, it's still wonderful. It gets dark so early, about 3pm so everywhere is lit up and with the lights the snow looks like glitter, it's beautiful.

Peachy, we will be in Florida for her birthday next year, but it isn’t a birthday trip IYSWIM, we were planning on going in October, but we want to get a full two weeks especially it being such a special trip with the PILs.

It’s just somewhere we will happen to be on her birthday in 2019.

The only break we have so far done for her birthday was Disneyland Paris last year.

I certainly don’t intend to be OTT or set up a rod for my own back, just wanted to do something nice, given it’s time that we have off- the only time of year we usually have guaranteed, and she’s wanted to go for a long time.

Maybe we could find somewhere else.

A party isn’t usually the right thing given the timing of her birthday, many of her friends are visiting family at the time of her birthday, we do all of the local attractions quite often, so wanted to do something a bit nice.

The cold sounds like something she would enjoy. She loves a bit of snow, loves the idea of a really cold idea, I’m not sure if I like the idea of freezer weather though!

Is it really too much?

Could maybe go Feb/March/April. Would it be a bad present to gift her that trip but take her some months after her actual birthday (so I don’t freeze?!)

Could you combine it with your Florida trip. A few years ago we stayed in NY , then got the amtrack train all the way to Orlando , spending 2 nights on the train, in a lovely cabin with butler service . Got to travel through the east coast of US , my son was 3 when we did it and still talks about it . Great memories

Toredand30- that sounds amazing truly amazing.
I had weighed it up as an option because she would love if, and still insists on believing in Santa!

Only problem being that this sort of trip generally falls just before Christmas so wouldn’t be able to gift it as a present, but I’m going to go have a look, see whether we can make it an option

Is it ok to ask which company you went with please?

Bert, I wish we could, but we’ve got our Orlando trip so cheaply I don’t really want to change them plans,
We managed to get our break including inlaws tickets, accom, flights, big fancy 7 seated car and premium villa for less than we’re paying for just the 3 of us this year.

That sounds like an amazing experience though, my husband would go mad for something like that, I wouldn’t mind it either!

Just to mention broadway shows generally seem really expensive compared to the same show in London.

Hi OP - DH and I went to NYC from 27-31st Dec a few years ago for my birthday (we’ve been numerous times so know the city well).

As well as being freezing cold, bear in mind it will be insanely busy. Lots of people do city breaks for the ‘in between Xmas and NY’ period, both Americans and foreigners. You could barely move around Times Square and there were queues for all the big attractions.

If you do go and plan to see a show, I’d recommend booking tickets in advance. We queued for over an hour for the TKTS booth in Times Square and they’d sold out for all 3 shows we’d have been prepared to see.

That said, New York is magical at Christmas - although do be advised Feb and March can be just as bad weather wise, if not worse!

Just to follow up what @MindatWork said, the times I have been in the week before Christmas we’re actually the quietest I’ve ever seen NYC so that might be a better option, cheap flights too!