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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think F off it’s my business if I take my kids to…

566 replies

Disneydisneydisneydisney · 23/04/2023 12:40

Walt Disney world florida.

kids will be both under 5, booked our first family to WDW florida and I’m incredibly excited as can’t wait to go and we got a great deal price wise BUT the reaction is not what I’ve been expecting.

in the travel agent on booking, older woman overheard and felt the need to say it’s absolutely silly taking children that young… I was taken aback

then at work chatting about upcoming holidays met with such reactions as ‘fucking idiots’ and selfish and more money than sense . My boss actually had to sort of intervene because the conversation felt quite heated and aggressive… since when did this become a thing? Why are people so against taking young children to Disney?

totally fine if it’s not your scene but it’s mine and kids under 3 are free so you don’t pay, mine have been to euro Disney twice and loved it . I don’t get this attitude

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 23/04/2023 13:07

It wouldn’t have been my choice but it’s yours, and it’s absolutely nobody else’s business.
Did your colleagues really say “fucking idiots” and call you selfish in front of you? That’s bang out of order and your boss should have done more than “sort of intervene”. Are they normally that abusive?
What on earth is selfish about taking your kids on a holiday anyway? Do they think you should give all your money to charity instead of spending on holidays?!

Hintofreality · 23/04/2023 13:08

Maybe they are speaking from experience, having been, and knowing how shit it will be with small children, all the queuing and the heat.

Mortimercat · 23/04/2023 13:08

I have been a few times and will be going again later this year. If you intend to go again then it is fine to take under 5s, if you were thinking of it as a one off, then I think it is good advice to wait until they are older. I think the very little ones often look absolutely exhausted and don’t seem to enjoy it that much.

Your colleagues do seem to have had disproportionate responses to somebody else’s holiday plans, but I honestly don’t think it is anything to do with jealousy, I can’t see what there is to be jealous about.

3WildOnes · 23/04/2023 13:09

Disneydisneydisneydisney · 23/04/2023 12:58

That’s how I think too, because otherwise you might as well just sit home

Show quote history

Exactly! I've do e lots if fun things with my little ones. I don't care if they remember it or not. They are enjoying themselves at the time and that's what matters!

ZenNudist · 23/04/2023 13:09

I suppose they are jealous.

Can you afford to go multiple times?

There's a sweet spot for doing disney young and you aren't in it yet. 6 or7 is a good age to do it where you get the benefit of the "young" things (character dining, meeting the characters). Can't see that the rides are worth it at that age and getting in "free" hahaha, good one. The reason it's free is because the adult costs are steep and the kids aren't getting the benefit.

If you enjoy it then crack on but it's a bit punishing as holidays go. We had a fab time with 8 and 11yo and my now 9yo really wants to go back when he can actually go on the good rides at universal.

Dh family are disney mad and want to go back sooner but we want to go to Japan and some European theme parks before we drop another fortune at universal.

Justalittlebitduckling · 23/04/2023 13:10

It’s always been this way. My parents took us to Disney world in the 1980s and someone at my. Mum’s work scared the living daylights out of her by telling her it was full of paedophiles, all the character actors were paedophiles, some horror story about both children being kidnapped there by different people etc.

Conkersinautumn · 23/04/2023 13:10

Disney not appealing to most people I know, but they're a very popular billions of pound money making enterprise so you're hardly in a minority group. I'd let it go 😉

IhearyouClemFandango · 23/04/2023 13:10

Easterfunbun · 23/04/2023 12:42

Up to you. Sure you’ll have fun but don’t expect them to remember it. I think that’s why people do Florida, to create memories but if you have the money to go again then who cares 🤷‍♀️.

Surely we don't do things just for memories? Kids can enjoy things at the time without remembering as an adult and that is valid too.

Americano75 · 23/04/2023 13:10

Took my eldest when she was 4, it was brilliant.

Fuck them, jealous cunts.

Original poster
Disneydisneydisneydisney · 23/04/2023 13:10

FictionalCharacter · 23/04/2023 13:07

It wouldn’t have been my choice but it’s yours, and it’s absolutely nobody else’s business.
Did your colleagues really say “fucking idiots” and call you selfish in front of you? That’s bang out of order and your boss should have done more than “sort of intervene”. Are they normally that abusive?
What on earth is selfish about taking your kids on a holiday anyway? Do they think you should give all your money to charity instead of spending on holidays?!

the fucking idiots was said with a laugh so it was ‘banter’ and I took the selfish thing as going more for us than the children, but it’s for all of us, we’re allowed enjoyment too. We’ll only really do the rides that they like and we’re staying in one of the extra extra child friendly theme hotels. Plus parents are allows enjoyment too

OP posts:
dontgobaconmyheart · 23/04/2023 13:10

I'm not sure it does solicit strong opinions, does it? I can't say I'm interested at all in where anyone I know takes their kids, be that for the day or for a holiday.

Someone made a bit of a comment that you weren't intended to hear which raised a reasonable point that the children are probably too young to remember anything much about it or make the most out of it - given it's a very expensive holiday.

Doesn't mean they'll not get anything out of it, doesn't mean you won't enjoy the holiday, your money is your own to do with what you want so why care.

IhearyouClemFandango · 23/04/2023 13:10

By that token no-one would do anything with young kids as they might not remember

Mortimercat · 23/04/2023 13:10

Restforabit · 23/04/2023 12:51

Do we only do nice things for children post eight or nine, so they’ll remember it? Hmm

Mine is two. This year we’re going to wales, have seen Acorn Wood Live, are going to see In the Night Garden live, he costs nearly £60 a month swimming … he won’t remember so I don’t bother? Confused

Not just so they remember it, but because they will get more out of it, be able to go on more things and because it is very hot and tiring and an 8 year old might cope better.

Conkersinautumn · 23/04/2023 13:11

I'd definitely explore a complaint at work - that isn't banter, it's fucking rude

Backtobed · 23/04/2023 13:11

Who gives a shit if they remember it in 20 years time? If they enjoy it whilst they're there it's worth it. By that logic there's no point in them leaving the house at all.

I can't remember half the stuff I've done in my life, doesn't mean I shouldn't have ever gone anywhere.

honeylulu · 23/04/2023 13:11

I've noticed people are odd and judgy about Disney, more so than other holidays. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's seen as a bit chavvy (not my view, I've been twice and loved it). Maybe because it's expensive (jealously?) Maybe because it's seen as a "sheeple" rite of passage thing by a lot of people and others disapprove. I was discussing holidays with my daughter's best friend's mum recently and I mentioned probably booking Disney for next year (youngest has never been) and she rolled her eyes and muttered something like "you don't have to go because everyone else does". I shut up about it but later in the conversation she said they had booked a couple of years ago and then cancelled after a trip to legoland when their daughter found she was terrified of rollercoasters. So I think it was some sort of envy/disappointment going on.

I agree with you that the kids will still enjoy and get a lot out of it even if they don't remember it. Though when we first took our son we deliberately waited until he was tall enough to go on all the rides, selfishly because that's what we wanted to do too!

TheYearOfSmallThings · 23/04/2023 13:12

It's weird that multiple people have commented on what is an absolutely typical holiday for a family with young children. More sensible than taking them on a sophisticated city break or tranquil beach resort.

Original poster
Disneydisneydisneydisney · 23/04/2023 13:12

Hintofreality · 23/04/2023 13:08

Maybe they are speaking from experience, having been, and knowing how shit it will be with small children, all the queuing and the heat.

We’ve been euro Disney twice and they were absolutely fine with waiting in line in the heat, it was 30 degrees in Paris

OP posts:
Poppins2016 · 23/04/2023 13:13

23mum · 23/04/2023 12:50

Lol, this was also my initial thought. Jealousy

Show quote history

Or, possibly, from a different perspective... badly expressed defensiveness/irritation at not being able to read the room...

DH and I have high earning friends who recently went and made a big deal of telling us how outrageous the costs were as though it was a drop in the ocean for them. They probably spent 5 figures on going. I love that they enjoyed themselves and I certainly don't begrudge it (everyone deserves a holiday) but I don't love the "look at us, we can splash all this money around" attitude. We're in the middle of a cost of living crisis, a lot of people sre struggling to pay the bills, let alone go on holiday.

But... there's no reason to be rude. I personally think my friends do have more money than sense in that it's a huge amount of money (especially to me!) for an experience that their children won't remember long term. However, it's their money, their life and I've not passed comment except to say I hoped they'd enjoy themselves.

PippaF2 · 23/04/2023 13:14

Doesn't really matter if they remember it or not.

You'll remember it. There's a magic to a 4yr old seeing Disney characters and actually believing they are the 'real Daffy Duck' vs an 8yr old who obviously won't.

If you can only afford to do Disney once - then yeah alot of people will wait till kids are older. But again families with 3 kids don't always have the option to get all the ages right.

The fact your boss had to step in.....jeez, where the heck do you work?

JudgeJ · 23/04/2023 13:14

DemonicCaveMaggot · 23/04/2023 12:53

I took my children to Disneyland several times when they were three and five including at Christmas because we lived about an hours drive away and DH's work gave each of their employees two tickets every year. We had a great time but the only thing they remember is going on the Alice in Wonderland ride, it broke down and we had to walk through the behind the scenes to get out. You will enjoy it and so will they, but they probably aren't going to remember it.

Isn't that typical, the only memory is of the ride breaking down and walking through the hidden bits, like a school trip where Who was sick on the bus is the greatest memory!
Is Disneyworld back to normal now or are there still restrictions and loads of ticketing needed?

StephanieSuperpowers · 23/04/2023 13:15

My attitude was always that they may not remember things but they are capable of enjoying them and that's enough.

Itsaboutdamntime899 · 23/04/2023 13:15

Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one 😆

lingmerth · 23/04/2023 13:15

People shouldn't be so rude but that's my opinion too! However you have the money to do it again so it doesn't really apply to you. Many families might only get to do it once and therefore children being older and able to appreciate it is also a reasonable point of view.

bellswithwhistles · 23/04/2023 13:15

Complete and utter waste of money - but it's your money you're wasting, not mine!

Bizarre comments from your colleagues though. Is there a a backstory ? ( have you been moaning about the cost of living etc - that would be my guess)