Why do people bring kids to Diseny World?

I think the appeal of taking someone to Disney World is very different than the appeal of going to Disney World, if that makes sense. For example, when we went to WDW with my mom it was a very different time than we usually had. We did stuff we haven't done in forever, we were always go-go-going (my mom's not really into 'lazing' as much as we are) and we didn't ride a lot of my favorite rides as much as we usually would.

The fun in this case came from seeing someone experience all the things I've enjoyed for the first time. It's fun to see someone see Muppet Vision 3d for the first time, even though you probably don't even go and see it every time. I didn't find it nearly as relaxing, but it was fun in a different way.

Once you have kids, you will understand.

The looks on their faces when they see the Castle for the first time. the excitement in meeting the characters, and seeing the smiles on their faces watching Illuminations. These are all memories that you will remember for the rest of your life.

From my perspective, sharing WDW with my kids is much more enjoyable than going without them.

I did wait until they were at least 5 before taking them for the first time so I have avoided a lot of issues that some people face when taking 2 and 3 year olds.

I can see both sides of it, but I think that's because they're actually two different vacations: one can be planned to appeal to adults, and one can be planned to appeal to kids. You just have to know what outcome you're after and not necessarily try to mix the two.

I've spoken to lots of folks who are smart enough to plan very low-key Disney trips with their kids. They spend lots of time at the hotel pool (since that's the kids' favorite thing about Disney World anyway ), book ADRs at a couple of character meals, and simply enjoy riding Dumbo and Triceratops Spin with their kids and watching them play endlessly in the "play areas" of the parks. Kids don't know "how much this is costing" and couldn't care less about getting the "best value on the dining plan." They want to see Mickey or Cinderella, slide down the big slide at the pool, and eat candy. And that's the perfect trip for them.

If you're planning for adults, it's a completely different story. That's when you actually start strategizing how to get on ALL your favorite rides without long waits, how to get into your favorite restaurants, how to maximize your dollar, etc. There's a lot more that can go wrong...

No, but I am going to Mousefest solo this year so we'll see how that goes. I'll have plenty of alone time.

My kids are truly great kids and we don't get major behavior issues at WDW so my opinion may differ from other parents.

Have you ever brought your kids to any of the meets?

I brought my daughter to Mousefest last year when she was nine and she loved it. I am not bringing her this year as we just went about a month ago so don't want to pull her out of school again.

Also, I want to try it solo to meet some of the people that I chat with online. I couldn't do that last year with her.

Man it must be a hard sell to tell your kids you're going to WDW without them.

We've done DW alone, with our own kids, and with grandchildren. Several points of reflection: Kids that will sleep in a stroller works. Any month other than July-August-September is better. The 8-12 ages are the very best...usually no temper fits or severe attitude yet. Go swimming in the middle of the day! Couples alone tremendous. Doing DW at night always works for those school aged and above.

I think the DMouse is secretly agreeing that couples sans kids is the way to go!