When we think of Walt Disney World, we usually think of family vacations. We think of long, hot days pushing a stroller around the park and standing in lines to go on rides that feature some of our kids’ favorite characters.
Maybe we’re not being fair. We love Disney characters too. I sing “Let It Go” along with my children, so, no, we don’t go to Walt Disney World just for the sake of our children, but we never actually thought about going without them.
We visited the park multiple times before we had children. We remember going there when we were the children and later, as teenagers, going there with our friends. Somehow, since we’ve become responsible parents, we never really considered going there without our kids though. Like, is that a thing?
If word continues to spread about what Lisa DiNoto did after dropping her kids off for their first day of school, then, yes, going to Walt Disney World without kids may very well become a thing for parents. Yes, she did just that. She took her kids to school, waved goodbye, and drove 10 minutes away to Walt Disney World.
DiNoto lives local to the park, and she says in her blog that she takes her kids there all the time. She felt zero guilt going there by herself. In fact, it felt natural to her and a great way to celebrate the end of a long summer with the kids at home.
While DiNoto was at the park, she carried around a large button that read “I’m Celebrating 1st Day of School.” She didn’t just carry the button though. She handed it to multiple cast members (what Disney calls their theme park employees) and took their picture with it.
Her favorite cast member was the Fairy Godmother. She literally jumped up and down and hugged DiNoto, truly celebrating with her.
DiNoto also shares that many parents at the park stopped her to tell her that she was “life goals.” Some people seemed concerned that her kids were missing the fun, but she just kindly reassured them that she lives nearby and takes her kids there all the time.
After DiNoto skipped around the park and took advantage of some amazing photo-ops to document her day, she went home to rest and cool off (it’s hot in Florida in August!) before picking her kids up from school. Yes, she told them what she did that day, and they told her about their first day of school. It’s all good.
How did you celebrate your kids’ first day of school? Have you ever gone to Walt Disney World without your children? Are you thinking about doing so now?