Would you shorten your WDW trip for a retirement party?

[MrsDuck]

I wouldn't shorten my trip.

 

[richmo]

I'd stick with the vacation plans. Get together afterwards. As another poster put it, the party is similar to a wedding...you'd get very little "private time" with the retiree.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would not shorten the trip for many of the reasons already mentioned.

 

[skyblue17]

If it's just a day and the plans are easily changeable, as they seem to be, I'd at least consider shortening it. At the same time, you are certainly under no obligation to and shouldn't feel guilty if you don't. It's not like you won't have the opportunity to see them upon your return. And a good question to ask yourself is what you think THEY would want? I'm sure they'd be happy to see you but would they be like "what the heck, I thought you were in Florida?! Why are you even here?!" about it?

 

[AndreaDM]

I wouldn't and didn't for my ex-H's aunt. His mom tried to pressure us to leave our beach house in NC and drive to NY for the party when we live in Ohio. I too always felt like retirement parties are thrown by the company you retired from and your boss, co-workers and immediate family members were invited. I just went to one for one of my board members who retired from a bank. The party was at the bank with work colleagues, clients and his wife, siblings, kids and grand-kids.

If you are really good friends with them, I see nothing wrong with treating them to a nice dinner out or even inviting them over to your house for a dinner and celebratory drinks. You will get to actually spend time with them that way instead of being one of a hundred at the party.

 

[aprilgail]

The only way I would shorten the trip is if it was MY retirement party- I had a retirement party and I would have been very mad if someone shortened their trip just to attend it! A vacation is way more important than attending a retirement party.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

I would not shorten my trip. We recently drove six hours to a retirement party for someone that we love very much. To be honest, I felt it was a waste. And we should have thought it out better.

The guest of honor was so overwhelmed by trying to spend a little time with everyone. And we got to talk to him for about 7 minutes. That's it. Of course, he really wanted to be with his beloved co-workers the most. And who could blame him?

If I could do it again, I would have planned a nice dinner out (our treat) on a different weekend to sit and talk and celebrate this milestone.

I will say, I would never want a retirement party. Really, who cares? I would feel weird having people celebrate me because I am done working. Everyone is different. When I retire, I want to sit with a small group of my work friends, have some drinks, and talk about old times. That's it.

 

[mumto3girls]

I would do whatever I most wanted to do. For me, that would most likely mean not shortening my vacation and I would skip the party. There are very few people whose retirement party would mean more to me than a day of vacation. However, I tend to love vacation, take very few of them at this stage of life, and generally feel uncomfortable at large social events. I would much prefer to socialize more one on one or in small groups and like others have mentioned, the guest of honor will likely not have much time to spend with you personally. Sounds like more fun to me to celebrate with them another time over drinks/dinner.

That all being said, it seems like you want WANT to go to the party. Nothing wrong with that and it doesn’t seem like you’ll lose anything financially, so go to the party and enjoy it.

 

[cabanafrau]

Have you got any idea how the retiree feels about the party? Are his children throwing the party because they know he really wants to have a party to celebrate the occasion? If I were in your shoes that is information I'd probably take into consideration. It doesn't necessarily mean it would dictate my decision either way, but it is probably something I would factor into my thinking.

 

[aprilgail]

When I retire, I want to sit with a small group of my work friends, have some drinks, and talk about old times. That's it.

I was celebrating never having to see most of those people I worked again with at my retirement party- sure didn't want them there LOL. I worked there 30 years- 25 of them were great, the last 5 a whole new group of people started working there-young ones that thought everything should revolve around them and made the whole place miserable for everyone- my 3 best friends at work all died young in those 5 years so it was basically me and all these new people so it sucked. My retirement party was celebrating not having to see most of them ever again LOL.

 

[Minnesota!]

Can you leave from home a day earlier so the vacation is the same length?

Honestly, if I COULD change things, for free, and still make the party, I would.

 

[soccerdad72]

Personally? No, I don't think I would. But to each their own.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I think it all depends on the person. I hate giving up any of my vacation regardless of the destination, but if I'm very close with a person, the quality of that long-term relationship might come before a vacation.

 

[Miffy]

I wouldn't shorten a WDW trip for my DH's retirement party--and he knows that!

 

[Kitty 34]

My BFF just retired at the end of this summer. I had no trip planned; she had no retirement party so all was good. I did send her a special card tho.

 

[pearlieq]

For a friend or family member I'd just send a card and then take them out to dinner later to celebrate.

I would only shorten the trip for a very close professional contact like a beloved boss, mentor, or decades-long comrade in arms. In that case I was actually part of their work family over the years and it would feel important to go.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I wouldn't shorten my trip. Anytime someone plans a big milestone event, whether it is a retirement party, wedding, 50th birthday party, etc, there is always the expectation that a few people won't be able to come. I'm sure your friend won't think anything about it.

 

[Dancind]

I kind of snuck out when I retired, didn't want the cake party or anything. May have gone out to dinner with my family, I don't remember.

My take is retiring is it's own reward. Who needs a party? I'd stay in WDW, and send a message wishing my friend all the best.

 

[design_mom]

It depends. Two summers ago, we shortened our vacation by a day to make it home in time for a family wedding. The vacation was planned before we heard the dates of the wedding, but we could change it with little financial penalty. If it had cost us a lot (other than having one day less of vacation), I probably would have said "I'm sorry, it's already booked." But since we could change, we did... and I don't regret it.

It sounds like you want to go to the party -- and it wouldn't cost you a lot of money, and you wouldn't have to cancel your vacation to do it -- so I probably would. However, if you choose not to, I think that would be understandable, too.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I don't think it's necessary but it sounds like you want to go to the party and since it wouldn't cost you anything to change the flights, change it up.

One of my friends came back from vacation a day early to attend our wedding and it always meant the world to me.