A Planners Nightmare

[ELSA711]

I have worked for the same company 12+ years and have never once attended a holiday party.
I would never change my vacation to fit around a holiday event with people I work with.

I do feel for you on this one, planning and getting everything you want just to see it be all for nothing, but seriously - holiday party? for work?

 

[FSU Girl]

Oh, the challenge of re-planning everything would be so fun for me! I'm a dork.

Good luck. You'll work it out.

Want to do it for me? I kid...sort of

 

[FSU Girl]

I have worked for the same company 12+ years and have never once attended a holiday party.
I would never change my vacation to fit around a holiday event with people I work with.

I do feel for you on this one, planning and getting everything you want just to see it be all for nothing, but seriously - holiday party? for work?

My boyfriends career would be in jeopardy if he doesn't attend. I have no choice but to replan our trip.

 

[rg35]

Wow, sounds like a ****ty company to work for.

 

[FelisLachesis]

There are jobs where schmoozing and such is part of the career, and it sounds like @FSU Girl 's boyfriend is in a career like that. I used to be in one, myself.

Of course, there's nothing saying he MUST go, but the repercussions he might face by not going are probably bad enough that he MUST go, anyway, if you know what I mean.

He's free to do what he wants, but still must face the consequences of his actions.

 

[ELSA711]

My boyfriends career would be in jeopardy if he doesn't attend. I have no choice but to replan our trip.

That just stinks for you both, but as a super planner myself I would welcome a 'new trip' to plan.
Good Luck!

 

[FSU Girl]

Wow, sounds like a ****ty company to work for.

It's actually a really great job. But networking and being at events like this is part of the deal.

There are jobs where schmoozing and such is part of the career, and it sounds like @FSU Girl 's boyfriend is in a career like that. I used to be in one, myself.

Of course, there's nothing saying he MUST go, but the repercussions he might face by not going are probably bad enough that he MUST go, anyway, if you know what I mean.

He's free to do what he wants, but still must face the consequences of his actions.

Exactly. There is no one who is forcing him to attend this party, but there will be consequences if he doesn't attend. It's his choice of what to do. I'd rather he keep his job over going to Disney for a vacation.

That just stinks for you both, but as a super planner myself I would welcome a 'new trip' to plan.
Good Luck!

I love planning, it's just hard to get rid of a perfect plan and start from scratch.

 

[jsmla]

I had to move a Free Dining trip from early to late September this past May to accommodate my husband's schedule. I've been working to rebook my ADRs since then. I used the ADR finder on the Touring Plans website and so far I've been able to pick up:
Be Our Guest (breakfast) 8:20 AM
Be Our Guest (lunch) after morning EMH
Plaza Garden Dessert Party on an evening EMH night
Fantasmic Dining @ Mama Melrose
Yak and Yeti 5:45 PM (I was surprised that thus was so hard to get!)

It's taken me two months to get them but it can be done. The others (Chefs de France, Tiffins RoL Package, Jungle Skipper, etc.) were all easy to get with only small adjustments in time.

 

[FSU Girl]

I had to move a Free Dining trip from early to late September this past May to accommodate my husband's schedule. I've been working to rebook my ADRs since then. I used the ADR finder on the Touring Plans website and so far I've been able to pick up:
Be Our Guest (breakfast) 8:20 AM
Be Our Guest (lunch) after morning EMH
Plaza Garden Dessert Party on an evening EMH night
Fantasmic Dining @ Mama Melrose
Yak and Yeti 5:45 PM (I was surprised that thus was so hard to get!)

It's taken me two months to get them but it can be done. The others (Chefs de France, Tiffins RoL Package, Jungle Skipper, etc.) were all easy to get with only small adjustments in time.

I'll definitely be signing up for Touring Plans!

 

[GillianP1301]

I feel for you OP. You are a good partner to give up your vacation and re-plan for the sake of a work commitment for your boyfriend. I feel really badly that he is in a situation where it is career limiting to miss a company party, especially when it that date is confirmed after a vacation is booked, that is just really crappy.

You can do this though! Shift the weekend and start hunting down ADRs. Try the touring plans reservation finder, I am hearing a lot of success stories from that. And if all else fails and you can't get your coveted Ohana and BOG, then consider this a perfect opportunity to try someplace new, you may just find a new favourite that way.

 

[FSU Girl]

I feel for you OP. You are a good partner to give up your vacation and re-plan for the sake of a work commitment for your boyfriend. I feel really badly that he is in a situation where it is career limiting to miss a company party, especially when it that date is confirmed after a vacation is booked, that is just really crappy.

You can do this though! Shift the weekend and start hunting down ADRs. Try the touring plans reservation finder, I am hearing a lot of success stories from that. And if all else fails and you can't get your coveted Ohana and BOG, then consider this a perfect opportunity to try someplace new, you may just find a new favourite that way.

Thank you! I had really wanted our friends to experience those two restaurants since it'll be their first time so hopefully I can get at least one back. It will allow me to obsess for Disney for a while for a reason.

 

[Wojodis]

If you are able to keep the part of your trip when you have ADRS for just 2--I would not cancel. People cancel ADRS all the time, especially the days and weeks right before. I would try to modify and add 2 extra people or get another 2 person reservation for the same timeframe (sometimes they'll seat you together if logistically possible). At least this way, you have a chance of keeping what I assume is your desired plan. Also, making some backup plans wouldn't be a bad idea either. Glad to hear you're at least confident of your decision to make some changes and accepting of it--would make it harder if you were wish washy. You're right, this is just a vacation and without the job, there probably is no vacation. Wish you the best!

 

[Ceryssa]

Oh bummer! We had a similar situation with my husband's schedule one year--dates for a conference he really needed to attend came out after our trip was booked and planned perfectly. Not mandatory, but still very important. Sometimes you just have to do things like that. (On a side note, it isn't really relevant whether people feel like a holiday party is a valid reason to cancel a trip; the reality is, for your situation, it is.)

It sounds like you're a Disney pro so you probably already know, but you can find a lot of stuff last minute when people start to cancel, even the hard to get ones. I hope you're able to get everything back the way you want it. I know y'all will have a great time regardless. I love sharing the Disney magic with people who haven't been before!

 

[adelaster]

You can do it!

Depending on yr dates you might be surprised at how many people cancel last minute. Just keep checking the app/using res finders. It might not be the original plan, but I'm sure with some creativity you can make it work. Sounds like you are making a wise choice for career/relationship longterm.

 

[Minnesota!]

I had to cancel 3 vacations last year due to my husband's job/health. The job caused the health problems that cancelled it on the last one. So, I get it. It sucks. I have been holding my breath on this upcoming one - once (three times) bitten, twice shy.

Sorry you have to redo all the perfect plans; hopefully you have fun doing the new ones!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Oh, the challenge of re-planning everything would be so fun for me! I'm a dork.

Im the same way! I love planning...so this would be fun for me.

I have worked for the same company 12+ years and have never once attended a holiday party.
I would never change my vacation to fit around a holiday event with people I work with.

I do feel for you on this one, planning and getting everything you want just to see it be all for nothing, but seriously - holiday party? for work?

Yup, totally agree with you on this.

My boyfriends career would be in jeopardy if he doesn't attend. I have no choice but to replan our trip.

Im sorry but what kind of company does he work for if not attending a holiday party puts his career in jeopardy? I understand when you feel that you have to go, it would look bad if you didn't go ....but when you have a trip already planned, they should understand. And to say his job would be in jeopardy because he didn't go? Really? Wow. That's not a company i'd want to work for. Then again, i shouldnt say because im not in his shoes. I understand its difficult from his perspective.

In any case, keep trying for the ADRs you want. I wouldn't fuss with the ADR finder on the touring plans website. I think its a waste of time cause by the time you go to the disney site to make the adr, someone could easily snag it. I'd much rather keep checking the actual disney site for openings. Keep trying several times a day until you get what you want. You'll do fine. Good luck!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

We have to go to the Party, it's for my boyfriend's company and it would look bad for him if he didn't attend.

That's a shame. I'm really surprised that any company these days would place such emphasis on a holiday party!! We've routinely missed ours -- can't even imagine a consequence of any sort ensuing. Bizarre.

A HUGE pain for sure, but you can do it!! Some to you for your planning!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

A company can't make your career dependent on a Christmas party. Plenty of people don't even celebrate Christmas. I know this is a side note but I just find this offensive. I'm not saying it isn't true for you and your boyfriend OP - just really irks me.

Really? And the OP said "holiday party", btw.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I love planning, it's just hard to get rid of a perfect plan and start from scratch.

I so get it! I'm also a big planner. I always leave room for some flexibility, but if there are too many changes out of my control, it really does throw me for a loop. (I'm glad to hear you're at least driving, so the change won't be financially costly as well.)

A story to help you look on the bright side:
We just recently had a driving vacation planned that got "messed up" by my DH's work, and it turned out to be great! He was supposed to go to Portsmouth, NH, for a couple of days about a week before our trip...buuuuut, it was changed at the last minute. Sooooo we went from leaving for upstate NY on Saturday, to tagging along to Portsmouth on Thursday, and leaving from there early Sunday (...to leaving from there late Sunday...)

I was a wreck trying to get everything ready for the trip in half the time, but DS and I had a blast hanging around Portsmouth, and DH got to join us for more time than he thought. I found things to do even without my usual level of obsessive research (thank you, DIS friends!!) and it turned out to be a wonderful start to our vacation. Maybe your new dates will mean some special surprise at Disney too!

 

[FSU Girl]

I so get it! I'm also a big planner. I always leave room for some flexibility, but if there are too many changes out of my control, it really does throw me for a loop. (I'm glad to hear you're at least driving, so the change won't be financially costly as well.)

A story to help you look on the bright side:
We just recently had a driving vacation planned that got "messed up" by my DH's work, and it turned out to be great! He was supposed to go to Portsmouth, NH, for a couple of days about a week before our trip...buuuuut, it was changed at the last minute. Sooooo we went from leaving for upstate NY on Saturday, to tagging along to Portsmouth on Thursday, and leaving from there early Sunday (...to leaving from there late Sunday...)

I was a wreck trying to get everything ready for the trip in half the time, but DS and I had a blast hanging around Portsmouth, and DH got to join us for more time than he thought. I found things to do even without my usual level of obsessive research (thank you, DIS friends!!) and it turned out to be a wonderful start to our vacation. Maybe your new dates will mean some special surprise at Disney too!

I'm trying to be positive. His company goes all out for their holiday parties so it should be fun. Maybe the new dates will have less crowds or something lol. Just need to figure out what those new dates will be