Asking the in-laws to go to WDW.

[baileybrad]

To watch your 2 year old child enjoy WDW. My in-laws don't even care for Disney but still talk about the pleasure they got from watching our 15 month old and their 1st grandchild enjoy the magic of Disney.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We brought my husband's parents with us on our first DVC trip (2 bedroom at OKW). I was surprised that my FIL had such a great time. I knew my MIL would, but I never expected he would enjoy it so much. We had a great time. They got to play golf with their son at Buena Vista as well.

 

[Dean]

If things aren't going well, you can always take them over to Westgate and drop them off for the timeshare tour, you might not see them for days. LOL.

We've taken family on similar trips several times. I just spellout the rules up front and tell everyone if the rules aren't ok, DON'T GO.

 

[MikeJ]

My parents live halfway across the country and as such we only see them a couple of times a year. They alternate between our place and my sister's every other Christmas, so for this year we thought we'd do Christmas at WDW. My parents are still relatively young (in their mid-60s) but my dad has had a number of heart-related problems recently and you never truly know how long you have left. Our kids are 12 & 10 and it won't be much longer until it'll be harder to get them to want to participate in family activities as well, so we have a very narrow window of opportunity here. We don't want to be looking back later on saying "I wish we'd done that."

We have the same problem as Lisa F. - we bought last year but have told very few family members. We're staying in a 2BR at BWV. My mother keeps wanting to know when she should send a cheque to cover their portion of the room costs and I keep telling her "we haven't had to spend anything, yet" which is sorta true. I just hope she doesn't look up the rack rates for a 2BR at BW over Christmas - they'll both have heart attacks! At some point we're going to have to break down and tell them that we bought a timeshare ("You did what? You still have a mortgage on the house!!") but I'm holding off on that as long as possible.

- Mike

 

[KangaT]

DH and I have been to WDW 4 times - only once without our DS's and his folks. It was a wonderful vacation each time.

I think the most important thing is to remember to discuss with all the adults what your expectations for the trip are. I worked out a full schedule for our last trip this May - which parks, what parts of the day, where to eat. Even made a bunch of PS's as early as I could.

I later found out that both DH and MIL were very concerned that I was going to be rigid about that schedule. I'd made it to keep us from standing around trying to figure out what to do next and to avoid the worst crowds. And the PS's kept us from having to wait for hours to get a seat at a decent (read that "non-fast food") restaurant. They both relaxed after our first day - when we made an unscheduled trip to Epcot and ended up having dinner at our 2nd choice restaurant there.

Don't forget to take into account any limitations their age/health may impose. When my FIL was still alive, he and MIL often split from us in the evenings. They'd return to the hotel, or just take the same park at a much more leisurely pace. Without him, MIL stayed with us all day each day of our last trip.

Despite the fact that our oldest is only 10, DH and I are already planning trips to WDW with the grandkids. We know from our own experiences, those multi-generational trips can be some of the most precious memories you'll have.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Thanks for all the great responses.

pentex - I will stay at my home resort, VWL, and if we go long enough, possibly a few nights at BWV.

Lisa F and MikeJ - I plan to tell my in-laws about DVC when we ask them to go with us.

Now I have to figure out when to ask. I probably won't be for a few weeks.

 

[spruce]

I always wanted to share the magic I feel at Disney with my parents. They had day tripped it but that really didn't give them the flavor we all know about.
I got to take my Mom and she really liked things she and Dad had never seen before but were always right there to see. Dad couldn't go because he passed away before we could make the trip happen....spruce

 

[KCritter]

Dean - I noticed you talked about rules for your trips

I just spellout the rules up front and tell everyone if
the rules aren't ok, DON'T GO.

I'm curious, what are your rules? We're taking my husband's family (all adults, no kids) with us for the first time this year and I'd like to avoid possible pitfalls.

I'm thinking the number 1 rule is: We don't have to do everything together. It's OK if we want to get away from each other for a little bit, or if we just want to do different things.

 

[rserp]

Ask your in-laws to go with you!!! Last year my parents came with us on the land & sea vacation and to this day they are still talking about the cruise and disney. In fact they were upset this year that I didn't ask them to come home this year.

Go for it, they will have a ball!!!!

 

[Dean]

Rules

1. We don't wait on you and you don't wait on us.
2. There will be alcoholic beverages
3. We get the master BR.
   [/list=1] That was essentially it. The BR was obviously a little levity. The other 2 were important. You'd have to know my mom to understand plus my brother is a minister. My BIL was ecstatic about the rules as he knows what could happen under certain situations.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

In 1996 when my son was 4 we were suppose to go to Disney with my in-laws but my FIL got very sick with cancer. She has made it to Disney with her 2 other sons families and her daughters family. She enjoys seeing her grandchildren experience Disney. This Oct (now that my son is 9) is our first time with my MIL. I think she will keep up with me better than my husband. I did go camping with her in Aug as a pretrial. This Oct will be my MILs first time staying onsite and our first time in a deluxe. And just today my MIL booked me in her room with her for a Norwegian cruise in Dec for 4 nights. My mother on the other hand doesnt know about any of this. She would be very jealous that I get along better with my MIL.

 

[valeriekc]

Last year we asked my MIL to join us on our annual trip. She chose to visit the last 4 days of our trip. We were all a little worried about how it would work out, but with a 2 bedroom at the Boardwalk we had plenty of space. Her only complaint was that she wasn't there for the entire trip. We all had a fabulous time! What could be better than experiencing Disney through the eyes of a child!

 

[WorknFires]

I don't have kids so I can't really help you with the grandparents/grandkids thing. However, DH and I bought into DVC for the express purpose of being able to afford 2 bedroom villas to take our inlaws. This year is my mom's turn. Only 40 more days to go. She's so excited (it's her 1st trip to WDW and we're going on the Disney Wonder cruise to the Bahamas so it's also her 1st cruise and 1st trip out of the country) I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be able to do this for her. Next year we're taking my MIL & FIL and also my mom. MIL & FIL will spend the week doing WDW with us and then they will take the 7 day Disney Magic cruise by themselves to get away from it all.

I think who ever said that you should be glad and honored that your family WANTS to include you in their vacations... you must be really special to be included and it's obvious that you're not "what they are trying to get away from".

And a special note to Granny: you're right! My grandmother tells me constantly (because I call or see her every day) how much she wishes my other cousins would call her or come to see her and how lonely she is... but by the same token, when I try to include her, even if it's just riding with me while I run errands, she doesn't want to go.

So Grandparents... unless you are REALLY physically impaired (and they make electric carts remember) you should make the effort to spend as much time with your children and grandchildren as you can... or don't complain when they are going and doing and YOU'RE not...

Cheryl

 

[SamanthaL]

I don't know if this suggestion was mentioned already, but maybe you could talk them into going by telling them they would be doing you a favor. You have one little and one on the way and the more adults that are around to help out the better. Let them know that not all the rides are good for little ones and with four adults two could take turns with the little one while two ride. No one would have to ride alone. You could also suggest that this arrangement would give them some alone time with their grandchild, while giving you some alone time with each other. Sometimes the best route to go with parents is to let them know you need them. Keep us posted on their response

 

[WorknFires]

Samantha, I think you've hit on the best reason of all! That's absolutely perfect and you're right... everyone wants to be needed (because of course they are we just forget to say it often enough), especially as we get older and people are less dependant on them.

Cheryl

 

[SamanthaL]

POOH and PIGLET
How did it go? Did you ask? What did they say?

 

[wdwnutze]

I always go to WDW with my mother. She loves going and spending time with her grandchildren. Everytime my kids have gone, she has gone with us. (my dh is not big on wdw and only goes occassionally). She goes to be with the grandchildren and for the beauty and atmosphere of the parks. When my dh goes, she gets her own room and lets the grandkids have sleepovers. My kids will have lifelong memories of spending time with their Nanny at WDW. If you were to ask my mother, she would say, "Go for it!"

 

[lmmmdtmlem]

My parents are going along with us and I think they are about as excited as the kids are! They haven't been there since they took my sisters and I when we were quite young - a very long time ago, when there was only one park! An added benefit has turned out to be that we can get the senior discount on our room at Hifs. You can get up to two(maybe three, I'm not sure right now) rooms at their senior rate. Our rate would have been $129 per night in November and now it is $89 per night because my parents are in their sixties. As the age increases, so does the discount. So, they are really helping us out by going along. We're also splitting the cost of the rental car which really helps too.

 

[truescorp]

We are going on a kind of spur of the moment trip Oct 7-14. We just confirmed today, but have thrown out a couple of weeks ago to the inlaws-my husband's parents, that we would love for them to go. They never said anything else about it, which usually indicates that they wont do something. My husband is going to do the hard sell now, because we have a 3br condo at Cypress Point that looks amazing on the web, and we really want to share that with them.
The problem is my mother in law is taking care of her 91yr old mother right now daily, and although she has brothers and sisters who could help, she feels as though someone has to be there everyminute. She rarely has time to herself, loves spending time with the grandkids, is a retired teacher and full of enthusiasm for all things "kid related", so she would be a perfect Disney guest, dont you think? Our trouble would be to convince her that she would love the trip.
We would need for her and my father in law to pay for their own tickets to the park, but we would take care of lodging, transportation. On a retired budget, even the $150 or so for the tickets each would be a stretch I imagine. But I just really think she would love it, and would help tremendously with my 2.5 yr old. Any suggestions from my esteemed posters?

 

[Ladygator]

We went to Disney and stayed in the Contemporary the first year it opened. My Grandmother would get up early with my brother and I and we would ride the monorail round and round. We had so much fun with her and it gave my parents some time to themselves. Last year my Mom went with our family and the kids loved having her there. We got connecting rooms at the Dolphin. My Mom enjoyed reading in the room in the afternoons and stayed with the baby while she took a nap. She also loved seeing the kids enjoy the rides at the parks and interact with the characters.