Back from AKV

[simba20]

Just back from a week at AKV with my in-laws. Yup, learned the lesson about travelling with my in-laws. We had a lock-off 2 bdrm, but if I had known how my in-laws would sit and stay in "their" room all of the time (the studio part) I should have used my points for 2 studios and saved points. Grrrrrr.

Anyway, great week. Tuesday it rained and we practically had MK all to ourselves. I think at most some rides had a 10 minute wait, but I doubted we even waited that long, it seemed everything was walk on. We hit Tomorrowland first, and after three rides, that's when it poured, but we waited things out by riding Buzz several times in a row, and then with our "Disney Pro" staus, bought DD a poncho (ack we didn't ever buy her one) walked over to our stroller, got covered up (stroller included) and spent the rest of the morning in light drizzle, breaking out of the wetness for rides. It was a GREAT day.

Also this trip was truly magical for DD, because she got over her fear of characters and was so proud to walk up to them on her own. We met TONS of characters (has to buy a second autograph book) and they all treated her extra special. Loved it.

My in-laws, however, after saying they wanted to experience/do x, y, and z with DD, spent most of their time doing their own thing and once they crossed off their TWO items they wanted to do with DD, they were done. FIL hadn't even stepped foot into MK yet, and while riding the bus to DD ont he second day of our trip, commented to a fellow passenger that he was "sick" of MK. Sigh....you have to know my FIL.

Anyway, we learned the best way to do Disney is just us (and DD of course
Trying to plan a way to get in another trip before our APs expire for this year. The problem is deciding where to stay. We've done SSR three times, AKV 3 times and BCV once. Also have to decide between pin code, AP discount, or the possibility of a DVC cash discount.

 

[Scraper]

It has been said before. As much as alot of us on the DIS love Disney not everyone does. I have taken people who could care less. As for DH and I we will retire there.

 

[simba20]

It has been said before. As much as alot of us on the DIS love Disney not everyone does. I have taken people who could care less. As for DH and I we will retire there.

We were slightly disappointed, only because for months, my in-laws talked about how they wanted to do x, y, and z with DD. Then they got there and basically said "This is our vacation too." and came off as caring less about what they wanted to do with DD. They wanted to do the Tea Cups with her and MIL wanted to ride the Carousel with her. We certainly did not mind them doign their own thing. We wanted them to enjoy themselves, and figured they'd spend lots of time at Epcot. We tell them our tentive plans for the day, and then they'd bursh us off and act uninterested. We told them we were going to MK on Tuesday morning, and they could meet us later in the morning or afternoon to do the attractions they wanted to do with DD, and instead they spent the entire day at the hotel. Then later in the week (ahem, Thursday night) got brash with us and complained that they hadn't done the things they wanted to do with DD. Arrrrgggghhhhh.

Also, you'd really have to know the attitude of my FIL, he's very passive aggressive. He played his game on our first day, and the hubster and I decided we weren't going to take part in it. He would also tell us, what he was going to do and when we would tell him "Oh you can't do that because......" (speaking from our Disney expereince) he would go ahead and try and then get angry at the CM who would deny him. Sigh.



Also, I joke with the hubster all the time about Disney being our "retirement" jobs. In fact, the hubster has reached a point where he's making a decision about his job and during our trip, I joked that he could look down there for a job and I could work at Disney, or he could be a Disney bus driver (he has bus driving experience and a CDL) and we could start on our retirement jobs 30 years early......he nixed the idea.

 

[cemeb4dk]

We have owned in DVC since 02, and every trip we have brought family members (moms, MIL, brothers, brothers in laws and 1 trip all of them) we always said we would never do it again, but we did. Finally last Oct we did our family only trip (Me, Dw and DD) and it was our BEST Disney trip ever.

 

[mamaprincess]

As much as it pains me to say it, we also learned after our last 2,vacations that the best way to do Disney is just with our little family. We wind up compromising and stressing out to much. It just isn't' as enjoyable as I wish it could be. It will be just us on this next trip and I'm sure it will be wonderful. Good luck on your next vacation.

 

[KPOP]

count me in the group of - not having learned his lesson yet...I keep saying, next time it'll be just us...and I keep bringing family along...sigh...

 

[BLLB]

We were at MK on the same day you were. It was great. We had a super day.

 

[simba20]

OP here, just wanted to add that they now have a shuttle van that travels between Jambo and Kidani. However, it holds about 10 people and just like the busses you can be standing there waiting and another group will walk out, see it pull up, and they board ahead of you. Grrrrr.

It's always easier to walk or board a park bus over to Jambo, but we did like the privacy it provided when we were in bathing suits and rode over to the Jambo House pool for a swim.

 

[dnoyes]

On our last trip we took a couple we have known for over 20 years. Our first night of a 10 day trip myself and the other male went down to the pool ahead of the gals to take a swim. About thirty minutes later my wife shows up alone and gives me that "we need to talk" face.

As soon as my friend and I had left the room his DW announced to my DW that as soon as they returned home she was leaving him. AND that her new boy friend was already building them a new house .... nice way to start a 10 day trip huh.

I couldn't sleep at all that night and decided to tell him the next morning.

The moral to the story. When booking a two bedroom make sure it's a lock-off. That alone saved our trip.

 

[lugnut33]

As soon as my friend and I had left the room his DW announced to my DW that as soon as they returned home she was leaving him. AND that her new boy friend was already building them a new house .... nice way to start a 10 day trip huh.

I couldn't sleep at all that night and decided to tell him the next morning.

.

How did that go? <curious minds want to know>

 

[hmdelf]

On our last trip we took a couple we have known for over 20 years. Our first night of a 10 day trip myself and the other male went down to the pool ahead of the gals to take a swim. About thirty minutes later my wife shows up alone and gives me that "we need to talk" face.

As soon as my friend and I had left the room his DW announced to my DW that as soon as they returned home she was leaving him. AND that her new boy friend was already building them a new house .... nice way to start a 10 day trip huh.

I couldn't sleep at all that night and decided to tell him the next morning.

The moral to the story. When booking a two bedroom make sure it's a lock-off. That alone saved our trip.

WOW!!!! all I can say!

That must have been a hard trip


We are also DVC owners who say...family only next trip. We have taken many past trips w/ friends, Il's, extended family and it always seems like way to much. We are finally now planning our trip for 12' with just our kids and I, for 1, can not wait!

 

[cemeb4dk]

I find it funny that many other DVC'ers feel like we do. Not funny as I am glad that your miserable like us, just that all of us try to do the bigger thing and invite friends/family on our trips and we end up having a not so magical time.

Maybe one day we will invite some friends family but as of now with our daughter only being 5, its just the 3 of us for quite a while

 

[dnoyes]

How did that go? <curious minds want to know>

It was a hard thing to do but in the end he was glad I told him. I couldn't spend the next 9 days looking at that woman and I didn't want him to find out that I knew of her plans long before he did. Him and I are still good friends. They were a couple for twenty years but Him and I have been friends since we were in our teens (about 35 years)

As for his exDW she left him and two months later the new guy kicked her out of the new love nest No idea where she is today.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Talk about fun, my DSIL and DBIL are DVC members, too!

They bought in several years before us. Their kids are older than ours, so our travel times rarely mesh, but when they do, we have an absolute ball! My parents have gone with us once (that's a different story for a different thread ) and so have my in-laws. My parents went to the parks and griped the whole time, while my in-laws never went to the parks at all. We tried to take friends with kids along, but in the end, they had a hard time committing by the time we needed them to (in order to get a 2-BR), and I'm not sure they were truly all that interested. Maybe when the time is right.

 

[Brandis]

Have brought friends to DVC several times and will go with Aunt, Uncle and Friends next september. We have done several cruises together and always spent great vacations. Looking forward to show them around WDW.

 

[JasonDVC]

On our last trip we took a couple we have known for over 20 years. Our first night of a 10 day trip myself and the other male went down to the pool ahead of the gals to take a swim. About thirty minutes later my wife shows up alone and gives me that "we need to talk" face.

As soon as my friend and I had left the room his DW announced to my DW that as soon as they returned home she was leaving him. AND that her new boy friend was already building them a new house .... nice way to start a 10 day trip huh.

I couldn't sleep at all that night and decided to tell him the next morning.

The moral to the story. When booking a two bedroom make sure it's a lock-off. That alone saved our trip.

Your story is like something out of the movies. WOW!

We are taking my parents on their first ever trip to WDW. They swore they would never go so I had to bribe them by paying for their cruise as well. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Cee]

This Oct. My DB and SIL will be celebrating their 25th anniv. alone for the first time without their boys. My adult DDs and I will be there also and are very much looking forward to it. We are staying at different resorts and I think we all realize that Disney is a very personal experience, especially since it will be a very different trip for them w/o the kids. I think we'll be happy to leave each other alone for the most part and meet up for a Happy Hour now and then.

 

[DisneyPups]

I find that it's less about bringing family and friends and more about bringing people that LOVE disney. When they don't share your interests, it's easy to feel like you're dragging them a long, or having to do things without them. We have good friends we love to travel with, but not to Disney, b/c they don't share the passion. Disney is expensive for people who don't love it... b/c us Disney lovers can say every penny is worth it...

 

[akl-fan]

We are taking my Mum and Dad this year which seemed like a great idea at the time but as our vacation is getting closer I am starting to worry that I have made a big mistake. I didn't get on that well with my mum when I was on holiday as a teenager, so what make me think I will now. I am now 32 and married with a baby but I have an awful feeling that the first time she tells me off or critisises my choices I am going to throw a teenage tantrum.

 

[arthur06]

We have traveled with both in-laws and without. There are many joys to both trips and I am glad we do them both. I don't ever want my wife to wake up some morning after her parents have passed and say that she wished she would have done more with them...