Can I vent? So disappointed...

[ZehnJahren]

I think I've come down from my angry cloud and am feeling better. It will be really nice when we're all together as they are nice family -- just obvious that planning large trips might be a pickle if this happens again. At least I'll mentally be more prepared if it happens again.

My husband and I are either going to stay in the villa with family or stay separately at All Stars Music or something.

I appreciate all the thoughts, opinions and tips.

This situation is VERY unfortunate, but I'd stay on-site. You'd get EMH, but I bet you couldn't utilize them because it sounds like the family, not you, are the ones who decide who gets to do what. Regardless, you won't have to worry about transportation and it feels so much more Disney.

However, the Windsor Hills places are VERY nice, and your husband might prefer that place, since he's not pro-Disney. Be prepared to do whatever everyone else wants though. Make sure you know the best days to go from EasyWDW or from Touring Plans, so you can interject - and if the park you're in is super-crowded, you can show your savvy by moving everyone to the actual recommended park.

Good luck.

 

[Zim]

The silver lining in this is I can't imagine how you could have coordinated free dining with these group dynamics. Anything other than QS dining would have been a monster to coordinate and they may have resented either planning their days around restaurant ressies or irritated when restaurants they wanted to try were booked.

Having relatives so far away probably means your vacation schedule will cater somewhat to their visitations. But make sure there is a balance... I'm reminded of the cruise ship commercials with the couple standing in the above ground pool with a relative holding her baby in his soggy diaper saying in her gravelly voice "Baby did a stinky". Pan to the next shot where the couple are basking in the cruise ship and the husband says "See, I told you I'd make it up to you".

hint hint

 

[MrsLS]

I also could imagine the nightmare of having to do dining with everyone, although I guess it would just be CS since you are staying at a value? Now that you are staying off site food will be cheaper too and you can go to a supermarket if you will have a fridge which will save too, not as free would save but still.
As for EMHs, eh, we sometimes use them, sometimes don't, I personally don't think thats the worst thing that you will miss out on by staying off site.
I would just go with the flow & try to have a great time.

 

[Sparkly]

You'll certainly enjoy the freedom of eating in IMO better quality restaurants without booking 6 months in advance! You may have to wait a little, but still. It would probably be a nightmare with ADRs anyway for such a big group.

We've always been offsiters and always have a great time no matter where we stay. After all, YOU'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD! Go with a open mind and a positive attitude and I'm sure you'll enjoy it after all.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

Purplebelle...That is wonderful that "golden child" has taken over the planning for you. I can extrapolate the golden one will then be paying for your meals.

Maybe next time they will let you book everyone with free dining.

 

[bpesch]

So I am so sad to report I think I've lost this battle. It's either no trip or a shorter trip to Disney when the UK family is there. I'd rather do some Disney than none.....I think.

Thats really too bad. I suspect this is just one of many battles ahead for you to assert control. There has to be a better way to handle this, but for the life of me I can't come up with it right now. Just be glad they are in the UK, life could be a lot more complicated if they lived near you!

 

[daryl82much]

The only time I went with a large group, we all agreed we would discuss where we were going the next day, and some would go with us and some would go elsewhere. It was still fun running into each other now and then and some days we were all together. When we weren't together, it was fun telling each other the stories of what happened that day. On the other hand, you've been to Disney 11 times or so, so you could act as tour guide and not worry about seeing everything, as you probably have already seen everything. Like someone else said, "You're at Disney!!!" so the day is good no matter what.

 

[Pootle]

I do sympathise with the poster's situation, but for many of us Brits, eating on site - even when 'free' is just not that desirable.

On the UK Planning board, one of the Mods, a great helpful guy called Wayne, stays on site during the free dining and loves it, but regularly says that without it, no way would he pay the prices Disney want to stay on site. And he misses his favourite restaurants off site! He's even posted how the crowds in mid August are manageable but that it changes when free dining hits for the US dates!

You may just find that the UK folks actually want to eat off site and may only want a few days doing Disney! If it's the 'once in a lifetime' trip for some of them, they are just as likely to want to do Universal, Busch Gardens, Sea World, Kennedy Space centre and days (yes, plural) at the Malls. So for them, staying at a villa is likely to be both the cheaper option and one that fits their plans better.

Of course, I don't actually know this to be the case just saying that I wouldn't be surprised if it were and to give you what may just be the other side of the coin.

 

[UKDEB]

I agree with Moira. We've been travelling to Orlando from the UK for 20 years and over that time we've covered the whole gamut of accommodation options. We've stayed offsite in villas, offsite in hotels, onsite at Disney and onsite at Universal. We've done entire trips offsite and entire trips onsite, as well as many split stays. Each has its own advantages, but even as DVC owners (since 2006) the offsite villa option is still a big draw for us. The average duration of trips for Brits is two weeks (and for us personally, 18-21 days) not least because the flight costs are a huge part of the overall outlay. It's more cost effective for us to travel less frequently, but for longer periods than you guys tend to. In turn, that means it's not all about WDW, but rather the wider Orlando area. For us Brits, coming to the US and immersing ourselves in the culture is as big a part of the adventure as the theme parks. We get excited about things that are just every day events for you. Have you any idea what a thrill it is to shop in Publix? And don't even get me started on Whole Foods Market! I could spend days there! It's supermarket nirvana!

We love WDW and many of its restaurants, but the Orlando restaurant scene is dazzling to us. Being tied to eating solely onsite would be our worst nightmare (well, okay, maybe there are worse things! ) and I can't ever imagine signing up for the dining plan, free or otherwise. We're annual passholders which allows us to purchase the Tables in Wonderland card and that gets us the best of both worlds.

All that said, I do sympathise with your plight. I hate crowds and we carefully plan our trips and our park touring to avoid them. There's no way I'd allow rookies to upset my planning whatever their nationality! I'm currently helping friends in the US plan their first trip to WDW.