Christmas plans fell through...now what to do?

[kpadalik]

I've had an awful couple of days. For Xmas, we were going up to NJ to visit family and then go to NYC for a few days. My daughter and my niece were so excited that they were going to spend Xmas together. We were taking them to the American Girl store in NYC for a shopping spree (their xmas present).

Then, my boss tells me yesterday that they have to cut my vacation time back because they are short people and blah blah blah. So does she cut vacation time at the beginning or end? Nope, right in the middle. So instead of spending the 23rd-1st in NJ/NYC, we are now only able to go the 26th to the 29th. So with traveling on the 26th and the 29th, we'd only be spending two full days in NJ. I can't justify spending almost $1500 in airfare for a whirlwind trip like that. So we've cancelled that trip.

So now we are looking for something closer to home (FL). We talked about just going over to Orlando for a few days, but I know that the time around Xmas is going to be absolutely nuts. Then we thought about doing a 3 day cruise. I just don't know what to do. How crazy is it in the time around Xmas? Any other ideas that we could do as a family? I'm at a loss because my head is spinning with all these last minute Xmas changes.

Thanks for any advice

 

[alebisi]

I've had an awful couple of days. For Xmas, we were going up to NJ to visit family and then go to NYC for a few days. My daughter and my niece were so excited that they were going to spend Xmas together. We were taking them to the American Girl store in NYC for a shopping spree (their xmas present).

Then, my boss tells me yesterday that they have to cut my vacation time back because they are short people and blah blah blah. So does she cut vacation time at the beginning or end? Nope, right in the middle. So instead of spending the 23rd-1st in NJ/NYC, we are now only able to go the 26th to the 29th. So with traveling on the 26th and the 29th, we'd only be spending two full days in NJ. I can't justify spending almost $1500 in airfare for a whirlwind trip like that. So we've cancelled that trip.

So now we are looking for something closer to home (FL). We talked about just going over to Orlando for a few days, but I know that the time around Xmas is going to be absolutely nuts. Then we thought about doing a 3 day cruise. I just don't know what to do. How crazy is it in the time around Xmas? Any other ideas that we could do as a family? I'm at a loss because my head is spinning with all these last minute Xmas changes.

Thanks for any advice

hi, my experience is from Dec 2004 (but I certanly know that other Disers can give you more recent experiences).
As an only child and having other realtives really far (by that time we were living in Peru) my parents decided to make a special Christmas (I was 16 years old), we spent a week at the Contemporary resort, including Christmas eve and the 25th of December, I must say I had the time of my life (a really special Christmas) even though it was crowded. BUT if I were you: you live in Florida, so I guess you can go to WDW maybe when it's less crowded so I would go for the 3 day Cruise. Any decision you make I wish you luck!

 

[3guysandagal]

Plans were made, tickets bought, time was given.
I'd tell them to go to.....well....you get the idea.
Probably not the best advice in these times, and I do not know your financial status, but it always irks me when I read these type of things.
There has to be something they can do for a few days, temp service maybe?
If they need you THAT badly, your job will still be there.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Have you talked with her about cutting it from the beginning or end instead of the middle?

I had a boss that did that to me and after I calmed down and talked to her about it, she adjusted two of us so it would be a cut from the start of mine when one person could cover for me and a cut from the end of the other person so I covered for her. We covered the work but didn't have to be stuck with a funky split vacation.

Does your family like Universal/IOA? That's not quite as crazy as WDW during Christmas and if you stay onsite, it wouldn't matter anyway since you'd have your room key to use to go thru the express lanes.

 

[trivial]

What a jerk of a boss. My advice would be to find a new job, and possibly key your boss's car, but I realize we can't always do what we want. Best of luck getting it all sorted out.