Disney World with the In-Laws?

[devotedchristian]

Has anyone here done this? Can you share your experience with me? Where did you stay, eat, did you drive/fly together?

I am contemplating inviting my SIL and her 2 kids (Nephew-Age 6, Niece-Age 15months at time of travel). If I don't, I will NEVER hear the end of it. SIL is very close to me and DH and she (and the kids) have never been to Disney World. We could split costs and make it affordable for her to go.

I love my SIL very much, in fact I have appointed her as an Alternate Guardian of DS (almost 3)/Executor of our (DH and I) estate should DH and I die...which is yet another reason to encourage growth between her and DS.

But, the dynamics may be different on vacation as opposed to at home with your typical family barbeques, dinners etc. On vacation, we are STUCK with each other if we get on each other's nerves.

At least with family barbeques, we can go home. Our vacation will be very short...kind of a loooonnnnggg weekend; Friday-Sunday.

Have you done this? Disney with the In-Laws? Can you share your experience/dynamics with me?

PS, for lodging, I am looking at a 3bedroom Villa at Cypress Point Grande Villas for $135 per night. I am waiting to book.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

We've done it almost every time we've travelled with extended families- both sets of parents and BILs.

I am not familiar with that resort, but be sure that you all do have enough room to get out of one another's hair and chill. Also, one of the things I find most frustrating is the group mentality of getting everybody going in the same direction at the same time. You'll have to be willing just to sit back and let what will happen happen. Don't try cramming too much in if your group is like this becuase then everybody is unhappy.

Personally, I enjoy travelling with family. I really do. I am looking forward to this upcoming trip though- the first one where we haven't met family there in about 4 years.

 

[budbeerlady]

I am in the process of planning a trip with the inlaws, it seemed like such a good idea at the time. But everyone vacations differntly, they in fact havent done a vacation shall we say in the last 15 years. They still expect things to cost what they did 15 years ago or as I call it champage on a water budget. They want 3 meals a day, I had suggested the dining plan to them as it seems a good value and we loved it on our last trip. (But it is only for 2 meals and did I mentian that they eat 3 aday.) So I told them if they feel the need to eat an extra meal (I dont know how they would find the time) they can just pay cash for. Well they wanted to stay at the Poly or the Contemporary since the monorail runs through it. But they wanted to pay less than a value resort costs. So I worked the numbers a million ways (since they have to have a nice place to stay, they wanted a deluxe remember) and got a great AAA price on AKL standard view.

In a nut shell, think and then think again and then maybe let her plan with you where to stay and book her own trip. I never thought it would be this hard to do and in a way it makes me wonder what will happen on the trip. I love them dearly, but wont plan a trip with them again.

 

[MBeds]

Just a thought - If you are contemplating it, maybe that is your answer right there...

 

[liamandcaili]

I've been to Disney twice with my in-laws. The first time was me, DH, DS(then 15 mos), MIL, FIL and SIL. The second time was just me, DS(then 6), DD (3), MIL and FIL.

The first time was a little strained. While DH and I had talked before the trip about what our expectations were (he wasn't going to leave me to watch DS while he went on all the rides with his sister was the biggest one) we never talked to my in-laws about what they expected from the trip (which turned out to be that DH was going to entertain SIL while I watched DS.)

The second time was fine. I made sure my in-laws knew what my plans were and the schedule I wanted to keep (a busy one!) and then let them decide when and where they wanted to join us. For the first two days, they stayed with us most of the time, but after that, they wanted to spend more time relaxing during the day and then eat a later dinner than me and the kids. That was perfectly fine with everyone.

From my experience, I think the most important thing to remember is that you absolutely are not stuck together. When you travel with a larger group, chances are not everyone is going to agree on everything all the time. Talk about your expectations before your trip, and if your plans or schedules differ, then agree to spend time apart and carry cellphones, wear watches and find places to meet when it's group time.

Have fun!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

DH and I went with my sister, and my parents last spring. My parents had their own room, and my sister stayed with them (she was only there for 3 days). The four of them spent the days in the parks while I was at a conference, and then I met them at night. It went really well, and no one had any complaints. We all tend to do the same sorts of things when we travel (all laid back, like the same rides, eat the same types of things, etc.)

I;m not sure how well it would have worked if we tried to share a room. My Dad gets up earlier than any other human I know, plus he's a smoker. Bad roommate

Jen

 

[beckmrk04]

We always take family trips with my inlaws (dh's family). We have a great time. I love my MIL and FIL, and we're very close to my husband's brother and his wife (my best friend). So- we have a blaston vacation, but we also take time to go our own way.

Our very first trip (which started the addiction) to WDW was for my in-laws 25th anniversary (they treated us). We had a blast. Now BIL and SIL have been 4 times since 2002, and we're going our 3rd time in May.

We have also taken trips to Niagara Falls, and Hershey PA (all driving from IL together). We're planning a trip to the Mall of AMerica soon.

So, as long as you get along well at home, I would say taking a trip together can be so much fun. I always look forward to our vacations.

Now, if MY family wanted to take a family trip- NO WAY!!!

 

[Disney Doll]

I think if you do plan a trip with the in-laws, you need to make a few "rules". We have traveled with our in-laws, and also with large groups of people.

The biggest word of advice I can give you is to make sure everyone knows that you do not all need to be attached to each other at the hip. If there is something that you guys want to do that your in-laws don't, then split up and do each thing and meet up later.

Have a general plan for the day, but be flexible.

Plan a few group things so that you have specific times to get together, for those times when you split up.

It's a long weekend, so you probably won't get on each other's nerves too badly in 4 days!

 

[Servants of Evan]

The only way it works for our family is to simply say "Do your own thing and we'll meet at ______ @ such-n-such a time for dinner. See you there!"

I have to be in the parks seeing and riding stuff, and they can spend two days just camping out in their resort room...

 

[ericamanda01]

Our first trip to WDW was a surprise trip for the family from our IL's. There was a total of 15 of us. It was a great trip. MIL did want us to spend most of our time together as a family but she understood that with such a wide age range, 5-50, that we want to do our own things. Just as a previous poster said the best way to keep the peace was to seperate and have our own time to do what we wanted. It was a fantastic trip. We enjoyed it so much that we are looking forward to our next big vacation on an Alaskan cruise together in June.

 

[jekajekalynn]

I agree with everyone else on letting your inlaws know about your schedule.

This will be the second time my inlaws have come along with us. It will be my dfil, dmil, dbil comming with us. I have to tell you that I personally love it. lol My bil chips in on gas money, my dfil and dmil chip help with expensises too.

I also love when my parents in law come because of the fact that they are not so into Disney like me, so they are happily contented staying by the vacation house pool watching my ds while my dh, dm , dbil and I go to MK in the evenings.

Last year we kindof had scheduling issues, but I am letting everyone know my plans so if they don't like it, they can do their own thing.

 

[AuntieM03]

I went to WDW in December with my best friend, brother, SIL, SIL's mother, niece and nephew. Right before we left I started feeling anxious, especially since we were staying DVC thru my best friend. It turned out to be one of the best vacations I have ever had!!

 

[RadioFanatic]

We're taking dh's parents in Sept/Oct. I'm looking forward to it. I already provided the itinerary and what restaurants for dinner. I told them this is what dh and I are doing and they can do what they want, i.e., join us, or do something on their own and then meet us at the place for dinner together. There are a couple of activities dh and I are definitely doing on our own like the segway tour and universal studios horror nights but the rest can be together if they want. and if they do go with us to the parks, I'm not going to be commando b/c dh and I have gone a ton before and have done everything so I'm just looking forward to their reactions to things as the last time they went was 22 years ago.

 

[MBeds]

I'm not going to be commando

I don't think you meant what i was thinking when you said this... Or did you???
nevermind...

 

[horseshowmom]

We've done this twice. The first time, DH's sister and her two youngest kids went. The next time, she and her 4 kids went.

We had a house with a pool and had a wonderful time. I wouldn't have changed a thing, but I love her dearly and knew how much they'd enjoy the trip. They never really got to travel, and it was a blast for all of the kids.

We already had the house, so all they had they had to cover was their tickets and meals (eating out and sharing grocery costs). We also divided everybody up into teams of two and assigned meals to prepare and clean up (so nobody had to do it on their own all the time).

 

[devotedchristian]

Did you all ride to Disney together or drive separately? Or did you fly together?

 

[horseshowmom]

Did you all ride to Disney together or drive separately? Or did you fly together?

The first time, we went in the same car (about 750 miles one way). Back then we had a big Mercury wagon (with the two extra seats in the very back).

The second time, my DH's parents also went, so we had another car (they stayed in a 2 BR house across the street - it would not have worked so well if they had stayed with us).

 

[simba928]

I went to WDW twice with extended family. The first time was in 2000, I went with my uncle and his kids and my parents and brother. My mom has always had a good relationship with this uncle and my dads parents and my dad has always had a good relationship with my mom's family. So anyways, on this trip, we stayed at ASMo. It was the first time I had seen my cousins in a few years (3 or 4) and I haven't seen them since (long story there). We had so much fun! In fact, one of my favorite quotes about Disney came from this trip. We were walking in MK and my uncle starts skipping down the sidewalk with his kids. He turns to me and my parents and said "You know, this is the only place in the world that you can act as stupid as you want and nobody cares. They just smile and wave." LOL.

The second time was I think 3 years ago. We stayed off property with my extend family on my mom's side. My grandparents, 4 cousins, 2 sets of aunts and uncles, parents, and brother were there. We had so much fun. My grandparents hadn't been to WDW since it was just MK and possibly Epcot. Not even sure if that was built yet. LOL. They just love going anywhere with all their grandkids, so they were in their glory. We stayed off property. It was so much fun. Both my grandparents were in wheelchairs. My dad was pushing my grandma. We passed one of those water fountains that the little kids can play in. My grandma was watching the kids playing and my dad asked her if she wanted to go through. My grandma just laughed and thought he was joking. Now, to really appreciate this story, you have to know my grandma. She is a very Italian woman. Very stubborn and would never have gone through the water fountain things by herself, even when her kids were young. She MIGHT have done it if my one cousin (the one shes closest to) would have dragged her in. But anyways, my dad turns the wheelchair and pushes her over to the fountain. She says to my dad "Don't you dare." My dad gets a running start and pushes her through the fountain. She laughed the whole time. They did that a couple times. My dad is just lucky the water didn't go up as he was pushing her through. LOL.

Just one thing to remember, you don't have to be stuck with your SIL the entire trip. You guys can split up for the morning or in the evening. When we went with my uncle and his kids, my uncle and cousins stayed at the hotel to swim one night while me, my parents, and my brother went to DtD for dinner.

 

[DVC-Don]

We did one trip (1997) with my MiL & SiL and had a great time. We stayed at the WL and had connecting rooms. That said, we took my sister and an aunt & uncle (2002, OKW) and they were all total jerks.

 

[vald1977]

We have gone twice with MIL to WDW. The last one was for two weeks though and by the end she was starting to get on my nerves, tbh. We were all in one room and together basically every single second. We are going again in Sept. and MIL and FIL are coming along but this trip they will have their own room. I think that will help things as we will have a bit of breathing room . Also, since we will be on property it will be easy to split up if they want.

I think for the short trip you are planning inviting SIL should work out just fine if you get along well. The longer the trip though, the more important to have seperate rooms, imo.