Family Trip...Have to Vent for a Minute....

[WaltD4Me]

I have to vent for a minute somewhere I won't get in trouble.....

I posted a couple weeks ago that my mom is taking the whole family on a Disney Cruise. Myself, my parents, my sister's family and my brother's family. We are booked on the Dream and so excited. The plan is to come 2 days early and spend one day in MK mostly to see the new Fantasyland. Everyone wants to do this except my SIL. SHE wants to go to Universal for the day instead...mainly to see WWoHP. No one else wants to do this except my SIL. They are going to WDW for a week in the end of September and she thinks it's dumb to go again for the day in March before the cruise. But my MOM who is PAYING for the trip, really wants the whole family to go to MK, have a nice dinner...hopefully at Be Our Guest restaurant...and spend the time together. The trip is 300 some days away and my SIL is already on my nerves.

 

[jcb]

Mom's money; mom's rules.

Why can't SIL come down a day earlier than the rest of the family to do WWoHP?

 

[NancyIL]

I realize Mom wants everyone to be together, but I'd let SIL do her thing for one day at Universal on her own dime. If she is giving you all grief about it now, imagine what a PITA she could be for the entire trip if she still resents having to spend the day at the MK with the rest of the family!

 

[lurkernj]

I'd let SIL do her own thing (obviously on her own dime). It's far enough away that maybe she'll change her mind once she really thinks about it. Otherwise, you'll all be together on the cruise, what's one day.

 

[mdvlprof]

I realize Mom wants everyone to be together, but I'd let SIL do her thing for one day at Universal on her own dime. If she is giving you all grief about it now, imagine what a PITA she could be for the entire trip if she still resents having to spend the day at the MK with the rest of the family!

 

[sayhello]

I could be wrong, but I think the point is that the SIL wants *everyone* to go with her to Universal. At which point, you could tell her to go to WWoHP on her own, but she's *STILL* going to be a PITA, because she wants *everyone* to go! I've dealt with this kind of person before. I feel your pain, Lisa! Some people aren't happy if they aren't causing drama.

I agree with the others. Mom's money, Mom's choices, Mom's rules.

Sayhello

 

[NancyIL]

If SIL wants everyone to go to Universal, then she is out of luck, as the majority rules. If she wants to go to Universal by herself - let her. People tend to resent it when they're told what they HAVE to do. (I know I do!) Give her the freedom to choose where she will spend her day, and she just may decide to hang out with the family. Even if she decides to go to WWoHP - she'll be a whole lot more pleasant to travel with if she is allowed to do what she wants in Orlando. You will be together for 4 days on the ship, so I wouldn't sweat one day pre-cruise.

By the way - Mom's money doesn't mean everyone has to do everything Mom does! Presumably Mom would be paying for the day at the MK, and not for SIL's adventures elsewhere - in which case Mom ISN'T paying for SIL that day. (Sorry I keep editing!)

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I say send your SIL to WWoHP for the day and meet up for dinner somewhere. Fantasyland isn’t nearly done and looks like a construction site, so I understand your SIL’s point, especially if she hasn’t seen HP before.

 

[k3chantal]

I agree with the post that said that your SIL should go by herself, husband and kids, by their own dime to Universal. No matter what, she isn't going to be fun to be around if she is at MK with the whole family and the rest of the family won't be happy if they are not at MK.

Going to a disney park before a cruise is a great way to start the 'real' vacation. We went to DL before going on the Wonder this past Fall and I am so glad we did. It added to the joy of our trip and helped my two year old understand the characters and environment.

 

[Gigi22]

Is there any way you can arrange for your SIL to arrive at WWoHP at at least an hour after opening? Just thinking, sometimes getting what you want isn't all it's cracked up to be. Perhaps it is your SIL's turn to find out!

 

[mjtm610]

I feel your pain. As the "mom" in my family planning a family trip is a huge undertaking. We have done a couple of family trips, and are starting to plan our next one. Here's my rules.
1- you (me) can't make everyone happy.
2-everyone (me included) needs some time on their own. Too much togetherness can be too much. Plus it's fun at the end of the day to get together and hear what everyone was up to.
3- If I didn't plan it -I don't pay for it.

I think if you start getting agitated this early in the game you're going to miss out on alot of fun. Let SIL plan her day.....let it go. You don't have to go. Plan something YOUR family would like to do. You can't see or do everything. Treat everyone as the adults they are.
You will have a great trip!!!

 

[SamSam]

I feel your pain. As the "mom" in my family planning a family trip is a huge undertaking. We have done a couple of family trips, and are starting to plan our next one. Here's my rules.
1- you (me) can't make everyone happy.
2-everyone (me included) needs some time on their own. Too much togetherness can be too much. Plus it's fun at the end of the day to get together and hear what everyone was up to.
3- If I didn't plan it -I don't pay for it.

I think if you start getting agitated this early in the game you're going to miss out on alot of fun. Let SIL plan her day.....let it go. You don't have to go. Plan something YOUR family would like to do. You can't see or do everything. Treat everyone as the adults they are.
You will have a great trip!!!

My thinking too. I just was in charge of a family celebration last month in WDW. We all stayed at Kidani (all 25) and I stressed that there was no way we could all move through the parks together and really accomplish much at all. We had a welcome dinner the first night, a celebration in Epcot another night and each evening we ended with a gathering in a grand villa to visit and talk about what everybody had done that day. It worked extremely well.

 

[Swank]

You are going to be on the ship together for days, why do you have to all be together the day before. I agree with the SIL. She should go to Harry Land with her family.

 

[Cherinva]

I say give her the option....to spend the day at MK with the family, or go on her own to WWoHP....if she chooses to go on her own, then let her go freely and be excited to her all about her day when she meets back up with the family. That way, everyone gets what they want.

Oh, and don't stress about it...it will be her decision.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I get what everyone is saying...I don't like to be "forced" to do stuff either, but the stickler here is the grandkids. SIL doesn't want to go by herself to Universal, she wants her family to go to Universal, but my mom wants to go with the grandkids especially to MK. My mom said she was done with WDW five years ago, but when this came up she was the one that said let's go a couple days early so we could do a day at Magic Kingdom and mainly so she and my dad could go with the grandkids. Make some memories, family picture in front of the castle and all that. Basically, this is my mom and dad's last trip to WDW, not trying to make it sound all dramatic, but it is and they wanted to go with the grandkids.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Hmm… I dunno. This seems to be an issue between your parents and your SIL’s family. I’d just stay as far away from it as possible, and go with the flow of whatever they decide amongst themselves.

 

[mommy2twinprincesses]

I get what everyone is saying...I don't like to be "forced" to do stuff either, but the stickler here is the grandkids. SIL doesn't want to go by herself to Universal, she wants her family to go to Universal, but my mom wants to go with the grandkids especially to MK. My mom said she was done with WDW five years ago, but when this came up she was the one that said let's go a couple days early so we could do a day at Magic Kingdom and mainly so she and my dad could go with the grandkids. Make some memories, family picture in front of the castle and all that. Basically, this is my mom and dad's last trip to WDW, not trying to make it sound all dramatic, but it is and they wanted to go with the grandkids.

I think it is really sad that SIL is making a big deal out of this. I agree with a PP who said she should come down a day earlier (or stay a day later after the cruise) and go with her family to see Harry then.

 

[mommy2twinprincesses]

They are going to WDW for a week in the end of September and she thinks it's dumb to go again for the day in March before the cruise. But my MOM who is PAYING for the trip, really wants the whole family to go to MK, have a nice dinner...hopefully at Be Our Guest restaurant...and spend the time together. The trip is 300 some days away and my SIL is already on my nerves.

One more thing while I am worked up ..why can't SIL go to see Harry during the week they are going to be there in September?

 

[NancyIL]

One more thing while I am worked up ..why can't SIL go to see Harry during the week they are going to be there in September?

Good question...and idea!

 

[WaltD4Me]

One more thing while I am worked up ..why can't SIL go to see Harry during the week they are going to be there in September?

Exactly what I said. I don't know. I think my brother shot down WWoHP for September and that is when she came up with going before the cruise.

I'm not going to get involved...I'm going to let my brother handle it. I'm just annoyed it's an issue at all to be honest. This trip is a gift and I just don't think it's right to make this a "thing" in the first place.

This is how my SIL is though. She likes to nitpick and make issues out of nothing. The trip is almost a year away...why even bring this up now? My brother did tell her that this a family trip my mom wants to do and she kind of need to go with the flow, but she keeps bringing up WWoHP.

On a side note....it isn't like she is a huge HP fan either. She has never read the books and has only seen the first 2 movies. She doesn't do "thrill" rides and would never go on Forbidden Journey. She just thinks it looks really cool and wants to go look around.