Help me please...

[DisDancerina]

Ok, here's the story.
I dance at Disneyland on the 15th. I'm trying to persuade my dad to go on the 12th after school. So, if the flight left at 6, we'd go straight from school. I wouldn't miss school that day.
He went behind my back and said we'd leave the next day in the morning, but I wouldn't go to school. We'd basically lose a whole day traveling and we're buying an annual pass anyways, so the day would almost be free, on top of it being only 120 more dollars to have an extra day in the park. We'd only then get to stay 2 days if we went with my dad's idea, but with mine, where only the amount of nights at the Grand Californian changes, we'd get 3. Also, the 2 days that we'd get with his plan are a friday and saturday. I'd be performing almost the whole day on saturday and those 2 days are really crowded ones. Can you try and give me some more back-up reasons to change it to leaving on the 12th instead of the 13th?

 

[avalon451]

You're talking about November, correct?

So money is his issue? Because you're not missing any more school.

Why don't you suggest that you stay at Howard Johnson's at the Entertainment rate, which is available all during your stay? It will cost you about one quarter of what you're paying at GCH.

Buy a 3-day hopper through GAT, and you will get 2 magic mornings, and be able then to use them on Thursday and on Saturday or Sunday (I don't know if you get free admission to the park since you are dancing? But I would guess not?) Then upgrade to your APs for the difference in cost, on the last day.

Just an idea. Good luck!

 

[snshine123]

Check the website of the group you are dancing with. When my son danced there they had great deals on tickets as well as hotels! Good luck and have a blast dancing-I know he did!

 

[bumbershoot]

Check the website of the group you are dancing with. When my son danced there they had great deals on tickets as well as hotels! Good luck and have a blast dancing-I know he did!

But since the family already plans to upgrade to APs, a discount on the tickets they upgrade from makes no difference at DLR.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I know you really want this trip to work out in the way you were planning. I hear how you feel about it in the way you wrote your post and I really sympathize with that. What I would say is that you have to be able to take a couple steps back and look at your dad's perspective, too, before you get too upset with him. It may not be as easy for him to go with your plan or to even go with the advice other people on the boards may give you. And it may not be easy for him to tell you what he's thinking. Sometimes parents have a hard time giving their kids reasons behind their decisions. Calmness and patience can help you to work this out with them. No matter what happens this trip, you know you'll be coming back soon, because you are getting the annual passes!

There may be a few other factors related to this that you haven't yet been considering. I don't know you or your family, so I can only make some guesses as to this, but your dad may be looking at this from an entirely different perspective. Maybe I can share some of of those possibilities with you to help you see before you talk with him....

You're only 380 miles away - are you driving now and not flying, when you were hoping to fly? If you are flying, is it possible that the flights you wanted to take would cost your family an extra $100 or more a person, or were not available at the time he looked. Sometimes that happens to us. It's there one second and gone the next. Then you have to scramble. Or, the routing you want isn't there. Instead of a non-stop, you get given a connection in a really out of the way city. Stinks, but to save cash, you have to take it. (I have to go LAX to Washington DC to Orlando on my next trip to WDW because of this.)

Could your folks not get off their jobs early enough to leave on the 12th after school? I've had that happen too. My husband will often get asked to stay late at the last minute to finish things. Because of what he does, we have to just go along with the change in plans.

You don't say if are open to going to other hotels, so changing to a cheaper one may not be an option. Your parents may want the specific experience of the Grand Californian, and may not want a different hotel, but the night of the 12th may have been full and they didn't want to do a different place. Or, adding the additional night would just be an expense they didn't want or want to spend that money (another $300-400) on something else like the APs. Depending on what level of AP you are getting, they are a pretty big investment for a family. We hit $1000 for our family this year, because my oldest turned 3!

It sounds like all in all, that you will be spending quite a bit on this trip and parents will spend their money the best way they see fit. Maybe talking calmly about this with them will help, but maybe not. I hate to say it m but the bottom line is that you probably don't have the power to change it. My best advice (and I have been there) is whatever happens and whatever advice people on the boards give you - don't push it on your folks - parents don't like it when that happens!

Just remember to have fun, no matter what the outcome!

 

[DisDancerina]

At least we found $69 flights! My parents are both retired, as well. They are now saying that because my electives start 3rd hour and my 2nd hour teacher has easy make-ups, we could leave after 1st hour (maybe 9:45)
Before, they just told me, we were leaving after school on the 13th and I'd only have 2 days. Now that we're getting an AP, we can come on the 13th a bit earlier and stay at Disneyland a bit for night time. We did this last year but did the halloween party. We've finally came to an agreement.

THANK YOU GUYS!!

(I was the one who suggested the class thing, lol. I was surprised they actually took it!)

 

[JadeDarkstar]

very cool good luck

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I'm so glad!!! I may be classified as an old parent these days, but I made a vow to remember what it was like when I was in school, so I have a better relationship with my kids.

Making negotiations one of your personal skills is a VERY good thing to have later in life!

 

[mariezp]

Whoo-hooo! Extra time in Disneyland for you! Be sure to give your dad a big hug and thank you. Sounds like he was a pretty reasonable guy. Oh, and have fun doing your dance!