Help...what would you do?

[Hadley's Mom]

So I planned a surprise trip for my kids feb 22-March 1. I picked these dates based on school, crowds and my daughters 6th grade school basketball season being done. I double checked dates with the coach, etc before booking in mid January. Get an email this morning that they are having a 6th grade tournament feb 27-28! I could fly her back early or maybe switch to the next week. It's a surprise so she doesn't know and I really want to keep it a surprise! I already have the absences approved thru school, though I'm sure asking them to switch weeks wouldn't be an issue since she's a straight A student and no state assessments that week. Should I ruin the surprise and ask her how she feels, should I just see if I can postpone it by a week? I'm not sure what fees would be involved or if it's possible. My FP+ would be gone and it'll be more crowded, but anytime at Disney is better than at home, right? What would you do? Ugh!

 

[SabbyR]

For me its 6th grade basketball... My daughter is missing her final tourney and shes in 5th grade and doesn't give two hoots! We don't have different weeks as options though. The coach has been informed she will be away and she said "have fun". Id just stick with my surprise plan but that's just me.

 

[kangaroodle]

I agree....it's just 6th grade basketball! Stick with your plan. You did everything you needed to do before booking your trip including checking with the coach. You have everything planned. No need to create all that havoc to postpone it, plus lose all your FP+ times! And there is no way I'd leave WDW early to come back for the tourney!

 

[CaitlinMarie13]

She will be so excited to be in Disney that I highly doubt she will care about missing a basketball tournament. I sure wouldn't mind!

 

[LilyWDW]

Email the coach back and verify the dates and explain again that you have a trip planned for those dates based off of the schedule given to you. Make sure that missing the tournament won't impact her ability to play the rest of the season (I would hope it wouldn't considering the situation). Then make the decision on what to do.

 

[JimmyV]

It seems as if you can shift the trip by a week. School won't mind and your daughter doesn't even know about the trip yet. So move the trip and she'll get to do both the tournament and the vacation. Seems simple.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I think it depends upon the personality of the child. I have one that would be pretty upset to miss something like that. She is always looking at the greener grass on the other side. (Which makes decisions difficult for her when it is an all or none thing.)

Other of my kids wouldn't care.


You know your kid--is she going to look forward to this tournament and be okay when the surprise is revealed?

 

[ConnieB]

Could you start your trip 2 days earlier so you can leave earlier? Then you wouldn't lose most of your FP+.

Of course it may cost a pretty penny depending on what airline you use if there are change fees. Hopefully Disney wouldn't charge a change fee since you'd still be going the same number of days just starting a littler sooner.

While I agree that as a parent, the "it's only 6th grade basketball"....I know that one of my daughters would be absolutely devasted to let her team down....the other would shrug her shoulders and go "It's Disney, I'm going". LOL...so I agree with Lisa Loves Pooh....depends on the personality of the child whether missing a tourny is a big deal or if Disney as an alternate would be a no brainer. If you know how she would react, I'd try to keep the secret.....if you're not sure, then I think I'd find a way to make it a big deal surprise letting NOW so that she can make the decision. The last thing you want is to surprise her that morning and have her burst into tears and refuse to go....not only would that hurt her, but I'll bet you'd be devasted that your surprise didn't quite work right.

 

[Hadley's Mom]

I went ahead and changed it. Here 6th grade is middle school so it's her school team and she is a starter. I think she'd pick Disney over the tourney but if we can do both, that's what we should do. So far Disney isn't charging a processing or change fee so it was only $30 hotel difference! It'll still be a surprise. I'm hoping they win(they are heavily favored to win) and then I'll do the...you just won the championship...what are you going to do now? We were just laughing at the Super Bowl commercial so hopefully she'll remember that. It'll be more crowded and I lost our Chef Mickey ressie which is her fav. But I was able to get SDMT on 2 days using overlapping times and TSMM for my kids but so far not me! I consider those a great achievement and a sign I made the right choice. I was planning on upgrading our tickets to annual passes since we are going back in October so we can hit whatever we miss then!

 

[ariane37]

Well, I have to agree with those that talk about the childs personality, and how important basketball is to her. I would just want to go and not worry about changing dates! However, my DS in 7th grade is a VERY serious basketball player, and has been on numerous teams since 5th grade. In 6th grade he was on a travel team and a cyo team, and missing a travel tournament, while it wouldn't have meant sitting out the rest of the season, would have been frowned upon and also would have really upset DS (I still would have wanted to just go to WDW ). This year he made the modified team at school in addition to his travel and cyo teams. There is NOTHING short of serious illness that could have gotten him to miss a school game! So, while 6th grade probably isn't as "serious" or involved as Jr. High or H.S., if the child is 100% into the sport it might be worth it to move the trip.

Only issue other than lost FP's and ADR's would be a fee if you're staying onsite and have a package booked as you'd be changing less than 45 days out. Good luck whatever you do!

 

[ariane37]

I went ahead and changed it. Here 6th grade is middle school so it's her school team and she is a starter. I think she'd pick Disney over the tourney but if we can do both, that's what we should do. So far Disney isn't charging a processing or change fee so it was only $30 hotel difference! It'll still be a surprise. I'm hoping they win(they are heavily favored to win) and then I'll do the...you just won the championship...what are you going to do now? We were just laughing at the Super Bowl commercial so hopefully she'll remember that. It'll be more crowded and I lost our Chef Mickey ressie which is her fav. But I was able to get SDMT on 2 days using overlapping times and TSMM for my kids but so far not me! I consider those a great achievement and a sign I made the right choice. I was planning on upgrading our tickets to annual passes since we are going back in October so we can hit whatever we miss then!

Ah, you posted this as I was typing! Enjoy your trip And good luck to your daughter's team!!!

 

[JimmyV]

I think you made a wise choice. It is risky to post "What would you do?" threads here because lots of people are irrationality obsessed with WDW. They would choose it over anything. Exams. Choral concerts. Sports tournaments. Weddings. Funerals. It's an amusement park, people! It is open 365 days a year from now into the foreseeable future. Can't understand why anyone would choose a trip to an amusement park that can easily be rescheduled over a one time event. But I recognize that this is a minority view here.

 

[bbak30]

I wouldn't change my trip. Unless your daughter would be completely devastated to miss the tournament. I view vacations as extremely important, family time. And Disney trips that have been planned are difficult to reschedule.

 

[JimmyV]

I wouldn't change my trip. Unless your daughter would be completely devastated to miss the tournament. I view vacations as extremely important, family time. And Disney trips that have been planned are difficult to reschedule.

Go back and read Post #9. The trip was easy to reschedule. The important family vacation will still be taken. And the basketball team will be able to count on one of its best players for the tournament. All problems solved.

 

[bbak30]

JimmyV--Thanks, I actually did read that. I just responded what I would personally do.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I know trip has been changed, but I feel OP has made the right decision as kids can be very mean at this age. as she is one of the star players and if the family had stayed with plans. the team looses the tourney and this child has to come back to hear it is her fault because she went on her trip. might not have changed the outcome but not the way kids see it