I want to go back, by ourselves

[TinkandAriel]

Call me crazy, selfish...I dunno...I want to go back to Disney with just me, hubs and the dd. The first time we went was just us, and since then the inlaws have come with us. They are good people and are just as much Disney nuts as us, but I really, really, really want to travel without them and enjoy Disney by ourselves. I'm more relaxed, its just easier with the three of us, etc and so forth...even dd has said she'd like to go with just us.
How do I go about this without hurting their feelings? I almost made it last year, and then at the last minute they asked if it was too late to add them on.

 

[saraheliz]

i would just say..."listen, we love having you come with us, but we also want to make sure we have time to vacation just as our family." it's hard, i've had to say it to my mom, but in the end she understands that we do need family time. i've had to frame it like "all of mine/dh's vacation time is spent with extended family and visiting extended family...which is wonderful but it's important to our marriage and family to spend some time as just the four of us." as long as you don't tell them they can never come with you again, they should understand!! gl!

 

[xipetotec]

Call me crazy, selfish...I dunno...I want to go back to Disney with just me, hubs and the dd. The first time we went was just us, and since then the inlaws have come with us. They are good people and are just as much Disney nuts as us, but I really, really, really want to travel without them and enjoy Disney by ourselves. I'm more relaxed, its just easier with the three of us, etc and so forth...even dd has said she'd like to go with just us.
How do I go about this without hurting their feelings? I almost made it last year, and then at the last minute they asked if it was too late to add them on.

I hear ya. We're almost in the same boat. My mother has DVC and so we go down WITH them. Which actually, for me, is fine. Except that she also brings a bunch of other family along ( her sister/kids, my cousin/kids ). This March trip we're going to be 20! Which is fun, it's lots of family, but hard to coordinate even if we don't go everywhere together.

It would be nice to go just us, even with my parents

 

[Lissypiggy]

Call me crazy, selfish...I dunno...I want to go back to Disney with just me, hubs and the dd. The first time we went was just us, and since then the inlaws have come with us. They are good people and are just as much Disney nuts as us, but I really, really, really want to travel without them and enjoy Disney by ourselves. I'm more relaxed, its just easier with the three of us, etc and so forth...even dd has said she'd like to go with just us.
How do I go about this without hurting their feelings? I almost made it last year, and then at the last minute they asked if it was too late to add them on.

I don't blame you! Your not crazy or selfish or anything! I think you and your family DESERVE a trip by your self.

 

[The Hendies]

Maybe your own version of a 'split stay'? Either go down a few days before them or stay a few days after them.

 

[tenaseewalker]

For our first 5 trips it was just my dh, ds and me, which was GREAT. Then my brother and mother started coming with us. Everytime we started talking Disney, they were right there making plans with us. Most of the time it is ok, but sometimes its nice for just the 3 of us to go alone. Instead of hurting the both of them, I rather go without telling them. I know that's not very nice either, but I don't want to tell them that I don't want them to come with us.. Either way, they'd be hurt!

 

[Greta]

we did the split stay thing in 2006 with my dad, after we were there 4 days, he came down for 3 days. The kids were so excited to show him things they had discovered and take him on rides they conquered it was like they had a double vacation.

 

[Greta]

Oh.... and I forgot the best part... When grandpa got to POFQ, the kids wanted to go sleep in grandpa's room!!! GREAT!! Go ahead!

 

[ktlm]

Just do what we did. You have gone with them so they have had opportunities to enjoy it with you and your DD- you need and deserve a trip with your core family. We brought my Mom with us DD's 1st trip. Our 2nd trip with DD was with the inlaws for equal time. We booked a 3rd trip BECAUSE we wanted a trip with just the 3 of us. My Mom can be extremely difficult so I was really worried about how she was going to take it. I just looked at her and said we had a great time traveling with you and then the inlaws, but we really want a trip to WDW with just ourselves for some bonding time. I thought she would freak, but she said she thought that sounded really nice and that we needed it and she completely understood. She wasn't upset at all. DH's parents said the same thing (although they did ask if they could come the next time after we had our own trip).

 

[ice cube]

We did it and just kept saying to bad the kids aren't here to see this or that.

 

[tzolkin]

We had this dilemma with my family this past trip. We went in May 2008 for our first trip (just DH, the kids, and I). MIL lives in FL so we went to visit her first then went to Disney for 9 days by ourselves. We knew we were going to go back and talked quite a bit about Disney with my parents. They wanted us to all (my siblings, etc) go together on a big family trip. In Dec DH and I booked a trip for May 2009 and had to break it to my parents that we really could not handle the stress and drama of my siblings. They were disappointed, but understood.

We did have my MIL join us for part of the trip. We were there for 12 days with Memorial Weekend in the middle of the trip. I booked MIL a connecting room for Fri, Sat, Sun. It was nice because she got to experience Disney with the kids and DH and I went out one evening by ourselves. But even just adding one extra adult into the mix made for several stressful moments and a much different feeling than when it was just us with the kids.

Next trip my parents plan to fly down and join us for part of the trip.

 

[happymommy]

If it were me, I'd just plan a trip for yourselves. Then if anyone asks, simply state that is what you want.

You don't need to apologize for wanting a family vacation, just the 3 of you.

For what it's worth, I'd NEVER go to WDW with ANY of my in-laws, and maybe only my sister if it were without husbands (my DH would die if he had to go with my sister's family again, but I would be fine with it). And not my dad either - he's a grouch!

 

[jklmw]

I like the split stay idea!! They should understand!!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Same situation. Parents thought all vacations would be together. I planned one and didn't tell them, well of course they found out but realized it was just us and it was fine.

We do travel a lot with family but also just ourselves. Just plan it and don't tell them.

Or as other posters said, we need time together, alone.