I'm starting to dread my next trip...just a little...any suggestions??

[IvyandLace]

Well, I have to be honest when I say that I am starting to dread my next trip (April 27th-May4th) to the World...just a little. The trip consists of my MIL and I, and we will be going to enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival specifically. This is my MIL's second trip (first one was taken with my DH and I plus more family members late October 2003) and my 10th trip!

I am most anxious about sharing my favorite place with someone I don't know very well...what if I can't be myself?? What if she gets grumpy/tired and doesn't enjoy herself?? I am felling a lot of pressure to make this a GRAND vacation for her and am hoping that I remember to "stop and smell the roses"! (Literally AND figuratively!)

What if I get tired of her company? Will being with her for hours on end make me go crazy or will this be a time of bonding for us??

Most of me is telling the rest to just "shut up! and be thankful!" I mean, I'll be in Disney at least, right? This is a very generous offer from my MIL and maybe this will be a trip filled with wonderful memories that we will be look back fondly on. I really hope that will be the case.

Any hints/suggestions to deal with these feelings?

Thanks for the help!
IVY

 

[Puffy2]

Most people want a break from each other from time to time - I'm betting your mother in law will welcome some time apart from you as well.

When you get tired - say so, and go back to the hotel to rest or whatever. Or , if she gets tired - remind her that it is ok to stop for rests and that you will be perfectly fine touring a little on your own.

Always have a place to meet up later (neither one of you want to feel confined to a room - you might say, "If I come back to the room later and you aren't here, where will I find you?" - she - or you - might want to feel free to go to the hotel gift shop, or the restaurant, or the pool, or whatever.

 

[Antonia]

I needed a companion to go on a work trip with me once and I took my MIL. The conference took place at the beach and we had an oceanfront room and we each had our own queen size bed. We took walks on the beach, went out to eat for seafood and had a great time together. We were not particularly close, but we did have a good time together. We had some time apart due to my having to go to meetings - but I think you'll be okay. Just be yourself and enjoy her company and WDW!!!

 

[Eljay]

Bring your cell phones so you can drift apart & then find each other easily. You can check with your carrier so that you don't get hit with high roaming charges. If you are staying on property, it will make it much easier to go back to the resort for rests, together or alone.
Have fun & good luck.

 

[karemore]

Just remind yourself that WDW will always be there.

You will go back again, so if you don't get to do everything you want to this trip....there WILL be other trips without your mil.

That should take a little pressure off if she doesn't keep the same pace as you.

You certainly want to set up a couple hours a day of alone time.

You should feel comfortable leaving her at the hotel, or splitting up to go shopping etc. You don't have to stay with her 24 hours a day, even if she is treating for the trip.

What you are feeling is understandable.

Just try to keep it in perspective and relax as much as you can!!

Good luck,

Karen

 

[Disney Debbie]

I take it that you are fairly newly married?

The fact that she wants to go and to take you with her sounds like a pretty good start to the trip right there! Look at this as a time to really get to know her as a person - not just your MIL. My MIL and I have a very good relationship and it's because we're friends more then parent/child type relationship. She's definitely NOT the so-called "typical" MIL and neither is my mother. My DH is crazy about my mother and a lot of that has to do with when he had to stay in GA and take care of her when she had just gotten out of the hospital with back surgery and my father's mother passed away. My dad, brother and I traveled to KS for the funeral and he volunteered to stay with her because he knew my dad was worried about her. They've been close ever since.

One of the things my MIL and have in common is we love WDW - so maybe you'll make that same connection!

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

I'm sure your trip will be better than mine. My husband's family had been through an unexpected death in the family, and with our vacation planned just one month later, we decided to invite his family to try to take their mind off of it for a little while. We changed our one-bedroom reservation to a two-bedroom, and off we went.

They WOULD NOT leave us alone. Where we ate, they ate, when we went to the room, they went to the room. We couldn't even dart into a ride without them on our heels. (We had taken my parents the year before, and all we shared with them was the villa, except for the one night we had dinner together.)

I realize it was a difficult time for them, but I'm telling you - it was unbearable.

I told my husband that he need not EVER expect me to do that again. NEVER again! NEVER, never, never.

Can you tell my trip was absolutely horrid????

 

[GoofysPrincess]

My MIL and I went to WDW together early in my marriage. I too was a little nervous because we didn't exactly always see eye-to-eye as it was... It turned out to be a wonderful 'bonding' experience for us and we've been closer ever since.

Since we go to WDW quite a bit, I just let her do her thing and just went along and enjoyed whatever she wanted to do. She was a little uneasy 'taking the lead' at first, but soon just started to feel really special. We went to some restaurants I wouldn't normally have gone to and waited around for some entertainment acts that I'd normally walk by. It ended up being a great trip.

I took lots of pictures (which is a great way for me to entertain myself...) and surprised her with a scrapbook of our trip. This little ulterior motive kept me occupied, snagging pictures when she wasn't looking and collecting little souveniers (sp?) too.

Besides all that... the Flower and Garden show is beautiful! I predict you'll have a great time!

 

[IvyandLace]

Thanks for all the encouraging words!! I am feeling a lot better about the situation, and MIL and I have been actively planning our "plan" of attack for the World which makes it easier on me and increases her excitement level!

I am still learning how to put my "expectation" aside and go with the flow in the whole process!

Thanks again...you guys are great!
IVY

 

[vettechick99]

I say that if you are expecting the worst, then reality can only be better? teehee

I always expect too much from my trips and then if things don't go perfectly, its disappointing. Maybe I should start imagining its going to be a terrible trip.