Is it REALLY too much to ask?

[dmiller882]

I Planned a trip for our family last year and I ask each family to pick out a restaurant. I Then made the reservations for Which ever park had extra magic Hours. I made a schedule up. Gave a copy to each family and told them we will be here and these are the times for dinner. (parades, fireworks and other special events Also)

 

[crisi]

#2 - the owner who uses their own points and has people back out on them. We should know the risks, but as you say, we often don't think the rules of human nature apply to our family.

To date our "guest arrangements" have involved renting a two bedroom and having our kids on the hideabed in the living room. If our guests become no shows (which hasn't happened yet), the backup plan is to spread out and use the living room as a living room.

Our trip after this one is our "family reunion" trip - two two bedrooms and I NEED a backup plan. I have one sister just finishing chemo with a one and three year old and a husband who could drop dead of a heart attack any minute. A second sister who is a flaky alcoholic (currently in recovery, but there is no guarantees about staying on the wagon) who has gone back and forth on coming along, and my parents. I may end up with an extra two bedroom - on the other hand, it will be at the Boardwalk over 2008 Food and Wine - as long as I get SOME notice I can probably dispose of it. And its an October trip with an April use year - so points in holding can probably get used.

It will drive me nuts, but "hope for the best, plan for the worst." And the upside of this one is worth driving me nuts - in case you can't tell from the above, its been a wild few years for a family that I do love - IF I can get this pulled off, its something that is worthwhile - even if the risk is I waste the points completely.

 

[Wigit12]

DH and I planned our Oct trip for F&W. Now all of a sudden it's been highjacked by his family. Started innocently enough. My Mom and her husband just bought DVC so they planned their trip same time. (not much of a problem--they'll do whatever we want/whenever we want) Then SIL (lives in FL) wants to bring kids (4) over to see us since we're close-just a day or 2 has turned into Sun-Wed. (leaving us with only Thursday for our own planning) SIL has to bring my MIL even though she'd leave her home if given the chance. MIL doesn't really "need" to go to the parks everyday but will be grumbling about being left alone.

Same old story--no need to repeat. ADR nightmares, etc.

So now we've planned a Jan trip and haven't told anyone.

 

[Bopsmom]

...A second sister who is a flaky alcoholic (currently in recovery, but there is no guarantees about staying on the wagon)... it will be at the Boardwalk over 2008 Food and Wine .

Boy, you might have some "built-in" trouble with that one. Being within walking (stumbling) distance of a wine fest with a maybe/maybenot alcoholic.


Really, I hope all goes well.
I liked the person's suggestion of planning in "circles".

 

[kikiq]

If my warnings prevent ONE person from holding the bag on an extra room they paid for, I figure I'll get into heaven on that alone. And if I keep one member from having to deal with that renter calling them with a sob story about family canceling, its bonus points.

And if people don't listen and think I'm a huge meanie for raining on their parade - then they deserve finding out that their son and his new girlfriend decided to go to Cancun instead.

Well, you have a spot in heaven as far as I'm concerned.

I had been considering renting points for our 2008 family trip. But right before our August WDW trip during one of our Friday trips to DLR, we JUST happen to stop at a DVC cart because a good friend had just bought SSR.
I went to the presentation, crunched numbers and presented them to my DH. He said let's wait until we see the resorts. So after he paid the Poly bill for 5 nights and spent one night at ASMU ( I booked because I thought the family, 3 families, 10 people) might like to stay in the family suites. He said let's buy<G> We bought SSR...so no renting points. One spot reserved for you.

THEN after reading this thread and your suggestions, I decided that we didn't need a GV but a 2 bdrm and studio would make more sense. First if one of my brothers decide not to come, we cancel the studio. Second, if all show, then we take the studio and have some privacy. Of course, our family will probably all hang out in the 2 bdrm living room. Another spot for you in heaven.

Thank you, although we might try for a AKV or OKW GV for 2 nights<G>

 

[crisi]

Boy, you might have some "built-in" trouble with that one. Being within walking (stumbling) distance of a wine fest with a maybe/maybenot alcoholic.


Really, I hope all goes well.
I liked the person's suggestion of planning in "circles".

I'm not worred about that at all. If she is off the wagon she won't show up. If she is on the wagon, she won't fall off it around her family and neice and nephews. She is a grown up who makes her own choices and works in a very alcohol intensive industry (one of those where buying drinks for clients is a huge part of the job and where everyone goes out for happy hour twice a week) and has to make the choice every day with a lot more availability than she'll find at F&W.

By the way, you aren't a maybe/maybenot alcoholic. You are an alcoholic. You are currently in recovery or not (or, more bluntly, you are currently a drunk or dry).

 

[eliza61]

"
If my warnings prevent ONE person from holding the bag on an extra room they paid for, I figure I'll get into heaven on that alone. And if I keep one member from having to deal with that renter calling them with a sob story about family canceling, its bonus points.

And if people don't listen and think I'm a huge meanie for raining on their parade - then they deserve finding out that their son and his new girlfriend decided to go to Cancun instead.

Now Ms. Crisi where were you last year when my lovely sister (to bad there is not a smilie of some one choking the life out of another person) decided to back out of a GV at OKW because it was just too hot in Florida in August. Like it wasn't going to be hot when I made the ressie in December -using up all my points from 2 years.

The upside to it was that I got a lot of nice DVC dissers who volunteered to sit on my jury in case of a murder trial and I finally got to try the VWL, becoming a bonafide "Groupie"

 

[Bopsmom]

Crisi,
I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend or anger you.
No, I am not an alcoholic nor have ever been.
I still hope all goes well.

 

[crisi]

Crisi,
I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend or anger you.
No, I am not an alcoholic nor have ever been.
I still hope all goes well.

Oh, you didn't anger me. You don't know my sister...she will either not come because she is a drunk or she will and have a good time if she is dry. She's flaky, but she is too ashamed to be drunk around the family. So my big worry is that she doesn't show - and if its just her, that isn't really a big worry, since it means my family spreads out in a two bedroom - though her loss would certainly put a damper on the trip since we'd all know what it meant.

There are alcoholics where F&W would probably be risky. And the alcoholic thing was meant to be educational. Most people don't really understand unless your been/dealt with an alcoholic that it isn't something that is cured. Once you cross that line, you don't go back.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

And the upside of this one is worth driving me nuts - in case you can't tell from the above, its been a wild few years for a family that I do love - IF I can get this pulled off, its something that is worthwhile - even if the risk is I waste the points completely.

I am hoping for the best for you and your family. Hopefully stars will align for a great family trip I completely understand about the risk being worthwhile - a risk analysis could never measure it- but I get what you are saying.

 

[ont/ohana]

Good luck to you. I think you have gone above and beyond the family friendliness!!
Have a great time and make sure you relax when you go.
Take care

 

[MinMouse]

Wow! I wish the OP the best of luck with her family trip. I think having rules/guidelines as many have suggested is a great way to go. My parents travel with us to Disney on most of our trips. We also travel with them to other places and we get along very very well. We pretty much stay together the whole time and it works well. I do all the planning with their input and they love to get the updated itineraries as I "work the plan".

In our pre-DVC days we traveled with my parents, Aunt & Uncle and their adult kids & grandkids. I had gotten a really good deal on a Disney hotel and my extended family wanted to piggyback on our trip. Great. We had 14 people. Everyone made their own hotel arrangements so that wasn't a financial issue. We ate one meal together --- H&V for Fantasmic. I'm the major planner of the group so I planned the trip we (my family & parents) wanted to do and gave everyone a copy. I told them this is where we'd be if they wanted to join us.

We traveled this spring with friends who are also DVCers. We arrived a day or so before them and they were there a day or so beyond us. That worked great. We planned a few meals together and did tour the parks together a few days. We also parted ways when we felt like it and had a day that was just a "family day" where we each did what we wanted.

I loved the idea from the family that met together in the evening to share what they did that day.

Good luck to the OP. I hope your family surprises you.

 

[Muushka]

Now Ms. Crisi where were you last year when my lovely sister (to bad there is not a smilie of some one choking the life out of another person) decided to back out of a GV at OKW because it was just too hot in Florida in August. Like it wasn't going to be hot when I made the ressie in December -using up all my points from 2 years.

The upside to it was that I got a lot of nice DVC dissers who volunteered to sit on my jury in case of a murder trial and I finally got to try the VWL, becoming a bonafide "Groupie"

And then you wrote that wonderful post about VWL! Probably my favorite. I still chuckle when I think about what you wrote.

Where is Granny with the link????