My Sister Wants to "Fly By The Seat of Their Pants" on WDW Trip?!

[kimwim8]

I've been struggling with my family for a year. DH and I own DVC, and thought my family would be very excited to go with us. We are staying at OKW (haven't told them that the main pool is being refurbished b/c I don't want to hear them whine!). My dad backed out about a month ago, which stinks.

DH and I are Disney NUTS. We came to the realization about 1/2 way into the planning that we have to do what is best for us & our 2 kids. We have planned out which days for which parks. I think the rest of the family has agreed to those parks, but not necessarily staying together, and possibly meeting back at the resort later.

We are going to purchase walkie-talkies to try to communicate & maybe meet up for meals, but we'll see how it goes.

DH, DD, DS and I will have a great time. If no one else wants to know about the additional planning (park sheets that list all food, FP rides, shops, character locations, etc) that we have been doing, that's fine!

I just can't wait to go........

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I read another thread recently similar to this one. What they did was send out questionnaires to all family members to gauge what they wanted to do and in what price range, etc... I thought it sounded like a good idea. That way everyone has a say and they can't say they didn't have a choice.

Myself, I learned years ago that group vacations are more aggravating to me than they're worth so it's not something I do anymore. If we do want to meet someone while we're on vacation we leave it very flexible and make sure we have plenty of "alone" family time of our own. Nothing worse than being aggravated on vacation!

 

[ahutton]

We've done many trips with extended family and family friends over the last 10 years. We figured out after many meals where people didn't come and others feelings were hurt that it was best to plan what we want to do, ask at PS time if others wanted to go and if they weren't sure we just made our PS for us and did it. We would keep in touch with cell phones and walkie talkies and if someone was close and you ran into them cool, we would do something together maybe. The best times were when we were doing what we wanted, and ran into other family members who happened to be doing the same thing we were and just hung out together. We do however plan 2 or 3 things in a week trip for everyone, so we have a couple planned events. Often a meal, but sometimes it is more along the lines of "tomorrow is supposed to be nice, want to do a pool day?"

 

[mes]

We are a family of 5 and I am not making a plan. It's a family vacation and if we dont do all the rides or see all the shows, oh well. I have read the guides and will use the tips on fast passes, but I think people go crazy over their planning. Do what you can do and just have fun!!

 

[SnowWitch]

We have a total of 3 families going in Dec. My Brother and his family have only been once and that was years ago pre-child days for them. My best friend and her family who have been multiple times with us. I am a planner, my brother's family are happy to participate in planning and then stick to the plans. My best friends family-veryyyyyyyyy fly by the seat of their pants types.

She procrastinates- they will not be dining with us at Le cellier for the CP pkg because of it. She waited to long and now there are no PS's at Le Cellier for the day of our pkg. But she doesn't mind so oh well. They will make minimal PS's and eat alot of fast food- my group likes to sit down and enjoy at least one meal per day anyway. We can't live off of burgers and the like. But thats how they are and thats okay. Shes been enough times that she knows what not planning can do if there are crowds.

Make your plans let them know what your doing, try to amke some group nights and don't worry about the rest.

 

[Gillian]

Non-planners are so frustrating!

When I planned for my family, I gave everyone a SMALL packet of info with menus (& prices) of places I thought they might want to eat.

Luckily, the adults and my niece did read them. And my SIL, who had said she wanted to eat at Coral reef because a friend liked it, changed her mind when she saw the prices!

MIL read the 'what to pack for the parks' list & followed it exactly!!

Because it was summer & the parks were packed, they mostly went where I told them and were happy to get on so many rides so quickly. We split up and communicated by cell phone sometimes. We had 1 big dinner and 1 character lunch together. One day was pool and shopping for the older or pregnant, with Islands of Adventure for the teenaged and daring.

I'm hoping to plan a trip for a larger group in 2005. I will have a "suggested" park and one reserved meal each day, I think. Also 1 or 2 adult evenings with babysitting (switch off?) if possible. If people want a guide, fine. If not, they can do their own thing.

 

[Dawnflower]

I just experienced the vacation from hell this past May! They never really wanted to discuss much, and wanted to just do things on they fly as they came to them, I flipped! I plan what park what day, based on personal experience, time of year, EE, and other Dis's personal opinions! I base restaurant choices on the same things, for a party of 9 they just didn't understand why you couldn't just walk up to a restaurant and get seated, they failed to take into consideration that 1 group had a baby and we had a preschooler! A 1 hour wait to eat because of lack of planning is not my idea of fun!

I should have been tipped off in the airport when 1 of the 3 groups took the elevator upstairs at the airport, (because of a stroller issue) and FIL flipped and said "no more splitting up" someone could get lost from the group!" we all had our own boarding passes and the like!

By the end of the first full day, me and my 13 year old daughter where in tears, I drank a margarita with a shot of tequila on the side straight down and it didn't even affect me! And I RARELY drink! I wanted to fly home so bad I couldn't stand it! At that point, after complete chaos the first day, they all admited that there should have been plans in place, I whipped out a daily park schedule, special events going on, bands playing at EPCOT, and restaurants I had made PS's for. They barely glanced at it!
The rest of the week was slightly better, but the last 2 days the baby came down with a stomach bug and her and her parents spent all their time in the room! Then there was at least 1 less set of people to please!

I would not EVER do it again!

 

[tjmw2727]

It sounds like you are really trying to do your best and show everyone a good time during your trip.

Unfortunately I learned from first hand experience its up to them to have a good time on the trip. We went twice with family, our family of 4, dh's 2 brothers and their famiies - one family of 4 the other of 6. Since we are in different states and don't see each other much we really wanted to spend time together. Due to different ages of kids, different interests and even budgets that was proving to difficult.

Instead we all planned our own park days and tried to meet for parades, shows, fireworks or meals. We saw TON and Illuminations together and one night we did an E Night with bil's family that had the older kids, that was a blast. We arranged pool breaks together so the kids could swim and the adults could catch up and we shared a few meals. Character breakfasts at the resort are nice becuase its easier to meet in the mornings.

The first couple days it was very interesting to meet for a "beverage" in the evening and discuss our days. SIL was constantly complaining that we waited so long and didn't "get in to that show" and finally started to understand when my dd's were saying, we rode that 2x and we got to sit in front etc.

The next trip they did more planning and we did a bit more touring together. We planned a few more things together, dh's families had a better idea of what to expect. All in all both vacations were wonderful but I learned to just take care of my family. I did invite everyone to join us each day but I also didn't let my feelings get hurt when they declided. Likewise I also did not feel guilty when they complain!

fwiw - I always plan a few meals for just a family, as much as I love the family its nice to take a break as well.

Have a great trip.
TJ

 

[js]

I have the same thing going on but I'm not going to stress about it. My mom (karensi) is taking my family (including my dh, dd-10, ds-6) and my sister, bil and my 8 month old nephew-we all live within 5 minutes of each other. My mom and I plan, plan and then we must plan some more LOL We have been to WDW more times then I can even count but still plan out every trip. We plan what parks, what days, where to eat, make our ps, have our tickets to MVMCP, etc. My sister, who has been but not as nearly as much as my family, is going for the first time with a new baby and doesn't seem at all interested in planning...gasp, I don't even think she knows what the baby centers are LOL
Anyway, my mom and I have made up our itinerary, and I just plan on letting my sister and her family know where we are on what days. They want to eat with us and we have added them to our PS. I have a feeling they will be at the parks that we are in, for the most part, and we have decided to meet at our PS at the certain time. We always rent a car, no matter where we are staying, and my sister will be doing the same (although she hasn't rented the car yet either!!!). My family is done, my mom is done, but my sister just doesn't have a clue. I've guided her to the disboards, my mom and I talk to her about Disney, we tell her how different it will be with an 8 month old but she just doesn't seem to get crazy over the planning. I figure I will see my sister in the mornings, during PS and then in the evenings. My mom will probably split her time with each of us and going with my sister when she needs a more slow paced, carefree day LOL We don't plan our days hour to hour or attraction to attraction, but we just plan on knowing where/what day have the PS and knowing usually we take a break in the middle of the day and head to Epcot in the evening (it is my family's favorite park). My sister is the same as the OP so I wish them luck LOL

 

[DWhittles]

I have exactly the opposite of you guys. My husband and I can't find a single friend or family member who want to come to Disney with us!
We've tried and tried with everyone we know and no one wants to join us!
Diana

 

[dbal]

Schmeck- your post made me laugh.

I am such a vacation hog. I actually don't want to share mine with anyone! (except my immediate family) MY BIL & family usually have a WDW trip planned every year and they always ask us to join them. Now they do things their way and I guess we do ours differently....(The right way )
We have been to the beach with them a few times and we always ended up driving around for an hour trying to find the perfect miniature golf course, ice cream place, t-shirt shop, etc. Their 12 year old dd was the one who got final say! Of course there's about 5 of each of these places along every block of the 'main drag'. That's when I let the "f-er" fly. (We were in our own car trailing behind) I told my dh right there, under NO circumstances would I spend all our $ on a Disney trip to follow them around again!


Whew! That felt good! Thanks.

 

[toystoryduo]

I really appreciate this thread! I have been planning a WDW vacation for 14 people since last year and sometimes it seems like no one else is interested.

When it comes to planning, I think that we will stick to our original plan.... Each day, we will go to the same park, ride a ride together in the beginning and then split up into groups. Then, we will meet up for lunch, ride another ride together, and then split up into groups. Then, we will meet up for dinner, ride a ride together, split up into groups, and then meet up again for fireworks, Illuminations, or Fantasmic. That way, there is flexibilty and if they want to go around the parks with us that's fine. (10/14 are WDW rookies. )

 

[ryansmom]

toystoryduo, I like how you have it planned out. My family wants to stick together the entire time!

Sue Ellen at DU just completed our final itinerary. (Thank you, Sue Ellen). I told my sister I would mail her a copy. She said, "No, that's ok. Just give it to me when I get there. I'll read it then."

When I get there I plan on having fun right away, not sitting around reading about it.

 

[Dawnflower]

one piece of advice that I wished I had had before I went on the trip from hell, would have been to make 1 person the leader!! everyone would have to agree on who it is, but for all of the non planners and tagalongers, and the 1 or 2 real planners, there needs to be somone to put the plan in motion! Otherwise, you just stand around and try to figure everything out! Makes for very costly waste of time!! WDW does not come cheap, and whether you are paying to relax or go commando or somewhere in between, no one wants to spend much time making decisions with a group of 10 at exit of every ride, restraunt and store.

 

[Dreamin' Disney]

I am the planner for our group of 12, which includes my family of 5, my inlaws and DH's sister, husband and their 3 kids.

Although my SIL was a travel agent, I am the one that usually plans everything, so I am happy to be in charge, so I can at least direct the flow of things.

On their last trip, they stayed off site and never did a PS for anything and ended up eating fast food all the time. They also waited until they got there to buy their Disney passes, and ended up losing hundreds of dollars.

This time, they were happy to go with our suggestions to stay on site and get a PS for dinner everyday. We are staying concierge level so that we can all get breakfast together at our resort before heading out to the parks.

I am going to suggest a park we go to for every day, based on the early opening and closing times. If we are not all in agreement, then we may just pursue our own plan and try to meet back at the resort or for dinner.

I think I will distribute a proposed itinerary to everyone, just to give them the head's up, but I still don't want it to appear bossy.
We've already talked about the best times to have dinner. Originally I made most of our PS's for after 7 pm, as we like to relax and have a drink before we eat. However, we decided as a group to have early dinners, between 5:30 and 6:00, so we can have a bit of time in the parks after dinner. So then, if we get back to our resort around 9 pm, maybe the adults could check out the bars on the Boardwalk, while our kids, ages 8 to 19 can have some time to themselves in the room.