Not sure how to handle this situation.Looking for advice.

[dgaston]

Just to let you know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Dean]

First of all, Dean I want to apologize. I meant to wish you my best and send prayers your way when you mentioned in the first post that you were sitting in the hospital. We all will be thinking of you.

To everyone else, thank you for your advice. I agree that being open will be the best. To, who posted with the question if our friends are Mormon. No, they are Southern Baptist. Don't want to get in a religious discussion here but that is their denomination. My husband and I are Wesleyan. He grew up Baptist, I grew up Methodist so it was a great combination.

When we joined our church, my husband told our minister up front that he does drink beer on occasion. He just felt it is best to be up front and not put on airs about the whole thing. I agreed.

Anyway, our friends are wonderful people and we have a great time with them. I think if I tell them what to expect from us, it will be no big deal. We will have a wonderful time I'm sure. Our sons are the same age, same name, look pretty much the same and are best buds. I really can't wait to go with them. And I can surely have a good time without a glass of wine or a margarita, but hey, I just doubt I will pass one up!!!

Thank you everyone!!!! And Dean, you should never feel like you hijacked this thread. Take care of your loved ones. That is the most important thing!!!!

No reason for apologies. Sometimes I laugh when things get a little heated because I know if we were all sitting around at a bar or at lunch at work, we would be disagreeing just like many about college football. But we would walk away good friends.

And thanks again for all the well wishes and prayers.

 

[Cinderpals]

I'm about to leave for our trip to WDW tomorrow morning. I cancelled a CRT breakfast for Weds at 8:10 for 2 by the way, but I couldn't find the CRT board to let anyone know!! Sorry!

It's very important that you do explain, communicate your expectations. This is your family vacation to WDW. You need to decide the date that's best for your family. How commited are they? We've gone two Augusts (last two weeks) for the past 2 years. The first year was cut short by Hurricane Frances, and the second year was perfect at the Beach Club Villas.

We've gone with friends on two occassions. One family was very Disney oriented. We just planned to meet for some meals mainly, and our kids didn't spend very much time with them, eventhough, we stayed at the same hotel. It was just weird, but now they're going through a divorce.

The other family was enthusiastic, but very WDW green. They didn't stick to the plan at all! Didn't book at the same resort, eventhough, they had plently of time to do so etc... ended up staying at the AKL without a car rental. I made the mistake of booking too many ADRs in full parties (should have split reservations) and had to wait up to 40 minutes for them to arrive! Needless to say, we learned very quickly to stick to our plan, and not wait for them.
My little one was disappointed that her friend didn't show up to the parks until 3 hours after she had! It wasn't fun!

This next trip, my son's friend's parents are bringing him to WDW because my son didn't want to go on a trip with them. I'm not sure how this one is going to turn out, but they expect my son to go off sight and play paint-ball all day. My son would normally want to, but he's there for the parks, water parks, disney quest, golf with Dad etc...plus, he mainly, wants to just "chill". I don't blame him. We've been to WDW so many times, that we plan, but don't over plan. It's truly like a second home to us. We rent cars and go into Orlando to shop/dine. At least, my son's friends parents knew to purchase the right type of ticket for him. My son will be going to every park, and back and forth to Epcot, Disney Quest etc...

You need to be upfront with how you and your family vacation. You shouldn't be confined by their morality, or their "tight" budget. Just be yourself and do what you want to do. Your family has taken the time to get to know WDW...purchased into the DVC...your friends have the opportunity to do the same. That's my perspective. I'm not obligated to make mega-plans for people who don't bother to do it for themselves. I made it clear to this family that we're on vacation. I'm not taking their son around to tour the parks, and my son needs some alone time with us and his little sis. I just planned a couple of dinners at places that don't require a park entry (in consideration)--split ressies. I'll let them know which parks we are headed to on whichever days etc...I told them about adrs, tennis ressies (they like to play), spa, boat rentals etc...told them about this website, booked them a room at the OKW for 6/7 nights of their stay. They paid me for my points through Paypal. $10 per point...I showed them which ticket to buy for their son, so that he wouldn't be left out of anything. I told them to ask me any questions...gave them our flight numbers etc...

Hopefully, you'll take care of your family and your vacation time first. Make a list of what they want to do first, and plan it! It's fun with another family, but you just can't do "everything" with them. Stay at the same resort!

 

[reesecup]

Thank you Cinderpals for the great advice.

When I first called my friend to see if they were interested in going, she was so excited and said they were excited to be going with someone who knows "some" ins and outs. I don't forsee a problem with us not getting along about what we want to do and what they want to do. I told her that in the beginning (thanks to Dean's advice). Just told her that they don't have to feel like they need to do everything we do and viseversa (sp). What may be a little hard is that I know our boys will probably want to stick together most of the time.

Thanks for the August info. as well. The heat is what bothers me. We just liked that time b/k our kids don't go back to school until the very end of Aug. this year. And we were just worried about taking our middle school aged children out of school for any more than a couple of days, but we may just do it anyway.

I'm just so excited about going and glad they are too. They have a four year old daughter and it will be fun seing Disney through a little one's eyes again!

In fact, I'm kind of glad they will be goind. My sister that was originally going, I could tell really didn't care to go but she was going to go with her husband and step-son. The times she took her children when they were little was in the summer and they stayed off site and had a miserable time. I try to explain that they have to research Disney before going and plan but don't over plan. And stay on site!!! She just doesn't understand there is so much more to do there than stand in lines to ride a 2 minute ride. But, I'm tired of trying to defend my "second home".

I keep thinking that the ones who frown on us when we say we are going to Disney again, may very well be the ones begging to stay on our points one of these days (maybe when they have grandkids). I think I may tell them they are all dumps then.

 

[crisi]

Spend some time reviewing expectations...

The first one is cost....before she gets to committed, she needs to know what it will cost her. Let her know and give her some alternatives you can both work with.

The second one is "together time" We had luck with our Disney newbies by spending the first two days park hopping - then meeting up for dinner or special events. They were the sleep in type, we were the hit the parks in the morning type. They were also two ladies in their 60s, so their biggest interests were not things that you need to be in the parks first thing for - Hall of Presidents, browsing countries in Epcot.