OT - need to vent about people cancelling plans

[iluveeyore]

Hi all! Not Disney plans, but thought I'd give an earful to people who actually listen
The plans: We (DH and me) have wanted my DSis and her hubbie to go to a Nascar race with us for a while. So a couple of months ago my sister calls me and says to pick a race not too far away so it's just a long weekend away, and her hubbie will book it off work. Great!
So we pick the upcoming Richmond, VA race because it's only 9 hours by car, and because it's a track DH and I have never been to.
Bought 4 tickets (she paid for her two), booked a hotel room nearby - they were to drive because her hubbie is a car salesman and has a new demo car to put the miles on instead of our own (which just drove to WDW last month!), and they were splitting the cost of the room to share and gas costs. That is why we agree to go so soon after we just went away, because they were splitting costs and we could actually maybe afford it.
Wellllll, guess what? Yes, they cancelled Said they really couldn't afford it, didn't want to put anything on credit, and didn't have the cash to go. They will try to sell their two tickets, and if not they are just out the money ($180 US!!!!)
So now, since we don't want to lose the money on our tickets, we are stuck going without them. We now have to drive, pay for round-trip gas, and pay for a room ourselves. This completely sucks - we were really looking forward to having fun with them, and also not going into debt to pull it off.
DH is really ticked, but I told him to move on - they're not going, end of story.
The only thing that really bothers me is that they approached us to go away, even though we just went to a race in Bristol, TN and then on to WDW, and we're going away with friends to WDW in August. We agreed to go because we've been hoping they'd show an interest this year, and when they finally said to book it we got all excited. Now it's like the wind has left my sails, and we're left here hanging with our tickets and reservations we should never have paid for in the first place.
Do people ever think of the consequences of their decisions to others??? Especially family!
Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[seashoreCM]

Ah, the advantages of having people make their own plane reservations, hotel reservations, etc. (your kid's friends, inlaws, extended families coming along, etc.)

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Vent away! We all need to at times. I would be but as you said, you have to move on. Esp when it's family. Not sure if we'll ever get to plan a trip w/ family as everyone else is too wishy washy at least not to Disney! We can barely leave the province in a group!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I know where you're coming from. We talked some friends into a trip to Vegas a few years back. While we didn't get stuck paying for anything we ended up being their personal tour guides. We've been to Vegas about 15 times and they had never been. As much as we love these friends it really ruined our trip because they wanted to see and do everything that we had already done about 5 times. They didn't want to go off on their own at all and we wanted to hang at the pool and sip some fruity drinks in the afternoon. So because we talked them into going we lost out and had to show them around. As a result I doubt we will ever travel with friends again.

Another time we were planning a trip to WDW for my DDs dance competition finals. We invited my brothers' family to join us because we were getting nearly 40% off our hotel and tickets, as a perk of the event. They were all excited because it was such a good deal (he called a TA to check out if it was good ). We had to pay for the tickets 6 months in advance and for his family it would have cost them $800 USD. About 2 days after I told him when the money was due he said that they talked it over and the kids would miss going to the cottage. So they were cancelling. I had booked their hotel room with mine and I had paid the deposit. That was not really a big deal because we were staying at CSR and they just put the second deposit onto my account toward my room. I was really mad though because they never take their kids anyplace and they can afford it FAR more than we can. Plus, he had asked me for all kinds of info on the parks and restaurants and said it would be neat for the kids to go all together. Like when we were kids.

BTW, the cottage that they go to is a shack beside a pond. Can you imagine that any kid would prefer that to a week in WDW. Please.
For a while my SIL said that she would take the kids to WDW sometime because my DB is not into it. Now they say that they will never go because the kids aren't interested. The kids are 7 and 11. I see their faces everytime come back and they look at the photos or when they open the gifts we bring them.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

Oh dancin Disney style - you hit a nerve there! When you travel w/ others you picture it as being so much fun but then you can end up being at the MERCY of the other people! And it's so hard to politely say, oh we've done that (like a dozen times). When you just want to go to the pool you are STUCK doing something else and being miserable! Hope that doesn't sound selfish but we only get so many vacations, esp Disney. You want it to be fun.

I hope someday you get to take DSIL and the kids. Leave DB at home, let him go to the shack by the pond!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I hope someday you get to take DSIL and the kids. Leave DB at home, let him go to the shack by the pond!

They only rent the shack. I would get it if they owned it but come on. It really is a shack....no joke.

I truely don't think they will ever go to the world. As much as I would like to take the boys, it'll never happen. They are mainiacs.

 

[rewok]

I feel for you, travelling with other people can be fun at times, but it's sooo complicated!

However, since it will only be the 2 of you, maybe you could try for a room on Priceline to cut down costs? I know there's an event going on, but sometimes it's worth checking it (a preview look on Hotwire would tell you if there are opaque rooms available).

 

[dioxide45]

---Deleted---

 

[dancin Disney style]

If it's stressing the budget try selling the tickets.

 

[iluveeyore]

Update - first of all, thank you for all your comments and input - I love the DIS!
Yesterday, my sister called and said they didn't think they'd be able to sell the tickets (there's over 975 available online, some better than ours), and they were re-thinking going because her hubby sold two cars last week and might get paid before they go!
Since they cancelled, I found a room online for half the price of the one we had reserved, and it's only 19 miles from the race. So as of now, they are apparently going, driving and paying half the costs.
My husband said he'll believe it when the pull in the driveway to pick us up the day we're leaving!
Sometimes I think it's just easier to go ourselves and let others make their own plans - certainly would save me all of this back and forth stuff!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Update - first of all, thank you for all your comments and input - I love the DIS!
Yesterday, my sister called and said they didn't think they'd be able to sell the tickets (there's over 975 available online, some better than ours), and they were re-thinking going because her hubby sold two cars last week and might get paid before they go!
Since they cancelled, I found a room online for half the price of the one we had reserved, and it's only 19 miles from the race. So as of now, they are apparently going, driving and paying half the costs.
My husband said he'll believe it when the pull in the driveway to pick us up the day we're leaving!
Sometimes I think it's just easier to go ourselves and let others make their own plans - certainly would save me all of this back and forth stuff!

I agree...believe it when you see it. Go ahead with your plans to go and have a good time. If they join you it's a bonus. If not, it's their loss.

 

[Dragonfly*Tink]

If I wasn't on the other end of the country - I would have come with you!
My DBF and I love Nascar and I have only been to the Vegas race.

But seriously, what I have learned over the years is unfortunately - NEVER trust family!