planning a extended family trip - I think I am scaring them

[danicaw]

Have you ever had this problem....

We are planning an trip for next January with all our parents (Hubbys folks, my Dad and his wife and My Mom).
Well, hubby and I love planning WDW trips and for me it doesnt seem odd to be making reservations for our rooms (DVC home resort) 11 months out or figuring our which character meals we want to make ressies for with 11 months to go. But I think I am scaring my parents.
Hubbys folks have been to WDW with us twice and on there own about as much as we have. But my folks havent seen this side of us before. My mom is concerned about cost. So, we have been researching tickets and made and excel speadsheet listing all the options for our trip and cost per option as well as how much each options actually costs per day.
We have decided to do one group meal a day and want to get people menus (or links to menus) in advance so they can decide which they want to join in on. So, we are making a list of our must eat places for each park - also in excel with which park we want to do which day and any extra events that would fit in well that day. I think if I send the menu links out before Sept. I will really freak them out.
All my Mom will say is "it looks like we have a lot to think about" or the new one "as I said, it looks like a lot to think about" - So I am backing off.
But, I am not a freak!
I just like to plan and don't want to get there and have 7 people and an infant look at each other and say... "I don't know, what do you feel like eating"
AAaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!
Can you imagine! Planning is a good thing.

 

[Redbeard52]

Danica -

You plan all you want to, buddy!!! I'm with you. When you said that part about standing around with everyone saying "well, I don't know...where do YOU want to eat???," rang so true to me. That happened to me only ONCE in WDW. Never again!

My friend that I'm taking in March (her first trip ever) is a little concerned with all the prior planning I've done. She keeps saying, "You know...we may just want to lay around the pool one afternoon," and I say, "You're right, and that's no problem. However, if you want to do the really fun stuff that has to be planned beforehand, you have to have planned it..."

Anyway...good luck, Danica, and have a blast planning your trip! Eleven months is going to fly by.

-Kungaloosh!

 

[punkin]

I freaked out my sister when we went with the two families. BUT we were going during thanksgiving weekend and if I didn't plan, we'd be standing in lines all day. As it was, I just asked her for 2 mornings when they follow me and do what I say without question...all the rest of the time they do whatever they want. Well, we did MK on Friday after thanksgiving and saw EVERYTHING we wanted. My sister said afterwards that I was acting like a freakin' General, but Thank You...we had a great time!

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

I think it is great that you are planning, but I know exactly what you mean about your parents freaking out.

Have you sat down with them to find out what their expectations of the trip are?

I've read other's trip reports where various family members have gone together and it sounds like some of the older members of the group "opted out" of various activities because they just wanted to take things slower or have a break from the group.

You may want to reassure your parents that you want them to enjoy the vacation too, and if they are feeling like they want to pass on any of the activities, etc that you won't be broken-hearted or disappointed in them. They may be thinking that you are thinking they have to keep up with all the younger ones throughout the entire trip!!! As much as you enjoy family, sometimes you do need a break just to catch your breath!

I've mentioned this before on different threads, but when traveling with others, you need to have that discussion about expectations BEFORE you leave home so there are no surprises or disappointments.

 

[beansmom]

LOL! I know just how you feel. I have talked dsis into 'thinking' about going this Thanksgiving. She said yes Sunday so Monday I called HIFS and got them a kidsuite for $102 (sleeps all 6 of them confortably) with free breakfast buffet. YA'D THINK SHE'D BE EXCITED. But, no. She is like ok, yeah, that's nice.

SO then I found some cheap eats...no excitment still.


She actually said "You just don't understand...I don't really love Disneyworld the way you do." GASP!@!!! (I'm thinking of calling the FBI anonymously---she must obviously be a terrorist plant---it's un=American not to LOVE Disneyworld!)

Sigh. Guess it's just us here on the boards..thank goodness you all understand. I feel like the lone ranger.

 

[threeboysmom]

I know exactly what you're going through, Danica!! My entire family - mom, dad & sisters - all think I am nutzo. We actually all had a huge trip planned last year, but I think I scared them off with all my planning & trying to make ps's for us all - they cancelled their trip & went the following month after DH and I returned!! Can you believe it? They are just very "wing-it" type of people - how did I get to be the oddball in the family? I am an over-planner, perhaps, but I LOVE to plan - even if I don't follow the plan once I'm in WDW. Well, this year, we're in the same boat again! My parents & one of my sisters & brother-in-law are going to be down at WDW at the same time as my family - they didn't realize I was already booked for the same week - ha! But I've learned my lesson - I'm not saying anything about having to make priority seatings (they want us all to have dinner together - ha! try getting a table for 9 spur of the moment). They know the need for them - at least I've told them, but they think it's not necessary. So I just went ahead & made my own priority seatings for my own family. I also went ahead & bought discounted tickets through Ticketmania for just my family of 5. They haven't asked........so I'm not saying anything - they already know about it from last year. They can pay full price at the gate, which they will, I'm sure. My mom & dad are dying to eat at Emeril's - which books up solid 2-3 months in advance. They think they can just walk in at 7:00 p.m. & get seated - they ignore me or tease me when I suggest they call for a reservation. OK, I've learned my lesson - I'm not opening my mouth again Hopefully, my rambling makes sense to you all. It's a VERY FRUSTRATING experience when you vacation with others.

 

[momtotwinglesx4]

Take heart, threeboysmom, your rambling makes perfect sense to me! You would think the fools would appreciate all of your knowledge and hard work, but NO! They laugh at you! We'll see who gets the last laugh when you're all inside eating a wonderful meal and the rest of them are outside looking at you thru the window with long faces, lol! That'll learn 'em! I guess I'm the oddball in my family too--dh thinks I'm "goofy" with the hours I spend planning a trip to WDW, but he knows once we're there it'll pay off. Besides, I *love* to plan! It's almost as much fun as being there!


Sue

 

[danicaw]

Thanks you guys. I am just having to much fun planning to stop.

We are actually trying to leave most of the day stuff unplanned. We have told them all that what they do each day is up to them. We are planning one group meal a day, but beyond that our schedule will be set more by our 7 month old than us.
So, they will know what park we will be in each day and they will have our cell phone numbers, in case baby (or I) need a nap mid-day.

But this is supposed to be a vacation for me to - thats probably why I like to plan so much ahead of time. I don't want to spend 30 minutes walking around a park trying to find someplace 7 people can be seated in under 30 minutes for lunch.

Why don't these people understand
? I guess if they did PS ressies for Cindys and Illuminations cruise ressies would be even harder to get.
Hey, what are we complaining about

 

[eeyore0062]

My relatives always leave ALL of the planning up to me... they say it is refreshing to see me organized at something!...lol!

Yeah, I think it used to scare them, but since it all has worked out well, they just trust me to do it. In fact, I have created monsters... they plan NOTHING in Disney on their own!

 

[BrerMom]

I know where you're coming from and we didn't even get as far as you did. We wanted to GIVE my parents a well-deserved vacation in Florida. We were going to pay for airfare, hotel, and meals that we all ate together. They could pay for anything else. I still don't know for sure what scared them off, but they wouldn't go. I found out they were afraid to fly and said that it wasn't a problem because they could drive and meet us there. Nope, never happened. DH says we may have dodged a bullet.

Hang in there. If you can get them there without them feeling too overwhelmed, they'll have a great time.