Reserves about traveling with family?

[knlasv]

My husband and I have been invited to go to WDW in November with my mom (59), brothers, sister-in-law (ages 30-33) and my nephew (will be 19 months during the trip).
They plan on staying at Coronado and getting the free dining plan. Only 2 days in the parks, plus the Christmas party one day. My mom is paying for the whole trip, we only have to buy our own plane ticket (that is not the problem!)
Our concerns are traveling with family who doesn't always get along when we are home. My mom and I are Disney freaks (with me knowing MUCH more than her) so I really want to go on the trip. My mom really wants me to go because of all the knowledge of WDW. Whether we go or not, I will be planning the whole trip for them (fastpasses, ADRs, etc..)
My bro and SIL are very strict with my nephew's schedule. They have already started asking questions like "How long will it take us to get back to the hotel when the baby has a meltdown?" I don't think they want him napping the the stroller in the parks.
I fear they will ruin my trip!


Any advice for traveling with family that could be complicated? Is the trip worth it knowing that a 19 month old (and his parents) could ruin it for us? (we would be staying in a room with my other brother, and we are ok with that, FYI.)

Sorry for the rant, any advice is welcome!
Thanks in advance!

 

[Pkltm]

Yes...but I would lay it out for he family, tell it like it is, napping in strollers will happen, if you head back to the resort, it doesn't mean we will. Meet up for meals and go from there.

 

[bbjunkie]

Do you have to be with them all the time, or can you let your nephew and parents spend their Disney Vacation in the hotel room so he doesn't melt down, while you and mom are off having a blast? I'd go. If you don't get along with them that well when you are home, I suppose you can't make it worse if they don't like the way your chose to "do Disney."

 

[bbjunkie]

Yes...but I would lay it out for he family, tell it like it is, napping in strollers will happen, if you head back to the resort, it doesn't mean we will. Meet up for meals and go from there.

I agree! Meet up for a couple of meals, maybe even breakfast at the resort before you leave for the day, and leave everyone on their own to do what they'd like.

 

[addiln]

I would still go but if they go back to hotel let them go and continue on with your day. Don't let them ruin your trip.

 

[sunshinemelody]

Yes...but I would lay it out for he family, tell it like it is, napping in strollers will happen, if you head back to the resort, it doesn't mean we will. Meet up for meals and go from there.

I agree. I'd sit your family down and let them know the low-down of how things work (times to get from point A to point B in said event of baby meltdown), also let them know that they are more than welcome to skedaddle, but you're not leaving. Let them know their options (because leaving wastes too much time) of what to do with baby, like making use of the Baby Center, and have them decide what is best for them on their own time. If you lay out your well-laid out plans to them they're just gonna have to figure it out.

Otherwise, don't let them ruin anything for you. Nip it in the bud now. 'Cause there will be more than one meltdown and it won't be the baby.

 

[Angel Ariel]

The key to extended family trips, imo, is not being married to the idea of the entire group being together the entire time. If the parents want to take your nephew back to the hotel and nap. even after they know how long it will take, let them. You don't have to go back with them. You stay, and arrange to meet up with them later.

My parents are accompanying us to DLR this year, but only on the condition that they can go off on their own for 2 days and visit the Presidential Libraries in SoCal. We are totally fine with that. It's great actually, because we'll get to tour exactly how we want to for 2 days too. It makes the time spent together much less stressful, as everyone feels like they are getting what they want for a portion of the trip, so any compromising when all together has less of an impact.

 

[verleniahall]

Agree with all of the posts above - be upfront about how thigns work ahead of time so that they can't claim they didn't know that you woulndd say at the park if they left the park.

I also agree on maybe family ADR's? And seperate "family time" other time?

Go, have fun, and enjoy the trip!

 

[mshanson3121]

My husband and I have been invited to go to WDW in November with my mom (59), brothers, sister-in-law (ages 30-33) and my nephew (will be 19 months during the trip).
They plan on staying at Coronado and getting the free dining plan. Only 2 days in the parks, plus the Christmas party one day. My mom is paying for the whole trip, we only have to buy our own plane ticket (that is not the problem!)
Our concerns are traveling with family who doesn't always get along when we are home. My mom and I are Disney freaks (with me knowing MUCH more than her) so I really want to go on the trip. My mom really wants me to go because of all the knowledge of WDW. Whether we go or not, I will be planning the whole trip for them (fastpasses, ADRs, etc..)
My bro and SIL are very strict with my nephew's schedule. They have already started asking questions like "How long will it take us to get back to the hotel when the baby has a meltdown?" I don't think they want him napping the the stroller in the parks.
I fear they will ruin my trip!


Any advice for traveling with family that could be complicated? Is the trip worth it knowing that a 19 month old (and his parents) could ruin it for us? (we would be staying in a room with my other brother, and we are ok with that, FYI.)

Sorry for the rant, any advice is welcome!
Thanks in advance!

I would definitely go, BUT... I would also make it clear to brothers/SIL, that you will not be leaving the parks just because they are. I would make it very clear up front that everyone can come and go as they please.

 

[cgh]

As someone who has a child who naps I really don't understand how they would be ruining it for you? I think with anything it is all about planning. If you know that the baby needs to be in the room from 1-3 or whatever it is see when they might be available for eating. Have a short plan to do all together and have free time. Any trip with a number of people if you do everything together would be stressful. I assume they aren't expecting you to leave the park then?

We've met my Dad and HIs wife there and I'd leave with the baby for nap and they would stay with my older son. I scheduled meals to fit our schedules. I think traveling with families is a bit of give and a take too.

 

[RachaelA]

This trip would not interest me at all. I have no desire to plan my trip around other people. Free with strings attached isn't actually free then.

 

[knlasv]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies! We definitely were not planning on leaving the parks when they leave. Since my mom is paying for the trip, I asked what she expected as far as everyone hanging out together. She said our 5 table service meals on the free dining plan should all be together and she wants everyone there when my nephew meets Mickey at MK.
Since the dining plan is what is most enticing to my husband and I (his favorite part of any vacation is the food) we will be trying new restaurants. I don't want this part ruined considering it is what we are looking forward to the most! (We don't have kids yet, so maybe this is just me worrying too much!)

 

[marielynn724]

The key to making a trip like this work is giving everyone their space. If the baby is getting fussy or needs to go back to the hotel, let them go back and the rest of the family can stay in the parks and then meet up again for dinner. You don't have to all be together 100% of the time.

 

[mindeola]

Do what you can together and split up when needed. Do not set high expectations. My sil wanted to do a lot of things with just her little family on our last big trip. We love when we are all together. We did not see them much, but I knew it would probably be that way so that was my expectation and I was not disappointed. It was harder on my sister. She let it get to her. I was determined to have fun no matter how other people wanted to approach the trip. My sil has since said she regretted not spending more time with all of us.

 

[powellrj]

If you aren't joined at the hip, the trip will be fine. For your 5 table service meals, I would pick some child friendly ones.

Crystal Palace can be a good one inside Magic Kingdom. While the food isn't the greatest Hollywood and Vine inside the studios is another one. If the little one is timid I would avoid T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe.

 

[rwdavis2]

Curious, have you already booked packages for free dining? Or are you all assuming it will be offered? OR, is it being offered right now?

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

Agree to make a basic plan and meet up for meals. But if some of the party heads back to the resort that doesn't mean everyone will. I made the mistake of always trying to keep 7 people together on DS14's first trip when he was 5. My in-laws basically ruined that trip. Now I know better. Meals are family time...the rest of the time we don't have to be connected at the hip.

 

[knlasv]

Curious, have you already booked packages for free dining? Or are you all assuming it will be offered? OR, is it being offered right now?

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resort-stay-dine-package/
We do not have it booked yet, but will be doing so within the next 2 weeks. Hoping the offer for Coronado is still available when we book!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Yes...but I would lay it out for he family, tell it like it is, napping in strollers will happen, if you head back to the resort, it doesn't mean we will. Meet up for meals and go from there.

I voted no because we don't and won't travel to Disney with anyone else. I love my inlaws, but there is no way I would go to Disney with them, and my husband agrees. It just wouldn't work. We don't want to be on someone else's schedule, we want to do things our way, and our vacations are few and far between to let them be ruined by other people's drama and stuff, so we go with just the four of us. We tried a 2-day trip to Kings Island with them years ago before we had kids, and that was a disaster.

IF, and only IF, the adults can agree to do their own thing and meet up for a meal or ride here and there, then maybe. Everyone makes their own FPs, do the meals your mom wants to do, if your tour plans merge, then great, but otherwise, every little family on their own. I would also throw in there that you aren't watching the baby all the time so they can ride (once in awhile is fine but people like my BIL/SIL like to dump their kid and go off for the rest of the day). If they can't agree to that, then no.

 

[Skywise]

So long as the family doesn't have to all be together ALL the time I'd say go for it.

The bonus is that you can plan out the trip days for them so they can get some down time at the resort while the rest of you do some other things that the 19 month old might not enjoy anyway like the World Showcase.