Ungrateful family?

[iwrbnd]

loved your response

That would be my response, too!

 

[dianeschlicht]

My sister hated having her **FREE** Boardwalk studio with a HUGE balcony overlooking the village green, crescent lake, and spaceship earth.

Since she and her husband are smokers, (before the non-smoking policy) we reserved them a studio, and me, dh, and my other sisters family stayed in a 2 bedroom. We had hoped, and asked to all be close together.

She had been upgraded from POP to a 1 bedroom at SSR the night before, and wanted to go back, or wanted me to give up my 1 bedroom at the very least. (DH said no can do...but I was actually willing to do it.)

On the last day of the trip, they got up bright and early so they could go to Daytona to see the empty racetrack on the way home.

My sister explained the sidetrip to Daytona as ... "we didn't want the trip to be a complete waste!"

Sadly, my 11 year old niece thinks Walt Disney World is a boring money trap. I recently asked if she (the 11 year old) wanted to join me and DH on our next trip and she said NO!

So yeah...I think I know about ungrateful relatives. Oh, and we are nuts for liking WDW too.

This sounds like my SIL!!

 

[iwrbnd]

"we didn't want the trip to be a complete waste!"

I would need therapy if someone said this to me after I used my DVC points for a Grand Villa!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have had VERY successful trips with large groups and then some not so successful ones with other couples, but either way, SOME of the issues are always going to be there.

Our most successful was a trip in a GV with 4 total family groups. We all had a blast, and no one complained about sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room. Then we went again with the same group, but 2 other people who were different. BIG mistake! They complained about EVERYTHING.

We have had couples go with us in 2 bedroom villas, and sometimes they are more than grateful, other times they don't even bother to say "thank you". The usual is that they buy us one dinner out, but that is their choice should they wish to or think of it.

I've learned over the past 13 years who I can ask and who I can't. Some people just can't get their act together enough to let me know in time, and I don't wait for anyone when it comes to making DVC ressies. Should they decide after the deadline that they would like to come to, they are totally at the mercy of available units, and if there isn't the unit available that I can afford....oh well...too bad...so sad...maybe next time.

 

[La2kw]

I go on vacation to relax and enjoy myself. Taking family along is out of the question for us, it's not worth the drama.

 

[spiceycat]

let my family and friends go when their schedules allow - even it that means that I won't be there.

right now my brother is still wanting the 1 or 2 bedroom he got when the kids were little.

well the kids are grown and don't want to go with their parents.

so with everyone getting their own studio - it works.

yes you sometimes wish you could be there to see them. but hey everyone is different and needs to do what works for them.

 

[Dean]

Funny you should mention this. I had to call MS to find out how to handle the payment of the dining plan if my sister arrived before I did (they are all paying me for it, I know- could have issues getting the cash from them). So since I had to call anyway, I checked to see if there were 2 -2bd savannah views available, and unfortunately there were not (however, we would have lost 2 beds anyway and replaced them with 2 sofa beds.) But the CS asked me why I would want to change from the grand villa, and I told him what my brother said. The CS told me (jokingly) to let him use my dvc discount for a studio at $359/nt- that should shut him up! haha

I also forgot to mention the worst part. My brothers are so selfish they would let me 61 yr old mother and my 63 yrs old handicapped father sleep on the sofa just so they can have a bed.

When you have people like this along it's always going to be something.

We've done a family trip about every other year for the past 13 and the last couple of years, it's been every year. We're actually doing 2 this year, one at HH where I have four 2 BR units at Marriott's Surfwatch and one for Sept to DVC where I have 9 units (three 2 BR and five 1 BR units between BWV & BCV). We provide the accommodations and we notice everyone on the rules. They are all told that there will be an occasional adult beverage but no one will be out of control, everyone pays their own way other than the accommodations are my gift, I don't wait on you/you don't wait on me. And most importantly, if you have ANY reservations about the rules, don't go. Fortunately there have been no major issues and only a couple of minor issues over the years. No one is off the list but my brother/SIL have gotten close a couple of times due to their poor planning.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I could never invite my brother and SIL and their 5 children to stay with us. DH would have a cow! DH and brother are at opposite ends of the personality spectrum. So if it ever happened.....mooooo....Dh and I would get a studio (we do not have children) and brother and family would be in thier own 2 br, probably at a different resort. Dh and brother are nice to each other but SIL and I never push it.

However, when it comes to parents, my MIL would travel with us every year. We get a studio and she gets a studio. She realizes that I want to go with my parents and is willing to go every other year....I think that is sweet and thoughtful. My parents will have their first DVC trip in 2011. THey went for 10 days with us to Pop (before DVC) and we had adjoining rooms. It was alot of fun. Mom would go and stay a month....Dad only about 5-7 days So we figure we will offer the trip next year for 10 days in a SV studio for them and if they want a shorter visit that is OK,too. I think if they could appreciate the difference between Pop and AKV, they would stay 10 days.

I wish you the best and whenever confronted with a complaint...."you WANTED to come"...would be my response.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I've learned not to be upset when family doesn't want to go with us to WDW for a free trip. I try to be fair and offer the same trips to my side of the family and my husband's side of the family. Nieces and nephews get invited equally so we don't play favorites among the different families. It was his family's turn so we invited my inlaws and our niece and nephew for December. My SIL and BIL are definitely not Disney people but we wanted the kids (niece 14 and nephew 12) to be able to go again to see all of the things that they missed when they were there on our last family trip with their parents.

The kids decided they didn't want to miss school in December so they passed on the trip. I didn't argue with them. If they want to go to school and not Disney, that's okay with me. I offered the trip so they can't say they've been cheated.

Instead of just one week with my inlaws, now they are going to come for the week at the parks and then join us for a second week on a Disney cruise! I know I travel well with them as we have done a previous 2 week trip to Alaska with them. They are so happy that I do all the planning, they trust me to pick things to do that they will like. They never complain about the restaurants we take them to, either. Truthfully, I think I'll have a much better time with just my in-laws meeting us at WDW.

I was there and I saw my sister and BIL turn my excited niece off of Disney. Case in point...my niece's first ride was spaceship earth, while my bil was still in a good mood. It is the only ride that she likes at Disney. She said she would like to spend the night in the golf ball. I like that ride very much...but I would think most kids would find something else to like as well.

My other sister, her dh and 2 kids asked me and dh to tag along on their trip. They've rented points to stay at BCV. I did the nice thing and invited my niece. Funny thing...my ungrateful sister hasn't even figured out that she wasn't invited along.

This sounds like my SIL!!

No... it was my sister. I was rather peeved. It was as if she thought I set up the trip just so that I could personally snub her.

I would need therapy if someone said this to me after I used my DVC points for a Grand Villa!

It was a 2 bedroom and a studio, and I rented 70 extra points ($700) out of my pocket just so she could go.

After that trip, I've told my grateful sis and BIL, I appreciated the thank you, and were glad they enjoyed themselves. However, I was a little irked that the other sister thought that a trip to Disney was something that I did to her instead of for her.

 

[iwrbnd]

We took my DS's friend to go one year and he was too cool for Disney! I hated watching him look bored with his ear phones in his ear or getting off a ride and saying "That was lame". Especially since we paid everything for him and that was pre-DVC! It ruined that trip so much I decided only family could come on trips with us. But, after reading this thread I'm thinking only my immediate family goes on our Disney trips!

 

[rhonimouse]

I am planning a family vacation for a group of 10 for Thankgiving this year and this thread makes me AFRAID! I think we are going with realistic expectations- our family of 4 and another family of 4 are staying in studios at BLT and my DBIL and DSIL (who golf, enjoy lots of nightlife, and hardly visit a park) will be at BWV studios** (Pending availability at our 7 month window)...I am making dining reservations and scheduling park days and expecting members of our group to "come aand go" as they please and meet up together when it meets their needs- with 2 exceptions- an arrival day dinner and Thanksgiving Day dinner....so hopefully with a lower level of expectations (and lower stress level when planning) this can really be a fun relaxing trip....After all, we are already going to be fighting high volume holiday crowds, no need to fight each other

 

[toniosmom]

rhonimouse -- It looks like you are going in with the right attitude, so I'm sure your trip will turn out well. Only you know the people you are traveling with, so if they are "go with the flow" kind of people, you will no doubt have a great time.

Enjoy both the planning and the trip!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We took my DS's friend to go one year and he was too cool for Disney! I hated watching him look bored with his ear phones in his ear or getting off a ride and saying "That was lame". Especially since we paid everything for him and that was pre-DVC! It ruined that trip so much I decided only family could come on trips with us. But, after reading this thread I'm thinking only my immediate family goes on our Disney trips!

I would have taken the ungrateful little snip aside and told him if it was that "boring" he can return his ticket and you can send him on the next plane home. I hope your DS didn't get a bad attitude and not enjoy it because of his friend. That would have been awful!

 

[pickles]

My response would be: No problem. Just go to www.disneyworld.com, and book yourself a room. Have your credit card ready.

best idea!!

 

[Coach81]

Leave it to family....

 

[tink1969]

I think its funny that two grown brothers and their parents are sleeping in one room! You'll need an air freshener in that room!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

We've done a GV 3 times over the last 10 years (usually 10-11 people) and luckily our friends and family have never baucked at how or where they would sleep. Some have even said, thank you so much for inviting us, just stick us in a closet somewhere but if I invite someone then I want them to have a comfortable bed to sleep in, that's my policy. The sleeper sofas are comfortable, but if that's not suitable tell him to bring his very own blow up mattress to use, if not then I would tell him, this is what your options are, take it or leave it. At times when it made sense I've given up the master but it doesn't make sense in this case, and I don't think it's strange for the boys to share a room with their parents, it's not like it's a honeymoon, everyone will be at the parks all day. We love the togetherness of a GV vacation but from some of these stories I guess it's not for everyone.

Please don't let your brother spoil your outlook for this vacation!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I think I would just gather everyone together and say: "the master bedroom is ours...the rest is up for grabs...go for it!" Let them decide where they're going to sleep.

 

[llaxton]

Nothing like family to ruin the "Happiest Place on Earth"!

 

[Metsoskil]

We will occasionally invite family members to stay w/ us for 2-3 nights (no longer) in our 3 BR off-site TS. We explain that we have an itinerary that we will be following. If you want to come with, that's fine, but we're not switching what we do. If you want to do your own thing, that's fine, too. If you can't commit 6 months in advance, you won't be eating TS with us unless we can get an ADR at the same place/same time. It has worked out pretty well, but every time DW and I agree that we don't want anyone with us for longer than 2-3 nights, no matter what the relation.

Our time on-site using our DVC points is our family time. Nobody is invited. Period.