Vent .....

[tpettie]

Ok so I have to say all my childhood feelings of not being heard by my family have been proven true

We a planing a family trip my sister her family and my mom and dad....

Great right

I'm the crazy Disney person ... one trip a year since 2008, I have taken groups with me as large as 25 of us ranging in age from 4months to 45yrs.

All the book I can get my hands on, Memberships with touring plans, Mike (in the early years), Ridemax the works.

I have all the Facebook pages liked and groups signed up I frequent her to read the what happening now stuff.

I make the touring plans down to the minute with scheduled bathroom breaks you get the picture right CRAZY DISNEY GIRL....

So here is the email my helpful mom sends me

Hi Sally, as promised, here is my report:

- Epcot is the spot for Dan. 100%. It’s a great spot for you too. Anyone that loves food and drink from around the world will love Epcot. It warrants no more than a day with kids. If Dan is getting squirrely at Magic Kingdom send him on his own to Epcot for the day.

- There is an evening Christmas party at Magic Kingdom. If you can still get tickets, buy them! Spend the morning and early afternoon relaxing at your hotel. Hit the pool. Sleep in. Whatever. You get access to the park at 4pm. It stays open until midnight. We went at about 5:30pm that evening. There’s a cool parade and great fireworks. The best part: only 25K tickets are sold (or ¼ capacity of the park). All of the lines are short. We stayed until close and slept in the next day. Do it!

- Get the Disney app on your phone to know lineup times. Nothing is worth lining up for over 60 min except Soarin in my opinion.

- Animal Kingdom doesn’t warrant more than 1 day. The safari, Everest Expedition, and the Kingfisher beer sold there were the highlights.

- Hollywood Studios: The highlight was the sing-along with Elsa and Anna. Fastpass that if you can. I think Dan will really like the car show. The Tower of Terror is incredibly popular. It’s not worth more than a 45 minute lineup.

- Garden Grocer: https://www.gardengrocer.com/. We got breakfast, lunch, snack, and booze stuff. Even if you just get snacks it is an incredible resource to have. You can keep moving that way, and if a kid gets cranky there’s an easy solution.


Epcot highlights:

- Soarin: incredible ride. Do it. It’s the only ride I endured a 60 min lineup for and totally worth it. Kids will enjoy it too.

- Illuminations: Awesome show. Stick around to see it.

- The aquarium area after Nemo. Really cool. They do a diving talk in the afternoons. Worth seeing for adults and kids.

- The food and drink from around the world. I was honestly just happy to have a place where I could get a delicious beer. The different countries have their own beer. Perfect!


Like I haven't been telling them this for two years now. I know my Dad will love Epcot have handed him the book specific to it

Good grief I want to jump off Everest :good vibes

"chanting" I love my Mother I love my Mother


Happily planning our 2015 christmas trip. Fingers Crossed

 

[Mikie]

Haha! Vent away! Even though my family mocked me for being disney-obsessed and reading too much disney stuff, they'd then send me a comment like "did you know about the new mine train ride? Should you get us FasPass for that?" I tried to avoid saying "no kidding!" And act like all their tidbits were new exciting tips so that they'd stay excited about it all. You've got a long wait til Dec 2015 - sending you much patience until then!!

 

[emldrl]

I feel your pain!! Although it was nice that your mom was trying to help you, she probably should've known you already knew all that!

I am currently planning a trip for my family (hubby and kids) that includes my stepmom, and I have to tell her things several times, the same things over and over, it's like it's not sinking in. My hubby and kids just tune me out or run screaming when I try to talk Disney; I might be a little obsessed right now!

Just remember, patience, patience! Have fun on your next trip, I really want to do a Christmas trip someday!

 

[LadyRayado]

Oh my, lol. I feel your pain, too. I planned a trip for us and my in-laws in March. Even though she'd never been and had absolutely no idea what she was doing, my MIL insisted on booking her own trip over the phone. So I wrote down every tiny detail for her and sat next to her while she asked the phone CM for a room at the "Disney hotel" and after I'd pointed to the hotel name on the paper, she clarified, "The All-Star hotel." It only went downhill from there... wishing you lots of patience, good luck!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Reading it, it sounds like something my MIL would write to me. They're meeting us for one day on our trip next month (on our Epcot day) and I'm certain that she's going to be an expert because she's spent like 4 days of her life, total, at Epcot.

 

[Julylady]

Most of the posts in this vein are from uber-planners (myself included) who are dismayed that family members won't offer any feedback to their plans. At least your Mom is participating and telling you what she wants/doesn't want! From her email, its clear what things she wants to do and what she (and your Dad) don't want to wait for. Or maybe she would really like to be part of the planning and this is her way of letting you know? Planning for a trip can be a lot of fun and perhaps she wants to do it WITH you?

Just my thoughts!

 

[tpettie]

It's painful... My Dad wants to be off Property (I'm a stay on kind of WDW traveler) So when I'm talking to them about booking BOG for Lunch and said that Mom won't be able to because they are off site he says so we can't eat anywhere then.... No you can eat just not in Beast Castle.... I can't get him to under stand ADR's he has the walk up do what you what when you want thought process.... Which isn't always going to work. Getting them to understand Fps in a whole other story they have done disneyland a few time I can't get them to grasp the size difference... It's going to be interesting to say the lease.

 

[tpettie]

Most of the posts in this vein are from uber-planners (myself included) who are dismayed that family members won't offer any feedback to their plans. At least your Mom is participating and telling you what she wants/doesn't want! From her email, its clear what things she wants to do and what she (and your Dad) don't want to wait for. Or maybe she would really like to be part of the planning and this is her way of letting you know? Planning for a trip can be a lot of fun and perhaps she wants to do it WITH you?

Just my thoughts!

I agree and I love it when other are into the planning too.

That's what made this so funny is that I have talked with her several time about all of those things. I have sat at her house with my books and said Dad will love Epcot there is this that and the other thing he will enjoy. I know my mom loves Christmas stuff so have put in we would do the MVMCP and talked to them about it. So that is why a Laugh and say how unheard I was.

It will be fun and I can't wait to take her I'm just so surprised that she hears it differently from a co-worker thank me.

That being said it is a lot of info and is likely just washing over her when we are chatting.

 

[White Rose]

I had a talk with a friend of mine who said they went to 'Disneyland in FL' sad2 and they drove everywhere because they could not figure out the busses. I asked him where he stayed and he said... that there was a ride going through his hotel but he could not figure out how to get on it.

Right before I went last year, a bunch of people went in neighboring departments that I was friends with, and they all got magic bands and such during the test - They brought them in so we could see...!! It was wonderful to talk with people who knew Disney and 'got it'. When I came back from my trip, we had days and days of discussions about FP+, and new Fantasyland etc!

 

[tsme]

I totally understand. I swear I tell my DH all the time it's like I don't exist. My Dad, step-mom, & half-brother all forget about me all the time & no one listens to anything I say. And I'm not exaggerating, I can not tell you how many times I've been told, "Oh we forgot" to let you know xyz, or call, or whatever. It's crazy. We've gone on vacation twice with them, neither time to Disney. The first time, we left them & went home early because we found ourselves having to clean up after them, not fun. The second time I spent months planning every detail & bookings to let's just say not have it appreciate it. Sorry I think I got a little off topic. My DH & our family will never bring extended family with us. Disney is our happy place & we'd like to keep it that way. But I do so hope your vacation with your family goes very well and ya'll have a magical time.

 

[cattywampus]

I feel completely lucky. I planned the entire trip for the four of us and while they did not share my uber planning and need for daily updates, they appreciated all of the work that I did, down to the flowers that arrived at my office this morning, with a thank you note.

That being said, I made sure that I managed my own commando goals and planned a more relaxed trip intent on NOT seeing everything. I am lucky that we are DLR vets and AP holders within 1.5 hours of that park. As I said to the 7yo, we can go to DL and ride rides until our guts fall out (know your audience!). We are going to do all of the parks, but not worry if we don't ride every ride. I think I was repeating the mantra to myself more than him!

We had nightly TS dinners that were wonderful and we used MVMCP to maximize rides at the MK. The plans went great, even when rain intervened. I had left enough wiggle room that we could re-align things and make it all work. I stressed about renting a car, but did so in the end and it was the absolute right decision for these Californians. We drove to all of the parks except the MK -- we were at the GF so used the monorail extensively. I know a lot of people don't want to drive and love the busses, but the car worked best for us.

 

[Elevationist]

You have made me feel very very thankful for my family. I've never traveled with them, always with friends, nobody in my family ever had an interest in Disney but me. In September of this year, I took my first solo trip, had an AMAZING TIME, and started planning another solo trip for December 2015. Well, over the course of my Sept. trip, I was updating Facebook like mad with photos, etc. everyday. Turns out I my aunt and uncle (both in their 50s and haven't been to WDW since they were each small children) had so much fun watching my Facebook updates over the course of the week, they informed me that really really wanted to join me on my next one! So my birthday solo trip for next year has turned into a trio trip!

But the reason your post makes me thankful... They are perfectly happy to sit back and let me do everything. In fact, my aunt kind of insists on it, says that why they want to go with me, because clearly I know how to do Disney right, she says! Her only requests are that I have to ride It's A Small World with her (even though I don't care for it) and that I schedule in a Universal day so we can do the Harry Potter stuff. Beyond that, they've given me total planning control. Thank GOD.

 

[canoe86]

Be happy they only do this to you for Disney !!!

Many times in the past I've been asked for advice about some life decision, in which the person does the EXACT opposite, resulting in RUIN. ( and I understand, their decision but jeez) Some have done this twice, I refuse any advice after 2 times.

 

[foodrocksluver]

I totally understand. I swear I tell my DH all the time it's like I don't exist. My Dad, step-mom, & half-brother all forget about me all the time & no one listens to anything I say. And I'm not exaggerating, I can not tell you how many times I've been told, "Oh we forgot" to let you know xyz, or call, or whatever. It's crazy. We've gone on vacation twice with them, neither time to Disney. The first time, we left them & went home early because we found ourselves having to clean up after them, not fun. The second time I spent months planning every detail & bookings to let's just say not have it appreciate it. Sorry I think I got a little off topic. My DH & our family will never bring extended family with us. Disney is our happy place & we'd like to keep it that way. But I do so hope your vacation with your family goes very well and ya'll have a magical time.

We are going in Jan with my parents (DVC members) and the in-laws (parents, brother and family).

I have literally done everything short of pay for their rooms and tickets.

But I still feel like no one wants to listen to me. No one wants to listen to the girl who has been visiting WDW for almost 3 decades. I feel like they ask my opinion, I spend lots of time researching for them, and they do the complete opposite.

It's gotten so overwhelming that, while I have the trip planned in it's entirety, my stress level is through the roof. I actually sat in the tub last night and sobbed for about 30 minutes. I felt like a brat but then I thought about all the work I've done and time I've spent and knew that my sobbing was validated.

I know I can't make everyone happy but I feel like I deserve a little gratitude for everything I've done. I keep telling myself that we are staying at OKW, our home resort, with my parents (who go many times a year) and that if things get too crazy with everyone I can just break away from the group and hang out with them.

I now get why people don't want to travel to WDW with extended family (besides my wonderful Disney-loving parents).

 

[meg39]

Bahaha I straight up sent my dad an email saying "if you don't let me plan this, our vacation is going to suck" because my dad just doesn't understand planning. For example, my parents bought a time share in Florida, that offered a cruise within a certain time frame after buying. Well, my dad expected the timeshare company to actual do the planning and work for him, so they totally missed out on a free cruise because he "doesn't research things" (lol yeah he did say that to the people at the time share - uh, hello! what???)

So he is handing it over, and I already have everything mapped out for our trip in June. Now to wait til the dates I can actually make reservations. I LOVE PLANNING VACATIONS

 

[bumbershoot]

What's weird to me is that it sounds like she's just been there. Was she? Saying it's her "report"?

Like I haven't been telling them this for two years now. I know my Dad will love Epcot have handed him the book specific to it

But since you say that, it doesn't sound like they've recently been there, because you know he *will* love Epcot.


Maybe I missed something.


You could totally be passive aggressive and ask if she meant to send it to someone else, because it had all the info you had given her over the last couple years...

 

[tpettie]

What's weird to me is that it sounds like she's just been there. Was she? Saying it's her "report"?



But since you say that, it doesn't sound like they've recently been there, because you know he *will* love Epcot.


Maybe I missed something.


You could totally be passive aggressive and ask if she meant to send it to someone else, because it had all the info you had given her over the last couple years...

My mom hasn't been there ever but I believe that her friend must have just been there recently as she it talking about the Elsa & Anna sing along....

I love the passive aggressive line wish I wasn't such a coward... I would love to send that