Thanks for writing about your trip, even though it was a nightmare! Like a good trip report, it helps us of think of things we would like (and not like) to do... like who to bring to Disney World.
I have been to Disney with both my family and my husband's. While the sleeping arrangements once traumatized me with his family (having to sleep on a pullout couch in the livingroom horribly sick and having to get up for Disney at 6am the next morning, but others refused to let us go to bed and kept watching TV very late into the night and then yelled at us), I have learned to go with the flow. I figure family vacations with our families are not "my" vacation. *Note that we had no kids then, so now it would be totally different--we would get our own room now, and I would work around my son's schedule because he still naps, and no one would be happy if he was tired.
We vacation with our best friends...without our kids. While the kids are friends, different rules, expectations, and personalities among them would probably cause problems. It's fine for weekend visits, but it wouldn't be much of a "together" vacation because the needs of our kids are different (not to mention she has girls, and I have a boy). I have dreamed of sending them to Disney World and then just me coming along to take pictures and hold the baby
. I won't be getting much little princess magic of my own anytime soon.
I am the the trip planner for my family. I love to plan vacations and have planned our family vacations with my parents since I was a little girl, but of course when the time comes to do things, people don't want to go or want to change the plan. At this point, my husband and I have decided that we no longer plan for other people. We will include them in what we are doing, but never plan for them. I think this is especially true for Disney.
I have read a lot of TR where Disney lovers "shows" others their favorite place on earth to others, and it never seems to go as planned. I won't play tour guide (unless someone comes and visits my hometown). My husband told me I should wear a period costume and charge admission for all the times I have shown people the Freedom Trail in Boston. However, in Disney World there are just too many variables to anticipate what someone else will want to do.
I even tell my husband that I am not shy in saying that my desire to take my son to Disney World is about ME!
I don't care if he remembers it when he's older, I just want to see the kind of excitement and laughter on his face that he gets riding the local carousel magnified tenfold. Yes, I will consider his likes... we will be doing a touring plan akin to Dumbo Do or Die (few adult rides), and only spend about 4 hours in the parks each day in the morning and then rest. He goes to bed early, so I would only mess with that for a night or two for the shows, and maybe just get him out of bed for it. Could I hold that kind of schedule with another family? No way!
I have been to Disney with both my family and my husband's. While the sleeping arrangements once traumatized me with his family (having to sleep on a pullout couch in the livingroom horribly sick and having to get up for Disney at 6am the next morning, but others refused to let us go to bed and kept watching TV very late into the night and then yelled at us), I have learned to go with the flow. I figure family vacations with our families are not "my" vacation. *Note that we had no kids then, so now it would be totally different--we would get our own room now, and I would work around my son's schedule because he still naps, and no one would be happy if he was tired.
We vacation with our best friends...without our kids. While the kids are friends, different rules, expectations, and personalities among them would probably cause problems. It's fine for weekend visits, but it wouldn't be much of a "together" vacation because the needs of our kids are different (not to mention she has girls, and I have a boy). I have dreamed of sending them to Disney World and then just me coming along to take pictures and hold the baby
. I won't be getting much little princess magic of my own anytime soon.I am the the trip planner for my family. I love to plan vacations and have planned our family vacations with my parents since I was a little girl, but of course when the time comes to do things, people don't want to go or want to change the plan. At this point, my husband and I have decided that we no longer plan for other people. We will include them in what we are doing, but never plan for them. I think this is especially true for Disney.
I have read a lot of TR where Disney lovers "shows" others their favorite place on earth to others, and it never seems to go as planned. I won't play tour guide (unless someone comes and visits my hometown). My husband told me I should wear a period costume and charge admission for all the times I have shown people the Freedom Trail in Boston. However, in Disney World there are just too many variables to anticipate what someone else will want to do.
I even tell my husband that I am not shy in saying that my desire to take my son to Disney World is about ME!
I don't care if he remembers it when he's older, I just want to see the kind of excitement and laughter on his face that he gets riding the local carousel magnified tenfold. Yes, I will consider his likes... we will be doing a touring plan akin to Dumbo Do or Die (few adult rides), and only spend about 4 hours in the parks each day in the morning and then rest. He goes to bed early, so I would only mess with that for a night or two for the shows, and maybe just get him out of bed for it. Could I hold that kind of schedule with another family? No way!
But am so glad your night really seems to be picking up some! 
I needed to read this story!!! 
