slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Yeah so I'm taking time away from wrapping up the "World's Greatest Dad" trophy slash cell phone holders my kids made for me last year for Fathers' Day to ask how to break this bad news.
The background - we're not total monsters, haha. I'm married, I have two daughters 8 and 5. They went to WDW in August last year for 10 nights - we actually had to rearrange the whole trip when my best friend died unexpectedly and I was to speak at his memorial which coincided with the middle of our original planned trip. We also went for 6 nights in early-mid December, and it was the first time we ever flew down as a family, always driving beforehand. We never can really go outside of usual holiday times because my wife works in a school, they frown on taking vacation time during the school year when there is so much vacation time built into their schedule. And my wife's conscientious. But she took an entire school year off, it was our only chance to go off season before she retires. Now we're tapped until she goes back, trying to spend as little as possible.
But one of my nieces is going to WDW next month because her high school band is going to perform both in MK and at the Contemporary ballroom as part of what I think is called Fiesta Disney. Her mom, my sister is going and bringing OUR mom, nearing 80. Also one of our older nieces is going with her family. Also our oldest sister is going with HER husband and kids.
We don't really have the money, but as my wife likes to remind me, my mom is getting on, I don't get to spend a lot of time with her, it'd be nice to have some memories...but we don't have the money for the whole family to go. So maybe I should go for at least a few night (or as I put it at the time "I guess I can go down for 5 nights" and she replied "no, you can go down for 2 or 3, don't go crazy").
As it is, my niece is willing to let me bunk with her for a few nights (she's getting a 1BR Beach Club Villa and her kids will sleep with them in the master bedroom so the couch is all mine). I got super cheap airfare (less than $150 rt on jetblue), and since I'm only there for a few nights (with access to a washer and dryer) I think I can get by with as large a carryon as permitted and my backpack as a personal item. We made our passes annual passes after deciding on the December trip so parks are covered. Even if I only stay with my niece one of the nights (it will be her anniversary I want to afford them SOME privacy), I was able to get passholder rates for 2 different one night stays, one at Pop one at ASM, for less than $200 total (and I might cancel one of those nights). So I'm making it as inexpensive as possible.
But the kids don't know yet.
Now I can point out to them that I'm mainly going to see their cousin perform with her band and to spend time with their Grandma. I'm arriving Tuesday late afternoon, leaving Friday after breakfast so it's only 2 days. I'm minimizing sit down meals (a big staple of our trips usually), and there are no character meals. When I'm with Grandma, I can't be sure she'll have the desire or the energy for roller coasters so I don't have fastpasses. It's all casual. And if we were all to go, it'll go from a hopefully less than $500 trip to easily a more than 2 grand trip, because I'd have to get rooms for all of the nights, that many more meals, etc. Plus the trip occurs at the same time my oldest has PARCC testing in her school, so leaving then makes it hard to catch up to those tests plus everything else she'll miss so much closer to the end of school year. It's just not sensible.
But it's still Disney World.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, I won a most-expenses-paid trip to the Academy Awards this year, and spent a day while there at Universal Hollywood. They take lots of trips without me when they're out of school and I can't get off work, but usually to visit their grandparents in their secluded woodsy home. Something about me going off and having fun without them, especially in theme parks, makes me feel like I'm going to Hell, and any money I save not taking them will just go into their eventual therapy bills.
So that's my sad sordid tale. Were you I, how would you break the news to the kids who are as addicted to Disney as their old man is?
The background - we're not total monsters, haha. I'm married, I have two daughters 8 and 5. They went to WDW in August last year for 10 nights - we actually had to rearrange the whole trip when my best friend died unexpectedly and I was to speak at his memorial which coincided with the middle of our original planned trip. We also went for 6 nights in early-mid December, and it was the first time we ever flew down as a family, always driving beforehand. We never can really go outside of usual holiday times because my wife works in a school, they frown on taking vacation time during the school year when there is so much vacation time built into their schedule. And my wife's conscientious. But she took an entire school year off, it was our only chance to go off season before she retires. Now we're tapped until she goes back, trying to spend as little as possible.
But one of my nieces is going to WDW next month because her high school band is going to perform both in MK and at the Contemporary ballroom as part of what I think is called Fiesta Disney. Her mom, my sister is going and bringing OUR mom, nearing 80. Also one of our older nieces is going with her family. Also our oldest sister is going with HER husband and kids.
We don't really have the money, but as my wife likes to remind me, my mom is getting on, I don't get to spend a lot of time with her, it'd be nice to have some memories...but we don't have the money for the whole family to go. So maybe I should go for at least a few night (or as I put it at the time "I guess I can go down for 5 nights" and she replied "no, you can go down for 2 or 3, don't go crazy").
As it is, my niece is willing to let me bunk with her for a few nights (she's getting a 1BR Beach Club Villa and her kids will sleep with them in the master bedroom so the couch is all mine). I got super cheap airfare (less than $150 rt on jetblue), and since I'm only there for a few nights (with access to a washer and dryer) I think I can get by with as large a carryon as permitted and my backpack as a personal item. We made our passes annual passes after deciding on the December trip so parks are covered. Even if I only stay with my niece one of the nights (it will be her anniversary I want to afford them SOME privacy), I was able to get passholder rates for 2 different one night stays, one at Pop one at ASM, for less than $200 total (and I might cancel one of those nights). So I'm making it as inexpensive as possible.
But the kids don't know yet.
Now I can point out to them that I'm mainly going to see their cousin perform with her band and to spend time with their Grandma. I'm arriving Tuesday late afternoon, leaving Friday after breakfast so it's only 2 days. I'm minimizing sit down meals (a big staple of our trips usually), and there are no character meals. When I'm with Grandma, I can't be sure she'll have the desire or the energy for roller coasters so I don't have fastpasses. It's all casual. And if we were all to go, it'll go from a hopefully less than $500 trip to easily a more than 2 grand trip, because I'd have to get rooms for all of the nights, that many more meals, etc. Plus the trip occurs at the same time my oldest has PARCC testing in her school, so leaving then makes it hard to catch up to those tests plus everything else she'll miss so much closer to the end of school year. It's just not sensible.
But it's still Disney World.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, I won a most-expenses-paid trip to the Academy Awards this year, and spent a day while there at Universal Hollywood. They take lots of trips without me when they're out of school and I can't get off work, but usually to visit their grandparents in their secluded woodsy home. Something about me going off and having fun without them, especially in theme parks, makes me feel like I'm going to Hell, and any money I save not taking them will just go into their eventual therapy bills.
So that's my sad sordid tale. Were you I, how would you break the news to the kids who are as addicted to Disney as their old man is?
