When your parent (or any parent) ruins an experience for you

[ImperfectPixie]

The other thing I see that agitates me (when I really have no reason to judge). More of a parenting thing than a Disney thing. But it agitates me when I see a parent need to take a child all the way back to the resort for a nap or to calm down. I feel like it's a huge waste of time. By the time you get back to the resort, you could have gone to a quitter area and put the child to sleep inside the park. If it's just your family going I'm ok with it. But when your with a group and expect them to wait and do stuff until you come back to from the resort... that's when it agitates me.

That irks me too (but fortunately has never had any bearing on my family's trips). I don't know why, but SO MANY parents seem to have something against letting their child nap anywhere but in a bed these days. Both my boys (now 6 and 11) took naps in their strollers because I couldn't bear the thought of either being cooped up in the house or having to leave a family thing or whatever.

Edited to add that I understand some kids can't sleep if there's any noise or maybe need to get away for a bit. I have always followed my kids' lead in regards to this stuff...and I was lucky - they both could sleep in a stroller and wake up happy.

 

[Phonedave]

Now that I'm older and divorced: I would not do any trip with extended family. I know it sounds like a nice time, but trying to get everyone to decide on this, that, or the other plus the finances involved (or lack thereof) and then all of the emotions and "I want to do this" and "Why can't we do that?"... It just sounds like, and the ones I have experienced, not a good time.

Keeping it to just a few people is, to me, a good time.

I've done trips with my daughters in the past and we just did what we wanted to do. Easy peasy.

I'm taking my grandson in 3 week. Just him and me. It should be easy. "I want to ride Pirates!" - "Ok.. Let's check out the wait time for that but I'll make sure it happens before we leave." - Easy.

Our solution for the extended family travel situation is to usually meet somewhere to eat, lunch or dinner, and then go from there. If they want to do exactly what we are doing or we want to do exactly what they are doing great. If not then it was great seeing them for the day and then we can all go our separate ways. We establish this agreement before we leave on the trip and no one gets their feelings hurt.

You have to set ground rules about what is expected. I have done a number of trips ro WDW and elsewhere. with friends, family, and family and friends. It's all about deciding ahead of time the things that you do want to do together, and then for all of the other times, everyone is free to do what they want. Heck, even when it is me, my wife, and three kids, sometimes we end up doing different things. Some did not want to wait 2 hours for Flight of Passage and wanted to swin instead. So some waited, some went back to the resort and swam, and we all met for our ADR afterwards.

I will say, WDw has made it harder to be flexible. With having to schedule ADRs and FP+ well in advance, it makes it harder for people to do their own thing when the mood strikes them.

-dave

 

[ImperfectPixie]

You have to set ground rules about what is expected. I have done a number of trips ro WDW and elsewhere. with friends, family, and family and friends. It's all about deciding ahead of time the things that you do want to do together, and then for all of the other times, everyone is free to do what they want. Heck, even when it is me, my wife, and three kids, sometimes we end up doing different things. Some did not want to wait 2 hours for Flight of Passage and wanted to swin instead. So some waited, some went back to the resort and swam, and we all met for our ADR afterwards.

I will say, WDw has made it harder to be flexible. With having to schedule ADRs and FP+ well in advance, it makes it harder for people to do their own thing when the mood strikes them.

-dave

Ground rules for anything involving more than just 2 people are important! (Now it's time to smack my husband upside the head with a frying pan lined with the house ground rules)

 

[disneygeek90]

What is it with dads and their never ending complaints, especially when on vacation?? My mother referred to my late father as the "Grinch" because he was like that 24-7. And it was always about money. I swear...

I have to say I have one of the best "Disney" dads around. I'm going to derail this thread for a happy moment real quick Growing up we lived in Ohio and my parents always made sure we were able to visit Disney one week a year for several years in a row. I now am lucky to live 15 minutes away.

To this day one of my greatest memories of my childhood in general was the day we were leaving WDW to go home. My younger brother and I were sad and quietly crying a little in the back seat as my parents packed the car up. My dad felt so bad he made one last stop at Rainforest for lunch in DS (Downtown Disney?) before we made our drive back north, and for some reason that lunch felt like the biggest emotional lift in the world. We talk about it often and my dad and family still love going to the parks. We just don't cry anymore now that we all live in Florida.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I have to say I have one of the best "Disney" dads around. I'm going to derail this thread for a happy moment real quick Growing up we lived in Ohio and my parents always made sure we were able to visit Disney one week a year for several years in a row. I now am lucky to live 15 minutes away.

To this day one of my greatest memories of my childhood in general was the day we were leaving WDW to go home. My younger brother and I were sad and quietly crying a little in the back seat as my parents packed the car up. My dad felt so bad he made one last stop at Rainforest for lunch in DS (Downtown Disney?) before we made our drive back north, and for some reason that lunch felt like the biggest emotional lift in the world. We talk about it often and my dad and family still love going to the parks. We just don't cry anymore now that we all live in Florida.

Awwww! That is so amazing and very sweet.

 

[zurgandfriend]

Another one:

Back when I turned 40 I met my mom, cousin, sister, and was supposed to take my daughter before my ex said she couldn't go met at WDW.

My sister and cousin? Completely OK. They get it. We'll do what we want to do and if our plans diverge then we'll just meet back up later.

My mom? Drove me freaking nuts.

A guy who's turned 40 knows how to dress himself. The entire time she'd look at me and ask idiot questions like, "Aren't you cold?," "Don't you think you should be wearing a jacket?," "Doesn't that shirt make you too hot?" Just that typically little nit-picky stuff that only mom's do.

She also wanted us all to sit at the train station all day and "people watch" and watch the parades. I flat out told her, "I didn't come to the MK to sit on a bench and watch parades all day - I'm going to go do stuff."

Also, she was slow as molasses while walking around. You may think, "oh, that's because she's old." Nope. As soon as the park was closed we all had problems keeping up with her on the race to the car. Each night was like that.

Oh, my mom also has the habit of showing up to eat and then shrugging her shoulders at the end with, "I can't afford this." Being the only guy in the group, I'm very upfront about saying, "I'm only paying for me. I'm not saying I won't buy you a sandwich or a drink from time to time, but it's up to you to pay for you." At the same time, had my mom just said, sometime beforehand, "Hey.. Dinner is coming up tonight and I can't afford it, can we switch our plans or can you cover for me and I'll pay you back?," I'd have said, "Don't worry, mom, I'll cover you," or, "Yeah.. We can just go to Subway - no biggie." To do it at the end of dinner and just shrug your shoulders at it isn't cool to me.

Not a good time.

I no longer go with anyone but my daughters, grandson, or maybe my sister.

Oh Lord do I know about that. We did a family gather trip, the family of my DW that is. My mother in law told us over and over our DS was not dressed correctly, he needed sunscreen do not let him out of our sight etc. The only good thing was that somehow my mother in law and sisters in law determined that Space Mountain was passive ride around the park (e.g. the people mover) and not a roller coaster. My DW, DS and I waited outside and heard them screaming while we laughed our collective you know what off. After we had to sit in the stands at the Indy speedway with them until they were sure, they were not going to be sick.

 

[zurgandfriend]

That irks me too (but fortunately has never had any bearing on my family's trips). I don't know why, but SO MANY parents seem to have something against letting their child nap anywhere but in a bed these days. Both my boys (now 6 and 11) took naps in their strollers because I couldn't bear the thought of either being cooped up in the house or having to leave a family thing or whatever.

Edited to add that I understand some kids can't sleep if there's any noise or maybe need to get away for a bit. I have always followed my kids' lead in regards to this stuff...and I was lucky - they both could sleep in a stroller and wake up happy.

When our DS was small we would go back to the resort in the afternoon for pool time we never made him nap. We found that getting him away from the parks did a world of good. After swimming we would clean up and he would usually rest for awhile then we would head out for more park time and dinner. Worked for us.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The only good thing was that somehow my mother in law and sisters in law determined that Space Mountain was passive ride around the park (e.g. the people mover) and not a roller coaster. My DW, DS and I waited outside and heard them screaming while we laughed our collective you know what off. After we had to sit in the stands at the Indy speedway with them until they were sure, they were not going to be sick.