For those who are not morning people for the parks, I need your help.

[hsmamato2]

OP...I think it's kind,what you plan to offer.... but just stay aware, you are paying, but they will want to have their own kind of fun too. If you're cool with that, it might work out. If not, then it will be difficult. Been there,done that with extended family. You can't force a group into your own schedule for days without a blowup happening. Honestly? It sounds like you're deciding for your granddaughter,b/c she's a stay at home mom,she has no schedule,and can't be bothered to get up early to get the kids ready by 6 am (it kind of sounds like you're saying she's just too lazy to do it)- maybe you're not saying that, and I think you should offer the trip,along with your ideas for it in a really positive way,vs. a negative thought (i.e. mom is too lazy to keep to a schedule) -if I've got it all wrong, then I'm sorry, but unless the 5 yo's naturally get up that early to get ready,I would't want to drag them up and out that early every day either. I know that older folks tend to get up earlier quite naturally, but a lot of us don't,and wouldn't call doing so a vacation. (That said, we plan to do some rope drops on our future trip out of necessity, but not every day) Our family has always preferred later times anyway,and late nights are always preferable to early mornings for us. And when teen ds wants to sleep all day? We head where we want, and meet up later when he gets there. And if the dad works and isn't used to wrangling twins in the early am, I doubt he'd enjoy that either.

 

[Bete]

I've never rope dropped and don't plan on ever doing so. I'd say I get more than good value out of my Disney trips. I don't place the value on how much I can get done in how short of a time but how much I'm enjoying myself. Getting up early to get to rope drop when I'd rather sleep a little later, running from pillar to post at a commando pace to get to the next ride - ride as many attractions as I can is not enjoyment to me. Sure, maybe I'd experience more but if I'm miserable doing it, how much value is there in that?

Honestly, if the only way you can see value in your trip it to do it your way, a family trip might not be such a great idea. I know if someone were forcing me or even just strongly suggesting that I conform to their way of vacationing, I'd probably end up resenting that person before the trip was half way over.

I'm willing to compromise. I don't need to be rope droppers, but I really don't want to start the day in the afternoon, either. I think our best plan may be to meet up with mom later if she won't compromise. I think dad and the great grandkids will be fine getting to the parks earlier with us than the afternoon. I'm just trying to hear options, here; so, I can be flexible about it. I don't want it to be my way or the highway. But I do want an understanding before we agree on this Disney trip. There are other trips we can do like going to Wisconsin Dells or Dollywood. At those destinations I wouldn't care if we got there in the afternoon. But I do feel with great grandpa being 82 we will probably not do more than one trip like this with them.

 

[Pmlocke]

Do yourself and your family a big favor by arranging to meet in the parks. I did that with my son and his family. When we arrived at the park we gave him a call. We met and then spent time together. We always had lunch and dinner together but we never forced ourselves on them and vice versa. Everyone visits the parks differently and you shouldn't expect that to change for your schedule. Enjoy them when they are with you and enjoy your time without them. Forcing your schedule upon someone will only cause troubles and the Magic Kingdom is no place for drama of that type. You say you fear you won't see the fireworks or go on certain rides. Why? Again, don't expect the inclusion of family to restrict your efforts to having fun. Don't forget, a five year old may not make it to the fireworks. They usually have earlier bedtimes and it isn't fair to force someone to experience something just because you want them to be there with you.

 

[Bete]

Again, I want to say I appreciate everyone's opinion, here. It all gives me food for thought. I don't want to be a diehard about it all.

I'm not really concerned about what my husband and I will do at the parks. I want this to be for the great grandkids. If their mom will feel the same way, I think we will be fine.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

Unless I have missed it, I am assuming that the grandkids have never been to Walt Disney World and would be considered "novice" in their level of expertise/knowledge? Do you think if you proposed the trip to them that they would want to lean on your expertise to help them get the most out of the trip? I think some of the replies to the OP have missed the point, she wants to spend time with them and enjoy it as a family. I don't think the OP wants to send them on their merry way and just meet up occasionally. That, IMO, would defeat the purpose of the trip. I also think that the OP is willing to compromise. When did you plan on proposing the trip to them?

 

[disneycountrygirl]

IMO the way to enjoy WDW with a group is to NOT be joined at the hip to each other.

Oh so true! This is the key! Except for our first trip, every trip we've taken has been with extended family members, and we always speak aloud this expectation to everyone in the party before the trip. We are together 90% of the time anyway, but no one is bound to anything. We usually don't have moments of splitting till after the first couple days.

I think those times when you split up and are alone with just your family doing whatever it is that your family uniquely wants to do brings extra magic. On our last trip, on one afternoon in Epcot, our family rode Living With the Land, which I adore, while my inlaws checked out the Cookie Nook, which sounded so boring to me (I was snacked out!) During that ride in the boat, it felt so heartwarming to be alone with my family, enjoying something I loved with them and knowing my MIL too was likely enjoying a few moments alone with my FIL.

I love that someone brought dad into this. Mom can sleep in, kids get to the park, works for everyone. This is another tip we employ on every trip. Hubby takes our teen kids for those late nights or early mornings, while I take/keep our little one back at the hotel for some sleep.

 

[allshookup]

Personally don't see any problem with sitting around the resort in the am and relaxing and maybe having a swim, have a big lunch and then put the kids down for a nap and then hit the parks. Choose FPs for the attractions that are most important, wing the rest and don't plan on a big sit down dinner to take up your time. You won't be able to go on every attraction but the good thing is you will be able to stay later and enjoy the night time attractions such as fireworks. Sometimes it's nice to just go with the flow, walk around and take in the sights, and have the kids do some activities like the Kidcot Fun Stops in Epcot for example.

 

[tjmw2727]

We travel with family often and I have also invited family members along as a gift and one thing I learned is I have to be flexible.

Especially with the "gift trip" .... I think of a gift as something you give to someone - after that it belongs to them to do with what they see fit.

So I had to relax and let them do Disney their way, yes I did book some ADR's and made some suggestions but when they opted to watch the football game at the pool bar instead of what I had planned I had to be happy for them. They work hard and this is what they wanted to do on vacation, sure they may have missed out on a ride or show I thought they may enjoy but they still talk about swimming, having a beverage and watching that playoff game at the pool. We went to the parks as planned and everyone was happy

Now when family or friends join us - no matter whos dime I think of it as a gift to me and my family to have our xxx along to share Disney. Seeing things from my nephews point of view was amazing and it didn't matter how many attractions we rode; only that he loved what we were doing right then and had a great trip!

 

[LSUmiss]

Bete already alluded to it in an earlier post, but there is a careful balance when it comes to paying for someone else's trip to Disney World. I know this now having taken my in-laws for a trip on my dime recently. "Having a good time" and "making memories" are great and all, but not at the expense of a WDW vacation. You shouldn't have to only have one of the two (value and memories). And being able to say "well we only went on 5 rides while we were there and it cost me $2,000 but I saw them smile when they saw the castle" doesn't balance out. Maybe it does for people with a LOT of disposable income, or people that live locally that can cheapen up all the rest of the aspects of a trip (food, lodging, etc).

To downplay the cost of a trip like this and wanting to get maximum (or even average) value for your buck is not making the wrong decision. I had to have the talk with my in-laws as well about getting there early to be able to enjoy a lot of things that they themselves would want to do. But I didn't throw down an ultimatum. I made it obvious that I wanted them to do it because I knew it would increase their enjoyment as well.

I just want to say it again .. it's not wrong to be worried about spending a bunch of money on a trip where people just sleep in.

It’s not wrong b/c it’s her decision. But, it seems stressful to me to even put a value of family time. For someone who just lost a young(ish) parent who didn’t get even close to his 80s, I’d say that time is priceless no matter how much disposable income we have. And, I know plenty of ppl who say seeing their child light up at Mickey or the castle or whatever is priceless. So how many rides is enough to get value?? I would say if it’s by how much you do or get done, the 5 yr olds are a bigger concern to me than mom sleeping in. Many 5 yr olds wanna so their favorites over & over. You might find yourself on huney pots 6 times & never make it to thunder b/c their too scared to ride. So is that value??

 

[Bete]

I think my biggest fear is mom will want a late start in the afternoon and then call it quits early evening after dinner. That leaves a very small window for the parks and it's the peak hours of the day for most people; so, it will be the most crowded. I think her happiness will come from watching TV or being on her phone more than being in the parks. She's not sickly, but she's very passive about everything. I don't have a passive bone in my body. Hence, this is the conflict I'm facing with this Disney trip.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I think my biggest fear is mom will want a late start in the afternoon and then call it quits early evening after dinner. That leaves a very small window for the parks and it's the peak hours of the day for most people; so, it will be the most crowded. I think her happiness will come from watching TV or being on her phone more than being in the parks. She's not sickly, but she's very passive about everything. I don't have a passive bone in my body. Hence, this is the conflict I'm facing with this Disney trip.

Honestly it sounds like you have personal issues with her and this trip will only make things worse.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I understand where you are coming from OP. And this is why I don't do WDW with people other than my nuclear family. I've actually rearranged dates so I wouldn't be there when family would be there. I just said I couldn't get the time off of work and had to move my dates.

For me, a WDW vacation doesn't include sleeping in until noon. There are much cheaper vacation destinations where you can do that. WDW is an expensive vacation and I can't sleep it away. We also aren't commandos. We alternate sleep in and RD days (RD for us means arriving within 10 minutes of opening), we do midday breaks by the pool, we hit a PM park or sometimes don't. I actually don't sleep very late on vacation because I want to enjoy where I am and do things I don't do at home.

If this vacation is all about Disney and wanting to do Disney with the great grandkids then do it and go in with different expectations. If this trip is all about spending quality time with the great grandkids pick somewhere else. My grandmother has taken each of her grandkids and great grandkids on one on one vacations. She did Disney with my brother and cousin. She took me to Puerto Rico. She took my son to Tampa for some baseball games. It doesn't have to be Disney to be magical.

We did a destination wedding/vacation in August with 70 friends and family members. It was great. Everyone spent time together but everyone had their own time away. If you wanted to sleep in you could while other people went and did an excursion. You could eat when you wanted at a buffet or make a reservation as a family. I don't know if that is something you would want to do but I thought I'd throw out there other vacations that work with bigger groups.

 

[LSUmiss]

My DH & I are actually gifting a trip to my MIL this Feb. She has never been able to afford to go on her own. Granted our extra cost won’t be as much as paying for a whole family, but I have completely revamped our touring style around what she would like to see & do. She also has health problems so I know we won’t do nearly as much as we usually so. However, being that she’s older & not in good health, we expect this may be her only time in her life to go & she has always dreamed of going. So definitely the value for us will be in just having that memory with her.

 

[Frozen2014]

We have only been once a few years ago, but we never did rope drop and arrived at the parks 10ish each day. We didn't miss out on anything. And the beauty of FP+ is that you can schedule your FastPasses to a time that suits you (within availability). Vs say Disneyland, where Fastpasses run out.

Haven't read all the comments, but can get her to compromise and try and make it to the parks by 10:30am or so? 1pm you lose your whole morning and with a 5 year old , you might not be able to stay until evening.

However, even if not, a trip to Disney builds wonderful family memories. Even if your days are shorter, I wouldn't cancel. Sounds like you and your husband are in good health and this would be a good time to go. You can use FP+ to your advantage and get on what you can, see some shows and just enjoy the time. I think that's so special to be able to travel with your grandchildren and great grand children. What I would have given to be able to take such a trip with my grandmother, and great grandmother back then.

Let us know what you decide.

 

[bladiator]

You might find yourself on huney pots 6 times & never make it to thunder b/c their too scared to ride. So is that value??

'

That to me actually is. In this case, compared to not being at the park at all which you paid for already because you're sleeping. Heck, just BEING at the park at least is value over not being in the park. That all of course has its own balance of quality.

 

[GusGusTheMouse]

I have been reading this thread for a while now, and I had to stop because I was cringing too much. I say that because this seems scarily close to what my family has gone through our last few trips. And I will tell you there have been some serious family meltdowns because of it. Please, please think about this if you only want to do a trip that aligns with your desire to do a heavy morning schedule. I fear that not only will fighting ensue, but a lot of resentment will occur afterwards because you graciously put out a lot of money on a trip that you were not able to do as you had hoped. I have learned a few things from my past experiences that will hopefully help you.

Adults will promise to wake up early - but that just is not always going to happen. Adults are adults and are allowed to make their own sleeping schedules. It is wonderful you want to take them, but you have to understand that your vacation style may just not be cohesive with their family schedule. Trying to manipulate the family's daily schedule does not seem like a good idea either. People that are forced awake early are just going to be miserable because they are tired the rest of the day. People forced to wait for others, that hate doing it, are also grumpy and angry towards the others that slept in. It just does not lead to a good situation. Plus, I am not sure what how your relationship is like with the father, but if he does not keep up his end of the bargain, how would you feel and deal with it? And if you are constantly upset with the children's mother, how would the children react to you? This seems like a slippery slope that you may want to consider.

So what has my family done? We either: let the people sleep in and wait OR we just do our own separate schedules. Its just not worth the fighting and disappointment.

When people wait, you are still able to get a lot done with the afternoons and evenings. Why do you say you all would need to leave by 9pm? If people sleep in, then you should be able to tag on the extra hours you want at night. The parks do clear out after the fireworks and this has made missing rope drop not as bad for some of my family members.

When we do our separate schedules, we meet up midday. This might be a compromise that may work for you. Whoever is up at the time you when you want to go in the morning, can go with you, so you get to get the value you are looking for. Mom, can meet you at lunch time and then the kids can go off with her (and you, if you want) and go until evening. You get your value for yourself and mom does not have to be a debbie downer on everyone else.

Good luck!

 

[LSUmiss]

I think my biggest fear is mom will want a late start in the afternoon and then call it quits early evening after dinner. That leaves a very small window for the parks and it's the peak hours of the day for most people; so, it will be the most crowded. I think her happiness will come from watching TV or being on her phone more than being in the parks. She's not sickly, but she's very passive about everything. I don't have a passive bone in my body. Hence, this is the conflict I'm facing with this Disney trip.

Are you afraid she’ll ruin it for the kids?

 

[Bete]

I'm going to try to be more upbeat about this Disney trip. I really don't want it to fail. One reason for going is I just don't see them doing this on their own. I want the grandkids to spread their wings a little. Mom wouldn't want to plan ADRs or FP+s. She would probably be flustered navigating the parks without help, too.

I'm planning to first start talking about this in the Spring. We are a state away from one another.

Mom may say no for all the reasons I've stated in my previous posts. This is not a done deal. We may be doing another trip. As I've said mom controls this outcome more than anyone else.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Do these two 5 year olds also sleep in until that late? What is the plan while mom sleeps in?? I couldn't imagine having the two 5 year olds cooped up in a hotel room for hours. Unless you guys and dad plan to take them to the parks, swimming or explore the resort until mom gets up. I know when my son was that age he was up at 7 am and ready to GO. If the kids do sleep in that late and stay up really late then I can see why mom wouldn't want to get moving until then. It'll mess up their schedules and all that.

If you guys can take them to the parks while mom sleeps that can work. If the kids stay up really late then that could also work if park hours are late. If neither of those options exist I would do another vacation destination. I have no issues with mom wanting to sleep in on vacation. I just wouldn't want to front the expenses of a WDW trip if we weren't going to be in the parks that much.

 

[KenHutch]

You might try doing what I do now. I pay for several members of my daughters maternal family to come along with us. These are not morning people and like getting up at noon to hit the parks. I book the fastpasses for early afternoon, I and the girls are waiting on rope drop at the parks. Everyone else knows the fastpass time and the restaurant time. If you miss a fastpass you miss it, if you don't show up at an ADR time I am not paying for you to eat. What used to be a major chore every vacation has turned into a good time for all. My daughters mother and stepfather know where they should be. If they come fine, if they don't fine but I have the girls and we do our early thing while waiting on them.