I can't vacation with you.......

[hereyago]

We love to travel with laid back people who do not get upset if we don't spend every waking moment together. If the other party wants to skip a meal, ride, rope drop, whatever, feel free! We can catch up later. Another parent is tired but their kid wants to hang with us or vice versa? No problem. I have had one trip with a family member who liked to leisurely shop in each gift shop after every ride. No problem, except she wanted everyone to wait for her. She got upset when someone suggested we meet up with her later. Eventually there was yelling and crying, so we all waited in silence and watched other people enjoy rope drop and prime time park touring. Then she had to find a locker for all her stuff (we were off site), lol. Fun times I tell you.

You are better than I am because O would have just left her and told her to meet up later.

 

[luvsJack]

Our first trip as a family to WDW was with my sister’s family and my mom. We had a great time. But we only had breakfast together and one attraction in the am and then everyone was off on their own.

Years later we went with dd’s Bff’s family. Never again. They wanted me to “lead” but it was like herding cats and then the guy wanted to get mad at me when he couldn’t ride what he wanted with a FP. Besides they argued the whole time.

We did many vacations to the beach and WDW with just the bff and it was fine. By the time they were late teens though she drove me crazy. But they were old enough to do their own thing a lot so it was fine.

These days we like doing big family trips. All our kids and grandkids and a beach house. But we aren’t together most of the time. The kids do their own thing. We do keep the grandkids a lot so they can enjoy the beach and their parents can do whatever.

Sil wants to plan this huge family trip to WDW with all of our family and all of his. Probably not going to happen. Too many personalities. And a few that don’t get along. It would be a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[hereyago]

When I was growing up, we never went on a real vacation. Going to a relative house 3 hours away for a weekend only.

Well I was in my early 20"s and my dad decided we should go on vacation. However my mom went as well lol.
She wasn't a good flyer( should you come across a AA plane that has fingerprint indentions in the arm rests my mom probably did that.

We flew to Nashville, We saw old friends of theirs who worked at Opryland.
Then flew to Florida.
She refused to go to Sea World, universal,etc. She thought we just stay at hotel then got mad, ok get mad get glad.
They go see a relative on Sarasota.

After that no more vacations with her.

I used to take my DD on trips every year. My mom would get upset I wouldn't ask her to go.
Um you don't like to fly , cruise or walk around so...

 

[Sabeking]

We have done many vacations over the years with extended family, friends, etc...and we have done many just our family. I have great memories from all. However, the older I get the more I really value just our family especially when I know our time with our girls will come to possibly an end when they have their own families. One thing I am sure of...we will NEVER bring a “friend “ to Disney again. That has gone down in flames more than I would like to remember!

 

[Tattylou]

My parents are easy and fun to travel with - they almost always come with us. We are all pretty go with the flow....spend some time all together, other times we split up. My best friend and her family have been joining us lately too for beach vacations. They have the same vibe. It all just works. I have other people I would never invite bc I just know they would want a different kind of experience.

 

[PollyannaMom]

"The bigger the group, the harder the logistics."

That said, there are people I would travel with as long as there were clear expectations for group time vs. personal time.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

No problem, except she wanted everyone to wait for her. She got upset when someone suggested we meet up with her later. Eventually there was yelling and crying, so we all waited in silence and watched other people enjoy rope drop and prime time park touring. Then she had to find a locker for all her stuff (we were off site), lol. Fun times I tell you.

As I get older, I find I have no problem looking these people in the eye and asking serious questions.

"Are you crying because you are upset we aren't giving up our time to watch you shop?"

"Are you upset because you expect us all to miss rope drop in order for you to enjoy what you are doing?"

"Why do you feel your time is more important than mine?" (That one always stumps people)

An adult crying because they don't get their way makes it so easy to dismiss them.

 

[lorimay]

My husband and I like to travel with just us or our kids and grandkids only.
We used to travel to Disney with my parents, siblings and their families, its too much work with all those people, chaos the whole time.

 

[cabanafrau]

For me vacations are purely about leisure time and enjoying whatever sights or activities you want to see and do. The more people in the mix, the more compromising necessary. That starts cutting away at the possibilities of enjoyment for everyone. That's why most vacations are best left to immediate family for us.

Cruises and Disney visits can be some of the most ideal extended group vacations because it allows for people to conveniently break off and do some things separately while gathering back together when wanted. It doesn't always work out ideally, but in my mind those are two types of vacations that offer built in potential for people to move in their own directions and still participate with the group easily.

 

[princesspiglet]

Right there with you. I will not vacation with anyone but my wife and kids. Even traveling for work, I prefer to do on my own. If i do have to go with a co-worker, when the work day is done i go do my own thing.

Twins! Can't travel with anyone but my DH and DD. Our travel style just does not mesh with anyone else's! And I also travel a lot for work...I hate it. They all want to go out for drinks and sit together on the plane, etc. I just want to do my own thing, so I always end up making up some lame excuse, but I really don't care at this point. I am an introvert, so a full work day is way more than enough for me!

 

[mrsstats]

We vacation with my brother and sister in law. Timeshare vacations. When their kids were younger it included the 2 kids too. We learned to each have our own car. This way you can do you own thing. We still go together now and still have our own cars. We eat breakfast in the timeshare and then make dinner plans. Most nights we meet for dinner but no big deal if you are out and can't make it back. Just phone and let each other know. There are days we do go to the same place but still take our own cars since one may want to stay loner than the other. Works well for us.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

For me it's like wellllllll it always sounds like fun and a good idea until it isn't either of those things lol! I planned a trip for 17 of us to go to Disney. My family of 5 plus my nephew stayed on site. My other sister and her brood stayed off site. It was miserable from the get go at the airport on the way there to the airport on the way home. Never again. I like trips to be just my immediate family now. I will go on a girls trip and I am usually go with the flow but by the end I am always like I don't want to do that again. My inlaws have a cabin up north of us and I can't stand to even be up there with them - they are older now and shuffle and hum and putz and I just want to relax, sleep late but that can't happen and then there is the we have to take the everywhere we go thing. I just like me, my dh, my kids and their SO's.

 

[Magical2017]

As I get older, I find I have no problem looking these people in the eye and asking serious questions.

"Are you crying because you are upset we aren't giving up our time to watch you shop?"

"Are you upset because you expect us all to miss rope drop in order for you to enjoy what you are doing?"

"Why do you feel your time is more important than mine?" (That one always stumps people)

An adult crying because they don't get their way makes it so easy to dismiss them.

I totally agree. This was 25 years ago with my ex-husband/s family. I was not going to stir the pot with an in-law when her siblings were not able to get anywhere with her. Now? I would tell her that I was going on some rides and would meet her at such and such a time at a designated spot and walk away. Fortunately, I have wonderful in-laws now!

 

[AuntieMe3]

My BIL and SIL are HORRIBLE to vacation with. Love them both to death, love spending time with them when they visit our home or we visit theirs(we live in different states), but we CAN NOT do anything vacation like(touristy stuff) with them. Our last trip was so awful, my hubby said NEVER AGAIN... We will do anything we want to do in their area before getting to them and let them use a vehicle to do their own thing when they come see us...except Disneyland and then just us girls go and it's fine.

 

[Kitty 34]

I probably could pick out DISers I would rather vacation with than some friends and family members!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

For me it's like wellllllll it always sounds like fun and a good idea until it isn't either of those things lol! I planned a trip for 17 of us to go to Disney. My family of 5 plus my nephew stayed on site. My other sister and her brood stayed off site. It was miserable from the get go at the airport on the way there to the airport on the way home. Never again. I like trips to be just my immediate family now. I will go on a girls trip and I am usually go with the flow but by the end I am always like I don't want to do that again. My inlaws have a cabin up north of us and I can't stand to even be up there with them - they are older now and shuffle and hum and putz and I just want to relax, sleep late but that can't happen and then there is the we have to take the everywhere we go thing. I just like me, my dh, my kids and their SO's.

17? I'd think that would/could be hard anywhere

 

[Chocolate Cake]

I totally agree. This was 25 years ago with my ex-husband/s family. I was not going to stir the pot with an in-law when her siblings were not able to get anywhere with her. Now? I would tell her that I was going on some rides and would meet her at such and such a time at a designated spot and walk away. Fortunately, I have wonderful in-laws now!

Isn't it wonderful to grow as we age and are able to look back and say "Never again"?

I bet that adult that pouted and cried is still doing the same thing. They are the ones that never change.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Ex-wife and I made the mistake of accepting an invitation to go to Florida (including a few days at Disney) with two other couples. We all should have made our expectations clear with each other before going. Renting just one vehicle was a disaster. The couple who arranged the trip expected everyone to do everything together every day. Ex-wife and I were rope drop people; the others weren't. They'd appear around 1030am and then want to go out for breakfast before hitting the parks. And they wanted to visit the parks in the "wrong" order. Back in the early 90s, the most popular pattern was to visit MK on Monday, Epcot on Tuesday, and Studios on Wednesday. I suggested doing the opposite to avoid crowds but was overruled. One couple didn't like roller coasters so none of us were allowed to ride Space/Big Thunder Mountain. Similar things happened in Epcot and Hollywood Studios. In the pre cell phone age it was difficult to go off on your own in the parks and arrange to meet up later.

The rest of the week was at Cocoa Beach. It was more relaxing, just going to the beach and hanging out by the pool. But then others got upset that ex-wife and I didn't want to go to Kennedy Space Center on the last day. We said, go and enjoy yourselves, we're just not interested in it, see you when you get back. But the woman in charge seemed insulted.

No more longer vacations with friends. An overnight or weekend still works if everyone agrees on an itinerary and activities in advance.

 

[Dancind]

Traveled with brother's family and one of DD's friend's family on different occasions to WDW, and looking back I'm sure they hated me. I wanted to make sure they saw the highlights so played tour guide. Didn't get any thanks so that tells you how that went over. I mean, I don't like others being in charge either.

Did a girls cruise once and I know was pretty moody to travel with. Had no say in anything, and missed DD and DH so much because I was cruising without them! LOL. Luckily did not try to do that again but pretty funny to me now because she was 13 and probably didn't miss me at all.

It all backfires eventually. DH now assumes I will do all the planning. Did a trip to Europe in 2016 and planned one for 2017 (didn't get to go), all that deciding was HARD.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

In my circle I’m the person people don’t like to vacation with.

Resting is for weekends. Vacation is for waking up early so we don’t miss any daylight and the day doesn’t end until after Midnight, in my world.

When I worked 2nd shift, I used to drive my 1st shift friends nuts planning very early Saturday morning departures