Thanks, I Hate It - Disney by non-Disney Fans (DUN)

[Tatum20]

I included “condiments” because I once attended a family reunion where someone lost their mind because the kids were using the fancy German mustard they had brought on their hot dogs. Some family spirit to exhibit to the little ones.

I would have a really hard time keeping a straight face over that one. That would be almost worth getting yelled at to me because I could get a lot of mileage out of that story.

...and that relative could count on getting a bottle of that wrapped up for every future birthday and Christmas. Like forever.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is why it's great to be a dark beer lover in a traveling group of non-dark beer drinkers

 

[Jangles]

Fridge beer is for everyone.

I absolutely agree with this. What really annoys me is family members who take beers from the fridge but don’t put fresh ones in to get cold.

 

[Turksmom]

I absolutely agree with this. What really annoys me is family members who take beers from the fridge but don’t put fresh ones in to get cold.

Do they even need lodging at that point? It sounds like they were raised in the wild

 

[VandVsmama]

On the subject of fridge beer:

In my opinion (for what it's worth, haha), if you're on vacation and sharing a fridge with whomever, the old college roommates rule should apply...meaning, if you don't want somebody eating it, PUT YOUR NAME ON IT. Anything not labelled = free grazing by anyone sharing the fridge.

If you don't want Uncle Eddie consuming all of your Dos Equis, then put your name on it and, better yet, add a love note on a Post-It that says something fun like "HANDS OFF, UNCLE EDDIE!"

We have lots of feelings about beer on this trip report. I think that we all need a beer after reading all of the OP's escapades!

To piggy back on the German mustard thing that somebody just talked about...and then somebody else suggested to get the relative German mustard for every Christmas after that...You know what you should do, OP? Every Christmas from here on out, get your SIL a case of Bud Light Lime. Or better yet, send her a case by mail on the anniversary of the Extended Family Trip From Hell.

 

[Tatum20]

In my opinion (for what it's worth, haha), if you're on vacation and sharing a fridge with whomever, the old college roommates rule should apply...meaning, if you don't want somebody eating it, PUT YOUR NAME ON IT. Anything not labelled = free grazing by anyone sharing the fridge.

Oh man...maybe my family is just super snarky, but I really think if someone put their name on a case of beer, they'd be mocked mercilessly in our (hypothetical) vacation house. Like, you'd open the fridge the next day and find out someone labeled all the food in the fridge with fake names and don't touch warnings. And at Thanksgiving 10 years later someone would yell out, Don't Touch Susie's Beer! when you walked by. It would be different if it was something like leftovers in a takeout box, where labeling might be necessary. Some people just do not like having their containers opened and food exposed.

 

[seashell7290]

I feel this through and through. Went in Nov and had the worst luck, terrible weather. Had to wear a poncho 99% of the time. Tried to plan a decent group trip. I literally ran everyone into the ground in 72 hours. No one could walk on day 3. Lesson learned. Find your person who can keep up and only plan universal trips with a group. Cheers to you for making it!

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Hey OP sorry to change the subject from "fridge beer" but just wanted to mention how refreshing it is to read a good narrative replete with plenty of imagery and nuanced comedy on the internet. Your back and forth between an informal tone and almost a mechanical retelling of events is a great style to maintain interest in your piece. Your writing style evokes a certain bit of Garrison Keillor if he was stuck in Disney hell. Thanks for taking the time to entertain with your misery (although I bet with time you'll look back fondly...or maybe not!)

 

[gopherdame]

Very entertaining report. Our first trip to Disney World was mostly paid for by my mother after she got a small inheritance. Totally different time then without much planning. It was still hard coordinating 20 people, and we figured out early it was best for each family to do their own thing.

Sorry, but I'm with your sister-in-law on the beer. Well maybe not the screaming part, lol. It sounds like you drank a lot of the beer and finished it off when you didn't even like it. Did you not think to stop and buy some you like? I know she didn't seem to have any consideration for you, but you didn't really have any consideration for her either. She was probably really looking forward to having a beer that night.

 

[boogienights]

Families are challenging at the best of times. When you add in expectations, money, Florida heat, fridge beer, emotions and crowds...you are pretty much doomed lol. I'm impressed you kept your cool, OP. I would have exploded many times over. Thanks for the chuckles .

 

[starlite_]

This is why I'll never go to an amusement park with more that 5 ppl. Sorry the trip was kinda horrible but I really enjoyed the reports and humor.

 

[bakerworld]

Speaking as a mom, I hope your mother got something out of 'trip'.

For an engineer (actually for any career, including comedian), your writing style is spectacularly funny. Thanks for the ride.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Maybe it's more of a know your audience thing. Those were ambitious plans for anyone, let alone someone traveling with toddlers and extended family.

I think this right here is probably where she went wrong. When you're planning for a group you need to find out (and actually respect) the needs and wants of the rest of the group. It doesn't sound like she actually ASKED OP or his family what they were hoping to get out of the trip. My family thinks I'm crazy but when I plan our trips but I literally send out surveys - I do it so I get a good sense of what everyone wants, how much down time they expect, and what their priorities and limitations are. That said, I'd had a few adult visits under my belt before I started group planning... and the first trip hubby and I took back pre-kids, I totally overscheduled and overstretched us. I learned from that mistake, but luckily it was only me and hubby who bore the brunt of it instead of a large multi-generational group.

 

[AliceNDinah]

Great, funny trip report, sorry to see it end - you are one entertaining writer, that's for sure! Hope you get a great do-over trip in the near future!!

 

[Tatum20]

I think this right here is probably where she went wrong. When you're planning for a group you need to find out (and actually respect) the needs and wants of the rest of the group. It doesn't sound like she actually ASKED OP or his family what they were hoping to get out of the trip. My family thinks I'm crazy but when I plan our trips but I literally send out surveys - I do it so I get a good sense of what everyone wants, how much down time they expect, and what their priorities and limitations are. That said, I'd had a few adult visits under my belt before I started group planning... and the first trip hubby and I took back pre-kids, I totally overscheduled and overstretched us. I learned from that mistake, but luckily it was only me and hubby who bore the brunt of it instead of a large multi-generational group.

To me, the best part about a large extended family trip is the ability to divide and conquer, not forced togetherness for 10+ people. Some kids want to ride the big thrill rides, even if it means waiting in line? A patient, thrill ride loving adult can chair that one. Some of the kids are tired of the park and want to go back to the hotel/Airbnb? A Disney park hating adult can run them back. Some of the kids want pizza, some want burgers? No problem. And bonus- trading off all the kids for adult time! It sounds like when the OP was able to take advantage of this, the trip went much better. I would totally do a big group trip, but definitely with the idea that we will be splitting into smaller groups each day so everyone gets to do what they want. And I probably wouldn't even bother trying to organize more than one sit down meal for the whole group- the entire trip. Or if I did, it would be off property. But I understand doing this would require a lot of cooperation between adults, and maybe when a grandparent is bankrolling the whole thing, the other adults feel like they can't really speak up about what they'd rather do. (Not that this was a problem for the SIL-yikes).

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

To me, the best part about a large extended family trip is the ability to divide and conquer, not forced togetherness for 10+ people. Some kids want to ride the big thrill rides, even if it means waiting in line? A patient, thrill ride loving adult can chair that one. Some of the kids are tired of the park and want to go back to the hotel/Airbnb? A Disney park hating adult can run them back. Some of the kids want pizza, some want burgers? No problem. And bonus- trading off all the kids for adult time! It sounds like when the OP was able to take advantage of this, the trip went much better. I would totally do a big group trip, but definitely with the idea that we will be splitting into smaller groups each day so everyone gets to do what they want. And I probably wouldn't even bother trying to organize more than one sit down meal for the whole group- the entire trip. Or if I did, it would be off property. But I understand doing this would require a lot of cooperation between adults, and maybe when a grandparent is bankrolling the whole thing, the other adults feel like they can't really speak up about what they'd rather do. (Not that this was a problem for the SIL-yikes).

Exactly! Flexibility is key though, and it sounds like she was oddly controlling. I don't think you can expect a large group in Disney to stick together at all times. Beyond just different people having different needs/priorities/limitations/wants, that is A LOT of together time even for families who get along great - which, it doesn't sound like OP gets along with his SIL all that well in normal life let alone on a joint vacation.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It doesn't sound like she actually ASKED OP or his family what they were hoping to get out of the trip.

I had wondered from the beginning if there were already grand plans (you know the best laid kind lol) in place. The OP edited their posts (just giving updates like a normal trip report) but in it they said the sister-in-law had known about the trip for months prior to Christmas when the OP had been told about it soooo honestly in fairness I could see how things might have progressed. The OP and their family right or wrong may have been seen as a tag along side group if that makes sense. In their posts they had said the sister-in-law had assumed they wouldn't be going.

However, here's the thing with Genie+ there's no pre-planning. Things would have been different and I would have felt a lot more like the statement I pulled from your quote when we were talking FP+ when you had to pick 3 rides per person per day 60 days in advance if staying on site and a rolling day by day 30 days in advance off-site. But that's not how it is. The OP could have at any point on their own MDE account if Genie+ had been purchased selected rides for them to go on, for just their child to go on. OR they could have told the sister-in-law to de-select them from this ride and select them for this other ride.

I'm not sure if the OP has their own MDE account but that would have been something they probably should have done and shouldn't be on the sister-in-law's shoulders. They could have had Genie+ purchased on just their account (but paid for by their parents if they wanted to since this a gift from them) and they could have been free to select whatever rides they did and didn't want and to come and go as they please.

There are people who can go with the flow to Disney and let someone do all the planning, that's how they enjoy it. Then there are people who go with the flow but don't really want someone else to plan everything for them. I think the OP falls into the latter. And really they kept their cool a lot more than I would have haha.

This isn't to blame the OP at all because this is a trip report after all but even if the sister-in-law has her major faults and I do agree there should have been communication (mentioned that in my first post) but there were other things that could have been done to make the trip be more freeing? I guess is the word I would have used.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Exactly! Flexibility is key though, and it sounds like she was oddly controlling. I don't think you can expect a large group in Disney to stick together at all times. Beyond just different people having different needs/priorities/limitations/wants, that is A LOT of together time even for families who get along great - which, it doesn't sound like OP gets along with his SIL all that well in normal life let alone on a joint vacation.

Listen I only go with my husband at this point and even I get nerved at him But he does go off and ride some rides that I don't go on like RnRC so I do get my alone time to stare at a map (I oddly love to do that) and to people watch (which is fascinating really).

Actually I'm just one who gets hangry, I can walk and walk and walk but dangit if I'm hungry...watch out

 

[Ohiostatefan606]

Actually I'm just one who gets hangry, I can walk and walk and walk but dangit if I'm hungry...watch out

HANGRY! That would be my son. He is 13 and eats non-stop, so he doesn't get too hangry at this point, because of the constant eating. But when he was 8,9, 10, wow, watch out. He was like Jekyll and Hyde. Happy go lucky one minute, shooting daggers out of his eyes the next. I kept lots of fruit snacks and pb cracker packs in the park back pack!

 

[Run4Bacon17]

This trip report was the best part of my morning between meetings. I have a LARGE family like my dad is the oldest of 10 boys and all of them have at least 1 kid, if not more. We even have a set of twins. The majority of us are over the age of 21 and every summer we rent a house at the Jersey Shore. It's like a revolving door because not everyone can be there at the same time all the time but we try to have at least one weekend where everyone is present and accounted for. I can't imagine if we all argued over who drank the fridge beer...lol. Usually, we start with a keg or two, and cases, if we run out beer runs are ordered as needed.