to invite or not to invite, that is the question! opinions on inviting ppl on a Disney trip?

[k_hase]

We used to bring my parents and it was wonderful b/c they are not nosy, like to do things on their own, love to play with their grandson at the pool and babysit on occaision. They are now not able to go.

We have never brought my inlaws, ever, b/c we know it would be a very unenjoyable trip. They to love to play and babysit, but they are not independent people and they don't travel well. They would be constantly expecting us to tell them what to do and be at our sides/under our feet.

It not even a bad relationship, it's that I want to enjoy the trip. I think you need to wait on going on ROTR and enjoy time with your daughter without grief from your mother.

 

[Bruggok]

Like many here, I had good and bad experience from taking my inlaws and my mom to WDW. The good was that my 8 yr old remembers fondly going to WDW with grandparents when she was 5. The bad, however, was numerous:

1. WDW is a LOT of walking and my MIL couldn't keep up. Didn't want to split up and refused ECV.
2. MIL had to have Memory Maker then insisted on the whole family lining up for pics whenever she spotted a photographer. They were everywhere.
3. MIL gave my kid a stack of index cards for autographs, then got all of us to line up whenever she saw a character. They were everywhere.
4. MIL had no opinions on what she wanted to eat, but kept rejecting whatever we offered. We endede up leaving for lunch at some chain restaurant each day around 1pm. She also insisted on eating dinner back at the condo rental all except 1 day instead of on property.
5. #1-4 caused either rescheduled or missed Fastpass rides, over and over. I don't think we spent more than 4-6 hours per day in each park. Felt like most of the trip was driving to/from WDW, standing in line, taking pics, waiting at a bathroom, or waiting outside a gift shop.

I wanted to keep good relations with my inlaws, so while planning our last trip I asked my wife if she wanted to invite her parents again. Her response was No, heck no, hell no, what are you crazy? We ended up doing a 7 day by ourselves all within WDW bubble and it was the most magical trip ever. Still, though, I want my kid to have good memories with grandparents, so eventually I'll ask my wife if she changed her mind for our next trip. My wife actually wants to invite my mom only (because they get along great), but I thought the optics of that is just really bad. If we invite grandparents we invite both sides; they can opt out but it's just too rude to show favoritism.

 

[paisleys]

Given your hesitations I'd say no. WDW is expensive and it shouldn't come with built in anxiety.

^^^^This! My family lives near WDW (ugh!!) and the trips we had when my kids were younger were awful. We spent a lot of time waiting around in the room as they would be hours late. "We are on our way" (15 minutes AFTER when supposed to meet)..."we are almost there but have to make a stop to get (whatever)". Then arrive at like 8:30 PM (original 5:30, 6) "We will watch the kids while you guys go to Epcot!" Ummm...Epcot will be closed by the time we get there. Wanting to have dinner off property at Olive Garden when we already had priority seatings on property. And more, I have a lot of stories like this till we finally went cold turkey and stopped telling them we would be up there. Like Yesterdark says, WDW is expensive and should have built in anxiety. It was hard at first, but our trips were sooo much better not having to cater to their lateness and last minute plan changes. These trips are precious to us. My husband has said he would rather be voted out of the family than ever to WDW with either of our families again.