Even more inlaws on the way

Walt Disney World Dining
#1

This is not my 1st rodeo, with this situation. Last trip 7 inlaws announced they wanted to join our trip, ahem. That is, last minute (touring plan speak for 25 days out). I did all my wigging out last trip, so that’s out of the way haha.

They did say they only wanted to meet w us outside of parks, interesting. Wanted to join our adrs, also interesting. 1/2 didn’t show up, other 1/2 showed up in park, so we could all do the “wing” dance that day haha! At least the 4 that did show up (mid morn) were fun to be with, so the day worked out ok. Also, we were able to get extra fpps that eve, since they left around 4pm, whateves.

I was just recently commenting on @missoverexcited’s thread how we managed to survive a similar situation to her’s, tho ours was for a very short time.

Well, here we go again. Sigh. Suddenly, at 45 days out, 9 of them have decided to join our group of 9. So now I’m to add 9 more people to adr for brunch at GF on a Sunday. So far added 4 more, will keep looking for additonal 5.

PLEASE SEND PIXIEDUST!

How lucky we are to have the venting valve here on Forum and Chat. My immediate fam think I’m staying very calm over this this year. You guys know the real truth haha.

The clincher tho is that they (very softly) asked: could we all get together somewhere, on that Saturday? Arghh. Told Ddil, sorry, no. It’s the 1 day in HS, fpps are made (snagged an SDD), it’s a very very early morn to preRD b/c new rides etc. Told her we’ll definitely need our afternoon rest, esp for the kiddos, since it will be 1 of only 2 late park nights.

Hope I’m not sounding too snarky. If I do, please know that I left these possible grouchy comments to vent with you guys, I know you understand.

I was actually very calm when Ddil was telling me all this. They’re actually her extended fam, and so I was very nice. And she’s very nice, really a sweetheart. So we’re staying pretty zen so far haha.

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#2

Vent away! This sounds like a challenge but you got this!

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#3

Thanks, @PrincipalTinker. Well, we Liners do love a challenge haha!

I should have mentioned, there’s again a fun part to all this. The fun group of 4 from last trip are staying also @Dolphin, tho not going to parks. So the beauty part is I already had an easy peasy pool night on Friday, where we can all have a blast, all the 6 little cousins together.

It’s the MNSSHP party night that Friday. We’re attending the party earlier in the week.

I should also say: the other inlaws showing up on Saturday/Sunday is interesting for sure, since we’re flying out on Sunday. I don’t know what to say about that haha.

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#4

Maybe next time keep your trip a secret until the very last minute? ‘Forget’ to tell them? :wink:

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#5

Haha@Twyynrodyn- If only. My sweet Ddil is the cat who gets out of the bag! Actually, we’re traveling this year with her sis & fam, which will be actually great.

We had a fab time in White Mountains as group of 9 last summer, so found out that we’re a good traveling team.

The Jacksonville counsins, 4, who joined us in MK last trip were actually fun too, tho the winging thing was a bit of a stretch for me. Worked out ok, since it was for a short time. We’d spent night before at pool w them, had a blast.

It’s the other 5, all of them seniors, who’s last trip to disney was in the 80s, that gets me a bit crazy. They just don’t realize how much planning goes into rides and restaurants these days, sigh.

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#6

I would say you are being extraordinarily gracious not snarky. If we are inviting people to join us we ask them and give them a cutoff point by which they have to decide so that we can make plans accordingly. If they change their mind after that point, they are welcome to plan their own Disney vacation for that time. I am happy to share our plans with them and they can try to get reservations that match up but we are not adjusting all our plans to add them in. We have had grandparents from both side join us and have a blast. We have also had times we said we really wanted to have it just be our immediate family. And we have had times when we invited people they said no initially then changed their minds at the last minute but we went on with our plans. I guess it would be different if they were willing to pay for their own room, do their own planning, etc. but ours always want to save by sharing a room and just be added into all our plans which messes with all your reservations.

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#7

Haha@ric- are your inlaws related to mine? And thanks for the support, I appreciate it.

As you say, I’m learning to hold my ground, explain to them (thru my Ddil) that these plans can’t be changed, to suit them.

I have offered to add more people to our GF brunch, which will bring adr to party of 18, whoosh. Just need to add 5 more for now. Last trip after all this drama, the seniors of ext fam didn’t show up last minute. So I’ll hopefully add them to adr (it’s an easier one to do that thank goodness) and go from there.

It also will be possible for the seniors to hang out with the Jacksonville cousins that Saturday while we’re at HS. Good ol’ Dolphin says they can join at pool, so that was very nice. Plenty of dining places in the hotel, as well as strolls around boardwalk, so that will hopefully take care of that haha.

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#8

Good luck on the last 5 amiga! Maybe you can fit in their Saturday request at the Dolphin? Have a nice QS meal there?

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#9

I think you are being gracious. I wouldn’t have been. I don’t travel with my extended family as it does not go well and it ends up being very stressful. We are bringing my best friend on our next trip, as she has never been to DW. She already knows there are times we will split up, as there are attractions we go to she cannot due to health issues. Vent away and best of luck.

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#10

Haha @quicha- I’m actually delegating their care & feeding to the Jacksonville cousins on Saturday. Love those guys, but I see some delivery pizza in their future, hmm.

@Alewis678- thanks for your support too!

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#11

Thread like this make me SO happy that I don’t have very many in laws, and those I do have think WDW or DLR is nothing but a total waste of time and money.

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#12

Haha @bswan26- ain’t it the truth! Funny thing is my side of fam all overseas except for Ds (with whom I travel to Disney) & Dd (who eschews anything Disney related). So all these inlaws & outlaws are on Ddil’s side of fam.

Some of them are a delight- others, not so much. But she’s a sweetheart & has become a dear friend over the years, so I do my best to put up with all of her fam.

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#13

You have more patience than me! When my mom asked if she could tag along on our December 2016 trip I handed her our spreadsheet and said “here’s what we will be doing. If you join us, great, if you don’t, that’s fine too.” It actually worked out really well. She was skeptical about leaving for MK at 6am, but was completely awestruck when we walked around the corner on Main Street after a 7am opening and saw the castle completely lit up (since it was so early the sun hadn’t yet risen!)

Good luck with your last minute changes, though it sounds like you have some good companions. My DH and I joked that we knew the friends that accompanied us on the 2016 trip would be good traveling partners when their reaction to our spreadsheet was to make their own to show where their plans deviated from our own!

I know everyone isn’t a type A planner, but it works from our family and we enjoy all of it from the planning to execution. So if you want to tag along, we make it clear what you are getting into!

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#14

I’m pretty sure that this is how I would be as well.

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#15

I like that solution @Off2Neverland. Last trip that the Jax fam joined us last min, we had to “wing” it with them @MK.

So far they’re saying they’re staying only at hotel (but that’s what they said last time ahem).

So if they do join us @HS, I’ll use your technique- hand them the TP for that day, that shows SDD fpps & others we have, and say, you can join us for the non fpp rides, and try to get fpp for the others as well.

The funny thing re the “winging” MK day with them, my fam got to see how that works haha. I don’t think my fam will wing it another time with them.

The Jax contingent actually were a lot of fun to be with last time, so there’s that. Also, they don’t like to get to park til about 10:30, then they stay all afternoon. We’ll not go along with aftn this time, we have too much planned for 1 of our few late nights, at HS.

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#16

I don’t think you are being snarky at all.
I like the approach taken by @Off2Neverland! That’s brilliant!
I think so many people don’t understand the planning involved in a Disney trip especially with a big group. On a recent group trip I was asked things like “could we just move the FOP FP to a later time?” and “let’s do BOG for dinner instead of lunch.” :scream_cat:

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#17

Thanks @Dreamer. Even my immediate fam still doesn’t get the extent of the planning. Ds says to me: oh boo, so disappointed we can’t get the SciFi adr this trip (I’m still working at it after 4 mos).

I told him, you guys (9 of us this trip) decided to go to Disney this trip 4 months ahead, I really needed the 180 window for the harder to get adrs. each subsequent trip, tho, I think they’re beginning to see the light haha. They definitely appreciate the fpps and the adrs now, and we’re staunch RDers.

Ddil says to me: can we add another 5 people (the last last minuters) to our Sunday brunch adr? Which would bring it to a total of 18 people. At least she said it with a winch haha.

I did manage to get it done yesterday. Luckily it’s for brunch at GF cafe, which is a very easy adr to get.

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