Opinion wanted!!! For taking good family friends family and your family to Disney!

[Sadgirl2234]

Would you be upset if your good friend bought a Disney trip for her and her family and you and your family to go to Disney together?
As a surprise and without them asking you or telling you about it.
You tell the parents before the kids so the parents can decide how they want to surprise them!

what do you think?
Would you be upset?
Would you go or turn it down?

 

[kinkin201]

While I would feel grateful someone wanted to do this, I probably would still be upset. If the trip was bought without my knowledge it would make me extremely stressed and anxious. There would be a lot of things running through my head about costs and wanting to be appreciative but I would also feel backed into a corner and pressured into saying yes to going... which could cause resentment and tension between the families.

 

[Carol_]

Would you be upset if your good friend bought a Disney trip for her and her family and you and your family to go to Disney together?
As a surprise and without them asking you or telling you about it.
You tell the parents before the kids so the parents can decide how they want to surprise them!

what do you think?
Would you be upset?
Would you go or turn it down?

If there’s a person on this forum who says they’d be mad about getting a free trip with family and friends to WDW, I suggest that person is a spy.

 

[kinkin201]

If there’s a person on this forum who says they’d be mad about getting a free trip with family and friends to WDW, I suggest that person is a spy.

What I am saying is everyone's financial situation is different and the person receiving the gift may have financial insecurities and stress over the trip. I would never buy a trip for someone without first having a conversation regarding it. Keeping it a surprise for the kids sounds great, but the parents should be involved in the decision to even go.

 

[Sadgirl2234]

What I am saying is everyone's financial situation is different and the person receiving the gift may have financial insecurities and stress over the trip. I would never buy a trip for someone without first having a conversation regarding it. Keeping it a surprise for the kids sounds great, but the parents should be involved in the decision to even go.

Well this family has helped me out in the past finically and with a place to live during hard times in my life and this is something where I feel I can repay them for everything they have done for me.
So I’m a way it’s more of a repayment for things they have already done for me in the past ten years.

 

[Heather07438]

Is this all expense paid including lodging, tickets and travel? Food too?
There’s a lot for the friend to consider like what would be expected on their end and time off work/schedule.
If I were to offer something like this, I might put it hypothetical (how would you feel...) and Let them know exactly what’s included and why I’d love for them to join the trip with my family.

 

[Sadgirl2234]

Well this family has helped me out in the past finically and with a place to live during hard times in my life and this is something where I feel I can repay them for everything they have done for me.
So I’m a way it’s more of a repayment for things they have already done for me in the past ten years.

They also lost both their parents in the past two years and have been felt some pretty crappy hands. Although I don’t think they would have made the initial move to go to Disney on there own I do believe that they wouldn’t be able to find ways to justify going even if they good finically or not to do so.

 

[kinkin201]

Well this family has helped me out in the past finically and with a place to live during hard times in my life and this is something where I feel I can repay them for everything they have done for me.
So I’m a way it’s more of a repayment for things they have already done for me in the past ten years.

I think it's great you want to do this for them. But I would not purchase anything until talking to them about it. I would approach them with your plans and details regarding the cost and logistics.

 

[noahdove]

Ok, please don’t flame me, but, who’s being gifted this trip? I read that someone could not repay the other person for all they have done for them and now I read it’s more of a repayment for all they have done for you. Please help me understand. I will say tho, if someone was to give me a trip all paid for, I would be happy as a clam

 

[AgentMama]

I guess my biggest question is how do you know the dates you're picking work and that they can get those dates off work and don't have other plans that would make taking off at all not feasible?

 

[AnnaS]

If someone is wiling and can afford to treat a close friend or family member to a family trip - it is an awesome gesture.

I guess this depends on the other family's circumstances/financial circumstances and reason for offering. I would definitely run it by the family and explain why I wanted to do this and let them understand there would be absolutely no strings attached - even not to feel obligated to spend every moment with me. (thinking of dates/time off/other plans/not making them feel bad they can't afford it or feel obligated/in debt to me the rest of their life).

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

What a geberous gift! Those of us who travel to Disney frequently sometimes don't take into account how much a 'once in a lifetime' or 'once in a decade' trip really costs to someone not used to travelling there. We had friends that did something extra for us and we wanted to repay them with a trip- we knew they would never travel to Disney otherwise. We offered to cover a week in a 1 bedroom at AKL for their family, cost of delivered groceries and planned on purchasing 1 counter or table service meal a day and a gift card to cover a snack or two for each family member every day. They had to cover transportation and any tickets they wanted (they only wanted 3 days of tickets). We talked about it for about 6 months but they wound up cancelling, thankfully about a month or 2 before we planned on booking. They weren't big travelers, had never flown with their kids before, were worried about boarding their dogs, stressed about costs of souvenirs their kids might want, etc. They got anxious and pulled the plug.

While you may be excited for the trip there could be many factors you aren't thinking of that could cause this dream vacation to become anxiety or stress inducing for the family you want to treat. Instead of booking the trip as a surprise, I suggest talking about it, waiting to hear their opinions, dates that work, etc.

 

[Marthasor]

I would speak with your friends prior to booking to see if this is something they are even interested in doing. Sometimes our love of Disney doesn't translate to others and, while we may think this would be enjoyable and magical, Disney isn't on everyone's wish list. I would also want to make sure they were comfortable with the idea of you paying for the whole thing.

My sister took care of my mom in the final months of her life. She, literally, quit her job and moved back to our childhood home to take care of her. When my mom passed, I knew my sister really needed a vacation and I wanted to do something to thank her for all that she did for our family, so, I proposed a trip to WDW with me and my DS, all expenses paid. She gladly accepted and was a big part of the planning. I only bring this up because if my sister had said she would rather go somewhere else or needed cash instead, I would have gladly obliged. I wanted to make sure it was a gift she would actually enjoy and use. So, I would encourage you to speak with your friends prior to booking anything.

 

[RogueX]

So I've kind of been in this position with my younger sister and her kids. She split up with her husband, her 2 kids (teens) were having a hard time with it and money was extremely tight. She nearly lost her house to foreclosure, but was able to prevent that with some help and reworking her budget.

I wanted to go back to Disney with my husband, and my daughter (who is 11 months younger than my niece). We decided they could use a fun break in their lives. With that though, I included my sister in parts of the planning. She needed the dates for leave from work and pet care for her dogs.

She had a hard time accepting that we were paying for everything, but did.

We also decided to invite my older sister, who was never a Disney fan, but she had a great time. For her, it was a bit sad though because she miscarried a baby girl who would have been 11 months older than my niece.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I agree with previous posters thats its very nice of you to offer but I would not like someone to do this for me. You want them to have something you enjoy as a way of saying thank you, but essentially the trip is all about you. You are choosing the place, as its something you enjoy, you are choosing the when and the how, as thats how you vacation. You are choosing the hotels as thats where you want to stay.

Lets turn this around and put it in context of it not being a Disney parks holiday.

A 2 week beach holiday to Spain in an inclusive apartment complex is something thats a very typical foreign holiday for Irish people. Its something almost every family does every summer, a cheap package holiday booked by a travel agent agent, to purpose built apartment complexes filled with UK and Irish people, with UK and Irish ex pat communities who run UK and Irish bars and restaurants. Every sits by the pool all day, eats their meals in the hotel, in the evening they go to bars and clubs, maybe take a bus tour to a local town, go shopping or to a water park, rinse and repeat for 10 to 14 days.

I have never been on one of theses type holidays, its so totally not the way I like to travel or go on vacation. Most people I know don't understand how I don't like this type of holiday, as its basically the only type of holiday they ever go on.

If someone said to me, I really appricate all you have done for me this year, the support you have given me, and how you have been there for me this year so as a thank you I have booked and paid for you to join me and my family when we go to Tennerife for 2 weeks in July, I would be horrified. Don't get me wrong, I understand that my friend wanted to thank me, but I could think of nothing worse than a 2 week holiday to Tennerife in July. I would most defiantly have to decline and would think that my friend really does not know me.

When giving a gift, its always more important to give something that the recipient actually wants and would use, than to give something just for the sake of giving a gift and making the giver feel good.

 

[Meglen]

Don't buy it, talk to them about it maybe give a card or a disney item as a clue than offer. Once they seem excited say let's plan this thing! This way if they work or need to pick dates they can. I wouldn't want someone to give me a trip that I have no input on the dates with.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I think it's an awesome gesture

 

[mjkacmom]

I wouldn’t be happy if my husband did this, never mind a friend. I hate surprises, and I like to decide where and when to vacation. Having someone else pay and be there sounds so awkward. I’d feel obligated to just go along with the plans someone else made, and to spend every minute together. Some people do not get unlimited vacation time, I’ve been to WDW a dozen times, I don’t care if I never get back.

 

[tinkerjo]

I wouldn’t actually purchase it before talking to them. Maybe plan the vacation with a few dates in mind and surprise them with with a “vacation voucher” (like an IOU) maybe include some magic bands, park maps, Disney T-shirts. And explain what all you will be paying for but that you want to share Disney with them for all they have done for you but that you would like them to have input helping you plan. That way they if for some reason it just won’t work, you haven’t spent a ton of money, and if they accept, they can enjoy some of the planning with you. It makes it feel more like their vacation and not just tagging along on yours. I would be thrilled with a Disney vacation but for me planning is more then 1/2 the fun!!!

 

[sponica]

I love Disney and while I appreciate the generosity, if my best Disney loving friend offered to bring my family with her family it would be all sorts of awkward. The entire time, I would be thinking, I'm spending someone else's money. It's one thing when I go overboard with my own money but I have a REALLY hard time spending someone else's money....especially if they're there with me.

My husband almost booked a cruise as a *surprise* when we were dating and that didn't fly with me either. I hate surprises.