Does your family think your nuts?

[DisDaydreamer]

Funny you should mention that. I paid a sympathy visit to my brother's family this weekend. You know the type: 2 working parents, 4 gradeschooler kids, a disabled grandparent living in household. They are so busy with the "gradeschool grind" they've forgotten what it is to travel. (A vacation is going to the IKEA store.)

Meanwhile here comes my dad and I. Both single and with jobs that allow us to set our own schedules. So we've been taking advantage of that and travelling wherever our hearts desire for as long as our bodies are able to keep up.

We hadn't seen my brother's family in near 3 months because we've been traveling. (We do talk on the phone, however, and have made video calls from our travels.) So we go over to just spend some quality time, watch Sunday football, have dinner, and I bring my video slideshow of our two most recent trips (Disney for Halloween and London).

The kids all voiced repeated requests to go with us next trip and the parents have taken to calling us the traveling gypsies. In the end, I think they view our lifestyle with equal parts envy and complete bafflement. The idea that someone can not be a slave to a school schedule is just alien to them.

As for me, I think I have become the Auntie Mame of the family. Always traveling, meeting exotic people and having dozens of adventurous tales to tell. Oh well, life's a banquet...etc.!

Not sure how you do it... but I envy anyone that can travel as much you you... Glad you can spend this time with your father....

 

[byoung]

Could care less what they think. I love Disney and will continue to go.

 

[edk35]

OH MY YES....well friends do. We have not even told EXTENDED FAMILY YET. LOL We purchased in Jan. We have friends that just DON'T UNDERSTAND the Disney thing. They think if you go once....you have seen and done it all. This is our 3rd trip this year.... coming up NEXT WEEK...and we are going in Jan. again. WE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT WDW and sometimes I just don't tell people because they think going once a year is a lot. Which really it is.

 

[javamom]

Yeah, my family probably thinks that we are nuts. Frankly, I don't care. I dance to a different drum, and that is no news to them.

They make the 2 basic false assumptions about a Disney vacation.

a) they assume the worst-case scenario of crowded amusement parks and screaming children

b) they assume that everything is child-oriented

I did get a lot of questions from one family member that were meant to sound as if she were interested in it, but really, she was just tying to figure out how much we paid for it. So, I gave her what she wanted in the way that she wanted it. I have learned that it's better to give people what they want and let them think that they are superior for it. They get to pat themselves on the back for their brilliance and you get to know better. Sometimes being "right" is better than being correct.

 

[ktbugsmom]

My family kind of gets it. My friends kind of get it. Most still say "Vacation? Oh yea, you must be going to Disney again!" My sister used to give me a hard time, but every time she wants us to get away with our kids (and without our husbands) she says "Can you book us something at Disney?" We go together about every other year - so I think she secretly needs her Disney fix too! My mom now gets it because she has come along on our "trip without hubbies". She loves how clean and nice everything is. She loves that it is safe and that we can take a bus where ever we need to go.

So - while people tease me about going to Disney - who do they call when they are ready to plan their vacation? I am the official Disney planner for all family and friends - even friends of friends! I have now created spreadsheets and helpful hints for all of the parks so I can automatically give those to people.

 

[UP Disney]

We are purchasing 225 or 250 points at SSR this week. My family and friends all think I'm nuts. Their normal responses are "You're going to Disney again? Don't you want to try somewhere else? Haven't you seen everything there is to see? What can you do there?"

I feel bad for them for not getting it! But then, that leaves more room for all of us that do get it.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

My sister refers to it as the "Disney cult." She'll call me up to ask me a question for someone at the hospital where she works (last week it was "what is that stuffed Mickey that tell you stuff and how do you order one?") and she always starts with "I figured you would know or could ask the other cult members...."

Of course, she is happy to support my cult membership by accompanying us on our spring trip every year. In 08' she is going in May AND October.

pssst I almost have her converted guys!!!

 

[Buckeye Fan]

As with you...my dad doesn't know either!!! I'm 37 and I know he and mom would think we've lost our minds!

With that said, the only people who share in our sheer delight are my BIL/SIL. They've been members since 1993 at OKW. We were the ones that thought they had lost it a while back! I think I recall saying something to DH like, "Why would anyone buy a timeshare? That's just throwing away hard earned money. But beyond that, why would ANYONE choose to buy one at Disney???"

We just purchased 390 points in January of this year, which was at my humble request, made our first official DVC trip to BWV in July of this year and are going back in March for the kids and DH's spring break. I haven't looked back!

 

[disney54us]

We first purchase in '97' 230 pts., we were on our 2nd trip. When we came back all excited about our new 'home' purchase I still remember my Dad's face and him saying "you bought a Time Share?" Of course I went on and on, ah this was not a Time Share like people think of, this was DVC. My dad being dad took home all the info to review, and the next day ask how many pts. could we add on. There, came the 2nd contract, and since then we have added and added (well let's not go there, we know this is a addiction). Since, They have enjoyed trips with us I think they got it, but thats not to say we weren't referred to as Disney Nerds (yep, I think that's what we were called). Okay, just because I brought the Easter Parade on tape to watch to Easter Dinner, but really only because our daughter was in it we were there the week prior during taping. So if being nuts means enjoying ourselves who cares!

 

[MouseT]

Past:
My DSis/DBIL have owned in DVC for 10+ years and DP's (parents) have owned for 8+ years. I always teased them about being too crazy for Disney.

Present:
Bought into SSR in June and have already gone once on the points and have the next trip planned for May.

I guess perspectives change over time and circumstances.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

As with you...my dad doesn't know either!!! I'm 37 and I know he and mom would think we've lost our minds!

With that said, the only people who share in our sheer delight are my BIL/SIL. They've been members since 1993 at OKW. We were the ones that thought they had lost it a while back! I think I recall saying something to DH like, "Why would anyone buy a timeshare? That's just throwing away hard earned money. But beyond that, why would ANYONE choose to buy one at Disney???"

We just purchased 390 points in January of this year, which was at my humble request, made our first official DVC trip to BWV in July of this year and are going back in March for the kids and DH's spring break. I haven't looked back!

How wonderful!

This would be my greatest dream!

I would for the family to make the transformation that you guys have made.

For now, I'll stick with my funny jacket, and padded room.

Actually, after spending a week with my family in April, I now understand that I am actually a little and they drove me to it.