Bringing a 1 year old where?!

[kajunchick]

I brought my kids to WDW when they were 11, 4, and 1. My baby did fine. There was so much to see, and many, many rides are slow and safe for everyone. (I'm thinking about Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White Adventure, even the Jungle Cruise). I would plan to stick with the Magic Kingdom, stay onsite (we loved the family suites at All-Star Music), and bring your own stroller.

We went again last year when DS was three and a half, so he'll probably remember this trip better, but we all enjoyed that first trip.

[sammycat]

Many couples honeymoon there.  A man I work with and his wife go 5-6 times a year and they're middle-aged.

DH and I spent part of our honeymoon there. 

I think everyone is so focused on the 1 year old that they've forgotten that there's also a 6 year old, and 2 adults, involved. So what if the 1 year old doesn't get much out of it this time round? The 6 year old (and the adults) will, not to mention the 6 year old and the adults will be making memories.

Living in New Zealand as a child, Disneyland was The Ultimate Place In The Whole Wide World To Visit.  I would have given my right arm to visit as a 6 year old/any age child. We nearly did when I was 9. I may one day forgive my parents for taking us to Australia instead. Or not.

My first visit was as a 20 year old. It was ok; I actually enjoyed it more on later visits, and am quite addicted now. It also made me very determined to take my (then-future) children there when they were kids, which I'm pleased to say I did (both Disneyland and Disney World).

If OP can afford it, and isn't asking anyone else to foot the bill for this trip or any other living expenses, then it's no one else's business, least of all a rude FIL's, what they do with their money. (BTW, OP, I can highly recommend the Pop Century as an onsite hotel).

[MariaE]

I've been to a Disney park 4 times - at age 3 (where my youngest sister was just under 2), 10, 17 and 18. The two first visits were definitely the best and most magical. After that it was just an amusement park like any other.

... That's not to say I wouldn't love to go again though

[Piratelvr1121]

I recommend any hotel that is on the monorail line.  When we went to Disneyworld when I was 13, we stayed at the Contemporary inn, the one that has a monorail going right through the hotel.  It was great, as there was no need to rent a car at all, we could just hop on the monorail and go to whichever park we felt like visiting that day. 

[Roe]

I recommend any hotel that is on the monorail line.  When we went to Disneyworld when I was 13, we stayed at the Contemporary inn, the one that has a monorail going right through the hotel.  It was great, as there was no need to rent a car at all, we could just hop on the monorail and go to whichever park we felt like visiting that day.

You can only take the monorail to Magic Kingdom or Epcot.  Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are not on the monorail. (neither is Downtown Disney)

Staying at a monorail hotel would help with using the stroller.  My vote is for the Polynesian.     

OP wouldn't need a rental if she stays at a Disney resort as they do have transportation from resorts to every Disney park. 

[Roe]

Since our first visit in '02, my family and I have gone to Disney 7 times. Yes, we've spent a small fortune but the memories we created are truly priceless.  I've never once regretted the amount we spent.

This summer we hope to take our boys to NYC and yesterday I heard grumbling about "but what about Disney?"  And my boys are already older!  My youngest is 9. 

So Disney can be a magical place for any age and families can spend a fortune or go on a budget, there are many ways to "do" Disney. 

Thing is, OP, you and your family are self sufficient and you don't need to run your finances by anybody, including your FIL.  I'm sure some of our family members think we are crazy for spending what we spend on our vacations but it's no one's business but our own. We don't ask them for a cent, they have no say.

When we hear the "you are going to Disney again?" comments, we just smile and say "yep!" 

[DoubleTrouble]

I actually find it fascinating that that FIL is opposed to the OP's family going to Disney as my parents are just aghast that we haven't taken our 4.5 yr old sons yet. Apparently my first visit to Disney was around age 2 & we went went back many times over the years. Actually my parents just went to Disney a few weeks ago & enjoyed it but they did say it was very different when you don't have little kids who are just in awe of everything going on. They said it was more magical for them when my brother & I were small.

We really, really want to go but with my husband's school demands it just hasn't been possible for the past few years. When I mentioned taking the boys in the next year or so to my Dad I got "such a pity you haven't taken them yet." Sure Dad, we really should have trotted the boys down on a week-long vacation sometime during the one week of time off DH got in between semesters when he really should have been just sitting around the house relaxing Oh & did you forget that DH was also working? Love 'em but my parents are weird sometimes.

[miranova]

It is perfectly ok for someone you are close with to politely express concerns about choices you make.  The OP's FIL was not at all polite.

Also, I'm saving up to be able to afford to sell our house (at a loss, boo!) and simultaneously savings for the 3 family vacations I have planned for the year. 

It really doesn't have to be one or the other - especially if you're good with money.

  It really does have to be one or the other if your income is not sufficient to support both. Many people can not support both. No matter how good you are with money, insufficient funds cannot generate more funds like Tribbles.

 She didn't come here asking for financial advice.

And here is where I park my pod. 

I love talking finances, but this is not the board for it and the OP didn't ask for our financial opinions.  All of this unsolicited financial advice flying around in this thread is surprising.  And I find it interesting that people can have such strong financial opinions without any understanding of the facts.  As it turns out, OP has clarified that she already owns a home.  I see no urgency in buying a larger home.  Perhaps she and her dh are perfectly content in the home they have until they are done saving up for the new one.  Their choice. 

[MrsJWine]

It is perfectly ok for someone you are close with to politely express concerns about choices you make.  The OP's FIL was not at all polite.

Also, I'm saving up to be able to afford to sell our house (at a loss, boo!) and simultaneously savings for the 3 family vacations I have planned for the year. 

It really doesn't have to be one or the other - especially if you're good with money.

  It really does have to be one or the other if your income is not sufficient to support both. Many people can not support both. No matter how good you are with money, insufficient funds cannot generate more funds like Tribbles.

 She didn't come here asking for financial advice.

And here is where I park my pod. 

I love talking finances, but this is not the board for it and the OP didn't ask for our financial opinions.  All of this unsolicited financial advice flying around in this thread is surprising.  And I find it interesting that people can have such strong financial opinions without any understanding of the facts.  As it turns out, OP has clarified that she already owns a home.  I see no urgency in buying a larger home.  Perhaps she and her dh are perfectly content in the home they have until they are done saving up for the new one.  Their choice. 

She has posted before about wanting a new house, badly. They have had repeated financial difficulties in the past. I think if the FIL's history of rudeness and intrusiveness can be considered relevant (and yes, he was rude), then the OP's history of financial problems can be considered relevant. A $10,000 vacation could mean financial ruin. I think it's profoundly irresponsible to NOT bring up these concerns, whether the OP specifically asked for these opinions or not.

[LeveeWoman]

It is perfectly ok for someone you are close with to politely express concerns about choices you make.  The OP's FIL was not at all polite.

Also, I'm saving up to be able to afford to sell our house (at a loss, boo!) and simultaneously savings for the 3 family vacations I have planned for the year. 

It really doesn't have to be one or the other - especially if you're good with money.

  It really does have to be one or the other if your income is not sufficient to support both. Many people can not support both. No matter how good you are with money, insufficient funds cannot generate more funds like Tribbles.

 She didn't come here asking for financial advice.

And here is where I park my pod. 

I love talking finances, but this is not the board for it and the OP didn't ask for our financial opinions.  All of this unsolicited financial advice flying around in this thread is surprising.  And I find it interesting that people can have such strong financial opinions without any understanding of the facts.  As it turns out, OP has clarified that she already owns a home.  I see no urgency in buying a larger home.  Perhaps she and her dh are perfectly content in the home they have until they are done saving up for the new one.  Their choice. 

She has posted before about wanting a new house, badly. They have had repeated financial difficulties in the past. I think if the FIL's history of rudeness and intrusiveness can be considered relevant (and yes, he was rude), then the OP's history of financial problems can be considered relevant. A $10,000 vacation could mean financial ruin. I think it's profoundly irresponsible to NOT bring up these concerns, whether the OP specifically asked for these opinions or not.

That's not your place.

[miranova]

It is perfectly ok for someone you are close with to politely express concerns about choices you make.  The OP's FIL was not at all polite.

Also, I'm saving up to be able to afford to sell our house (at a loss, boo!) and simultaneously savings for the 3 family vacations I have planned for the year. 

It really doesn't have to be one or the other - especially if you're good with money.

  It really does have to be one or the other if your income is not sufficient to support both. Many people can not support both. No matter how good you are with money, insufficient funds cannot generate more funds like Tribbles.

 She didn't come here asking for financial advice.

And here is where I park my pod. 

I love talking finances, but this is not the board for it and the OP didn't ask for our financial opinions.  All of this unsolicited financial advice flying around in this thread is surprising.  And I find it interesting that people can have such strong financial opinions without any understanding of the facts.  As it turns out, OP has clarified that she already owns a home.  I see no urgency in buying a larger home.  Perhaps she and her dh are perfectly content in the home they have until they are done saving up for the new one.  Their choice. 

She has posted before about wanting a new house, badly. They have had repeated financial difficulties in the past. I think if the FIL's history of rudeness and intrusiveness can be considered relevant (and yes, he was rude), then the OP's history of financial problems can be considered relevant. A $10,000 vacation could mean financial ruin. I think it's profoundly irresponsible to NOT bring up these concerns, whether the OP specifically asked for these opinions or not.

That's not your place.

Exactly.  I could find financially irresponsible people all day long to lecture and I'd never run out of material.  There are a whole lot of people out there spending money on things they shouldn't. But it simply isn't my business.  I can kind of agree that close family could bring it up with the OP in a courteous, non condescending way and be ok.  But strangers on the internet?  No, not when the OP did not ask for financial advice.

Even if OP is HUGELY financially irresponsible, which is subjective in the first place, she's being irresponsbile with her own money.  None of our business.

[WillyNilly]

But the OP has come here and posted about her financial woes, and she did start a thread about her proposed 2 week$10k vacation, and she started this thread. She made it our business in so far as she started all these conversations with us, she provided all the info voluntarily and she asked for advice on each aspect. To tell posters it's not our business to take all the info she wanted us to comment on as a big picture is ridiculous. Sure you can comment on each detail separately, but it's not unreasonable for posters to look at the bigger picture provided by the OP herself.

[miranova]

But the OP has come here and posted about her financial woes, and she did start a thread about her proposed 2 week$10k vacation, and she started this thread. She made it our business in so far as she started all these conversations with us, she provided all the info voluntarily and she asked for advice on each aspect. To tell posters it's not our business to take all the info she wanted us to comment on as a big picture is ridiculous. Sure you can comment on each detail separately, but it's not unreasonable for posters to look at the bigger picture provided by the OP herself.

I haven't read the other threads being referenced.  I am only commenting on this one, and nowhere on this thread does the OP ask for any financial advice at all.  I fail to see how asking about X on one thread means that if I ask about Y on another thread, I am subjecting myself to getting advice about X again.  Why not keep the financial remarks on a thread where the OP is actually asking about finances?  This thread is about shutting her rude father in law down. 

The cost of the vacation is completely irrelevant to how she should handle her FIL.    It makes absolutely no difference in terms of what her reaction should be.  None. 

If the OP and her husband have already made this decision (regardless of whether it's "right" or "wrong") then all they need to do is politely state to FIL that they appreciate his concern but they have it covered and the decision is made. 

I stand behind my opinion that repeatedly stating that this vacation is irresponsible has no place on this thread.  I am not against financial advice, in the right venue, where people are actually asking for some.

[kareng57]

It is perfectly ok for someone you are close with to politely express concerns about choices you make.  The OP's FIL was not at all polite.

Also, I'm saving up to be able to afford to sell our house (at a loss, boo!) and simultaneously savings for the 3 family vacations I have planned for the year. 

It really doesn't have to be one or the other - especially if you're good with money.

  It really does have to be one or the other if your income is not sufficient to support both. Many people can not support both. No matter how good you are with money, insufficient funds cannot generate more funds like Tribbles.

 She didn't come here asking for financial advice.

And here is where I park my pod. 

I love talking finances, but this is not the board for it and the OP didn't ask for our financial opinions.  All of this unsolicited financial advice flying around in this thread is surprising.  And I find it interesting that people can have such strong financial opinions without any understanding of the facts.  As it turns out, OP has clarified that she already owns a home.  I see no urgency in buying a larger home.  Perhaps she and her dh are perfectly content in the home they have until they are done saving up for the new one.  Their choice.

I don't see that posters were "giving financial advice".  A few of us asserted that we could kind of understand where FIL was coming from, even though he expressed his concern quite rudely - that's all.  Sometimes, it can help give an OP a different perspective.

It's my understanding that, on this board, people are allowed to express opinions that don't necessarily give a direct answer to an OP's question - one exception of course is the I Need A Hug folder.

[LadyR]

I would desperately like to own a house. It is not going to happen in the next five years. I am also planning a trip to Disney next year, which is much more feasible due to finances, where we are in our lives and a lot of factors (such as neither of us would qualify for a mortgage for several years). Maybe it seems irresponsible to plan an expensive trip when I'd like a house, but I could save the money, not go on the vacation and still not be any closer to buying a house. So the two things really don't go together and maybe they don't for the OP either. She has stated that she'd have to sell her current house at a loss, maybe she is unwilling to do that and that, as much as anything else, prevents her from selling it and moving to a bigger house. Going to Disney won't change that.