Parenting

12 Family Vacations Gone Horribly, Hilariously Wrong (PHOTOS)

ParentingPublished Jul 9, 2014
By Linda Sharps
boy crying carousel merry-go-round

Is there anything better than a good old-fashioned family vacation? Why it's as traditional and all-American as apple pie and short-lived Internet outrage. Over-packing, realizing five hours from home that you forgot your phone charger, yelling at the kids to be quiet or you will turn this car around so help me, enduring the 900th complaint of "Are we THERE yet?", arriving at your destination only for someone to immediately come down with the barfing flu ... it's all part of the glorious experience.

There's almost always something that goes at least a little bit wrong on a family vacation, and when it does, all you can do is laugh. Because, well, the alternative -- weeping inconsolably into a dubious-smelling hotel pillow -- isn't going to do much good. For everyone who's ever had a summer getaway slide off the rails, here are 12 tragically hilarious moments from family vacations gone bad.

1/12
Family vacation at the E.R.-placeholder
Family vacation at the E.R.
mrsmajorhoff/Instagram

Family vacation at the E.R.

Hopefully this poor mom recovered nicely from her third kidney stone, but its arrival seriously torpedoed her family trip.

2/12
She sure is being quiet back there ...-placeholder
She sure is being quiet back there ...
8beach3girl1/Instagram

She sure is being quiet back there ...

That moment when you realize your toddler found the markers.

3/12
Poutiest place on Earth-placeholder
Poutiest place on Earth
ashleyaddeo/Instagram

Poutiest place on Earth

Somebody thinks this theme park can go Donald Duck itself.

4/12
Ew. Just ... ew.-placeholder
Ew. Just ... ew.
ms_ashleyvictoria/Instagram

Ew. Just ... ew.

Never sit behind the queasy-looking guy on the rollercoaster. NEVER.

5/12
Yessss, she finally fell asleep -- oh wait-placeholder
Yessss, she finally fell asleep -- oh wait
imcoastin/Instagram

Yessss, she finally fell asleep -- oh wait

Imagine spending your road trip like this when your carsick baby finally passes out.

6/12
Speaking of getting carsick ...-placeholder
Speaking of getting carsick ...
mo_fegan/Instagram

Speaking of getting carsick ...

Yeah, this is pretty much the most stressful ticking time-bomb in the entire world.

7/12
What was that noise?-placeholder
What was that noise?
magnoliamile/Instagram

What was that noise?

Well, this is awkward.

8/12
The reality of s'mores-placeholder
The reality of s'mores
launicamatatana/Instagram

The reality of s'mores

This is why I secretly love that my weird kids prefer uncooked marshmallows.

9/12
This just in: toddler hates sand-placeholder
This just in: toddler hates sand
micheelie92/Instagram

This just in: toddler hates sand

Good thing you booked a beach vacation.

10/12
But this toddler hates carousels even more-placeholder
But this toddler hates carousels even more
angiewidjaya/Instagram

But this toddler hates carousels even more

OMG, his FACE.

11/12
Some slightly judgmental reading in the backseat-placeholder
Some slightly judgmental reading in the backseat
scerasani/Instagram

Some slightly judgmental reading in the backseat

"Mommy, how old are you again?"

12/12
Hour 6 of THIS-placeholder
Hour 6 of THIS
mommashimp/Instagram

Hour 6 of THIS

Been there, done that, got the earplugs to prove it.

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