Lack of Knowledge of Guests

[beezyboo10]

It seemed to me that more and more people do not do research before they go to WDW. We do lots of research on new rides, when to visit certain parks, the best times to rides certain rides, etc.. One guy left the parade yesterday because he said it started at 3:45 and it was 3:50. He said if they post a time they should stick with it. We were have way down the parade route. Maybe he was joking but i don't think he was.

[faline]

Yes, it's unfortunate that, in this time, when so much information is available with so little effort, that folks do not put more effort into planning their trips. Some folks decide to go on the spur of the moment. Some truly do not understand (until after they arrive) the scope of Disney World. Some prefer to be spontaneous. And, despite the best planning efforts, we were all first-timers one time or another and we each need to make those rookie mistakes and get better on future trips.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

:ditto: I was thinking the same thing!

I remember our first trip, and I'm surprised, looking back that we saw anything, I had NO IDEA just how much planning I really should have been doing.

Disney is bigger and more complicated than a trip to your local theme park, which is what many people compare it to, before they go of course.

[Main Street Jim]

I will say, that when I have informed guests of parade times, that the posted "start time" is *where the parade steps off*. Not when it will be *at* your location. Parade step-off time is at 3:00, you're sitting in Liberty Square? Parade will be here around 3:10 :)

[Buttercup]

A lot of people (not Disney geeks like us!) often make fun of me when I say I'm "planning" my next vacation. They think that because it's a vacation, there shouldn't be any planning required.
They are the same people who travel to Disney and are shocked at the size and scope of what all there is to do.

Oh well. We can't save everyone. :D At least we know OUR vacations are planned out properly. :cool::mickey:;)

[SBETigg]

My husband works with a woman who hates WDW and does not understand why we keep going back. She didn't plan their trip with their kids, just went, and was surprised by long lines and not being able to eat where she wanted, when she wanted. "Oh the crowds." Even at somewhat crowded times, it's really not terrible for those of us who know how to plan. So I just shake my head and say she doesn't know the real WDW.

[JoF]

During our October trip we met another UK family who were nearing the end of their holiday. They had the quick service meal plan but didn't fully understand where and how they should use it. They had about 36 meal credits left because they were unaware that they could use them at the parks and had paid out of pocket instead. I felt really sorry for them and I just wish I had met them sooner so I could've explained the system to them.
As previous poster's have said - the first time visit to Disney World is mind boggling - you have no idea of the sheer scale of everything until you get there!

[TheVBs]

I agree with the comment that we were all those first timers at one time. I think back to our first trip when our oldest DD was a baby. It wasn't the first trip for DH and I, but we hadn't been since we were much younger and didn't appreciate all there was to do.

There are two ways to react to a first time, not planned out WDW trip. Either, "We're never doing this again!" or "I'm going to figure out how to make the next trip even better!"

[Gregandmel]

Our very first trip was back in 1997 - before Fast passes and during the summer crowds as well. I didn't even know that Disneyworld was "more than" Magic Kingdom. I just always thought of Magic Kingdom when I heard the word "Disneyworld". LOL. Boy were we in for a shock. Didn't get to the parks until around 9;45am - we were those people standing in the middle of the street with our maps trying to decide what we wanted to do because we didn't know what was there. Oh man.......I'm surprised we ever came back! haha. Next trip was in 2008 and I was a planning machine and had it locked & loaded a year in advance. It was awesome. Planning is so important (in my humble opinion) to at least get a sense of what is there at each park. Otherwise - it can be overwhelming. Anytime I hear someone talk about going to Disney I'm the first to chime in about what they should do ahead of time.

[darthmacho]

I'm very fortunate. I like to plan, especially vacations, so I get free reign planning WDW. I think it's part of the fun. My wife is not a planner, and my kids are, well kids, so I make all the plans, keeping them as flexible as possible to account for moods and such, and then gently "steer" them where we need to go, giving them options to make it feel like they are making decisions and adding input. Quite diabolical actually. :secret:

It's taken a few trips to get it right, but the key to any plan is to be flexible. You don't want one rainstorm or one ride breakdown to ruin the whole trip. :mad:

[Tigerinvestigator]

Nobody will believe this, but a few years ago we were at WDW and some people from our hometown called us and said they had just arrived at All Star Sports for a week. They knew we were the "disney experts" from home and wanted to meet up with us because they had never been to WDW, nor did they do ANY research at all. They were an older couple with three grandkids. We were at Animal Kingdom and told them to catch the bus that said "Animal Kingdom" and meet us there. We waited for hours and they never arrived. When we got back to the AKL, I finally got them on the phone and they said they went to Animal Kingdom and played putt-putt golf all day!!??!!?? Come to find out they took the AK bus to Blizzard Beach and got off at the first stop. They spent the day at Winter Wonderland golf thinking it was AK!!! I SWEAR ITS A TRUE STORY. We did manage to help them the next few days and they had a good trip.:thumbsup:

[SandmanGStefani24]

i figured it was something on a lot of people's bucket list that they did because either everyone else was doing, or the kids wanted it. They were doing it to get it done, not for the same reasons we do, and hence take less time planning and getting ready for it.

I think even I might have overestimated how easy it was going to be to do everything on my 3rd trip. All my trips later and still haven't nailed everything. All the more reason to keep going, right? :mickey:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I think there are just two groups of people who go to Disney, us (the Disney fanatics who plan to a tee, I even have an idea what I'm going to order at the restaurants) and them ( those who just wing it). I think for newbie's without a plan Disney can be frustrating and that's the few that end up hating Disney:(

[akaDisneyDreamer]

Our first trip (and we've just been three times and are in process of planning our 4th!) we went on a whim, not realizing what it was really all about. For the first couple of days we were frustrated and was wondering why the heck we chose to go there! Then suddenly things started coming together and we were having fun ... more fun than we'd ever imagined ... and then it was time to go home. :( We left feeling just a little cheated since we sort of wasted the first two days not knowing how to do WDW, and soon started planning our next trip! The 2nd trip was so magical! The weather was almost perfect and the crowd level was a bit better than the previous trip, we had good dining ressies and was figuring out fastpass. Then the 3rd trip ... we sort of blundered a little with our dining ressies, thinking we could just hop over to Epcot for almost every meal, and we went in August which was way too hot. We still had a lot of fun but felt we missed out on stuff due to the running over to Epcot to eat. So, remembering all our positves experiences and all the negative ones, we are planning a pretty awesome trip for May 2012! The planning and anticipation is half the fun! Can't wait! :mickey:

[EeyoresBestFriend]

We didn't plan anything our first trip either and we had a blast. Over the years, we learned how much more we could find with planning, but still rely on a fair bit of spontaneity. We may make one TS ressie a day or try walk ups, but we will go with the flow. We enjoy the hidden treasures we find or just the random magic, like finding Cinderella in a grove in Epcot with no line or people around her!! :thumbsup:

I will plan in advance, to a point,make it easy when I'm down there, but the rest I leave up to the Magic of Disney to just happen. :cloud9:

[kemps@wdw]

with the multitude of sites and wealth of info available, planning a WDW vaca should be fairly easy. As veterans, we know that some amount of planning is necessary to really enjoy our time @ WDW. But those who don't/won't plan, are the ones that you will hear say..."I'll never go back", or "I don't understand what you see in that place", or, "for the money I paid, I didn't get to do much". We do not plan each moment of each day on our visit to the World. But we do plan for those dinner shows we don't want to miss or the restaurants we definitely want to eat at. We also offer our advice and expertise to our friend who ask us and sometimes to strangers in the parks that look like they could use a little help.

[Dopey's Girl]

I work with a woman who "won't ever go back to that awful place." (that made me sick to type!) All because her first trip was at Easter break, they stayed off site, and didn't make ADRS. They tried to go to MK after 10 on Easter and couldn't get in. They ended up at Epcot, but could only see a few things because of crowds, and had to eat CS meals. She came back and wanted to write a nasty letter to Disney because they didnt have a trip like they show in the commercials...that made me laugh.

I don't over plan anything, but I always have some general idea of what I will be up too and if there is something I want to eat, I make an ADR.

[MNNHFLTX]

I have a bit of a different take on this--it's true that a WDW vacation requires a lot of planning, which I think is a bit of a shame. Especially with the onset of free dining (and the all-important ADR's!!) spontaneity is almost impossible. In fact, a Disney World vacation is almost becoming too complicated, IMO. But maybe I'm basing my opinion on the memory of being a newbie back in the late 70's when an e-ticket meant getting on an awesome ride (with reasonable lines) and the choice on of onsite hotels was limited to two (therefore staying off-site was more the norm than staying onsite).

[Mousemates]

I have a bit of a different take on this--it's true that a WDW vacation requires a lot of planning, which I think is a bit of a shame. Especially with the onset of free dining (and the all-important ADR's!!) spontaneity is almost impossible. In fact, a Disney World vacation is almost becoming too complicated, IMO.

You are not alone in your thoughts.

[Ian]

I can top any of the stories here with something that happened just this past Wednesday ... MK was pretty busy, so there was a reasonably long line for the TTA. We had just gotten in line, so we were standing next to the CM holding the flag to show guests where the end of the line was and this woman walks up and asks ... I kid you not ... "This is the train to Animal Kingdom, right?" :eek:

Yes ... she thought the TTA would take her to the Animal Kingdom! I have to say, though, I was impressed with the CM's response. He didn't laugh in her face or anything. ;)


I have a bit of a different take on this--it's true that a WDW vacation requires a lot of planning, which I think is a bit of a shame. Especially with the onset of free dining (and the all-important ADR's!!) spontaneity is almost impossible. In fact, a Disney World vacation is almost becoming too complicated, IMO. But maybe I'm basing my opinion on the memory of being a newbie back in the late 70's when an e-ticket meant getting on an awesome ride (with reasonable lines) and the choice on of onsite hotels was limited to two (therefore staying off-site was more the norm than staying onsite).Beth, I totally agree with you on this point. In fact, I could have typed it out myself. Awesome way to put it. :thumbsup:

[Gator]

Back in 2002, I came on my honeymoon. I didn't realize the magnitude of the parks and resorts. We still managed to make a good trip out of it, probably due to there not being the online Disney community that exists today - we were still able to get a table at SciFi, Crystal Palace, and The Castle. However, when I got back, I found Intercot and now am considered the Disney World Oracle. I can't imagine trying to go to WDW without all this info.:rocks:

[ryca1dreams]

I have a bit of a different take on this--it's true that a WDW vacation requires a lot of planning, which I think is a bit of a shame. Especially with the onset of free dining (and the all-important ADR's!!) spontaneity is almost impossible. In fact, a Disney World vacation is almost becoming too complicated, IMO. But maybe I'm basing my opinion on the memory of being a newbie back in the late 70's when an e-ticket meant getting on an awesome ride (with reasonable lines) and the choice on of onsite hotels was limited to two (therefore staying off-site was more the norm than staying onsite).

Maybe. The first time you go anywhere, for example: New York, D.C., L.A., etc., you should plan well so you know what to expect - even details like how to pay for subways. With successive visits, you can plan less and be more spontaneous because you know what is there. You still have to research changes since you've been last, true. But I don't think going to WDW is much different; it is quite a large destination. First timers, plan well. Veteran travelers, be more spontaneous - you know the place (but keep following Intercot for updates)

[Tink#64]

My name is Shari & I'm a planner. :blush: IMHO, it's inconceivable that anyone would take a trip anyplace without SOME planning! I'm sorry, I work hard for my $'s & wait for that vacation time, so no way am I going anywhere and wasting any of it! I know several WDW planaholics like myself & I know just as many that go with little to no plan and that absolutely boggles my mind! Given the sheer amount of info that's out there & so easily accessible these days, it's just sad to watch the non-planners go, especially during peak season &/or hottest time of year & come away so disppointed in their WDW experience that they are negative to WDW as a whole & some vow to never return. And alas, WE all know that any trip, any time of year is very manageable and can be magical with a good plan & attitude. It's just so frustrating to watch & listen to those people.

I did plan our first trip, poured over the tour books, asked friends for advice & learned on that first trip to have a plan but be flexible to our families desires, moods & energy levels. We made our 7th pilgrmage to WDW this year & I still plan, albeit it's soooo much easier now that we know the ins & outs, but always new attractions and new experiences on our agenda's so I know that I'll never stop planning our WDW trips! Gosh, planning WDW is easy for me now, we're doing a first ever real road trip to Niagara Falls, Manhattan, etc. next summer & I've already been planning for months & I'm still shakin in my boots! :silly:

[WDWCrazyKaren]

I'll admit, on my first trip, we didn't plan anything. It was fine. Nothing spectacular, but fine. I'm going to blame my being very young and this was my first big vacation as an adult with no parents along. Who knew??? Also, the internet wasn't around to give me all this info. All I had was the Birnbaum book.

But these days, there is no excuse. With the advent of the internet, I research every place I go! A short trip to Vegas? I'm still online looking at things to see and do. A big three week vacation in Europe? Oh man, I have 50 books and hundreds of internet sites devoured. There is no reason not to research ANYWHERE you are going, and when you spend more than one night away from home, go ahead and take 20 minutes and see what you may not want to miss. You would think that folks would want the info.

[c&d]

The words to the song "I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger" apply to our first trip.

Although we knew how big it was and planned some things we were still overwhelmed by the amount of things to do and how long it would take. There was no fastpass back then and there were times when the wait sign said 45min, and 2 hrs later we were getting on the ride.

I also think alot of first timers think of going to Disney like any other vacation, no need to plan there's plenty to do and lots of time to do it. They are shocked when they get there.

[Janmac]

And, despite the best planning efforts, we were all first-timers one time or another and we each need to make those rookie mistakes and get better on future trips.


Didn't get to the parks until around 9;45am - we were those people standing in the middle of the street with our maps trying to decide what we wanted to do because we didn't know what was there. Oh man.......I'm surprised we ever came back! haha.

Oh boy, were we new and confused - we were those folks in the middle of the street, back in 1974, and our map was upside down - and it was 5 years before we returned. And then another 3 before we went back again. But somehow, we kept thinking about future visits and how to make them better. You kinda get what you pay for, and if you figure planning is investing in your experience, you'll maybe get more bang for your buck.


Especially with the onset of free dining (and the all-important ADR's!!) spontaneity is almost impossible. In fact, a Disney World vacation is almost becoming too complicated, IMO. But maybe I'm basing my opinion on the memory of being a newbie back in the late 70's when an e-ticket meant getting on an awesome ride (with reasonable lines) and the choice on of onsite hotels was limited to two (therefore staying off-site was more the norm than staying onsite).


Maybe. The first time you go anywhere, for example: New York, D.C., L.A., etc., you should plan well so you know what to expect - even details like how to pay for subways.


I'll admit, on my first trip, we didn't plan anything. . . All I had was the Birnbaum book.
With the advent of the internet, I research every place I go! A short trip to Vegas? I'm still online looking at things to see and do. A big three week vacation in Europe? Oh man, I have 50 books and hundreds of internet sites devoured.

I'm thinking that my planning actually provides for more spontaneity because I know what the options are. MK is more crowded at 11 am than you were dreading - jump to Downtown Disney where the crowds haven't arrived yet. I've used this same planning detail in Europe, Vegas, and even state and National Parks to zig or zag when needed.


And finally . . . A true Tale of two brothers:

Second visit for both, altho first as adults with family.

One brother stayed off property, had one character breakfast (sole Disney dining experience), went into the parks 3 days out of the week they were in Florida, and even (this blows my mind) parked at DD and took a boat to a resort, so they could wait for a bus to a park, to avoid the daily parking fee. Their cost: $3000 and this brother says he is NEVER going back to WDW again.

Second brother enlisted the aid of an avowed WDW fanatic and OCD planner. He and his family stayed on property, had the dining plan, used WDW transportation, even rented a car from the Dolphin for a day trip to the beach. He had said, before his week at WDW, that this was their only trip, ever. By the time he got home, he was saying well, maybe we can go again in a couple of years. Their cost: $2000.

Jan

[azcavalier]

I can understand people not planning....the first time. Most people who go the first time just don't have any idea what Walt Disney World really is. Take me, for example:

Grew up a Disney fan. The Little Mermaid came out when I was in High School. Yeah, i'm a guy, and I loved the Little Mermaid. I'll admit that I actually had a Little Mermaid poster up on my dorm room wall. A couple of guys made fun of it until they realized that the girls loved it....then they became Disney fans, too.

However, I had never been to a Disney park. My wife and I went to Disneyland for our 1st anniversary in 1996. This was before Downtown Disney or DCA.

Then, about ten years ago, my Mom decided to take all of us to WDW. We were excited, but didn't know what to expect. We were so naive that we didn't KNOW that we didn't know what to expect. We planned for TWO days. That's it. We figured that would be just fine.

We managed to get a reservation at Teppan Edo for the group, and it was awesome. The next night, however, we could only get into Biergarten, and we hated it (though we should probably try it again). We did manage to hit every park, but we basically spent a half day in each.

We had fun, and a few years later my wife decided we needed to go again, but this time to do it right.

Point being, if you don't know, and you think it's just a theme park, then why would you plan? You don't need to plan a day out at Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens, or Six Flags. So if you don't know, why would you all of a sudden plan out your Disney trip? Once your eyes have been opened however, then there's no excuse.

[Victor Kelly]

I helped my doctor plan her family's trip. Glad she told me 6 months out. She said her little girls love Cinderella and asked me if they do meet and greets or eat with Cindy. I told her to call the # and book Cindy's, she said that her little girls loved it. She actually got like one of the last reservations for that day.

I even lent her one of my planning books for Disney and gave her plenty of advice. My doc came back and said they would have missed a lot if I hadn't given her all the info I had.

:number1: For the family that listened:number1:

[ANG]

:ditto: I was thinking the same thing!

I remember our first trip, and I'm surprised, looking back that we saw anything, I had NO IDEA just how much planning I really should have been doing.

Disney is bigger and more complicated than a trip to your local theme park, which is what many people compare it to, before they go of course.

I agree with all of this! We weren't even aware they have the dining plan on our first visit. I am so hyper organized when we go now.

[RedHead]

I have a bit of a different take on this--it's true that a WDW vacation requires a lot of planning, which I think is a bit of a shame. Especially with the onset of free dining (and the all-important ADR's!!) spontaneity is almost impossible. In fact, a Disney World vacation is almost becoming too complicated, IMO. But maybe I'm basing my opinion on the memory of being a newbie back in the late 70's when an e-ticket meant getting on an awesome ride (with reasonable lines) and the choice on of onsite hotels was limited to two (therefore staying off-site was more the norm than staying onsite).

As someone who first went to WDW in '72, and nearly every year for some time (went on the EPCOT tour when it was being built, in fact!), I have to agree. I think ADRs made so far in advance, lines and even FastPass have changed the complexion of a trip to WDW. With the surge in ticket prices (yes, I remember ticket books and E-Tickets!), the advent of Character Dining, and the catering to the on-site guest with EMH (but now the off-site guest can stay, but only to shop, which brings in more revenue!)....it's not the WDW I remember...

:mickey:

[MrPeetrie]

While I truly enjoy the planning aspect of a Disney trip, this past October was a true eye-opening experience. On days when the parks had extended hours, they were packed almost to the point of unenjoyable. (Disney on its worst day is still enjoyable to me.) For example, MK's normal operating hours one day were 9-midnight with morning EMH. The Magic Kingdom was PACKED! I guess people wanted to get their money's worth for their tickets. But on a day when when there was an MNSSHP event and normal hours closing at 7 pm, the MK was very light. (We had early ADRs at Cindy's and went straight for Fantasyland. We rode most of Fantasyland's rides in no time.) But since i had made my ADRs so far in advance and, as luck would have it, for most of the trip we were scheduled to eat in the popular park for the day.

So here's my point. One morning, after experiencing the same phenomenon three straight days at the bus stop (whatever park we were going to just happened to be the same park the MOST OTHERS AT THE BUS STOP WERE GOING TO, AS WELL), I turned to my wife and said, "I'd like to come to the bus stop in the morning and just read the crowd. Whatever park looks light, will be the park where we go that day." The problem is: we couldn't because we had ADRs made 180 days in advance. We were already LOCKED into a specific park at a certain time. And since we had spent approximately $1,100 on a dining plan paid in advance, I wasn't canceling any of my dining plans. (i guess i wanted to make sure I got my money's worth, myself.) The sponteneity that I would have liked to use was impossible the way I had paid for and planned the last trip.

On the next vacation, no dining plan. It will at least give me a little more flexibility to change plans on the fly.

[disneydementia]

All I know is that I know Disneyland like the back of my hand but still did my research for a trip to WDW. I was still overwhelmed! My daughter had to take me aside a couple of times and tell me to chill out! I felt completely out of my element. Leaving for our second trip Dec 17th and glad I have that first trip under my belt!

[ChipNDale79]

While I truly enjoy the planning aspect of a Disney trip, this past October was a true eye-opening experience. On days when the parks had extended hours, they were packed almost to the point of unenjoyable. (Disney on its worst day is still enjoyable to me.) For example, MK's normal operating hours one day were 9-midnight with morning EMH. The Magic Kingdom was PACKED! I guess people wanted to get their money's worth for their tickets. But on a day when when there was an MNSSHP event and normal hours closing at 7 pm, the MK was very light. (We had early ADRs at Cindy's and went straight for Fantasyland. We rode most of Fantasyland's rides in no time.) But since i had made my ADRs so far in advance and, as luck would have it, for most of the trip we were scheduled to eat in the popular park for the day.

So here's my point. One morning, after experiencing the same phenomenon three straight days at the bus stop (whatever park we were going to just happened to be the same park the MOST OTHERS AT THE BUS STOP WERE GOING TO, AS WELL), I turned to my wife and said, "I'd like to come to the bus stop in the morning and just read the crowd. Whatever park looks light, will be the park where we go that day." The problem is: we couldn't because we had ADRs made 180 days in advance. We were already LOCKED into a specific park at a certain time. And since we had spent approximately $1,100 on a dining plan paid in advance, I wasn't canceling any of my dining plans. (i guess i wanted to make sure I got my money's worth, myself.) The sponteneity that I would have liked to use was impossible the way I had paid for and planned the last trip.

On the next vacation, no dining plan. It will at least give me a little more flexibility to change plans on the fly.

How familiar with the dinning plan are you? Just because you have the dining plan does not mean you have to have ADRs. Granted it'll be tougher to find a place to eat. But say you just happen to go to Epcot one day and want to eat Tutto without a reservation. If they have a table available, you can still use your dining plan points for that meal.

[MrPeetrie]

How familiar with the dinning plan are you? Just because you have the dining plan does not mean you have to have ADRs. Granted it'll be tougher to find a place to eat. But say you just happen to go to Epcot one day and want to eat Tutto without a reservation. If they have a table available, you can still use your dining plan points for that meal.

It was my first time using the Dining Plan. I also think I paid too much for it. I had our room (using AP discounts) already paid in full when I decided to try adding the dining plan. My room was refunded to me and the entire package was re-booked, using a new confirmation number. The price jumped nearly $1,100. In order for it to be justified, I had to have a sit-down meal each day. And not just any sit-down meal. I need either a Character Meal or decent restaurant. I kept a little notebook with me and I actually received approximately $1,135 worth of meals for about $1,065 so I came out ahead. But the things I had planned (like breakfast at Castle, Chef Mickey's, Chrystal Palace, 50's Prime Time Cafe, Coral Reef, etc.) needed to be booked early. So I was sort of "LOCKED" into those parks those days 180 days out. (We always go to Epcot after breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Tradition.) But even if I didn't have the Dining Plan, I still would have kept those ADRs. But I felt like I had to "stay on schedule" to make sure I used all my dining credits. (On the plus side, we were there during the Wine & Food Festival. We discovered our snack credits can be applied to the food int the temporary booths around the World Showcase. We went through our snack credits 4 days prematurely...but it was worth it.)

I think I was trying to address a previous poster about not being able to go to WDW without planning and I think that's pretty true if you're not a local. If you have one shot a year to go, you have to research the trip or you'll waste too much time. (On one of our trips, we met a couple who said, "We must not be doing something right. We were in Animal Kingdom all day yesterday and only rode two rides." I asked if they knew about FastPasses and she replied, "We used FastPass, but it still didn't help. We're doing something wrong.")

Like I said before, I wanted one day to go to the bus stop in the early morning and just "read the crowd." Whatever park appeared to be the least popular would be where we would go. But, with only 10 days out of a year to enjoy myself in Disney, it was just too big a gamble. I was frightened to "wing it" -- to be spontaneaous -- so I stuck to the schedule despite knowing I was plowing ahead straight into the popular park almost each day. Still a great trip, though.

Oh, and ironically we did use a sit-down credit at Tutto without ADRs. (Funny you would use that restaurant as an example.) Epcot had Evening EMH. The fireworks were just beginning and we were starving. The manager stopped us at the door and said, "When the fireworks stop, we're closed," before letting us pass. Just then, a cast member came up to him and said to remain open. "Why?? To serve four people!?" The cast member said, stay open at least until 10. (We were at the hostess stand when this "discussion" took place.) It was awkward, to say the least. Used meal credit for pizza. Delicious.

[BWayGrl]

I work with a woman who "won't ever go back to that awful place." (that made me sick to type!) All because her first trip was at Easter break, they stayed off site, and didn't make ADRS. They tried to go to MK after 10 on Easter and couldn't get in. They ended up at Epcot, but could only see a few things because of crowds, and had to eat CS meals. She came back and wanted to write a nasty letter to Disney because they didnt have a trip like they show in the commercials...that made me laugh.


I work with a very similar woman. I'm telling her how excited I am for my upcoming trip and she just says, "Ugh, I hate Disney World!" Thanks. That took away some of my excitement. She's been there 4 times and just doesn't get it. I guess the magic doesn't strike her the same way it does me. There are so many people I would love to accompany to Disney World just to show them how much fun it can be if you plan, and you know what you're doing!

[EeyoresBestFriend]

I can understand people not planning....the first time. Most people who go the first time just don't have any idea what Walt Disney World really is.

You are SOOOO right!! We've planned to go with friends and family that think that "one day in each park is more than enough, right??" or "we'll go for 4 days. We don't want the kids to get bored." :confused: :shake:

They have NO clue how big it is and how much there is to discover . . . . . .

[ChipNDale79]

Oh, and ironically we did use a sit-down credit at Tutto without ADRs. (Funny you would use that restaurant as an example.) Epcot had Evening EMH. The fireworks were just beginning and we were starving. The manager stopped us at the door and said, "When the fireworks stop, we're closed," before letting us pass. Just then, a cast member came up to him and said to remain open. "Why?? To serve four people!?" The cast member said, stay open at least until 10. (We were at the hostess stand when this "discussion" took place.) It was awkward, to say the least. Used meal credit for pizza. Delicious.

One of my favorite places to eat on property :mickey:

[garymacd]

I will say, that when I have informed guests of parade times, that the posted "start time" is *where the parade steps off*. Not when it will be *at* your location. Parade step-off time is at 3:00, you're sitting in Liberty Square? Parade will be here around 3:10 :)

So, what time is the 3 o'clock parade?

I'm having deja vu all over again.

[MissMaryPoppins]

Nobody will believe this, but a few years ago we were at WDW and some people from our hometown called us and said they had just arrived at All Star Sports for a week. They knew we were the "disney experts" from home and wanted to meet up with us because they had never been to WDW, nor did they do ANY research at all. They were an older couple with three grandkids. We were at Animal Kingdom and told them to catch the bus that said "Animal Kingdom" and meet us there. We waited for hours and they never arrived. When we got back to the AKL, I finally got them on the phone and they said they went to Animal Kingdom and played putt-putt golf all day!!??!!?? Come to find out they took the AK
bus to Blizzard Beach and got off at the first stop. They spent the day at Winter Wonderland
golf thinking it was AK!!! I SWEAR ITS A TRUE STORY. We did manage to help them the next
few days and they had
goodtrip.:thumbsup:

This reminds me of our family trip back in '87. My parents were, still are, good friends with our neighbors down the street and the 4 of them decided to plan a joint family vacation. It turned out to be a special trip for us because my Dad told my Mom if she get us a room for the reminder of our trip at the Cotemporary we could stay there. It was our first time staying in Disney and it was a big deal for us. So we get there and our parents make plans for us all to meet at Magic Kingdom. The 4 of us got there and we sat on a bench outside of the train station and waited for them. We waited just over an hour and they never showed up. My Mom said to my Dad "you don't think they went to EPCOT do you?" and my Dad said no, they agreed to meet at Magic Kingdom, it was pretty simple. My parents decide we should just go about our day but keep a look out for them. That night my mom got in touch with them and they said now bored their son was all day but he liked the ride in the ball. When my Mom told my Dad they had gone to EPCOT he couldn't stop laughing. We met up at Magic Kingdom a few days later and what I remember vividly about that day was breakfast. We always ate in the bakery but this family liked big breakfasts so we sat down I think at Tony's. When our bill came we were charged for 87 glasses of orange juice and there were only 7 of us.

[AdventurerKim]

Three years ago, my DH's aunt came with us to WDW for her first visit, and she's in her 70's. She had such a blast, and we loved taking he around to all our favorite rides and showing her everything we do and see. It was awesome to see WDW for the first time through her eyes. If we had not taken her, I know she would not have enjoyed the trip nearly as much. We ask friends and family who have either never been or haven't been in a long time to come along, but no one else has taken us up on the offer. No one gets why we go so often and love it! We're already talking and thinking about ADR's for Thanksgiving 2012!

This passed Thanksgiving week, I heard a kid ask her mom if the fast passes cost money, and mom said yes, and they walked on. My first thought was, "More for us!"

[PopPhan]

So here's my point. One morning, after experiencing the same phenomenon three straight days at the bus stop (whatever park we were going to just happened to be the same park the MOST OTHERS AT THE BUS STOP WERE GOING TO, AS WELL), I turned to my wife and said, "I'd like to come to the bus stop in the morning and just read the crowd. Whatever park looks light, will be the park where we go that day." The problem is: we couldn't because we had ADRs made 180 days in advance. We were already LOCKED into a specific park at a certain time. And since we had spent approximately $1,100 on a dining plan paid in advance, I wasn't canceling any of my dining plans. (i guess i wanted to make sure I got my money's worth, myself.) The sponteneity that I would have liked to use was impossible the way I had paid for and planned the last trip.

You could have easily added the Park Hopper to your tickets while you were down there and gone to whatever parks you wished, whenever you wished. For approx. $55 per ticket (NOT per day,) it would have made your lives a lot nicer.

[MrPeetrie]

We have Annual Passes. What difference would a park hopper have made? My point was: if I have dining reservations made 180 days in advance in one park, I am not about to cancel my dining plans in the morning and go to a different park because the crowd appears lighter at the bus station. I wouldn't attempt that in Walt Disney World. Another resort destination? Maybe. I was addressing a possible reason why a previous poster had stated there's a lack of sponteneity at WDW. Spontaneity can be risky in WDW. You might get shut out of seeing things. I'm not sure how a park hopper helps here. Maybe I'm mis-interpreting your point.

[PopPhan]

My point was, with the Park Hopper, or Annual Pass, you could go to whichever park seemed least crowded based on your bus line observations, then go to your dining reservation in another park at the appropriate time for your reservation.

We do not have Annual Passes, so always get Park Hoppers so that we can adjust our park schedule to account for crowds. It may take up to an hour out of visiting the park(s), but it gives us the flexibility to schedule our dining reservations without needing to know which park we will be in on what particular day.

[alaMode]

I feel really fortunate that I found Intercot while doing research online BEFORE our first trip as a family!

My son has special needs, including cerebral palsy, so I have to plan ahead for accessibility's sake! I was delighted to learn how accessible WDW is for all kinds of needs and after experiencing it for ourselves, we make it a point to visit at least once a year.

After we returned from that initial trip, I realized how much fun I was able to have because Disney went above and beyond to make sure my son was able to have fun!

We've traveled all over the world together, but people still comment on how much we go to WDW. I just tell them it's our "happy place" and leave it at that!

We'll be taking trip #10 in June. I'm still planning every trip (and loving every minute of it!) and we still haven't seen it all!

[mydisneygirls]

So is adding park hopper option for $55 for your length of stay no matter how long you're there? I'm thinking I might add it because I'd like to try more restaurants in Epcot but don't want to spend the entire day there.

[bdm@pga]

I take our High School band to disney every 4 years. For 2 weeks before we go, we have "Disney Days" where I take the time to go over every park, every map, talk about the rides, the hidden mickeys, secrets and fun facts. I still get people who think its a back yard carnival and they don't need the help..they are the ones who end up in tomorrow land ALL DAY!!!! But the best reward is when those kids are long gone, and have their own families, and I get a call.."Mr. G..were going to disney...can we get together and you give us that disney days thing again so my family knows what to do?" I love it...:mickey:

[PopPhan]

So is adding park hopper option for $55 for your length of stay no matter how long you're there? I'm thinking I might add it because I'd like to try more restaurants in Epcot but don't want to spend the entire day there.

Adding the Park Hopper option is good for the number of days of your MYW park ticket.

The Water Park Fun & More option can effectively add days to your ticket, in that you have 14 days from first use of your MYW ticket to use up the ENTRIES allotted on the MYW ticket. Typically, you get one WPF&M ENTRY for each DAY of your MYW ticket.

Hope this helps.

[MarkC]

I'm a planner but a lot of people aren't, which is perfectly fine. The problem for them is they think WDW is like a local theme park in size, crowds, etc. However, how do you tell everyone going to WDW to plan and prepare for crowds?

Our neighbors know we go every year and we've told them if they ever go to ask us for advise. So a year ago they told us they were going to Disney at Easter because everyone spends the holidays with their families so the crowds at Disney would be really low. Yikes. But everyone is different and I know a lot of people that just want to relax and wing it on vacation. There is nothing wrong with that, but unfortunately those are the people who don't have a good time and don't return because of it. But lets face it, there are Democrats and Republicans and you're not going to get everyone to agree on how to do things either (I won't even get into that mess). So all I can do is help people who ask for help, and hope that those that wing it have as good a time as possible. I don't want them running my life and I won't try to run theirs.

[McLiberal8]

So is adding park hopper option for $55 for your length of stay no matter how long you're there? I'm thinking I might add it because I'd like to try more restaurants in Epcot but don't want to spend the entire day there.

Yes. For instance, on my upcoming January trip, I made reservations for lunch at Le Cellier. This is supposed to be a high-traffic day for Epcot, so I am going to leave after our lunch, use the park hopper option to take the monorail to MK (which has low crowds that day), and stay until evening, where we will go back to Epcot for EMH.

It allows you to go to any of the 4 parks whenever you want. You can even try the '4 park challenge' and go to each in one day!

[mydisneygirls]

Thanks PopPhan and McLiberal8...why I thought it was $55 per day I'll never know. I will definitely be adding the hopper options next trip.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

I may be the crazy one, but I would never let, and have never let, my ADRs dictate which parks I will be spending my day in when I always pay the extra for park hoppers.

[greengeen]

Boy, was I ever green on our first visit. My spouse had to drag me to WDW because I didn't want to go. I didn't plan anything.

66 trips later, I am pretty good at planning. We own DVC, are D23 members, have TIW and annual passes, and use Disney Visa rewards.

I try to help newbies when I can, but everyone has their own path to follow!

[IamaDisneyFan]

Before I was married, I went to Disney World at least 15 times, and in the past 7 years have been 8 or 9 times, for a week or more at a time. My husband and I are the "Disney freaks" and people will ask us for advice, or run from us when we won't stop talking about how to do the World right.

My SiL and her husband took their 9 - 12 month old baby a couple of years ago. They refused to listen to anything we had to say, even though we had taken our kids when they were that young. They came back and said that they didn't go on many rides because they didn't think they could take the baby on anything! I think they only did the carrousel in the Magic Kingdom. They just walked around and met the characters. They listened to us when they planned their next trip.

[Victor Kelly]

WE are the exact opposite for parks and ADRs. I figure which park we will be at that day based upon my experience with crowds, then make a reservation if we want to eat in that park. MK is usually the most crowded and we only like Liberty Tree and Crystal Palace there. But we also like CHef Mickey's and Ohana as well.

But the last trip, I planned the ADRs for the park closest to us. Problem was we spent more time running to and fro that we wasted a lot of time. So now, the park we are in gets the ADR. Saves us a lot more time.:thumbsup:

[ransam]

Two thoughts on friends who went.

One- A friend and his family went and only went to MK, even though they knew there were other parks, and he told me they didn't like it, there was nothing to do...i asked if they had gone on Peter pan? no. Small world? no. Space Mountain? no. Splash Mountain? no? The parade? no. Fireworks? no......and i'm thinking how can you dislike something you haven't tried?

Two-It amazes me when people say they are goinng to WDW and think it's just another Disnelyand....they have no idea how big it is. they think they can see it all in a couple days. i tell them that i have been there multiple times, over 20 times, and I haven't seen it all, and probably never will. that's what's so awesome about WDW.

[Jasminegirlsmom]

We sort of lucked out on our first visit. A friend of mine from work had very recently visited herself and had done a little bit of research before her visit. After they returned she realized that even though she'd done some planning it wasn't enough. Her advice to me was to research and plan and get as much inforamtion as I could before we went. And I did. We had a fantatstic first visit and that began what is now a multiple trip per year obsession. I'm so very glad I listened to her, or I might have been one of theose "I'm never going this again" people.

[mom2morgan]

[QUOTE=mydisneygirls;2230144]Thanks PopPhan and McLiberal8...why I thought it was $55 per day I'll never know. I will definitely be adding the hopper options next trip.[/QUOTE
Good choice!! I really couldn't do without them - we like to eat at Epcot 2 or 3 times, and really don't want to visit it that often ;-) Last time we went, my 16 year old daughter spent a whole day just "hopping" to go shopping! LOL Definitely worth the value since it saves a LOT ot inconvenience for us and makes us feel less restricted. ALSO...you don't have to add it in advance. If you want to try without the hopper, you can add it at any point during your trip when you decide you might want to use it.

[Zawadi]

For us the planning stage is part of the holiday experience. On our first trip in 1998 we read the "Unofficial Guide" from cover to cover. We didn't know what to expect and decided to follow the touring plans. Not for long as the week time there was really quiet.

13 years later, we've just returned home from a week at the Yacht Club and the planning has started for our return to WDW in Sept 2012. List of must do's (sights, rides, restaurants). Once the park times are released a spreadsheet will be started to sketch out our agenda.


Plans are nothing; planning is everything.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Allenfow98]

I know the parks like the back of my hand now after many trips. When i plan i keep it simple, i want to know the park hours, the days of the extra magic hours and what parks, and the
extra stuff like the parades and evening closing shows. I then plan what parks for what days and make the adrs accordingly, if something comes up like it decides to rain and it changes our plan for the day then oh well, stuff happens.
If a friend asks to help with some planning i keep it simple for them to. I dont even get into the stuff like rides and shows. I get the dates they are going to be there and try to make a schedule for what parks for what days. I also give them a couple of incredibly awesome websites to research the ride and show stuff.

[AmandaChan]

Yeah, it's kind of crazy to go on a huge trip like this and not do any research. This year we went for the fist time with my BIL, SIL, (and their two kids) MIL, (and dh and baby)...... I swear, I am pretty sure that they thought the only thing to do there was shop at stores. I am not kidding. More so BIL. It was INFURIATING. One day it was like 1pm and we hadn't done anything besides barely eat lunch and I was on on the verge of tears. At least you don't have to travel with people who are completely oblivious about their surroundings and all they think there is to do is shop!

[brdavis]

This sounds like the difference between a tourist and a traveler that one of my college profs taught me a long time ago.

A tourist sees what they have come to see - a waterfall, mountain, or a park. They come expecting to be given an experience, or to have something happen to them. They are essentially passive consumers of the experience.

A traveler goes and experiences what it around them. They don't enter with a lot of preconceived notions, but hopefully with as few as possible, in order to view a place or experience on its own terms (not their expectations). They are active consumers of the experience - participating in it regardless of what it ends up being.

There are a lot of people that go to WDW expected to be entertained... and they aren't disappointed. If you think the point is seeing the castle from main street, or riding BTMRR with your kid the way you did with your dad, you are likely to get that experience. But if you allow yourself to be taken down the interesting sidepaths, down the byways you didn't know about before you went... you will sometimes (often!) end up with an experience you never dreamed of... and that will fill your dreams forever after. That doesn't mean you don't plan (travelers often do far more planning, because they don't know exactly what will happen), but it does mean you can start to feel like your plan is in control, and not you or the experience.

We plan a lot. Often ADR's, targeting parks due to morning EMH and then skipping to a different park that didn't have morning EMH later. In about a week, we'll be going down to run three different races with five individuals, and will be meeting up with three different families (that have never met each other), we have numerous ADR's, a special pirate cruise during Wishes, etc., etc. It is a trip that is planned to the hilt, in deep detail...
...and I guarantee that there will be times that we simply don't know about, and hadn't planned, that will make the trip amazing and magical. Remembering that those will happen whenever, wherever, and not on the schedule I laid out in advance - that's an important part for me.

Most recent best time? Literally stomping and splashing in a flooded EPCOT during torrential rains. Not because it was in our schedule... but because it added to our day :)

--
Brian Davis

[LudwigVonDrake]

There's the family I was behind in line for The Haunted Mansion who said after they were done with "The Haunted House" they were heading to "Splash Waterfall".

Last July in DHS on a very hot day, I overheard a man tell his wife in reference to their daughter, "Before we do anything else we have to get her on the water rides..."

:D

[MouseHouser]

One thing that escaped me in my earlier trips to DW, before I discovered Intercot, is the fun to be had visiting the Disney Resorts.

Since then, we have almost as much fun visiting the various resorts, for a bite or a drink, or to watch fireworks from the beach, as we do going to the parks.

[MrPeetrie]

I have to admit, my first trip to WDW was in 99. DW and I were in Orlando for a couple of days and wanted to go to Disney. We had three days and stayed off property.

In my mind, WDW was one park. I knew disney had Epcot and other parks, but I couldn't understand why they were so close they would compete against each other. I went to Disneyland when I was 16 and, now as a married adult, I was looking forward to seeing the east coast Disneyland.

We parked at the TTA. We took a tram ride. I ran through an underpass expecting to see the park. Nothing. Just more transportation. "Where's Disney World at?" I asked. I must have sounded ridiculous.

The cast member explained how to get to the Magic Kingdom. We took the ferry across the lagoon. I bet I looked like a puppy with its head out of a car window. I was SOOOOO excited. What an entrance. (I still make sure we enter the Magic Kingdom at least once that way each trip.)

Upon return home, I booked a 10-day trip the following spring. I researched as much as I could. I found this site, which has provided me with some of the BEST ADVICE. I feel because of his site, I get so much more out of a Disney vacation than I ever could on my own.

Thinking back, I must have sounded pretty silly on that first trip. We had no ADRs. We didn't know anything. I thought it was just a nice park to visit. Boy was I wrong.