Helping someone plan a trip

[Tinkerfreak]

Here is the scoop. My husbands hairdresser called me tonight and asked me to give her some advice on her first Disney trip. I am really happy to help her but am really nervous because she plans to go the week between Christmas and new years and has not booked a room yet or made any adr's she has never been so had no clue that adr's were necessary. She said she wants to stay on-site but I am not sure if she will suffer sticker shock from the price or if she has any idea what it will cost. She will be travelling with a 5 year old girl and 2 17 year old boys. She is coming to my house on Sunday to talk to me about it and I plan to let her view my guide books and stuff. I have never been during a really crowded time like this so I figured I would get as much advice from all of you who go that week.

[faline]

I understand your nevousness. I would guess that the hairdresser has no idea that she is planning a trip (on short notice) at one of busiest times of the year! I would seriously suggest that this person go at a different time and allow more advance planning. I simply cannot imagine going the week between Christmas and New Year's and planning the trip with just two months notice! There is very little chance that someone will plan a first time trip at this time and really enjoy it - particularly if they have never been there before and have no idea what to expect!

[KylesMom]

Honestly, I've been in the same situation with both friends and family. While we tried to dissuade all from going this time of year (friends) for their first trip with an 8 & 10 year old and family with several visits under their belt with no plans ever, they all insisted going this week due to their work & family schedules.

All you can do if they want to go on this short of notice is to stay positive - but let them know that a trip of this magnitude during the holidays usually takes more planning to get the biggest bang for their buck then they've foreseen. Make certain they have at least some plan for parks, meals, crowds, stress, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of positive feedback from both parties who thought the holidays would be magical for their families - especially the group with the three kids who thought it wasn't a big deal to not have ADRs or a plan. They ended up calling me on New Years Eve on the lawn of the Poly waiting for Wishes so that the evening wasn't a total waste, totally disheartened about the experience they had up to that point. Stay positive, but let them know what adventures they may find themselves in on this short of a planning timespan . . . and if they don't currently have reservations somewhere, they may have a tough time staying on-site.

[lynnek]

Being someone on the receiving end of a friends help and advice--find a way to let her know to plan a different time!! We originally were planning to go Thanksgiving time, hoping for a cruise and a few days at WDW, thinking that would be more than enough time. We had experienced the cruise before, never WDW. My friend gently pushed--O.K. shoved me to a full week at WDW during the last weekend of F&W. She also gave me a list of ADR's I neede to make. I thought she was a little nuts at first, but then again, here I am, on Intercot, going for the first time in less than a month with some pretty good ADR's, being there for F&W, Osborne lights etc. So get out a calendar with her!!

[Disney Hungarian]

I have booked, planned and arranged a visit with less notice.

My step-father upon finding his condition to be terminal called me a couple of days before Thanksgiving in 2004. He wanted to take my mom for an anniversary trip to WDW. They were married on New Years Eve 1984. He asked me to arrange for them to stay on property and get tickets. I tried to talk him out of it. He would hear none of that. So, I got on the phone and called every day 3 times a day. I politely told Disney I just wanted a room and did not care which resort it was. Finally there was a cancellation and I got them a room at CBR.

Long story short, they had never been during the Holidays and were stunned by the crowds. He even called me to tell me they had stopped letting people into MK at 10am. They did enjoy the trip and he said he wouldn't have done it if he had known how packed it was going to be. He did say that Disney did make up for it with the extra entertainment.

[Tinkerfreak]

I will definately try to persuade her to pick a different week that she can plan for more in advance. I will explain all of the benefits of picking another week but if this is the only week she can go I will just try to help her make the best of it. I really have no background yet on why she picked this week. She justed called me because my husbands friend who is also her client told her should call me because I know alot about planning a trip. I will get more information from her and go from there.

[faline]

Good luck!

[coloradowendyl]

I was there last Christmas with two teenage boys. The key to Christmas visits is flexibility and realizing that you may need to leave one park and go to another one if the crowds start to get to you. With older kids, you can definitely hit all of the extra magic hours. We have done Christmas several times . You just have to have good attitude and take things as they come.

The big thing is to tell her to be prepared for cool weather. It can actually get pretty cool at night.

Last year we found doing things the exact opposite of what most people do worked great! Most people hit the parks really early in the morning! My teenagers (and husband) sleep til noon. We would hit the park at lunch when people were leaving for naps and close down the parks at night.

And, unlike past years, there is a discounted rate for the week between Christmas and New Year's which will be a huge plus for her!

Wendy

[Tinkerfreak]

Well I met with her today and was happy to find that she had done some research on her own by looking at the Disney website and that she is totally going into this expecting it to be very expensive and is just happy to be going. I think the smartest advice I gave her was to book through Magical Journeys. I put her in touch with Terrisue so I know she is in excellent hands. I told her about the things we like to do and see and told her about BBB in the castle and she is going to try for an apointment to do that. I told her not to get her daughters hopes up about certain things until she actually had the ressie etc. She says they will probably go back again in a year or so at a slower time but she just wants to do this for Christmas this year because her daughter is graduating high school and this is something she wants to do.

[faline]

Well, perhaps her expectations are in line with the reality of the time of the year. Hope they enjoy the trip!

[diz_girl]

He even called me to tell me they had stopped letting people into MK at 10am.

Tinkerfreak - please stress this fact about going Christmas week, as a lot of people aren't aware of this fact. You can also let her know that if she can't get a room on-property, that they will be denied entry to the park sooner than if they were staying on property.

[Tinkerfreak]

Tinkerfreak - please stress this fact about going Christmas week, as a lot of people aren't aware of this fact. You can also let her know that if she can't get a room on-property, that they will be denied entry to the park sooner than if they were staying on property.

I was sure to tell her this. She is also working with Magical Journeys so I'm sure Terrisue has mentioned this to her.