Worst untruths inexperienced WDW people say...

[csharpwv]

My wife and I don't have kids yet - but we get that question all the time - what is the BEST age to take kids?

The way we see it there are two answers -
IF you want to make incredible memories with your child - take them around 2 - 2.5 - they will have a good time - and the parents will have a great time. At that age - it's more for the joy it will bring to the parents.

If you are taking child for THEIR joy, fun etc - 5-7 is prime 'cute' age! HAHA

Just based on our observations - these have been found to be true time and time again!

 

[WDWMom]

5 biggest Disney Lies I've Heard:

1. You can use an extra day on your ticket to park hop.
2. AAA Parking Pass = Free Parking
3. I don't need to make ADRs, I'll just decide where to eat when I get there.
4. The Swan and Dolphin are Disney hotels.
5. Fastpass is only for guests staying in a Disney Resort.

#3 is not a lie. We never make ADR's and eat where we want all the time. Vacation at WDW first week of April and no problem at all.

I've also heard people say you have to pay for Fastpass.
I've actually heard of some people that didn't even KNOW about fastpass!

Other unthruths:

After I told someone about the room discounts that were better than free dining. "Oh I already booked my package with free dining so I can't change it."

Wheelchairs and scooters will get you to the front of the line. Years ago we were in line to meet Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger at AK. There was a grumpy old lady with her family that included a little boy all standing behind us in line. The line was long and in one of those covered shelter things by the old boat launch things that used to be in AK. She started ramming her scooter through the crowd, leaving her family behind, saying "Excuse me, I'm in a scooter I need to move forward...."

The scooter and wheelchair thing used to be true. Back in 1996 one person in our party needed a wheelchair and we all went to the front of the line for most rides (there were5 of us). Actually we were taken to the exit for most rides and entered from there. This is not the case any longer though.

 

[JB2K]

The strangest thing I've ever heard?

"The Disney World is an amusement park in Florida -- who needs that when we have Six Flags right here in the local area?"

 

[tinkermom23]

A family we know got the 4/3 deal with a $500 giftcard for their 1st WDW trip. Their kids were 9 & 7. Before their trip he told me they travel all the time and know they can make that $500 GC stretch and wouldn't need any other money. I was impressed until he said...
"We'll just eat at those $3.00 buffets they have right outside the Disney gates."
But they only rented a car for one day of the trip. They seriously thought they could just walk from AS Sports out the front gates to the "city stuff" like shopping and restaurants.

When they got back he said they'd never go back. They let the kids spend most of the GC the first day on souvies. Then, every day he walked to the Hess station and bought donuts & snacks. Their only "good" meal was the one day they rented a car to go to Busch Gardens and they ate at Ponderosa? or something like that for 2 meals.

 

[shalom]

\I just smile sweetly and say Well, it's not as much about them remembering it as it is about them enjoying it while they are there...

Really! I always want to ask those people if they remember the love their moms showed them as newborns, because how well you bond as an infant has an impact on you your whole life. You don't have to remember things for them to have a positive impact on you. Enjoying things together is a bonding and positive experience, whether the kids remember it or not.

"The Disney World is an amusement park in Florida -- who needs that when we have Six Flags right here in the local area?"

Hate amusement parks -- they do not amuse. Particularly hate amusement park rides. Love Disney, though. Cannot understand those who confuse the two.

 

[aeronboy]

Then, every day he walked to the Hess station and bought donuts & snacks. Their only "good" meal was the one day they rented a car to go to Busch Gardens and they ate at Ponderosa? or something like that for 2 meals.

That may be the saddest Disney story I've ever heard. I hope I never have to say that eating at Ponderosa is the high point of a vacation dining experience...

 

[tink576]

A family we know got the 4/3 deal with a $500 giftcard for their 1st WDW trip. Their kids were 9 & 7. Before their trip he told me they travel all the time and know they can make that $500 GC stretch and wouldn't need any other money. I was impressed until he said...
"We'll just eat at those $3.00 buffets they have right outside the Disney gates."
But they only rented a car for one day of the trip. They seriously thought they could just walk from AS Sports out the front gates to the "city stuff" like shopping and restaurants.

When they got back he said they'd never go back. They let the kids spend most of the GC the first day on souvies. Then, every day he walked to the Hess station and bought donuts & snacks. Their only "good" meal was the one day they rented a car to go to Busch Gardens and they ate at Ponderosa? or something like that for 2 meals.

What blows my mind is that they planned on using that GC for all their food. Why on earth would you let the kids blow it all on souvenirs the first day?

 

[WDWMom]

What blows my mind is that they planned on using that GC for all their food. Why on earth would you let the kids blow it all on souvenirs the first day?

WOW! $500 on souverniors??? I don't think we've spent $500 in 16 years for our family of 5. Now I think we could stretch $500 for a week for us. We are not big eaters. Fruit or pastry for breakfast, kid menus for kids if they were under 9. We don't do table service often because it's not worth the price.

 

[mjbaby]

#3 is not a lie. We never make ADR's and eat where we want all the time. Vacation at WDW first week of April and no problem at all.

Same here. I've been known to decide that I'll take the kids to WDW in three weeks and then wait until a few days out or even until we get there to bother with dining reservations. I honestly can't think of a single time that we didn't get what we'd hoped for. Maybe we're just lucky? I don't know, but whenever I read here about the crazy planning some folks do I"m just really puzzled. Whatever works, I guess.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

One thing I've heard is that you can only get fastpasses if you stay at a Disney resort and they cost money Oh, and that you don't need ADR's. You can just pick where you want to eat once you get to the parks. Good luck with that!

 

[herdtoDisney]

We just got back from Disney yesterday, and I utilized FastPass-I love it! Anyhow, more than once...as my family went in the Fastpass line past folks in the standby line, I would hear comments like 'oh, they must have paid extra for that special pass' or 'you have to be staying on property to get those' or 'where do you get the pass for that fast lane?' *from under the BIG signs that say FASTPASS DISTRIBUTION* I actually would answer in a MUCH nicer tone than that, btw

But really-it was our first trip and I did my research, which was a guidebook (passporter) and this wonderful Disboards. We had a wonderful experience with the QSDP also, with great variety. I did a bit of research before hand to ensure that. And I asked questions of CM's when I needed to.

 

[winniedapooh]

I had given a friend at work a lot of information for her family trip. Her dad was paying and she was afraid to go too overboard. When she returned home, she exclaimed she loved it, but when I asked if her children liked this ride or that she could not answer. While talking she talked a whole lot about restuarants and said they could not possibly eat all of that food.

Turns out the travel had them get a meal plan...not just any meal plan either...the one with 3 meals a day! She said they had something like 68 snacks and 20 something meals left...here comes the good part, wait for it...but don't worry, she says, "when we go back we can use those up. We are going to save so much money on food next time." When I tried to tell her I did not think that Disney allowed this, that she lost all of her meal credits at midnight the night they checked out, she said, and I quote: "No, the travel agent (Disney travel) and Disney said these credits were good forever".

Made me sad about such a waste...

 

[FoundMyPrince]

A friend of mine is thinking of taking a first trip to WDW. She said the two day ticket would be fine for seeing "Disney World and Sea World". ? We talked for a bit and she thought WDW was just "the castle park" and Sea World was next to it. I tried to explain, no, there are four separate parks, and Sea Wold isn't one of them.

I've been going to WDW for 27 years now. I can see how it would be overwhelming for a family to go for the first time. Goodness...how much time have I spent on these boards learning more information for our upcoming trip!

 

[maggiew]

We just got back from Disney yesterday, and I utilized FastPass-I love it! Anyhow, more than once...as my family went in the Fastpass line past folks in the standby line, I would hear comments like 'oh, they must have paid extra for that special pass' or 'you have to be staying on property to get those' or 'where do you get the pass for that fast lane?' *from under the BIG signs that say FASTPASS DISTRIBUTION* I actually would answer in a MUCH nicer tone than that, btw

But really-it was our first trip and I did my research, which was a guidebook (passporter) and this wonderful Disboards. We had a wonderful experience with the QSDP also, with great variety. I did a bit of research before hand to ensure that. And I asked questions of CM's when I needed to.

There is also a big section on the park map brochures that discuss the Fast Pass distribution!!!

Maggie

 

[pumba21]

Our daughter will be 18 months old when we take her in September and I get alot of the she won't remember it comments. We have been every year since we have been married so we would vacation there regardless. And my husband doesn't remember much from one time to the next either!!!

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

I didn't read all the post so forgive me if I repeat...
I have an extended family member that is afraid to do anything by herself in travel planning. Its always call the TA, so she doesn't know the first thing about discount codes and the things we here on this board live for . She likes to try to guilt me with the "It must be nice to be able to ...... I wish I had the money to ....." Well, if you do a little research, there are codes and deals and plenty ways to save to give her an affordable WDW vacation.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

A friend of mine is thinking of taking a first trip to WDW. She said the two day ticket would be fine for seeing "Disney World and Sea World". ? We talked for a bit and she thought WDW was just "the castle park" and Sea World was next to it. I tried to explain, no, there are four separate parks, and Sea Wold isn't one of them.

I've been going to WDW for 27 years now. I can see how it would be overwhelming for a family to go for the first time. Goodness...how much time have I spent on these boards learning more information for our upcoming trip!

oh wow...yeah there are a couple other acres to the WDW resort aside from the "castle park"
Research is def the key. You gotta have a clue when you embark on this vaction

 

[pigletto]

I actually had an experience the other night. I was talking with a family who went for their first trip and HATED it. It wasn't any one particular thing, but the feeling I got was that they went in the dead heat of summer (early August) when it was crazy busy, paid rack rate, and fought the crowds the whole time. It all boiled down to the fact that they did no prior research.
I felt bad for them. Not everyone likes Disney and that is o.k. But I felt like if they had planned and used this board or some of the other resources available it could have been a way better trip for them.
Now they will never go back and it could have been a great trip with some careful planning.

 

[eyor44]

A friend called last night all upset as a TA just told her that the dining plan was only useful if you made all of your reservations 180 out. That any time after that you could not get any dining reservations.

First, she and I had already had this conversation and discussed when they were going and what they wanted to do. Second, she was talking to some guy in MI who had never been and was just going on "what he had been told".

I got her straight, we got on the ADR web site and was even able to get Le Cellier's 6 weeks out and for a decent time. I told her to throw that TA's phone number away.

 

[cjnix29]

Isn't it amazing how many lousy Disney TA's there are out there?! I know there are some excellent ones, but it is a shame that so many people go to a TA, expecting them to help them plan the best trip they can, and end up with a lot of mis information!!