Am I vacationing wrong? Lol

[BuckeyeBama]

The more I think about it, the more plausible this explanation sounds. In my case I was a captive customer and I think they knew it (I was visibly tired and it was easier to make an ADR and wait than find another TS place). As it turned out the food was awesome and didn't take overly long to arrive.

FWIW, we had the same experience at Boatwrights in January of 2013. Empty restaurant, but "booked". We love Boatwrights and were disappointed, but we were staying at POFQ so came back an hour later and were seated immediately - restaurant still empty. Crazy.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Yes - I would chalk some of that up to luck. For everyone who was able to find a coveted last minute ADR, there's someone else to tell you they weren't so lucky.

As far as "we always ride the rides that we want to ride, when we want to ride them", well, I think everyone can do that, but they're going to have to wait in a line. And if the time you want to ride is 2:00 in the afternoon, that line may be pretty long.

Maybe I'm making WDW sound like a terrible place where you can't do anything, and you're trying to provide a counter to that?

I really try to paint a realistic picture. We don't wait in long lines because we go early and don't even try for headliners in the afternoon without a FP. We do get to ride everything we want, but we know where to go first, and what to book FPs for.

It's just not as simple as - I can eat wherever I want whenever I want without ADRs, and I can ride whatever I want whenever with no lines. Just walking in with no knowledge and no planning and getting to do everything you want, when you want, with no lines is just not realistic. I've said this before. If it were that simple, why would there be all these guidebooks? And all these message boards? And people hiring handicapped people to take advantage of those policies?

We love Disney World, but a minimal amount of planning can go a long way.

I get what you are saying. We do try to book a few of our most "important" ADRs before we leave for WDW, but even then we book only about a week out. We leave in 35 days for our next trip and still have not booked a single ADR, but there are lots of options available so we are not worried.

I guess that the key is in your touring style and expectations. We are not big eaters and we are not commando tourists. We eat at the best WDW restaurants, but are fine eating at any from a long list on any given night. We prefer to figure it out as we go and just relax. Works for us.

That said, maybe our favorite rides or restaurants are not among the most commonly booked. I really don't know. I just know that this works for us every single trip.

 

[mommypenguin29]

We have never done a rope drop and this is the first time I have ADRs and on the dining plan...we usually kind of have an idea with what park we want and wing it...this will be the first time using FP+ for us as well...My kids are sometimes early riser and sometimes not - my husband is NOT! We usually get to the parks around 9:30/10 and in the past would take a break in the afternoon and go back at night...still figuring out details for our November trip and it is driving me crazy

 

[itchin2go]

I get what you are saying. We do try to book a few of our most "important" ADRs before we leave for WDW, but even then we book only about a week out. We leave in 35 days for our next trip and still have not booked a single ADR, but there are lots of options available so we are not worried.

I guess that the key is in your touring style and expectations. We are not big eaters and we are not commando tourists. We eat at the best WDW restaurants, but are fine eating at any from a long list on any given night. We prefer to figure it out as we go and just relax. Works for us.

That said, maybe our favorite rides or restaurants are not among the most commonly booked. I really don't know. I just know that this works for us every single trip.

I believe it *can* work. On our first trip, we only booked one or 2 ADRs, and then just called each night to see what was available wherever we were. We got some decent last minute ADRs, and we never went hungry. It was actually kind of fun. The planner in me just can't let go and do that again. Also, I think it's important that we did book ADRs, even last minute ones, rather than trying to walk up. That might have been frustrating (as a PP has pointed out).

But if something is important, I wouldn't leave it to chance, and would book as soon as possible. I go ahead and book ADRs for each day. We probably keep 70% of them (don't shoot me - I cancel them in a timely manner), but it's nice to know they're booked, and available if we want them.

I just think there are people who get there and find out that certain experiences aren't available to them and are disappointed. Hence, the advice to plan ahead, if only for those experiences that are MOST important to you.

 

[KorieDWnut]

I have participated in this topic of conversation on these boards more times than I can count, lol. But I know searching through topics is time consuming. so I will add..

I think it comes down to exactly what do you want from your trip, and what makes you happy, and what you get out of it. What I am finding is that everyone has their different ideas of what a MUST DO is, and everyone has their own qualifications of what FUN is. So I could say that I could walk around Magic Kingdom all day and never go on ONE ride and still have the time of my life, and some people may look at me and think I just wasted an entire day. It is all what you are after.

We plan our ADRs (if we have dining with TS this trip next week, we only have QS dining plan but are paying out of pocket for Crystal Palace because it is my daughter's bday and thats what she wanted)
We book our FP
Based on those plans we decide what park we are doing and on which day.

Aside from those basic plans, we walk around the park and do what we feel like in that moment.

I have never waited in a 2 hour line and never ever will. I would be fine with not riding something altogether if I couldn't get in a faster line. The most I have ever waited was 45 mins. I rely on the wait time app and we ride based on what the times are.
We utilize single rider lines.

I do not watch parades or fireworks, Maybe I will watch fireworks as I am walking from one place to another...those are also great times to get in shorter lines.

My kids are teenagers with no desire to visit a character. We see them at character dining, that is good enough for us.

I have never done a rope drop in all the 30+ times I have been to WDW and I don't feel like I have missed out on anything or have had less of a good time than anyone else.

we hang at the hotel, we take breaks during the day. Most times we have park hoppers and will switch parks at a whim, when we feel like it. (I don't have hoppers this trip but we will still take breaks and come back later)

We are night people and will stay in a park until the bitter end.

So see, some people would think...how can she have a good time like this? But I have the time of my life. And I believe that super planners have the time of their lives. It is what you make of it, and you have fun your own way.