Am I vacationing wrong? Lol

[pigletgirl]

We're RD folks only because DD wakes up at the crack of dawn! We then take an afternoon break (pool time and naps) and then head back into the parks for evening fun. It really works for our family. Sounds like your touring plan works for your family and that's all that matters!

 

[MrInfinity]

In comparison to some here I guess I would be considered a newbie- but I have been 10+ times, 5 of those pretty consistently over the past 6 years.

That being said I keep reading others plans and questions and everyone being there at RD and so on and I begin to question if I've been doing this Disney thing wrong this whole time. I have two little ones. My dh, myself, and my kids are definitely more the type to burn the midnight oil than to rise at the crack of dawn. We have never been at a park for RD and even have a breakfast reservation at our hotel the first day at 9:20! ( I can hear the collective gasps from all you early birds out there!) Other than parades, FPs, and firework shows I can't imagine being so regimented.

So am I the only one to take more of a leisurely approach to Disney? We have never not gotten to do something or had a bad time because of it so I guess there's no wrong way to go about it. But it got me wondering if I was the only odd ball there lol

-Kristen

Hi Kristen,
You probly do well because when you cut past all the planning and hullabaloo, it's still just a theme park... and one can truly just "go and have fun". I've been going to theme parks since I was a kid and in the first few minutes one can pick up on how to best beat the crowds. You seem to do fine, so you probably have the same common sense. Even on our earlier Disney trips, I didn't do anything like the planning I do now, but we still got on tons and waited comparatively little. You see a long line? You figure out ways to get on the ride w/o waiting in the line. You also have 10 trips under your belt, so you have the experience already to know what is busy when and what your priorities should be w/o having to write them on a spreadsheet.

I really just do it because it's fun, it's a way to enjoy the trip before the trip, build anticipation, create conversation among family going, and so on... Our spreadsheet (which is incredibly detailed) in no way regiments our activities.

As to any required planning... well obviously there are some things. Like if you intend to eat at CRT, you really need to make a reservation 6 mo in advance. No way around this. If you don't care to get into any high-demand restaurants then things like this are not an issue.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

It's not easy. We traveled in late January several years. Cinderella's Royal Table still books up. If you don't care where you eat or when you eat, or what you ride or when you ride, or how long you wait in line - yeah -then it's easy. Otherwise, doing some minimal planning will pay off.

Well, we were able to book CRT in Sept last year two days before the date of the ADR. Same for Ohana. In January of 2013 we had similar luck with ADRs. And we always ride the rides that we want to ride, when we want to ride them.

Maybe we are just lucky, but in that case we have been this lucky for decades.

 

[Disney127]

DD and I will be at WDW for a week and a half in March during our spring break so we have a few ideas of what we wanted to accomplish during this busy time. We haven't been to WDW since 2009 and I remember having some plans in place back then. It will just be DD and I this time, so it will be easier to get the 2 of us out the door than our family of 4. We usually go to DLR once or twice a year and don't plan anything there since we know that if we miss something, then we can catch it the next time we go. But since we don't go to WDW often, we might require some sort of plan - so far, we planned on making a dining reservation for BOG and to obtain FP+ on certain parks/days. We will try for RD but if we don't make it, then we can try another time. It has been awhile since our last WDW trip and we are not sure if we will be back anytime soon so we will have a rough outline of rides/attractions for each day. If we don't get a chance to experience everything, then it will just be another excuse for us to come back.

 

[itchin2go]

Well, we were able to book CRT in Sept last year two days before the date of the ADR. Same for Ohana. In January of 2013 we had similar luck with ADRs. And we always ride the rides that we want to ride, when we want to ride them.

Maybe we are just lucky, but in that case we have been this lucky for decades.

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.

 

[grimley1968]

It's just not as simple as - I can eat wherever I want whenever I want without ADRs ...

Agreed. We tried to eat at Boatwright's at POR twice on one recent trip when staying at POFQ. We walked up, saw the restaurant was nearly empty, and tried to be seated. We were told it was ADR seating only. I protested that there were maybe 3 tables in the entire restaurant that had people sitting at them, to no avail. We made the ADR (because it was too late and we were too tired to leave POR/POFQ to find another restaurant), had to make it a minimum of 1 hour later due to ADR policy, explored POR a little bit, came back and were seated. As it was an hour earlier, the restaurant was still nearly empty. It was a good meal, but would not have been possible at all without jumping through the ADR hoop. We went there again later in our trip because the meal was so good, this time with an ADR, and this time with the ADR just as unnecessary if it were any restaurant outside the WDW bubble.

So in this case, not only was it advisable to pre-plan for a desired meal, it was actually 100% necessary.

 

[bcrook]

Agreed. We tried to eat at Boatwright's at POR twice on one recent trip when staying at POFQ. We walked up, saw the restaurant was nearly empty, and tried to be seated. We were told it was ADR seating only. I protested that there were maybe 3 tables in the entire restaurant that had people sitting at them, to no avail. We made the ADR (because it was too late and we were too tired to leave POR/POFQ to find another restaurant), had to make it a minimum of 1 hour later due to ADR policy, explored POR a little bit, came back and were seated. As it was an hour earlier, the restaurant was still nearly empty. It was a good meal, but would not have been possible at all without jumping through the ADR hoop. We went there again later in our trip because the meal was so good, this time with an ADR, and this time with the ADR just as unnecessary if it were any restaurant outside the WDW bubble.

So in this case, not only was it advisable to pre-plan for a desired meal, it was actually 100% necessary.

You are surely exaggerating. . That is crazy town right there. I'm not sure I would have handled that well. You were much more patient.

I also guess that if you changed your mind in that hour and tried to catch the boat to DTD instead to find another restaurant, they would have nailed you with a $40.00 charge? It borders on extortion. Those guarantees have ruined dining at Disney for me. I will never achieve a golden spoon in the current climate.

Thankfully Jiko doesn't do this yet. It's one of the few places I still go.

 

[grimley1968]

You are surely exaggerating. . That is crazy town right there. I'm not sure I would have handled that well. You were much more patient.

I also guess that if you changed your mind in that hour and tried to catch the boat to DTD instead to find another restaurant, they would have nailed you with a $40.00 charge? It borders on extortion. Those guarantees have ruined dining at Disney for me. I will never achieve a golden spoon in the current climate.

Thankfully Jiko doesn't do this yet. It's one of the few places I still go.

Not exaggerating unfortunately. However the meals we had on both occasions were worth the trouble, especially since we were the server's only table at the time.

 

[Planogirl]

Not exaggerating unfortunately. However the meals we had on both occasions were worth the trouble, especially since we were the server's only table at the time.

This makes me wonder if they weren't short-handed somewhere. It's one thing to have empty table but if there aren't enough cooks or servers, it might not matter.

 

[ShinyRedGloss]

As most have said, if it works for you stick with it. My SO and I are in our late twenties with no kids and usually travel just the two of us. We normally hit the parks open to close because we don't have little ones or a large group so we travel at a comfortable but fast pace. Both of us are early birdies and lines and midday heat chip away at our spirit (we normally eat later lunches and duck into rides with air conditioned lines). We like it to think we are getting the most bang for our buck this way. I think whirlwind trips only work for some people. If you have the time or know that you'll be burned out if you go open to close, then shorter days are what you need. Better to have sleep than stress.

We have another couple we travel with and they don't hit the parking lot until 10am. I couldn't do it, I get too excited.

 

[afinnteach]

We do rope drop, mostly because our kids are still young and get up early. Our first trip (with me planning), I planned rope drop and late evenings and it DID NOT WORK! At least not for DH, who said if we were going again, it had to be more leisurely. So, this last trip we did rope drops, but no late evenings. We didn't see any fireworks at all! (We had seen them last time, so it was ok.)

I am currently planning an adults only weekend trip to Food and Wine and I don't think we will see 1 RD the whole trip! Hee Hee!

 

[bcrook]

This makes me wonder if they weren't short-handed somewhere. It's one thing to have empty table but if there aren't enough cooks or servers, it might not matter.

You think 'ADR only' would cause people (like me) to go somewhere else alleviating the need for more staff? I am having a difficult time with this.

I thought I heard the host at La Hacienda say they were ADR ONLY on my visit there a few weeks ago. The restaurant was half empty when we were seated. I was trying process what the host really said. But Grimley's tale sheds some light. I don't understand turning away paying guests at a half empty restaurant.

I guess they could staff based on ADRs and then they can't handle the variation or walk ups. WDW is turning in to a strange place.

 

[bcrook]

We do rope drop, mostly because our kids are still young and get up early. Our first trip (with me planning), I planned rope drop and late evenings and it DID NOT WORK! At least not for DH, who said if we were going again, it had to be more leisurely. So, this last trip we did rope drops, but no late evenings. We didn't see any fireworks at all! (We had seen them last time, so it was ok.)

I am currently planning an adults only weekend trip to Food and Wine and I don't think we will see 1 RD the whole trip! Hee Hee!

I love adults only trips.

 

[Planogirl]

You think 'ADR only' would cause people (like me) to go somewhere else alleviating the need for more staff? I am having a difficult time with this.

I thought I heard the host at La Hacienda say they were ADR ONLY on my visit there a few weeks ago. The restaurant was half empty when we were seated. I was trying process what the host really said. But Grimley's tale sheds some light. I don't understand turning away paying guests at a half empty restaurant.

I guess they could staff based on ADRs and then they can't handle the variation or walk ups. WDW is turning in to a strange place.

Strange place indeed. Why else would they turn people away though? They are turning down profit when they do that and that doesn't seem to be in Disney's psyche.

 

[grimley1968]

I guess they could staff based on ADRs and then they can't handle the variation or walk ups. WDW is turning in to a strange place.

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.

 

[Summertinkerbell]

We're RD folks only because DD wakes up at the crack of dawn! We then take an afternoon break (pool time and naps) and then head back into the parks for evening fun. It really works for our family. Sounds like your touring plan works for your family and that's all that matters!

I agree with everything in the quoted comment.

I don't do long lines or big crowds, and I will do anything to avoid them.

We rise early mainly to be in the parks when it is less crowded. We like to ride as many rides as we can before the lines form. This way, we ride some favorites more than once using the FP+. We like to take photos of Cinderella's castle without all of humanity walking in front of it. We like to do Cinderella's breakfast early and be let into the park before it opens. It is really cool to see Main St. virtually empty except for a few people.

Around lunchtime, we can feel the crowds getting to capacity, and we know it is time to go...to the pool or for an afternoon nap.

When we are rested and freshly showered, we usually eat at a fancy resort restaurant or character meal watching fireworks from our hotel. Three times during our trip last week, we returned to the parks for evening activities. It is soooooooooo crowded at night. I especially did not like World showcase after we ate at Via Napoli. They darkened the park in preparation for Illuminations, and we couldn't see very well. It was raining which didn't help. I just wanted my bed.

I don't think I will do night activities in the parks on our next trip.

Ultimately, your vacation should meet your individual needs and make you happy. To each his own.

 

[pigletgirl]

I agree with everything in the quoted comment.

I don't do long lines or big crowds, and I will do anything to avoid them.

We rise early mainly to be in the parks when it is less crowded. We like to ride as many rides as we can before the lines form. This way, we ride some favorites more than once using the FP+. We like to take photos of Cinderella's castle without all of humanity walking in front of it. We like to do Cinderella's breakfast early and be let into the park before it opens. It is really cool to see Main St. virtually empty except for a few people.

Around lunchtime, we can feel the crowds getting to capacity, and we know it is time to go...to the pool or for an afternoon nap.

When we are rested and freshly showered, we usually eat at a fancy resort restaurant or character meal watching fireworks from our hotel. Three times during our trip last week, we returned to the parks for evening activities. It is soooooooooo crowded at night. I especially did not like World showcase after we ate at Via Napoli. They darkened the park in preparation for Illuminations, and we couldn't see very well. It was raining which didn't help. I just wanted my bed.

I don't think I will do night activities in the parks on our next trip.

Ultimately, your vacation should meet your individual needs and make you happy. To each his own.

Epcot does get quite dark for Illuminations! I can see how the rain just makes it that much worse and with crowds, it just sounds awful. But, we love our afternoon swim/nap time. We really never have achy feet touring this way.

 

[jolene63]

We are like you, never have done rope drop and LOVE to stay late. Each trip gets better and better. I love FP+ because it gives us the option to sleep in and not worry about rushing to the parks to get fastpasses for the headliners.

 

[KJMAX1]

We are night owls. We also live on the West Coast. So if we go to WDW we have to get on the time change thing ASAP if we are going off season. Otherwise all our summer trips we stay until 2am. That's only 11pm our time. Our first and second trip were uber planned. The rest, not so much. I plan one or two sit down meals, the rest we just pick on a whim. We plan a few must sees, but other than that, nothing. The only other time I really plan is when we go to a paid event like Halloween or Christmas.

 

[Choozee]

My first trip to MK was 2 years ago. I stood in front of Crystal Palace wondering why I couldn't eat there or get a ressie for later that day. (we stayed at Universal)
So, this time I booked a year in advance, made ADRs at 180, staying on site, FP+.
I also purchased touring plans this time and intend to rope drop with a table service dinner at different resorts in the evening.
So.... We shall see what truly works out best for our family