anyone else hate all the fast pass and dining planning?

[1911]

anything beyond planning what park on which day I find daunting.I hate having to plan exactly where to be at a certain time of day in the parks and predicting when we will be hungry and what we will want to eat.
I prefer to do a more non structured style of touring but with how busy the world is I feel the planning is necessary.

 

[maxiesmom]

Not me. I love all of the planning.

 

[LSUmiss]

I like doing the planning but sometimes it’s daunting if it’s a time where you can’t adjust easily if you want to change.

 

[DisneyGuy]

I enjoy planning and making reservations. However, we don't always feel like doing or eating what we planned 60+ days ago. If crowds are heavier than expected it's hard to adjust things which can mess up some time frames originally planned.

 

[1911]

Not me. I love all of the planning.

I'm sure I am in the minority here.
I do like reading everyone else's plans and strategies and seeing how much enjoyment the planning brings to their trip.

 

[Yoshi]

Yes, which is why I prefer Disneyland with the old Fast Pass system. It's nice to be able to walk to a ride like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with a return time 30 minutes away and go ride Pirates with a 10 - 20 minute wait since it's not on Fast Pass so the line keeps moving. When I was there this past July, some other rides like Haunted Mansion had a Fast Pass return time that was less time than the posted standby wait time or getting a Blue Bayou reservation an hour before deciding to have lunch there.

 

[Disneylover99]

I'm used to the fp's now and we often make changes day of and we really make very few ADR's so the planning doesn't bother me.

 

[cattrix]

I LOVE planning and working everything out for our trips. Now, that being said, I have an easy time planning as we are 2 adults and no children to accommodate so it's easy for me to plan it all out. It helps keep me "in the Disney" throughout the year. We usually go for Free Dining and really enjoy trying new restaurants and visiting our favorites.

I will also say, I spent a lot of time planning our trip last year just to be ran over by Irma. We went down a day early and had to wipe out all of the plans and most of the reservations we made and start over planning while we were in our room waiting for Irma to blow over. While some would be mad that it was a years worth of planning down the drain and a waste of time, I enjoy doing it so it didn't really bother me much.

 

[standbyme]

Yes. I know that it is something that has to be done if we want to do what we want once we arrive at the park...but it is the ONLY thing that I dread once my family decides to go to Disney. I feel like I have just been given a second job. (Not to mention that Disney has to have one of the clunkier websites of any major corporations that I visit.)

So yes, I feel your pain, you are not alone!

 

[michelepa]

I use to like this detailec planning but this trip has just been aggravating.

We are headed down in 12 days to watch son play baseball at Disney's ESPN fields and for the most part I am finally sorted -with the help of the executive offices at Disneyworld.

DS is staying with his team through a Disney package and we are planning to take DD to Disney parks staying at a different hotel.

Problem is/was we didnt get his schedule until we were about 40 days away from our trip.

So at 180 days I had no idea which of the seven days I would be at MK and able to eat at BOG so i made dining reservations every night of our trip at BOG and every lunch at Beaches and Cream.

At 60 days I had to pick parks and make fastpasses with still absolutely no idea times and dates of my son's Disney baseball games. They do not play every day of the trip and sometimes play twice in one day.

There is no reason why ESPN schedule could not be posted by the 60 day mark. No school is coming in at the last minute with the price Disney charges for this. It is extremely expensive.

Luckily this will be first and last time we are in Disney parks during spring break.

Universal was so easy last year!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Not me planning is half the fun.
I have no problem picking restaurants 6 months out as my tastes are not going to change and since its only a once in a while thing I'm not suddenly going to decide "I don't feel like that today".
I also know what time we will be hungry for lunch and dinner (about 11:30pm and 7pm.) between we grab a snack if we are hungry.
I also know what rides I definitely want to FP+ and from habit know when we will be where because its just how we always tour.

 

[BayouQueen]

This was our 60-day FP day today, so it's all fresh in my mind from 4:00 a.m. here on the West Coast. LOL

I have mixed feelings. I do find planning and researching a lot of fun, but then it does make me more indecisive. I think I've changed every single restaurant that I woke up early at 180 days to book. And I've changed resorts and dates three times as our group gave input. And then our daughter, happily, announced she is pregnant, so we had to rearrange a lot of things to make an easy trip for her.

The upshot is I guess I do wish I could just make my plans more last-minute, because by then we'd know for sure who's going, what dates work best, etc., etc.

 

[JohnnyB2]

I think the more times you're able to visit, the easier the planning will become. Try to remember no plan is perfect and for the most part they can be changed. I know a few FP's that can definitely cause a change of plans. Try to not let the planning get to you. We also go to Universal every year and I'll admit I enjoy the no planning needed, just like the earlier days at Disney!

 

[loves to dive]

We don't plan,that way it's pretty easy. I try to book a resort room (or rooms since we tend to do split stays) about 60 days out but we don't always know 60 days out that we are going. The last two years I've booked a room for the week before Christmas two weeks out. We book FPs the morning of when we decide what park we are going to,usually whichever bus comes first if we are staying anywhere other than an Epcot resort. I'll get on MDE while on the bus or walking to the park from the resort if staying at an Epcot resort. We usually book ADRs for the night while walking around the parks in the afternoon. Sometimes, and it's rare we will know the night before which park we are going to the next day and then I'll get on MDE and see what's available in the morning. We never book more than two in the morning and those at close together as we can get them. I'll book the next ones while standing in line. We usually do AK and MK on arrival day and day 2 so when we get there whichever one we go to that day, we are pretty sure we are going to the other the next day. We don't like being tied down to having to be at a certain place at a certain times and since we always have APs or PHs we like to hop around. We have always done it this way from day 1 over 34 years ago. If we can't get a FP and absolutely want to ride a certain ride, we just stand in line. We love trying new places to eat and have never had a problem getting an ADR somewhere for that night.

 

[kniquy]

I love the planning portion. It helps keep up the excitement for the trip. You can certainly go with no ADR's and no FP and go by the seat of your pants, BUT you might not have an enjoyable time because you won't get the FP for the rides you want and you will be left with limited ADR places and/or times or you will be just eating QS. So it can be done.

I plan because i have to worry about 3 kids and their needs - I have a pretty good idea as to when they will be hungry and when we will need a rest and what we all want to do while in the parks. A well thought out plan can keep everyone full, entertained and avoids the melt downs. If you are just an adult couple then sure just go with the flow -- you won't have anyone to worry about besides yourself.

I'll tell you a great comparison is the planing involved for Universal --- there isn't any! and i have been so detached from that portion of our trip. We have a room with express pass so we don't have to worry about waits, dining - there are very limited restaurants which actually take reservations -So we will have to find what we can. So with all that i haven't really thought much about our 3 days at UO. On the contrary I have been planning our WDW trip for a year now. 7-8 months out we planned out what restaurants we wanted to try (there are so many to choose from) then once the 180 day mark came we had a selection of ARD's that we had to wind down exactly what we wanted to keep. I guess the bright side to the ADR's are that if you get there and your mood or plan has changed then you just cancel the day before. So you have to plan, especially if you want a hard to get reservation, but you can somewhat make last minute changes.

The amount of planning involved really depend on how many WDW trips you have had and how many you might have in the future. If you go often then you can afford to have a trip that is more spontaneous. It would be great to go there with very low expectations and just do what you can do, but with the crowds these days it does mean some planning is needed.

 

[1911]

Yes, which is why I prefer Disneyland with the old Fast Pass system. It's nice to be able to walk to a ride like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with a return time 30 minutes away and go ride Pirates with a 10 - 20 minute wait since it's not on Fast Pass so the line keeps moving. When I was there this past July, some other rides like Haunted Mansion had a Fast Pass return time that was less time than the posted standby wait time or getting a Blue Bayou reservation an hour before deciding to have lunch there.

I think this is part of my problem,as a regular visitor to disneyland and california adventure I am used to being able to do as you describe.

 

[Lady Hiss]

I'm here now and had planned all the meals and FP+ for 4 adults well ahead of our visit (thank you DISrs for all the tips!). I enjoyed the planning but am now finding it a little distracting when those plans need to be modified. To be honest, I'm tired of looking at my phone so much, refreshing the app for 10-20 minutes in order to change things around, due to weather, health issues, and personal preferences for a particular day. We've enjoyed all the headliners but it's become annoying when we want 4th or 5th FP+. Many people are walking around the parks with their heads down, looking at phones rather than looking at the theming, animals (in AK), street performers, etc.
So, for our last couple days, we're just winging it and may just take our car and go exploring beyond Disney property.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

anything beyond planning what park on which day I find daunting.I hate having to plan exactly where to be at a certain time of day in the parks and predicting when we will be hungry and what we will want to eat.
I prefer to do a more non structured style of touring but with how busy the world is I feel the planning is necessary.

Yes and No. Love the planning; hate having to plan. The last few weeks have been tough at home. My DH had major surgery. Storm knocked out power for 5 days and then a second storm shut us down again for 2 days. We have a well. I had to move a tree (with a neighbor and his chainsaw) that fell across the road as I was returning with surgical supplies. Not much sleep - more physical activity - learning curve (generator mechanics, anyone?) - other stressful 'stuff'.

All I wanted was to sleep this weekend. BUT, I had to set the alarm for 5:45 to get those ADRs. Up and ready, 6:00, click, click, click BOOM > credit card cannot be verified. WHAT? Tried more. Tried my DH's. Changed computers. Called at 7:00 > 45 minutes wait. I was a GIANT BALL OF STRESS. Why? It is just food. But why does DIsney make it so hard. Their system crashes all of the time.

Desperately needed a nap on 4 hours of sleep. Crashed for an hour and my DH needed to go back to the hospital (discharged 9 hours later). Who needs the extra stress? Already stressed because I know I will be on limited network signal for my 60 day FP+s.

Planning itself is fun - not the do or die up at the crack of dawn to get it done.

 

[dreiwhit]

My wife and I are planners by nature, but to be honest, the level of planning with have to do for a WDW vacation is really getting old.

 

[vicb]

I'm a planner but I found the stress level very high regarding booking FP+ at 7am on the 60 day mark! I had my daughter on her app, my husband on his app and I was on the computer just to be sure we got FP for FoP and 7DMT on the days we planned. But now that those are booked I'm just relaxing and looking forward to the trip.

It is hard in relationship to booking your must have dining adrs before you can pick your FP, gives you less flexibilty. I always hope I've picked the right park on the right day etc...