Can't get thru to them

[sapdaddy2]

I have a friend and his wife who plan on going to WDW in the middle of September 2017. They don't want to plan anything. They will just get up make their fastpass selections and hit that park when ever they get there. They will be staying onsite at POFQ and have hopper passes. He has been to WDW but when he was a kid and this will be her first time. What can I do as a good friend to convince them to at least do some type of planning.

 

[alliecat523]

I would let them do what they want. Mid September will be a "slower" time so this may work well for them. Not everyone likes to have a plan.

 

[Anniefrances]

I have a friend and his wife who plan on going to WDW in the middle of September 2017. They don't want to plan anything. They will just get up make their fastpass selections and hit that park when ever they get there. They will be staying onsite at POFQ and have hopper passes. He has been to WDW but when he was a kid and this will be her first time. What can I do as a good friend to convince them to at least do some type of planning.

I'm not sure how crowds are mid-September - maybe your friend will do okay. As for what you can do to convince them, how about telling them about the Disboards? Maybe after browsing he or his wife will understand the whole plan ahead mindset a little better. And if not, well, it's not your fault

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I would let them do what they want. Mid September will be a "slower" time so this may work well for them. Not everyone likes to have a plan.

I agree. I wouldn't do this during spring break or Christmas time, but mid-September is slower so it may work out just fine for them. Now, if they are wanting to eat at TS restaurants, that will likely be tougher. But if they are content with counter service meals or some of the less popular table service restaurants, they could be fine.

 

[HopperFan]

I wouldn't worry about it, just let them go with their plan. September won't be that bad.

I just got back, was there this week - a spring break week - packed! We booked our FP+ each night before we went as we decided what we wanted to do. We rolled our last FP+ all day long and we did plenty without using SB lines. Can you get 7DMT, FEA and now Pandora? Probably not but there is plenty else to do. We opted to make no ADR. When I checked day of there were lots of places to eat, but even if not (if during FD) there are plenty of QS options to choose from.

Once they get close to their dates Disney will begin sending them plenty of emails to remind them to book all these things. I would stop worrying about it, they aren't.

Everyone travels different, I even travel different each trip. I've scheduled down to the hour and I've winged it.

 

[amberpi]

Mid Sept. is pretty low time. I will never be able to plan 6 months out, and honestly, wouldn't if I could and I do really well with my short planning trips. If they know to get FPs and use the app, there is same day dining reservations to be had as well as FP, hopefully they'll have a great time. Other than maybe telling them about RD, let them go and do it their way

 

[adisneyaunt]

If they Ask, you can certainly make suggestions.
But some people don't want plans... for restaurants, parks, rides, attractions, and even transportation. They enjoy winging their getaway.

Not sure most people can actually get the Best from using this tactic( at Disney) ... and they are typically the ones that return home disappointed.
Elsewhere, this may work, but at Disney... not so much
off season and low expectations may be an advantage for them.

 

[kagmypts]

Honestly ADRs stress me out. I have no idea what and where I want to eat 180 days from now. We always wing our meals.... haven't been disappointed yet!

Ideally, we like to book our FPs as early as possible, but we have had last minute trips as well (i.e. decide to leave for Disney in two days). We have less FP options, but we still had great choices.

Let your friends be. Although I am normally a type A+++ and am known as an overplanner, I love leaving our Disney trips largely unscheduled. It leaves more time for magic. JMO.

 

[DeterminedOne]

Looks as though there is nothing you can do to change their minds at this point. Let 'em wing it and see how it goes. Taken from a quote in the Unofficial Guide: "A Disney vacation takes planning, and a lot of it. Once you're there, it's doubtful that you'll do better on your own." Perhaps they will learn this the hard way, OR perhaps they are truly the type that like to go with the flow and will be just fine. Please keep us posted.

 

[caliope]

Everyone operates differently. I'd probably say to them that in your experience you've found planning ahead to be helpful and if they want any advice to ask you. Otherwise, I'd leave it alone. It's their vacation.

 

[Bullseye]

I'd tell him to at least book a few ADR's so they got that going. Bring up the webpage for him and show him how easy it is. Let em wing it on the FP.

 

[Bullseye]

Honestly ADRs stress me out. I have no idea what and where I want to eat 180 days from now. We always wing our meals.... haven't been disappointed yet!

Ideally, we like to book our FPs as early as possible, but we have had last minute trips as well (i.e. decide to leave for Disney in two days). We has less FP options, but we still had great choices.

Let your friends be. Although I am normally a type A+++ and am known as an overplanner, I love leaving our Disney trips largely unscheduled. It leaves more time for magic. JMO.

I'm just the opposite. Not having ADR's stresses me out . I don't know what I want to eat in 180 days either, but I do know I want to eat at my favorite restaurants. Depending on getting a walk-in makes me nervous. Admittedly though, dining is my favorite part of vacation . I agree... trying to show and explain the whole planning process to someone who isn't motivated to plan wont be good for either side.

 

[Dug720]

Looks as though there is nothing you can do to change their minds at this point. Let 'em wing it and see how it goes. Taken from a quote in the Unofficial Guide: "A Disney vacation takes planning, and a lot of it. Once you're there, it's doubtful that you'll do better on your own." Perhaps they will learn this the hard way, OR perhaps they are truly the type that like to go with the flow and will be just fine. Please keep us posted.

Never used a guidebook on one of my Disney trips. Even had some where I could not get FP+ until the day of. And I have had wonderful trips and never once felt like I was missing anything.

I know it is anathema to many here, but it CAN be done.

 

[Darcy03231]

We're going the end of August and the only thing I'll try to fastpass ahead of time is Pandora. Other than that we'll get to the parks when we get there, eat wherever there's a place available and ride what we can. Maybe your friends are like us, they're on vacation and just want to wing it. It doesn't mean they'll have a bad trip. We've loved every trip we've done, except for the one that was planned out so far in advance we were criss-crossing the parks for fastpass times and dinner reservations. We felt we were living by a timetable rather than on vacation.

 

[deedubb]

Due to the fact that he hasn't been to Disney in such a long time, he may not know how to plan ahead. For a newbie, trying to co-ordinate times for FP+, dining, shows, special events, etc can be mind boggling. They probably don't even have any idea which rides they want to go on or where they want to eat. At most, I would make a few recommendations on good rides that will be hard to get and suggest they FP+ those, indicating they always have the option to switch them the day of using the app. Better to have them and choose to cancel, rather than want them the day of only to find none available (which will almost certainly be the case).

 

[fla4fun]

Their trip sounds almost identical to the trip I'm taking next month - POFQ and not too many plans. To be honest, I prefer to have as few plans in place as possible. I have to keep to a rigid schedule in my daily life, and don't really want to on vacation. I seldom hit the parks before lunch, but still have plenty of time for fun. If they aren't people who will mind missing the few headliner rides that you sometimes can't get FP+ for at 60 days anyway, then so long as they do their FP+ when they first get up (before people are scrambling for 4th+ FP) they should be able to get them for most things. I go in September every year, and I am always switching things around last minute BUT I am not a thrill ride person. I do usually make a FP+ for FEA sometime during the trip, and probably 70% of the time it doesn't get cancelled. I have also had good luck with dining by checking for ADRs the day before (when people are cancelling to avoid the penalty). Everyone vacations differently.

I probably would ask them if they have their tickets and reservations linked in MDE, and then tell them that there is a lot of good planning info on MDE if they need it. Maybe they will get curious enough to ask you more questions once they see their options. Or not. But at least they will know where to start.

 

[Marthasor]

I have a friend and his wife who plan on going to WDW in the middle of September 2017. They don't want to plan anything. They will just get up make their fastpass selections and hit that park when ever they get there. They will be staying onsite at POFQ and have hopper passes. He has been to WDW but when he was a kid and this will be her first time. What can I do as a good friend to convince them to at least do some type of planning.

The bolded statement says it all. I wouldn't do anything. Let them do their vacation the way they want to do it. They will learn quickly if their vacation style works for them in WDW. If it doesn't, they can always adjust - make ADR's on the fly or do it differently the next time they go. But it may just work out exactly as they want - a more laid back trip to WDW.

 

[unrequited23]

I would encourage them to get the MDE app and play around with it before the trip. And that's it.

 

[mdelano4]

I am a planner and would not be able to sleep at night if I tried to travel to WDW that way. We have friends who don't plan at all and they have come back with no regrets. Live and let live and be thankful you aren't traveling with them.

 

[Disneylover99]

I bet they'll have a great time!
Sometimes ignorance is bliss.