Can't get thru to them

[IrishNYC]

If they're not asking for your help or advice, it's not your place to say anything.

 

[Mimifree]

My best friend is the same way. I tried to convince her to at least FP 7DMT. Luckily she went during the first week of December. They had a great time anyway. I think there are some people who do get stressed about having to stick to the time constraints when using FP.

 

[FCDub]

Agree with previous posters who say to let it go. Offer to answer any questions they have, but let the impetus be on them. Some people don't want to plan, and that's OK! They're adults and can do whatever they want.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I don't get people who don't plan at all. I would just let them do what you want, if they come back complaining about long waits and lack of stuff being available, just tell them I told you so, I have no patience for those kind of people anymore.

 

[disneyvoice]

If they are the types of people who are really laid back and just kind of go with the flow, they will be fine and will probably still have a great time in September even if they can't eat at the first (or second) restaurant they go to and even if they can't get fast passes to the rides they want. Unfortunately, most of the people I know who don't want to do any planning come back and VOCALLY complain to everyone about how horrible their trip was and try to convince everyone around them that a WDW vacation is a horrible experience and a terrible waste of money. Not everyone is crazy like the rest of us with tons of pre-planning, which I consider part of the fun of a WDW vacation. But I have also taken trips where we didn't do much pre-planning and decided to just enjoy being at WDW as opposed to trying to get on as many rides as possible and eating most meals at TS restaurants. Those trips were "different" but still very enjoyable.

 

[DekrRini]

I think I'd mention that trips at WDW aren't what they were years ago, but if they're okay with missing some of the headliners, then non-planning will be fine. A friend of a friend went without ADRs or FP+ and had a great time. And they were first timers so it is possible.

 

[tsme]

I have a friend that did the same thing. I tried to give her advice but could tell she's didn't care, so I stopped. They went & had an ok time, but haven't been back, instead go to U.S.

 

[erincon23]

While you can still get them, I'd suggest giving your friends a Passporter (it won't be completely up to date, but they're not doing printed versions any more) and just tell them you're excited that they'll be seeing one of your favorite places, here's something they can look through if they want, and leave it at that. i love the Unofficial Guide, but it's overwhelming for non-planning newbies. Passporter is a little more newbie-friendly.

 

[VillainFavs]

Seems like everyone here who is saying they've done the same thing and have been fine are probably fine because they've had a lot of trips to Disney! "So I don't get on 7DMT this time--there's always next year and I just rode it six months ago anyway." "Yeah, that Pandora place looks really cool, but if I don't get it this time, I'll just do it next time." That's very different than a first-timer who really has no clue and may not be back any time soon!

How about buying the "Unofficial Guide" and giving it to them as a gift? If they use it, great. If not, it's now really on them. At least you tried. I know that's how I started on my first trip. I had no clue about anything and once I started reading, it was a bit overwhelming at first, but then the planning got to be more and more fun. Just mention how valuable it was and suggest one or two of the top rides that will be really hard to get the same day.

All of the "one and done" trips I've heard people take are because they didn't plan anything and just ended up standing in line all day and eating nothing but burgers and chicken nuggets!

 

[KittyKitty]

I imagine there will be free dining so the sit down restaurants may be booked. Just let them know that, so they won't be disappointed if they find a place they want to eat and its not available.

 

[Amelia :)]

Why worry about somebody else's vacation? You do yours, and let them do theirs.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would say "Hey just so you know Disney has their own website where you can look at what rides, shows, attractions, etc they have and get a feel for your Disney trip" and if my advice isn't solicited I would leave it at that.

It's very true that not everyone likes to plan. But just some basic research is a good idea even for those that don't like to plan.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I had a friend ask me to help and I did. If someone doesn't ask for, or want to hear advice then just leave it be.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

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.

The Unofficial Guide is in the business of planning trips. Of course they are going to say that.

Not everyone has to plan their vacation, even at Disney.

 

[bucky1023]

I was just down a few weeks ago and had a very few ADRs and FP+ (it was me/mom and since my mom has been sick for a bit I didn't know how she would feel day-to-day)... it can be done and you can have a great time.

 

[VillainFavs]

Just curious. Of everyone who's saying it can be done easily and you even prefer it that way, was it your first trip? Or how many times have you been? Did you plan things out to some degree for your first trip?

I really do think that makes a huge difference!!

And as for staying out of it. Yes, it's the friends' trip and their money and their right to what they want. But knowing that they may well be setting themselves up to miss out on many things they'd like to do, wouldn't you want to help too?

I think it's a case of not knowing what you don't know!!! These people probably have no idea what's really involved in a Disney trip and think it's more like going to Six Flags for the day. It's not that they've looked through everything and decided to have a laid back approach. That would be one thing. But going into it blind is something else entirely!

 

[Disnsyncey]

There I a difference between not planning anything and not researching.....you can always make ADRs and FP+ on the fly, but you should also know that many can't be done last minute.....if they know all about EMH, FP+ and ADRs and that there are shows/fireworks that are only scheduled certain days, they should be fine, as long as they KNOW.....you don't have to plan 24/7, but you do need to be aware of certain things, and not trying to get a good picture of the situation is doing yourself a disservice....

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Just curious. Of everyone who's saying it can be done easily and you even prefer it that way, was it your first trip? Or how many times have you been? Did you plan things out to some degree for your first trip?

I really do think that makes a huge difference!!

And as for staying out of it. Yes, it's the friends' trip and their money and their right to what they want. But knowing that they may well be setting themselves up to miss out on many things they'd like to do, wouldn't you want to help too?

I think it's a case of not knowing what you don't know!!! These people probably have no idea what's really involved in a Disney trip and think it's more like going to Six Flags for the day. It's not that they've looked through everything and decided to have a laid back approach. That would be one thing. But going into it blind is something else entirely!

Granted, this was 9 years ago, but my very first multi-day trip to WDW involved very limited planning and was really great. Great enough that I was already planning my next trip before I checked out of the hotel. I'd had a couple prior trips where we'd spent a day at the MK, but that was it for experience. And those visits had been 10+ years prior. I didn't know enough to realize I wasn't doing it "right". I stayed at POFQ and booked 3 table service meals, but that was it for planning. It was early February, which was a slow time. I knew about fastpasses and grabbed a couple while in the parks, but I didn't know touring strategies that would have minimized waits. We winged it for the most part and loved it. After that trip, I became more knowledgeable about touring plans and put a lot more planning into my subsequent trips. Now my DD has learned those ways and wants to plan trips down to the last detail. For our trip coming up this September, I find myself telling her "Can we back off the planning a little?" because I want to have a trip with more flexibility. I have our ADRs booked and will book FP+, but I think a lot of us here on the DIS tend to go a little overboard with the planning.

 

[fla4fun]

There I a difference between not planning anything and not researching.....you can always make ADRs and FP+ on the fly, but you should also know that many can't be done last minute.....if they know all about EMH, FP+ and ADRs and that there are shows/fireworks that are only scheduled certain days, they should be fine, as long as they KNOW.....you don't have to plan 24/7, but you do need to be aware of certain things, and not trying to get a good picture of the situation is doing yourself a disservice....

I totally agree with this. My first trip to WDW was the first year it was open (and I was just a kid, so not in charge), so a lot has changed since then, lol! If you are aware of the things you can plan in advance if you want to, but choose not to for whatever reason (which is totally OK), at least you are making an informed decision.

Considering the changes WDW has gone through in just the last few years, I sometimes feel like a newbie, even though I'm not . . .

 

[bluezy]

There I a difference between not planning anything and not researching.....you can always make ADRs and FP+ on the fly, but you should also know that many can't be done last minute.....if they know all about EMH, FP+ and ADRs and that there are shows/fireworks that are only scheduled certain days, they should be fine, as long as they KNOW.....you don't have to plan 24/7, but you do need to be aware of certain things, and not trying to get a good picture of the situation is doing yourself a disservice....

Yes, this! We don't do a ton of planning for our trips -- just decide which parks we're going to most days and schedule our FP's. We like being able to "wing it" for part of our days. We might make 1 or 2 ADRs for the trip, but we're happy to eat wherever we happen to be when we're hungry. We sometimes look for dinner ADRs during the afternoon and see what's available. If there's something we're interested in, we book it. If not, we eat at a counter service restaurant. We can go to far better restaurants at home and character dining does not have a huge appeal to us so food is not a big focus on our trips. That being said, even though we go to Disney every year or two, I do A TON of research before our trips so I have all the information I need to make good decisions while we're there. By many Disney fan's standards, our family doesn't do very much planning, but we've always had great trips...for *our* family.

When friends of ours tell us they're going to Disney for the first time ever or the first time in many years, I always suggest that they get a copy of "The Easy Guide To Your Walt Disney World Visit". Sometimes I even buy it for the family as a gift. I think Dave & Josh do a great job at covering all the basics to make your trip successful without overwhelming the reader with a million details. I'll also suggest a few websites to people to get more detailed information on things. I don't try to plan the person's trip for them or even tell them what they should do on their trips, I just give them the information they need to make good decisions for *their* family's trip.