Cant win even with organized planning!

[KimBean]

I love everything Disney like everyone here on these boards. However just when you think you "did it"! You realize "you didn't". I sat at my lab top with my very well planned Disney dinning and must do reservations ready at 6am 180 days prior. I put in my first ADR for Crystal Palace in September for 8am with Magic Kingdom opening at 9 that day. I didn't get it! I got 8:35. After wiping the tears I weeks later put my name in for a cancellation request with Touring plans hoping to get that 8am time slot. I wanted a few minutes early entrance for that special magic alone on Main Street. Viola I received an alert via text from TP with an 8am opening and I reserved it! How excited I was for just a moment. When I then sat down to go over my plans and preparation for our Magic Kingdom FP schedule I saw in yellow the excitement of Disney offering early MK access to the park. Another "special" ticketed event. REALLY? I planned, I organized, I researched, I just wanted a moment of magic and quiet on Main Street like I had our last visit in 2014. I give up. Its madness with magic.

Doesn't everyone get in at 8am or even a little earlier? How else will one get their "breakfast" of a donut with an ice cream sundae on top?

 

[KimBean]

I hear you. I had everything organized. Had a 2pm bog adr and was going to do the parade after. Well the parade changed to 2pm.....

That really stinks. I hope you have a second day to watch parade or find another CRT.

 

[Hopefully]

Thank you. Our last trip was 2014 not this crazy!

I believe that your expectations are out of line. No more changes, which you asked for 2017, is not reasonable.

 

[JacknSally]

I am told I can be let in around 745 which was my goal and thats exciting but now with the early access more Disney folks will be there too! Two steps forward one step back.

Everyone gets in at 7:45 now when the park opens at 9. That's because they're letting everyone in early to shop, get coffee, and do photos before they see the new show. The special ticketed event guests will get to go on to Fantasyland and do a few rides there. But anyone who is there can get in the gate at 7:45 to experience Main Street, whether they're part of that event or not. This is how it was for us on non-EMH days in January and April, and the January morning did have the ticketed event.

 

[Robertfam08]

Sorry I'm behind the times. Is it worth it still booking an early BOG breakfast just to get a little further in? Haha. It's not really about getting first in line for anything for us, we just like the novelty of being in any part of the park when there is hardly anyone in it.

 

[JacknSally]

Sorry I'm behind the times. Is it worth it still booking an early BOG breakfast just to get a little further in? Haha. It's not really about getting first in line for anything for us, we just like the novelty of being in any part of the park when there is hardly anyone in it.

You'll be among the first in Fantasyland & the BOG area, assuming there's not a ticketed party that morning, but not alone on Main St.

 

[AngelDisney]

Is there anyone out there whi still thinks its worth the early ADR?

The only worthwhile PPO is BOG. You get to go pass the ropes on Main Street. If you finish breakfast by 8:40-8:45 am, you can line up early for 7DMT.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

To give you a little ray of hope, I've had some of my very most magical experiences when I least expected them.

While you won't be able to recreate your 2014 experience, it will make your memory of that all the more special.

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

I love everything Disney like everyone here on these boards. However just when you think you "did it"! You realize "you didn't". I sat at my lab top with my very well planned Disney dinning and must do reservations ready at 6am 180 days prior. I put in my first ADR for Crystal Palace in September for 8am with Magic Kingdom opening at 9 that day. I didn't get it! I got 8:35. After wiping the tears I weeks later put my name in for a cancellation request with Touring plans hoping to get that 8am time slot. I wanted a few minutes early entrance for that special magic alone on Main Street. Viola I received an alert via text from TP with an 8am opening and I reserved it! How excited I was for just a moment. When I then sat down to go over my plans and preparation for our Magic Kingdom FP schedule I saw in yellow the excitement of Disney offering early MK access to the park. Another "special" ticketed event. REALLY? I planned, I organized, I researched, I just wanted a moment of magic and quiet on Main Street like I had our last visit in 2014. I give up. Its madness with magic.

I totally get why you're frustrated...you have to plan your (VERY expensive and highly anticipated) vacation months ahead of time while Disney hasn't even finalized the parks' schedules. It really is very annoying. I definitely feel your pain. I think the only thing to do is go on with an attitude that "hey, we're going to Disney World!" and remind yourself that it's not about that one must have experience, but about sharing a place you love with the people you love (that's what I'm telling myself to calm down as we approach the 60 day mark for fastpasses...talk about stressful...lol).

 

[Nancyg56]

My honest advice with this topic is this:

Learn to go with the flow.

I'm not saying there are people here that aren't, but there's a lot of people who get dreams crushed just from planning.

Have a plan. Get what you can get. Keep looking for the original wants, but after some time, start to come to grips with the fact that YOU are the one that will make the vacation what it is. Not having this ADR or that FP won't ruin the trip, and if it does, you might need to step back and take a look at things.

I make a few ADR's and have my FP's booked. Other than that, we go with the flow. That, to me, is where the magic happens. People who race from ride to ride or ADR to ADR miss the little things that are the Disney magic. Also, when the weather is crazy and changing constantly, it's nice to have the flexibility to change plans.

Again, I'm not calling out anyone in the thread, this is just overall that I see this a lot.

I agree. I know that we all have visions of the perfect vacation in WDW< but I read the posts about how a change or the lack of one ADR is devastating.

The notion of an empty Main Street has been long gone. Yes, you could have a less crowded entry if you secure a PPO BOG or CP ADR< but empty? No. We warn people all of the time that hours change, and that PPO may now be park open ADR, yet folks still seem to be blindsided when it happens.

Disney is a pretty awesome place to be, but it is not predictable. If you are married to a set of plans that do not include flexibility, you stand the chance of coming home with buyers remorse.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thank you. Our last trip was 2014 not this crazy!

Our first trip was in 2010 and we found out on THE morning that they had opened MK an hour early. Changes in schedule are truly nothing new. At least you know about this now, not on the very first day you are EVER at MK...

 

[klmall]

We used to do PPO ADRs but I gave up trying to do so once Disney started changing park opening hours and then moved the waiting crowds to down Main Street. On our last trip we didn't miss them at all!

Also, we found the wait times for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train (and Peter Pan and Frozen Ever After) to be much more reasonable than signs indicated. Our FEA standby wait was said to be 60 minutes and turned out to be really under 30! Our 7 Dwarfs Mine Train was also half of what was listed midday.

 

[Missyrose]

Circle back around to the castle around 9:15 or 9:20 for fairly empty castle photos.

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

We went a couple of weeks ago. We had 8:15 @ BOG. Park opened at 9:00.
We were there around 7:00...and most of the early ADR people were front in line (not a single line...but no one was in front of us).
As soon as they allowed us in, we power walked to get a picture in front of the castle with no one behind us. There were tons of photographers and people started stopping at them. We kept going to the last 2 photographers and got a perfect picture!!!

Our last visit was 4 years ago and we did ADR @ Crystal Palace for the same reason you want. It's not possible anymore with the changes to the opening show but, it is still possible to get a great picture.

What time did they let you in the park with your 8:15 am ADR at BOG?

 

[Missyrose]

What time did they let you in the park with your 8:15 am ADR at BOG?

They let you in at 7:45 for the ADR. Regular guests are let in either at the same time or a few minutes later.

 

[TXDisneyFan1]

They let you in at 7:45 for the ADR. Regular guests are let in either at the same time or a few minutes later.

Hmmmm, I was under the impression that breakfast ADRs at BOG were always let in before the crowd. That's a bummer.

 

[Sparkly]

I totally get why you're frustrated...you have to plan your (VERY expensive and highly anticipated) vacation months ahead of time while Disney hasn't even finalized the parks' schedules. It really is very annoying. I definitely feel your pain. I think the only thing to do is go on with an attitude that "hey, we're going to Disney World!" and remind yourself that it's not about that one must have experience, but about sharing a place you love with the people you love (that's what I'm telling myself to calm down as we approach the 60 day mark for fastpasses...talk about stressful...lol).

I don't get the "but I spent $5000 to be here and I expect MAGIC" attitude. You're not the only one who's spent a small fortune to get there.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

....any part of the park when there is hardly anyone in it.

What's that?

 

[Krisshay13]

What time did they let you in the park with your 8:15 am ADR at BOG?

They let everyone in around 7:45.
but, they did let the ADR people line up before the others. After our castle picture, we headed to BOG....ate & then lined up for 7DMT and rode it 2x before the park opened. It was really nice!!

 

[Robertfam08]

What's that?

Haha! We typically go the first week of September, which may literally be the only week of the whole year this is possible now...if you are really lucky.