complaints about having to reserve ahead of time

[smidgy]

many of our friends complain to us about our advice about ADRs.... "how do we know what we want to eat 6 months ahead of time?" then, when they return from their trip, "well, we couldnt eat anywhere we wanted to, and had to wait in long lines for hamburgers!"
my "PAT" answer to them is.. did you reserve seat ahead of time for "Jersey Boys" or "wicked"? did you reserve tickets ahead of time to see "Black eyed Peas" or, in my day, Rolling stones(in1972, 8th row seats)? how did you know what you wanted to do 6 months ahead of time for that?
menus are posted online. you don't need to decide exactly what you want to order. just the venue you want to enjoy. but... they listen to your advice.. the old "pearls before swine"
(but these are the same people who stay offsite, get to the parks at 2pm, "vaguely" remember something you told them about "fast passes" and come back and tell you you are crazy, disney is for idiots.)

 

[ancestry]

I have friends who simply DO NOT want to plan out their vacations. They want to decide what to do each day and when to do it only the fly. They claim planning in advance isn't a vacation for them. For people like that Disney probably isn't the best vacation. I say, to each their own.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

many of our friends complain to us about our advice about ADRs....
(but these are the same people who stay offsite, get to the parks at 2pm, "vaguely" remember something you told them about "fast passes" and come back and tell you you are crazy, disney is for idiots.)

So you mean ex-friends? Being properly warned, and only after being asked, will I give my 2-cents because it will only come back to haunt you. As you have found out.

 

[dacky041208]

many of our friends complain to us about our advice about ADRs.... "how do we know what we want to eat 6 months ahead of time?" then, when they return from their trip, "well, we couldnt eat anywhere we wanted to, and had to wait in long lines for hamburgers!"
my "PAT" answer to them is.. did you reserve seat ahead of time for "Jersey Boys" or "wicked"? did you reserve tickets ahead of time to see "Black eyed Peas" or, in my day, Rolling stones(in1972, 8th row seats)? how did you know what you wanted to do 6 months ahead of time for that?
menus are posted online. you don't need to decide exactly what you want to order. just the venue you want to enjoy. but... they listen to your advice.. the old "pearls before swine"
(but these are the same people who stay offsite, get to the parks at 2pm, "vaguely" remember something you told them about "fast passes" and come back and tell you you are crazy, disney is for idiots.)

I know people like this as well, but the more of "them" there are, the easier it will be for us to make the ADRs we want.

 

[CuteAndFluffy]

People are so different...in how they travel, in how they think, in how they plan.

I'm a planner and an information gatherer, so the lead up is part of the fun for me. Picking the one or two places we make our ADRs for (we don't do sit down every day) and knowing the "good" counter service spots makes me look forward to the trip anymore.

But I have friends who like to let the day unfold. That can go well or go poorly, based on how zen you are. If you're happy with whatever the day brings you (even if that's spending time in line or eating a mediocre cheeseburger), then you'll be content.

The real problem comes in when they want a "commando" number of quality experiences but only are willing to wander around aimlessly to get it. The disconnect between the desire and the drive sets them up for a unsatisfactory experience...at Disney or otherwhere.

Part of the problem is that it's all so overwhelming at the beginning. Encourage them to make "special" dinner plans for the first day, just to see if they like it, letting them know they can try to make other plans while they're there.

And then let it go. It's my job to enjoy my trip, not to get them to enjoy theirs.

 

[SGMCO]

I was just talking to friends last night and they are not staying onsite
and have only visited WDW once several years ago. Well I mentioned
about trying to avoid the Extra Magic Hour parks since that are not
staying onsite and that Onsite resort guest will be filling these parks
but they hadn't heard of EMH and they didn't seem to care.
Also they will be going the 1st week of June and I let them know that
it will be Gay Pride days and certain parks will be more crowded but that was a waste of my time.

 

[Wendybird55]

I agree everyone has their own style and all you can do is suggest and mention your experiences and then it's their decision as to what to do.

I am a long-time Disney goer and do like to plan ahead - planning is half the fun to me. But I do think the 180 days out is a bit too early. I'm trying to figure out my ADRS for Sept and it's a pain in that I have to guess about MNSSHP and Wishes Dessert and EMH and what days they will have SpectroMagic, etc. and what parks on what days - all that plays into making ADRs. It was much better last year when it wasy 90 days. I'm uisng last years calendar as a guide and I paid the $9 to get the crowd calendar on Touring Guide...

I'm making my plans trying to allow for felxability knowing that when park hours and such come out I'll probably be trying to move things around.
When I went with just adults I admit there was less planning as we were more felxabile with restaurants, didn't mind waiting if we had to and were willing to eat on off hours. Now that I have a son I find making ADRS that much more important as every restaurant is not for him, his tastes are more picky, asking a child to wait for an hour or so to eat is not a good idea and so on. When dining with a young child, it's much more enjoyable if the child is happy. So back to figuring out our Sept. ADRs!

 

[branv]

But I have friends who like to let the day unfold. That can go well or go poorly, based on how zen you are. If you're happy with whatever the day brings you (even if that's spending time in line or eating a mediocre cheeseburger), then you'll be content.

The real problem comes in when they want a "commando" number of quality experiences but only are willing to wander around aimlessly to get it. The disconnect between the desire and the drive sets them up for a unsatisfactory experience...at Disney or otherwhere.

So very true. I know there is always a healthy debate on many Disney boards about whether a person can (sanely) go to WDW and not have at least some information beforehand and/or a plan in place. The answer is that neither is the "right" way to do anything. What is the right thing to do is to know that if you don't consider standing in line fun (and not riding a ride isn't an option), crowds drive you bananas, and if what you do or don't eat is a vital part of enjoying your good vacation, then a person's usual style of laissez-faire vacationing isn't going to make them happy. I have found that seldom is a person as "relaxed" as they claim to be...expectations have a way of getting in the way of serenity The answer for that type of person is to either adjust their expectations, adjust their habits, adjust their attitude or vacation some place friendlier to the seat-of-your-pants vacationing.

I was ever so grateful to Samantha Brown in her Disney Favorites show when she said that normally she would advise letting things unfold while traveling, but that with Disney, planning is vital. Bless her heart, I hope she saved someone from being shocked and surprised on arrival.

 

[itchin2go]

I was just talking to friends last night and they are not staying onsite
and have only visited WDW once several years ago. Well I mentioned
about trying to avoid the Extra Magic Hour parks since that are not
staying onsite and that Onsite resort guest will be filling these parks
but they hadn't heard of EMH and they didn't seem to care.
Also they will be going the 1st week of June and I let them know that
it will be Gay Pride days and certain parks will be more crowded but that was a waste of my time.

Some people are offended by people who know more than them. Like it's an affront to their intellect or something. They're probably embarrassed that they didn't know these things.

Nothing you can do about it. All you can do is try to give the advice without seeming "know-it-all" and hope some of it sinks in.

 

[GailT]

many of our friends complain to us about our advice about ADRs.... "how do we know what we want to eat 6 months ahead of time?" then, when they return from their trip, "well, we couldnt eat anywhere we wanted to, and had to wait in long lines for hamburgers!"
my "PAT" answer to them is.. did you reserve seat ahead of time for "Jersey Boys" or "wicked"? did you reserve tickets ahead of time to see "Black eyed Peas" or, in my day, Rolling stones(in1972, 8th row seats)? how did you know what you wanted to do 6 months ahead of time for that?
menus are posted online. you don't need to decide exactly what you want to order. just the venue you want to enjoy. but... they listen to your advice.. the old "pearls before swine"
(but these are the same people who stay offsite, get to the parks at 2pm, "vaguely" remember something you told them about "fast passes" and come back and tell you you are crazy, disney is for idiots.)

I beg to differ, I also do not like making dining ADRs 180 days out. Yes I do that for seats in a venue but that is totally different. just my 2 cents

 

[Figment2]

I'm with Gail on this one. I'm a DVC member (and so are friends) so we go 2-4 times a year. Our trips are non-commando. There are some things we plan (maybe a tour, miniature golf, etc) but otherwise we plan on what park we want to do, when we get up (and not at the crack of dawn) or at breakfast. And if that park is too crowded for our taste, we go to another. There are days, though, we don't even leave the resort.

Not that many years ago, we could be at a park, chat about where we wanted to eat dinner, call 1-407-WDW-DINE and get a reservation (even at Le Cellier!). Now, not possible (at least at Le Cellier). I miss those days.

I've heard that Disney is cracking down on multiple reservations for the same times and I certainly hope they are. That seems to be the answer many people take since they don't know what park they'll be in on what day.

There is no good answer. Some of you are planners, some of us are not. For people going for the first time, I do suggest they plan out their day in a park and make dining reservations before time (especially of they decide to do one of the food plans). I just think 180 days is wayyyy too far away. I say bring back the 90 days. And, if they don't want to plan that much, I remind them there's always counter service. I always provide a list of my favorite counter service places.

JMHO

Cyn

 

[2Tiggies]

many of our friends complain to us about our advice about ADRs.... "how do we know what we want to eat 6 months ahead of time?"

Yep, I know some ...

then, when they return from their trip, "well, we couldnt eat anywhere we wanted to, and had to wait in long lines for hamburgers!"

Exactly. And you YOU are nuts because you think Disney is great : And have to answer questions like "How do you end up with so many character autographs? We were there 10 days and only saw Mickey once - and Minnie somewhere but the line was long ..... Why didn't you tell me about character meals ....?" Er, I was trying to, but you couldn't hear me because you were too busy filling the atmosphere with adjectives to describe my completely irrational love of WDW...

my "PAT" answer to them is.. did you reserve seat ahead of time for "Jersey Boys" or "wicked"? did you reserve tickets ahead of time to see "Black eyed Peas" or, in my day, Rolling stones(in1972, 8th row seats)? how did you know what you wanted to do 6 months ahead of time for that?
menus are posted online. you don't need to decide exactly what you want to order. just the venue you want to enjoy. but... they listen to your advice.. the old "pearls before swine"

My sentiments exactly!

(but these are the same people who stay offsite, get to the parks at 2pm, "vaguely" remember something you told them about "fast passes" and come back and tell you you are crazy, disney is for idiots.)

And so it goes! How bizzarre to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation and not find out anything about where you are going. The thing is you don't have to do commando style planning. It is just a bit of organizing. THere is nothing wrong with taking the day as it comes and in all my planning, I actually have PLANNED parts of each day/whole days to do whatever we feel/don't feel like doing. But when you tell someone how hard it is to get reservations and they take it as a personal attack on their intelligence, it is just silliness in my opinion.

I really don't want anyone to go to Disney and have a less than stellar experience. But I give info, opinions and advice upon request only now.

 

[mkleinbe]

letting things unfold while traveling, but that with Disney, planning is vital.

This is a great point. When we get a condo at the beach or a cabin in the mountains, we totally just let things unfold. But you just can't at Disney. You need some sort of plan.

 

[Mamu]

I agree about booking ahead. Adult trips we usually book the week of. Took me years to visit some of the more popular restaurants. Past 3 years attendance has been down and we don't seem to have a problem anymore.

When traveling with Grandchildren we will book a few Character meals and a few dinners, but we stay concierge and eat at counter serve restaurants. They seem to enjoy the counter serve better. We have a few we really enjoy. We are all light eaters only DH has a large appetite

 

[fla4fun]

This is a great point. When we get a condo at the beach or a cabin in the mountains, we totally just let things unfold. But you just can't at Disney. You need some sort of plan.

Not everyone does. There's no "one size fits all" way to vacation at Disney.

In my opinion, first timers and infrequent visitors should make the most detailed plans. If you've never been to WDW before, you will be overwhelmed by the size and sheer number of things to do, places to dine, and attractions to visit. If you're an infrequent visitor, you will want to make the most of your time, and a good plan will help you do that - so you get to visit your favorite attractions and restaurants in a stress free manner.

But, then, there are people like me. I earn more than four weeks of vacation per year, and spend most of it at WDW. I also work a four day week, so I have tons of three day weekends to spend at WDW. I've stayed on property more than 100 times, and probably spend more time at my resort than at the parks. It totally ruins a vacation for me if I have to be "on the clock" - if I have to keep watching my watch to make sure I'm at a certain place at a certain time, I can't relax. I'm fine with dining CS if I can't get TS, and picking my park according to which bus comes to the bus stop first. But that's just me.

It's not a matter of you "must" have a plan or you should "never" have a plan. Each family is different, and their requirements are different, and what makes a vacation enjoyable to them is different. There are so many variables - things like character dining, or the length of the trip, it's impossible to give the same advice twice. I'd get a little cranky too, though, if people were asking my advice, choosing to disregard it, and then coming back to me complaining about the results. They'd quit getting any advice from me, that's for sure!

 

[Pakey]

We have over 20 vacations at WDW and have never went with a plan and have never been to a rope drop. Has not inhibited our enjoyment in the least.

 

[design_mom]

I
I am a long-time Disney goer and do like to plan ahead - planning is half the fun to me. But I do think the 180 days out is a bit too early.

Not that many years ago, we could be at a park, chat about where we wanted to eat dinner, call 1-407-WDW-DINE and get a reservation (even at Le Cellier!). Now, not possible (at least at Le Cellier). I miss those days.

I've heard that Disney is cracking down on multiple reservations for the same times and I certainly hope they are. That seems to be the answer many people take since they don't know what park they'll be in on what day.

I am a planner and I don't really like the ADR system either. I do it 180 days in advance because I "have to," but I don't like it. I liked 90 days better -- and I, too, remember the days that you could make same-day reservations with relative ease. Maybe not for the *exact* time you wanted, but you could get in.

I hope that WDW does crack down on the people who reserve multiple ADRs for the same meal though. I can certainly understand the temptation to do so... because I don't always know where I'll want to be 6 months from now, but it's really unfair to others.

And on the original topic -- whether people choose to plan ahead or don't, it's a real shame when people's vacations are hampered because they 'didn't know what to expect," especially after you *tried* to tell them.

 

[smidgy]

OP here.
I don't like the 180 days either, I prefer the 90 days (sometimes we don't even know we're going 180 days out!)

and I agree about multiple ressies.

I didn't mean everyone should plan, if it's not their style. but then don't expect to be able to dine wherever you want.

I just give advice on the way things are, and how to maximize your enjoyment by considering the advice of someone who has been there often.
should you haveto nmake ressies 180 days ahead of time? that's a dif. topic.
the way things are now, do you need to do so to dine where you want? probably.

 

[happymomof1]

If I didn't make ADR's for us, and if we didn't have a chance to REALLY "sit down with a good meal and rest" a bit each day, we would be so wiped out by the end of our trip, I hardly think we would be able to stand it.

I know the last time we were there for just a few days and had not made any ADR's I was feeling "french-fried" out, on counter service meals. (that was a handful of years ago, and yes, I know they have made considerably healthy changes to CS meals with better side item choices)

I also really like to soak in the stmosphere are the TS restauants.