Disney Knowledge ....vent

[Claud26]

sometimes I think people probably think i'm a little crazy... when it comes to Disney.

I've been to Disney once in Dec05 and now am going back in Dec 07... ANYWAY I love to plan, i'm a planer and very detail oriented ... so when it came to our Trip I read up on everything and planed everything and became the fountain of Disney Knowledge.

SO now everyone around me, when they plan their 1st Disney trip they come to me, the problem is that they start looking at me in a strange way !?!?!
What do you mean you need ADR's ??
what do you mean you need your park days mapped out according to TGM red, green & yellow days??
what do you mean you need to be at park opening ?? take and afternoon break ??
NO We don't need that ... just book the room, meal plan and get the tickets and off we go... once they come back they tell me that they don't know what I love about Disney and how did I ever have a good time, and they had to wait 2 hrs in line to ride Blah Blah and could not get any tables at any sit down restuarants.

Just wish I would keep my mouth shut and not get so excited when I find out someone is planing a disney trip.

 

[amw]

LOL! I'm an anal pre-planner too... not just Disney... I've already planned out my DDs' birthday parties for next Feb and March!

I too have the reputation of being the local "Disney expert." Every once and awhile I get an e-mail from a member of a playgroup I ran a few years back asking me Disney questions. I tend to give them a really long e-mail with all kinds of websites for information (including this one) but I don't think they go further with their research. I've had a couple of Moms not even realize that the parks at WDW weren't right beside each other. Another keeps calling WDW Disneyland which irks me.

Oh well. Some people enjoy being last minute and spending lots of needless money. I enjoy the planning stages, the ADRs, the daily park schedules. I like to start a year ahead. The planning stage is just as enjoyable as the trip to me. In fact, once I finish a trip, I feel the need to start planning the next one

I only booked my next upcoming trip for APril last week, and to me that's being spontaneous

The only thing that really bothers me is when I call a Disney CM and I know more about the parks and special deals than they do

 

[Claud26]

you sound exactly like me !! the funny thing is that my 7yr old dd is turning out to be a planner too ... her B-day is in Feb and she already started making a guest list and looking at invitations and theming of the party...lol.


OH, I had someone tell me that because they were planing on Staying at AKL they were not planing on visiting AK because it would be just like a ZOO and they could see it from their hotel window. !! !!

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We have a friend who refuses to make ADR's for a trip in mid-October, saying she doesn't like to "plan" and will just take her chances. She feels since she is going solo, it'll be easy to get a table for 1 what she doesn't realize is a table is a table, no matter how many people are seated at it. We know that when she can't get into the restaurant she wants, she'll come complaining to us. We'll just tell her "Told you so"

 

[tigercat]

For my trip in Sept. I have been agonizing over all the details. I am sure driving my DU agent nuts. I like to have everything just so. The only other person going on this trip (there are 7 of us) other than the baby, that understands and is helping me is Bizzibee my dd. The other people really don't understand why we really have to have "reservations" and when we say ADR's they think we are nuts. Like the others you deal with, they also think it is silly to make these ADR's when we could just "wing" it. I think my dh had a little bit of a eye opening on Sun when Disney called and we had to try and make an ADR for our Teppanyaka cancelation. There was nothing for a party of 7. We did get the VIP seating for Illuminations though. We ended up at our resorts restaruant. I am still checking things and keeping my eye on things just in case. I will begin making up all my lists this weekend. After all I will be just 3 weeks out. LOL
tigercat

 

[Cruisin]

Honestly I don't see the big deal about making ADR's myself.

We've been to Disney plenty of times and the list of table service restaurants we've eaten in is quite long.

Never had an ADR for any of them and have never even had much wait time for a table, just "winging" it.

We've gone at all different times of the year too.

 

[debbiet1]

We're going to Disney for Christmas and DH doesnt want me to make any reservations.. ugh.. I made 1 reservation for Dec 29 for our sons bday at Liberty Tree. Otherwise he just wants to wing it.. he said what if he doesnt feel like that *certain restaurant* for dinner. I can see it now.. it wont be pretty. I can see a lot of Counter Service meals ahead of us.

 

[dhluvsDisney]

Winging it without ADR's is such a chance! We only go during the down time, and we had two occasions where I didn't have a chance to pre-plan a couple of meals, and we could not get in ANYWHERE! It's changed since the DDP as they are taking up most of the ADR's! I would not take a chance with that again. I hated not being able to even get IN never mind the few times we've had kids waiting 1.75 hours just to eat. Not for me ever again!

As for planning, I agree. So many don't realize how time saving and stress saving it is. Planning is what makes it more enjoyable for us.

 

[NARM Forever]

I was fortunate enough to have read a book before going to Disney for the first time last year. I did ADRs - thank goodness, we arrived the day before free dining (I didn't even know about free dining) and if we hadn't we would have been in the long line-ups outside most of the restaurants.

Certainly part of the fun for me is the planning but I do think its essential at Disney. When close friends went earlier this year, I took charge and actually booked some ADRs for them. It was important to me that they had a great time and knew that the ADRs would add to their holiday, they were so happy I had. Everyone else, I just hand them my well thumbed Disney with Kids book. Yes, its information is slightly out-of-date but its not just me saying "get there early.....".

NARM

Hey, just noticed that according to the tag fairy I'm no longer "earning my ears". Hey, tag fairy - I still need to ask my rookie questions!!

 

[daver]

I hear ya!
I am the Disney expert in my part of town. My wife works p/t at the Disney store here. When I go in to shop.... it is hard to resist talking to people who are looking at the vacation stand..... I was thinking as I logged in tonight.... I should suggest a new discussion topic called: " I cannot contain my Disney excitement" or maybe..... " can we just forward time just a teensy bit! " ( like 30 days)
I have had the vacation booked since like November or December and changed it slightly when the free dining ended earlier than I expected.... Well in about a month I will get my next injection of all out full throttle Disney ( 2 full weeks thanks to the free dining) ....... no all I have to do is wait.... tic tic tic tic
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

[sheilag]

I don't get those who don't make ADRs... how silly is that? Why not make the ADR as a backup even - if you don't want to use it when the time comes, call and cancel it (or get your hotel concierge to help). I'd rather have them and not need them, than want them and not be able to get one.... but maybe that's just me. I have kids who live for character meals - and without ADRs, that's just not one game of Russian roulette I'm ready to take on.

 

[momtoamulan]

There are thirteen of us going...So, to try and map something out would be crazy!

My parents are telling us to just meet up for the meals..otherwise, we are on our own.

However, my Mom does want to see the grandchildren at the Magic Kingdom...so, we will go for a couple of hours..after brekkie on the Sunday that we arrive.

I also don't want to plan too much..with a four year old, it will be hard to figure out what she will be like...