do people really go to WDW without researching

[j_lehr]

We are going to Disney this Christmas. I have been using TGM and reading these boards...it seems that my plans on basically counting on most everyone else doing what is "expected" of the unexperienced Disney guest. But obviously there are a lot of here that read these boards...and I have read that quite a few use TGM....I really can't imagine anyone spending thousands of dollars and not doing any research. So really...how many of us are there vs how many of them (them being the unexperienced or unresearched?)

Sorry if this is a silly question...I guess I really really can't imagine not knowing what i was getting myself into...

Thanks!
Jes

 

[cdrn1]

I have several friends from work who have gone, totally unresearched. Both felt that it wasn't worth the $$, the crowds were too big, there wasn't that much to do there, etc. One went during spring break and slept in until 11 every day and then wondered why it was crowded. She never used FP ("I didn't know what it was") even though I tried to tell her to be sure she used it.
The other one took two little kids and had no game plan and was exhaused on her return. Also paid rack rate for a deluxe.
So, I think that it's pretty typical of people to just go, without researching.

 

[Kick Save]

Don't know exact numbers, but I've read that "They" account for a pretty large majority of guests at WDW. You'll see them, they'll be cursing Mickey, exhausted on benches (and cursing Mickey), and saying things like, "I'm never coming back here again! Stupid [expletive] Mouse!"

 

[Rhaine78]

Yes there are quite a few grumpys in the parks. When DH and I went for our first WDW trip in Nov 04 we heard a lot of griping from people around. Usually when waiting for the bus, which really isn't so bad. It's all about perspective I think. My DH and I are of the belief that it's a holiday, relax, take it all in. Most people I find don't give themselves enough time to even enjoy the holiday. Our first trip was 10 days... I would bet the average person goes for 4-5 days.... that's just not enough time...you would have to rush... We leave this Sun for our honeymoon at WDW ..can hardly wait.. we're going for 18 days.. and it's going to be glorious!

 

[meghan74]

I'll never forget the time that we overheard this conversation:

husband: "there is no way I am paying that much for tickets"
wife: "but we came all this way. what are we supposed to do?"
husband: "the kids can swim in the pool."

Can you imagine going to WDW without even knowing the cost of a park pass?!!!

 

[Tarheel Tink]

I remember DH and I being left in a cloud of dust holding our map on our first trip (no research at all...oh the shame! ). I saw a man looking up something in his Unofficial Guide to WDW and told my DH in amazement that "someone wrote a book about this place!?".

MANY trips later AP holding, DVC owning, stockholding little ole me is a major planaholic for WDW trips.

 

[Disney_Mama]

We went for years and I never did any type of research. Always had a good time. Now that we own DVC and I found out about the Dis. I research and read about stuff all the time. I have done so many things that I would have never found out about if it hadn't been for my fellow Dis. friends.

 

[M & M]

Our first trip was not researched, we just lucked out by going in late Sept. crowds where low. Only thing I would have changed was the fact that we stayed off property for the first and last time. Now I don't know what I would do without the DIS boards.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Oh gosh, I know plenty of people who do no research!! These people I know are well-off, so they pay a TA to plan the whole trip, usually at rack rate for everything. Even more, they get the top packages filled with zillions of perks that they never would have time to use. They always get park tickets included for their coming/going travel days, even if they are coming in too late or leaving too early to hit a park. They have no clue about discounts. And they never make dining plans or reservations. One group I know spent almost every night waiting 90 minutes for a table at Kona Cafe, thinking this is normal and everyone always waited a long time to eat!

Yes, these non-planning people do exist! The many people I know are used to paying other people to do things (always has babysitters, lawn people, pool people, cleaning people, etc), so I think they aren't really used to sitting down and researching something themselves!!

 

[budbeerlady]

I booked our trip last year and then found the dis boards. We would have been a miserable family. I didnt know about ADRs, or anything. We would have slept untill 9am and wandered around like lost souls.

 

[pixiepower1971]

I just found out my neighbor is going over Christmas, staying offsite and hasn't made ANY reservations for Christmas dinner. He thought I was nuts when I told him to call NOW for a reservation. Hope he gets something!

He is one of many I know that do NO planning ...they just go and wing it.

 

[Bill From PA]

As big at this DIS community is, we're the minority by far. We were treated to our first WDW trip and we and our host just went, without a thought to making a plan, or to needing one. When preparing for our first trip at our own expense, I was determined to capture more time at WDW because the TA who arranged the first one booked us a flight that ate the whole first day. Trying to research that I stumbled into this site and since that day we've saved thousands of $$ and stayed at better WDW resorts than we ever would have on our own. To most of the world, WDW is merely another amusement park, what's to plan for? You go, you ride, you eat then you leave. I'm happy to share my knowledge with rookie DISers but I'm also glad to be one of the few who knows the secrets and can exploit them. When everyone knows the trick, they're not tricks anymore.

Bill From PA

 

[Bill From PA]

I'll never forget the time that we overheard this conversation:

husband: "there is no way I am paying that much for tickets"
wife: "but we came all this way. what are we supposed to do?"
husband: "the kids can swim in the pool."

Can you imagine going to WDW without even knowing the cost of a park pass?!!!

My BIL took his extended family to WDW a number of years ago and the tribe spent a good half of their time at the (then) Dixie Landings pool.

Bill From PA

 

[Airb330]

Yes there are quite a few grumpys in the parks. When DH and I went for our first WDW trip in Nov 04 we heard a lot of griping from people around. Usually when waiting for the bus, which really isn't so bad. It's all about perspective I think. My DH and I are of the belief that it's a holiday, relax, take it all in. Most people I find don't give themselves enough time to even enjoy the holiday. Our first trip was 10 days... I would bet the average person goes for 4-5 days.... that's just not enough time...you would have to rush... We leave this Sun for our honeymoon at WDW ..can hardly wait.. we're going for 18 days.. and it's going to be glorious!

Not everyone has the cash or time off to do weeks at a time. But, I agree with you that people need to realize it's a vacation and not a race.

 

[prestonsmomma]

One of my co-workers came up to me today and said "I hear you are the local Disney guru. My DW and I want to go the week of Christmas and I can't seem to find a reservation anywhere on property." It was so sad telling him that he was correct and he should go ahead and make reservations for next year instead.

 

[MomofKatie]

The Unofficial Guide states that on any given day, less than 1% of the parks' attendees have read their guidebook- so I would assume that definitely less than 3 or 4% of guests have read any guidebook, logged on to a website, or really done any research other than maybe took a glance at the brochure Disney sends with the hotel confirmations.

We never did any research prior to our 2004 trip- we missed so much!! I can barely imagine not planning like crazy now- our trips are much more pleasant and organized now. More magical, too!!

 

[bytheblood]

This is not always the case. I went to Disney the first time years ago (still as an adult however) and did NO research other than package cost, cheap eats for the park, cruise restaurants, weather and a planning video.

We visited Dec 19th-26th; did the land and sea package and had a marvelous time. The crowd levels were great, we were prepared for the weather and did not go crazy on our spending.

Now that I am a Disneyaholic, I do a lot of research (thought it is not really needed as much) and have been enough now to where I know what I am doing, but I think a lot of it is mindset and expectations.

Bill is right (as usual), we are a minority and many people don't visit the Disboards for planning their WDW vacations.

 

[amytheobald]

I m guilty, Ive gone twice with no "plan" or research...actually got there and didn't even know park opening and closing times (we stayed offsite). I did know about fastpass etc..but had no real plan. We still had fun, and now I m super excited about our upcoming uberplanned trip!!

 

[Desnik]

For our 1997 trip we did no research. We just got in our car and "winged it"!! It was the middle of July, we had no ressies for anything and I was 3 months pregnant!! How do ya think that trip turned out?
Shortly after that I wanted to go again and stumble upon these boards, which btw, was 1 board at the time!! I bought a guide book and did it right! I can't tell you the amount of people I've encountered, including family/friends, who didn't do any research then came home saying they hated WDW!

 

[Rhaine78]

Airb:

Yes, I do realize that most people can't take that kind of time or have that money.. hell it's taken a lot of sacrifice over the last 2 years to be able to afford a wedding and an extended honeymoon like this... but it's what we wanted to do.. and we're super crazy disneyaholics.. LOL! And it's our honeymoon.. people go on 2 week honeymoons to sit on a beach and really not do much.. whereas, I'd rather spend a bit more, and go on an adventure....which it will be.. : ) Doing so much more this time than we did the first. My DH is awesome at planning.. he did an excellent job on the first trip. But, we didn't go to Sea World or the Kennedy Space Center.. and I am really looking forward to those ..and just to have some down time too will be nice. : )