Do you think the average WDW go-er knows about all the resort restaurants?

[summermac]

I confess that I had no idea about any of them, except I think I had a slight idea Chef Mickey's existed in the Contemporary. Other than that, I had no clue at all. Am I an anomly or do you think most non-regulars are like me? This will only be my 3rd trip - hoping to come back more regularly, like every 2 years, at least.

So..what do you think?

 

[catne]

I think a lot of Disney park guest have no idea...especially when you see how many upset people are wandering around MK looking for a "sit down" restaurant and they're all full...they could easily hop the monorail & go over to one of many monorail restaurants. Doesn't even take that long.

We love the variety all the resort restaurants add to the mix of TS choices (we drive, so it does make it easier to get around when we want to go resort hopping for meals.)

 

[ckdsnynt]

I don't think it's that they don't know. It's more that they don't want to take the time to leave the parks to eat. Of course, some may not know about them but it stands to reason that if they are aware there are hotels on property, there are restaurants in those hotels. Just my opinion, tho.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would say that a majority of the Guests at WDW have no clues about almost anything here. Be it Fastpasses, Dining, or whatever. Actually, in discussion with several managers, it seems that about 70% of people at WDW at any time are first-time visitors.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

From time to time, I try to picture myself as a first-time guest. That's hard to do after a buncha visits, but I do remember my first visit in the early 70's, when it was just the Magic Kingdom, Poly, CR, Fort Wilderness, and maybe the Golf Resort. It sure was much more manageable in those days!

I'm guessing a lot of visitors drive down, stop at one of the Florida Welcome Centers and pick up some brochures - that's the total of their research - and stay off-property. They come blowing into the MK at 10 a.m. and stay overwhelmed the rest of the day.

So, yeah, agreeing with an earlier poster - I think a lot of folks are just hammered by the whole scope of the thing, wandering around with park map in hand trying to decide what to do next. I'm NOT slamming these folks - we were all newbies once. Still, when first-timers ask me, I encourage them to be research machines, and at least have some idea as to what they're getting into. It's not like going to Six Flags for the day. Even for folks who take pride in not being planners, just a little sense of the lay of the land is helpful going in.

No one has to go hungry, or miss a TS experience. You just gotta leave the parks sometimes.

 

[flipflopmom]

I've only been to WDW once, and that was on my honeymoon 12 years ago! I am a planning freak, and bought a "Birnbaums" guide and drove DH crazy with it then! We stayed on property, and didn't really even realize you could. Actually had somewhere else booked, and ordered the vacation planning guide, saw WL and had to have it!!!!!What a great first trip - WCC and Artist Point. Even with all that, eating a another resort did not even cross my mind!!!!

We had planned to go on our 10th anniversary, but I was 8 1/2 mos. preg and on bed rest, didn't happen. So now, here we go this summer with a 2 year old and a 9 year old.... on DXDP, the planning has been so fun!

 

[Pixiedust34]

I don't think that the average park guest knows about the restaurants at the resorts. Nor would they have a general knowledge of where the resorts with table service restaurants are and how to best get to them, other than the resort where they are staying.

I've helped countless friends plan trips and very few knew about resort dining and about how to use the WDW transportation system to get to/from resorts in an efficient way.

 

[Faldred]

Until I was preparing to book this trip, I didn't have a clue about the resort restaurants or the dining plans.

 

[Tbelle1976]

I think that typically people who only plan on going to the parks for a day visit (you know, those who think that MK is Disney World) don't look into so much planning as someone who will stay on property and plan on a week or so.

If you really don't read up on WDW too much and have no need for planning then many would not know about all the great restaurants in the resorts.

 

[Colleen27]

I think it is a combination of not knowing about the restaurants and not knowing how easy it is to get to them, particularly in the case of the monorail resorts. I think some people know they exist but overestimate the time and hassle involved in having a meal at a resort, while others don't know at all. Plus a lot of off-site guests want to minimize the amount they spend on high-priced food on site, so they have no reason to learn about the resort restaurants.

 

[momof1princess]

i know the casual wdw-goer has no idea about restaurants, fastpasses, etc. i have a friend going in 2 weeks and she has no plan, and no adr's or reservations (even though her DD wants to go to BBB). i'm trying to not come off as the crazy disney lady and offer a little advice here & there.

 

[3boymthr]

I think the average guest has no clue. I'm an uber-planner for all of our vacations and still I'm overwhelmed with all the information that's needed. This is my first trip to WDW in years (DSs first trip ever) and I had no idea that I even needed an ADR (or what an ADR was) before my TA told me to book them. I'm lucky in that I bought and read cover to cover four tour guides... the UG and WDW for Idiots and.... Thru UG I found the DIS and all the wonderfully knowledgable people who visit this board But most people aren't that lucky or that big a planners. DH thinks I'm nuts with the amount of time I spend planning our trips, and if DH had his way we'd have booked the trip and been done with it until it was time to get in the car and leave. (Of course when we get there he expects me to know everything, no matter how much or how little planning time I've had )

 

[msujroot]

I think that most people who visit Disney are still of the 1-day, 1-park variety. I would bet that most of them have not been in a Disney resort, and have not done the homework. I'm sure that, as the Disney free dining offer continues, that will evolve, and some of the nicer restaurants will be tougher to get in to.

 

[MickeyNicki]

We used to go to Disney alot and do one TS in Epcot and the rest of the time just eat CS. Until I found this fantastic wonderful site, the Dis! About 4 years ago we started to eat like Kings!

If it wasnt for this site I would not have known many CS foods, snack foods, and other helpful hints!

Can you imagine all the people that would love to find this site and make their vacation so much better?

 

[Tara922c]

If it wasn't for me doing the Disney College Program I too would be one of those people who got to Disney, and didn't know what was going on. Before that I went to Disney for a day when I was 7 (I am now 26), I went with my high school dance team when I was 17, (school did all the planing), and my best friend, her now husband, and I went for two days when I was 18. She lived in Miami at the time, and we were on the internet trying to book a hotel. I had no idea that Disney had so many resorts, and we ended up staying off-site! Her aunt was at Disney the same time we were, and we met her at The Beach Club for breakfast. We were all upset we weren't staying there! We at twice in the parks at TS, no ADRS what so ever. (this is in 2001) I didn't know crap about Disney, but still had fun! I can tell you from working in the parks that many guest don't know anything about Disney. I heard several people complain that they couldn't get into any TS places, and they paid for the DDP. (this was in 2006) Many people didn't even realise there were 4 different theme parks. Even after working at Disney, and going twice since then, I didn't know anything about the restuarants other than you need to make ADRs. Thanks to boards like these I was able to look at menus, and make all of our ADRs according to what we like to eat.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

I had no clue when I started planning our first trip. A friend referred me here and gave me tips, and I'm so glad! Even though I'm not doing any "over-planning" for the next trip, I agree that a general sense of "the lay of the land" as a PP called it is necessary.

 

[Belle4mygrl]

We went to DW 6 times before we knew about other restaurants at resorts. We didn't plan at all but now we have become major planners. Our family discusses every day our plans and new restaurants we want to try.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We used to go to Disney alot and do one TS in Epcot and the rest of the time just eat CS. Until I found this fantastic wonderful site, the Dis! About 4 years ago we started to eat like Kings!

If it wasnt for this site I would not have known many CS foods, snack foods, and other helpful hints!

Can you imagine all the people that would love to find this site and make their vacation so much better?

This was me except I found the site last year....about 2 weeks before my vacation!!! I didn't come on much for those two weeks because the vacation was right around the corner and I felt overwhelmed.

Luckily I still got some ADR's for CP, GG and Tusker House.

I've been around since then and we leave next week and I"m sure we are going to have an even better vacation than last year!

 

[jewelmicky]

My co-workers look at me like I am crazy when I say I am planning my WDW vacation 6 months ahead of time. I just laugh at them when they say they are going next week and haven't planned a thing!

 

[ntsammy5]

it seems that about 70% of people at WDW at any time are first-time visitors.

Now that's interesting. I didn't know that, but it explains a lot.