Do your homework!

[eliza61]

If you don't do a lot of "homework", go to disneyworld and have a good time, does it not count because they didn't go "Your way"?

The problem I have with these post is you guys assume that "planning" until the cows come home is the ONLY way a vacation can be done.

We are not planners. the first time we went to disney we followed all the advice here on the boards and we hated it.

We don't do rope drop and still have a good time
We don't do ADR's and we manage to still east (**gasp***)
We don't do commando style or EMH and we still manage to have a great time.

Op, don't blame non planning on bad boorish behaviour. Yelling at the workers is plain ignorant.

 

[The_Alice]

My DH and my coworkers kind of chuckled at me for planning my butt off. Even though I have been there so many times, I still plan and plan and plan. I get everything arranged so that when we get down there we go on auto pilot. It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun.

I usually find the hotel, the restaurants, I research the days with the least amount of crowds so that the folks we ask to come along with us can just sit back and relax and let the Disney magic work.

My DH wasn't big into the planning, but after seeing family after family have meltdowns this past time he is all for it.

 

[ShesAPirate]

I had a similar experience. It was the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, dinnertime, and witnessed a guy throwing a total fit because he was turned away at Crystal Palace. No ADR for a Saturday night dinner (character meal, no less) on Labor Day Weekend. I couldn't believe how mad he got, and he did indeed demand to speak to the manager. He was throwing the "I paid a lot of money for this vacation" line around, which made me mutter under my breath, "Yup, and the rest of us got here for free". It was like he expected the manager to kick someone else out so he could get a table

I don't plan everything to the last detail, I don't go commando -- but everywhere I go on vacation, I research and read so that I know what to expect. I think it's common sense when you go somewhere as popular as Disney.

 

[pat fan]

If you don't do a lot of "homework", go to disneyworld and have a good time, does it not count because they didn't go "Your way"?

The problem I have with these post is you guys assume that "planning" until the cows come home is the ONLY way a vacation can be done.

I can't speak for everyone, but as long as you had a great time, I sure think your trip "counts"!

I personally am speaking about the folks who do not have a great time, some of which could have been helped by planning. If someone has their vacation "ruined" because they couldn't eat where they wanted (sad, anyway) then they should have done some planning. If the trip was ruined because all jr. wanted to do was ride SM and they pumped him up for it, only to find out he's too short, that could have been handled with planning. If Susie wanted to meet Cinderella and they wandered around the park in vain and missed the character meal or the meet & greet because they didn't know about it, that could have been helped with planning. That is my only beef with non-planners. If they don't get to see/do the things they really wanted, I feel bad for them, especially if it's the kids who missed out on what they wanted.

 

[minnie mum]

I've seen so many examples of both extremes of the planning question.

On the one end there are the poor clueless souls who do nothing more than book transportation, resorts and tickets and arrive for their first trip with no idea of what is in store for them. No concept whatsoever about ADRs, FPs, show time guides etc. And spend countless hours wasted in lines.

On the other end: the stressed out over-planners who are desperate to make every second of their vacation ABSOLUTELY THE MOST PERFECT moment possible. Everything is scheduled in advance: wakeup times, every meal, every attraction and character meet. I'm sure even potty breaks. If something goes awry then the day is ruined. This is no way to enjoy a vacation.

Seems a middle ground is most desirable. A little research, a few ressies, some kind of general touring plan if you're unfamiliar with a park. Then RELAX a little. Take a breath. Maybe two. I'm the kind of person who actually enjoys planning our vacations. But I quickly learned that you can overdo it..so now: moderation in all things. Or at least I try.

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

I am a huge planner for all the trips I go on.I drive my family nuts but they thank me in the end. I remember in 2006 during free dining I had planned a few resturants we would eat at but not all. My DM wanted to eat a the Coral Reef resturant but wasn't one I had ressies for. We walked in and people were everywhere. Sitting on the floor even so you knew they had been waiting along time. Of course the CM said they had no openings. My mom was so disapointed and told me we had to plan all out ADR's before leaving home. We don't leave home without them! I learned my lesson the hard way. Now I plan out roadtrips, cruises and the short weekend trips. Even if we have been there a dozen times before. You never know what you may miss out on.

With all the technology we have you can still do research even if you aren't a big planner. Before internet you could still do research with all the great books.

 

[maxiesmom]

If you don't do a lot of "homework", go to disneyworld and have a good time, does it not count because they didn't go "Your way"?

The problem I have with these post is you guys assume that "planning" until the cows come home is the ONLY way a vacation can be done.

We are not planners. the first time we went to disney we followed all the advice here on the boards and we hated it.

We don't do rope drop and still have a good time
We don't do ADR's and we manage to still east (**gasp***)
We don't do commando style or EMH and we still manage to have a great time.

Op, don't blame non planning on bad boorish behaviour. Yelling at the workers is plain ignorant.

Even if you don't like to plan, at least read all the info they give you while you are there! Read the info packet they give you at check in. Read the park guides, they explain all about fast pass.

You can not plan and still not be totally clueless.

 

[pensgirl10]

We did our first trip last summer with just a few weeks lead-in time. I did some reading here and so we understood and used fastpasses. Although I missed that there were a limited amount and they would not be available as the day went on. I knew about meal reservations too, kind of. Somehow I thought it was the nicer restaurants that were booked months in advance and that there would still be a few sit-down places open. There were not. LOL In fact it wasn't always easy to find anywhere to sit down with our food. Not a problem for me, I don't mind chowing down on a pretzel while walking to the next ride and calling it dinner. But two of our party were people who like their meals, and they weren't as happy.

 

[The_Alice]

I've seen so many examples of both extremes of the planning question.

On the one end there are the poor clueless souls who do nothing more than book transportation, resorts and tickets and arrive for their first trip with no idea of what is in store for them. No concept whatsoever about ADRs, FPs, show time guides etc. And spend countless hours wasted in lines.

On the other end: the stressed out over-planners who are desperate to make every second of their vacation ABSOLUTELY THE MOST PERFECT moment possible. Everything is scheduled in advance: wakeup times, every meal, every attraction and character meet. I'm sure even potty breaks. If something goes awry then the day is ruined. This is no way to enjoy a vacation.

Seems a middle ground is most desirable. A little research, a few ressies, some kind of general touring plan if you're unfamiliar with a park. Then RELAX a little. Take a breath. Maybe two. I'm the kind of person who actually enjoys planning our vacations. But I quickly learned that you can overdo it..so now: moderation in all things. Or at least I try.

This is pretty much the way we do it too. We will totally switch it up if something just isn't working for our family. But, there is no way I am going to WDW without some sort of idea of what parks on what days, special events, get a few ADRs lined out etc. Then we'll "wing it" lol.

 

[wcpamotm]

If you don't do a lot of "homework", go to disneyworld and have a good time, does it not count because they didn't go "Your way"?

The problem I have with these post is you guys assume that "planning" until the cows come home is the ONLY way a vacation can be done.

We are not planners. the first time we went to disney we followed all the advice here on the boards and we hated it.

We don't do rope drop and still have a good time
We don't do ADR's and we manage to still east (**gasp***)
We don't do commando style or EMH and we still manage to have a great time.

This, absolutely; for people like you and me who go frequently and know the World like the back of our hands, I'd recommend this very relaxed touring strategy. After all, isn't the only real measure of the success of a vacation how much you enjoy yourselves?

But those who are not so fortunent and can only go much less frequently, I'd strongly advise doing what it takes to know what you're getting yourself into. Sure, build some slack time into your schedule, and maintain flexibility and a sense of humor.

Op, don't blame non planning on bad boorish behaviour. Yelling at the workers is plain ignorant

 

[pwdebbie]

According to our waiter at Sci Fi they do have a limited # of seats for walk ups. Up against the wall are for walk ups. But if you make a reservation you get one of the cars. Walk ups don't get the cars just the tables.

We were a walk-up in early November 2010 and got a car. The place was fairly empty. We probably would have preferred a table. The eating space in the car was dark and not very wide.

 

[momtotaryn]

We just got back from our first trip to WDW last week, and I have to say, doing my homework was the best advice I got! We've been to DL many times, but WDW is a whole different animal!

I joined Disboards, did as much research as I could online, in addition to asking real life friends about their experiences (those who've been there), and made my ADRs at the 180 day mark. I also used touring plans as a guide to make personalized schedules, allowing lots of time for any changes or rest periods. Am I glad I did! And so was my family! We were able to do almost everything we wanted to (and other things not on our plan), with the minimal amount of wait time in most cases. Did we accomplish it all? Nope, but it's OK. We want to go back in a few years to see/ride the attractions we missed this time around.

 

[princess_ariel_85]

I can understand someone not knowing about needing to make dining reservations or fast passes, etc. What I DON'T understand is why someone would yell at CM and make a scene.

I agree with this, I never knew about ADRs and was vaguely familiar with FPs but I wouldn't get angry at a cast member for it.

If you don't do a lot of "homework", go to disneyworld and have a good time, does it not count because they didn't go "Your way"?

The problem I have with these post is you guys assume that "planning" until the cows come home is the ONLY way a vacation can be done.

We are not planners. the first time we went to disney we followed all the advice here on the boards and we hated it.

We don't do rope drop and still have a good time
We don't do ADR's and we manage to still east (**gasp***)
We don't do commando style or EMH and we still manage to have a great time.

Op, don't blame non planning on bad boorish behaviour. Yelling at the workers is plain ignorant.

I'm the worst planner in the world! I have made a few ADRs for this trip, but I didn't plan around EMH or what I was doing that day, I just picked a day for the resturant and was done with it. I'm quite laid back so if I get to do something I'll do it and if I don't then no harm done. It's not the end of the world.

I don't think you should have to do homework to take a vacation, but thats me. That suits my vacation style, but then I can also appreciate that some people enjoy planning. Each to their own.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I will confess to being a pretty serious planner who is working on going more with the flow. During our second to last trip during Food and Wine, we ended up throwing out a bunch of our plans to just enjoy more of the Festival and it ended up being one of our best trips ever. Overall, I think we cancelled 3 of our ADRs. I have found that since becoming a DVC Member, I am much more relaxed about how much we see and do.

Having said that, my old planning days definitely put me at an advantage when trying to figure out what is possible and what is not even during a more relaxed trip. For example, if I know I want to ride TSMM on a trip, I know I have to plan for that.

This fall, we are taking another F&W trip and splitting the reservation so we will be at OKW with the DP and a bunch of ADRs with everything planned and then we will move to the BW with no ADRs, no DP and no plan other than to enjoy Epcot and the F&W Festival. I can't wait!

 

[cinabug]

I was totally clueless on our first trip in 2003. We didn't understand fast passes. We didn't eat at any TS restaurants; I don't think we even tried. We never got there early. It was early to mid June, so I guess it was crowded, but I don't really remember it that way. We had a great time, and I didn't feel like we missed out on anything.

This time I've got it all planned out with ADRs. We're planning on doing the commando thing. I think we'll enjoy that too. Mostly, I think I am just extending the fun of the trip with all this planning.

If you are the sort of person who would scream and yell when you're turned away from a restaurant, you're the kind of person who will find a way to have a bad time on your vacation, whether it is planned out to the minute or totally free wheeling. If you are the kind of person who has decided to have a good time and roll with the little disappointments, you'll find a way to have fun either way.

 

[bytheblood]

I don't approach these situations with Disney snobbery. Instead, I see it as a bonus for the people who do plan. Why cant we just let everybody plan their vacation the way they want instead of being snobby about their lack of knowledge?

 

[2Tiggies]

I don't approach these situations with Disney snobbery. Instead, I see it as a bonus for the people who do plan. Why cant we just let everybody plan their vacation the way they want instead of being snobby about their lack of knowledge?

I agree with your point in principle, but I don't think it always boils down to snobbery. There are times, and probably plenty at that, when it does. No denying it. But I find it saddening for those who come away disappointed realizing that they missed something on their dream trip, but not sure what it was and why. As I mentioned in my earlier post, so many book a first time trip and don't even know there is such a wealth of info out there. I am not disagreeing with you at all, but it is kind of hard to see folk coming home feeling it wasn't all they hoped it would be. (This is not the same as those who choose to wing it and still have a great time - which although it is not my way of doing it, is perfect for some families). I just hate to see people miss out.

 

[2manydaves]

Growing up, my family didn't plan. Every vacation was spur of the moment. Every other year or so we would go to Disney on a moment's notice. We stayed off-site, ate counter service, and had a blast.

My family (me, DH, DD 9, DD5, and DS3) stayed on site for the first time last year. I planned everything -- park agendas, dining, etc., and we had a blast.

You can have a lot of fun either way. It's just a different experience when you plan vs. when you don't.

Doing your homework DEFINITELY gets you more for your money. But if you aren't the homework sort, you can still experience just as much magic.

 

[The_Alice]

I agree with your point in principle, but I don't think it always boils down to snobbery. There are times, and probably plenty at that, when it does. No denying it. But I find it saddening for those who come away disappointed realizing that they missed something on their dream trip, but not sure what it was and why. As I mentioned in my earlier post, so many book a first time trip and don't even know there is such a wealth of info out there. I am not disagreeing with you at all, but it is kind of hard to see folk coming home feeling it wasn't all they hoped it would be. (This is not the same as those who choose to wing it and still have a great time - which although it is not my way of doing it, is perfect for some families). I just hate to see people miss out.

See that's me too. I hate to hear of people having a rotten time in Disney.

 

[I-Bike]

I don't find anything wrong with people not planning in bathroom breaks. What's the point of a vacation where you have to rush around all the time? I also think the people who plan things down to the last second are missing out. Stopping to smell the roses isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Aside from grabbing a couple fastpasses and deciding where we want to head the night before, we plan nothing. Not once have we been turned away at a Disney restaurant either, so the idea that every meal needs to be planned 6 months ahead is flawed.