Heading to WDW with NO planning!!!

[campinggal]

I just found out that a work colleague is headed to WDW for the first time tomorrow morning for 6 nights with his family (wife and two kids) and they have done zero planning....no ADRs...and not even a guidebook in possession!!

I know they will still have a great time but I'm just baffled by not even having read anything to plan.

Of course I'm the other extreme which is probably why I can't comprehend it all!

I just gave him a quick run down on fast passes, park hours, photo pass, height restrictions etc.

Different styles! Just thought I would share as I knew you guys would understand!!!

 

[rie'smom]

It's a very,very good thing that this is a fairly slow time. Hopefully,they'll have a good trip and not come back hating WDW.

 

[shortbun]

Loads of people parent without planning and make it through. They will be ok.

 

[Tazicket]

*GASP* That's horrible!! I remember family trips to Disney with no planning...still fun, but we didn't get to do nearly as much stuff as we did when we planned like maniacs! To each his own, I guess.... If everybody was a crazy planner like me (picking out not only restaurants, but what we'll be eating at those restaurants 6 months in advance ), then the benefit of being said crazy planner would be gone!

Hope that made sense....I'm getting ready to go to the Dr and I'm a little nervous. lol!

 

[Libby X 3]

First time I went - no planning either.. Still had a great time. I now plan but I am not obsessive or anything..

 

[Sandy V.]

We never plan and never make a restaurant reservation. And we always have a wonderful time. Everyone does WDW differently, I guess.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Liz

When I saw this thread and that you had posted it I thought... You would never do that, glad to see I was correct. Do you have your dates for this year yet?

Beckie

 

[GeorgeG]

I think it all depends on their expectations. First-timers are less likely to get the most out of their time, but there's no rule that says you must go on every ride and eat at the most popular restaurants. If you're in no particular hurry and don't mind quick, unplanned meals, you can do just fine. They will probably have a better feel for their next WDW vacation based on their first-hand experience.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

A co-worker's family got an all expense paid trip to WDW from her MIL years ago, and didn't do an ounce of planning, and really regretted it. Came home sick over it, because she knew that, most likely, it wasn't something they'd be able to do again (and didn't). I DO think it's possible to have a good time without planning, but...not for me!

As GeorgeG said

I think it all depends on their expectations.

 

[codimouse]

Our first 2 times we did it with no planning at all. Just went and had fun and loved it.

Now I plan because due to our oldest being in school now we have to make great use of our time at WDW and need to do things we have missed, never done, want to do again, etc.

It can be done. We have people that go all the time.

I met a lady at my husband's work picnic who was planning for a few months and driving herself nuts. I told her to stop, relax and just go. Just plan the travel to and from and the accommodations. She did and did not regret it at all.

 

[Mari annie]

We just celebrated our upteenth time to WDW/FL and came home over the weekend.
We go 3x's yearly/two weeks at two weeks a pop
going back in April for two weeks............
my son is going to college in the Fall outside MCO so I am sure now we'll be going even more.......
This habit has been going on like this Feb/April/Fall for 17 years now.
(I am in the process of convincing my dh to move there) or I am going shortly until he is ready.........

anyway, we never bought a guidebook, I cannot believe that people plan out where/what to do-there's so much how could you?!
We drive, too.
As long as the 4 of us are together that's all that matters, there's so much to do in FL and I couldn't imagine if one didn't plan, their experience wouldn't be as good as someone who did......
everyone's different.

Enjoy your trips!

how many days until 4/10? too long! Need some warm FL sunshine!!!

 

[debbiedoo]

I have went both ways, planning and not. . . .they will be ok

 

[KristinBelle]

Before we moved closer we use go to Disney once a year and we never planned either. For us it doesn't feel like vacation if we have everything down to a schedule.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Before we moved closer we use go to Disney once a year and we never planned either. For us it doesn't feel like vacation if we have everything down to a schedule.

The only thing we really plan is which park we want to do that day. We've read the books, assimilated all the information here on the DIS, learned from our past trips, yet we still go yearly without any major planning. We like the freedom to change our minds at the last minute - be it sleeping in later in the morning if we want, or choosing to visit a different park than we originally wanted to that day. We have enough of schedules 50 weeks out of the year. For the 2 weeks we are at Disney we're on vacation and don't need to be tied to a schedule.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that there is a difference between no planning and no research. I need to know that I have all my ADR's in place and that I know what parks I am visiting on what day. Limited planning by some standards, overboard by others.
Now no research is another thing. My DD was talking to a coworker who has visited Disney several times. She said she saw kids with their hair swept up and sprinkled with confetti. DD told her about BBB. She did not know. Then she told her about the barbershop on Main Street....never heard of it. They started talking about food and character meal.....where we went Chef Mickeys on our first night....What's that? So many trips with two kids and never looked for anything that was not right in front of them. No magical tips to make the trip special for their littel Princess, no character meals....no nothin.


Needless to say DD directed her to the Boards for some info.

 

[TheDoctor]

Have fun. I usually go with not concrete plans and have a great time.

 

[Gurgi]

A lot of people do that...no biggie.

 

[arminnie]

We never plan and never make a restaurant reservation. And we always have a wonderful time. Everyone does WDW differently, I guess.

That's pretty much me too. The only ADR I've ever had ahead of time was for the chef's table at V&A.

Of course I get to go back fairly often, and I almost always go at non-peak times too.

 

[Clotho]

I think that there is a difference between no planning and no research.

I completely agree with this. Having no clue about ticket media, parks, times, events that will be available, transportation, etc... While I would still worry that their trip may have some major hiccups without any research, I think it will be more likely when they get home that they will have regrets. Once you have been, you tend to be more keen to info on the places you have been, and they will hear and learn about all the things they *missed*, and there may be some regrets.

I don't think everyone should plan, if that isn't their deal. But a little research goes a long way.

 

[arminnie]

I think that there is a difference between no planning and no research.

I agree. While I don't plan, I have a lot of information that I've obtained over the years. I rarely even pick up a park map as I pretty much know where stuff is.