How do you NOT laugh at your friend?

[babar41]

Maybe I'm missing something in the Original Post.

Why is the friend's ignorance of WDW funny? If the OP tried to educate her and she was resistant, then it's funny. But at least from the Original Post there's no indication that there was any attempt to help the person learn.

I just don't get it, laughing at someone who is not as experienced and doesn't know the correct information.

Again, if the person REFUSED to accept true and helpful info, then that person's false pride will come back to bite them, and there is some delicious humor in that. But otherwise, it seems kind of mean to "tease" her with questions but not try to actually inform her instead.

What am I missing here???

OK CleveRocks... here is a little more of the story. DF and I have been BF for about 30 years now. We have kept up this friendship through time and distance, good times and bad. We both live rather busy lives, work full time and families, so we don't talk or see each other as often as we would like. Living 400 miles away from each other makes visits a little more difficult.

DF has been to WDW before, I think it was about 12 years ago, so she is not a complete novice. DH and I go yearly and I share my experiences about our trip with her. I've even shown her our spreadsheets that I make yearly that spells out everything including how long each ride is and all reservations. Trust me, she has laughed at how obsessed I become about planning our yearly visit. She has also had a lot of joy teasing me about my being a WDW addict. Also, DF is no dummy. She is quite capable of gathering information had she wanted to. Plus, needless to say, she knows I have a lot of sources for info and would have gladly shared had I known she was going. Since I didn't know she was going till less than 24 hours before her trip, I thought it was kinder to say nothing rather than tell her that without ADR's she may not get in to any restaurant.

For those of you out there who think I am being mean to giggle at my friend, that's OK. I know my friend and know that she would take this with a smile. In fact, once we have a chance to talk (as of this morning I still haven't reached her, she was supposed to get home late last night) I will share this with her. It will be my turn to tease her about how obsessed I am about my planning.

 

[beeayekay]

Just wanted to point out that those cooling bandanas don't work so well when it is humid - the cooling comes from evaporation, doesn't it? Not much evaporates in WDW when it is oppressively humid!

My bandana was great when I wrapped it around my neck first thing in the morning but got warm and slimy after 4 or 5 hours. yucko I even tried to recharge it in cold water once it got warm.... nope. Just used it on the morning of our first day and never after.....took a week for them to dry out!! They are staying home this trip!!!!!

 

[Simba22]

That's funny....hindsight is always 20/20! Once she gets down there she'll ask herself why she didn't listen to you but I hope she has a good time! There is noting worse (and I know from experience) then spending all that money to go to WDW and then having a miserable time.

 

[lyzziesmom]

I work with a girl who's fairly new to our school and when she told me they were going to WDW for their honeymoon this summer, I was so excited for her! I said "Great! Where are you staying??" She said..."Ummm...I don't know, it's the one with all the buildings."

Yikes. It's her honeymoon, you'd think she'd know! School starts next week; I'll be anxious to see what she thinks!


Denice T.
Olathe, KS

Totally off topic, but I just wanted to say hi from Overland Park, I am in Olathe right now "working"! I was beginning to think there were NO more DISers in all of Kansas!!

Ok, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[CleveRocks]

OK CleveRocks... here is a little more of the story ...

babar41,

Thanks for the reasonable explanation. Not that you NEEDED to explain yourself to a total stranger out in cyberspace, but thank you for doing so. The way you explained it this time, I can see the same dynamic between some of my lifelong friends (separated by geography) and me.

Thanks again!

 

[jjarman]

I have to laugh at this thread and add my experience. I am an obsessive planner and have read just about everything there is to read about WDW. I love to talk about trips to WDW as well. Well, last year a co-worker and I were talking and he mentioned they were going to WDW in May or June. I can't remember but it was a warm month. I mentioned to him about taking a refillable water bottle into the parks and you could get ice from any of the counter service restaurants to refill it with. He said, "Oh, we are staying at Pop Century and getting the refillable mugs. We are taking those into the parks and getting free drinks." I told him nicely that you can only refill the mugs at the resorts. He didn't believe me and said that is not what he had heard. He still didn't believe me when the conversation ended. He never mentioned it when he got back but I know they tried to take them and were disappointed.

 

[followme2disney]

I have a hard time not trying to take over and plan friend's and co-worker's vacations for them when I find out they are going to WDW. I feel like it is their trip and I should mind my business. Some people just don't want to have a spread sheet to guide their vacation. I myself like to use the spreadsheet. I beleive a well planned trip to WDW makes all of the difference. Last year when my co-worker was going to WDW for the first time I told her about ADRs and booking tee-times for golf. Then when I checked back with about two weeks prior to her trip I learned that she had booked nothing. Well, I had to bite my tongue eventhough I was having anxiety in the pit of my stomache for her. She went to WDW said she had a great time and plans to go back again soon. I still make myself sick thinking of all the mistakes I made when I first started going. I never used code rates to book hotels, big mistake. Also, and this still makes me sick, once Disney called and offered me an upgrade from a moderate to a Deluxe for a two week stay for about the same price and I did not take it because I thought I would be uncomfortable at a Deluxe resort. STUPID!!! Now we stay at Deluxe resorts all the time and of course love it. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[Hixski]

suezb... St. Louis does have a magic of it's own. Glad you liked the city! It still holds a special place in my heart. When I was a kid and they were building the arch my dad used to tell me "Next year they will build the croquet mallet and ball."

Haven't talked to DF yet, they were flying home today. Think I'll give her a call and see if they made it back yet. I'll let you guys know how her visit was as soon as I hear.

Oh, Suezb, I heard there is a shortage of misty fans and cooling bandanas, wonder why? Ok, maybe now I am laughing with you!

Glad to see you still have a special place in your heart for my city. I am a born and bred and not likely to leave St. Louisian. Ok, I live in the suburbs but I still live in St. Louis. I get sooooo tired of talking with folks on the east and west coast and they think we are a cow town in the middle of corn fields. Most people do not realize this is a major city. We did have a English couple know where we live. They said "You live in that city with the giant wicket" Ah, you've got to love the English.

As for you friend, I would probably laugh too. I mean St. Louis and Orlando in July. One is just as bad as the other usually. And to not plan for Disney. One can only imagine the story you will get when she gets back.

 

[Mariposa]

In 1990, my mom took the family to WDW.. over spring break. And we didn't make it to the parks until noon. We stayed off-site. My parents refused to let us eat onsite once they saw the prices the first day. So, yeah, starving and completely smooshed by crowds. My dad and I waited for over 2 hours to ride Space Mountain. We waited an hour to ride Haunted Mansion. Same for 20,000 LUtS. Other than that? At MK we rode the Main Street Railroad and the Liberty Belle (was it called that then?). That's it- over the course of 2 days. We did virtually nothing at Epcot (rode the original JIYI- that's it, I think) and we didn't go to MGM (which opened the year before) because it was at capacity the day we had wanted to go.

And really, I'd like to say it was still a great trip, but it was completely awful. My mother NEVER wanted to go back, my father STILL seems confused about why I go now. Seriously, this trip was bad enough that it may have contributed to their seperation a year later. Okay, not really, but close.

I'm just BEYOND greatful to have these boards (and the internet in general) as a constant source of information or I could have easily made the same mistakes.

As for laughing at people, yeah, I'm completely guilty of that. If you're given info or you know it's readily available, but you just can't be bothered? Well, then, I shall laugh when I discover you spent over an hour in line for SM- I've been there, man.

 

[mom2minniemouse]

Make sure to ask her if the "beach" had big waves at high tide... LOL!

 

[beeayekay]

Well, what did she say?