I just want to cry

[maryj11]

I would warn them July 4th is one of the busiest days of the year, but making good plans and FP can help a lot.

 

[amycakes]

I would suggest DHS over AK too... There might be more to do at AK but if they love Star Wars there is a lot more that would keep their interest at DHS. Just seeing the Star Wars At-At and interacting with Jawas... meeting Darth Vader and Chewbacca... playing in the launch bay... the Star Wars ride (tell them its different every time and the cue is awesome)...getting Star Wars cupcakes. Also, they could FP Star Wars, Toy Story Musical and Fantasmic! The Star Wars Fireworks will be a thrill. All could be handled with a late afternoon arrival.... they probably shouldn't waste time on a TS but the Backlot Express has a Star Wars theme for the kids. Not the best food but they may not have that much time anyway if they arrive after lunch. There are always Mickey ice creams to fill the void! You could jot down a few suggestions for them, the date to book their fastpasses, arrive at Fantasmic! for a seat and just say "Since you are going at a very busy time here are a few suggestions... because I know trip planning can be a nightmare" She asked for some advice and sometimes having things written down is easier to follow than trying to remember. Then it's up to them. Big Harry Potter fan here and they are going to run into some trouble at Universal/IOA too but that's another kettle of fish.

It is frustrating to know people could have a waaayyyy better experience with even just a little effort. You just want the best for them. We had a co-worker that bought her tickets at the gate and complained about long lines, crowds etc. I told her we rarely wait more than 20 min and she asked me how that was possible. I said Disney is a vacation that requires a little more planning than ...say ... an all-inclusive, especially for your first time. She asked me for a few details and now she is considering going back!! There is always hope!!

We just want them to find the Magic!

Good Luck!

 

[gypsicat]

I get it. I have. Been preparing for my upcoming trip for a while now, second guessing my touring plan, dining choices, fast passes. Moving things around so they all fit better. Planning which parks, which days 6 months out so that I knew where to choose to eat, etc. it has been mentally exhausting but fun.

I have a pretty solid plan and I think we will have a great time.

But 4 years ago we took an impromptu 1 day trip to MK while we were in town. I planned nothing because we were pretty broke. We had just enough money to scrounge up enough for a 1 day ticket last minute.

We missed rope drop. We knew nothing about the paper fast passes. I had a 3 year old princess whose main goal was to meet princesses.

We were that family standing there staring at a map with no clue where to go. We stood in long lines all day just t get a picture with a princess.

We rode space mountain, Astro orbiter, and the LM ride, the rest were princesses.

When I look back, it was probably a horrible way to spend the day. We were exhausted with a kid having a tired breakdown by 7pm.

But we loved every minute of it. It was still magical. It just took us a while to save enough to take the kind of trip that we want. That experience didn't ruin it for us at all. It just made us want to come back and do more.

But I also grew up going to amusement parks and recall waiting an hour or two for roller coasters, so a 45-60 minute wait at MK didn't seem horrible to me at all. I know better now though, lol.

 

[Angel Ariel]

One of the things I have learned in helping friends to plan trips is to listen to their needs and wants and plan the trip for them...not the trip that *I* would want for them.

In this situation, like you,OP, *I* would want for them to have the lowest crowd experience possible, etc. But this is where I stop and think about what they love and what they would want to experience. It sounds like Star Wars would be a huge deal to her kids, and knowing that, I would recommend DHS even knowing it'll have a higher crowd level. I would be up front about the higher crowds, and advise her to get there as early as they can (up to them, obviously) or to stay as late as they can, and possible ways to mitigate the mid-day crowds (perhaps doing shows like Indiana Jones, which have high capacity, mid-day) - but I wouldn't recommend that they stay away from the park that the 2 boys would probably love the most right now.

Like a PP said...just because it isn't what we would choose, or how we would plan, doesn't mean the trip will be miserable. A friend of mine goes with her extended family every 4th of July. We're talking 3 generations of people...at least 20 people total. They have a great time each year. It may not be my cup of tea, but it works for them, and that's all that matters.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

I just keep coming back to the wild excitement of the 2 little boys (she video'd their reaction when they were told they were going) versus my concern that she is in several ways setting them up for a bad experience that will indeed result in none of them going back.

Oh - I suggested AK rather than DHS because of the crowd levels, the lack of attractions at DHS, the fact that I'll just bet they won't actually get there until mid-afternoon, the probable lack of FPs, and the greater option for CS meals at AK.

I was thinking out a response to this as I was reading the thread, but Angel Ariel said most of what I want to say so I'm going to quote it so you read again.

One of the things I have learned in helping friends to plan trips is to listen to their needs and wants and plan the trip for them...not the trip that *I* would want for them.

In this situation, like you,OP, *I* would want for them to have the lowest crowd experience possible, etc. But this is where I stop and think about what they love and what they would want to experience. It sounds like Star Wars would be a huge deal to her kids, and knowing that, I would recommend DHS even knowing it'll have a higher crowd level. I would be up front about the higher crowds, and advise her to get there as early as they can (up to them, obviously) or to stay as late as they can, and possible ways to mitigate the mid-day crowds (perhaps doing shows like Indiana Jones, which have high capacity, mid-day) - but I wouldn't recommend that they stay away from the park that the 2 boys would probably love the most right now.

Like a PP said...just because it isn't what we would choose, or how we would plan, doesn't mean the trip will be miserable. A friend of mine goes with her extended family every 4th of July. We're talking 3 generations of people...at least 20 people total. They have a great time each year. It may not be my cup of tea, but it works for them, and that's all that matters.

We go to Disney fairly frequently and a lot of times people will ask us for help. We've had friends go down with hardly any planning and they do like 4 things in one day; they still have a blast. I've also put hours into helping my friend plan a trip with her kids with good touring plans during very high crowd times and she ignored them b/c her husband's coworker gave advice based on his trip 3 years prior (we all know that's outdated!) But the touring plans helped for the most part in that they had more idea which rides they would like. And I had to remember that even though they only met Tinkerbell and Pocahontas (I had planned a lot more princess stuff for the 6 year old girl...) they still had FUN and that's what matters!

I also suggest you steer them towards DHS and just tell them to expect it to be crowded. You'll be surprised that most people who aren't familiar with disney EXPECT 30-45 minute rides for everything. So they may not be terribly disappointed in the offerings.

There is still PLENTY to do at DHS. The attractions that they closed were backlot tour (which you wouldn't have recommended anyway), Cartoon characters (probably want to meet the new star wars more anyway) and LMA (boys might like this, but they don't know any better.)

They will still have a full day with Toy Story, Star Wars will take a couple hours if they want to meet both characters and look at the museum, maybe great movie ride, rock n roller coaster, maybe tower of terror, fireworks and of course Star Tours. If they can do the JTA that will take up even more of their day....

Also, advise them that a touring plan is their best bet for Magic Kingdom on July 5. If for no other reason than to have already decided WHAT they want to ride and what they want to skip.

 

[disneylove16]

I get it. (sigh) I have family who thinks I'm crazy for the amount of planning I put into my WDW trips, or for doing any research at all. But after going to 1 park, for 1 day, with no planning at all, tells me there's nothing to do at WDW, and all they did was stand in line all day, and it was too crowded, etc. etc. Frustrates me to no end. Now I just let them think I'm crazy, and enjoy my planned out vacations. They don't know what they're missing.

 

[MichiganScott]

Not everyone who can do something and does is a hero, but someone who does nothing when they can, can never be a hero.