Just back - Why is everybody in such a hurry?

[SpecialK]

Just got back last night from a great week at WDW. We couldn't believe how everyone is running from attraction to attraction. I can't tell you the number of times we had to step to the side to let people who were on our heels pass us.

The kicker was at AK on Thursday. My oldest son loves this park. It wasn't very crowded in the AM, and we were enjoying a calm morning. (Except for the people in line behind us at Primeval Whirl who thought climbing up my butt would make the line move faster but that's another toic.) We were leaving Dinoland and suddenly this guy comes carreening around the corner at a full out run and slams right into the left side of my body. It caught me so off-guard and hurt so much that I instinctively yelled out. He never even slowed down - I got an offhand "sorry" as he continued to run. My arm and shoulder went numb and then throbbed for the rest of the day.

I'm still in pain from this incident and I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Why is everyone in such a hurry at WDW?

 

[eeyore45]

That's terrible that you got "mowed" down by an inconsiderate, overanxious person...

I will admit, I think there is something piped in the air, or maybe its a disorder some of us are afflicted with - my heart races, I get sweaty palms, I just have to move, move, move... when I'm standing in a LOOOoonng line, and I have FP I can hyperventilate!! Then a calming influence in my life, dh shows me his watch... and low and behold we've only stood in line 5 minutes!!

I get so afraid I'm going to miss something by standing in line!! If it wasnt for dh I might never notice they have rose bushes at Epcot!!

(PS I got run over 2 or 3 times in our last visit in Oct!! This post was an attempt at lol at myself!! I truly try to slow down, but I do notice my heart beats faster at WDW - I feel time slipping away...

It in no way characterizes any other person, rude or otherwise!)

 

[msmayor]

My family decided from our very first trip that we would relax every time we were there. Knowing that we'd always 'be back', there is never a care if we don't get to everything.

One of our favorite things to do is just walk around, enjoying the sights and each other. My 'best moment' on our last trip didn't even involve the parks: it was when DH and I sat on a bench in the early evening at the beach area by the WL and watched our two kids play tetherball in the sand, laughing and enjoying themselves. That is what Disney Magic is all about.

 

[lclark0621]

You'll get a lot of different answers to this.

But I am with you. I dont like the "go go go! rush rush rush! comando style vacation". I am on vacation. I want to take it easy & relax. I can't enjoy the fun if I am running through the parks. I hate coming home & "needing a vacation from the vacation".

Maybe it is because we have been there so many times, maybe it is because we know there is always another trip after this one (usually the next one is planned before we leave for the current one). But I just CANNOT do commando Disney. I dont like be drop dead exhausted at the end of the day. I mean, we are always tired after a day in the parks. But I see people who start first thing in the morning, go hard the entire time & are falling asleep at the end of the day on the bus...That is just not for us.

 

[drteeth3]

I think the first few times you go you think you have to rush in order to see everything because WDW is so big. We always seem to get run over by the tour groups. they are always in a hurry. Dont forget about the cost either. It costs a fair penny to goto Disney and people think they need to run like crazy people to see it all.

 

[TiggerandBelleFanMom]

I definitely think there are people who are thinking "I want to get a good value for my money! If I can do eighteen rides in twelve hours, that only works out to X dollars per ride! Hey, who are all the people here in the way of me getting the maximum amount out of my vacation?"

Then there are those of us who usually take vacations which involve lying by the pool and reading a book. I'm sure I'll kick that pace up a notch at Disney, but we are planning a leisurely pace for our Disney vacation. For example, we are planning on almost all table service meals even though I know they take longer than counter service. But I want to kick back and enjoy a real restaurant. I work hard at my job and get stressed out some of the time. When I'm on vacation, I want to kiss stress goodbye. I want to relax and enjoy everything.

I have not been to Disney in years (trip planned for March), but I have been to Sesame Place. Sometimes, all my DD wants to do is look for characters, and she bypasses attractions I think she would like. Fine by me! We're going there for her, after all, so if she just want to look for Big Bird, Ernie, and Bert, who am I to argue?

 

[justcruisin]

Maybe the all subscribed to Tour Guide Mike? Ha Ha.

Slow down and relax.

 

[Irish9697]

I have to admit, dh and I are very fast walkers. In general not just at Disney. So, if you saw us there, you might think we looked like we were in a hurry, but we're not. That's just how we move. And, if you think about it, if you walk fast all day (not just at Disney), you'll cover more ground (mileage, I guess) and be in better shape? LOL! I guess, being the fast walker that I am, it's hard for me to walk slowly. Sometimes at Disney, we do find ourselves weaving through crowds to get to an open spot where we can actually walk at a pace that is comfortable for us. Our goal has never been to speed from one attraction to the next, it's just how we move. That being said though...I've never mowed anyone down nor would I think of putting myself in a situation where that was possible.

 

[goodeats]

We arrived at MK at opening one day and I was really surprised by the people running to their first attraction. Seriously, they were like 'we have to get there first!'. I was amused when we got to Space Mountain and it was closed. All those runners were really mad!

I do have to admit I get agitated when I get to the gates and am in a slow moving line. I just hate watching the other lines go in and I'm just standing outside! I need to work on it, I know.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I think this phenomenon gets worse with each visit! This time we had my fil who was in a scooter, my husband's aunt who is getting over a hip injury and walking slowly with a cane plus a cousin and my family of four. At times I thought our aunt would be literally mowed down. Its ridiculous. And dh and I are fast walkers but this was more like people running to get red cross supplies after a natural disaster, not fast walkers.

 

[LovesHauntedMansion]

I am one of the "very fast walkers" because I am so excited not because I want to get ahead of someone. I have seen a big increase in the number of people running & weaving around slower people since fastpass started. I think that people are runnning to get fastpasses or to use them. Also there are people who make reservations for practically every meal. IMHO these people must be "ripping and running" the whole time trying to be somewhere at a certain time.

 

[Scottish-Helen]

Maybe the all subscribed to Tour Guide Mike? Ha Ha.

Slow down and relax.

TGM actually teaches you how to see the most of WDW without having to do it commando style.

I have to admit to running around in the past but I'm looking forward to a much more relaxed affair on this next trip

 

[seashoreCM]

suddenly this guy comes carreening around the corner at a full out run and slams right into the left side of my body. It caught me so off-guard and hurt so much that I instinctively yelled out. He never even slowed down - I got an offhand "sorry" as he continued to run. My arm and shoulder went numb and then throbbed for the rest of the day. I'm still in pain from this incident ?

Should I start a new fad? Asking for an extra perk or two at Guest Relations "to make up for the discomfort" and "in exchange for maintaining a family atmosphere in the park by not going after the miscreant and creating a scene"? And at Guest Relations describing the miscreant if you can?

"Creating a scene" includes seizing the key of an ECV or seizing an article from the pouch behind a stroller. The item is returned in exchange for some perk.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[disneylifer]

WDW five times now (sixth coming in March) and I must admit, up until last year we did pretty much a commando attack on the world. It was like we had to plan to be at the parks at each and every moment of the EE morning hours (pre-EMH) and stay in some park until closing. We have always preached being courteous to our children, however and we would never run and mow over people... but we were absolutely exhausted at the end of each day and especially at the end of the trip.

Last year we slowed down considerably... we planned very carefully, made trips back to the room often for a break and swim, etc.

Maybne it was also just a bit of lucky timing, but overall it was by far our most enjoyable and rememberable trip. It seemed that all ressies and PS worked perfectly... and for walk up attractions and shows it just seemed that we were always in the right place at the right time. I think much of this was that we were relaxed more.

This year we are adding a day (because we are flying vs. driving) and I am taking my 71 year old mother. She has always heard of our trips and always wanted to go, and now I can finally afford to take her. Planning for this trip is somewhat scary for me because I want the trip to go perfect and am worried that we will finally have one of those disastrous trips.

However, I think the one thing I can do to help insure a good, magic trip, is too plan in plenty of rest.

Think it would be more pleasant for everyone if we would all do this.

 

[tomerin]

on our first trip i can remember doing the commando thing. it actually was a big mistake for a few reasons. i wasnt as knowledgable in the ways of WDW as i am now so my planning wasnt as good as it should have been and my boys were stilll too young as to be able to handle a fast paced trip. we spent the first few days out early rushing from attraction to attraction not taking emough time to just relax and enjoy all WDW has to offer. after a few days my wife told me no more of this pace and its now time to just enjoy our vacation. it hit me that i was so intent on getting as much as i could out of our vacaiton that i was not enjoying our trip as much as i should have. we slowed ourt pace considerably and our enjoyment increased.

on our subsequent trips we plan what we want to do, what parks each day, where to eat but as far as a rigid time schedule, never again. the only time change i think i need to make is to get to the parks earlier in the summer, which is when we travel. can get more done then before it gets too hot.



i consider myself a veteran WDW vacationer and after many trips i still am amazed at what i see that i never noticed before. couldnt do this if i was still in commando mode.




if the commando style works for you and your family thats great but please just dont steamroll my DW in the process


stop and smell

 

[SpecialK]

Should I start a new fad? Asking for an extra perk or two at Guest Relations "to make up for the discomfort" and "in exchange for maintaining a family atmosphere in the park by not going after the miscreant and creating a scene"? And at Guest Relations describing the miscreant if you can?

"Creating a scene" includes seizing the key of an ECV or seizing an article from the pouch behind a stroller. The item is returned in exchange for some perk.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Can't say that I understand this post.

It wasn't just people in a hurry. It was the "damn the torpedoes full speed ahead" mentally exhibited. I saw one women literally fall into a stroller holding a child. She didn't stop or apologize. Lots of families where mom was charging ahead and dad was trying to keep up with thw stroller and the kiddoes. On two occasions, a group charged through my son and me rather than take a step to the left or right to go around. A lot of flat-out rudeness.

 

[doodle]

Just wanted to say Welcome to the DIS, drteeth3! Many happy posts!!!

 

[Rozzie]

I am a fast walker by nature. I never "dillydaddle" but I never run people over. I have been run over, by a ECV at that, ouch!!!!! I fast walk at walmart, mall, my neighborhood, work. Just my thing. DH and I do jog to Space at least once. We crack up laughing the whole way remembering when we used to do it as kids. I think the fanatic "runner overs" are one thing, but some of us are just having a good time.