Magical ? Not so much.

[Jake&IzzyLand]

Well, that's the problem. I don't believe every minute must be accounted for. There are some people who feel the need to do that, but not many. We thoroughly enjoy our trips, and never plan in detail. I'll admit, that's much easier the more often you go.

But the thing is, it's no different than any vacation. It's 2015, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips, either we choose to use it or we don't. For example, the last cruise we went on I did the research on the ports, excursions, airfare, hotel night before, getting to/from the port, how dining works, etc. I don't mind doing the research, in fact it's fun for me.

However, once that work is done, I'm done. On any vacation, WDW or otherwise, I am not going to obsess over doing something wrong, missing something, etc. It is VACATION. Relax and have fun.

As I was saying, I feel bad for anyone that does not have a good time on their vacation.

Well, that's the problem. I don't believe every minute must be accounted for. There are some people who feel the need to do that, but not many. We thoroughly enjoy our trips, and never plan in detail. I'll admit, that's much easier the more often you go.

But the thing is, it's no different than any vacation. It's 2015, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips, either we choose to use it or we don't. For example, the last cruise we went on I did the research on the ports, excursions, airfare, hotel night before, getting to/from the port, how dining works, etc. I don't mind doing the research, in fact it's fun for me.

However, once that work is done, I'm done. On any vacation, WDW or otherwise, I am not going to obsess over doing something wrong, missing something, etc. It is VACATION. Relax and have fun.

Exactly, if you go all the time it's really no biggie if you miss something or didn't get CRT or whatever, however if you do not, then missing out really means missing out. We tend to blame the person on not planning enough if they had a negative experience and we tend to judge them for over planning if the process feels overwhelming.

 

[mshanson3121]

Well, that's the problem. I don't believe every minute must be accounted for. There are some people who feel the need to do that, but not many. We thoroughly enjoy our trips, and never plan in detail. I'll admit, that's much easier the more often you go.

But the thing is, it's no different than any vacation. It's 2015, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips, either we choose to use it or we don't. For example, the last cruise we went on I did the research on the ports, excursions, airfare, hotel night before, getting to/from the port, how dining works, etc. I don't mind doing the research, in fact it's fun for me.

However, once that work is done, I'm done. On any vacation, WDW or otherwise, I am not going to obsess over doing something wrong, missing something, etc. It is VACATION. Relax and have fun.

I agree. For the most part (there are always exceptions), I really don't think Disney needs to be planned to the minute. I know that's how I planned for our trip, and as I've said many times - it was really a waste, and was a lot of unnecessary stress (and NO, it wasn't because we had DAS, before that one gets thrown out again). In the end, the only way I see it (that level of planning) being necessary is if you feel you want to do a marathon where you're trying to cram as much in as possible. And if that's how you feel/want to travel then by all means that's your right, and yes, you'd better plan to the minute. But for the average Joe, who just wants to go and have a good time and is more content to be spontaneous, I really don't see the minute to minute, minute detail plans necessary.

Look over the attractions, entertainment and dining options and get an idea of what you'd like to do
Book your ADRs
Book your FP+
Look over a map of the parks so you have a general idea of where things are so you're not wandering aimlessly (unless you want to!)
Plan on arriving 30-60 minutes early for parades, fireworks, depending on how good of a view you want
And go have fun!

Seriously, IMO, that's really all that's necessary. I mean joining a board like this to learn some tips like saving your FP+ for your "must do" rides later in the day, making use of rope drop etc... is definitely a great idea. And Disney does require more planning than your usual vacations yes, due to the ADR/FP+ aspect. But I don't see minute to minute plans as necessary to have a good time at all. For certain types of people/travelers yes, but I certainly wouldn't say for the majority. Also, as far as things like researching hotels, extra excursions, airfare transfer etc... that is not exclusive to Disney. That is stuff you have to do for any trip. And if anything, Disney makes that far easier for it's guests.

And I know that the word "spontaneous" gets thrown out a lot here, saying that it's impossible to be spontaneous at Disney. But that is just not true. If you're the kind of person who thinks spontaneity can only mean your entire day is 100% unplanned, then sure. But, I know once we walked into the parks, we were certainly spontaneous. Examples of our spontaneous decisions: we chose spur of the moment three times to eat lunch in the parks instead of going back home - and had 0 problem getting seating at Peco Bills, Village Haus and the bakery place in France. There were were a couple Fastpasses we never used because wanted to do something else instead. Sometimes we changed a FP+ on the fly because we wanted to do something else, or do it later. We skipped rides we'd "planned". We rode rides a couple times in a row instead of moving on to something else. We did character M&Gs that we never "planned", because the kids saw them and wanted to. The kids got faces painted in the World Showcase. They built light sabers at HS. My husband and I chased down a photographer so we could have our picture taken on the racer thingy at HS, lol. We walked by the dance party at HS intending to go elsewhere, and instead stayed in the crowd and our kids got to dance next to Mickey! A couple times we chose to split up so we could each take the kids on different things (something we "planned" not to do). I'm sure there's more. But, point is, these were all spontaneous (occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination) decisions. So yes, even with FP+ and ADR, you can be very spontaneous at Disney. No, we didn't get every ride done. But we had so much fun being spontaneous, doing less rides, and I think we got to experience far more, than if we had just been preoccupied with running from ride to ride.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Exactly, if you go all the time it's really no biggie if you miss something or didn't get CRT or whatever, however if you do not, then missing out really means missing out.

Which doesn't change the reality that there is not enough CRT available for everybody who wants to go, to get in. Disney has to allocate that resource, for which demand greatly outstrips supply, somehow. They could have a "no reservations" first come, first serve policy which doesn't help those who didn't know you had to get there early to grab one of the coveted spots. They chose to have advance reservations, but that doesn't help anybody who didn't know about it in time to book one before it filled up. Either way, you have disappointed guests who couldn't get in. The only other way to do it might be a lottery system, not sure how that would work. They'd be left with either reduce demand, or increase supply. It would be very difficult to increase supply enough to accommodate everyone who wanted in...that would dilute the experience quite a lot. The castle is only so big and there is only so much room for diners. They'd be stuck with moving it to a much larger venue, and then nobody gets to eat in the castle. That leaves with reduction of demand...and the most logical way to do that is to raise the prices, which rarely makes anybody happy.

 

[Lucius Best]

Book your ADRs
Book your FP+
Look over a map of the parks so you have a general idea of where things are so you're not wandering aimlessly (unless you want to!)
Plan on arriving 30-60 minutes early for parades, fireworks, depending on how good of a view you want
And go have fun!

Seriously, IMO, that's really all that's necessary.

Sure, when you say it like that, it sounds so simple. Just book your ADRs, book your FP+, and go have fun. And it can be that simple for the experienced WDW visitors on these boards. But I suspect that for the vast majority of first-timers, there is nothing simple about deciding out what parks they will be at months in advance and then figuring out what rides they will want to do, and when, and what rides they should get FP for, using MDE and the app, etc.

When I talk to friends/family who are first-timers or infrequent WDW visitors, and they learn that you can book FPs two months in advance, the first words out of their mouths are not "that sounds so easy" or "that's going to allow me to be so spontaneous". The most common words I hear are "what?", "ridiculous", "insane", "crazy", and "how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to/where I want to eat/what rides I want to go on". And after they start using the MDE app, the typical response is "what a pain in the butt". (I do not find it necessary or helpful to remind them that FP+ is an optional system, or that they should just be happy they are going to WDW.)

"Spontaneous" can mean a lot of different things to different people, and there are different levels of spontaneity. Deciding to have lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus instead of Columbia Harbour House, or strolling through a gift shop instead of heading straight to the next ride is not what I would call being truly spontaneous. For me, being really spontaneous was leaving several days at the tail end of my WDW vacation completely "open", then deciding what we wanted to do the night before or morning of. You can still do that, but it's more difficult that it used to be, especially if you have small children and you aren't sure what parks/rides are going to be their favorites.

 

[Catvondita]

Gee... and here I never called you names. Never impugned your intelligence. Offered the best advice I could (specifically, contacting Guest Services with your experience).

And yes, you did appear (to me) to be tossing your wife under the proverbial planning bus. Your own words: "I normally am a huge planner, but my wife asked me to just "go with the flow" and not overthink this visit." Subsequently getting mad and resorting to name calling hardly does a thing to change that impression.

I also don't think OP tossed his/her wife under the bus. OP just said what happened. Saying what happened isn't the same as blaming someone. Also it is kind of rude to imply OP doesn't respect his/her wife.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Clearly I got a different impression (though yes, I do recall him saying he's planning to use up the remaining days after all). I hope you're right, and I do hope he has a completely different, and more positive, experience on his next trip! But if all he ends up with are more pictures of cigarette butts and garbage, then he'll know that Disney's not the right vacation destination for him any more.

I'm not sure how the following posts *don't* convey that he agreed he should have researched better, and would on the next trip

This was post #10 in the thread...see the bolded.

I purposely did not do a lot of research before this visit; it was a one day / 8 hour visit.
I mean, gee, it's the Magic Kingdom ! What could go wrong ?? =)
I realize now that I should of done some research beforehand.
I was relating my experience so that [hopefully] someone else could avoid what we experienced with the FastPass system.

Again see the bolded.

Everyone:

As I mentioned in my first post, the "review" I posted consisted of my opinions and were and are related to my personal experience at MK.
I do not think that one should have to research a visit to an amusement park, but I also understand that doing the research beforehand would of enhanced my visit.

LOL

If and when I do return - and I suppose I have to because there is no way to sell the remaining 3 days I have - I will research the crap out of my visit.

An informed guest makes for a happier guest, and, as I have mentioned, I will research the heck out of my next visit.

And before it's said, I realize there are other things said in his posts. I'm just pointing out that the OP did in fact say that he should have done more research, and that he would do so for his future trips. I don't doubt these sentiments got lost in some of the length of his posts, but it doesn't change that he did in fact say these things, more than once.

 

[mshanson3121]

Sure, when you say it like that, it sounds so simple. Just book your ADRs, book your FP+, and go have fun. And it can be that simple for the experienced WDW visitors on these boards. But I suspect that for the vast majority of first-timers, there is nothing simple about deciding out what parks they will be at months in advance and then figuring out what rides they will want to do, and when, and what rides they should get FP for, using MDE and the app, etc.

When I talk to friends/family who are first-timers or infrequent WDW visitors, and they learn that you can book FPs two months in advance, the first words out of their mouths are not "that sounds so easy" or "that's going to allow me to be so spontaneous". The most common words I hear are "what?", "ridiculous", "insane", "crazy", and "how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to/where I want to eat/what rides I want to go on". And after they start using the MDE app, the typical response is "what a pain in the butt". (I do not find it necessary or helpful to remind them that FP+ is an optional system, or that they should just be happy they are going to WDW.)

"Spontaneous" can mean a lot of different things to different people, and there are different levels of spontaneity. Deciding to have lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus instead of Columbia Harbour House, or strolling through a gift shop instead of heading straight to the next ride is not what I would call being truly spontaneous. For me, being really spontaneous was leaving several days at the tail end of my WDW vacation completely "open", then deciding what we wanted to do the night before or morning of. You can still do that, but it's more difficult that it used to be, especially if you have small children and you aren't sure what parks/rides are going to be their favorites.

Ah, but I never said it was simple, did I? What I said was that you don't need to make minute by minute plans, and plan out every aspect of every day.

 

[WIcruizer]

Right. And although it's not simple, it's not rocket science either. Not a complicated concept to read up a little on WDW and FP+ and realize the most popular attractions are very busy, so best to schedule FP+ as far in advance as possible. Yes, that sounds crazy to first timers, but not very difficult to grasp.

 

[mshanson3121]

Right. And although it's not simple, it's not rocket science either. Not a complicated concept to read up a little on WDW and FP+ and realize the most popular attractions are very busy, so best to schedule FP+ as far in advance as possible. Yes, that sounds crazy to first timers, but not very difficult to grasp.

You're right it sounds crazy! When I first learned that we "had" to book rides, ADRs etc... so far out, I was in shock. And as I mentioned, I did find it all overwhelming and stressful trying to plan, because I listened to many of the people on here who said that you have to plan like a mad person, and the only way to have a successful busy season visit was to have touring plans with every ride listed out etc... etc... Thankfully now, I realize, and what I hope many other newbies learn is that (again, except for certain types/depending on your expectations), that level of detailed planning is NOT necessary to have a great visit, at all. I think a lot of it is people putting too much pressure on the idea of having the perfect family vacation (National Lampoon's Vacation always comes to mind, lol).

 

[WIcruizer]

Good points. Yea, since we're known "Disney people" we get asked a lot by people how to plan a trip. Instead of giving MY opinion of what we like to do, I always go through some questions about what's important to them.

For example, I have never been to a rope drop. Never watched a parade (other than Main St. Electrical parade), never did character meetings (even when our kids were young), and I could go on and on. But some families love all these things. But I always end with you will NEVER see and do it all in one trip. And if the kids are tired, don't fight it.

 

[lubob]

I always do some research before I go on vacation. Maybe a little more research on your part would of brought you up to speed on the new system and new restaurants on disney property. The new fast pass system maybe complicated if you don't know how it works. I do agree somethings are less magical but when I bring my two daughters to magic kingdom the look on there face is all the magic I need. And yes sometimes we do take them out of school for a couple of days to go to disney . I can't get off from my job in the summer time when they have no school. P.s. you need to make your fast passes 60 days out in order to get the times that fit your schedule. Disney is in my family's heart always

 

[Baklava]

Sure, when you say it like that, it sounds so simple. Just book your ADRs, book your FP+, and go have fun. And it can be that simple for the experienced WDW visitors on these boards. But I suspect that for the vast majority of first-timers, there is nothing simple about deciding out what parks they will be at months in advance and then figuring out what rides they will want to do, and when, and what rides they should get FP for, using MDE and the app, etc.

When I talk to friends/family who are first-timers or infrequent WDW visitors, and they learn that you can book FPs two months in advance, the first words out of their mouths are not "that sounds so easy" or "that's going to allow me to be so spontaneous". The most common words I hear are "what?", "ridiculous", "insane", "crazy", and "how am I supposed to know what park I want to go to/where I want to eat/what rides I want to go on". And after they start using the MDE app, the typical response is "what a pain in the butt". (I do not find it necessary or helpful to remind them that FP+ is an optional system, or that they should just be happy they are going to WDW.)

"Spontaneous" can mean a lot of different things to different people, and there are different levels of spontaneity. Deciding to have lunch at Pinocchio Village Haus instead of Columbia Harbour House, or strolling through a gift shop instead of heading straight to the next ride is not what I would call being truly spontaneous. For me, being really spontaneous was leaving several days at the tail end of my WDW vacation completely "open", then deciding what we wanted to do the night before or morning of. You can still do that, but it's more difficult that it used to be, especially if you have small children and you aren't sure what parks/rides are going to be their favorites.

I'm a first timer. While ADRs and FP+ were not "spontaneous" they actually were pretty easy. A quick Google search brings you to the Dis. The Dis points you to Easy WDW and TouringPlans. I have flung myself into the minute details because I'm like that, but doing it with less obsession would also have been pretty easy.

 

[Shanti]

I purposely did not do a lot of research before this visit; it was a one day / 8 hour visit.
I mean, gee, it's the Magic Kingdom ! What could go wrong ?? =)
I realize now that I should of done some research beforehand.
I was relating my experience so that [hopefully] someone else could avoid what we experienced with the FastPass system.

A large part of our frustration was that no one at the park could explain the system to us.
Also .. the locations used to get those FP's were in hard to find [what seemed like temporary] locations.

Also, how would a one day "spur of the moment" visitor know that you can and should book FP weeks in advance ??
Or is the answer simply that going to Disney without researching the heck out of the visit .... ie: deciding to go because it's a sunny day just a stupid thing to do ?

It's not stupid to go spur of the moment or avoid pre-planning if you like. You can still have a great time- you'll spend more time waiting in lines, and not get to do quite as many rides, but that shouldn't spoil your special day at Disney World.

You describe yourself as not believing in waiting more than 30 minutes in line. If that is the case then you must plan ahead to have fun. We can't have everything exactly the way we want it in life- at Disney, you have to either plan, or wait. But if you can tolerate waiting (which is typically with family &/or friends & often in an interactive queue), then the waits aren't the end of the world. We waited over an hour just to get into our local trail of lights at home, for example, but it didn't diminish our fun. MK is a wonderful place to be and you can always have fun there, preplanning or not. Just keep a positive attitude.

I suspect that most of your real frustration stems from the crowds being much greater than you expected, and yes, that is the new normal at Disney.

 

[Shanti]

I just returned from an 8 Day trip. I'm an ultimate planner and Disney fanantic but traveling with a toddler made planning a big challenge as you have to wing it when they are tired. I made fast passes but never was able to use them as plans had to change to accommodate the little one. In the past if one day didn't work out you could get up early and secure the best rides anyway and then go back to relax at resorts when the crowds hit. I also pick the lowest crowd times to avoid throngs of people. This time the crowd were huge even early in day, the wait times were routinely over 40 minutes for anything worth riding on. We still had a good time and focused on character interaction but it has me very worried for my large family trip in 2017. I simply cannot plan for 40 people at the level that is needed to day to have the same carefree experience. I tried booking restaurants that I normally book and this year was completely shut out of everyone because I missed a week. I tried new ones like Boat house and it was a hit but it was a huge wake up call for me. Dining plan is a huge waste of money. Drink prices at $16.00 for a mixed drink were over top rip off.

I found cast members very good on this trip but people in general are extremely rude and ignorant. Many times we waited in line for a parade with little guy in stroller. Right before show starts adults jump in front of him and then bring their own kids. Not worth getting in fight with these people as they don't have manners enough to know they did anything wrong.

I have gone over 30 times in past few years and have noticed many changes to my experience . I try to overlook this as I still feel Disney is a magical time if you look for the magic. I do not believe its possible anymore to enjoy Disney unless you can plan every second . I never understood how people could go to the world and just wait in 40 min line after 90 min line and enjoy their experience. This time if I wanted to ride anything I would have had long waits so I only went on three rides all week . I tried finding a last minute character meal anywhere at anytime for my little guy as it turns out that was what he loved. We had Chef mickey and it was hit but reg dining was not for him. Could not find anything at all despite being flexible. I finally experience the world like non planners do and it was an awful experience. Spending over $100 a day to walk around and then wait in long lines is not something I ever expected to do . I simply do not know how to successfully plan at this level with 40 people so thinking of cancelling trip .

You'll need to go at a lower-crowd time to be happy, it seems. Try mid to late January next time.

 

[epcotty]

I was thinking the same thing. I've been 6 times now in the past 3 or so years most of that with the new FP+ system and only once did I wait in a line as long as 30 minutes. That was on a party night with no FP and for 7DMT. Typically, it's been more like 15 minutes or less with our touring strategy and use of FP+. When a line is over 20 minutes I typically move on to the next attraction and when it's less I go back.

I really don't understand this unless you skip a lot of stuff. A lot of attractions consistently have longer wait times, and it'd be really tough to FP every single one of them at every park. And if they're not in your initial 3, you might not be able to get a FP for it later on with it being more popular. That being said, we typically refuse wait times over 40 minutes

 

[Dis703]

I really don't understand this unless you skip a lot of stuff. A lot of attractions consistently have longer wait times, and it'd be really tough to FP every single one of them at every park. And if they're not in your initial 3, you might not be able to get a FP for it later on with it being more popular. That being said, we typically refuse wait times over 40 minutes

No, we don't skip a lot of stuff. There are a handful of rides we don't do at all (ToT, Star Tours, Mission Space) because I have severe motion sickness or because we don't think ODS will like it, but we go on most of the rides and do most of the shows. We FP for the ones that we expect the longest waits and we do the FP early in the day so we can add more FP for the afternoon and evening. We've also had great luck with rides and attractions towards the end of the night. Ariel's M&G, for example, was about an hour wait almost all day but was a walk-in during the evening parade.

We also stretch our FP and use Rider Swap when able. And just in general bypass certain rides when they are busier and go when lines are shorter like early morning, during parades, and at the very end of the night.

 

[Magpie]

No, we don't skip a lot of stuff. There are a handful of rides we don't do at all (ToT, Star Tours, Mission Space) because I have severe motion sickness or because we don't think ODS will like it, but we go on most of the rides and do most of the shows. We FP for the ones that we expect the longest waits and we do the FP early in the day so we can add more FP for the afternoon and evening. We've also had great luck with rides and attractions towards the end of the night. Ariel's M&G, for example, was about an hour wait almost all day but was a walk-in during the evening parade.

We also stretch our FP and use Rider Swap when able. And just in general bypass certain rides when they are busier and go when lines are shorter like early morning, during parades, and at the very end of the night.

This is our approach as well (minus Rider Swap, as we don't have young kids any more). Three things that make this strategy work:

1. Know your rides. Even if you're doing it all "off the cuff" and being spontaneous, you're still relying on a wealth of info in the back of your head with regard to typical wait times and crowd patterns.

2. An afternoon nap back at the resort means you can take advantage both of rope drop AND late evening touring. It's the best of both worlds!

3. Long vacations (at least a week!). This way if you miss riding something on one day, you can always return and catch it on another.

Result - no waiting in long lines, no skipped rides (except the Rock and Roller coaster and Space Mountain, which we've tried but didn't care for much).

 

[epcotty]

It can be tough to get all your initial FPs early in the day, especially if you can only book 30 days out as we typically do. But early on, during parades and much later on are also good possibilities without FP and we try to do all those as much as possible. I don't know how to use rider swap. But we also try to avoid rides when lines are longer and try at a different time. Usually we just do 1 day at a park at a time so that makes it tougher. But we refuse to wait too long for anything

 

[MakiraMarlena]

rider swap usually works only if you have a young child who isn't going to ride.

 

[WIcruizer]

I really don't understand this unless you skip a lot of stuff. A lot of attractions consistently have longer wait times, and it'd be really tough to FP every single one of them at every park. And if they're not in your initial 3, you might not be able to get a FP for it later on with it being more popular. That being said, we typically refuse wait times over 40 minutes

It's actually very easy at Epcot, AK, and HS. MK is a little tougher, but if you take advantage of late EMH and spend more than one day at MK, that's actually pretty easy too.