Not planning and disappointment

[cjparker0110]

I just don't understand not planning or at least learning ahead what there is to do there, when you invest so much $$ into a Disney trip. I like to get the most bang for my buck.

I hate hearing from people who complain that there was nothing to see when they didn't bother to take the effort to find out about the different experiences, parades, fireworks, etc. that Disney offers.

I agree with the concept of your statement. When you invest thousands of dollars on a trip, it is a responsibility to plan ahead...that means doing all the research. However, I could understand not having a big plan if you were in the area and decided to just stop at one of the parks on a whim. At most amusement/theme parks you can just show up and find things to do with no trouble. WDW is completely different. I mean you can do it that way, but it's difficult to have a good experience if you are a first timer facing immense crowds and not knowing what you are looking for. Planning is always key to a good vacation.

 

[chicagogrl]

I just don't understand not planning or at least learning ahead what there is to do there, when you invest so much $$ into a Disney trip. I like to get the most bang for my buck.

I hate hearing from people who complain that there was nothing to see when they didn't bother to take the effort to find out about the different experiences, parades, fireworks, etc. that Disney offers.

It was not a last minute trip. However, when we met before the trip she just wanted to take it leisurely. You can't be disappointed if you didn't try to find more or read your map and activities on the map.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

But aren't there signs of the shops sights outside of them?

 

[AdamEfimoff]

So they did not plan a trip and where not engaged enough to even bother to have fun. It happens

 

[txfigment]

Epcot has always been my favorite park. It won me over with the original Journey into imagination, horizons and world of motion. This year we are visiting over thanksgiving with a group of all ages (79, 64, 37, 35, 16 & 6). I have our FP+ for the morning and CdF for a late lunch but no other plans. After reading this post I think I might need to plan better to make sure we don't get bored.

 

[MrInfinity]

I agree with the concept of your statement. When you invest thousands of dollars on a trip, it is a responsibility to plan ahead...that means doing all the research. However, I could understand not having a big plan if you were in the area and decided to just stop at one of the parks on a whim. At most amusement/theme parks you can just show up and find things to do with no trouble. WDW is completely different. I mean you can do it that way, but it's difficult to have a good experience if you are a first timer facing immense crowds and not knowing what you are looking for. Planning is always key to a good vacation.

This is more of a personal thing. It will vary greatly from person to person. I would say that Planning is the key to a well-planned vacation.

Perhaps to some, well-planned is synonymous with good... But good vacations can be planned or unplanned. They can also be spontaneous, frivolous, ill-advised, poorly thought out, spur of the moment, or wild and crazy. This is true of all vacations including Disney World. Really everyone I know outside the Dis goes to Disney World pretty much unplanned, at least compared to a Dis'er. They don't have spreadsheets, timetables, etc. They just go. Other than a few anecdotal experiences I hear about out here, people don't come back complaining of disappointment. They may speak of some negatives like it being crowded, hot, etc... but the general takeaway is that despite all the normal things that are to be expected at WDW, they have a blast.

What makes a trip good or bad to me is what you do with it once you decide to go. Whether that be 6 months ago or last night, either trip can be equally good.

 

[PantherPete]

Agreed. I'd offer that several attractions in Epcot still provide a learning experience. Every country pavilion will highlight some aspect of their native land that's probably unique and unknown to the average visitor...

And she probably couldn't appreciate the World Showcase restaurants as most are so cleverly blended into the facades of the pavilions...

Even Journey into Your Imagination With Figment, with all the grief it gets, can be credited with stimulating imagination and creativity -- even in its current form... Living with the Land highlights hydroponics and aquaculture... Seas/Nemo is VERY educational (about fish)... Ellen's (Low) Energy Adventure espouses conservation... Test Track shows (in the pre-show) what design features will do to vehicle efficiency...

 

[trouttigger]

Mrinfinity, my observation is the same as yours: MOST people I know just go to WDW with no more planning than a hotel reservation and the decision to go to certain parks on certain days. They do the obvious stuff at best. They don't fall in love with Disney. No need to return. Well, lucky for us Dis'ers. Keeps them from being in line in front of us.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

EPCOT is the perfect storm for this situation. It's big and there really isn't a flow with East/West and WS. If you're looking for rides then there isn't much without long lines and the movies just aren't for everyone.

 

[AdamEfimoff]

I agree with the concept of your statement. When you invest thousands of dollars on a trip, it is a responsibility to plan ahead...that means doing all the research. However, I could understand not having a big plan if you were in the area and decided to just stop at one of the parks on a whim. At most amusement/theme parks you can just show up and find things to do with no trouble. WDW is completely different. I mean you can do it that way, but it's difficult to have a good experience if you are a first timer facing immense crowds and not knowing what you are looking for. Planning is always key to a good vacation.

bReally? I always thought people can plan a vacation or not plan a vacation as they see fit? You might not have a good one but you can in a democracy do what you want if it does not harm anyone else. And as far as I know this is was not harmful to anyone else?

 

[larryz]

bReally? I always thought people can plan a vacation or not plan a vacation as they see fit? You might not have a good one but you can in a democracy do what you want if it does not harm anyone else. And as far as I know this is was not harmful to anyone else?

True statement. I think it offends some sensibilities that people would spend thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of dollars on a vacation without maximizing their ROI from the time. I know I have oft scratched my head and pulled my beard pondering the same.

But I have come to accept that for some, it's worth the thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) to get away from their home environment and just plop down on a beach with a chair, an umbrella, a good book and a thermos full of margaritas. Amen! I say to that.

There are two kinds of people in this world -- those who plan vacations, and those who don't. This board is, thankfully, big enough for both of them.

 

[cjparker0110]

bReally? I always thought people can plan a vacation or not plan a vacation as they see fit? You might not have a good one but you can in a democracy do what you want if it does not harm anyone else. And as far as I know this is was not harmful to anyone else?

Not really sure why you sound so offended at what I said here? I never said you can't go without planning. However, I find very few people have a really good vacation without planning. Can it be done? Sure. However, I find the more money people spend, the more planning that needs to be involved. When someone sinks thousands into a vacation and did not do any planning, they tend to feel ripped off. Again, it is not a 100% rule. But i bet you would find that 99.9% of people will say a vacation is not good if they spend that much money without planning.

I have done both ways. I have gone on vacations with no planning and had a blast: these were usually simple things like going to the beach or somewhere that has plenty of fun and inexpensive activities where my main concern is eating and finding my way around the area. When I plan something like a WDW trip, I look into a LOT more than that. Why? There are rides, shows, restaurants, etc, that all need to be planned ahead of time. FOr instance, my next trip will involved children (my first time taking kids). My planning is way different than ever before. Why? Because I have to figure out what rides will be ok for MY kids, what they are going to do in places like Epcot (which I hated as a kid) and where would be the best fun places to eat on our budget (which will be tighter than I ever had before). If I went in there with no planning, I would be in trouble and would probably grumble the whole time...and my wife would too as she is a penny pincher. I'm having enough of a hard time convincing her it's worth while. If we arrived without a plan, without ADRs for our big meals, and without an idea of what to do in each park with our small children, she would not be happy at all. Planning is key to a good vacation. Just as it is in any avenue in life. Even people who say they don't plan usually still plan. They just don't plan on a grand scale. And that's ok...especially those that go often and know what they are getting into.

I even did a roadtrip one time in which we did not know where we would stop each night to sleep. We figured we would just drive and stop based on where we got tired. And it worked. That said, we had a general outline of where we would be going. We found several things that looked fun and stopped based on time of day that we arrived. Some places we stayed at longer than we though we would. Others we left quickly after arriving because we didn't want to waste anymore time. Even the "unplanned" nature of our road trip was planned.

 

[cijay]

One thing about winging it at a theme park new to you...the sooner you learn it the better. You follow every path and road you see. Don't stop 'til you see either "exit' or "staff only" type things. You go on or in everything that's theree unless there's sound reason not to (gonna get sick, flashing lights etc). I was 49 when I first rode the Dumbos. Itwasn't exactly the time of my life but how did i go so many trips to Disneyland and never rode the Dumbos yet? Unless you're pressed for time, you have nothing to lose,, even if you find the ride/attraction lame and boring.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I honestly think that there are two types of people who deal with disappointment with lack of planning: Those who take it as lesson learned for the next time where they plan at least a bit more (they don't necessarily have to go the way planned out way tons of people do) and those who end up swearing they would never go back because nothing worked out for them.

There are those who like to wing it and probably wouldn't complain because that's just how they go about things. And then there are those who expect to wing it at one of the most visited theme parks in the world and are sorely upset that they missed out on so much and then feel like they were scammed out of their money (and they proceed to warn away all their friends by word of mouth, on social media and review sites).

Things can happen on every vacation and legitimately some things that happen could even put a damper on my overly excited mind but I wouldn't let that cloud over my entire trip (unless it had to do with my actual accomodations which prevented me from actually being on my trip).

I don't know how others feel but I personally see Disney World as just one large park. Each separate park is a puzzle piece that fits perfectly when combined all together.

What gets me are the people who admit they didn't like x,y, and z but they went to the specific park that had x, y, and z. Then I see their review here or on Trip Advisor and wonder if they travel like this everywhere. It's like saying I hate beaches so I went to a resort on the beach and then proceeded to hate it and then let everyone know how much the place lacked.

When it comes to family vacations my husband and I are the sole planners. My in-laws get a say in what we do of course but they really don't know the first thing about planning (they don't go to a website for a place and they call for reservations (which isn't a huge issue but really there is only so much that can be explained or advised on over the phone). They haven't been to Disney World/Universal in like 13 years (and it will be over 15 years when we go in Sep 2017) and if left to their own devices in the planning department I guarantee they would come back with some horror stories.

 

[fla4fun]

True statement. I think it offends some sensibilities that people would spend thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of dollars on a vacation without maximizing their ROI from the time. I know I have oft scratched my head and pulled my beard pondering the same.

But I have come to accept that for some, it's worth the thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) to get away from their home environment and just plop down on a beach with a chair, an umbrella, a good book and a thermos full of margaritas. Amen! I say to that.

There are two kinds of people in this world -- those who plan vacations, and those who don't. This board is, thankfully, big enough for both of them.

I feel there is a huge difference between not "planning" a vacation, and being completely uninformed and oblivious. You can only be that uninformed if you deliberately choose to be.

We have never really "planned" our WDW trips, other than making the hotel reservation. Even with FP+, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of days we actually stick to the park and attractions we've reserved. We are definitely "wing it" kind of people. But when we are going somewhere on vacation, particularly somewhere new, we do read up on what there is to do, and restaurants in the area, and get an idea of what might interest us. I went with my sister and BIL to D.C. this year for the first time. None of us had been there before. We did not plan out our days, nor did we make dining reservations in advance of the trip. The only thing we did in advance was book the hotel and get our metro passes. But we did read up on what was in the area, and we did look at restaurant recommendations, so in the end we did see the things we were interested in and have some great meals. We would just get up in the morning and say "let's see this part of the city today" and off we'd go! I don't consider that style of vacationing "planning" per se, because there's no schedule or itinerary involved, but we are well informed about the area we are going to.

Once a year at least I do go to the beach on vacation and do nothing more than relax. Sometimes a good rest is well worth the money spent, and I just can't seem to do the relax thing at home where there's always something vying for my attention. I really look forward to those trips too.

So maybe there are three types of people - those who plan vacations in detail, those who "wing it" with research, and those who just go and have no idea what they're getting into . . .

 

[Mambo Junkie]

This is more of a personal thing. It will vary greatly from person to person. I would say that Planning is the key to a well-planned vacation.

Perhaps to some, well-planned is synonymous with good... But good vacations can be planned or unplanned. They can also be spontaneous, frivolous, ill-advised, poorly thought out, spur of the moment, or wild and crazy. This is true of all vacations including Disney World. Really everyone I know outside the Dis goes to Disney World pretty much unplanned, at least compared to a Dis'er. They don't have spreadsheets, timetables, etc. They just go. Other than a few anecdotal experiences I hear about out here, people don't come back complaining of disappointment. They may speak of some negatives like it being crowded, hot, etc... but the general takeaway is that despite all the normal things that are to be expected at WDW, they have a blast.

What makes a trip good or bad to me is what you do with it once you decide to go. Whether that be 6 months ago or last night, either trip can be equally good.

Really everyone I know outside the Dis goes to Disney World pretty much unplanned, at least compared to a Dis'er. They don't have spreadsheets, timetables, etc. They just go.
This is us.

We are not by nature planners. I realize things have changed when it comes to the parks being crowded, and the last time I went we were too planned and did not enjoy ourselves. This time I will go with moderate planning ( a couple of ADRs, 1 major planned (princess) day, and the rest, we will just enjoy life. I was unhappy with all the planning, fast passes, need for ADRs, etc from our last trip, but I love Disney so it will not keep me from going back. I will just do it differently, This time, the biggest difference is that we will definitely at least do 1 rope drop (in over 43 years I have never done rope drop) and 1 pre park opening ADR. I think with a little planning to not plan so much, we can bring the magic back.

 

[Aurora0427]

We just returned from a 10 day trip. This was our tenth trip, but my mom's first since 2000, so it was basically her first trip since so much has changed in 15 years. I planned out the days we'd be in the park and our fast passes. I specifically researched Food & Wine because I knew my husband would love trying different foods. But we deviated from the plan, so it's not like we are commando style planners.

My mother remarked multiple times a day "I cannot imagine coming here for the first time without a plan. Without doing any research. That's just crazy."

I have to agree. Spending thousands of dollars on a vacation and not knowing anything is just crazy to me. If Disney were cheap, whatever. But to not even open the map or look at the different restaurants is just goofy. Your friend sounds oblivious.

Yes, some of you will disagree with me and go on and on about how you go to Disney all the time without a plan. I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about people like OP's friend who spend all of this money to go to a park and can't find anything to do bc they can't read? Or whatever. I don't even know.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

i never go to Disney without a plan. Big trip, Weekend trip, day trip, afternoon at The parks on a whim, I've always got at least my 3 FP's and an ADR. (If you're not picky, you can always get something) I do this because I would rather make decisions whilst playing on my iPad in my pajamas, than standing in the middle of the hub while the adults shrug "I dunno, I'll do whatever" and the child just wants to get candy. This scenario is way more stressful to me than stalking MDE for a dining reservation.
Im willing to move things around, or be flexible, but I plan everything with the goal of just never having to ask the group "okay, so what do we want to do?"

 

[GPC0321]

I've just hit the wall regarding planning. Since I booked the trip back in July, I have loved every minute of researching and planning. I've drafted multiple itineraries, have switched resorts, updated to preferred rooms, added a night's stay, removed hoppers, added them back, added extra day in the parks, then removed it again (might add it back). And don't even get me started on ADRs!! I think at one point or the other I've had reservations at half the restaurants at Epcot plus a dozen more. I've had so many confirmation and cancellation emails it's mind boggling! I'm pretty sure I had become addicted to changing ADRs!
Then, yesterday, I decided ENOUGH!! My obsession in creating the "perfect" vacation had become out of hand. I started realizing that being confined by a slew of ADRs and FP+ reservations was likely to set us up for more possible problems than if we went with the flow more. So my 6 ADRs got whittled down to 3, and I've decided that the world won't end if I don't schedule 3 FP+ each day in a park.

That said, the amount of research I've done is bound to pay off. I study the maps, keep up with crowd calendars and hours of operation, and have the benefit of having been there before many years ago, so I have a general knowledge of how the place is laid out, etc.

I cannot imagine going in blind, but maybe ignorance is bliss in some instances. You don't know you're missing out if you don't know it's there to start with.

 

[Baklava]

I view our ADRs and FP+ as options, not requirements. We can decide the day before what ADRs we want to keep if I make them early. We can't decide to have a pre-park breakfast at BoG the day before if I don't. FP+ has no cancellation penalty, so that's even easier. If we hit Test Track in a short line at 9 am and don't want to go back for our 11 am FP we just don't have to go- but if the lines are 2 hours long we're going to be sorry we didn't make a FP+. A plan is not graven in stone. It's an outline.