Not so keen to go now - any advice would be great

[SupercoolMummy]

Hi,

We are booked to go to DLP at the start of May for 4 nights. Me and my hubby are taking our 4-year old daughter and she is beyond excited . We have saved really hard to go on this trip and I was also really looking forward to it until recently.

All I have heard lately is peoples bad experiences, mostly about other people being rude and pushy and it being so expensive. I totally expected the expense and am prepared for that but I am getting a bit concerned about the pushing/rudeness etc.

Is it really that bad? Has anyone got any tips about how they coped? Any hints or tips about how to try and get it as quiet as possible? We are staying at the Sequoia Lodge. We are going for our daughter so my hubby and I are not bothered about any of the big rides etc, we are happy to just do the things that she wants, e.g Princess, Toy Story etc. Are these areas not as bad as the big rides?

Thanks for any help and advice. We have saved so hard for this trip and really don't want our memories to be about other people's behaviour.

 

[DLPdaft]

Don't worry - we're here to help you plan .

what exact dates will you be at DLP?

Most of the pushing and inconsideration from other guests are for the random meet n greets in both parks - so avoid them. there are plenty of queued meet n greets in both parks, and if you make the most of EMH from 8am to 10am each morning you are there, your DD will get on most of the rides in Fantasyland with no/minimal queueing in that time.

Do you have any character meals planned? If your DD would like to meet the characters, the queued meet n greets and a character meal or 2 will fit the bill, and again, no pushing/shoving at these, as the characters come to your table at all the character meals.

Please please don't let this one minor issue at DLP worry you, it can easily be avoided .

 

[torsie24]

Sadly, it is true that there is pushing in DLRP, mostly I think just down to the cultural differences between us and some of the other European countries, to them they aren’t being rude, that’s just what they do.

That being said don’t let it put you off. We’ve never had a problem in queues for rides etc, it is just as the characters meets where there isn’t a defined queue. If you stick to the meet & greets where there’s a proper queue, or go for Character meals, then you shouldn’t encounter too many problems. You’ll have a lovely time.

Also – early May is a quiet time, so I think you’ll be fine.

 

[adr2.8i]

i have only been to dlrp once and i had exactly the same feelings and worries you have but trust me, you will have an awesome time.!

i think May will be fairly quiet crowd wise, and that will help you alot. i took my 4yr old son 2 years ago and he loved it. just try and relax and take your time goin around the parks and you will be fine!

we went in september and the crowds were manageable but we still had a few issues, not with pushy crowds, but the people who walked around smoking everywhere. that was the only downside for us. in the height of the summer season i could imagine it being very crowded and stressful but may should be ok and you will have a fab time i promise.

we are going back in june with my son and our 2yr old daughter and im not panicking or worrying at all.

just take your time and take everything in and you will have the most magical experience!

 

[tinks_1989]

Make the most of Extra magic hours to ride fantasyland rides and buzz in discovery land!

If you want to meet characters hotel meet and greets and character meals are probably best way to do this! Just avoid the character meets with scrums!

Even though it was busy last week when were there waits for things like stitch live, playhouse Disney, animagique and stunt show were fine! We went back for a rest about 1-2 o'clock to avoid the really busy times!

It can be expensive just be sensible where you choose to eat! We found a lot of merchandise that is the same as our Disneystore this year so we really didn't buy much!

 

[kizzabel]

Ah dont be worrying at all

We have been in May and it was busy (school hols) but not unmanageable.

I would get as much done in the mornings or evenings as possible and take the afternoons at your leisure, strolling around and soaking up the atmosphere.

We are there for two days the 1st week in May and I understand the parks may be busy but its ok as DP isnt a big ride fan so we will see the shows which arent as tedious for queueing. Anamagique and Cinemagique are fantastic and Stitch is a must see. The IASW queue is always deceptively long too but very fast moving, POTC is similar that way too (and not too scary for your LO).

As regards the expense, yes it is extremely expensive but with a little planning you can save and lessen the blow. We find the meal plans great for this as because they are prepaid we find we don't mind the expense as bad. Its also reassuring knowing the bulk of your meals and expense are taken out of the equation before you arrive. We normally pay between €10 and 20 on top depending on drinks (cocktails ) and extras or deviations from the set menus so it isnt so bad.
They can be used in any restaurant (exclusions: McDonalds, King Ludwigs, Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Cafe and Earl of Sandwichs) at face value against the cost of your meal or for set menus.

Dont let the fear overshadow your trip as once you get there you will see its all magical and special and using the park programmes to make a rough plan of action will help you get the most from your trip. You will get one at check in or if you are an organiser freak like me it will be available from one week to one day before you leave on the official DLP website.

Hope you have a fantastic trip

 

[deepblue]

We've experienced the pushing a few times but although unpleasant at the time it was a couple of incidents in a few days so not very often. Strongly agree with EMH, character meals and using hotel meet & greets - you can go into any hotel not just the SL. We're also going at the beginning of May with our 4 yo. It's a surprise for her so I'm havin to be excited enough for both of us!

 

[ShimmerTinks]

ive never really experienced any pushing etc in all my trips there, But ive never had a child with me so we didnt do meet and greets etc with the characters.But when i go in two weeks, will have my 4yr old with me so its going to be a different experience.

From all the threads and posts ive read over the months, i too will only go to the meet and greets which are being manned, and have a queue. as i dont want our day ruined with rudeness.
But everyones experiences will be different, some may not see pushing etc at all.

I think you will have a fab time! - All the tips given are great! Character meals and Hotel Meet and greets!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

We encountered a few rude people last year but I don't think you can get too wrapped up in it.
Stay inside your own disney bubble and you will be absolutely fine, chances are you will not notice anything - after all you can get rude people anywhere these days.

 

[SupercoolMummy]

Thanks everyone for your hints and tips, they are very much appreciated. I am definitely feeling better about going. It seems that a lot of the pushing can be avoided

We are booked for the Princess lunch and will make sure we only do other organised meet and greets. Thanks for mentioning the EMH, didn't know about that and that you can go into any hotel for meets. I will definitely be printing off the schedule of events when it comes online so we can do some organising in advance!

Thanks again, there were a lot of things mentioned that I had no idea about so it is great to know about them in advance.

We are going from 6-10 May.

 

[Ms Poppins]

Hi, just noticed your dates - we're going to be there the same time

I stay away from the 'scrums' as they are called. We get plenty of character interaction from the hotel/meals etc.

It's funny, but I think it totally depends on how you approach DLP and what you want to see from it. If you go looking for problems then you'll no doubt find them. For example I can say hand on heart that I've never noticed a problem with smokers. I'm a non-smoker, and I'm sure I've seen smoking, but not enough to be bothered by it.

I spoke to someone recently who was just back and she had an absolutely fantastic time. One of my work colleagues had been the exact same dates and complained about loads of things that I would never have noticed. (that same person complains constantly about other things too )

We all spend a lot of money at Disney, and I suppose I do look at it through rose tinted glasses sometimes, but I refuse to let anything annoy me enough to prevent me from going back. I try to let it brush off - and honestly, I only remember the good stuff

Hope you have a great time

 

[HFJohnson]

I didn't notice much in the way of rudeness or smoking when we went last year, although we did go at a quiet time. As has been mentioned before, if you go looking for problems you will find them (as many of the reports on Tripadvisor will confirm!!) - as much as Disney is magical it will never achieve perfection. If you do encounter anything negative just brush it off and concentrate on all the wonderful things you can find there, search for all the hidden little details, enjoy the great rides and have fun!

Oh, and be sure to check out the DLH at 4pm as they have a little character show and meet and greet on some days (check at reception to find out when).

 

[smallpig]

Don't forget to use fastpasses to save queueing and make things a bit less stressful!

 

[TheTizardFamily:0)]

We always avoid the spontanious character meets with our boys, we stick to scheduled ones and always have atleast one character meal.

I do think much of the pushing etc is just a cultural thing, so try not to let it worry you and deffinately not let it have any impact on your holiday. You will all have a wonderful time i'm sure

 

[jennytablina]

Pushing generally only happens at character meets and occasionally when people are getting seated for the parade ect.

Personally I'll never approach a spontanious character appearance unless we are there first, or the crowd seems fairly reasonable.

Also avoid anyone who looks like they are planning to mess about, our worst experience was on our first trip. Disney CM's failed to control crowds for the first showing of Legend of the Lion King, and my brother ended up gashing his leg - after some inconsiderate adults decided it would be a great idea to jump on the rope bridge, causing him to lose balance and fall over.

Though this was our 2006 trip and in all honesty since then DLP seem to have stamped out some of that and fixed a lot of issues we had with hotels and all. I will say, the staff may not always be as keen, but there are many CM's willing to make sure you have a great holiday anyway : )

 

[A Small World]

It can also get pushy on the buses at times so if you can walk to and from the parks it will help as well. (It will only take about 10 mins from Sequoia and is a nice pleasant walk past the lake and through the village)

 

[jennytablina]

It can also get pushy on the buses at times so if you can walk to and from the parks it will help as well. (It will only take about 10 mins from Sequoia and is a nice pleasant walk past the lake and through the village)

Second this a lot, the buses are only worth it if you are at Santa Fe - and even then I would consider getting up early and taking the walk instead! Because everyone crowds the buses, the walk thru Disney Village can be lovely in the morning : ) (and Starbucks are open early if you want a coffee before you hit the parks)

 

[Hipster Meg]

Having read some of the reviews of DLRP on trip advisor I have to wonder if some of the people had been to the same park that I have! One woman complained about there not being a restaurant in the SL when there are two!

I agree with the people who say that the best way to meet characters are the at the character meals such as Cafe Mickey and at the organised meet and greets in the hotels and parks. While it's nice to see character wandering around the parks the crowds can be bad. If your daughter wants princesses then it'd probably be worth doing either the princess meal or a visit to the Princess Pavillion.