Sure signs of not planning

[klo1335]

I was at the dentist back in May and getting ready to make FP+. I was talking with the hygentist, who I know because our kids swim together, and mentioned that we are going to Disney in August. She got very excited and said that they are going in November around Thanksgiving. I got excited and asked her if she made her ADRs yet because her window was opening soon. She looked at me completely puzzled and said, "what?" Turns out that they are staying off site (which I have done and am okay with) and they are planning on just "winging it." Her husband doesn't even want to go and only agreed if they could use his hotel travel points I smiled and said that it sounded good and gave her some websites to look into. I just hope she looked at some of those websites.

I often forget that I am in a small group of people who like to plan but I don't think that having a relaxing, leisurely trip doesn't mean you shouldn't have some knowledge of what occurs at the parks. Even when we go to the beach for the week and rent a house, I still plan out meals and others things we might do. And I consider the beach and nice, leisure vacation.

 

[jerseygirl82]

I've been going to WDW for 30 years now. I do plan..what I plan is when I'm going to Florida, that I'm going to WDW and that's pretty much it. I don't even know what park I'm going to until the morning after I've had breakfast. I do check and make sure that I don't go to an EMH park for the day, but, otherwise notta! I know all about Rope Drop, FP's, ADR's, etc. But I don't care, I refuse to be tied down to some schedule.

Probably because I have been so many times, I have always done what I wanted to do and those that I couldn't become part of the list for next time. I do strongly feel that for most people, the idea that one has to "plan" to go to a theme park is foreign at best. It just isn't a natural thing to do. They have seen the promotional spots on TV, and nothing about that tells them that they have to plan 180 days ahead. It comes as a surprise to them. Do their homework? Why should they think that they have to do homework to visit a theme park. It's just veterans that feel superior to them because we know.

I don't feel superior to anyone, but it frustrates me to listen to people complain or say they had a terrible vacation due to their own negligence or unrealistic expectations. You don't have to be obsessive, but depending on when you go you DO need some ADRs or the plan to only eat QS, you do need to secure that A&E fast pass otherwise plan to wait what may seem to you a ridiculous amount of time. Some things are just avoidable by using simple to come by resources.

 

[jerseygirl82]

A relaxed family with happy smiles on their faces enjoying the parks at a leisurely pace laughing at all those planners running to there next activity on the plan.

This is my family, but because I do at least some planning. FP+ made for our favorite rides, ideas for QS lunch, with a few must do ADRs sprinkled in. Also, thanks to my planning, we go with realistic expectations.

And we never laugh at the "planners running". Maybe this is a once in a lifetime trip for them and they don't get the opportunity to vacation at Disney the way my family does. Maybe their clipboard of fun is what makes them happy at the end of the day.

 

[Minniesgal]

This is my family, but because I do at least some planning. FP+ made for our favorite rides, ideas for QS lunch, with a few must do ADRs sprinkled in. Also, thanks to my planning, we go with realistic expectations.

And we never laugh at the "planners running". Maybe this is a once in a lifetime trip for them and they don't get the opportunity to vacation at Disney the way my family does. Maybe their clipboard of fun is what makes them happy at the end of the day.

Maybe but the idea of getting up at 6am to get to rope drop then rush rush rushing for the next 3 hours is my idea of hell not vacation.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Ok, here's something I did before we left for WDW for my DS's very first trip when he was one. I am a PLANNER! Though I've backed off quite a bit as we go often now and only pick 3 or 4 must-do's for each trip (yes, it's much more relaxed, but I have the luxury of knowing I've ridden most things and eaten most everywhere). I knew before he was born we would be going to WDW as soon as he turned one. Months prior to his first birthday, I booked Poly LV CL (yes, turned out to be a mistake, who knew the water pageant playing right outside our patio door could be so loud?! LOL!), booked our ADR's (I got O'hana, woohoo!), made our daily plans (no FP+ as this was in 2008), rented and packed all the baby stuff (stroller, crib, baby bath, diaper delivery), had my disney rewards card ready, etc. etc. etc. I was READY! Arrived at the airport to find I had forgotten to put my driver's license in my brand new Mickey Mouse wallet . . . . thank goodness we live 20 minutes from the airport! I hopped back in the car, grabbed my license and made it back in time. Whew! Learned my lesson! I might snag BOG and A&E, but without that ID, I'm not going anywhere!

 

[GaryDis]

brining a camera

Are the pictures tastier that way? Or does the rust from the salt make them a nice sepia tone?

Sorry, I don't want to be one of those spelling nit-pickers, but some typos are just too humorous to pass up. I've made my share of doozies.

 

[lwc]

A relaxed family with happy smiles on their faces enjoying the parks at a leisurely pace laughing at all those planners running to there next activity on the plan.

This is my family.

Nobody is cranky because we have just had a leisurely lunch at a nice, air conditioned, sit down restaurant. (That I booked at 180 days)

Nobody is arguing over which attraction to hit next. Because they know that they will see everything they want to. (Because they can look at the schedule I painstakingly created)

Nobody is grumpy about waiting in long lines, even though we can only travel in during school breaks, because, somehow, magically, we've had mostly very short lines, none over 20 minutes. Even though signs everywhere say 60, 90, 120. (Ok, maybe the "magic" is really Touring Plans' algorithms.)

Nobody is exhausted and burnt out because we have at least every third day scheduled as a sleep late/pool/DTD day. (We were the running family on our "one time Disney trip of a lifetime" about 7 years back, and I'm glad we did it and did it all, but we were all more exhausted post vacation than pre! Now we don't try to do everything. But we sure do plan!)

 

[itchin2go]

Maybe but the idea of getting up at 6am to get to rope drop then rush rush rushing for the next 3 hours is my idea of hell not vacation.

If someone else would rather do things that way, is that ok? For me, showing up at noon and waiting in long lines sounds more hellish .... Though I imagine hell being worse than either option.

FWIW though, we are rope droppers, but we don't get up at 6:00 (3 hours to make it to the parks?), and we don't rush rush rush.....

 

[Mrs Eeyore]

Sooo many of these stories could have been us. Our first trip as adults was in 2006, more than 30 years after my last trip as a child. I was so utterly clueless it's scary. Fortunately we were with MIL who knew next to nothing, but she did insist on doing RD. Somehow we figured out fastpasses along the way. We were lucky to have very patient children and we all had a great time in spite of our ignorance. Our next two trips were planned by a TA who really knew her stuff. I started trying to figure things out for myself after the last trip, but we will probably still book through our TA.

I know someone who spent some time at MK during a business trip. She's a very entitled sort of person who expects to be given priority service anywhere she goes and that the rules will be waived for her. I know that she would not bother to plan. I am looking forward to hearing her rant about what a waste of time and money it was.

 

[W.E.D.]

A lot of folks are mentioning no ADRs. I had a co-worker several years who said he had been to WDW many times. He was telling me about his upcoming trip for Spring Break in (at the time) a few weeks. He was really excited because he had purchased the DxDP. He was savvy enough to call it by the correct name. But when I asked him where he had reservations, he said he wasn't making any. I thought to myself, "Those are going to be the most expensive chicken tenders he will ever eat!"

I remember those glorious days of yesteryear when you could walk up to Guest Relations and get a same day ressie. And I thank my lucky stars I found the DIS before our 2011 trip and made my ADRs!!!

 

[W.E.D.]

I don't think this necessarily indicates a lack of planning. I planned PLENTY and said this to my son every time we entered a park because he liked grabbing one and being able to "help" navigate. He also saved them and grabbed show times guides too. And though I don't need maps to navigate the parks at all, I did use them once in the world showcase when I wasn't sure where the nearest bathroom was.

The maps also have historical value. I still have our map from 1976. A few things have changed. It's fun to look back sometimes at all the differences.

 

[Bullseye]

A relaxed family with happy smiles on their faces enjoying the parks at a leisurely pace laughing at all those planners running to there next activity on the plan.

Hmmm, usually when I'm waiting to be seated for ADR's (booked at 180 days out) there are numerous walk-ins being turned away and they don't have happy smiles on their faces. And, generally I don't see a lot of happy faces on those guests who have been waiting and waiting in stand-by lines as I cruise by through the FP line (booked at 60 days out). When you plan you can take things a leisurely pace...because you have reservations.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Hmmm, usually when I'm waiting to be seated for ADR's (booked at 180 days out) there are numerous walk-ins being turned away and they don't have happy smiles on their faces. And, generally I don't see a lot of happy faces on those guests who have been waiting and waiting in stand-by lines as I cruise by through the FP line (booked at 60 days out). When you plan you can take things a leisurely pace...because you have reservations.

I got yelled at a few times working at CRT because I ruined their family's vacation because they couldn't eat in the castle....

I love planning, but I wish it didn't have to be so far in advance! 60 days is enough for me!

 

[itchin2go]

A relaxed family with happy smiles on their faces enjoying the parks at a leisurely pace laughing at all those planners running to there next activity on the plan.

Hmmm, usually when I'm waiting to be seated for ADR's (booked at 180 days out) there are numerous walk-ins being turned away and they don't have happy smiles on their faces. And, generally I don't see a lot of happy faces on those guests who have been waiting and waiting in stand-by lines as I cruise by through the FP line (booked at 60 days out). When you plan you can take things a leisurely pace...because you have reservations.

I agree, Bullseye ... and I'm never laughing at those people. It makes me feel bad for them.

 

[marielynn724]

walking into Le Cellier at 6:30 and asking if there is a table available for dinner.

 

[LetsTalkWDW]

or to look for the monorail to take me to Universal

But there is a monorail to Universal Studios, I saw it on youtube:

 

[Minniesgal]

I remember those glorious days of yesteryear when you could walk up to Guest Relations and get a same day ressie. And I thank my lucky stars I found the DIS before our 2011 trip and made my ADRs!!!

there are lots of same day ressies available. just have a look at what is open for today. most places are with a few obvious exceptions.

 

[Octoberbaby]

WDW did have its own runway, not active for decades. I think it was for Disney execs and VIPs during WDW's initial development. But never for paying WDW guests. LOL

It's used now for semi trailer parking and bulk storage, as you can see on Google Maps. I read somewhere that the Disney plane (like the one on display at HS Backlot tour) flew in there, long before the Epcot monorail (seen below between World Dr and the airstrip) was even a vague idea.

View attachment 112159

I didn't know this! Neat!

 

[Bullseye]

I agree, Bullseye ... and I'm never laughing at those people. It makes me feel bad for them.

Don't feel too bad, we all have do our share of stand-by. I think most planning mistakes are made by first-timers. We all get a little wiser on subsequent trips.

 

[KorieDWnut]

We don't do rope drop and we are planners/enthusiasts. We enjoy being in the park and don't mind a reasonable wait. We like leisurely breakfasts. Although we are certainly up early enough. It just doesn't appeal to us. I wouldn't assume everyone who isn't there early isn't planning.

There is no way I would be able to get my husband and 3 teenage daughters up and out early enough to make rope drop. I would like to see it once in my life time but in the 30+ times I have been to WDW, I have never made it there, and it has never hindered my enjoyment of my vacations.