They do exist!

[ShayBells]

It shocks me how little people know. I tried telling my one friend who was thinking about going and I overwhelmed her into not wanting to go. I felt so bad that the next time someone asked me I gave them easywdw and a couple other sites and nothing more.

I was talking to one person at work about Tomorrowland (the movie) and I ended up finding out he had no idea that tomorrowland was part of "Disney" (Magic Kingdom.)

It was just anothrr reminder how what seems to be common knowledge to me because of experience and these boards is really not common knowledge at all.

 

[Austintatious]

I think everyone has to visit Disney World at least once to appreciate how much planning is required. Before actually stepping foot on property, it's simply hard to imagine.

 

[cckp72]

I too have stopped giving advice. I find people come to me but then prefer to do things on their own anyway. I think they can't possibly comprehend that what I am telling them (about having to plan) is the truth. I get the feeling that some think I am over-exaggerating. Of course, the people who do a bit of research then come speak to me are aware that it's overwhelming.

I try to give a nudge in the right direction for planning sites and so on then and then back off. I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's vacation.

Usually it's the people who are intending to go only once in a lifetime that come to me. What makes me feel really sad is for the kids - they are so excited to go and its their only time and the parents don't put in the time and effort to plan properly. That means that the kids may miss out on things that they would love to do.

Again, it's not my vacation or money so I have to shake it off - but it really bothers me!! LOL! Sometimes I feel like saying, I will just come with you and be your tour guide!! LOL!

 

[JanaDee]

My name is Melissa and I am a planning addict. Admit it, if you are reading this most of you, like me, has at least one spreadsheet for your next trip and a subscription to some website.

In all my trips, I have never once made a spreadsheet or subscribed to a touring website.

 

[Fantabulously Cherry]

I can't imagine not at least making a basic plan of attack. I would go nuts!! For me, part of the fun leading up to the trip is planning it.

 

[klo1335]

In all my trips, I have never once made a spreadsheet or subscribed to a touring website.

But being on this board says that you do some degree of planning. Even if you aren't into making spreadsheets and joining Touring Plans, you would look into your trip at least a little bit. My hygienist had no idea what she was doing and had no interest. She just wanted to go. And if she is okay with that, I am sure she can still have a great time. I didn't even want to bring up the fact that she is going during Free Dining, which means most places are probably booked already.

 

[JanaDee]

But being on this board says that you do some degree of planning. Even if you aren't into making spreadsheets and joining Touring Plans, you would look into your trip at least a little bit. My hygienist had no idea what she was doing and had no interest. She just wanted to go. And if she is okay with that, I am sure she can still have a great time. I didn't even want to bring up the fact that she is going during Free Dining, which means most places are probably booked already.

I make FP+ reservations so I know what park I'll be in on a certain day. That's about it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I too have stopped giving advice. I find people come to me but then prefer to do things on their own anyway. I think they can't possibly comprehend that what I am telling them (about having to plan) is the truth. I get the feeling that some think I am over-exaggerating. Of course, the people who do a bit of research then come speak to me are aware that it's overwhelming.

I try to give a nudge in the right direction for planning sites and so on then and then back off. I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's vacation.

Usually it's the people who are intending to go only once in a lifetime that come to me. What makes me feel really sad is for the kids - they are so excited to go and its their only time and the parents don't put in the time and effort to plan properly. That means that the kids may miss out on things that they would love to do.

Again, it's not my vacation or money so I have to shake it off - but it really bothers me!! LOL! Sometimes I feel like saying, I will just come with you and be your tour guide!! LOL!

This is so true! Some people look at you like you're the crazy one.

 

[itchin2go]

Anyone DISer who does not think that these military maxims apply to planning for a visit to the world has never encountered a frantic parent pushing a stroller at top speed weaving through a crowd because he or she is late for an FP or an ADR. The plans were well made but for whatever reason did not survive the reality of that day's park visit. And you best get out of the way if you want to avoid physical contact.

This reminded me of a funny sight on our last trip. The ropes had just dropped at MK, and this one dad with a stroller was just barreling down the sidewalks of Main Street. Several steps behind him was (what I assume was) his wife. She had on a cute t-shirt and a khaki mini-skirt, and had her Starbucks in her hand ... but she was trying to keep up with him. It was hysterical. They were headed to A&E, no doubt.

They had good plans, but she didn't dress appropriately for the battle!

 

[goofyernmost]

The only ones that truly have to be uber planners are those that are staying onsite with no vehicle. That determines the extent of the planning necessary. If offsite, dining is never a problem and no reservations are necessary. I went to WDW in February and didn't even decide to go until 9 days before. At that time I did make a decision, based on my preferences, what parks I would be attending and what days. With that information in hand, I made FP choices that all fit into my plans and a couple of dining options that also fit in there. Other then that I had no reason to do anything else. I had park hoppers so I made my FP stuff for morning hours and then if I felt like it or the park was crowded beyond my comfort level, I just went to a different park. There I could add on FP's or not depending on the need. Once you have purchased your park tickets all that set up can happen 30 to 60 days out.

The next argument is well it takes to long to drive offsite and then back, etc. No, there is always a wait time for Disney transportation and sometimes up to and beyond an hour is needed to get from one place to another, especially if the Dining (ADR) is in another park. I always found that if I had breakfast before I went to the parks, lunch at counter service I was able and ready to take a break by just before or just after the 3pm parade. I would leave go back to my hotel room, relax for a while, go out for dinner and then head back to the parks for the evening. It made for a perfect break and downtime and I went back refreshed and ready.

In other words, if you can extract yourself from feeling that you need to stay onsite for the whole experience (untrue) you can not only open up more avenues for flexibility and on top of that save a huge amount of money. That puts me in my Happy Place.

 

[LumosQ102]

First time we went to Disney World it was on a whim. My best friend (and travel companion) grew up close to Disneyland and had visited WDW once before in the early 90's. She picked up The Unofficial Guide. I was feeling cynical and decided to wing it. We stayed on I Drive at what we now refer to as the CSI Motel, took taxis everywhere (only the hotel bus to the parks once and never again). Our first and only day in the Magic Kingdom was the day before Thanksgiving 2008. It was crazy crowded, long lines for almost everything & we ended up having to leave early as my friend came down with a ghastly migraine whilst we were in the queue for Jungle Cruise. It didn't matter.

I remember looking back at that castle from the ferry over to TTC and thinking I would do anything to go back. Me, the cynical visitor who really only wanted to go to Universal for the "proper" rides. It was a few years and a better paying job before we were back, but we now visit twice a year, have been AP holders for 3 years and finally succumbed to DVC whilst on the Fantasy last year. And although we ramped up the planning for the first couple of trips these days (we had a subdivided binder for trip 2) we go with the flow much more. We keep up with whats going on in the parks, we plan in our FP's (which I love) and make a few reservations (we have 6 for our next 9 day trip), but now we relax. Enjoy it as it comes. And its bliss. And on a rainy miserable day in London, as it is today, being 20 days away from going home sounds pretty darn good to me.

If they are going to love Disney they will find the magic

 

[6bowmans]

Plenty of people have wonderful trips with little to no planning.

No way, no can do, impossible, you are crazy!

In all my trips, I have never once made a spreadsheet or subscribed to a touring website.

Ack!! Here's another one. Can't we flog 'em?

 

[Jeannie in NJ]

We have been to WDW many times. Dh , ds, and I do not care to ride the roller coaster type rides. Dd rode all of them last trip (she rode them late at night so did not need fast pass) and said she does not want to ride them on next trip. We usually do most of the other rides and shows but only once each trip. We don't really care or want to do rides or see shows more than once. The only rides I make sure to get fast pass for are Soarin and Peter Pan. We just ride everything else when we can. Have always been able to see the shows when we want to. I do look at easywdw and choose the recommended days to go to the parks and we get park hoppers.
The only adrs we care about are 50's Prime Time, Coral Reef and Citricos. We have breakfast one day at GF Cafe and one day at Kona Cafe. Our trips are 8 or 9 days each. Everything else is quick service and club level. We don't do dining plan.
We don't care about meeting characters or doing character meals (my kids have never wanted to do any of that). If we happen to be around for a parade, we will watch it but not a big deal for us. We watch fireworks from where ever we happen to be, don't have to be in any certain location.
We stay on site and use Disney transportation . We don't do rope drop but we close out the parks.

I research but don't do much planning but that is how we like it and we always have a great time. We only have a few must haves (the few adr's I mentioned and the 2 fast passes) but if we for some reason could not do them, we would still have a great time. We take it easy,we visit other resorts, we walk around and look at things in the parks. We spend time in the shops on Main Street and World Showcase, Star Tours gift shop, etc.

We will be moving to (as close to WDW as possible) in about 2 years so feel even less need to plan our next trip much but will be renting a car and driving to a couple of developments to look at houses. The last 2 houses we bought , one was the 3rd house we looked at and then when we sold that house, we only had 3 weeks to find another house so we went to a development we liked, made an offer on the model home , offer was accepted and we moved in. We are a very easy going family.

 

[Asc341]

Anybody else think of this after reading the thread title?

 

[AquaDame]

My first trip (2008) we winged it. Booked 45 days out or so with zero ADRs (this was before FP+ of course). We. Had. A. BLAST. Ate in a lot of yummy restaurants (I didn't know or care what 'Ohana or Yachtsman was at that time though we did get turned away at 'The Canada Restaurant' we didn't care - we just went over to Tokyo Dining instead). We did walk up to all but a couple and those ones we called in to the phone # around 1 or 2 and asked what they had at the park we were going to hop to. When there wasn't anything that sounded good we just did counter service.

Sure I can't imagine doing that now that we know what is there and have favorite restaurants, but it was really easy to wing it if you don't much care where you eat. When you're just getting your feet wet and seeing what the 'world has to offer. If we didn't want to wait in a line we grabbed a fast pass (can't do that anymore) and kept moving. We went from open to close, one day in each park picked based on what we felt like and what time it was when we went to bed. It was by far my most memorable trip to date and the amount of fun I had is a huge reason I keep going back! Nostalgia is my most potent drug.

 

[Aerinha]

I will give advice to those who ask, mainly because it lets me talk about Disney . I just try to avoid doing it while my nearest coworker is around. I am in my 30s and go solo, she is 60 and always takes a grandkid with her, so while I am giving people a strong plan of attack so their family can do as much as possible she is rolling her eyes and butting in that because they have kids, they can't possibly do what I do and that Because I don't do roller coasters I can't help them plan etc. Meanwhile, I discovered AK and HS each take her a whole day because she has never seen rope drop in all her visits as she refuses to get up and go, settling for saying I blow through them because I skip rides I don't care for. Once I told her I do so much because I paid thousands to go to the parks, I can sleep for free at home.

 

[Jing]

The only ones that truly have to be uber planners are those that are staying onsite with no vehicle. That determines the extent of the planning necessary. If offsite, dining is never a problem and no reservations are necessary. I went to WDW in February and didn't even decide to go until 9 days before. At that time I did make a decision, based on my preferences, what parks I would be attending and what days. With that information in hand, I made FP choices that all fit into my plans and a couple of dining options that also fit in there. Other then that I had no reason to do anything else. I had park hoppers so I made my FP stuff for morning hours and then if I felt like it or the park was crowded beyond my comfort level, I just went to a different park. There I could add on FP's or not depending on the need. Once you have purchased your park tickets all that set up can happen 30 to 60 days out.

The next argument is well it takes to long to drive offsite and then back, etc. No, there is always a wait time for Disney transportation and sometimes up to and beyond an hour is needed to get from one place to another, especially if the Dining (ADR) is in another park. I always found that if I had breakfast before I went to the parks, lunch at counter service I was able and ready to take a break by just before or just after the 3pm parade. I would leave go back to my hotel room, relax for a while, go out for dinner and then head back to the parks for the evening. It made for a perfect break and downtime and I went back refreshed and ready.

In other words, if you can extract yourself from feeling that you need to stay onsite for the whole experience (untrue) you can not only open up more avenues for flexibility and on top of that save a huge amount of money. That puts me in my Happy Place.

Except for those of us who are prohibited from driving because we subscribe to the idea that everywhere is Vegas with the right attitude, and like to keep a mild buzz going from the morning mimosa onward

 

[goofyernmost]

Except for those of us who are prohibited from driving because we subscribe to the idea that everywhere is Vegas with the right attitude, and like to keep a mild buzz going from the morning mimosa onward

Well, in that case it probably just comes under the heading of "everything has a cost". I'd be willing to bet that the purpose of the transportation system as well as the operating system didn't have "buzz high" as a lofty area on which to base their decisions.

 

[goofyernmost]

I can't imagine not at least making a basic plan of attack. I would go nuts!! For me, part of the fun leading up to the trip is planning it.

You are not alone. My sister, for example, will plan her trips for a year or more in advance. She absolutely loves to do the planning. In fact, it is my opinion that she actually enjoys the planning far more then the actual experience she is planning for. To each his own. I know that there is enjoyment for some people, for me, not so much.

I like to just do my own thing, but it is helpful that I don't have any overwhelming desires to do some of the things. Dining on the grounds, especially when I get a glance at the prices, are not something that I find important or even necessary. I go to the parks strictly for entertainment. Eating is a human function for survival, not an attraction to me. It helps to keep me from being pulled in multiple directions. No planning necessary.

When I'm at home and planning meals, I usually do not know what I am going to have for dinner until an hour or less before I have it. It depends what I am in the mood for at that time. Six months out? I don't think so.

 

[Fantabulously Cherry]

You are not alone. My sister, for example, will plan her trips for a year or more in advance. She absolutely loves to do the planning. In fact, it is my opinion that she actually enjoys the planning far more then the actual experience she is planning for. To each his own. I know that there is enjoyment for some people, for me, not so much.

I like to just do my own thing, but it is helpful that I don't have any overwhelming desires to do some of the things. Dining on the grounds, especially when I get a glance at the prices, are not something that I find important or even necessary. I go to the parks strictly for entertainment. Eating is a human function for survival, not an attraction to me. It helps to keep me from being pulled in multiple directions. No planning necessary.

When I'm at home and planning meals, I usually do not know what I am going to have for dinner until an hour or less before I have it. It depends what I am in the mood for at that time. Six months out? I don't think so.

I just make a basic plans to which park to focus on each day. Then I plan our ADRs close to or in that park so we're not running around and missing things. Other than that, I keep it loose because you never know what's going to happen