Things That Took Chunks of Our Time

[vfb2girls]

Wow, I would hate to have to vacation in the commando style, thank goodness both myself and husband are so layed back on vacation, we figured we spend so much of our time back home rushing around in our everyday life that when it comes to our vacations we really do both stop and take it all in. It was amazing what disney did to my husband, who at times at home is not very patient, it seemed when we were in disney it must of been all the pixie dust or something because he was the most mellow, patient guy! We never thought it was awful to wait for the buses to take us anywhere, it was nice to have someone else drive us around, waiting in lines was also usually interesting, the people we met and had conversations with. This is what all makes our disney trips so magical.

 

[DisneyGeek2000]

Getting to and from the parks on Disney buses takes much longer than it used to, and I learned to adjust and add plenty of extra time, especially in the mornings. But there is no way to safely speed up the process, so just everyone has to be patient, I guess.

Are you trying to say that the wait for buses has gotten longer, due to crowds and the loading issues?? I can't see how the travel times have gotten any longer, WDW hasn't gotten any larger..... I actually think the busses have gotten better over the years. I've seen 2 and 3 buses come at once at park closing for the same resort (or sister resorts) to get lines cleared quickly; I never remember that years ago.

 

[melomouse]

"The major tip that I tell anyone going to Disney is be prepared to go with the flow, don't have plans set in stone, stop and smell the roses - many times you will find little things that you will remember for a long time that you weren't expecting - and that you will never be able to see everthing at WDW, even after many trips!"

Thank You! My sentiments exactly. One of the reasons we see complaints here so often here on the DIS is related to the "wasting" of time, and the responsibility of those pesky "other" parkgoers or else Disney. Is it this way for folks on all other vacations, too? Or just that pricey, long-planned for Disney trip??
Having had a disabled DH and still taking my Asperger's DS to WDW, I learned before my very first trip that flexibility is key. Rushing around is often a symptom of anxiety that leads to more stress. I often wish people would take a look at their poor tired whiny kids,examine their minor disappointments and realize that lots of it is the result of commando-style gone mad.
I discovered, for instance, that many don't even KNOW about all that Innoventions has to offer. We spent a rainy afternoon there and never got to WS. Both kids still talk about it, several trips later. In fact, in 6 trips, I STILL haven't done all of WS. I am trusting that, by the grace of God, I will be back again and again and WS will be there for us when we can do it.
OTOH - We never line up for parades an hour in advance to get a seat or do the major sttractions w/o FP or reduced crowds. I won't go to Fantasmic w/o the FDP - these are time-wasters for our family. DS's disability has always made flexibility paramount for me - I have learned from him.
Just my .02. Save and go back. It's vacation.

 

[sixcats]

My DH is one of those people who feels waiting for parades or shows is a waste of time. I find it a great way to relax and spend time talking to my kids. I try to bring along a deck of cards to pass the time with the kids. We lean DH against a trash can and let him nap :lol:

If the kids want a snack one of us can go off and pick up fastpasses for later. You could have combined innoventions with a rest for the 16 year old. If some one needs a rest in the MK the rest of the party could browse through the gallery or some stores.

I know that "downtime" can be nerve wracking, but it has made our trips much more enjoyable over the years.

 

[kimmbagley]

Well, I'll probably stir up trouble with my post, but I can't hold it any longer.

It was probably just bad luck, but it kinda irked me that after fireworks at MK AND at Epcot, the lines for busses were very long to leave the parks. Three times (out of 7 nights) these huge lines had to wait for arriving busses to get handicapped people on and off. This took easily 10-15 minutes each time. Add to that that one would have to wait for 2-4 busses to finally get on, and the wait became annoying. One night, 3 busses lined up for our resort at Epcot because the first two were loading/unloading handicapped people. I saw a couple actually take a cab to their resort because the wait had gotten out of hand (tired kids make it even tougher to manage).

I realize that this was a problem because the parks were packed, but I also think that Disney should have special busses for handicapped people and their parties during these high seasons; particularly after Illuminations, Spectromagic, Wishes and Fantasmic. And I know these handicapped people felt uncofortable because so many people like me were annoyed. Giving these people a special transportation during peak hours would avoid that.

If it takes so long to load a few wheelchairs, imagine how long it would take for a busload. Maybe if they added another fleet of small busses to carry 4 or 5

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Are you trying to say that the wait for buses has gotten longer, due to crowds and the loading issues?? I can't see how the travel times have gotten any longer, WDW hasn't gotten any larger..... I actually think the busses have gotten better over the years. I've seen 2 and 3 buses come at once at park closing for the same resort (or sister resorts) to get lines cleared quickly; I never remember that years ago.

In my experience, absolutely YES! I noticed a big increase in time to get places in the recent years. Mornings are the worst. I think it is far worse at the moderates or when you have multiple stops. The POR/POFQ bus to MK is the worst I seen, I quickly learned to use my car for that. I had one POR-MK bus that I was on for an hour and 15 minutes! (I was checking my watch!).

When I traveled with my friend who has a power wheelchair back in 2001, I think only once was there another wheelchair user on a bus with us, as we almost always were the only one. Now at any bus stop in the mornings at the resorts, or evenings at the parks, there are always a line of scooters/wheelchairs to board, and usually only two can get on at once. And it does take awhile to get the lift up and down, and get the scooters/wheelchairs properly tied down, as there is a certain way it needs to be safely done.

It HAS changed since 2001. I can clearly see that. We just add lots of extra time to get places now. I bet if I traveled with my friend again, we would rent a van, as she probably would get frustrated with all the waiting, too.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Jacksgirl,

You and me, young lady. We'll see it all and my DW and your DH can see... well, whatever they can manage. See you in August!

It's a date!
But since we are leaving on Aug. 12 and you don't arrive until Aug. 10 it will have to be SUPER COMMANDO touring on Aug. 11!

 

[Servants of Evan]

It's a date!
But since we are leaving on Aug. 12 and you don't arrive until Aug. 10 it will have to be SUPER COMMANDO touring on Aug. 11!

Sounds great! I'll meet you at the MK gates at 0-dawn hundred. August 11th happens to be our 16th wedding anniversary but I'm sure she'll understand -- we're talking Disney!!! I mean, what's a world without priorities!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Sounds great! I'll meet you at the MK gates at 0-dawn hundred. August 11th happens to be our 16th wedding anniversary but I'm sure she'll understand -- we're talking Disney!!! I mean, what's a world without priorities!

Maybe my DH can join your DW for a nice breakfast and some conversation. Perhaps she can share stories of your wedding! The DS's will have to decide if they can run with the big dogs or sit it out with the people watchers!

Congratulations on your anniversary! We will have our 14th in November. Hmm. Seems these marriages between the commandos and the slackers actually seem to last pretty well!