Not sure where to put this, so if you mods want to move it, feel free...
I often get asked by friends/coworkers for trip planning advice. Thing is, it's never the same because different families have different requirements or desires. For example, one person seeking advice may only be taking his significant other while another seeker may be taking a family. The former won't necessarily want to bother with ADRs while the latter will. The former may prefer to have a Value resort while another may prefer a Deluxe. One may want to visit other entertainment sites (Universal, etc) while the other may not. You get the picture.
Given that, has anyone started or considered trying to put together a flow chart of sorts, to help newcomers get a better feel for what avenues might work best?
You could have things like "fly or drive" and then have options under that. One small example could be:
Visiting Disney only or other parks? --> Staying on Property or off?--> Driving your own car ? -->
It would be pretty time consuming, but with the experience, someone here could probably knock a generic one out quickly and then the community could help amend it.
One facet I'd like to see highlighted is the Rack Room rates (possibly for a couple) vs ADR/package rates for a family.
My hope is that we could get something that's pretty solid, maybe even with suggestion links for deals/further info, and make it a sticky. Then we could point friends to the thread and go from there.
Truthfully, understanding the ins and outs of Disney Trip Planning is quite a task. It's even moreso cumbersome if you're trying to squeeze out the last dime. I think most people here are 'budget conscious' (ie: cheap
). I am, and proud of it. When you call Disney to plan a trip, you get great service and it removes a lot of the guesswork, but you may not get the best deal if you had put in a few hours of research. We've saved hundreds over the years by simply using rack room discounts alone.
But, again, the problem is knowing where to begin and where to find deal info. Heck, whenever I start looking back into Disney trips, I get overwhelmed initially. And, for a newcomer, it's easy to let the initial wave overtake you and discourage you from feeling you can put together a great trip on a modest budget and feel like you actually understand everything you just set up (ie: hey, what really is a character breakfast?).
Just trying to get something going. I'd be happy to contribute where I can by providing links. Unfortunately, my newborn doesn't permit the free time needed to really spearhead a project like this. But, I at least wanted to share the idea in hopes that someone here - or the group here - would be willing to tackle it in the best interest of our friends (and ultimately ourselves via advice giving).
Thanks!
- Erin
Edit: Here's a comedic example of what I'm talking about, listing a flowchart of the "should I buy an ipad" process.
I often get asked by friends/coworkers for trip planning advice. Thing is, it's never the same because different families have different requirements or desires. For example, one person seeking advice may only be taking his significant other while another seeker may be taking a family. The former won't necessarily want to bother with ADRs while the latter will. The former may prefer to have a Value resort while another may prefer a Deluxe. One may want to visit other entertainment sites (Universal, etc) while the other may not. You get the picture.
Given that, has anyone started or considered trying to put together a flow chart of sorts, to help newcomers get a better feel for what avenues might work best?
You could have things like "fly or drive" and then have options under that. One small example could be:
Visiting Disney only or other parks? --> Staying on Property or off?--> Driving your own car ? -->
It would be pretty time consuming, but with the experience, someone here could probably knock a generic one out quickly and then the community could help amend it.
One facet I'd like to see highlighted is the Rack Room rates (possibly for a couple) vs ADR/package rates for a family.
My hope is that we could get something that's pretty solid, maybe even with suggestion links for deals/further info, and make it a sticky. Then we could point friends to the thread and go from there.
Truthfully, understanding the ins and outs of Disney Trip Planning is quite a task. It's even moreso cumbersome if you're trying to squeeze out the last dime. I think most people here are 'budget conscious' (ie: cheap
). I am, and proud of it. When you call Disney to plan a trip, you get great service and it removes a lot of the guesswork, but you may not get the best deal if you had put in a few hours of research. We've saved hundreds over the years by simply using rack room discounts alone. But, again, the problem is knowing where to begin and where to find deal info. Heck, whenever I start looking back into Disney trips, I get overwhelmed initially. And, for a newcomer, it's easy to let the initial wave overtake you and discourage you from feeling you can put together a great trip on a modest budget and feel like you actually understand everything you just set up (ie: hey, what really is a character breakfast?).
Just trying to get something going. I'd be happy to contribute where I can by providing links. Unfortunately, my newborn doesn't permit the free time needed to really spearhead a project like this. But, I at least wanted to share the idea in hopes that someone here - or the group here - would be willing to tackle it in the best interest of our friends (and ultimately ourselves via advice giving
).Thanks!
- Erin
Edit: Here's a comedic example of what I'm talking about, listing a flowchart of the "should I buy an ipad" process.
Love the Flowchart! 
)
