Why Don't People Research?

[pbharris4]

I think any trip should be researched. Whether someone wants to plan is up to them. If you are a "wing it" person..wing it. If you're a planner, plan. But I think it is necessary to research a place (especially if you haven't been there before or haven't been there in many years). I wouldn't dare go to France, Africa, NYC, LA, Fiji, WDW or any other place in the world w/o finding out several things about it. By not researching you can set yourself up for a major disappointment, but that could happen anyway because you may not end up liking where you go anyway.

 

[Goofyta]

I will admit when my dh and I went in 1999, I had not researched WDW at all. We had a few mishaps while staying off property and vowed that when we come back with the kids we will stay on property. This time I did my research. The only things I have 'planned' are our ts meals, but at least I will know what I am doing this time

 

[pbharris4]

I think we have all done it one time or another.

 

[kjs1976]

My DH realized how important planning was when we were waiting to be called for our ADR at the Plaza Rest. and at least 11 families came up to ask to be seated without ressies and they were all turned away because Plaza was booked solid for three days.

Remember the days beofre pre-parkhopping????!!!!! Talk about needing a plan!

 

[C.Ann]

The very first time my DH, DD and I went to WDW, we did so with no planning and no researching whatsoever.. Had a wonderful time and no regrets when we came back..

Second time I went with my DD, her DH, my almost 3-yr.old DGD, my DD's in - laws and three of my son-in-laws aunts.. Did a little research - a little planning - and again, had a great time (except for the part where 9/11 happened while we were there - which of course made us very, very sad..)

Went again in April of this year alone (my sis joined me later) - no planning other than making a reservation at Pop and making a reservation to take the Mears shuttle from the airport to the hotel.. Again - a great time - especially with my sister..

I don't feel like I have to plan things to death or research things to death in order to have a great time.. I'm there to relax, see the sights, take the time to smell the flowers.. I guess I just don't consider a vacation a "vacation" if you have to drive yourself absolutely mad researching every last detail, working up "time sheets", etc..

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

The very first time I came to Disney World it was around July 4th just to see EPCOT (I was staying in Tampa). We did not make reservations for anything and we spent a lot of time waiting in lines. However we did get walk up seating in France and I at least had a good time. I'm pretty sure my Dad didn't because theme parks were never his kind of thing.

There is an advantage to not planning. If you relax you will have a wonderous adventure possibly unlike anything else you've seen. If you aren't worried about a sit down and you have at least read the literature provided to you by Disney (like the back of your ticket, the park maps, and if staying on site whatever materials the hotel gives you) you'll be able to get by. There is so much to do and see without an ADR and without having a clue.

Oh and...I have never made an ADR. My trip at the end of June was the first one I did with ADRs and I didn't make them. I explained to my friend the benefits of planning...and boy did she ever plan. We wound up spending a lot of time at TS restaurants but the kids also got to do some educational things. But she was curiously unwilling to deviate from plan so we wound up going to late night or early entry even though the family motto is late rise, early to bed. But they had a good time anyway and I have had my view of minimally planned Disney visits reinforced.

PS. This is where the Dining Plan definitely doesn't make sense. If you haven't made ADR's and you've never been to WDW odds are you will never do enough to get out of the park and hit some of the hotel restaurants.

 

[daannzzz]

I just returned from a 10 day trip with my elderly Father (In great shape and kept up with us) and my Brother and Sister In Law who had never been to WDW before. THey had been to Disneyland many times and had seen some video of my previous WDW trips. I alwyas rent a car and the first day we were driving around they both commented on how awesome it was to be there with someone who new the lay of the land. They commented about how difficult it must be for those how go to WDW without any knowledge and expect to get around really easily. They were both confused about where things were, how to get there (other than getting on some piece of transportation marked with your destination), and how the road system worked with all those signs to read. Much laughter (and terror) came from the back seat as we watched cars stop in the middle of the 6 lane road trying to figure out which way to go. Both of them were also grateful about the dining reservations as they would not havew known about all the great places to eat that they most likely would have passed by. I am sure many people show up unpolanned and are able to roll with the punches but those who get frustrated easily should not attempt a WDW trip with out a lot of research.

 

[Piglet54]

I alwyas rent a car and the first day we were driving around they both commented on how awesome it was to be there with someone who new the lay of the land. They commented about how difficult it must be for those how go to WDW without any knowledge and expect to get around really easily.

In June of 2004, I went with my DD and had the opportunity to rent a car. DD was involved in a workshop about 20 miles north of Pop Century (where we stayed). Learning my way around on that trip opened up a whole new frontier...my DH is so impressed with my ability to navigate the roadways in the area and it gives me so much confidence and freedom. I don't leave without my favorite laminated maps!

 

[CarolynU]

When I first took my kids to WDW it was 1984, and there was no such thing as the internet. We stayed off site, and planned nothing. We had the most wonderful time. Things have now changed, and with the advent of the pc/internet being commonplace, those of us who use it regularly can now have access to every piece of information that can make us plan every last minute by minute detail if that is what we choose to do.
I think though, that it is like everything else in life just a personal choice. There is no right or wrong way, and if people have a rotten time because they have failed to plan, presumably that is a lesson learnt, even if that lesson is to listen more to people who do spend their spare time reading boards such as this.

 

[pbharris4]

Well put.

 

[thelionqueen]

OK, I admit it...I am an overplanner and obsessive ADR maker. And darn proud of it

I think that people need to research wherever they are going..ESPECIALLY Disney. Those who like to "wing it" are usually OK, because that is their personality. They usually "take what they can get" and go with it,

Me on the other hand..no way! I like to have everything I want. I plan and reserve ADR's 180 days out. I like to have every excursion, Character Dining and fine dining restaurant when and where I want.

I know that at least 50% of DIS'ers are the same way. I think it's the only way to go.

DH would always rile me about how obsessed I am. Our last trip I had a bound notebook, daily activities, general activities..you name it, I had it! I customized each page with Disney pics, outlined every activity of every day, etc. I thought it was a bit much too until we actually went.

Without that book, our trip would have been so "messy". Everyday my oldest son would say, "Where's the Disney Bible" and look to see what was on the agenda that day. DH was completely turned around when he saw how organized our trip was and what we were able to do in the amount of time we had.

I am hooked!! To those who don't plan in advance, you get what you get. To the rest of us, see you @ CRT!!

 

[jlovesee]

I agree that a lot of people go completely uninformed, I know so many people at work who are planning trips but never bother to ask and then think Im insane for wanting to go to that hot crowded place every year.

But as far as planning I really don't plan to much, we are usually pretty spontaneous. For our upcoming trip we have an ADR at California Grill for our anniversary dinner, and am working on getting an ADR for lunch with an imagineer but that's all the planning I am doing.

Literally we usually get up and say what park do we want to go to today?

But then again I know which parks have what restaurants, and we use the extra (late) magic hours to the hilt, book our hotel reservations using the AP discount and use fast pass as much as possible


Jennifer

 

[alexbigday]

Help all you planners!
I am not sure where I fall--I have been reading these boards for a few months, have ADR at CRT for breakfast, have a free copy of a tour plan, but what else should I do? The situation: DH, DD (6) and I on our first trip! It will be a short one (rather a long weekend beginning of February). we are staying off Site (budget) but what else should I be doing?????

thanks! I love reading all of your advice....

 

[cara loves the poly]

I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mom, if I worked full time, I couldn't imagine doing all of the planning.... I picture my husband on his own...SCAREY. I think this was rather short of you to point out,,, just try to help someone who does not know the ins and outs. Hopefully they can plan another trip and know the ins and outs next time!

 

[pbharris4]

Help all you planners!
I am not sure where I fall--I have been reading these boards for a few months, have ADR at CRT for breakfast, have a free copy of a tour plan, but what else should I do? The situation: DH, DD (6) and I on our first trip! It will be a short one (rather a long weekend beginning of February). we are staying off Site (budget) but what else should I be doing?????

thanks! I love reading all of your advice....

You are going at a great time! It shouldn't be too crowded either. As far as what should you do? You should get a Passporter's Guide to Walt Disney World (I think it's the best WDW planner/guide book out there) read it over and decide together the things you all want to do. Just know that it's impossible to see everything in 3 days, a week or even longer than that. You will be able to do more rides because the lines aren't that long. I'd still make ADR's because that's just me. I like to have reservations..just in case. When we went for our first trip (as a family) we went the 1st week of Feb. It was pure heaven. Great weather, short lines, got to do all the parks in a day and see most of them. We didn't have a plan at all because we didn't know about these boards and didn't really make one. But we DID know what we wanted to see and do mostly. Now..summer and other busy times are a WHOLE other story. HTH

 

[Julia M]

I think any trip should be researched. Whether someone wants to plan is up to them. If you are a "wing it" person..wing it. If you're a planner, plan. But I think it is necessary to research a place (especially if you haven't been there before or haven't been there in many years). I wouldn't dare go to France, Africa, NYC, LA, Fiji, WDW or any other place in the world w/o finding out several things about it. By not researching you can set yourself up for a major disappointment, but that could happen anyway because you may not end up liking where you go anyway.

That's exactly what I think!! I researched our trip to Maui, as well as San Diego, wine country and Saint Louis.

I even research for my dd's competitions....we've been to Tucson, Wichita, Saint Paul, and Savannah this summer. I travel with another mom, and do all the research/planning for the both of us. She really appreciates it, and I enjoy it.

You wouldn't imagine Wichita as a place to go on vacation, would you? I found a couple interesting things to do, as well as some fun restaurants (some local, some chain), we had never been to. I even found a website with discounts for our meals. Most everyone else stayed at the competition hotel.....we stayed in a suites hotel for half the price less than a half a mile away!! We had a great trip!

I find that the more research you do on ANY locale, the better the odds you'll enjoy your trip.

Julia

 

[NancyIL]

My DH and I visited WDW for 2 days on our honeymoon in October 1982. Epcot had just opened and it was packed, but the Magic Kingdom was practically empty. Back then, I wasn't into planning trips like I am now. It amazes me to think how little info we had before venturing to WDW! Subsequent FL trips in 1987, 1991 (we were there just a few weeks before the 20th anniversary celebration started...and didn't even know about it), and 1993 were just daytrips to the Magic Kingdom while visiting my mom.

It wasn't until we decided to spend 3 days at WDW in April 1996 that I got serious about planning. I bought The Unofficial Guide to WDW and read it cover to cover...what an eye-opening book! We had just gotten our first computer at the end of 1995, so the internet didn't play much of a role in WDW trip planning until our Thanksgiving 1997 trip. By that time I had found the newsgroup Rec Arts Disney Parks (RADP) and Deb Wills' site. I found the DIS in early 1999, and the rest is history!

I love the internet for trip planning, but I still rely on well-written guidebooks that I can highlight (drives the DH nuts!) and take with me!

 

[Stacerita]

I think the term "ignorance is bliss" would work well in these cases. WHen we went the first time we had no clue how big it was and all that we could. We basically let out TA steer us offsite (trust me, you wont miss a thing, lol) and we weren't told about making PSs or anything like that. We didn't know better so we went with it. Fortunately for us, we went during a slower time and still had a great vacation. We didn't do many TS places and those we did we were able to walk in or make our PS to return later that day. Granted we didn't see or do as much as we could have, but we didn't know about it. Now that I know its a whole new ball game. I planned and researched from almost the time we returned till the next trip. I didn't want to miss a thing. I went over plans, schedules, ADRs etc over and over again. We ended up having a great trip the next time because of it. Now I know and armed with the information, I can't go back to just going and seeing what happens.

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

When I spend the kind of money that a long WDW vacation requires, I plan -- big-time.

If you have a plan, you have the option of veering from it or just plain relaxing. With no plan at all (in the summer months), you're just wondering around in a very big, hot, and crowded world.

Plus, I consider sit-down restaurants (especially at Epcot) a big part of our vacation. Unless you do a lot of plannng, it's hard to know where and when to make your reservations.

 

[TnTWalter]

making fun of my Disney excel spreadsheets...dad keeps telling people "I think she has 14 minutes of free time on Thursday...."

I made our ADRs and planned a loose itinerary around it. It is not set in stone but it's an idea of what rides we'd like, timing with our ADRs....
It's me DH, 3 kids and mom and dad. Mom and Dad have been before but had a not so good time and it's my family's first time!! I want to be prepared.

I am a RESEARCH junkie....you want a new camcorder? I'll research it until I know what model and where the best price and any rebates can be found. My Christmas gifts were charted in an Excel Spreadsheet with corresponding Black Friday or sale locations.

DH and I go on vacation every year to some exotic location his company picks. He laughs at my planning UNTIL we get there. We always go to the best restaurants, find the best activities and skip the not so great ones, etc. and have such a great time. I booked us a couple's massage under the stars last year that was incredible.

I do like to fly by the seat of my pants; I just want to know where I'm flying and that my feathers are the best possible feathers! ;o)

Trish