If you had a negative experience traveling to Disney, can you share why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

It’s an active vacation with lots to do. If you don’t like fast paced, action packed, multiple experiences offered such that you can’t possibly do them all, then it’s not for you. My family would be bored sitting on a beach all day with little to do.

Same. This is why we plan our holidays at places like Club Med - with a lot of easily organized activities on site - or Costa Rica, where its a bit of authentic wildness. Disney seems to have neither.

Disney is an *amusement theme park.* If you don’t want to ride rides and enjoy the theming, don’t go! It’s not Club Med, in case you were confused. The question should be whether Disney is doing better or worse than other similar types of vacations, or than in the past.

I just went for the first time and only have Universal Orlando to compare it to. Disney is far more expansive and immersive than Universal. Things like the Tiki Room and Hall of Presidents are sui generis. The Universal Express Pass certainly offers a superior experience to Genie+ but costs 4-5x as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the discussions in this thread literally prove beyond a doubt now terrible it is to go to Disney. Look at how much work you all describe it being just to go there.

This. Why the hell would I look forward to spending an insane amount of money after spending 50 hours pre-planning the visit. International travel is far easier and cheaper.

I find it hard to believe there isn’t a lot of preplanning involved with an international trip.

Exactly. You don't just show up in Paris or Rome without planning and getting advance museum tickets, tour tickets, etc.

I mean I usually do. I’ve never pre booked anything for a trip except hotels. There’s always plenty to see and do and explore without scheduling ourselves ahead of time. Much nicer to take each day as we feel like.

With Paris and Rome, I do all the pre planning before hand. My problem with Disney is the stress of lightning lanes and genie plus which means you can’t know your ride times until the day of. And that may or may not work with special meals or Disney events scheduled. I don’t like throwing a wrench into my plans last minute nor do I like being on my phone organizing my day while on the vacation.

This is a valid critique. I felt like it was basically impossible to plan restaurant reservations and get all the value out of the park ticket. But at the end of the day, we didn’t really go there to eat at restaurants. I can see if you were doing a character meal, that might be hard to plan around. It would be nice if you could reserve at least 1 LL in advance every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

It’s an active vacation with lots to do. If you don’t like fast paced, action packed, multiple experiences offered such that you can’t possibly do them all, then it’s not for you. My family would be bored sitting on a beach all day with little to do.

Beach vacations can be active. Kayaking, swimming, walking, wander for food, see local history and sights, charter a boat, fishing, live music, parks, different beaches mean different character, shops, sunset, family
Football/frisby/whatever. None of that I have to wait in line for. I can call the day before and make a reservation without worry nothing being available. I don’t have to get to at 7 to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

I think Disney goers think this because they know Disney and what rides are popular, how things work, etc. I just planned and executed a one and done Disney trip and it was like a part time job involving many youtube videos and 4 ppt decks (we had one of those specialist consultants, but you still need to know the stuff yourself at some point). We enjoyed the trip, but if I had not done this preparation we would have probably not had a great time (e.g., would've had to stay up late at night to figure out what rides were at which park, which lightning lane passes to try to get at 7am etc). And we didn't even do any seated dining. I have planned several international, activity-filled vacations, but planning for Disney is next level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

It’s an active vacation with lots to do. If you don’t like fast paced, action packed, multiple experiences offered such that you can’t possibly do them all, then it’s not for you. My family would be bored sitting on a beach all day with little to do.

Beach vacations can be active. Kayaking, swimming, walking, wander for food, see local history and sights, charter a boat, fishing, live music, parks, different beaches mean different character, shops, sunset, family
Football/frisby/whatever. None of that I have to wait in line for. I can call the day before and make a reservation without worry nothing being available. I don’t have to get to at 7 to do it.

I have young kids/tweens. A lot of this doesn't really work. So we go to places like amusement parks because there is something for everyone. We are 2 adults and 3 kids, my kids can't man their own kayak, we don't like fishing, we can only swim and walk for so long, and can hang out at a park anywhere, so that's not a huge draw. Or we can do that the next vacation and do an active theme park which all of us enjoy. Some of the kids like thrill rides, some like the nostalgic low thrill rides. Nobody has to sit in a kayak for hours or get sea sick on a boat for an extended period if that's not their thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the discussions in this thread literally prove beyond a doubt now terrible it is to go to Disney. Look at how much work you all describe it being just to go there.

This. Why the hell would I look forward to spending an insane amount of money after spending 50 hours pre-planning the visit. International travel is far easier and cheaper.

I find it hard to believe there isn’t a lot of preplanning involved with an international trip.

Exactly. You don't just show up in Paris or Rome without planning and getting advance museum tickets, tour tickets, etc.

I mean I usually do. I’ve never pre booked anything for a trip except hotels. There’s always plenty to see and do and explore without scheduling ourselves ahead of time. Much nicer to take each day as we feel like.

With Paris and Rome, I do all the pre planning before hand. My problem with Disney is the stress of lightning lanes and genie plus which means you can’t know your ride times until the day of. And that may or may not work with special meals or Disney events scheduled. I don’t like throwing a wrench into my plans last minute nor do I like being on my phone organizing my day while on the vacation.

This is a valid critique. I felt like it was basically impossible to plan restaurant reservations and get all the value out of the park ticket. But at the end of the day, we didn’t really go there to eat at restaurants. I can see if you were doing a character meal, that might be hard to plan around. It would be nice if you could reserve at least 1 LL in advance every day.

You will get a LL ride first thing at 7 if you book one. You just can't be such an anal planner that you want to do them in an exact order. You have to be somewhat flexible and just take them as they come. If you your first choice isn't the best time then take your 2nd choice and rope drop the one you didn't get. It's not impossible. Trying to plan each minute of the day on a strict schedule will be your undoing. And planning multiple sit down meals is a waste of time and money for mediocre food if you want to ride the rides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the discussions in this thread literally prove beyond a doubt now terrible it is to go to Disney. Look at how much work you all describe it being just to go there.

This. Why the hell would I look forward to spending an insane amount of money after spending 50 hours pre-planning the visit. International travel is far easier and cheaper.

I find it hard to believe there isn’t a lot of preplanning involved with an international trip.

Exactly. You don't just show up in Paris or Rome without planning and getting advance museum tickets, tour tickets, etc.

I mean I usually do. I’ve never pre booked anything for a trip except hotels. There’s always plenty to see and do and explore without scheduling ourselves ahead of time. Much nicer to take each day as we feel like.

With Paris and Rome, I do all the pre planning before hand. My problem with Disney is the stress of lightning lanes and genie plus which means you can’t know your ride times until the day of. And that may or may not work with special meals or Disney events scheduled. I don’t like throwing a wrench into my plans last minute nor do I like being on my phone organizing my day while on the vacation.

This is a valid critique. I felt like it was basically impossible to plan restaurant reservations and get all the value out of the park ticket. But at the end of the day, we didn’t really go there to eat at restaurants. I can see if you were doing a character meal, that might be hard to plan around. It would be nice if you could reserve at least 1 LL in advance every day.

You will get a LL ride first thing at 7 if you book one. You just can't be such an anal planner that you want to do them in an exact order. You have to be somewhat flexible and just take them as they come. If you your first choice isn't the best time then take your 2nd choice and rope drop the one you didn't get. It's not impossible. Trying to plan each minute of the day on a strict schedule will be your undoing. And planning multiple sit down meals is a waste of time and money for mediocre food if you want to ride the rides.

well yes, I agree - planning sit down meals doesn’t really worked. I kind of wanted to have a sit-down reservation lunch planned just as a way to rest in the middle of the day, but it wasn’t really possible with the flexibility needed for LL.

[Anonymous]

Wow, just reading this thread…If I didn’t want to go to Disney before, I definitely do not now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

It’s an active vacation with lots to do. If you don’t like fast paced, action packed, multiple experiences offered such that you can’t possibly do them all, then it’s not for you. My family would be bored sitting on a beach all day with little to do.

Beach vacations can be active. Kayaking, swimming, walking, wander for food, see local history and sights, charter a boat, fishing, live music, parks, different beaches mean different character, shops, sunset, family
Football/frisby/whatever. None of that I have to wait in line for. I can call the day before and make a reservation without worry nothing being available. I don’t have to get to at 7 to do it.

I just don’t get posts like this. If you don’t like Disney, you don’t go. I don’t jump on Antarctica Travel Forums and tell people that there are better ways to spend their time/money, and how horrible the Drake Passage is and who really wants to go to a continent made of ice? Some people dig it. Some people don’t. The only thing I get out of your post is that you somehow need people to know that your way is better. It’s not - it’s just different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

Right - because the vacation you choose just doesn’t have as many things to do. That’s the point I am making - don’t go to a buffet if you don’t like having to make choices!

Just such a weird argument/analogy— there are way more things to do than time for me to do them, it’s just that I’m not forced to make my decisions at 7 am the morning of my vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of the discussions in this thread literally prove beyond a doubt now terrible it is to go to Disney. Look at how much work you all describe it being just to go there.

This. Why the hell would I look forward to spending an insane amount of money after spending 50 hours pre-planning the visit. International travel is far easier and cheaper.

I find it hard to believe there isn’t a lot of preplanning involved with an international trip.

Exactly. You don't just show up in Paris or Rome without planning and getting advance museum tickets, tour tickets, etc.

I mean I usually do. I’ve never pre booked anything for a trip except hotels. There’s always plenty to see and do and explore without scheduling ourselves ahead of time. Much nicer to take each day as we feel like.

With Paris and Rome, I do all the pre planning before hand. My problem with Disney is the stress of lightning lanes and genie plus which means you can’t know your ride times until the day of. And that may or may not work with special meals or Disney events scheduled. I don’t like throwing a wrench into my plans last minute nor do I like being on my phone organizing my day while on the vacation.

This is a valid critique. I felt like it was basically impossible to plan restaurant reservations and get all the value out of the park ticket. But at the end of the day, we didn’t really go there to eat at restaurants. I can see if you were doing a character meal, that might be hard to plan around. It would be nice if you could reserve at least 1 LL in advance every day.

You will get a LL ride first thing at 7 if you book one. You just can't be such an anal planner that you want to do them in an exact order. You have to be somewhat flexible and just take them as they come. If you your first choice isn't the best time then take your 2nd choice and rope drop the one you didn't get. It's not impossible. Trying to plan each minute of the day on a strict schedule will be your undoing. And planning multiple sit down meals is a waste of time and money for mediocre food if you want to ride the rides.

We always stay club level so breakfast and dinner are provided for us. We make lunchtime reservations at each park and have never had a problem timing/scheduling rides. It’s all about finessing the LL’s, rope drop, extended park hours, and getting in line exactly at park closing time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

Right - because the vacation you choose just doesn’t have as many things to do. That’s the point I am making - don’t go to a buffet if you don’t like having to make choices!

Just such a weird argument/analogy— there are way more things to do than time for me to do them, it’s just that I’m not forced to make my decisions at 7 am the morning of my vacation.

I spent a half day in the park recently. I started stacking rides at 7, from bed, and didn't get to the park until 530pm and had 7-8 rides stacked in 3 hours and it was very productive with little downtime. I'm sure most people can managed to pick up their phone at 7 for some quick planning in a few seconds. You don't have to do it again until 11am. It's really not that onerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

Right - because the vacation you choose just doesn’t have as many things to do. That’s the point I am making - don’t go to a buffet if you don’t like having to make choices!

Just such a weird argument/analogy— there are way more things to do than time for me to do them, it’s just that I’m not forced to make my decisions at 7 am the morning of my vacation.

DP
Then Disney clearly isn’t for you. Not sure why you keep pushing the 7am thing.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’m just not interested in competing against SAHMs who have time to learn all the hacks and systems. I’m busy, so it sounds like way too much work.

I work full time and know most of the good hacks - it’s really not that hard. It’s just like planning a regular vacation. Most of the actual “work” is time on the phone getting LL’s when you’re actually there.

Not 100% sure why you tried to make this a SAHM vs. working mom issue.

I don't understand PPs point about working/not working but there are some serious Disney fanatics (of all types) a newbie is up against and it can be very overwhelming for a first time visitor to get up to speed which sucks the fun out of a vacation.

I do. Disney is a perfect for vacation with a SAHM with a lot of time on her hands. A woman who is type A and doesn’t have an outlet for it. I see HS classmates who are SAHMs taking Disney vacations and it’s perfect for them.

You would be shocked at how many childless adults are Disney addicts then. You clearly don't understand the fan base.

It's perfect for anyone who is type A, loves to plan, and has time on their hands to do all that planning - not matter of they have kids or not.

Sounds like a horrible way to vacation!

DP. I don’t think the amount of planning for Disney is really much different from the amount of planning you’d do for any vacation where there are a lot of different activities and you have to choose between them and maybe know in advance which you prioritize. The real issue is that there is so much to do in a limited time period so you have to plan, if you have preferences. It’s not like there’s some place just like Disney, but requires less planning. And the Genie+ app actually is quite easy to use.

About the only “trick” you really need is to understand that you need to get right online at 6:59 for those few super popular rides, or plan to “rope drop” them. You can have a perfectly great time even without that. But just like you wouldn’t expect to waltz into the hottest restaurant on your vacation with no reservation, you do have to plan if you want to ride the most popular rides.

This is a terrible analogy. When I go on vacation there are maybe one or two activities I need reservations for and I can get those reservations (or know I haven't gotten them) weeks in advance, and plan around that. I'm not spending my vacation trying to get reservations for the things I want to do.

Right - because the vacation you choose just doesn’t have as many things to do. That’s the point I am making - don’t go to a buffet if you don’t like having to make choices!

Just such a weird argument/analogy— there are way more things to do than time for me to do them, it’s just that I’m not forced to make my decisions at 7 am the morning of my vacation.

I spent a half day in the park recently. I started stacking rides at 7, from bed, and didn't get to the park until 530pm and had 7-8 rides stacked in 3 hours and it was very productive with little downtime. I'm sure most people can managed to pick up their phone at 7 for some quick planning in a few seconds. You don't have to do it again until 11am. It's really not that onerous.

So every 2 hours you were just booking more Genie + LL’s? This sounds pretty effing genius.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:All of the discussions in this thread literally prove beyond a doubt now terrible it is to go to Disney. Look at how much work you all describe it being just to go there.

This. Why the hell would I look forward to spending an insane amount of money after spending 50 hours pre-planning the visit. International travel is far easier and cheaper.

I find it hard to believe there isn’t a lot of preplanning involved with an international trip.

Exactly. You don't just show up in Paris or Rome without planning and getting advance museum tickets, tour tickets, etc.

I mean I usually do. I’ve never pre booked anything for a trip except hotels. There’s always plenty to see and do and explore without scheduling ourselves ahead of time. Much nicer to take each day as we feel like.

With Paris and Rome, I do all the pre planning before hand. My problem with Disney is the stress of lightning lanes and genie plus which means you can’t know your ride times until the day of. And that may or may not work with special meals or Disney events scheduled. I don’t like throwing a wrench into my plans last minute nor do I like being on my phone organizing my day while on the vacation.

This is a valid critique. I felt like it was basically impossible to plan restaurant reservations and get all the value out of the park ticket. But at the end of the day, we didn’t really go there to eat at restaurants. I can see if you were doing a character meal, that might be hard to plan around. It would be nice if you could reserve at least 1 LL in advance every day.

You will get a LL ride first thing at 7 if you book one. You just can't be such an anal planner that you want to do them in an exact order. You have to be somewhat flexible and just take them as they come. If you your first choice isn't the best time then take your 2nd choice and rope drop the one you didn't get. It's not impossible. Trying to plan each minute of the day on a strict schedule will be your undoing. And planning multiple sit down meals is a waste of time and money for mediocre food if you want to ride the rides.

I don't think it's that simple. It's really easy to end up with ride or meal reservations that are on opposite ends of the park or that overlap so you end up stressing to get to where you need to be, especially with small kids with short legs. Throw in a rider swap, bus delay, minor illness, misplaced item, delayed restaurant reservation, thunderstorm, kid meltdown, bathroom emergency, ride shutdown, parade blockade, app error, etc, and the whole endeavor can become really stressful.

Just as one example we had a paid LL at HS in Star Wars land that had a ride closures during our window. To get a new LL or our money back they required us to walk to the front of the park to stand in line at Guest Services, so we did that. But while we were in line our LL for Slinky came up, so we tried to split up so one parent could do that and get a rider swap for the parent stuck in an hour+ long line, only to find out that they would have to be there to get a rider swap, but they'd have to get out of line to do that or we'd miss our LL window. So then only 1 parent rides Slinky so kid who was disappointed by the Star Wars line gets to ride something, but meanwhile other preschool aged kid is stuck in a guest services line and now starving. So parent and kid rush back across the park again to get food for smaller kid and meet parent in line. Meanwhile, over 2.5 hours at the parks, only 2 of 4 people in the party have gotten on a ride, we've traversed the park 4 times, and parent in line has listened to 1.5 hours of whining with no rides. Now everyone is at the front of the park, but there's no food nearby, so the option is to walk back into the park to try to wait in yet another line to get food. Totally fun.