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

[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.

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

I’m another NP. I think people keep going on about the 7am thing because it is what differentiates Disney from other vacations that require a lot of planning and research. I, like many people, love planning and researching trips and finding lots of different activities to do. The uniquely negative thing about Disney is that you are required to do some of this planning at 7am on your vacation AND THEN keep checking your phone to do more of it throughout the day while you are there. If you have done this lots of times and are used to it, then I’m sure it’s no big deal for you. But for people new to Disney or people who haven’t been since they created this system, it is something to understand in advance and something that can certainly contribute to a negative experience, which was the OP’s question.

[Anonymous]

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

There are so many variables for the experience—when you go (the heat of the summer versus January), how crowded the parks are, your expectations, what you like, and how you feel about walking 20,000 plus steps per day and being on the go. Disney is not for everyone, and sometimes, bad luck in terms of crowds and ride closures can make it unpleasant.

My family had a wonderful Disney trip recently. Admittedly, we were lucky with low crowds and good weather. I am a Disney lover, and while I enjoy the rides, the experience isn't just about them. From our recent trip, some highlights that stuck with me that aren't about rides. One was watching a bird show at AK and looking around at all the happy families and groups - people of all ages, including the Make-a-Wish family next to me. Everyone was laughing and having so much fun with each other that it made me teary. Another favorite moment was dancing with my college-age son while watching a band at Epcot after taking in the beautiful topiaries. I get the focus on rides and getting your money's worth because everything at Disney is ridiculously expensive. Unfortunately, the more you focus on costs, the more likely you will miss the moments that can make the trip memorable.
'

[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.

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.

This isn’t a Disney Travel Forum. It's a post on a Travel Forum asking why people don’t like Disney.

[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.

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

I’m another NP. I think people keep going on about the 7am thing because it is what differentiates Disney from other vacations that require a lot of planning and research. I, like many people, love planning and researching trips and finding lots of different activities to do. The uniquely negative thing about Disney is that you are required to do some of this planning at 7am on your vacation AND THEN keep checking your phone to do more of it throughout the day while you are there. If you have done this lots of times and are used to it, then I’m sure it’s no big deal for you. But for people new to Disney or people who haven’t been since they created this system, it is something to understand in advance and something that can certainly contribute to a negative experience, which was the OP’s question.

Imagine planning a trip to London - you book your flights and hotel, and have a list of all the things you want to do. Then at 7am on the first day, you find you can tickets for the Tower of London at 11am, so then you rush off to find breakfast and activities before that, get to the Tower, then get in your phone again to see what else you can do. Great, the Harry Potter studio tour has a spot, but that’s miles away so you won’t make that. OK there’s a show at 4pm, can we get there in time? Etc etc. It’s just a very manic way to vacation!

[Anonymous]

We just took my 4 year old for one day spur of the moment to Disneyland last week. Got Genie. Brought her a ton of sacks. Yes it was expensive but it was also our favorite day of our weeklong socal vacation. Never been to Disney world and don’t plan on it, but I hope her Disneyland day is one of her first memories. We had a great day!

[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.

I hear you, but this is why I never went when my kids were so little we would need rider swap to WDW. We waited until they were past stroller age and wouldn't need rider swap and could handle all the walking. Also skip the meal reservations. You can'd do it all with such little kids.

[Anonymous]

We always loved Disney but haven’t been back since 2022. It was such a nightmare with the genie and the lighting lanes, crowds and just really sucked for what it cost. We don’t have to go on everything and don’t mind spending money but it crossed over a line of not being fun anymore.

[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.

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

I’m another NP. I think people keep going on about the 7am thing because it is what differentiates Disney from other vacations that require a lot of planning and research. I, like many people, love planning and researching trips and finding lots of different activities to do. The uniquely negative thing about Disney is that you are required to do some of this planning at 7am on your vacation AND THEN keep checking your phone to do more of it throughout the day while you are there. If you have done this lots of times and are used to it, then I’m sure it’s no big deal for you. But for people new to Disney or people who haven’t been since they created this system, it is something to understand in advance and something that can certainly contribute to a negative experience, which was the OP’s question.

Imagine planning a trip to London - you book your flights and hotel, and have a list of all the things you want to do. Then at 7am on the first day, you find you can tickets for the Tower of London at 11am, so then you rush off to find breakfast and activities before that, get to the Tower, then get in your phone again to see what else you can do. Great, the Harry Potter studio tour has a spot, but that’s miles away so you won’t make that. OK there’s a show at 4pm, can we get there in time? Etc etc. It’s just a very manic way to vacation!

There are always things that can go wrong. You have the perfect London itinerary but then there's a transit strike. Or the tube is experiencing a massive delay and you can't easily get where you're going and you need to figure out the bus schedule. Or you planned to walk around, visit parks and gardens and it's raining.

[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.

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

I’m another NP. I think people keep going on about the 7am thing because it is what differentiates Disney from other vacations that require a lot of planning and research. I, like many people, love planning and researching trips and finding lots of different activities to do. The uniquely negative thing about Disney is that you are required to do some of this planning at 7am on your vacation AND THEN keep checking your phone to do more of it throughout the day while you are there. If you have done this lots of times and are used to it, then I’m sure it’s no big deal for you. But for people new to Disney or people who haven’t been since they created this system, it is something to understand in advance and something that can certainly contribute to a negative experience, which was the OP’s question.

Imagine planning a trip to London - you book your flights and hotel, and have a list of all the things you want to do. Then at 7am on the first day, you find you can tickets for the Tower of London at 11am, so then you rush off to find breakfast and activities before that, get to the Tower, then get in your phone again to see what else you can do. Great, the Harry Potter studio tour has a spot, but that’s miles away so you won’t make that. OK there’s a show at 4pm, can we get there in time? Etc etc. It’s just a very manic way to vacation!

There are always things that can go wrong. You have the perfect London itinerary but then there's a transit strike. Or the tube is experiencing a massive delay and you can't easily get where you're going and you need to figure out the bus schedule. Or you planned to walk around, visit parks and gardens and it's raining.

Yes, of course. That’s true in all vacations, including Disney when you have all the ride passes. I’m just saying that the unique thing about Disney is that it requires a lot of on the day planning and dealing with multiple additional unknowns (which rides are busy, how many people are there, what rides will be available at what time) as well as all the usual unknowns like weather or broken down rides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disney is great if you know what you’re doing and can afford to spend. The misery comes from people who try to save money or show up and wonder around with no idea how it all works.

Also, some people don’t like it anyway. But, that’s true of all things.

Absolutely this. We go just about every year and love it. We stay club level, pay for Genie + and Lightning Lanes, and book nice lunch restaurants 60 days in advance. In the last 5 years I can count on one hand how many times we had to wait more than 30 min for a ride. Once you have the system figured out and you have 30k to spend for the week it’s a blast.

Fixed it for you

[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.

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.

This isn’t a Disney Travel Forum. It's a post on a Travel Forum asking why people don’t like Disney.

Actually OP asked for experiences where people’s kids didn’t like Disney (she herself was a Disney fan). And then we get this screed about how active beach vacations are better. It was pretty pointless.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Disney is great if you know what you’re doing and can afford to spend. The misery comes from people who try to save money or show up and wonder around with no idea how it all works.

Also, some people don’t like it anyway. But, that’s true of all things.

Absolutely this. We go just about every year and love it. We stay club level, pay for Genie + and Lightning Lanes, and book nice lunch restaurants 60 days in advance. In the last 5 years I can count on one hand how many times we had to wait more than 30 min for a ride. Once you have the system figured out and you have 30k to spend for the week it’s a blast.

Fixed it for you

We go for 5 days/4 nights and spend $8K pretty consistently. So you’re off by quite a bit.

[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.

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

I’m another NP. I think people keep going on about the 7am thing because it is what differentiates Disney from other vacations that require a lot of planning and research. I, like many people, love planning and researching trips and finding lots of different activities to do. The uniquely negative thing about Disney is that you are required to do some of this planning at 7am on your vacation AND THEN keep checking your phone to do more of it throughout the day while you are there. If you have done this lots of times and are used to it, then I’m sure it’s no big deal for you. But for people new to Disney or people who haven’t been since they created this system, it is something to understand in advance and something that can certainly contribute to a negative experience, which was the OP’s question.

Imagine planning a trip to London - you book your flights and hotel, and have a list of all the things you want to do. Then at 7am on the first day, you find you can tickets for the Tower of London at 11am, so then you rush off to find breakfast and activities before that, get to the Tower, then get in your phone again to see what else you can do. Great, the Harry Potter studio tour has a spot, but that’s miles away so you won’t make that. OK there’s a show at 4pm, can we get there in time? Etc etc. It’s just a very manic way to vacation!

There are always things that can go wrong. You have the perfect London itinerary but then there's a transit strike. Or the tube is experiencing a massive delay and you can't easily get where you're going and you need to figure out the bus schedule. Or you planned to walk around, visit parks and gardens and it's raining.

Yes, of course. That’s true in all vacations, including Disney when you have all the ride passes. I’m just saying that the unique thing about Disney is that it requires a lot of on the day planning and dealing with multiple additional unknowns (which rides are busy, how many people are there, what rides will be available at what time) as well as all the usual unknowns like weather or broken down rides.

It's not really a "lot of planning" once you're there. You can use the app to direct you to lines with the shortest waits, change things up as needed, stop for a snack, see a show, take a rest and come back later.

[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.

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.

This isn’t a Disney Travel Forum. It's a post on a Travel Forum asking why people don’t like Disney.

Actually OP asked for experiences where people’s kids didn’t like Disney (she herself was a Disney fan). And then we get this screed about how active beach vacations are better. It was pretty pointless.

Akshually what happened is someone claimed that Disney vacations are just like any other vacation because you can’t expect to walk into a popular restaurant without reservations.

I have friends who like Disney and if you like Disney too that’s great, but it’s weird to me to act like the only difference between Disney and other vacations is that there are more things to do on a Disney vacation.

[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.

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.

This isn’t a Disney Travel Forum. It's a post on a Travel Forum asking why people don’t like Disney.

Actually OP asked for experiences where people’s kids didn’t like Disney (she herself was a Disney fan). And then we get this screed about how active beach vacations are better. It was pretty pointless.

Akshually what happened is someone claimed that Disney vacations are just like any other vacation because you can’t expect to walk into a popular restaurant without reservations.

I have friends who like Disney and if you like Disney too that’s great, but it’s weird to me to act like the only difference between Disney and other vacations is that there are more things to do on a Disney vacation.

Actually this got off track when a PP said it was for SAHMs because who has the time to plan a vacation? When it turns out that's not even true and also lots of vacations require planning. Disney just has a lot of the planning happen either 60 days in advance (dining) or real time at the park. And if you get a LL that overlaps with your dining reservation you can just modify it to a more convenient time or show up late. I had a cast member tell me they will always honor your LL if you miss your window the key was just to plan Disney somehow and it's no problem.