Why, oh Why Dont they Listen???

[DisneyPrince1982]

I stopped giving Disney advice a long time ago. I got tired of people not following my recommendations whether it came to restaurants, hotels, or anything else. People always think they know better.

 

[lustergirl]

I don't give out advice anymore. People will not listen but come back and complain they had a horrible time.

 

[amylevan]

Some people are planners, some are not.

On top of that, most vacations do not require the level of planning that Disney does. Going to the beach for a week? Have fun! Going to NYC for the weekend? No need to make dinner reservations days in advance. So someone who isn't familiar with Disney is going to expect it to be similar to other vacation destinations. And if they aren't a planner by nature, they aren't going to do their research ahead of time to KNOW that they need to plan ahead of time.

 

[sharona]

Then these same people come home and tell you and everyone else they know that Disneyworld is the absolute worst place to vacation and they didn't enjoy it one bit.

I see that as one less family that I have to go around while they're standing in the middle of the walkway staring at a park map.

 

[jon18uk]

We have a friend who was driving to Florida for a weekend. She was meeting friends who were in from Australia. Her friends wanted to visit Disney - specifically, to ride the Mad Tea Party (I'm not making this up).

Due to timing, they would only get one day in a park. They would also be arriving in the middle of the night. Our friend asked if she'd be able to get a room at a Disney resort for only a couple of hours, and since the stay would be abbreviated, at a discount rate. Yeah, good luck with that. To top it off, they were visiting during peak season.

In spite of numerous warnings from my wife and I, she went ahead with the "plan".

Long story short, they got to MK with one of the shakiest plans I've ever seen, and needless to say, had a horrible time. Who would've guessed that the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-teacups-vacation would be less than stellar?

Actually if all they really care about is TeaCups and they only have one day in the park it should have been fine. A one day trip means it is just a day out at an amusement park. Book FP+ if you can, as far ahead as you can, but if not on the morning. One day trip doesn't need a dining reservation as you would want as much ride/parade/show/firework time as possible.
If they had the right expectations, that you can't do it all in one day they would have been fine.

and of course they should have pre-booked some accommodation!

 

[tup1830]

As mentioned before, some people just don't like planning and therefore, if they have a bad time at disney (news flash...not everyone does) its nobody's fault. They won't go again and will find a destination that they enjoy immensely to do a non-planning vacation.

Unfortunately, disney is not one of those places...anymore.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Some people are planners, some are not.

On top of that, most vacations do not require the level of planning that Disney does. Going to the beach for a week? Have fun! Going to NYC for the weekend? No need to make dinner reservations days in advance. So someone who isn't familiar with Disney is going to expect it to be similar to other vacation destinations. And if they aren't a planner by nature, they aren't going to do their research ahead of time to KNOW that they need to plan ahead of time.

This was my first thought while reading through this. The reason first timers or infrequent visitors don't know this is because no other vacation requires this level of effort. You can put less effort into planning international travel than going to Disney. If it wasn't something you do all the time who would believe you have to know where and what you want to eat 6+ months out and know what you want to try and ride 2 months out? Look at the level of workarounds and tricks that people who go all the time go through to get things and you're surprised that novices don't know what they should do? Even if they ask there is the issue of disbelief and being overwhelmed. If someone doesn't plan and gets there with struggles there is always the chance they are willing to try it again with more planning. The real problem is when you have a new person that ties to plan and things still don't line up where maximum disappointment sets in.

The biggest issue in the OPs story isn't that the travelers don't know anything but that they are paying someone who has no clue how to advise them.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

You can put less effort into planning international travel than going to Disney.

Not sure I agree with that. My trip to Italy involved much more planning than is required for Disney.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Not sure I agree with that. My trip to Italy involved much more planning than is required for Disney.

My in-laws are going to Paris in October and outside of their airfare, hotel room and a rough idea they want to go to Disneyland Paris that's it. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law who have been multiple times are "helping" them plan and that's actually been what they encouraged. It's hard to relax and enjoy the scenery and where you are when you're tied to watching a clock the entire time.

 

[srauseo]

Going to NYC for the weekend? No need to make dinner reservations days in advance.

I'm not sure that's exactly true. It depends where you want to go and what you are doing and how big your group is. I am planning a girls weekend in New York and you'd be surprised how many places are already booked more than a month and a half out. We wanted to do afternoon tea at this place on the Upper East Side. The times we wanted were already full. We wanted to reserve a table in the bocce room at Il Vagabondo. Sorry, booked. We want to see the new Whitney Museum - fill out a form and "request" the time you want and they'll let you know if you can get in. Oh - and pay in advance. Seriously. Yeah, we could certainly go and do other things and probably be happy but if you want to do specific things and eat at specific places it's always smart to research in advance.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

My in-laws are going to Paris in October and outside of their airfare, hotel room and a rough idea they want to go to Disneyland Paris that's it. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law who have been multiple times are "helping" them plan and that's actually been what they encouraged. It's hard to relax and enjoy the scenery and where you are when you're tied to watching a clock the entire time.

True but there are some restaurants in DLP that will be booked solid. Walt's comes to mind. I booked that one out well in advance. Also, not all of the Paris museums are open everyday. What if they don't even check and show up at the Louvre on the day it happens to be closed? That would stink.

 

[DisneyPrince1982]

I'm not sure that's exactly true. It depends where you want to go and what you are doing and how big your group is. I am planning a girls weekend in New York and you'd be surprised how many places are already booked more than a month and a half out. We wanted to do afternoon tea at this place on the Upper East Side. The times we wanted were already full. We wanted to reserve a table in the bocce room at Il Vagabondo. Sorry, booked. We want to see the new Whitney Museum - fill out a form and "request" the time you want and they'll let you know if you can get in. Oh - and pay in advance. Seriously. Yeah, we could certainly go and do other things and probably be happy but if you want to do specific things and eat at specific places it's always smart to research in advance.

Yup don't forget if you want to go up to the Statue of Liberty Crown. That needs to be booked 3 months out.

 

[MrInfinity]

It has happened again.

Co-worker planning a trip over Veterans Day. This is not her first trip but it has been awhile. She is staying offsite and using a travel agent- not very well Disney versed- IMO.... She is telling me tonight (sept 8) that her travel agent says she can make her dining reservations when she is 30 days from her check in of Nov. 7th. OH MY! Then coworker says, "I want to eat in the Castle, Askersus, Chef Mickey and Ohanna"- they are also a party of 6. Yep, I did it, I burst her bubble and told her it was unlikely that she would get all or any of those reservations at this point in time. Not impossible but unlikely. Her response, "Im sure they hold some reservations back for the travel agents" .... I could be wrong but I dont think so.

Another coworker then chimes in about going Dec 28 to Jan 5 with her 4 small children. No they dont have a hotel reservation yet or anything else for that matter. And she says, "do you think there will be any discounts for last minute bookings?".... Nope.

They all know I have gone numerous times and sometimes more than once per year. They all know I spend all year planning and organizing and replanning and reorganizing my trips. They all know that I would gladly help them plan their trip too. So, why, oh why dont they listen?

You're not going to convince the general populace to be diligent planners. That's why, when we go, we all have an advantage over most of those other guests. While they wait for this or that, we know how to skip ahead. It's a benefit of being a planner -- but it's only a benefit to a planner. If everyone was like you or I, there would be no way for us to get an edge. I think this person falls squarely in the category of most guests... who are not out here on the Dis, and really just pick up and go to WDW. They may have an idea about where they want to eat, but it probably would not be an end to their trip if they eat elsewhere. I hope they have a great time!

Dec 28 to Jan 5 will be hard to book this late. With 4 small children? Or 3 children, an infant and 2 adults... I ran a quick search for 5 for those dates and there are still rooms available. POR and CBR have space, that's not bad.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm not sure that's exactly true. It depends where you want to go and what you are doing and how big your group is. I am planning a girls weekend in New York and you'd be surprised how many places are already booked more than a month and a half out. We wanted to do afternoon tea at this place on the Upper East Side. The times we wanted were already full. We wanted to reserve a table in the bocce room at Il Vagabondo. Sorry, booked. We want to see the new Whitney Museum - fill out a form and "request" the time you want and they'll let you know if you can get in. Oh - and pay in advance. Seriously. Yeah, we could certainly go and do other things and probably be happy but if you want to do specific things and eat at specific places it's always smart to research in advance.

I agree, NYC takes a lot of advanced planning if you have specific things/times in mind. If you're open to whatever, then it doesn't. We live near NYC and we will sometimes just see what show tickets are available for shows on a Saturday morning and just go that day. Or not, if nothing is available at a price we like. We wouldn't have that mindset if it was a trip.

 

[Geoff_M]

I'm shaking my head in disbelief at the people going the week between Christmas and New Years with small children who have nothing booked.

I've mentioned this before, but a few years ago I had a co-worker stop by and say "Brenda said you know a lot about Disney and I should talk to you. I'm planning on taking my daughter down there for vacation." This was about Thanksgiving, and I assumed he was talking about Spring Break... nope, he was going down there at Christmas. All he had at that point in time was a hotel near DTD. He was from India, and he had assumed that since Christmas was such a major Christian holiday that the crowds would be light at WDW because people would stay home to be close to their churches and families. I said "Oh, my... pull up a chair. We have to talk." I proceeded to inform him on what he was facing in reality, but gave him the usual things to be sure to do to handle the parks at that time of year. Fortunately, he listened, and when they came back he said they had a good time!

 

[3DisneyFanz]

True but there are some restaurants in DLP that will be booked solid. Walt's comes to mind. I booked that one out well in advance. Also, not all of the Paris museums are open everyday. What if they don't even check and show up at the Louvre on the day it happens to be closed? That would stink.

True but they can also check availability when they get there and decide Sat what they want to work in and aren't tied into being everywhere at a set time. Not everyone wants the Clark Griswald version of vacations.

I know it's hard for people to believe but there was a time at Disney when you didn't have to plan so much. The biggest decision you had was do you want to ride something first or jump over to City Hall for dining reservations. I know people will say it's different because attendance is up and there is something to that but at the same time the attendance numbers aren't really that much up from a period in past where all of these programs weren't in place and things certainly seemed to function okay.

 

[JaxDad]

They all know I have gone numerous times and sometimes more than once per year. They all know I spend all year planning and organizing and replanning and reorganizing my trips. They all know that I would gladly help them plan their trip too. So, why, oh why dont they listen?

I honestly don't mean to sound rude, especially since I don't know anything about you and your workplace, but is it possible they have heard enough from you about Disney already and don't want to "get you started?"

Like many on this board, I am an uber planner. I plan all my vacations pretty tightly. It is just the way I am--I want my family to have as good a time as possible, and I want to reduce the risk of wasting hard-earned dollars on a less than wonderful vacation. I am very private about my planning. Nobody at work knows how much effort I put into my vacations. It's not a big deal; it's just none of their business. At my old workplace, there was a "crazy Disney lady." She talked about her next trip often and loudly. Her cubicle was filled with all manner of Disney stuff. There is no doubt she probably was a wealth of information on all things Disney--heck, she's probably on this board--but there was no way I would have ever gone to ask her something and risk becoming her new Disney buddy!

Again, I have no idea if this applies to you or other posters here. Planners, and especially Disney planners, are a special breed and not always understood by those wandering aimlessly through life!

 

[BudgieMama]

I've had interested conversations with friends and colleagues after their trips... bless them, it's been an eye opener! But I planned our WDW trip, our NYC trip, our Iceland trips, our trips to Wales- planning eases my anxiety when I'm away from home!

My brother and new SIL went to Orlando for their (three week!!) honeymoon. They specifically asked what they needed to know about WDW, and I wrote them a guide to ADRS, using FP+, how to set up MDE and gave them some useful links to crowd calenders and the such like. And then I walked away. They told me a few weeks before they went that they had booked tickets for the Blue Man Group... and that was it. No further plans. I worried for them, but I didn't nag.

I had a very, very long chat with SIL when they returned, and she is now desperate for a return trip to "do Disney right". They had fun, but they didn't manage half of what they wanted to do with nearly two weeks in the WDW parks. We had just 6.5 days and the only thing we missed that we really wanted to do (because we forgot! Doh!) was the Tiki Room!

Each to their own though: I know it'll very difficult to get my MIL to see the need for the planning when we go with her, but I'll just do it anyway!!

 

[HotMama]

OH boy!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I honestly don't mean to sound rude, especially since I don't know anything about you and your workplace, but is it possible they have heard enough from you about Disney already and don't want to "get you started?"

Like many on this board, I am an uber planner. I plan all my vacations pretty tightly. It is just the way I am--I want my family to have as good a time as possible, and I want to reduce the risk of wasting hard-earned dollars on a less than wonderful vacation. I am very private about my planning. Nobody at work knows how much effort I put into my vacations. It's not a big deal; it's just none of their business. At my old workplace, there was a "crazy Disney lady." She talked about her next trip often and loudly. Her cubicle was filled with all manner of Disney stuff. There is no doubt she probably was a wealth of information on all things Disney--heck, she's probably on this board--but there was no way I would have ever gone to ask her something and risk becoming her new Disney buddy!

Again, I have no idea if this applies to you or other posters here. Planners, and especially Disney planners, are a special breed and not always understood by those wandering aimlessly through life!

I think people, in general, don't really want advice. They may say they do. Not just about Disney stuff, but anything in life. Like someone said, answers to specific questions, definitely. But general advice, not so much.

I find most people really want someone to just listen to them talk for a bit. I'm sure that lady in your office loves when people ask her about her Disney cubicle collection But I find it's very rare for someone to change course on anything in life based on outside advice (maybe it's just my advice LOL)