MrInfinity
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2012
I agree, to a point. While everyone's view of the proper way to do Disney is different, I think we should be able to reach a landing on the fact that there are at least some minimum thresholds that are absolute. Like actually finding a hotel room and not sleeping in a car per Carrie's post above. Or like going to WDW and actually getting in the park as opposed to having it be capacity controlled with you on the outside looking in.
These are fine, but they are not things ppl run into. This is sort of planning for the .0001% or something. Yes, you're going to book a room before you go somewhere, and if you are the type to just drive and go, you can run into finding no room at ANY place, that tiny chance of not getting one is not specific to Disney.
Or like getting into the MK and being able to enjoy at least 6 attractions that day,
Nope, this is a *you thing*. (and a *me thing*, to be fair). But this is not an *everyone thing*. I am sure that most guests actually want to ride much less than you or I want to ride. I see it in everyone. I am a pretty young at heart adult. I play with LEGOs and ride the rides. But most adults do neither. They certainly do not set their expectations on 6 rides per day, over say a 7-day stay. 42 rides in a trip? No way. 10 or 12 on the whole trip might be desired. Again that's not me, but I know a LOT of people like this.
There are going to be around 10 days where some level of planning and booking is going to be necessary to reach even the most modest goals.
You mean like Christmas week and Easter week? Again, I disagree. Lots of friends go down this week cuz it's when they have the time off, and they don't plan more because of it. Think about it -- why are the parks busier during this time! Because everyone wants to go then, not just strict planners. Some go quite unplanned, fully expecting it to be crowded, and with no preconceived necessary fun-level of riding 42 things in a week.
I have a friend who told me last year (on December 10) that she was thinking about taking her family to WDW between Christmas and New Year's. I asked her if staying at a nice hotel was a priority because I know the way she typically travels. She said yes. For her, it was Deluxe or nothing.
Ok, specific need. Different story. You start refining your desires to specific things, then you have to plan for them. First time we went, we had the specific need of the Poly. We booked it at like 90 days out, no problem.
I asked her if waiting in 110 minute lines for popular attractions was something that she was prepared for. Nope. I asked her if eating at the popular restaurants was a goal. Yes. She would have been one of those people who came back and said: "I don't get why people go year after year. That place was awful."
This is artificially creating demand. To say... "I know there is a hard to get into restaurant - do you want to eat there?" will be met with... SURE! But YOU have created that demand, not them. They might have gone and checked out BOG, found it full, so they eat at LTT and have a great time.
It sounds like this person is just not into theme parks. Would she go to Great America? Cedar Point? Magic Mountain? Would she ride rides there? Does she like taking her kids to loud places? Can she deal with the inevitable crowds? Theme parks aren't for everyone. Like you say, for some there are cruises. But theme parks are for lots of people beyond the strict subset of diligent planners. For some it is as simple as... expecting crowds... expecting heat... expecting lines... but wanting family time w the kids in Disney World. Isn't that enough? You do not need to plan it to where you will ride 42 things over 7 days. That is way beyond most expectations.
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