Overheard- made me cringe

[goofyernmost]

Except...they have an official webpage detailing fastpasses. They send you emails about it. There are whole guidebooks about Disney.

Missing that stuff isn't due to being a first time guest. Missing that stuff is due to being an idiot who doesn't read their emails, the official website, or use google. Or not even go up to the park information desk around noon the first day and ask about the fast pass queues. I know a lot of travel idiots. But I know more first time travelers who don't fail to plan.

Idiots is a pretty harsh bit of name calling there. I'm sure things have taken you by surprise, that doesn't make you an idiot does it? Unless, and sometimes even after people have been warned by people they trust that more planning is necessary they just feel that it isn't necessary. It is more true now then it was just a few years ago. With the new system for FP's and ADRs it is harder to just wing it creating a really stressful trip for the first timer. We should all just be thankful that we know our way around the place. We can go with the knowledge that we can operate the system. They just face frustration. It is there fault, especially if they have been directly told, but, very many of them have not been told. Contrary to popular belief the entire country has not been to any Disney Parks at all.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I have been an idiot. Or I've failed to realize that a certain museum or attraction sells out 3 months in advance. I think everyone has. People here tend to microplan, which is fine, but not what I'm talking about. I'm not calling anyone an idiot for not microplanning. I'm saying there isn't an excuse for not knowing anything about fast pass at all. It's easy to find out about on line, in a guide book, at a travel agent, at the gate, at a fast pass kiosk, from a cast member. I know most people here won't agree, but you do not need to plan 6 months, 3 months, or even one month out to have a good time. You might not get fast passes to the hottest attractions, or ADRs to Ohanas or BOG but you'll still get 3 or more fast passes and you won't starve.

All it takes is asking someone what the fast pass is. I mean, it's the equivalent of seeing a bus and complaining after your trip that you don't know where the buses ran, so you walked all the way and you blame the bus system for the fact you didn't see as much...but you never took the bus system! All you have to do is ask someone. I don't get it.

 

[Jackdude101]

It is possible to enjoy Disney without Fast Passes...as long as you don't mind not riding the big-ticket rides. In Magic Kingdom, the steam train and Tom Sawyer Island are good examples.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

These threads are always a you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink situation. When FP+ first rolled out anyone buying a ticket at a ticket window got a very brief spiel in the form of you can book 3 fastpasses here is some information on the app and how to do that. There were even friendly CMs paid to stand with a sign and answer questions (I was one of them!) and people just grumbled and complained at these CMs instead of taking the help. I had a dad spit at my feet for ruining his thousand dollar vacation for telling him he couldn't ride what he wanted to. I tried to politely inform him that he was always welcome to join the standby line of any attraction this was just if he wanted to book a fastpass to "skip" most of the line at a scheduled time. It was insane what some people even in 2014 thought FP was.

Even at Disneyland just a couple weeks ago where they have regular FP I heard people standing in a 90 minute Soarin line say oh you have to pay for those fp things must be nice to be able to skip this long line and get to walk right on. They have it printed on their maps and CMs station at FP machines and people just assume it has to be paid for. They don't bother to read or ask.

You can do Disney with out having to plan a ton like most of us here do. My best friend in the entire world does it that way. They pick a weekend get whatever is left with their DVC points and then if they do FP it is day of or maybe week before. They still have great trips and go back at least once a year. They don't even really book dinning reservations until day of or night before. They prove to me it must be possible to still have an old school Disney vacation as long as you are okay waiting in long lines.

I thought it I saw a FB post saying there was a charge for fp

Btw the dis taught me about

Fp+

ADR

 

[wilkeliza]

I thought it I saw a FB post saying there was a charge for fp

Btw the dis taught me about

Fp+

ADR

At Disneyland they are still free but if you want to book on your phone and get photopass for the day it is 10 per a person. Anyone can pull from the machines for free though.

 

[srwarden1928]

I was standing in line for a ride and DH and I were looking at the MK map and the woman in front of us turned around and said, "Oh! There's a map for this place?"

ROFLOL

There was a map for WDW when it first opened in 1971. I still have one of them. This is NOT part of the complication added the last few years.

 

[Disney_and_Wine]

Not quite sure why out of everyone saying that they don't understand how people can not understand these systems you choose me to argue semantics with

First of all, I am not arguing semantics. The reason I commented on your post is because you confessed to being an "obsessive planner". Your words, not mine. My point is a simple one. Obsessive planners cannot blame average planners for not being just like them and that appears to be what you are doing. Think of it as a classic bell curve. You place yourself at the far right side of the curve where the line thins out. Now look to the left and see all of the people who occupy the space below the big bulbous bell. Those are the average people. And there are more of them than there are people like you. It is simply impossible to say to those people: "Come on, folks. Get with the program and join me on the far right of the curve!" Were this to happen, there would no longer be a bell curve, and we know that there must be.

 

[Westcoastwild]

It is possible to enjoy Disney without Fast Passes...as long as you don't mind not riding the big-ticket rides. In Magic Kingdom, the steam train and Tom Sawyer Island are good examples.

Um, You aren't barred from the etickets. You can ride stand by. I usually get one fast pass for my top rides and then ride all of those a second time when stand by line looks tolerable. I rode 7DMT 5-6 times last trip and I only managed to score one fast pass. FEA broke down during my fast pass window so I came back later and stood in stand by line for an hour.

 

[Roxyfire]

It doesn't matter how much information is on line. What matters is if they think that they need to know what it is or if they feel that they already know what to expect from an amusement park. To repeat @Disney_and_Wine one doesn't know what they do not know. It's that simple. We may look down at them smugly knowing better, but, that doesn't mean that they realize that they have any reason to spend time researching things. It's just a Theme Park, not a trip around the world.

It's a theme park visit that could cost thousands of dollars. That's not smug, that's responsible. Of course, there's lots of people who just cannot be bothered and want to go right now. That's what I mean by the spontaneous folks. Two years ago (when I created this account) I started researching for my first trip since 8th grade, 1994. Of course a lot had changed, even two or three times over. Plus I was the adult, responsible for making sure everything went well. I ended up finding this place and even put off my first trip for a year because I just kept finding more and more things. I'm not saying people need to know all things WDW, but a quick google before you decide on any travel will help at least with the basics. In fact there's so many good resources out there that it's hard to miss.

 

[LSUmiss]

I think the thing that I found most surprising with my experience with the family that didn't know about the process of FP+ is not the lack of planning but the lack of awareness. I think you can absolutely have a good trip without meticulous planning, but I do think it could be an unpleasant experience with such a lack of awareness of what's available & how to access it.

 

[TinkerPan]

There are many folks who are first timers and we can’t always blame them for not planning. Each ones circumstances are different. We went in mid-June and stayed off-site. I met a 48 year old woman at the pool who told me this was her first visit ever to Disney. She was the caregiver for an 88 year old man, and had accompanied him. He was paying for the trip and she felt happy to be included, along with her two teen-age children. Well she told me they had gone to “Disney” the day before at 2 o’clock and all the electronic scooters were already gone. They had to rent a wheel chair instead and it had been hard pushing it. They had put their name in for a scooter but had never been contacted. She said the rides had such long waits. I asked her if she had used fast passes and she gave me a blank stare. I asked which park she had gone to. She didn’t know. They were returning that day to “Disney” at 2 o’clock again, and she hoped they would be able to get a scooter that day. I casually mentioned that they go quickly in the morning. I asked her what park she was going to today. She didn’t know.

Of course I felt sorry for her, but she wasn’t really looking for advice and I think anything I could have told her was too little too late. She obviously wasn’t in control of her Disney visit or planning and knew nothing about the parks. Strange as it may seem, she was still thrilled to be experiencing Disney and Florida and I think she was having a good time despite of everything.

 

[Moliphino]

We had a family at an Old Key West bus stop ask us what bus to take to Disney World. Congratulations, you're already there! Get on the one that says Magic Kingdom.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I have been an idiot. Or I've failed to realize that a certain museum or attraction sells out 3 months in advance. I think everyone has. People here tend to microplan, which is fine, but not what I'm talking about. I'm not calling anyone an idiot for not microplanning. I'm saying there isn't an excuse for not knowing anything about fast pass at all. It's easy to find out about on line, in a guide book, at a travel agent, at the gate, at a fast pass kiosk, from a cast member. I know most people here won't agree, but you do not need to plan 6 months, 3 months, or even one month out to have a good time. You might not get fast passes to the hottest attractions, or ADRs to Ohanas or BOG but you'll still get 3 or more fast passes and you won't starve.

All it takes is asking someone what the fast pass is. I mean, it's the equivalent of seeing a bus and complaining after your trip that you don't know where the buses ran, so you walked all the way and you blame the bus system for the fact you didn't see as much...but you never took the bus system! All you have to do is ask someone. I don't get it.

As an aside, I'll say our experience as WDW microplanners helped us when planning our trip to Europe this summer. We got our tickets to museums and other high-volume attractions months in advance, which was awesome when we got to skip the long lines and go right in. Felt like we had a FP for Europe.

 

[ChristineOH]

We had a family at an Old Key West bus stop ask us what bus to take to Disney World. Congratulations, you're already there! Get on the one that says Magic Kingdom.

Oh dear... On the occasions that we have run into people like this, my husband just points them to me and I try to give them a crash course without freaking them out. I have given lessons on the bus more than once.

 

[yorkieteacher]

As an aside, I'll say our experience as WDW microplanners helped us when planning our trip to Europe this summer. We got our tickets to museums and other high-volume attractions months in advance, which was awesome when we got to skip the long lines and go right in. Felt like we had a FP for Europe.

Me too! Being a Disney Nerd made our trip to Italy that we planned and executed ourselves (with the help of MANY websites and guidebooks) flawless! But with so much information available, for really big (aka expensive!) trips, even my "that's too much work to make it fun" husband always goes on line to get information!

 

[maxiesmom]

And commercials for beer make it look like one sip of their product will cause bikini clad women to fight each other for your affection.
And commercials for fast food joints make it look like you'll get a 7 inch high burger stuffed with piles of juicy meat and super fresh veggies.
And commercials for vacation spots make it look like it is sunset 24 hours per day.

Yeah, I never buy the whole But the Commercials argument either.

 

[Westcoastwild]

As an aside, I'll say our experience as WDW microplanners helped us when planning our trip to Europe this summer. We got our tickets to museums and other high-volume attractions months in advance, which was awesome when we got to skip the long lines and go right in. Felt like we had a FP for Europe.

I know what you mean! I really love museums and historic sights so I'm used to the fast pass concept and weirdly, Wdw does not bother me for that reason. There is nothing better than walking right past the dozens of people standing in the day of ticket line lol.

Kicking myself though- in Tokyo now and the one pop culture museum I really wanted to go to, sold completely out of tickets about three weeks ago. Those were the stupidly expensive backup tickets- they sold out of the normal ones 3 months ago, and I had no chance to get those anyway as I planned the trip two months ago. The mocroplanner within me is frothing at the mouth. Ugh. That's what I get for being cheap, darn it. It's less that I'm missing it and more that I knew better and I'm just mad at myself!

 

[Disney_and_Wine]

As an aside, I'll say our experience as WDW microplanners helped us when planning our trip to Europe this summer. We got our tickets to museums and other high-volume attractions months in advance, which was awesome when we got to skip the long lines and go right in. Felt like we had a FP for Europe.

Same here. Planning for WDW can turn one in to a true planning expert worldwide. But this just goes to a point that I made earlier which is that there is a bell curve when it comes to people who plan vacations. I am at the far end of that curve. Sounds like the Colonel is too. Lots of people who post here are. But that does not negate the fact that the average or "norm" are people who occupy a spot far to the left of us on the bell curve.

a.) That paradigm will never change.
b.) The existence of that paradigm is great for those of us who are above the norm as it increases our chances of getting tickets to popular museums and reservations at famous restaurants.

So all this means is that we should stop criticizing the "norm" for being average. And we should not take steps to move them to the right of the curve as that is not in our own best interest.

 

[mjr0483]

I can totally understand how this can happen. The audience here is well informed and for some, planning is part of the fun.
There are people out there who have NO concept of how a "Disney" vacation is supposed to work.
I bet they didn't have any ADRs either.

I bet they just booked their offsite hotel and drove to the Magic Kingdom parking lot, took the tram to the TTC and lined up to buy tickets.
Maybe you could tour like this 15 years ago, but sadly not today.
They never stood a chance. I hope they had a lovely time anyway.

 

[fan1080]

What makes me cringe, is all the negative and rude comments around here about guests who don't fully understand the ins and outs of Disney.

And, why is it the mods let this name calling to continue?

Happy travels.