Thank you to this board, but our upcoming group trip will be one and done!

[JakeAZ]

It feels like learning a whole new language!

And I can’t wait to forget it all!

 

[Heather07438]

That about sums it up I totally understand your frustration. WDW forces us to commit on the hard FPs/ADRS but doesn't release enough info in time to optimize our plan.

We've shifted strategy to make it less stressful. 1- Don't aim for perfect plans; very good is plenty. 2- When visiting with friends/family, only meet up for a few meals and/or rides (which looks like you're already doing). Otherwise do your own things and if you happen to cross paths here & there, fantastic!

 

[Renarr]

Just wanted to follow up. Was it was you expected? Was the Universal day more enjoyable with the Express Passes? Even during a busy time like December? We are going during Spring Break, so I'm sure we'll face a similar situation to yours. Thanks

My wife and I did an 8 day at Disney and a 3 day at Universal back in late July/early August last year, and the Express Pass at Universal was a dream come true. One day when the missus was relaxing back at the hotel, I rode every Harry Potter ride in Islands of Adventure and a couple other rides on my way out. The longest EP we had was for Minion Mayhem: that ran about 35 minutes, and from what it seemed, we just picked the wrong time to show up there. But there were other rides where we literally walked on, despite standby lines of 40-60 minutes plus.

I don't envy you taking a trip with twelve people. We have two friends who have talked about doing a Disney trip with us, and they just do life differently than us. While all the pre-planning and scheduling doesn't bother me much, I can say this: It. Would. Destroy. Them.

 

[Donaldswife]

So today was our FP day. I am very happy with what we were able to get, considering our party size and week we are going. Again, thank you to this board for all the advice. No way I would have known about AK day positioning, HS tiers (and new tiers) and everything else needed to have a successful FP morning.

That being said, man that process sucks! You can just feel the stress, especially as you are going after your "must dos". Every time you have to click something, you feel like someone else is getting ahead of you! I can't imagine going through that not knowing all the tips / tricks. The average guest is just so far behind the curve.

After I finished, and went back to bed, I felt a wave of calm come over me. It's nice to have that over with.

Everything appears to be set now. I just hope we win the RotR early BG lottery. I am firmly in the camp of the RotR BG process has no place in DW's current heavy planning environment, but it is what it is for now.

I am so glad the fast pass scheduling went well. I do hope you are able to enjoy your vacation. I can't wait to hear your thoughts after you get back!

 

[MudQueen22]

I'm the weird person that likes the planning and scheduling. I really like knowing what's coming up ahead of time and sticking to the plan. (I plan this way for other vacations, even though I am not required to do so.)

Having said that, you made a few points that also bother this uber-planner. You said that WDW opens the ADR window long before they post park hours. This annoys me too. We, too, like to base our decision of which park based on the hours and crowd calendars. When they do not give us the hours (and EMH info), that makes it a bit difficult.
Also, park hoppers. I agree that it is unfair to allow someone to purchase park hoppers, then not allow them to split up their fast passes. (I also agree that the tier system is incredibly irritation. If they don't have enough rides for everyone, then either built more attractions or pull back on the number of park tickets you sell for a given day.)

The demand for ADRs is obviously high, particularly during peak seasons. I wish they would open additional restaurants, particularly character dining, even if only seasonally. They would make more money, and more of their guests would be able to enjoy nicer meals.

Although I love planning and planning well in advance, I can see that it is a PITA for many others. I do wish they would better accommodate the people that like to go with the flow.

 

[emilyrachael]

The planning and scheduling didn't bother me when my husband and I used to go before we had kids....but it is a huge pain with kids! It can be hard to predict their schedules and what rides they'll want to do. My oldest son loved EE at AK during the previous trip but wasn't a fan this one. Instead, he really enjoyed riding the slower rides with his little brother. Luckily, we were able to get a lot of additional FP's after the first 3, but then you struggle with finding the FP for the ride near where you are versus criss-crossing the park 20 times. The whole 'we have to ride this now because we have a FP' or 'we have to eat now because we have an ADR' is such a challenge with kids. I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with this, but it makes me feel like Disney is really becoming unfriendly towards young kids...

We used to go every year, but are taking a break next year.

 

[JakeAZ]

but it makes me feel like Disney is really becoming unfriendly towards young kids...

That's exactly how I feel.

 

[LSUmiss]

That's exactly how I feel.

Me too. I also am one that didn’t mind the planning when it was Dh & I, but it’s very hard to do with little kids b/c they require too much flexibility.

 

[Donaldswife]

That's exactly how I feel.

It's funny, I'm the exact opposite. I loved planning out our days when my daughter was little (4-5) and now that she is going to college I would prefer NOT to plan too much with just my husband and I and just do what we want. Our lives were so structured for so long with having a child, we were always on a schedule....it's nice to not be now.

 

[LSUmiss]

It's funny, I'm the exact opposite. I loved planning out our days when my daughter was little (4-5) and now that she is going to college I would prefer NOT to plan too much with just my husband and I and just do what we want. Our lives were so structured for so long with having a child, we were always on a schedule....it's nice to not be now.

I don’t mind & actually like the planning. What I don’t like is that the planning allows very little flexibility which is something you need when going with little kids. So you spend all this time planning & have to scratch it all when you get there if you need to adjust b/c the park structure leaves very little room for adjustment while there.

 

[JakeAZ]

It's funny, I'm the exact opposite. I loved planning out our days when my daughter was little (4-5) and now that she is going to college I would prefer NOT to plan too much with just my husband and I and just do what we want. Our lives were so structured for so long with having a child, we were always on a schedule....it's nice to not be now.

You've been following along / posting on this thread for awhile, thanks!

I'm curious though. It sounds like it's been 14 or so years since your daughter was 4-5. DisneyWorld was very different then. The planning was nowhere near what it is now. Also, you could change plans much more easily. Do you think you would have still enjoyed the planning with your young child, if it was as intense / inflexible as it is now?

 

[Donaldswife]

You've been following along / posting on this thread for awhile, thanks!

I'm curious though. It sounds like it's been 14 or so years since your daughter was 4-5. DisneyWorld was very different then. The planning was nowhere near what it is now. Also, you could change plans much more easily. Do you think you would have still enjoyed the planning with your young child, if it was as intense / inflexible as it is now?

It was a LITTLE easier, but back then we always got the deluxe or premium dining plan, so three reservations per day. Also, I would have PREFERRED being able to book 3 fast passes in advance as apposed to not knowing what fastpass was going to be available and having to run back and forth to the kiosks. I would prefer the old way now, and would have preferred the current way then. I know I am probably in the minority on that one though! I usually had our days planned down to the hour and my daughter always worked better on a set schedule. I realize that is not for everyone. We now go with the flow a LOT more and often wake up with no fast passes and no dining reservations. We schedule what we want that day based on what is available or maybe the night before and just schedule a couple of dining reservations. That obviously would not work with a large group, but that's what I would prefer for my own family.

 

[Miffy]

@JakeAZ: You may not be aware of this or care, but FP+ for MMRR became available today. It's a Tier 1 at DHs, along with MFSR and SDD, so perhaps you wouldn't want it anyway. Just thought you might like to know.

 

[Ohiostatefan606]

Just saying, I don't know 12 people I would want to vacation with all at the same time, ever.

Seriously, I really hope you have fun and get to enjoy the time with family. It is just the 3 of us, myself, my husband and our son. We love our once a year trip to Disney. I hope you walk away happy. Good Luck!

 

[JakeAZ]

@JakeAZ: You may not be aware of this or care, but FP+ for MMRR became available today. It's a Tier 1 at DHs, along with MFSR and SDD, so perhaps you wouldn't want it anyway. Just thought you might like to know.

I did see that this morning, thanks! We were able to get MFSR and SDD on different days. My boys are huge Star Wars fans and I'd rather FP Slinky since the line is in the sun. Hopefully on one of our two RD days at HS, we can knock out MMRR via standby. Having 3 tier one rides open is a great thing. I think it will really spread the crowds out.

 

[Miffy]

I did see that this morning, thanks! We were able to get MFSR and SDD on different days. My boys are huge Star Wars fans and I'd rather FP Slinky since the line is in the sun. Hopefully on one of our two RD days at HS, we can knock out MMRR. Having 3 tier one rides open is a great thing. I think it will really spread the crowds out.

That's great. Sounds like you've got everything under control. 12 people, though! Wow. My limit is 2, and only if one of those people is me!

I haven't read every post on this thread, but I assume you haven't done RotR yet. Just wanted to say--no spoilers, don't worry--that it's extraordinary and well worth all the nonsense one currently needs in order to get a boarding group. Make sure to keep updated on the RotR BG thread. There are no spoilers there and it's carefully moderated so that any even kinda spoilers are immediately expunged.

We did it twice in December and cannot wait to go back again.

Have a great trip!

 

[JakeAZ]

I haven't read every post on this thread, but I assume you haven't done RotR yet. Just wanted to say--no spoilers, don't worry--that it's extraordinary and well worth all the nonsense one currently needs in order to get a boarding group. Make sure to keep updated on the RotR BG thread. There are no spoilers there and it's carefully moderated so that any even kinda spoilers are immediately expunged.

We have not, but we basically set up our trip to give us two chances with arriving at HS before the park opens. This is my only stress point left. I am hopeful we can snag an early BG (being able to ride sometime before say 2). We have dinners that can't be changed at this point at different parks on both days. I hope we don't have to choose one over the other. I do read that thread quite a bit. Seeing that all BGs are gone within 1 minute most days is crazy. I'm assuming the hours for our week (before Easter) will be extended, so my guess is 7am openings. The more time that ride can run, the better.

 

[Miffy]

We have not, but we basically set up our trip to give us two chances with arriving at HS before the park opens. This is my only stress point left. I am hopeful we can snag an early BG (being able to ride sometime before say 2). We have dinners that can't be changed at this point at different parks on both days. I hope we don't have to choose one over the other. I do read that thread quite a bit. Seeing that all BGs are gone within 1 minute most days is crazy. I'm assuming the hours for our week (before Easter) will be extended, so my guess is 7am openings. The more time that ride can run, the better.

Definitely--about the more hours. One of RotR's most successful days was one with extended park hours.

Yes, the BGs are all gone now, often before the first minute is up. I think it was 50 seconds today. It's been that way for a week, I think, now, and I think that Disney is doing this on purpose, trying to limit guaranteed BGs and then issuing the "backup" ones, which aren't guaranteed. Yet they've been generous with people who've got backups and haven't gotten to ride.

May the Force be with you. The ride is well worth the hassle. I've seen very few posts from people who disagree with this assessment. And you and your Star Wars-loving kids will LOVE Galaxy's Edge. It's beautifully designed and executed. We haven't been there at night yet, and I'm looking forward to doing that on our upcoming trip.

 

[JakeAZ]

May the Force be with you.

Thanks!

nd you and your Star Wars-loving kids will LOVE Galaxy's Edge. It's beautifully designed and executed. We haven't been there at night yet, and I'm looking forward to doing that on our upcoming trip.

We also scheduled one evening over at HS for this purpose. It's a very heavy HS / Star Wars trip!

 

[Goldfish Are Feral]

I'm late to reply and I haven't read all 14 pages of replies, but I gotta say I totally get it. I felt so angry planning a trip for just a family of 5! We used to go to Disney (back when they had paper FP) and loved that we got to our hotel, checked the hours and then made a decision from there and not have to reserve everything so far in advanced. But with our last trip I just took it slow and literally planned half days. That left the second half or first half for flexibilty.

Also, do all 12 people have to be together all the time? The last time I went with my extended family, we kind of did our own thing. Like we went to the same park, but rode different rides at different times, then met up for a designated lunch place and time. Visited, shared laughs, swapped family members and then we were off on a new adventure. Just a thought. I hope this isn't your last trip (maybe one with so many people) and above all, I hope you have a great trip with lots of laughs and smiles! Its exhausting, but from the sound of it, you have put in a lot of work and planning and I'm sure it will pay off!