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

[Boopuff]

We started our vacation plans with our family of six. Then added some in-laws and a good buddy, now we're up to 9 adults. I had booked a 2 bed villa at OKW, so we all fit. When we travel in a large group we have the following family rules:
- meet up once a day for one meal be it a breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- everyone is on their own for the day.
- Any ADR or FP are posted on fridge for the day and everyone has the app.
Many times we just plan on one park for FP. Many of our table service reservations are "outside" the parks either at theSprings or hotels. We just found this method works for our family. No one gets hurt or upset is every FP is used.
Good luck and just go with the flow.

 

[PeacefullyContent]

I definitely feel you... I went a few years back, planned every step to every park on a spreadsheet for 6 people including 2 under the age of 5 BEFORE i knew (or maybe the better word would be 'trusted') touring plans.
I get to FL and what ends up happening - i forgot the freakin spreadsheet!!
Because of my ADD, i'm no good @ winging it so my DH had to plan each park on the fly using the disney app and around our ADR's & FP's that i had secured in advanced. Did we hit everything on our list - no - but i would say we did a good 85% of what we planned w/my DH securing additional FP's as they became available. It was our 1st time... we patted ourselves on the back bc we felt like we did pretty good for 1st timers & we had a ball! AND, again, bc i didn't know how much planning went into it until i actually booked the trip... i booked it already w/in the 180 day window & CRT was a must for my for my then 5 yr old. When all the reservations were booked i considered rescheduling the whole trip over CRT! (totally nuts now) Instead, I kept checking everyday multiple times a day & i eventually found a CRT reservation for all 6 of us!
Something else to consider... i have a friend who grew up in FL. Her parents took her to Magic Kingdom only - no plan. So when she got older, what did she do w/her children?? Same thing of course, takes them twice a year to Magic Kingdom only, with no plan. Her daughter who loves princesses has never been to CRT because her parents treat Disney like its six flags & just wing it. & i think this is the main reason why the both hate going and go for the sake of the kids only... If you tell them it's possible to do back-to-back days @ disney, different parks, it sounds exhausting to them & they're 100% against it, and i think it's solely because they never have had a plan. There's attractions that WDW has that they're not even aware of bc they have never researched anything.
I say all this to say, planning can be part of the fun or absolutely suck but i think not to have some sort of plan ESPECIALLY when you have kids is basically wasting money & not taking full advantage of the exorbitant amount being spent. Even though i forgot my spreadsheet the 1st time around, i was still able to take advantage of what i researched & remembered - headliner rides, height requirements, lessons-learned/Do's&don'ts/ & pointers from others, etc.

 

[PeacefullyContent]

5. We have 2 kids, one of which won't be able to ride anything over 42 inches. No problem, we'll just use rider swap. But now I'm seeing everyone has to have a FP, even group 2. What's the point of this?

I think that 'everyone has to have a FP, even group 2' depends on which CM you ask. Last time i went i don't remember having to use my fastpass when rider swapping & in group 2 though i have read many message boards where we all have had different experiences depending on who we asked... or who was on duty. If you look on Disney's mom panel which is ran by Disney, they clearly state that a FP is not required for group 2 no matter how many times they are asked or how many different ways they get asked... so far i have only seen 1 response & that is group 2 does not need a FP.

The rider switch ninja (what she calls herself) suggest that any time a CM states a FP is required for group 2 should request to talk to a team leader who will promptly clear up the confusion.

Hope that helps!

 

[Klayfish]

No offense taken at all. All opinions welcome.

I see from your signature you go quite a bit. That luxury gives you a different perspective. Missing things or having to reschedule things probably doesn't bother you as much, since you'll be back fairly soon. I am aware we won't come close to hitting everything. I just don't like the system they have in place. That's all. Is there a perfect system, no. But I feel like DW is invested so heavily into this current system, they are slow to adapt. They are a big ship.

There's no doubt about it, they definitely are a big ship like you said. And big ships are always slow to adapt or "steer". I completely agree with you. I think you're also spot on in that they are heavily invested in the system. For a ship as big as they are, it's really a necessity, IMO.

Yes, we definitely have been very fortunate to have gone often and that gives a distinct advantage from a lot of perspectives. Even with that, it's never been our style to plan extensively on vacation. Our lives at home are insanely busy and require a lot of planning (and flexibility in plans), so on vacation we just want to go where the wind takes us. Like I mentioned, even on our first trip, we didn't plan. We walked in, grabbed a map and started exploring. Just a personal style thing.

As I mentioned, I can definitely understand the frustrations. No question there. I just think so much of it, and the anger you see posted on this board, is misguided. I don't believe it's WDW just trying to make a buck or not caring about their guests or trying to make it hard on them. Sure, they want to make a profit. So does Target, Starbucks and McDonalds. However, even Business 101 will teach you that it's not a smart business model to be in the entertainment industry and not care if your guests are entertained. Sure fire way to go out of business in a hurry. I'm sure they make "business decisions", all companies do. Not all of them will please all guests all the time. The number of guests they have and their tendencies leave them with challenges that have no "right" answer for everyone. I like to believe that they do the best they can to offer the most they can for their guests, while still making a profit.

 

[shh]

This is how your average guest feels Disney. Are you paying attention?

nope. Imo, they're not.

 

[MrsDuck]

Wow, ok.

 

[BabiesDaddy]

I agree with your post. I'll be at Disney next week. On Mon-Fri, if I want to take my family to MK at night, we have one night out of five to stay past 6pm at MK, unless I want to pay an extra $450 and goto the Mickey's Not So Subtle Moneygrab Halloween Bonanza.

 

[BabiesDaddy]

I remember a conversation I had with a friend at the beginning of the year. He last went to Disney 25 years ago. It was around Christmas, and he told me he was thinking about taking his family to WDW in March. He could see the look on my face as if he starting speaking Dothraki, I was like, no, you can't. You'll ruin your family vacation. You have to start about a year in advance. You know how you thought the buying process on a house gets crazy, well for disney, we're way past that.

 

[Spunky946]

I remember a conversation I had with a friend at the beginning of the year. He last went to Disney 25 years ago. It was around Christmas, and he told me he was thinking about taking his family to WDW in March. He could see the look on my face as if he starting speaking Dothraki, I was like, no, you can't. You'll ruin your family vacation. You have to start about a year in advance. You know how you thought the buying process on a house gets crazy, well for disney, we're way past that.

March is plenty of time to plan a trip.

 

[JakeAZ]

I don't believe it's WDW just trying to make a buck or not caring about their guests

I agree Disney treats their guests very well, while on property. And their product is top notch. The process is where I have my issues. Also, let's not kid ourselves, part of the "process" is to make sure guests are captive when they arrive. By forcing us to make all these plans way in advance, we are less likely to spend money elsewhere.

WDWs system is set up to give guests the illusion they are in control of their vacation, when in reality it's DW that is truly benefiting from the control they exert.

So does Target, Starbucks and McDonalds

Although I don't have to make a reservation at any of those 180 days in advance so they can keep me from going to a competitor . Jokes aside, I get where you are coming from. You've adapted to the system and have been able to make it work for your family.

I just think so much of it, and the anger you see posted on this board, is misguided

I wouldn't say it's all anger. Frustration is a better word. I just think the process could be better if Disney was willing to give up some control. And yes, I know, that is unlikely to happen.

 

[JakeAZ]

unless I want to pay an extra $450 and goto the Mickey's Not So Subtle Moneygrab Halloween Bonanza

Ya, I'll never understand how these party ideas caught on.

Disney: "Let's charge full price for half a day to two separate groups. They pay the same for half the time and we make twice as much!"
Someone else at Disney: "There is no way people will go for that"
Everyone: "Awesome, where do we get our tickets?"

 

[BabiesDaddy]

March is plenty of time to plan a trip.

What I meant was, we were having this conversation on Christmas 2018, and he was talking about March 2019.

 

[Klayfish]

I remember a conversation I had with a friend at the beginning of the year. He last went to Disney 25 years ago. It was around Christmas, and he told me he was thinking about taking his family to WDW in March. He could see the look on my face as if he starting speaking Dothraki, I was like, no, you can't. You'll ruin your family vacation. You have to start about a year in advance. You know how you thought the buying process on a house gets crazy, well for disney, we're way past that.

What a horrible attitude, IMO. You absolutely can plan a wonderful WDW vacation in 3 months, without a doubt. Regardless of me being a WDW vet or not, you could tell me that you were giving me free tickets to WDW for a week and the only catch is that I have to get in my car right now with zero plans. No reservations for food, no rides, not even a place to sleep yet. I would get in my car, be there in 8 hours and have the time of my life for a week. Many people just don't WANT to vacation that way, but you 100% can do that at WDW. We're contemplating going to WDW the week between Xmas and NYE this year...just 9 or 10 weeks from now. We haven't made a single plan or reservation or bought tickets. If we go, it's going to be last second and we'll have a blast.

 

[CT Disney]

Not for 12 people. It would be very difficult to get a table at the last minute for 12

I was curious so...

I just searched for dining reservations for 12 for the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I know you are going the week before Easter so I thought the timing was comparable. There were 12-18 options for both lunch and dinner. And, pretty good places too!

Biergarten, Jungle Navigation Co, Rose & Crown, Teppan Edo, Tiffins, Grand Floridian Cafe, etc.

I even did a search for 12 for tomorrow for lunch and dinner and, surprisingly, got some really reasonable options.

OP, I'm definitely not saying you should wait until the last minute to book dining. I'm just saying that you don't need to get up at 3:00 am on ADR day if you don't want to. The only reason you'd need to do that is if you are being really particular about where you eat each day. (Which I totally understand as I can get really picky about where I want to eat )

Disney is simply making the choices available to you at the 180 day mark. You can still be flexible (even with 12 people) under the current system.

I hope you have a great trip! You are a rockstar for taking on the planning for such a big group! Props to you!

 

[JakeAZ]

you could tell me that you were giving me free tickets to WDW for a week

The point is his friend was not getting free tickets. They were going to use their own hard earned money. He was telling them that in order to get their money's worth, they should give themselves more time to plan. I absolutely agree with that.

This is a friend who hadn't been there in 25 years. Not someone who was there last month.

 

[JakeAZ]

The only reason you'd need to do that is if you are being really particular about where you eat each day. (Which I totally understand as I can get really picky about where I want to eat )

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. And yes, I know there would be some options available, but you hit it on the head, we have specific places we'd like to hit. We also wanted to do some of the meals that include the reserved show or parade seats. So, we wanted to make sure we locked those down.

 

[Klayfish]

Also, let's not kid ourselves, part of the "process" is to make sure guests are captive when they arrive. By forcing us to make all these plans way in advance, we are less likely to spend money elsewhere.

WDWs system is set up to give guests the illusion they are in control of their vacation, when in reality it's DW that is truly benefiting from the control they exert.

I wouldn't say it's all anger. Frustration is a better word. I just think the process could be better if Disney was willing to give up some control. And yes, I know, that is unlikely to happen.

I think that's where our opinions diverge. Sure, I would agree the system is designed to encourage you to stay on property and spend your money there. If you were running WDW, wouldn't you want your guests to stay there and spend there money there? So that's just common business sense to me. But I don't think they "force" anything. As I mentioned before, you can absolutely do things your way and be in 100% control. It's just not the "control" some may want. Yeah, you have to make dining reservations 6 months out if you want to eat in a nice sit down restaurant. Like I mentioned before, that's a challenge that literally has no solution. But you don't have to eat there. You don't have to stay on property. You don't have to make FP+ 60 days out. You don't have to rope drop. People just choose to. We do none of those things. I would at least recommend to a newbie doing some basic internet research to understand the basics, and plenty of info is available online.

I don't know, I don't work there, but I don't feel there's some malicious control plan at WDW. While they want their guests to stay there and spend money there, it certainly can be done without WDW controlling your trip in any way, shape or form.

 

[Klayfish]

The point is his friend was not getting free tickets. They were going to use their own hard earned money. He was telling them that in order to get their money's worth, they should give themselves more time to plan. I absolutely agree with that.

This is a friend who hadn't been there in 25 years. Not someone who was there last month.

Sure. Maybe the "free" was a bad way to illustrate, but my point was that you could tell me to go to WDW right this moment with zero plans...not even a place to sleep. I'd do it in a heartbeat, even with my own money...if I had it. I don't think being a WDW veteran is as much of an advantage as some may think. Yeah, it helps for sure. But if a friend came to me (and they have) and said they've never been but were thinking about going next week, I would 100% encourage it. I would try to give them the quick run down and teach them anything they want to know, but I would NEVER discourage it, because it can happily be done. Even for a rookie. I just strongly disagree with the sentiment that you "need" a year to plan a trip, or even six months. Nope.

There is plenty of what seems like frustration boiling over into anger posted on these boards. While I see why people can get frustrated, I think it's very much misguided the majority of the time.

 

[JakeAZ]

I think that's where our opinions diverge. Sure, I would agree the system is designed to encourage you to stay on property and spend your money there. If you were running WDW, wouldn't you want your guests to stay there and spend there money there? So that's just common business sense to me. But I don't think they "force" anything. As I mentioned before, you can absolutely do things your way and be in 100% control. It's just not the "control" some may want. Yeah, you have to make dining reservations 6 months out if you want to eat in a nice sit down restaurant. Like I mentioned before, that's a challenge that literally has no solution. But you don't have to eat there. You don't have to stay on property. You don't have to make FP+ 60 days out. You don't have to rope drop. People just choose to. We do none of those things. I would at least recommend to a newbie doing some basic internet research to understand the basics, and plenty of info is available online.

I don't know, I don't work there, but I don't feel there's some malicious control plan at WDW. While they want their guests to stay there and spend money there, it certainly can be done without WDW controlling your trip in any way, shape or form.

Agree to disagree haha, but I definitely appreciate your perspective.

 

[JakeAZ]

I think that 'everyone has to have a FP, even group 2' depends on which CM you ask. Last time i went i don't remember having to use my fastpass when rider swapping & in group 2 though i have read many message boards where we all have had different experiences depending on who we asked... or who was on duty. If you look on Disney's mom panel which is ran by Disney, they clearly state that a FP is not required for group 2 no matter how many times they are asked or how many different ways they get asked... so far i have only seen 1 response & that is group 2 does not need a FP.

The rider switch ninja (what she calls herself) suggest that any time a CM states a FP is required for group 2 should request to talk to a team leader who will promptly clear up the confusion.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the response

I've read posts about this too. I'm sorry but "CM discretion" shouldn't be involved at any point. The policy needs to be clear. Requiring group 2 to have the fastpasses seems counterintuitive, but if that's the policy, I'll follow it. I will not be calling over a team lead to plead my case. I'm not that guy. I'll voice my concerns here, but I'm not going to confront a front of the line CM who is just trying to do their job (even if it's doing a job that involves a confusing policy).