I read quite a few posts on Disney related Facebook groups
that I belong to that complain that all the planning for WDW takes the spontaneity
out of enjoying the theme parks and your vacation as a whole. I am not going to say there isn’t some truth
to that. But there is also a reality
that a Walt Disney World Vacation, even for a few days is a very expensive
proposition! It still amazes me that
Disney has not priced themselves out of the family market, because with so many
other choices, many might just decide to go elsewhere. As we know, they often don’t go somewhere else,
and decide for the first or subsequent time to take a vacation to WDW, or at
least include it in their itinerary.
What some of these people fail to realize, especially the
first time that they go, is that to show up to Walt Disney World with all the
choices of resorts, parks, attractions, shows, dining, shopping, special events,
and other amenities and activities, and get full value and entertainment
without going crazy, is very difficult.
It is not impossible, but doing so is much more likely to cause you
stress and disappointment than it is to go very well. Just finding things in the parks can be
challenging and even overwhelming! And
you don’t want to spend your entire vacation waiting—either to get into an
attraction or show, for transportation, or to get a table in a dining
establishment. Even if one argues that
there are times of the year you could go with minimal to no waits or crowds,
you would still have to know when these dates are.
Another reason for planning ahead, and this was covered
briefly in another blog post, is that there are dates that are important
because they allow you to start making important choices ahead of time. You can start booking dining reservations 180
days in advance, and for some restaurants such as Cinderella’s Royal Table and
California Grill, you have to in order to get a table or a reasonable
time. If you are booked at a Disney Resort,
you can start selecting Fastpasses up to 60 days in advance, but only three per
day. If you have purchased park tickets,
but are not staying in a Disney Resort, you have to wait until 30 days in
advance. The Disney Free Dining
Promotion is only offered at certain times of the year, and usually the exact
dates are announced around May. If you
want to get on the rides you most prefer, see your top ranked shows, meet the
characters you want to, or eat at the dining establishments you most want to
try, you should try to book at the earliest possible date. Otherwise, you very well may just be taking
your chances with whatever happens to be available, or just grabbing fast food
instead of dining in restaurants. You
can still get in to see most of the shows, but you may be waiting in line for
quite a while each time. You also probably
won’t be able to take part in many special events or opportunities that would
need to be pre booked.
Yes, planning out your trip on somewhat of a tight schedule,
does limit spontaneity. But I really
enjoy the planning part of it. It adds
to the anticipation and excitement as each deadline approaches and then passes
me by. It provides me with the opportunity
to do research both in the guidebooks and online, ask questions of my fellow
Disney Facebook group members, and imagine how each day of our trip might take
shape. Things always change in the parks,
and that is where the fun is also. It
could be changing Fastpasses in the parks, deciding whether to run to watch the
parade, or wait for another opportunity, or try to get in to see a character
while most everyone else is watching.
Should we stop for a Dole Whip before lunch or wait until mid-afternoon
and come back. Where will be at that
time? Is it even feasible?
Once you have been to The World a few times, the planning
may get much easier. I honestly don’t
know, because I am not able to go that often, so I still look forward to the
planning part of it, and that is one reason why I write this blog. For my wife and I, a trip to Disney World is
a significant investment, and we intend to get our money’s worth on each trip,
and have fun preparing at the same time.
Once we get there, we let the magic take over!
For more Disney World planning tips blog posts, click here.
For blog updates and more planning information, please Like my Facebook page, Top 10 Planning Questions for Walt Disney World.
No comments:
Post a Comment