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Do you plan ahead for Disney trips?

Image: Disney

This is the only flame war topic where Disney weighs in. The Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company desperately wants their guests to plan ahead as much as possible. When theme park tourists do so, Disney employees are better able to anticipate things like park traffic, restaurant throughput, merchandise sales, and inventory volume needed. From a business perspective, the dream scenario is for customers to know what they want, especially when they’re willing to spell it out in advance.

Vacationers don’t care about Disney’s needs, though. What matters is a tourist’s own happiness. Planning is stressful. It requires a lot of attention to detail and a shocking amount of Google-ing. When you’re ready to get away from it all to visit the Happiest Place on Earth, you don’t want to spend a lot of time sweating the details. You don’t want to think about booking hotel reservations 7-11 months ahead of time, something Disney Vacation Club members frequently do. You don’t like booking restaurant reservations 180 days ahead of time. You might not even know what you want to eat tonight! And you also don’t want to schedule your FastPasses 30-60 days before you get to Disney. It’s a pain, right?

Okay, I’m going to stop right there. A few people were unmistakably shaking their heads negatively during several of the statements in the preceding paragraph. That’s because they feel exactly the opposite. And I’m one of them. No, I don’t know what I’m having for dinner tonight…and I’m writing this at 6 p.m. I do, however, like knowing that when I visit Disney during my trip next month, I’ll have reservations at Sci-Fi Dine-In, my favorite Disney restaurant, that guarantee I’ll be seated quickly. Similarly, I like knowing that I won’t have to stand in line for Frozen Ever After, especially after some of the horror stories I’ve read about waiting in the line queue for an attraction that breaks down a lot.

I’m not even a planner. If I don’t know what I’m having for dinner, how could I be? I simply like that Disney rewards people who do their homework ahead of time. People who view the situation similarly understand that it really doesn’t take long to book a few dinner reservations ahead of time. Similarly, the FastPass system only requires guests to whip out their cellphones and load the My Disney Experience app. They’re not asking for much. In exchange for these modest arrangements, a theme park tourist will have a much less chaotic experience at the parks, which I consider critical since every day at a Disney theme park includes a little bit of chaos.

Plus, I like the feeling I get by planning this stuff when I’m not at Disney. I find myself reminded of those sentimental moments referenced above. Every second spent planning for Disney is like a temporary break from the real world when you might as well be at Disney since it’s all you’re thinking about. Life could use more of those pleasant daydreams. I understand why people don’t like the DDP or might disagree on their favorite park, but I think that planning gets a bad rap in flame wars.

Okay, so those are the three divisive topics of the day. Feel free to fill the comments section with your opinions on each one, telling me why I’m wrong. I merely ask you NOT to have a flame war while doing so. 

 
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Comments

1.) Ok, with so many parks to choose from, it's hard to objectively coin a "best" park.

2.) whenever i talk about the DDP, i try to look at it objectively. the first thing i mention is the fixed cost. DDP cost $$$ up front. that's all you pay. while, if you PLAN and do some example meals, you can get an estimate of what you'd pay out of pocket. compare the two numbers. are you saving $5 or $200 by not doing the DDP? Ok. next point. how much do you value your eating time? do you agonize over if you should get the $45 steak or $18 chicken? is paying an extra 5 bucks or 200 worth it to not have to worry about the meal selection? are you OK with passing on a appetizer or desert if you are full (aka wasting DDP money)? So I don't see an argument there. personally I like the DDP. my boss pays out of pocket.

3.) I will advocate for pro-planning. So much in the sense of knowing what to expect. I would rather plan dining and fast pass early on, so my vacation is that much more relaxing. Sure, you can take a "no plan" vacation at disney, but don't expect to be able to get that seat at BoG for dinner or the California Grill. be prepared to wait 70+ minutes for 7D, the mountains, etc. If you are ok with that, then by all means, don't plan. But if you like the security of knowing you have times/places to eat and guaranteed spots in lines, and will not like the fact you have to wait over an hour in lines, then planning is key. so i guess you need to plan ahead to know if you are going to plan the vacation or wing it the day of.

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