Taking non Disney people to Disney?

[eliza61nyc]

Hello all,
Need some advice on how to make an upcoming trip go smoothly. a little background.
4 Middle age gals, Best friends for the last 35 years. although we each have the usual crazy life with kids, spouses and jobs, we try to get together often and once every other year we do a "old gals go half wild" trip.

Anyhoo one friend had heard about the new Pandaro ride in AK so I suggested a weekend at the world. Everyone said cool but now due to some comments I'm concerned. I guess I'm worried about them ruining what for me is my "happy places"
One of my friends asked "Do we have to get park tickets? can't we just see the night shows. I hate roller coasters"! Oy Vey. and one friend asked if there were a lot of kids there. Seriously???

Now I'm getting nervous and before I commit to using my dvc points I think I should have a "plan B"
They are very very reliable so I'm not concerned with anyone pulling out, I just want them to have realistic expectations and I guess a part of me hopes they love it as much as I do.

Any advice?

 

[Weather_Lady]

I'm a big fan of having a "planning meeting" -- just an informal get-together where you can show old vacation photos, pass around park maps, talk about what the parks and resorts have to offer, and find out people's preferences for: (1) touring/sleeping schedules; (2) how the days will be divided - between touring, relaxing/swimming, napping, dining, and how much of it will be spent as a group; and (3) what and where to eat. You can also let them in on the size and scale of Disney property, crowds,e tc. I don't think you need a "plan B" - just a chance to get everyone on the same page in terms of their expectations.

 

[belledream]

Oh boy, this is one of my bigger fears and therefore don't have any actual experiences or real advice for it. Just wanted to say I totally get your sentiments and your feelings are completely reasonable...I feel like I can only truly enjoy Disney the way I want to with a select few people. And if I had to give any (baseless) advice, I'd say just make everyone get the tickets, go to the parks, and like many things, once people get there, they realize there's so much more than rollercoasters and strollers everywhere. Can't you see them getting the big rides in at Pandora, then taking them on the safaris? Doubt they'd be bored or wishing they were still at the hotel killing time before the 'night shows'.

Plan some good lunches and dinners to break up the days...food can solve a lot of problems.

 

[ItsJustMeAgain]

I'm assuming they haven't been to WDW before? I had a similar experience last year as we took my partner's parents to WDW, one of which I would say just about likes Disney, doesn't like crowds, or being around lots of children, or rides really so I was really nervous he would hate it. Now he wants to go back for his 60th as his big trip (we're from the UK so it's a big deal). The beauty of Disney parks is that there is something for everyone and the theming and atmosphere alone takes most people back, they don't really know what to expect and make assumptions based on what they know of the usual theme parks. Take it slowly so they can walk around and enjoy it and I'm sure they will love it too.

 

[dreamfinder]

Definitely hold a planning meeting. Don't need to nail down specifics, but going over basics will be helpful. Setting dates on things like "You need to have flights booked by X and tickets bought by Y" will let you create a plan B where you can cancel/bank the DVC points. This should also let you gauge expectations. If you try to go die hard commando, will most likely turn them off from WDW for life, but if you let then go completely uninformed if will cause issues for you. Go over rides, how FP works, ADRs, etc. Plan on setting a loose schedule. Enough to get your itch scratched, but not too much to scare them away. Maybe one ADR and a half dozen rides/shows each day. If you all do more, great. If not, c'est la vie.

 

[ctcdisneymama]

When are you planning on going? During Food and Wine? Your girlfriends may love that! I would definitely explain to them the pros and cons of each park to get a feel for who wants to do what. No one is stopping them from laying out at the pool and drinking while the other ladies go to the parks and ride rides.

I agree with the person above: food solves everything. Nail down some awesome reservations, and I think your trip will be a success!!

 

[JIMINYCR]

First youll have to resign yourself to the fact that this wont be your typical trip and it wont be as enjoyable for you as your others. When you have to go with non Disney guests you are not able to relax or enjoy as usual. Youre playing guide and you dont know what to expect out of them. Plan well and try giving them a good advance look at the parks by using the planning videos or YouTube videos or WDWMAGIC trip reports. Keep your patience and dont let this experience affect your relationship with them if it turns out to be a bad trip. Plan on adding in some time when you can separate from them and have YOUR OWN DISNEY TIME. At least then you will be able to have some part of the trip that is yours alone.
We had a friend-along trip years ago that was a disaster and it took us a long time to get past the memories of that ruined trip.

 

[epcotisbest]

My wife does a week long girl's trip every year and it is usually a beach trip. She also does a short girl's trip for the Princess half-marathon, but that is with a different group.
The beach trip always goes smoothly, as they all enjoy sunning on the beach, pool time, going out to eat and just having fun together shopping and hanging out at the room too.
She has done a couple of WDW trips in place of the beach, and it has not gone well. Let's just say too many people wanting to do too many things, and too many people who won't take experienced advice, or even understand how big and how much planning the whole thing takes.
Her girl's trip is coming up soon and it is back to the beach. They like going to different beaches, and it is a different place this year. Probably will be beach trips from now on, she says. WDW with them not worth the hassle.

 

[awhit066]

The beauty of Disney parks is that there is something for everyone (...) they don't really know what to expect and make assumptions based on what they know of the usual theme parks.

THIS! really resonates with me. Try thinking back to your first WDW trip. I had no idea what to really expect. When my friends spoke about TOT and Splash I thought they would be just like the drop tower and log ride I had been on at my local park. Even watching the WDW planning VHS I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Try to explain to them what you love about WDW and ask each lady what they would like to get out of the trip. Maybe they want to lay out by the pool with a margarita or go shopping, so make some time at your resort and head to Disney Springs one evening. Maybe one likes to see shows so you make more time for BatB, Nemo, or FotLK. Like others have said, this may not be your normal Disney trip, but that doesn't mean it won't be great!

My advice (after playing trip planner on a girls trip with friends on their 1st/1st in a long time trip) is not to try to control everything!! As the experienced Disney fan, you know better than your friends, and this can be really helpful, (you'll know which FP+ to book, which restaurants are the best etc.) but this can also hurt your friends' experiences if you push it too far. Let the other ladies take some control. If they want to ride things you normally wouldn't, let them, and join in! Some of my best memories with my friends are riding the Speedway during the fireworks and singing A Whole New World while flying on the magic carpets (2 rides I had never gone on before because they were kiddy rides and a waste of time).

Lastly, what's great about WDW is that the internal transportation makes it easy to split up and do other things. Hopefully you won't have to do this, but it's nice to have the option. Maybe try to schedule the first few hours after rope drop and the last few leading to dinner/night shows. But leave the middle of the day free to fill with everyones preferences. Oh ya, and HAVE FUN!

 

[DisAl]

People who don't like Disney really exist???
Sounds like the World Showcase at EPCOT might be a good idea for this group.
I think a planning meeting is definitely a good idea, just to set expectations if nothing else. You might even want to find a few of the better videos posted on YouTube to show anyone totally unfamiliar with WDW a little of what it is like.

 

[freesvoice]

Going on a similar trip this winter with family who've never been and your fears are definitely valid. Volunteer to play tour guide but set expectations up front about buying tickets, making reservations, transportation, etc. be completely real about what to expect and if they decide against the trip that's okay too. You want everyone to have a good time, play nice, and hopefully leave Disney loving Disney. I wouldn't plan anymore than 2-3 nights and maybe only hit 1-2 parks. Rent a car. Disney Springs for some shopping, upscale dining. Lots of pool time. If they leave not loving it consider new friends

FWIW My solution for playing your guide was to tack three days on just for myself, husband and son.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

You definitely DON'T WANT it to ruin your "happy place." This was a concern DH and I had when my mom and her friend wanted to come with us this year. They've never been and are truly excited but skeptical. We said we'd do fast passes and dining together and split during the days so people can all do what they want.

We had a planning meeting and they told me three restaurants they were interested in and we booked those (Cali Grill, BOG and Teppan Edo) and we are booking our FP's on Monday!!!

Anyway, we've decided if they get grumpy or skeptical, we'll go off on our own and if they don't like it, that's their problem. We made it clear that we are paying a lot of money to have fun and their opinions won't ruin our trip.

That said, we are lucky because my mom and her bff are really cool people and are open minded and excited about roller-coasters. I think the hardest things for them will be Fantasyland (not their thing) and believing/understanding WHY AK IS NOT A ZOO!!!

 

[tractor tipper]

I enjoy taking non-Disney, first timers. It allows me to see Disney through a fresh pair of eyes. I usually end up doing something I haven't done before or thought of doing, gets me out of a rut. Go enjoy what may be a new experience.