Disney World Planning is far too complicated (CNBC article)

[DonniePeverley]

I like the complexity. Because there will be many that won't get it, hence you get an advantage.

I believe it should be more complex.

 

[Jrb1979]

I like the complexity. Because there will be many that won't get it, hence you get an advantage.

I believe it should be more complex.

Disagree. It should the same level as Universal. I'm sorry but I do enough scheduling with work and my home life, it's the last thing I want to do on vacation to anywhere.

 

[jaklgreen]

I feel like you may not have your fingers on the pulse of the typical American vacationer. I believe it is a minority of folks that want to plan out every minute of their vacation, though there are certainly some out there. Most people want to have fun, relax some, and not be on a high-pressure schedule or worked over for more $$ at every step.

Think about it. Many college students are still surprised they are expected to pay back the student loans they signed up for, and that is a far longer-term commitment than a weeklong vacation.

The reason Disney is able to continue with their approach is simply because demand (vacationers) is much higher than supply (capacity) at WDC parks. If a major recession hits and attendance drops way off, I'd expect to see WDC make trips to the parks less onerous.

I think that you are misunderstanding me. I never said to plan every minute out, I am talking about general knowledge of the place that you are traveling to. Especially if you are going to a different Country, you should familiarize yourself with local customs and laws. Where are the bad neighborhoods, what is the average cost of a meal or cab ride, etc. Traveling when all you know it the name of the hotel is not smart. We all know, at least we should know, that things are different now, like it or not. Just like how things dramatically changed after 9/11. Reality doesn't care about how you want things to be.

 

[jaklgreen]

due diligence is one thing. Having to plan out so many details during the day is excessive. My family was shocked by how much planning I did when we visited in the late 90s and up to 2019. But, once they understood the value and how much more they were able to experience because of that planning, they were very appreciative.

Contrast that to last year when we had season passes to Dollywood. I knew what restaurants required same day signup (in person in the park) on busy days (no ADR concept), and what rides and show venues accepted the TimeSaver to skip lines. And, I knew the best strategy for young (grand) children who may not meet rider height requirements. That's all I needed. We showed up with tickets, made our way around the park riding what we wanted, using TimeSaver when needed, eating when we wanted... so much less stressful and much less planning than even visiting a single WDW park.

BTW, I totally agree with due diligence required for just about any trip. I research cruise ports and excursions, hotels, local attractions, local transportation, best times to visit, etc. It makes the vacation experience so much better than "winging it", IMHO.

But you can go to WDW without planning your day out other than making park reservations. Even back when they had advanced fast passes, people had to figure out what park they were going to go to on a given day so that they can book their FPs. It is pretty much the same amount of planning now than it was before the pandemic. No one has to buy Genie+.

 

[jaklgreen]

but also.. due dilligence is not the same as 'structure everything or be left behind'

Due Dilligence is knowing not to wait 90mins for Philharmagic... or knowing the best time of day to do something... or knowing where your dining options are. This is knowledge gathering to be informed - to allow you to optimize your experience.

Disney planning is not just optimization, it's 'do or be left out' to not a non-optimized experience, but a fractional one. Disney isn't just about knowledge, it's about forcing you into a schedule in a way that is unnatural to most people trying to be on a vacation.

Vacationing you still have commitments - but they should be few. That is not Disney. And the number of streams you must interleave at Disney makes your scheduling brittle and unaccommodating. That's why its not just "I enjoy planning..."

Even those that enjoy planning hate when their plan gets blown up and then they miss out on elements they thought they had locked in.

Maybe I tour differently than the rest of you, but I don't plan things out for the day. I don't even get Genie+. I go with the flow. What I meant by due diligence is knowing your options and not just heading to a location without doing the bare minimum of research. Like the couple last year from Switzerland that came all this way and had no clue about park reservations. Simply going to the website and looking over the general information would have shown them that they needed the reservation. That is what I am talking about when I say due diligence. If you plan on going to one of the waterparks, don't you think that you should at least check their website not only for their hours, but to make sure they are open? Going with the flow is all well and good, but then don't complain about what a crappy time you(general you, not you personally) had.

 

[Mr. Stay Puft]

It is complicated as hell, and it's taken away the spontaneousness of exploring the parks. When people who plan to visit WDW for the first time or haven't gone in years, it gets complicated just trying to explain how it all works. FastPass was so much easier to comprehend.

 

[esskay]

I like the complexity. Because there will be many that won't get it, hence you get an advantage.

I believe it should be more complex.

Making the experience suck for first time visitors is the last thing we should be encouraging. A drop in attendance because people see how complicated it is and then nope out just compounds the existing budget / maintenance issues.

 

[AndyS2992]

Not to nitpick but a trip to Orlando does not last a week or two for everyone. The longest I have ever been is 5 nights, and I’ve been a lot.

Hence why the word usually was used..

 

[DonniePeverley]

Making the experience suck for first time visitors is the last thing we should be encouraging. A drop in attendance because people see how complicated it is and then nope out just compounds the existing budget / maintenance issues.

On principle i agree with you.

But from a selfish point of view - it's clear it's far too complicated, hence a vast percentage will struggle. This gives me the advantage.

Hence i want it more complicated. More complex. Essentially to the point you need a quantum physics degree to grasp the technology.

 

[WondersOfLife]

If an aged 60 to 85 year old cannot figure out how to purchase a ticket, book a hotel, and simply find a place to eat at the parks... Then it is too complicated.

Sorry for using the elderly as examples. But hey. There's a reason they keep taking the grandbabies to Dollywood instead.....

 

[Henry Mystic]

Y’all need to watch Defunctland’s video on Fastpass+ for why that was a terrible system.

 

[Chi84]

Y’all need to watch Defunctland’s video on Fastpass+ for why that was a terrible system.

I watched it more than once. It was interesting.

But I’ve been visiting regularly since 1984 and have experienced every system they’ve had in place. FP+ was by far the best for us. Nothing else came close. From what I read on these sites, I’m not the only one.

Now we’re paying for a system that doesn’t work nearly as well for us - standby isn’t an option for our group.

People complained about FP+ being too inflexible. The current system is much worse and we get to pay for it.

 

[esskay]

Y’all need to watch Defunctland’s video on Fastpass+ for why that was a terrible system.

FastPass+ had deep flaws. But nothing close to what we now have IMO.

 

[doctornick]

FastPass+ had deep flaws. But nothing close to what we now have IMO.

Realistically, any system has people who benefit and those who suffer. Even all standby only while seeming more egalitarian still has some who benefit more than others because wait tolerance and ability to spend more time in the parks vary greatly between guests.

Personally, I think both regular Fastpass - even if were implemented just electronically instead of the kiosks - or Fastpass+ were both better systems than Genie+. I wouldn't mind it as much if they brought back one of those systems but just charged to use them.

 

[jaklgreen]

I watched it more than once. It was interesting.

But I’ve been visiting regularly since 1984 and have experienced every system they’ve had in place. FP+ was by far the best for us. Nothing else came close. From what I read on these sites, I’m not the only one.

Now we’re paying for a system that doesn’t work nearly as well for us - standby isn’t an option for our group.

People complained about FP+ being too inflexible. The current system is much worse and we get to pay for it.

What I really hate about Genie+ is that you can only get it for any given ride one time. I think that is way too limiting for something the you have to pay for.