Very Nervous This Trip

[larryz]

With all due respect, that's not what this thread is about. Getting into yet another debate about the pros and cons of the current state of Walt Disney World does nothing to help the OP or answer their question. Better to leave those discussions for the many other more appropriate threads.

With equal respect, that's EXACTLY what this thread is about... OP is expressing huge trepidation about planning what's supposed to be a relaxing experience. They're probably going to spend an amount of money equal to a year of college at a medium-ranked state school, or a fairly recent used car, and they're "seriously anxious" about it.

I don't blame them. One false move (witness those first 5 mornings of Rise of the Resistance) and at least one whole day of their vacation is severely impacted. Rely on the Skyliner for transport to get to dinner at Monsieur Paul, and if it goes down, the evening is ruined. Pick the wrong day to visit the MK and you could be stuck armpit-to-armpit in the mosh pit the Hub has become.

The only saving grace is that they're not total noobs at WDW, so OP has a good idea of what the resort complex is about. But it's a shame most of the advice on this thread has been "don't expect to do everything" and "temper your expectations."

Realistic advice. And sad.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If its stressful you're doing it wrong.
Also realize you CANNOT do EVERYTHING.
For all the basics refer to the WDW website.
I'm guessing you know what attractions you enjoyed last time so whatever you liked then if its still around you know you'll want to do it again.
Look at the newer attractions and their descriptions to see if you want to make time for them.
Comes on here if you have specific questions.

 

[voodoo321]

Cancel and go to Paris instead.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Cancel and go to Paris instead.

Disneyland Paris? Then it starts all over again....

 

[voodoo321]

Disneyland Paris? Then it starts all over again....

If Disney is a requirement for the vacation then yes. Disneyland Paris can be done without complications, and extreme crowds and intense planning. All things included, it would be a cheaper trip too. Plus you can spend a couple of those days in the city. That's just my advice for an enjoyable vacation that comes without the anxiety attacks.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If Disney is a requirement for the vacation then yes. Disneyland Paris can be done without complications, and extreme crowds and intense planning. All things included, it would be a cheaper trip too. Plus you can spend a couple of those days in the city. That's just my advice for an enjoyable vacation that comes without the anxiety attacks.

Hmm I doubt I could get flights for as cheap as I can to WDW.
If one lives in Europe I could see the financial benefits though.
You could drive etc.

 

[voodoo321]

Hmm I doubt I could get flights for as cheap as I can to WDW.
If one lives in Europe I could see the financial benefits though.
You could drive etc.

True. And I neglected to note that the OP would have to buy airline tickets for 7 people. Still, flights to Europe are surprisingly affordable these days and Hotel/Ticket prices at DLP are a fraction of what they are at WDW.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

True. And I neglected to note that the OP would have to buy airline tickets for 7 people. Still, flights to Europe are surprisingly affordable these days and Hotel/Ticket prices at DLP are a fraction of what they are at WDW.

I guess I wonder what surprisingly affordable is because to me spending close to $1,000 per person on flights would not lower the overall price of the trip when you consider I generally pay $200-$250 for flights to WDW.

 

[voodoo321]

I guess I wonder what surprisingly affordable is because to me spending close to $1,000 per person on flights would not lower the overall price of the trip when you consider I generally pay $200-$250 for flights to WDW.

I'm basing it on what I consistently find, that being $300-$400 rt/pp to Paris and less than $100 rt/pp to Orlando. I've flown to Paris rt for less than $300 a couple of years ago and a few times to Orlando for less than $50 rt. But your market may be different. I'm in the Cincinnati area. I use Skyscanner and Hipmunk to search for flights.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I'm basing it on what I consistently find, that being $300-$400 rt/pp to Paris and less than $100 rt/pp to Orlando. I've flown to Paris rt for less than $300 a couple of years ago and a few times to Orlando for less than $50 rt. But your market may be different. I'm in the Cincinnati area. I use Skyscanner and Hipmunk to search for flights.

Wow that is great, my kid went to the University of Cincinnati and it cost about 300 ( 262.00 direct) to fly him to Philly lol. I wish I could get fares like that. The cheapest l could find for our May trip was 675 pp

 

[eliza61nyc]

With equal respect, that's EXACTLY what this thread is about... OP is expressing huge trepidation about planning what's supposed to be a relaxing experience. They're probably going to spend an amount of money equal to a year of college at a medium-ranked state school, or a fairly recent used car, and they're "seriously anxious" about it.

I don't blame them. One false move (witness those first 5 mornings of Rise of the Resistance) and at least one whole day of their vacation is severely impacted. Rely on the Skyliner for transport to get to dinner at Monsieur Paul, and if it goes down, the evening is ruined. Pick the wrong day to visit the MK and you could be stuck armpit-to-armpit in the mosh pit the Hub has become.

The only saving grace is that they're not total noobs at WDW, so OP has a good idea of what the resort complex is about. But it's a shame most of the advice on this thread has been "don't expect to do everything" and "temper your expectations."

Realistic advice. And sad.

How is it sad?? I give that advice for many places. I have people that want advice on NYC. They have 5 days and want to see 25 museums, a Broadway place, shopping and the WTC?? Heck that's the advice I got when I went to Greece this summer. I had 8 days and wanted to visit 5 islands lol I had a great TA who laughed and said that's only going to lead to disaster.

Disney is huge and crowded, now I definitely disagree on some things. Missing dinner at a restaurant means a ruined evening??? Yikes but I'm a more relaxed traveler. I wouldn't let missing a meal ruined anything.

 

[Victor Kelly]

That is very sad you have to recommend a spreadsheet for someone to vacation at WDW. There is a reason I choose to go elsewhere.

Good then go elsewhere if that is all you have to say.

OP. Make a list of what you want to do, where you wish to eat. The spreadsheet is the best idea to give you a visual of your plans. Then match you meals to the park you will be on a given day. After that then plan your fastpasses. But give yourself time to move about.

 

[bryanfze55]

Maybe Disneyland would be more up your alley. There’s far less planning involved than Disney World. I wouldn’t bother with Disneyland Paris when the flights are way more expensive and Disneyland is a better park than Disneyland Paris anyway (though Paris is beautiful). However, note that Disneyland will probably be just as expensive of a vacation as Disney World. At least for us it always is.

All that being said, some of these posts are a bit dramatic. It’s not quite as daunting as it sounds. Get there at rope drop, ride a handful of your favorite attractions at park opening, have your three FastPasses scheduled for around 11 AM-2 PM, then do some shows or something during the peak afternoon hours. Ride the PeopleMover! You can schedule more FastPasses after your first three have been used. You won’t get headliners, but you can definitely get things like Buzz Lightyear, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Little Mermaid... possibly Haunted Mansion and Pirates, but no guarantee. If you stay until close, you can do a couple more headliners with minimal wait the last hour or two of the day.

We all have various thresholds of toleration. Personally, while I prefer the laidback touring style of Disneyland, Disney World has never seemed that grueling once I’m actually there. On the other hand, I find flying for more than 4 hours to be grueling. I hate flying.

 

[jd12]

We went last May and crowds were very manageable. Lovebugs were more surprising but in the end just annoyed drivers crashing in bus windshield by the dozen.

No, you won't be able to do everything but choosing and planning is part of the fun. I always feel ecstatic on mornings we book ADRs and FPs.

For the last few trips, we split our days with frequent afternoon breaks. Most of the time, we manage to do 10-12 attractions in the morning and about the same later in the day. Early morning arrivals and Extra Magic Hours are often your best options.

For 8 days and probably 15 half-days, we would distribute things something like 5xMagic 2xEpcot 4xStudios 2xAnimal 1xDisney Springs 1xOff.

We always go a lot to Magic Kingdom, the best park with more to do. Don't hesitate to eat at Deluxe Hotels around Magic, a lot of interesting options around that area but often outside Magic.

With reason, Hollywood Studios is the hot ticket right now. That's why we suggest 4 visits. Shorter stints may be a good alternative. Try to plan eating elsewhere more often than not. A lot of fun things to do at the Studios and a lot of ongoing changes at Epcot. We would normally do more of Epcot under different circumstances.

Try to have fun and enjoy the process!

 

[graphite1326]

Last trip to WDW was when 1 week was more than enough time to see and do everything (15 years ago). This time May 2020 is 8 days (5 adults 2 kids) and I am going to have a stress meltdown due to the explosion of new everything! The info available is overwhelming! Is there some easier way to plan than read 4 books and see 99+ sites? It's seriously causing anxiety.

Just do the things you really want to do and then start planning your trip for next year for the thing s you missed. Like the rest of us. LOL

 

[macefamily]

Plan, plan, plan. Make sure everything is covered from flights and transportation to all meals and fast passes. We've used orlandoinformer.com or undercovertourist.com to make daily plans, but they're not 100% accurate. Be flexible. We've been in one park and checked wait times at another park which were much quicker so we split and went to the other park. Park hoppers provide that type of flexibility. Also, if you're having trouble getting dining reservations at your preferred establishment, keep checking. My daughter has landed us last minute reservations the past few trips to Be Our Guest and Cinderella's Royal Table which are usually fully booked for months.

 

[jloucks]

Last trip to WDW was when 1 week was more than enough time to see and do everything (15 years ago). This time May 2020 is 8 days (5 adults 2 kids) and I am going to have a stress meltdown due to the explosion of new everything! The info available is overwhelming! Is there some easier way to plan than read 4 books and see 99+ sites? It's seriously causing anxiety.

I think what you need is some perspective!

Here are things you are not doing...

• Getting chemo treatment
• Getting a root canal
• Getting surgery
• Burying a relative
• Going off to war
• Dealing with house burning down
• Getting a divorce
• Filing bankruptcy
• Getting a colonoscopy (although these are more "fun" the last few years)

There! That should do the trick. Pretty silly huh? But, yea, ok, if that doesn't work just lower the bar a little. A lot. A ton. Just go and people watch. Eat when you can. Ride when you can. Sleep a lot. etc. For many the planning is fun. If it is not your cup of tea, dont! Fortunately there are tons of other stuff you can do that are way less planning. Have you tried DCL (Disney Cruise Line)? All the Disney, 80% less planning. It might just be for you! Also, have you been to Hawaii? No? Dang! It is time. That place is a planning free stress free decompression chamber. You should go.

 

[Parker in NYC]

I think what you need is some perspective!

Here are things you are not doing...

• Getting chemo treatment
• Getting a root canal
• Getting surgery
• Burying a relative
• Going off to war
• Dealing with house burning down
• Getting a divorce
• Filing bankruptcy
• Getting a colonoscopy (although these are more "fun" the last few years)

There! That should do the trick. Pretty silly huh? But, yea, ok, if that doesn't work just lower the bar a little. A lot. A ton. Just go and people watch. Eat when you can. Ride when you can. Sleep a lot. etc. For many the planning is fun. If it is not your cup of tea, dont! Fortunately there are tons of other stuff you can do that are way less planning. Have you tried DCL (Disney Cruise Line)? All the Disney, 80% less planning. It might just be for you! Also, have you been to Hawaii? No? Dang! It is time. That place is a planning free stress free decompression chamber. You should go.

This reminds me of my father's response to any crisis. "Dad, my best friend died." "Well, son, at least you aren't caught in one of those California fires." Granted, I realize the parallel doesn't really work here but I was tickled all the same.

 

[Weather_Lady]

My suggestion: pay a few dollars to subscribe to the touringplans website, or just check the newest addition of "The Unofficial Guide to WDW" out of your local library. (It's written by the folks who run the touringplans website).

If you got the book: take a look at the maps and suggested touring plans in the back of the book and copy the ones that seem best-suited to your family. Make Fastpasses and dining reservations if and as desired (the touring plans will suggest some, and the book will have restaurant reviews and menu descriptions that will help you narrow things down).

If you subscribed to the website: pick a suggested touring plan for each day, customize it to subtract attractions you don't care about or add ones that are must-dos, add in desired meals and breaks, and you can and optimize them for your dates, walking speed, etc. You can download the touringplans app. for easy in-park access to your touring plans. The app can also re-optimize them for you, re-ordering steps as necessary, to account for real-time wait time information.

Then, take a deep breath and relax! The best you can do is come up with a good plan, and commit to some early park arrivals (as first-thing-in-the-morning is the best time to get things done with short lines). After that, things will happen (a ride breaks down, you decide to take a scenic detour, etc.) and you'll just want to go with the flow and commit yourself to enjoying every moment, planned or not!

 

[cdeev8690]

I frequently visit WDW but I recently was tasked with planning a 2-day trip with 8 of my adult friends who are practically Disney virgins (all of which had either never been to WDW or hadn't been since they were children) and it was STRESSFUL. I created a private Facebook group to coordinate with everyone. I posted articles for different restaurant reviews, or new Disney updates, events. I created polls to get an idea of what food everyone was interested in, sit down meals vs quick service, which rides they could handle (motion, thrill, kiddie, water). It was helpful and lead me to make recommendations based on the group consensus.

Things that have helped me learn more about the parks and trip planning is by listening to Disney podcasts. A favorite of mine is the Be Our Guest podcast which is hosted by Disney Travel Agents. They're super informative, upbeat, and the shows are very entertaining and educational! You can submit questions to them, they have live recordings on Facebook where you can ask questions and they'll answer them live, or just listen while you are working/shopping/driving/cleaning the house.

You have to leave some of the responsibility to the other adults on the trip. They will need to do their own research, form their own budgets, and help you make a plan for their time. There's enough to do to plan for your own wants and needs, it's not fair to put this entire trip on your shoulders. You can plan to the final detail and there will still be people who want to stray and do their own thing. LET THEM. Go your own way. You've put in the work, keep to your plan, fulfill your needs, and meet up later.

One last thing that I'll note, the most frustrating part about planning a WDW trip with my friends was that everyone bought tickets at different times and I could hardly get everyone to link with me on My Disney Experience. I should have gotten all their emails, created their accounts with generic passwords, then completed the linking myself. But even if that had happened, some friends didn't buy tickets till a few days out although we had over 6 months of planning. I think if I were to do this again in any capacity, I would tell everyone to have their accounts linked to mine and tickets purchased with at least 2 months out or else I would tell them that they're on their own.