It is wonderful that you are a superior planner. That is a handy talent. However, it is only handy if you know that it is needed to simply go to a theme park. I was fortunate that I made my first WDW encounter in 1983. It would never have occurred to me that it would require so much complication to ride an amusement park ride. Or that I should even have to research it.
It is extremely possible that a first timer might be familiar with the name WDW but not the cluster it currently is. They might not know that it is more work now go to a place that is thought of as a fun place then actually working for a living. Yes, the price is high, but likely not indicative of the degree of planning that is involved. And that every time they make a move it involves someone's hand reaching in their pocket and removing more and more money.
I went to Europe for a month long adventure (I won't say vacation because it was anything but relaxing) but it involved less complicated planning than a trip to a fantasy theme park. It is not always a matter of being good at planning as it is having the knowledge that planning might be required.
Hear! Hear! It's gotten so ri-gosh-darn-diculous regarding excessive planning. I run the operations for a construction company, planning different phases of projects, etc. It's still not as complicated as planning a Disney vacation, seriously. It's pretty straight-forward actually, and no FOMO. You just schedule, move forward, and adjust as needed. Trying to fit all the pieces together for a Disney vacation is effing ridiculous. 15 years ago it was planning for airline tickets, hotel, park tickets, and maybe some restaurant reservations if desired. You were way ahead of the game if you mapped out what parks on which days to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours. Now it's like mapping out the plan to run for president with every literal footstep planned out months in advance. In addition to the above, you have to somehow make sure that park reservations fit just right. It's not a matter of just booking park reservations. It's making sure you can get them for the days you want to be there. Then add in Genie+ and reserving rides the morning of days at whatever parks. It's just too much.Agree went in the 70's and 80's never required planning but each subsequent decade it took more and more planning to where we are now.
The comparison that it requires lots of planning to visit other countries shouldn't apply unless you're visiting WDW from another country. Why should going on a domestic vacation to what used to be a fun place require so much intricate planning? Planning, of course, but to this level?? You should be able to book the tickets, airfare, hotels, and then go have fun like almost any other vacation. Not have to study for a PhD and plan excessively in hopes of possibly doing a fraction of what used to be possible in the past. Even while on vacation you can't have fun. Wake up early to get those ride reservations... hopefully. Then stare at your phone all day and carry a portable phone charger in hopes of booking other rides... hopefully. If you choose not to do any of these things, instead of experiencing 80% of what used to be possible, you experience 40% of what you used to be able to do, and for outrageously more $$. It's only a matter of time before all the Jane and John Does who remembered their WDW vacation from yesteryear and want to take one with their kids realize how complicated it is and attendance plummets. It will be a a couple/few years, but Disney will pay the price for their actions and greed of today.
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