Overheard- made me cringe

[anomamatt]

My apples (WDW not especially caring about returning business) are different from your oranges (WDW caring about declining revenues).

IMHO WDW has made a decision they can keep revenues up by focusing on 1st-time guests more, if not exclusively. Otherwise they would've instituted a loyalty program and done other things to incentivize return guests long ago. They do very little of that; a few programs here and there for AP/DVC guests, some FD bounceback, maybe a PIN code here and there. Small taters when compared to what they do to bring in the 1st time guest.

We've gone to Disney world three times this year and have two more trips booked for this year. I get promotional stuff in the mail from Disney world all the time. Stuff about dvc, about signature events, golden oak, you name it. Rarely does a week go by that there is not a promotional Disney mailing. So they certainly do care about return guests...

 

[melana]

I have a friend who is going to Disney as a first timer with her sister, 2 nephews and a niece.

I keep asking about their plans because I want to help them. They have no idea what they are doing. They can't even tell me what kind of tickets they have. All I know they are staying at a value.

I have stressed the need for ADRs for CRT because that is one thing the little girl wants to do. I also have tried to tell them to download the MDE app so they can check for last minute ressies if they decide to do table service. They look at me like I am speaking a foreign language.

I have tried to explain they need somewhat of a plan for their first trip. I told them about FP too and that is like speaking alien to them. She said she would just call me if they have trouble. Not sure how much help I can be at that point when I am 800 miles away...

I figure it's their vacation and they can do what they want but I have tried all I can. I just tune her out now when she wants to talk about it. I know that may sound mean..but I don't know what else I can do.

 

[ChiefM]

My wife learned her lesson on not pre-planning. We were dating at the time, I was coming off a long training mission so I took some days off and we decided to go to the beach. I was excited as this would be our first trip as a couple. She said lets just get in the car and we end up where we end up. I sounded great to not worry about anything and just go as the wind blows but it ended up being a bad idea. It was pouring outside when we got to the beach, the corvette developed a leak in the sun roof and it poured into the car. All the hotels around the area were full and no vacancy signs lit up as far as you could see. The only place we could find to stay was a very run down hotel. Needless to say we don't go anywhere without at least some prior planning and reservations. Wasn't so funny then but it sure is a funny story to tell now.

 

[Felicis]

Being a first timer is no excuse for lack of planning and understanding. I am a first timer, on the other side of the world. I only know one person in my real life who has been to DW, New Zealanders are more likely to go to DL. I used a travel agent initially, who stuffed things up for me due to her lack of knowledge. I took back control, and while I haven't managed to get a room discount, we are happy with POFQ. The one thing we couldn't change was our time of visit, as we are both teachers.

I have all the ADRs I wanted, including dinners at both CRT and Bog.
I have all the FP I wanted, including a morning FOP.

I will admit to being a bit more obsessive when planning than others, but even that aside, you have to have something strange going on to not have any ideas about FP, at the very least.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I talk to guests all day every day who have no idea what FP+ is, or how it works, or the fact that there's no additional cost to use it. Some of them aren't even first time visitors. They just don't care.

I've said it a ton of times: The average day guest is absolutely nothing like the people on this board.

 

[ucfknight]

I must be obtuse. If my fastpasses were all committed and I walked past a desired attraction, why wouldn't I spend the +15 minutes (over FP wait) to ride an attraction that I want? Should I just walk past it?

I'm talking about groups of people with tickets in hand walking towards the FP machines at Disneyland, seeing the standby wait was 15 minutes longer than the start of the FP return window, and deciding to get into standby anyway instead of getting the FP they were walking up to get. So instead of getting a FP, doing something else for 30 minutes, returning for their FP, and still getting off the ride before they would if they were in standby, they decided to wait in standby instead because it was "only 15 minutes longer".

 

[ucfknight]

Laid-back, West Coast chill mentality.

That was definitely my impression.

 

[Jays2013]

I have a friend who is going to Disney as a first timer with her sister, 2 nephews and a niece.

I keep asking about their plans because I want to help them. They have no idea what they are doing. They can't even tell me what kind of tickets they have. All I know they are staying at a value.

I have stressed the need for ADRs for CRT because that is one thing the little girl wants to do. I also have tried to tell them to download the MDE app so they can check for last minute ressies if they decide to do table service. They look at me like I am speaking a foreign language.

I have tried to explain they need somewhat of a plan for their first trip. I told them about FP too and that is like speaking alien to them. She said she would just call me if they have trouble. Not sure how much help I can be at that point when I am 800 miles away...

I figure it's their vacation and they can do what they want but I have tried all I can. I just tune her out now when she wants to talk about it. I know that may sound mean..but I don't know what else I can do.

This is so sad.

 

[srauseo]

I was standing in line for a ride and DH and I were looking at the MK map and the woman in front of us turned around and said, "Oh! There's a map for this place?"

 

[melana]

I was standing in line for a ride and DH and I were looking at the MK map and the woman in front of us turned around and said, "Oh! There's a map for this place?"

My computer is now wearing coffee!! This literally made me LOL. And now my co-workers are looking at me very weird.

 

[Delirium]

I can.
From the major number of posts on this site, alone, there are SO MANY guests who simply refuse to get up early on vacation.

I like to sleep in, too, but my philosophy is that I have to get up early for WORK when I'm at home...
so I get up early for FUN on vacation, especially due to the info you mentioned.
The very reason "rope drop" is so reliably effective (one of THE most consistent "Disney tips") is that
so many still refuse to get up a little bit early.

As great as rope drop is, if I have the choice of rope-dropping any of the parks or staying at MK until 2 a.m. the 'night' before, I'm picking 2 a.m. Magic Kingdom is just that special at night, and from 11:00-2:00 you basically have rope drop crowds.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I'm talking about groups of people with tickets in hand walking towards the FP machines at Disneyland, seeing the standby wait was 15 minutes longer than the start of the FP return window, and deciding to get into standby anyway instead of getting the FP they were walking up to get. So instead of getting a FP, doing something else for 30 minutes, returning for their FP, and still getting off the ride before they would if they were in standby, they decided to wait in standby instead because it was "only 15 minutes longer".

Don't the paper FP say something like "next available FP at X:XX"? Meaning you can't just get endless paper FP; instead, you have to wait until a certain time before you're allowed to get another. Maybe they aren't able to get a FP?

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I was standing in line for a ride and DH and I were looking at the MK map and the woman in front of us turned around and said, "Oh! There's a map for this place?"

I handed my MIL and her husband several maps at each park over the course of two weeks (several because they each lost something every single day - glasses, phone,...). They have some of the worst senses of direction I've ever encountered. Not only were they always surprised there are maps, but they also *still* got lost.

 

[ucfknight]

Don't the paper FP say something like "next available FP at X:XX"? Meaning you can't just get endless paper FP; instead, you have to wait until a certain time before you're allowed to get another. Maybe they aren't able to get a FP?

Please re-read my post. These were people walking to get paper FP and then deciding to just hop into standby instead. Not because they couldn't get a FP, but because the standby was only a few minutes longer. I actually heard this logic play out from couple different groups on a couple different rides. The paper FP machines are off to the side in a separate area from the queue entrance. They were walking to get them but changed their mind when they saw the standby queue was 30 to 45 minutes even though the FP would have gotten them there sooner.

 

[scrapquitler]

They either probably thought FP's are an extra price (heard that before), or had no clue what the kiosks were for

To be fair, the FP type thing being an extra paid thing IS the way it is at Six Flags, so someone who is only familiar with Six Flags would likely assume this.

My brother and his family went to WDW on a whim for one day while they were visiting my SIL's parents in Tampa a few years ago (pre FP+). The only 'big' amusement parks they had every been to before were Six Flags, and they had no idea about FP and when they were in the park and saw it, they assumed it was a paid extra. Unfortunately they hadn't planned to go ahead of time, so they never thought to ask me for Disney tips. But now they know that if they ever want to go back, they should ask questions first. Even without having FP, staying on site, making an ADR, etc. they had a great time!

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I talk to guests all day every day who have no idea what FP+ is, or how it works, or the fact that there's no additional cost to use it. Some of them aren't even first time visitors. They just don't care.

I've said it a ton of times: The average day guest is absolutely nothing like the people on this board.

I made all our plans for our most recent trip in July. Told my MIL and her husband to make MDE accounts, but they decide to only make one (under my MILs name), with her controlling his profile. Tickets linked, ADRs booked 160+10 out, FP+ made, etc,...

First day my MIL and her husband get to WDW, they say they *just* that day made him his own MDE account and his magic band isn't working. (They also claim to have been to WDW together before but "before there were any other parks besides MK". They've only known one another ~10 years *face palm*) His MB doesn't work to get into the parks - turns out his ticket isn't linked and ALL his FP+ for two weeks are gone. Zero concept of what a headache they created.

A week into using FP+, while walking onto a ride standby with no wait, MIL's husband asks why we can't just go in the FP+ line. DH and I find out my MIL's husband has no clue what FP+ is even for. He also overhears something about child swap and asks why we don't use that WHILE HOLDING A PAPER CHILD SWAP FP IN HIS HAND. We'd been using child swap all week! AND he asks what the monorail is - the very same monorail we rode a day earlier. There are no words.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Please re-read my post. These were people walking to get paper FP and then deciding to just hop into standby instead. Not because they couldn't get a FP, but because the standby was only a few minutes longer. I actually heard this logic play out from couple different groups on a couple different rides. The paper FP machines are off to the side in a separate area from the queue entrance. They were walking to get them but changed their mind when they saw the standby queue was 30 to 45 minutes even though the FP would have gotten them there sooner.

I understand that, I'm just wondering if at least some of those people reasoned that since there is a time limit to when you can get a new FP, they should use them on attractions with longer waits?

 

[mamamelody2]

I was standing in line for a ride and DH and I were looking at the MK map and the woman in front of us turned around and said, "Oh! There's a map for this place?"

Oh for crying out loud!!

 

[mamamelody2]

I made all our plans for our most recent trip in July. Told my MIL and her husband to make MDE accounts, but they decide to only make one (under my MILs name), with her controlling his profile. Tickets linked, ADRs booked 160+10 out, FP+ made, etc,...

First day my MIL and her husband get to WDW, they say they *just* that day made him his own MDE account and his magic band isn't working. (They also claim to have been to WDW together before but "before there were any other parks besides MK". They've only known one another ~10 years *face palm*) His MB doesn't work to get into the parks - turns out his ticket isn't linked and ALL his FP+ for two weeks are gone. Zero concept of what a headache they created.

A week into using FP+, while walking onto a ride standby with no wait, MIL's husband asks why we can't just go in the FP+ line. DH and I find out my MIL's husband has no clue what FP+ is even for. He also overhears something about child swap and asks why we don't use that WHILE HOLDING A PAPER CHILD SWAP FP IN HIS HAND. We'd been using child swap all week! AND he asks what the monorail is - the very same monorail we rode a day earlier. There are no words.

Hoo, boy, I'd have a hard time holding onto my temper. LOL.

 

[helenm29]

I totally agree! I may be an over planner but when I go somewhere like that I go on line and check things out! can't imagine not using fast passes...especially with kids. Although last time we were there we got fast passes and when we went to use them the rides were practically a walk on so it can work both ways