Would you recommend THIS board to someone planning their first trip?

[d1gitman]

...I never liked sending a newbie here, because the info was way too specific and based on many years of visits. First visits should be about discovery and learning to love the place YOUR way, not the way some people who go multiple times a year thing you SHOULD do it. Nor should you be made to feel that YOUR way is less than good, and that's what this board is now.

I always send newbies here but also caution...in addition, I send them to the easy w d w site as that has some great basic, fundamental strategy and simple info for newbies (for that matter, everyone)

 

[FirstTimeDisneyVisit]

wish we knew about the DIS before our first trip ! Very helpful

 

[glamdring269]

No, but nice try.

I am pointing out that even in far more extreme situations, you still own your own behavior. When it comes to something as meaningless as Fast Passes, what could your excuse for poor behavior possibly be?

How lame does it sound when you try to explain to someone else why you (the larger you) have to point out hundreds of times to different posters all of the things that Disney is doing wrong right now, and how much it is ruining WDW for you and your family?

Expressing an opinion is one thing - but this horse was beat to death a long time ago. Folks are no longer expressing their opinion. It has gone way beyond that.

I'm not sure I follow you here. Are you basically saying that people should voice their negative feelings towards something (I'll assume FP+) one time and then... what? Either become positive or stop posting about that topic?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I'm not sure I follow you here. Are you basically saying that people should voice their negative feelings towards something (I'll assume FP+) one time and then... what? Either become positive or stop posting about that topic?

I am not sure that further explanation would help.

 

[mcd2745]

I have no problem sending a newbie here. I will, though, caution them that the theme parks board (only a small piece of the entire DIS) contains much more snarkiness and vitriol than any other section of the DIS. However, there is too much valuable inforamtion, insight, and tips, etc. throughout the rest of these boards (minus most of the attitude and arguments) that a newbie could find invaluable for me not to tell them to come here at all. And BTW...I'm equally bothered by the total Disney apologists as I am about the perpetual whiners and complainers. Neither group seem (to me, at least) that they take a reasonable approach to any topic.

 

[wvasweetness]

When we were planning our first trip in 2010, I LIVED here for days (weeks!) and learned SO much that was absolutely invaluable.

With that said, my advice for a newbie would be:
- use DisBoards as a resource for planning and gathering info
- use the search function!
- don't read through posts that you think are negative or will negatively impact your planning
- you really do make your own magic at WDW - don't let anything negative get in the way of that

 

[MrInfinity]

Are you basically saying that people should voice their negative feelings towards something (I'll assume FP+) one time and then... what? Either become positive or stop posting about that topic?

I think his point is more that replying to every post is unnecessary.

Exaggeration:
Person 1... "I like this it's neat"
Person X... "I don't -- it sucks".
Person 2... "I kinda liked it too it worked for me".
Person X... "Yeah but not for me it doesn't work for everyone"
Person 3... "It does have this and this benefit".
Person X... "Those don't benefit me."
Person 4... "You seem to be against this... have you reconsidered your touring style?"
Person X... "My style has worked fine for years it's this that needs reconsidering".
Person 5... "I liked this it wasn't like you say it worked fine".
Person X... "Maybe for you but not for most people"

Those replies may have been separated by minutes, days, or weeks... point is some ppl make it clear to anyone who likes something, that they don't and so it comes across as a lot of negative posts when really the majority of the negative posts are from a few users who feel strongly negative whereas most positive posts tend to be from sporadic users who show up, share their thoughts, then have nothing to add they post no more and disappear.

And then of course, asking those who are genuinely dissatisfied *not* to share their feelings is just as futile. They're going to because that's what they're feeling and this is as much a place to vent w others equally put off.

Such is the circle of life in internet forums.

I wouldn't send a newbie here. I wouldn't send my 1st grader to a college physics course either. When and if newbies get to a point where they want more info, or more elaborate planning, they'll google it and maybe end up here... until then, they are simply happy vacationers.

 

[wvasweetness]

A brand new, never-done-Disney newbie? Never, absolutely not. I'll explain in a moment.

However, someone who has maybe gone to Disney as a child but now is returning as an adult (i.e. someone who has a 'rough' idea of what Disney is/how it functions), maybe. But I would caution them highly about the negative few.

To explain why I do not recommend this board to a newbie;

In the (very) short time I have been here, I have seen a huge tide shift right before my eyes. The unveiling of FP+/MM+, and the DAS card projects both created a madhouse amongst this place (DAS created far less waves than FP+ has, but it still counts) that has definitely turned me off in terms of how I view this board and some of the specific users on here. I'm not naming names, or even hinting at persons, but the few that have made it a point to leap into any post, good or bad about something in the parks, and turn it into a bash/snark/snide remark fest has gotten old and overdone.

To someone who has never considered Disney until, say last night, I couldn't point them to these boards knowing they wouldn't get off the computer, grab a bottle of wine, and start chugging for dear life. All because someone(s) would bash them about with 'You paid THAT much for a night in WHERE?' or 'You're not REALLY going to use THAT method of touring, are you?' or the simple 'If you're not getting there at RD you're not getting your money worth. I figured it out for you, it comes out to ____ per hour, so waiting in line for ANYTHING past five seconds isn't worth the money.'

I've only been to WDW four times now, my first trip in May 2012, last (current) trip was February 2014. Out of those four times, one trip was miserable, two were so-so, and one was flat out magical. Guess which one was the magical one? The one where I didn't do what people said on here (for some part), the one where I didn't run around just to do everything because I didn't know if I would be coming back. Am I a seasoned vet? Heck no, not even close! Do I have a rough idea of what I'm doing for the most part? Yes, I'd like to believe so. Can I continue to learn more? Absolutely, who can't?! But that doesn't mean I drink the kool-aid of this board and spout it back verbatim, and I'm afraid a newbie who didn't know better would do just that, and end up with heartache in the end of their trip.

Very, very well stated!

 

[DisneyDizzy]

I used to send someone going for the first time here. I like to read here but it's been really negative lately. I wouldn't want someone to go into their trip expecting to have trouble or already angry about Magic Bands. I've used strategies I've learned here but I steer my friends and family to other boards now. And I mostly read here for entertainment. We're planning another trip (only our 4th) and I'll use the Resorts Board and the Dining Boards. Scan some of the others so I'll know what's up.

Our most wonderful trip was the one where we didn't know anything about touring plans or really how Fastpasses worked.. We just did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it. We never noticed all these horrible vacation ruining things others obsess over. We just enjoyed our trip. We could have done a LOT more had we had some sort of strategy. But, we still came back 2 more times. I think I'd rather go on my VACATION with my rose colored glasses and rather my friends did too.

 

[sharadoc]

I think his point is more that replying to every post is unnecessary.

Exaggeration:
Person 1... "I like this it's neat"
Person X... "I don't -- it sucks".
Person 2... "I kinda liked it too it worked for me".
Person X... "Yeah but not for me it doesn't work for everyone"
Person 3... "It does have this and this benefit".
Person X... "Those don't benefit me."
Person 4... "You seem to be against this... have you reconsidered your touring style?"
Person X... "My style has worked fine for years it's this that needs reconsidering".
Person 5... "I liked this it wasn't like you say it worked fine".
Person X... "Maybe for you but not for most people"

Those replies may have been separated by minutes, days, or weeks... point is some ppl make it clear to anyone who likes something, that they don't and so it comes across as a lot of negative posts when really the majority of the negative posts are from a few users who feel strongly negative whereas most positive posts tend to be from sporadic users who show up, share their thoughts, then have nothing to add they post no more and disappear.

And then of course, asking those who are genuinely dissatisfied *not* to share their feelings is just as futile. They're going to because that's what they're feeling and this is as much a place to vent w others equally put off.

Such is the circle of life in internet forums.

I wouldn't send a newbie here. I wouldn't send my 1st grader to a college physics course either. When and if newbies get to a point where they want more info, or more elaborate planning, they'll google it and maybe end up here... until then, they are simply happy vacationers.

Yes, you stated it perfectly. I have no problem with discussion, but you and the PP you quoted talk about the same people who felt compelled to constantly clog up every discussion with their one-sided arrogant attitude that turned every thread into an argument eventually. They would say they were not trolling, but just stating their opinion. But we know what that opinion is from the other 20 threads they jumped into with the same opinion!

I also don't like sending newbies here because I think newbies ruined a lot of the special experiences that we figured out. Like the Living Seas diver sign. People actually published the name and phone number of a person who can help you. But if you've never been to Disney World, you have no idea what you're asking for or what you're talking about and it just clogged up that person's phone, until they shut it down. Or waking Tinkerbell. Same thing happened there because too many people knew about it and tried to do it, then complained when they couldn't.

 

[LaurenPlock]

I discovered this board right around the first of the year, and I'm really glad I did! Yeah, there's occasionally a lot of negativity (I've joked that Theme Park Strategies should be renamed "People Who Hate/Love FP+... And Also Some Strategies") but for the most part I've gained a ton of really helpful information.

 

[Egdisney]

Without this board, I would have known nothing on my first trip to Disney. Now I keep coming back to plan(in my head) future trips. Hubby didn't love it the way I did. He has agreed to a Disney Cruise, so I will live

 

[ZoZo]

Not generally. Most of the info requires some prior knowledge of the parks, lingo, etc. I would have them read a guide book first.

Me too. I always recommend that "newbies" read a good guidebook (like the Unofficial Guide) prior to visiting any chat board, even the DIS. I think people need to understand the basics first. Then I recommend that they use the DIS to get answers to specific questions (i.e. "What are your favorite CS restaurants at each park?") rather than as their main source of information. I think he info on chat boards is too fragmented and "scattered" to be helpful as your only source of info.

I agree that it would be scary to newbies to read a lot of the posts here on the DIS right now. There are a lot of negative posts because people are upset about the recent changes. I'm actually at WDW right now, on my first trip with FP+. I decided to give it a chance, but really don't like the limitations of the new program. I was a FP- "power user" in the old days, and don't like the changes. Everyone has a right to their own opinions, I guess! That's what chat boards are all about!

 

[kidd_freeper]

Absolutely!