My family and I had an amazing trip in December (I just loved Christmas decorations) and my DD and I went for two days in July and loved it (but I had pre-trip depression). There is a lot here to know and learn ans for planners it is anxiety producing - add cost anxiety and it can be a lot.
I have two suggestions -
if the idea of Genie+ is stressing you out, have you considered the Stanby Skipper? You have less control but it is fix it and forget it. People who want that have given itnhugh reviews.
once you get there, if you can slip into the mindset of “today will be what it is” and try not to get too worried about what doesn’t go right, you will find the magic because it is still there. Full disclosure, there are trips where I never found that head space.
there’s also the fact that they were hoarding crap backstage because they were trying to control the buy-ups (Like the MNSSHP T-Shirts. They weren’t putting out certain sizes). Might finally be backfiring on them. Good.
It IS very dumb, but not at all your fault. Disney has definitely thrown up enough blockers that I’m the same way for different reasons. There’s just getting to be too many hoops to jump through just to get there. Once I’m there, I’m fine. Everything is sunshine and rainbows (and dole whips and superior mickey sandwiches)…but the getting there is now just as painful as getting back and that is having a definite impact.
Hotel to consider, parking to consider, Flight to consider, shuttle to consider, luggage handling to consider, parks to consider, parkHOPPING to consider, food reservations to consider, crowds and thus genie+ things to consider, then what can you get with G+, what attractions/restaurants are still closed to consider, what JUSTclosed to consider (RIP Kite Tails)… etc…
it’s just …a lot. Especially for a vacation. I much MUCH preferred 2016-2019. Grab a hotel, grab a flight, a few FPPs, schedule your DME annnnd YOU IS DONE! GO PLAY!
But again. once i’m there, I’m fine. It’s just the pretrip stuff is no longer fun.
As far as Genie+ goes…it’s FAR easier to work out when there. I was able to enjoy it with the mindset of “don’t try to advance-schedule your rides, but rather just hit as many as I can as fast as I can.” I found that took a lot of the complications out by just being able to rapidfire through rides.
I’m glad to hear you had success with this approach. I think I’m going to go with this next time (in a few weeks), rather than stacking, which is a spontaneity-killer.
absolutely. But i still created complications for myself as I LOVE BTMRR and Splash at night so I had to keep avoiding them because you only get 1 and if they go down: welp.
So the whole day still feels like me watching and waiting for the G+ times for those 2 to enter into the night hours.
That’s how I approached it myself. It is hard from the planner-in-me side of things to just “wait and see what the day brings” but it works out okay. Know what the priorities are and what is likely to run out before other things, and go after it that way.
I hate how it has hobbled TP though. TP doesn’t really work anymore I’m happy there are so many other aspects of it that I still love and use.
I’m trying harder to find those recent positive reports and not be distracted by the reports of “I am an Imagineer who created rides and no one will let me into the parks!” lol
I am using the TP reservation finder to try to find some more ADRs and am checking during the day. I only had 4 places I was trying for and I got one but it’s at 9:35pm so I’m trying to get it earlier.
Price increases: I noticed yesterday that the price of those ears we like to wear have increased in price by 10-15 doll-hairs. I said, “NO Thanks!” to more ears yesterday; I couldn’t justify the cost even w/ my AP/DVC discount.
I’m happy there are so many other aspects of it that I still love and use.