There has been a Development (aka a Change of Plan)

#1

Regular readers will know that I have three trips booked for 2021: DLP in April, DLP in July, WDW in August.

The April trip has felt doomed to me since mid December. The July trip seemed like terrible timing. The WDW trip seems like good timing and I’m very excited about it still.

So I have made a Big Decision.

I’m cancelling both DLP trips. And using the money saved to add two friends of mine to the August trip.

My two friends are, er, from the Wrong Side of the Tracks. One of them has never been on an airplane. The other has, but only for a flight lasting a couple of hours. WDW is something neither of them could even dream of.

I really want to give them this opportunity. Not just because — let’s not deny it — I’m a terrific person, but for the pleasure it will give me. I want to see WDW through their eyes. I want to see their jaws drop over and over again as we discover WDW — and UOR — as mine did during my first trip.

The plan is seven nights: five at WDW, two at UOR. Four full days at WDW, two full days at UOR.

Although this means I’m going to have wait a long time before I get my next Disney fix, I’m so much more excited about this plan than my original plan.

I can’t wait to help my friends plan out what they want to do at the two resorts and get them as frantically excited as I am.

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#2

I think this is a great plan! You have so much to discuss and share with them to get them ready. Lots of anticipation. And the time frame seems pretty reasonable as far as vaccine roll-out and lifting of travel restrictions. I’m crossing my fingers this will be the one!

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#3

What a lovely thing to do!

My advice is to be cautious … in your enthusiasm. I would recommend that you don’t actually try to get them as frantically excited as you are feeling, let them be excited for themselves.

Does that make sense? If you over-hype things you risk things not quite living up to it, and then both they and you suffer disappointment - for different reasons.

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#4

What a fabulous thing to do for your friends. Being able to see things through the eyes of newbies is wonderful.

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#5

I very much agree with this!

Take this with a grain of salt as I obviously don’t know your friends or anything, just sharing some random thoughts on first timers and expectations based on my experience.

I’ve been disappointed in someone’s reaction to WDW a couple of times.

First, it was my wife, then girlfriend, who clearly didn’t catch the magic the same way I did. We went in our early 20’s, she had never been and I had a massive amount of childhood nostalgia and excitement built up. She didn’t not like it, but just wasn’t as hyped up. 15 or so years later, she likes to go but isn’t the same way as I am, and I’m fine about it. We plan around this too, I might sometimes spend a longer time in the park etc.

Second “disappointment” was with my kids. I kind of expected it to be the coolest thing in their lives x10, but they were just “regular excited” like they’d be at a fair or some random carousel. They mostly wanted to buy stuff. There were compulsory meltdowns etc, it was stressful. Even on our second trip they didn’t seem as excited but of course had a good time, just not the level fanaticism I had expected. It wasn’t until our third trip last year that the WDW bug had seemingly bit them. They talked about it before hand, wanted to see photos, were anxious to get there… we had a great time and since then my son has classified it as his favorite place in the world. Success!? :joy:

Any way, I guess the point is the same that @Nickysyme said above, if I can give one piece of advice it would be that don’t put your expectation too high and let them take it in their way.

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#6

This is so nice! I totally understand the thrill of wanting to see WDW through a first-timer’s eyes. I am currently saving money to take my sister and nephews in May 2022 for the same reason. I can’t wait to read about your trip!

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#7

For someone who claims to be a loner, you are an awesome friend!

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#10

:roll_eyes:

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#11

Sounds like a great plan! Hopefully it will help rekindle your love of Disney.

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#12

You are both absolutely right. I have already fallen into this trap with them. We had a huge long conversation today about the trip and I was showing them photos and everything, and then one of them starts going on about wanting to visit a Walmart to see what “real” America is like. And I was like, “You want to go to a fricken supermarket after a four and a half thousand mile flight to the best theme parks in the world!”

But I remembered what you guys had said. In fact I even referred to it in the ensuing, er, discussion.

One of the two has never been on a plane before. We were talking about the trip and he said he really hoped he’d get a window seat. Well, I bought the cheapest tickets there were and they don’t come with a pre-booked seat, so I said that he probably wouldn’t because people with more expensive tickets would book them up. So then he was really sad. So I got in touch with the airline and for $40 extra I could book him a window seat. So I did.

It already is. I’m crazy excited about going!

But I’m trying to let the trip be their trip, too. Even if that means going to Walmart. (I drew the line at IHOP.)

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#13

That is so cool, @mousematt!

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#14

What a big heart you have buried under all that snark!

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#15

I love Disney World, but I love traveling and experiencing other cultures more. I like seeing the mundane day to day life as much as the sights. I would absolutely think they would want to do more than “just” Disney after a four and a half thousand mile flight.

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#16

Do not take them to Walmart! Go to Target instead. :wink:

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#17

NOT HELPING

Yes, this is a complete sentence. Dumbass website.

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#18

You are further proving you are an excellent friend!

How about Costco? :crazy_face:

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#19

Walmart is scary America or too real. Real friends don’t take their friends to Walmart or the back roads of Georgia

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#20

I live within 15 miles of 3 Walmarts. I won’t go to 2 of them. They are totally scary places to be. Once or twice a year, I might go to the third one. But I won’t go to a Walmart when traveling because I wouldn’t know much about them.

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#21

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

#22

We have Costco here!

Technically though we also have Walmart who own ASDA, one of the large supermarkets.

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