I have two trips to plan for 2020 and initially I felt very frustrated by how difficult Epcot and DHS are to plan — there’s the nonsense of ROTR boarding groups, the hideous FPP tiering, and the known-unknowns of MMRR and Ratatouille.
But then I realised something. It is perfectly possible to have an amazing WDW vacation without riding ROTR at all! I know this because most of the people on this site have actually done that. We’ve (mostly?) all been to WDW before and we all (yes?) had a great time when we went. And ROTR wasn’t even a thing.
As it happens, I’ve been on ROTR three times. (Actually, I’ve been on it six times, but three of those it broke down and I was evacced off it.) And, yeah, it’s quite good. The big docking bay with all the stormtroopers in is impressive. And the storage room with the two AT-ATs in it is kinda cool.
But, d’you know what? If you don’t ride it — if you make zero attempt to ride it (no getting up at 5am, not waiting in long lines) — you can still have an awesome time at WDW.
What’s partially shaping my thinking is that I’m taking a friend with me this year. He’s never been. So all of it is new and exciting to him. And he has different priorities to me, which means I’ll do things I haven’t done before, which is exciting for me.
So, yeah — you can take your ROTRs and your MMRRs and your Ratatouilles and your panicked attempts to get FPPs for them, or BGs for them, or whatever the hell it will be. I’m off to Typhoon Lagoon — where I’ve never been — and I’m riding Splash Mountain and laughing all the way round and I’m watching my friend’s face when he sees Main Street for the first time.
And it’s going to be great!
Know what the highlight of my December trip was? Seeing Up! A Great Bird Adventure. Why? Because I’ve never seen it before and because I love animals. And, despite what everyone says, I think it’s kinda cool. And kinda funny too.
And that was the highlight. Not ROTR.