# Planning a Disney vacation **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257 "2010-12-24T04:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/41 "2010-12-28T20:35:31Z")
Fair enough. (sorry, couldn’t resist). ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/42 "2010-12-28T22:09:46Z")
It appears that negotiations have broken down among the various members of the theoretical vacation party. Too many people can’t reach an agreement over which park to see, when to go or how long to stay. I’m tired of the bickering and I’m washing my hands of the lot of them. Many sincere thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I do greatly appreciate your efforts. How pathetic and/or creepy is it for a fat, middle aged guy to go to a Disney theme park alone? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/43 "2010-12-28T22:28:56Z")
No one will know that you’re alone; they’ll think you’re a cool dad who has let his kids run free. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/44 "2010-12-28T22:43:23Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > It appears that negotiations have broken down among the various members of the theoretical vacation party. Too many people can’t reach an agreement over which park to see, when to go or how long to stay. I’m tired of the bickering and I’m washing my hands of the lot of them. > > Many sincere thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I do greatly appreciate your efforts. > > How pathetic and/or creepy is it for a fat, middle aged guy to go to a Disney theme park alone? That happens a lot. ☹ Not at all. Now, I would stay out of the kiddie areas anyway, as they aren’t fun for adults. But adults go alone to Disneyland all the time, they even often have a special line for singles. I always go with friends, but there have been time when we split up, and I have been (as a fat, middle aged guy ) on my own for hours, and it’s not pathetic or creepy at all. I find it relaxing. Go- have fun! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/45 "2010-12-28T23:38:21Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Staying on-site is not as big a deal in California as it is in Orlando. There are plenty of hotels/motels real close that will save you money. Several within walking distance. I think a few of them might actually be closer to the park entrances than the Disney hotels. The Disney hotels will have that Disney magic though (especially the Grand Californian). I haven’t been to Disneyworld since Gulf War I, but I stayed at Disneyland last June, as part of a meeting deciding whether to hold a conference at the Disneyland Hotel. The Disney people are very nice to people in that position - we got to stay at the Grand Californian free, got seats and food for the fireworks, and got some free passes. I’ve stayed at the Disneyland Hotel before they build Downtown Disney and California Adventure, and it is much nicer now. Downtown is fun to walk in, and we ate there, not worrying too much about the price given that we got so much free. Make reservations. The first night we didn’t, and we ate in the Mexican restaurant (okay, just) because it had the most room. Much better the next night with them. We did about 10 Fantasyland rides in 2 or 3 hours - but we started at 9 pm on Friday night. California Adventure didn’t do much for me, but we came to late for most of the rides, though we did see the Aladdin show which was good. BTW, the Disneyland Hotel is now under renovation, and though they do a good job disguising it, be warned. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/46 "2010-12-28T23:58:43Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > California Adventure didn’t do much for me, but we came to late for most of the rides, though we did see the Aladdin show which was good. > > . The Pizza place in Downtwon Disney is good, also. Not just good, it’s fantastic, but you do have to get in line about 30 minutes before showtime to get a decent seat. Maybe more. The white-water raft ride is very nice when it’s hot. Tower of Terror has a nice story and is _scary_ the first time. Soaring over Californai is one of the best rides ever. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/47 "2010-12-29T02:20:44Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > How pathetic and/or creepy is it for a fat, middle aged guy to go to a Disney theme park alone? I’m 38, single, and could stand to lose a few pounds, and I own a Disney timeshare. I skipped the Peter Pan ride this year, but going the week before Thanksgiving, the standby wait time on that ride was over 20 minutes, while Space Mountain stayed at 5 minutes all day, so it wasn’t a real hard decision. For Orlando Disney, I only recall single rider lines for Everest at Animal Kingdom and Rock and Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios, Universal had a few more rides, as did California Adventure at Disneyland. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/48 "2010-12-29T03:12:53Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > **Alpha Twit** , I’m going to echo what **runner\_pat** said about using the Unofficial Guide … and now that **_len_** has offered his assistance, please take advantage of that, as well. What he doesn’t know about touring DisneyWorld and DisneyLand isn’t worth knowing. He’s helped me out on a couple of occasions, and once I thought I’d have a chance to meet him at DisneyWorld – but our travel schedules missed each other by a day or so. Which is a shame, because I’d love to buy him a giant turkey leg or a Mickey Bar. The food’s better if Len buys. Or so I hear. 😛 > [@DrDeth](#): > > Disneyland with California Adventure can definately be “done” in 4 days. Disneyworld -what with Epcot- _not so much._ I just tried it. Epcot and the Magic Kingdom each need a day and a half at least. (if you are a Disnleyland regular, as I am, you can do tMK in a day) Yeah. I always find the MK mildly disappointing. Except for the castle. That’s the one thing that is really notably better in the MK (IMHO). The MK is actually my 3rd favorite park in WDW after Epcot & the Animal Kingdom. > [@Dangerosa](#): > > and California Adventure did very little for me (but was getting a pretty major update after we left, don’t know if that has started or where that is). The spectacular World of Color show is open. So is Toy Story Midway Mania. The new Little Mermaid ride will be open in the Spring. Carsland and the new entrance will still be under heavy construction in at that time though. Expect a lot of walls. > [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > How pathetic and/or creepy is it for a fat, middle aged guy to go to a Disney theme park alone? I’ve got a DL annual pass and have made a couple of solo trips to WDW (with another coming up I hope). > [@Voyager](#): > > BTW, the Disneyland Hotel is now under renovation, and though they do a good job disguising it, be warned. I hear the renovated rooms are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/49 "2010-12-29T03:23:48Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > … > What staying at a Disney property does give you is Extra Magic Hours–essentially one park will be open a little early or a little late every day, but you need to be staying at a Disney hotel to take advantage of them… The Unofficial Guide book actually suggests _avoiding_ those parks on those days as they draw bigger crowds. The crowds weren’t awful the day we used Extra Magic hours to go to Magic Kingdom, but there were lines still for some of the more popular rides, even at 11 PM. On-site can be great if you want to pop out to the hotel for a mid-day refresher or whatever. Offsite can be cheaper (though you do have to figure in driving time and parking fees) and offers more flexibility; when we were meeting up with a large group of friends for a similar trip, we actually rented several multiple-bedroom houses for roughly 150 dollars a day (per house). That allowed us to have park days and relaxing days. The house had a pool just outside the back door which was really nice and was useful for the day where the whole group just hung out and partied. Onsite, you can use the Disney Dining Plan which can be a big cost-saver if you’re doing all restaurant meals. I don’t think it’s as good a deal as it was in 2007 when we last went, but we had several single sit-down meals which would have cost more (retail) than the cost of the dining plan. I’d concur with not trying to stick together as a big group in the parks. Plan on meeting once a day maybe, for a meal at a specific spot. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/50 "2010-12-29T04:49:39Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > The Unofficial Guide book actually suggests _avoiding_ those parks on those days as they draw bigger crowds. The crowds weren’t awful the day we used Extra Magic hours to go to Magic Kingdom, but there were lines still for some of the more popular rides, even at 11 PM. We don’t do the evenings, but the morning EMHs are great - IF you have hoppers. What happens is that people INTEND to get their morning going, but its vacation, and then they don’t change plans. So you do get a lot done in the first two-three hours (eight to eleven). At 11:00 we eat lunch and get the hell out to a different park. People who arrived early will spend the whole day in the park, those who intended to arrive early and didn’t have now arrived, and everyone else has started to show up as well. Evenings don’t work the same way - people STAY in the park. And we like to go to bed early so we aren’t outlasting anyone. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/51 "2010-12-29T05:02:59Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > For Orlando Disney, I only recall single rider lines for Everest at Animal Kingdom and Rock and Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios, Universal had a few more rides, as did California Adventure at Disneyland. Test Track has a single rider line, as well. It’s WAY shorter than the normal line and, with that ride, is almost necessary. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/52 "2010-12-29T06:23:42Z")
Ah, yes, Test Track, I thought I might be forgetting one. I’ll blame the omission on the fact that it was the Food and Wine Festival when I was last at Epcot 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Blisters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Blisters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blisters)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/53 "2010-12-29T06:50:17Z")
I know a couple people already said this, but it bears repeating (I think) Do not try and do everything _together_. Meet up a couple times a day for meals or swimming or the Jedi Training Academy or (?) and avoid spending a huge chunk of the day looking at the map and trying to decide, in a large group, what should be done next. As much as I love my brother’s family, and my in laws, it can be very tiresome to go with them. I explained to my husband the last time that there can be only one MFIC on an outing like this…I don’t care if it is him or me or us asking The Boy what he wants to do…but at some point someone just needs to say “Let’s go do Pirates” and let people follow, or go visit Princesses, if that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/54 "2010-12-29T17:44:29Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > I hear the renovated rooms are awesome. We got taken into one, and yes, they are very nice. We’re having another meeting there later in January, and we’ll see where we get put. We’re paying this time - but not that much. The interesting thing is that the Disney people are very, very concerned with appearances, and were quite worried that when people drove up their first impression of the hotel would not be up to Disney standards. I’ve heard from a lot of hotel and Convention and Visitors Bureau people, but the Disney people were far more concerned with customer impressions than anyone else. The Times article said that Disney knows they can only grow if people come back, and they certainly act that way. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/55 "2010-12-29T17:51:16Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > How pathetic and/or creepy is it for a fat, middle aged guy to go to a Disney theme park alone? During the Food & Wine Festival, Epcot is almost wholly populated by fat, 20-40 year old people Drinking Around the World. It’s a bucket list experience. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257/56 "2010-12-30T12:55:17Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > It appears that negotiations have broken down among the various members of the theoretical vacation party. Too many people can’t reach an agreement over which park to see, when to go or how long to stay. I’m tired of the bickering and I’m washing my hands of the lot of them. Count your lucky stars. Can you imagine an entire week of trying to come to a consensus of what to do that day? IMO, the only way a group activity such as this can work is if there is ONE leader: “We’re going to DisneyWorld the week of March 15th. If anyone wants to join us, we’ll be staying at the Animal Lodge.” Then people can opt in or out, no negotiation, and it’s clear to everyone who the leader is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planning-a-disney-vacation/565257.md?page=2)