Your Disney Knowledge Rubs Off On Others

[indytraveler]

Just was wondering if something like this has happened to you.

Your in a ride queue and you start talking about what your doing next, etc. Basically planning out your next 3-4 attractions that you'll visit. My kids are old enough to talk about past experiences and interject what has worked in the past and what hasn't. Even though we typically do the same rides in the same order (because it works for us) each and every time.

While your waiting in lines you keep seeing the same couple of families in line behind you. Sorry, I'm a people watcher. As the wait times get longer you say something to that young family who you've seen in line for the 4th straight ride, who is behind you yet again. I usually congratulate them on being like minded and maybe start up a conversation. As I do this they confess and say they have followed us from ride to ride because it sounded like we knew what we were doing.

Come to find out they're newbies and were intimidated by the size of the park and that we rescued them from wandering around. So my knowledge had rubbed off without me really knowing.

Is there anyone else who has had something like this happen?

[BigRedDad]

We try to make friends in line and start conversations. Since I never know where we are going next, I don't usually discuss that. We fly by the seat of our pants while there. We never know what fun thing we will see when we walk around a corner. The advantage we have is no need for a map. Not much has changed over the decades that you kind of know where everything is.

[ANG]

No, at least I don't think so haha. Most people we know won't make a single plan for Disney without talking with us first. Which I find hilarious. It's not like DH and I know all there is to know but I guess Disney can be very intimidating to newbies.

[tomatoe pie]

my children, grandchildren and i have been going to wow more than once a yr for many years and know our way around. but we always find something new that we had never seen(done) before.

the knowledge helps us plan our day, and if we chose to go different directions, we know where to meet up again.

if you don't know wdw its hard to know where to start and how to get in all the things you want to do. but some people want to have the adventure of running head first into the unknown.

every park is so large, not at all like disneyland.

members of my family recently made a trip to wdw for a week. i gave them some tips on places to eat when in certain areas of the parks. they did not want my information and were sure they could do better. as it was they ended up traveling from one park to the other just to eat at the same place every day even tho they did not like the food there. i ask them why and they said they did it because they did not know any other places to eat. ??????? some times it helps to listen to the veteran disney goers.
altho we enjoyed all those yrs of finding everything we now know. because we are dvc owners we knew we would have many yrs to learn all about wow.

[Mitzie]

DD and DH just roll their eyes everytime I start talking with complete stranges. I am not the least bit shy and will talk with anyone. I love talking with people and learning about them. The DD is 16 now and somewhat subconsious. Last April we were in the line for the behind the scenes tour at HS. CM's asked for volunteers for the pre-show( water exploding over a ship thing) I said why not and off I went, well they said for me to bring my family..DD quickly says.."Mom what have you gotten us into" It was priceless and a great memory.

[K8screen]

We took a party of 14 to 16 year olds to Disneyland Paris. Most of them knew I was a WDW veteran, so when we got there we arranged a meeting place for later in the day, and let them go off on their own in small groups. However, some of them chose to stay with me at first on the grounds that "you know EVERYTHING Disney!!" I taught them about fast pass, waiting times, which rides were worth the wait, etc etc etc, and eventually they went off to do the things that appealed to them. Later, the ones who had gone off on their own straight away were amazed by how much more the ones who did "Disney 101" with me first had seen and done.

[roses]

DD and DH just roll their eyes everytime I start talking with complete stranges. I am not the least bit shy and will talk with anyone. I love talking with people and learning about them. The DD is 16 now and somewhat subconsious. Last April we were in the line for the behind the scenes tour at HS. CM's asked for volunteers for the pre-show( water exploding over a ship thing) I said why not and off I went, well they said for me to bring my family..DD quickly says.."Mom what have you gotten us into" It was priceless and a great memory.

Can't wait to do this to DD


And I usually strike up conversations with random people in line, but I don't think I've had anyone follow us from ride to ride. A couple of times we've been at a couple of rides with the same people - but only by coincedence!

[Janmac]

We tend to do the same thing - hit our favorite rides first, while the lines are small. Like at DHS, we always send one person (me - I will not ride ToT) to Toy Story for FPs while the rest head for ToT. We meet up and do RnRC and then head for Toy Story as our FP window has arrived. Before the Star Tours rehab, we would then do whatever, now we head to Star Tours, as we're on a mission for more different ride parts. (So far we've had the Rebel Spy part 3 out of 4 times). Then we do whatever.

Same at MK and AK - we have our first thing must do attractions and then we go with the flow.

We do chat up folks we're in line with or on the bench with (ToT) and given advice - when asked. And we've seen other folks from lines later at lunch or at supper. But I've not noticed anyone following us around . . .

Jan

[Belle_0717]

While waiting to see Tiana & Naveen last week, we had a cast member (on her day off) behind us who was speaking with the little girl & her mom. I tried not to be nosy but I overheard a lot of her conversation to get pointers on the princesses & princes. She told that family to ask Flynn what was in his satchel. I appreciated the tip.

And to pay it forward, I spoke with a family on line behind us to see Merida - the children had never visited and mom hadn't been there in several years. Then a family on a bus to DTD struck up a conversation with me. It was a firsts visit for the grandson - first plane ride, first train ride, first bus ride and first cruise later that week. I was able to give them pointers.

My coworker is preparing to take her family tomorrow and she asked me a couple of questions (more like a thousand) but she was appreciative of all the info.

Through my 30 visits, I can only hope my experiences will help others.