Are Some WDW Visitors Just Plain FOOLS?

[animalkingdomguy]

Our great country allows everyone the freedom of choice. Unfortunately, too often people choose to remain ignorant of all the delights of WDW. It's too bad they are missing some wonderful experiences.

[texasteacher]

Folks, I know some sort of political correctness says everyone is entitled to their opinion etc. etc. etc. but

On our last and previous trips to WDW we have struck up bus conversations with more than one family, bright shiny faces, happy excited children... how long are you here for?... a week ... 2 days left... then...

Have you been to EPCOT? No! Yuck! It's educational isn't it. I didn't take my kids outa school a week to go there myself! And isn't part of it foreign? That has no appeal to me at all.

and/or

Are you going to the Animal Kingdom? No! it's just some sort of zoo or something isn't it? Smelly animals. We've been to the zoo back home.

I gotta tell you, I like Dumbo and Corn Dogs as much as anybody but I always find unique and entertaining things for all ages and interests when I take family and friends to any of the Disney Parks.

Can a person who hasn't walked through the gate at EPCOT or AK or DHS know they won't like it? Is that an opinion or a guess?

Sometimes we feel tempted to reply with words like Natazu and Nemo and Soarin' and Dinosaur and Everest and Mulan and Belle but usually we just wait out the rest of the bus ride.

I guess these people go home and tell their friends WDW is a nice place but there's not enough to do there to stay a whole week...

These are the same people that have read a book by reading its cover.

[texasteacher]

I wish people would understand the magic of disney in all the parks! Every park has it not only MK, i promise!

Being a teacher, I can say that a lot of my students balk when they are asked to use their imaginations. They want instant fun. Anything else bores them.
Sounds like a lot of Disney guests are like that. I think to be a real WDW devotee (or fanatic as some might call us) you have to have a vivid imagination and curious mind and also have an ability to appreciate the beauty in simple things.
Walt Disney was that type of person, so I guess you could say that to really enjoy WDW the way it was meant to be enjoyed, we need to have a mind like Walt.

[brownie]

It really pays to research Disney World yourself and not just rely on feedback from friends.

[grumpyguy]

yup,fools....when i encounter a disney fool i always do my best to enpart some disney knowledge i have collected over my recent years of study which often leads to either enlightenment or frustration..
keep spreading the word

[BMan62]

yup,fools....when i encounter a disney fool i always do my best to enpart some disney knowledge i have collected over my recent years of study which often leads to either enlightenment or frustration..
keep spreading the word

As much as you may try to impart your knowledge upon others, they will do their best to refuse to gain that knowledge. Unfortunately, some of these people can become belligerent about it and you face the possibility of turning them against Disney as a whole. Those are the types of people my used to say would 'cut off their nose to spite their face.'

Hey, if they don't get it, it just means that many fewer in the 'other' (non-MK) parks when we go!!!

[Mrs Bus Driver]

It really pays to research Disney World yourself and not just rely on feedback from friends.

I couldn't agree more, why spend all that money on a vacation and not get your moneys worth.

Being a teacher, I can say that a lot of my students balk when they are asked to use their imaginations. They want instant fun. Anything else bores them.
Sounds like a lot of Disney guests are like that. I think to be a real WDW devotee (or fanatic as some might call us) you have to have a vivid imagination and curious mind and also have an ability to appreciate the beauty in simple things.
Walt Disney was that type of person, so I guess you could say that to really enjoy WDW the way it was meant to be enjoyed, we need to have a mind like Walt.

I can't tell you the amount of pleasure I get from researching my upcoming trips. The joy I have from pulling off a really great evening that includes dinner, a show and time at a park. I feel it is time well spent and a great way to relax.

[MOJoe]

I think to be a real WDW devotee (or fanatic as some might call us) you have to have a vivid imagination and curious mind and also have an ability to appreciate the beauty in simple things.
Walt Disney was that type of person, so I guess you could say that to really enjoy WDW the way it was meant to be enjoyed, we need to have a mind like Walt.

As someone who deals with the public in a service and retail environment, i can say that this type of person is outnumbered by "fools" by at least 20 to 1. And someone with the genius of Walt is 1 in a million.

Yeh, fools are everywhere. And there, but for the grace of God, goes I.
Somewhere there is a teacher i need to thank!

[Dulcee]

I wouldn't say they're fools but it is awfully sad when parents feel the need to display the educational and the foreign as something that can't be fun and enjoyable The beauty of World Showcase is its ability to allow us to understand even in a very small way other cultures we share the world with. Same goes with Animal Kingdom, we can't appreciate nature until we learn to respect it and AK really does teach respect for all living things.

Growing up our family vacations always included museums, educational tours, ect.. I think its given me my ability to be more accepting of differences then others my own age.

[drummerboy]

Being a teacher, I can say that a lot of my students balk when they are asked to use their imaginations. They want instant fun. Anything else bores them.
Sounds like a lot of Disney guests are like that. I think to be a real WDW devotee (or fanatic as some might call us) you have to have a vivid imagination and curious mind and also have an ability to appreciate the beauty in simple things.

You've hit my interpretation of it exactly. I think a key component in the ability to enjoy a WDW vacation is a healthy and vivid imagination.

[GrumpyFan]

Some good points have been made here, but I have to ask, who of us, weren't fools ourselves at some point? I know the first time I went to WDW I was pretty foolish, or at the least naive as I had very little idea of what was at WDW other than the Magic Kingdom. My eyes were soon opened, and once we experience it the first time, I wanted more, and began reading books, visiting web-sites and now listening to podcasts.

So, my point would be, give them some slack, maybe they're just first-timers, or maybe they're the type that this is their once in a lifetime vacation. They may never be back again. In the end, it's their loss, and our gain, as they won't be back anytime soon. So, yes, while it's sad for them, take pity on them, but enjoy their loss.

[Figment78]

I just have to add my . . . DH and I were two of the clueless when we went to WDW last year, not because we didn't do research, but because the guide books give a little written description of what each ride is, but no pictures. So as we were reading the descriptions, DH would say, "no, not that one, it sounds boring." so we wound up skipping a lot of things in all the parks (including all of tommorrowland in MK!) .

Well, I finally got DH to watch some of the disney shows that come on the travel channel AND the planning DVD a couple of weeks ago. Through it all, he kept asking "is that new? it wasn't there when we went. let's go on that when we take DS." And I kept telling him, "no, that's another one you vetoed when we went the first time." DH got very grumpy and said they need to put pictures of every attraction in the guide books for people like him who need to see a picture of a ride to decide if they want to go on it .

So, I am soaking up as much advice as I can here on intercot from all of you who know sooooo much more than I do. Thanks for the help, and we'll try not to be clueless in the future.

I LOVE the idea of actual ride photos in the guide books. That's one of the reasons I love researching online instead of using the books. I love reading them (I'm a bit obsessed) but the books available just do not do WDW justice!

And yes, Animal Kingdom is just another zoo (I can't stand animals) and although I love Expedition Everest, I can live without it.

If your zoo has a tree with a zillion animal images hand-carved into it and a ride like Dinosaur - count me as your next tourist visiting your town! I'm not a zoo person either, but I do think Animal Kingdom is pretty cool.

[Ryan Towle]

I've been to Epcot and the Animal Kingdom countless times before, and I can't stand Epcot. And AK really is just a zoo. I could see them being fools if they've never been before. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. But as for me, no thanks. It's funny because AK and Epcot just happen to be the two parks we're skipping on our next trip.

[GrumpyFan]

I LOVE the idea of actual ride photos in the guide books. That's one of the reasons I love researching online instead of using the books. I love reading them (I'm a bit obsessed) but the books available just do not do WDW justice!

Most guidebooks are very short on pictures, however, The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World is filled front to back with lots of great pictures. As is Birnbaum's, but they're a little short on their info.

If your zoo has a tree with a zillion animal images hand-carved into it and a ride like Dinosaur - count me as your next tourist visiting your town! I'm not a zoo person either, but I do think Animal Kingdom is pretty cool.

Not to mention 2 of the coolest stage shows in ANY park, Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo.

[j&j]

how can anyone not love disney but some not what a shame for them.

[Imagineer1981]

Look at it this way ... less people in line in front of us!

agreed!!!

[Mousemates]

By the way this kind of thing is not limited to WDW....back in the day (college)I used to work for the Gatlinburg PD as a traffic control officer during the summer and busy autumn season (for those not familiar with the area, Gatlinburg TN is the primary gateway city to the Great Smokies Mountains National Park. On more than one occasion while making conversation with tourists to pass the time (on days with light traffic) I would ask people if they enjoyed the park and what they had seen and i would get answers like "What park?" , "There's a park here, does it have good rides."

However, while thinking folks were a little on the dingy side for not understanding that the GSMNP is s why Gatlinburg exists (and thinking it odd to come to one of the prettiest places in the world and not want to get out and explore it), it made me realize that what I thought was "the best part of the area" wasn't viewed the same way as everyone else...you see the folks who came without knowing there was a national park (just a few) as well as those who knew about it but never entered it for the first time (more than you might think) were perfectly happy just ambling around Gatlinburg, shopping, eating in the restaurant, cruising mainstreet and swimming in the pools.

Everyone one isn't into the great outdoors (GSMNP), an americanized taste of the world (Epcot) or even Africa in central Florda (AKL)...but thats okay. They have to go someone on vacation and if they choose not to take it all in, thats okay too. To each his own.

[PixieMagic]

Although I completely agree with the original post (especially since I spend more time at EPCOT than any other park!), I see how some people may not enjoy EVERY park...but they should try them all.... Even though AK is not our fav - we still spend at least half a day there every trip because it is worth the experience

[GoBlueLacheta]

WDW goes so far beyond a typical amusement park, even ones with meticulous theming and excellent thrills ( BG Williamsburg). I don't think I would enjoy myself just going for one or two days. It has to be a well-planned ample timed experienced and I think most people miss out on the different dynamics within the World. I mean I know people who have gone over 3 times and have never been to Typhoon Lagoon.

The resorts, waterparks, DTD,food,recreation,and even transportation add elements that really should be taken advantage of.

As for the four major parks, they each add their own magic to the World. People are going have their favorites regardless. I personally enjoy all of them. I do think that Disney needs to add more attractions that have a re-ride aspect to them. Many of the attractions are great but only worth one or maybe visits throughout the week. I know since there is so much you barely have time for it all ,but I think a few more of these at each park would balance everything out and keep classic feel yet still supply newer generations who need more consistent thrills happy.

[javamama]

I look at it this way it's basically your own loss if your don't try something new with whatever it maybe in life. From the smallest thing to something major, new food, to learing to drive a car at any age. I'm the type who like to try things, I do like to get opinions from some who I consider a reliable source-like this site on certain subjects so I can make an informed decision, when making our WDW vacation every year.
Any I a fool because we didn't ride something or another--for me it was Soarin the last two years no, I had a baby/toddler who needed to nap--so my priority was my child. If I didn't take care of I was the bigger fool.
I think certain people who do certain things make foolish decisions, hopefully they learn from the past and have an open mind on future WDW visits.