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Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles
In another article I covered the Tangible things; those you can see, feel touch, and do, but here I will look at the more subtle things that go to make up all that is Walt Disney World. Intangibles are those things that are there, you know they are there, you experience them but they are not something you can physically touch. Let’s just take a look at a few of the intangibles that bring us Oldies back again and again!!
- CHEERFUL ATMOSPHERE - I guess us old folks are supposed to be grumpy by nature and perhaps some of us are. There is just something about being at Walt Disney World that brings out the best in us Oldies, makes us feel like kids again. I think a lot of it has to do with the tens of thousands (around 65,000) of Cast Members who seem to be terminally cheerful!! It’s difficult to be cranky when you are surrounded by that much good cheer and that many smiling faces. The photo above really demonstrates this well.
- EXEMPLARY SERVICE – Most folks think service might be a Tangible as opposed to an Intangible but I’m not just referring to the Cast Members who earn a living through service such as restaurant servers, Bell staff etc. The service I’m talking about is the Cast Member who has an assigned task and will interrupt that task to assist guests with something unrelated to what they do and do it like that is their only assigned task. You might notice I didn’t use the word job but rather said assigned task, I think all the Cast Members feel that their job is Exemplary Service and everything else is just an assigned task.
- AMBIANCE - Ambiance, as opposed to a cheerful atmosphere , is that which makes you feel comfortable in your surroundings because you are immersed in your situation and everything about it is just plain right!! Proper ambiance is achieved by intense attention to every detail to make sure it is appropriate for the situation you are in without you realizing it. This attention is obvious everywhere at Walt Disney World from the parks, to the resorts, to the restaurants etc, etc, etc. Thank you Imagineers!!
- NEEDS ARE MET – Many places that you might visit plan for guests without special needs and then make do for those guests who have needs over and above the ordinary. Let’s face it my more chronologically advanced pals, we make up a large portion of the special needs folks. Walt Disney World has made advanced preparations for those folks with virtually any type of requirement. All you need to do is inform a Cast Member of your needs and they will be met.
Intangibles are a bit difficult to describe just because they are the things that make a Walt Disney World experience what it is without being in your face. I try not to spend a lot of time searching them out on our visits, I just let them be there and provide that little extra that keeps this Senior coming back again and again. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
Related articles
- Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles (chipandco.com)
- Oldies But Goodies – Six Things Seniors MUST Do At Walt Disney World (chipandco.com)
Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles
As we get older we generally find that different things become important to us. When we were younger we looked forward to the thrill of riding the biggest, best, and most exciting attractions and some of us still do (me). But, when you reach a certain age (different for everyone), you find that the more subtle things that you may have passed by in the past become a bit more important in the overall enjoyment of your visit. Let’s look at a few of these things that we grow to love as we become Official Oldies!!!
- DINING - When we were a bit younger, dining might have been a burger and fries or some like fare when we were at Walt Disney World. I’ve found that table service dining serves a few purposes as opposed to just filling your tummy (and it does that too). First – with all of the truly fine restaurants at Walt Disney World you get to experience some delicious things that you just might not try at home. Second – it gives you a chance to chat with your traveling companions in a comfortable environment rather than on a bench or hard chair. Third – very important for us Oldies, it gives a chance to rest from the excitement of the day in air conditioned comfort.
- STAGE SHOWS - Many folks pass up the stage shows at Walt Disney World to ride the “thrill” rides and we may all have been guilty of that in the past. When you take the time to see these shows you might be surprised at how good they actually are. Shows range from the hokey Country Bear Jamboree to the absolutely spectacular Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba with virtually everything in between. They become a bigger part of our visits every year.
- GOLF - I’m not a golfer but many of my fellow Oldies border on the fanatical. Walt Disney World boasts several spectacular courses that beckon to golfers everywhere. It’s a great way to get outdoors for some relaxation and that’s a good thing.
- RESORT TIME - This is another item that becomes more important every year. Walt Disney World resorts are not just hotels/motels. They are spectacularly themed and meticulously maintained, most importantly there is one that will appeal to almost anyone. We no longer find that the resort is a place to shower and sleep but an experience to be explored and enjoyed along with all of the other equally important parts of your visit to Walt Disney World. Find the one you like and spend some time there.
- ROMANTIC ACTIVITIES - NO, not that kind!!! There are so many ways to find romance at Walt Disney World from a wonderful dinner at Victoria and Albert’s to one of the many available fireworks cruises. Spending some quiet time alone with the one you love is truly a wonderful thing. It may seem odd to many people that this would be included but it’s not difficult to become a reborn romantic at Walt Disney World!!
These are just some of the tangible things; things you can see, touch, feel, and do that bring us Oldies back to Walt Disney World again and again. I’m sure that as you advance in age you will find these things more and more appealing every time you visit. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
Related articles
- Oldies But Goodies – Six Things Seniors MUST Do At Walt Disney World (chipandco.com)
- Oldies But Goodies – Five Things Seniors Look For In A Resort (chipandco.com)
Why Do I Write For Disney Seniors?
Seniors see Walt Disney World differently from other age groups. I know this for a fact because in the last 21 years, going from early middle age to a bona fide senior, my perspective has changed tremendously. I write for my fellow Seniors to help them get the absolute most they can from their Walt Disney World visits.
We visit Walt Disney World in different ways as Seniors:
- As experienced regular visitors – This group knows what to expect and I don’t worry about them, I learn from them.
- Empty Nesters as first time visitors – I try to give these folks as much information as possible so they will be prepared for the size, scope, and complexity of the resort.
- Senior Group visitors – Seniors who visit in a group generally have an instigator (experienced visitor and psycho planner) who has stepped to the front and develops initial plans, If there is no such person in their group, I also try to give them as much information as possible.
- Multi Generational Group visitors – This group needs extra care so that they know what to expect at every turn and so that they don’t fall prey to the grandchildren begging them to go on rides where they may not belong for reasons of health.
Those are the major types of Senior visitors and I try to gear my posts to all of them at the same time. It is difficult but when in doubt I focus on the Multi Generational folks for safety reasons and the Empty Nesters so they can get all there is to get from a Walt Disney World visit. I also hope that folks traveling with Seniors read my stuff so they have an idea what Seniors face in the theme park environment.
I think my reasons for writing as I do are fairly straight forward, I love Walt Disney World and want all of my fellow Oldie pals to enjoy it as much as I do. I love to help my Senior friends, and yes, I am the instigator for groups of Seniors visiting together (including our visit with some pals in October). As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
P.S. Don’t forget to visit my Disney for Seniors Facebook Page!
Related articles
- Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles (chipandco.com)
- Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles (chipandco.com)
Disney World Quick Tips – Enhance Your Disney Memories, Theme Your Photos
Lots of folks shoot hundreds of pictures on each visit to Walt Disney World. I’m even worse because I rarely take less than 1500 – 2000 shots every time. Rather than just taking pictures for the sake of taking them try to have a theme for each trip and carry it through for the entire vacation. Don’t become obsessed with your theme though at the expense of some wonderful but unrelated shots. I’ll outline just a few themes for you to try:
- Since most folks travel as a family pick just one spot to have a family picture taken and take the same picture at the same spot on each and every vacation. This will let you see just how the kids have grown and how you and they have changed over the years. Just ask a passerby or a Cast Member to take the picture for you, I’ve never heard of anyone saying no that request. Make sure you pick a spot that will be there over the years such as Cinderella Castle or Spaceship Earth
- This may sound a bit bizarre, but, take pictures of signs! I’ve done that before and the results are always fun. You can break it down further by picking Attractions, Resorts, Restaurants, etc.
- Take pictures of Cast Members. Those folks are generally a bunch of HAMS and love to play around in front of the camera.
- Try to get as many photos of birds and animals as you can. Epcot is a very fertile location for this theme and Disney’s Animal Kingdom is absolutely the best.
- Make sure you get plenty of shots of each park Icon from different viewpoints.
- Try to get some interesting architectural shots like the one above. Walt Disney World is a treasure trove of incredible architecture.
- Last but certainly not least – Characters. This can be a bit time consuming but if you take the pictures during the time between the groups at meet and greets you can get some really good candid type stuff.
These are just a few of the themes you can try. Make it a part of your pre trip planning to discuss it with your family and pick the theme as a group and don’t limit yourselves to the ones I mentioned – be creative. The most important photo is, of course, the family shot because it will reward you with great memories year after year. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
The Disney Dining Plan vs. Paying Out Of Pocket
The answer to that question is quite simple – a resounding and uncompromising IT DEPENDS! Your choice depends on a lot of factors and varies from family to family:
- Do you eat a lot of sit down meals?
- Are you “fast food” (counter service) comfortable? – There are a lot of excellent counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World.
- Do you like “fine dining”?
- Are the kids (like most) burger and fries fans?
- How flexible is your budget?
- Do you like a cocktail or wine with your meals?
It seems like considering all of these questions would complicate things but it can actually help make the decision for you. There are many options you can choose from but there are also some things to be aware of. Disney considers anyone 10 years old or older to be an adult on the dining plans and everyone staying in your room, 3 years old and older, must be on the same dining plan. Here are options you can choose from along with links to Disney’s sites:
- The Dining Plans are : Quick Service Dining Plan, the standard Disney Dining Plan, the Deluxe Dining Plan, the Premium Dining Plan, and the Platinum Dining Plan. For those of you who enjoy wine with your meals there is an add on option for the basic and deluxe plans called the Wine and Dine Plan. The prices start at $37.26/adult and $12.77/child per night of your stay for the Quick Service Plan and go up from there. Here is an overview of the Disney Dining Plans along with the associated policies. There may or not be one that works for you but at least now you have all of the information in one place.
- Paying Out Of Pocket - Surprisingly, this can be more economical that the dining plans depending on your family’s dining patterns. Nobody is tied to anything and all of the choices are yours. This can be especially helpful if you have kids in the 3-4 year old range who don’t eat very much and often eat off of Mom or Dad’s plate (Disney is pretty flexible on this practice). At that age they must be on the same dining plan (if you choose that route) as Mom and Dad and often will not eat that much food.
- Tables In Wonderland – This is the option we almost always choose. In order to be a Tables In Wonderland (TIW) member you have to purchase at least one Annual Passport (AP) which limits you to a “room only” reservation and separate purchase of park tickets. Fear not though, it generally doesn’t cost more for your tickets (except for the AP) than if you purchased a package and AP holders are generally able to get significant room price discounts subject to them being offered (almost always except for peak periods) and somewhat limited availability. Tables In Wonderland discounts combined with AP discounts can be huge. At most table service restaurants, the TIW card entitles you to a 20% discount on your check for up to ten people on the same ticket including alcohol purchases. If you are a sit down type family your savings can be enormous!! A TIW membership costs $75 with an Annual Passport (it is available to Florida residents without an AP for $100).
It will pay for you to do the research and figure out exactly which options are most suitable for your group. Take a little time and use the internet to get the best deal for yourselves. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!
Ken
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