This is, after all, a "trip planning board", so it would seem logical to direct newbies here.
But we've all seen the threads from people saying, "I'm really scared," and asking, "Will my first trip be a nightmare, because of FP+?"
This could be the board that stokes excitement by sharing tips and tricks and planning advice, or it could be the board that kills it.
Would you send a newbie here?
A brand new, never-done-Disney newbie? Never, absolutely not. I'll explain in a moment.
However, someone who has maybe gone to Disney as a child but now is returning as an adult (i.e. someone who has a 'rough' idea of what Disney is/how it functions), maybe. But I would caution them highly about the negative few.
To explain why I do not recommend this board to a newbie;
In the (very) short time I have been here, I have seen a huge tide shift right before my eyes. The unveiling of FP+/MM+, and the
DAS card projects both created a madhouse amongst this place (DAS created far less waves than FP+ has, but it still counts) that has definitely turned
me off in terms of how I view this board and some of the specific users on here. I'm not naming names, or even hinting at persons, but the few that have made it a point to leap into any post, good or bad about something in the parks, and turn it into a bash/snark/snide remark fest has gotten old and overdone.
To someone who has never considered Disney until, say last night, I couldn't point them to these boards knowing they wouldn't get off the computer, grab a bottle of wine, and start chugging for dear life. All because someone(s) would bash them about with 'You paid THAT much for a night in WHERE?' or 'You're not REALLY going to use THAT method of touring, are you?' or the simple 'If you're not getting there at RD you're not getting your money worth. I figured it out for you, it comes out to ____ per hour, so waiting in line for ANYTHING past five seconds isn't worth the money.'
I've only been to WDW four times now, my first trip in May 2012, last (current) trip was February 2014. Out of those four times, one trip was miserable, two were so-so, and one was flat out magical. Guess which one was the magical one? The one where I didn't do what people said on here (for some part), the one where I didn't run around just to do everything because I didn't know if I would be coming back. Am I a seasoned vet? Heck no, not even close! Do I have a rough idea of what I'm doing for the most part? Yes, I'd like to believe so. Can I continue to learn more? Absolutely, who can't?! But that doesn't mean I drink the kool-aid of this board and spout it back verbatim, and I'm afraid a newbie who didn't know better would do just that, and end up with heartache in the end of their trip.
The boards were smaller then.
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