About to explode with the stress of planning!

[newlittleminnie]

Ok so I may be over reacting a little but how do you cope with the stress of planning??!

I'm in the very early stages of planning a trip and I feel so overwhelmed with information and I have so many questions and seem to get different answers from every thread i read

Flights, resort decisions, how to book onto DME, using DME, using DME as an international visitor, buses from resorts to parks, where are the bus stops, how long do journeys take, mears shuttle or taxi to universal, dining or no dining, where to purchase tickets from....not to mention closer to the time there'll be EMH and working this around wanting to be in MK for valentines....

It just seems never ending, it will be our first trip without my DBF's parents and I'm more the planner of the two of us. I just want to make this trip as close to perfect as possible...

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest

 

[Bob1510a]

Generally the parks with the EMH (extra magic hours) are the busiest on any give day. Unless you plan to use the time, I would recommend to avoid that park.


Good luck on planning

 

[Bagheera23608]

First - BREATHE

Yes, there is a lot to look at. But - there is no such thing as perfect. No matter how you plan, something will NOT go according to it, lol. It's just Murphy's Law. RELAX.

My best advice, if you haven't already, is to check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It covers everything and unlike the internet (well, for me anyway) you can carry it with you everywhere and make notes in it, post-it note to death, etc.

This is one of the BEST sites on the internet for research, also. What resort to stay at? First, price, then what do you like? Romantic? Fun? Entertainment? I tend to pick price level then theme since most resorts offer the same ammenities.

EMHs - are you a morning person? Are you planning to stay in the parks all day? I think in Feb the hours will be shorter, so it is up to YOU if you want to take advantage of them or not.

If all else fails, contact a travel agent in your area who is well versed in WDW - it's not hard to find one! That's how I did my first trip and she was an awesome resource. Now, I can do it all pretty much on my own and I love all the details. If it's too much for you - contact the agent. This much stress is no fun.

Remember - nothing is EVER perfect. Relax, breathe, enjoy! :hugs:

 

[newlittleminnie]

Generally the parks with the EMH (extra magic hours) are the busiest on any give day. Unless you plan to use the time, I would recommend to avoid that park.


Good luck on planning

Thanks for the reply, we are planning to use EMH some of the time, although obviously on some days plans will clash and it won't be possible. Although I am not one for crowds we went in August this year and the crowds weren't too bad, so I'm not too worried about the crowd levels

 

[IllinoisMommy]

Take a deep breath and don't expect everything to be perfect. Once you decide, don't look back. There is always someone who will disagree with what you have chosen, and feel the need to share their awful experience with that resort/restaurant/activity. Don't overplan, leave time for the magic to happen. And when something doesn't go as planned- don't fall into the 'magic was ruined' trap. It is a vacation- how can it be ruined with one event

 

[newlittleminnie]

First - BREATHE

Yes, there is a lot to look at. But - there is no such thing as perfect. No matter how you plan, something will NOT go according to it, lol. It's just Murphy's Law. RELAX.

My best advice, if you haven't already, is to check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It covers everything and unlike the internet (well, for me anyway) you can carry it with you everywhere and make notes in it, post-it note to death, etc.

This is one of the BEST sites on the internet for research, also. What resort to stay at? First, price, then what do you like? Romantic? Fun? Entertainment? I tend to pick price level then theme since most resorts offer the same ammenities.

EMHs - are you a morning person? Are you planning to stay in the parks all day? I think in Feb the hours will be shorter, so it is up to YOU if you want to take advantage of them or not.

If all else fails, contact a travel agent in your area who is well versed in WDW - it's not hard to find one! That's how I did my first trip and she was an awesome resource. Now, I can do it all pretty much on my own and I love all the details. If it's too much for you - contact the agent. This much stress is no fun.

Remember - nothing is EVER perfect. Relax, breathe, enjoy! :hugs:

Thank you for that, just someone saying the word relax made me take a breath lol

I'm trying to get all my thought's in order by writing down all my questions/queries in a notebook which seems to be helping a little

Thank you for the advice :hugs:

 

[Nancyg56]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It can be overwhelming but it does not need to be. I read the unofficial Guide but I just pored over this website and asked questions. People will help!

 

[newlittleminnie]

Take a deep breath and don't expect everything to be perfect. Once you decide, don't look back. There is always someone who will disagree with what you have chosen, and feel the need to share their awful experience with that resort/restaurant/activity. Don't overplan, leave time for the magic to happen. And when something doesn't go as planned- don't fall into the 'magic was ruined' trap. It is a vacation- how can it be ruined with one event

Thank you, I learnt a long time ago that certain review sites seem to attract people who only want to complain (not mentioning names) although I did get a little worried by a post about someone discover a snake in their room at AoA

I'm hoping to not fall into the overplanning, I would like to have a rough idea of where to spend each day but I'm not the 'touring plan' type of person who has an order for which ride when etc

 

[newlittleminnie]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It can be overwhelming but it does not need to be. I read the unofficial Guide but I just pored over this website and asked questions. People will help!

I'm trying to get all my questions in order before I bombard people with them, otherwise i'd be on here every day asking a new question!

 

[Greenfield1984]

Get a couple planning books. Read em both through once. Then read em again quickly and take notes. Then plan your trip while consulting the books. The books go in order of your planning so it's easy to stay focused.

 

[nhtinkerbell]

sending u all kinds of happy thoughts. remember wether its ur first trip or u r a vetern it's always stressful. just keep telling urself its a vacation and try to relax.

 

[Micca]

The trip won't be perfect, but it'll be really, really good. Some of this stuff takes care of itself(like using Disney transport to navigate the property). Don't stress, planning can be one of the best parts of a WDW trip.

Relax, study the boards here at your own pace (don't miss the forum here for UK visitors) and take one thing at a time.

First thing is firm-up your travel dates as that's the single biggest variable.

 

[newlittleminnie]

sending u all kinds of happy thoughts. remember wether its ur first trip or u r a vetern it's always stressful. just keep telling urself its a vacation and try to relax.

Get a couple planning books. Read em both through once. Then read em again quickly and take notes. Then plan your trip while consulting the books. The books go in order of your planning so it's easy to stay focused.

Thank you I'm definitely going to invest some planning books, although then ill probably stress over which ones are best haha that's just the kind of person I am

 

[newlittleminnie]

The trip won't be perfect, but it'll be really, really good. Some of this stuff takes care of itself(like using Disney transport to navigate the property). Don't stress, planning can be one of the best parts of a WDW trip.

Relax, study the boards here at your own pace (don't miss the forum here for UK visitors) and take one thing at a time.

First thing is firm-up your travel dates as that's the single biggest variable.

I'll make sure to take a trip to the UK forum as I'm sure there's some questions that would be best answered answered by UK visitors :thumbsup: I think we're pretty much decided on dates but won't be booking for a bit until we see how prices change, we're flexible by a few days so that's almost the only worry I don't have haha

 

[Micca]

I'll make sure to take a trip to the UK forum as I'm sure there's some questions that would be best answered answered by UK visitors :thumbsup: I think we're pretty much decided on dates but won't be booking for a bit until we see how prices change, we're flexible by a few days so that's almost the only worry I don't have haha

The main issue with the dates is getting your resort locked-in. I'd book asap, if a deal comes up in the future, you can try re-booking with that rate. Resort availability is one of the few things they actually "run out of" at WDW. Also, once you have your dates really locked-in, you can start keeping an eye out for a reasonable airfare.

 

[Nancyg56]

Now that you are breathing normally again I also think that once you settle on your travel dates you can then start to make decisions. It is very difficult to actually begin planning until you know when your will be traveling and the length of time you want to stay.

I also hope that you don't stress over the Disney books. They are fun, not work. See, there is no wrong way to visit WDW. You just need to know your own family and then go from there. Since you understand how your family enjoys vacationing you can make your choices with them in mind.

I noticed that you are actually planning two trips and I believe that since you know you will be returning you can approach your vacation with a different attitude. It is impossible to do and see everything but that does not stop some families from trying to do just that. Because you know that you have another vacation coming up you can keep that in mind as you plan your stay.

Since you are traveling from the UK you may want to get comfortable on that forum. The folks there will have information in regards to discounts that may be applicable during your stay and some travel tips that you can use to make your planning easier.

Have FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fla4fun]

Don't stress! No matter how much planning you do and how much your worry about having the perfect trip - it won't be perfect. Nothing ever is! So you might as well relax a bit.

First come up with your budget. The budget sets the tone for the whole trip. It will tell you where you can stay, what you can eat, and what recreation or souvenirs you can enjoy.

Once the budget is set, spend some time on this site with the search function. Search anything that comes to mind - attractions, transportation, shopping, dining, etc. There is a wealth of information here to help you make decisions regarding your trip. Keep in mind though that for every good review you see about a restaurant, resort, or attraction, you will probably find 10 negative ones. It's just human nature to post when things go wrong, but not necessarily post when things go right. I've been going to WDW since 1971 and I haven't had a horrible trip yet! Some were better than others, but they were ALL good !

When choosing a resort or restaurant, think about what your family enjoys and what your family needs to have a great vacation. Every family is different, so what works for me won't necessarily be what works for you. That's ok - that's why it's good that there are so many different choices at WDW.

Keep your expectations realistic and understand that you won't be able to do everything - and you'll have a great time!

 

[QueenElinor]

Ok so I may be over reacting a little but how do you cope with the stress of planning??!

I'm in the very early stages of planning a trip and I feel so overwhelmed with information and I have so many questions and seem to get different answers from every thread i read

Flights, resort decisions, how to book onto DME, using DME, using DME as an international visitor, buses from resorts to parks, where are the bus stops, how long do journeys take, mears shuttle or taxi to universal, dining or no dining, where to purchase tickets from....not to mention closer to the time there'll be EMH and working this around wanting to be in MK for valentines....

It just seems never ending, it will be our first trip without my DBF's parents and I'm more the planner of the two of us. I just want to make this trip as close to perfect as possible...

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest

Don't focus on all that little stuff right now.
Get the big parts out of the way first- dates, room, dining, tickets. Flights maybe a little later depending on your market.
Then you can take a deep breath, relax and have fun learning about everything else, you will have plenty of time for that.