Are You a Lone Trip Planner?

[MouseEarsForAll]

Do you get help from your family, let them do it themselves, or do you take it on yourself?

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

I will say that I get input from my family by asking what they want to do, where to eat, stay, etc.

But then I happily do the planning. They don't even want to hear about it after the initial decision to go because I tend to get a little obsessive about my planning.....

 

[AdWayInc]

What I say goes.... its just me and the DH.... you know the saying... Happy wife ~ Happy life. Actually he is happy as long as we go to his favorite restaurants!

 

[Meetmeinmontauk]

I'm by myself. DBF is tired of hearing about Disney... especially since the trip is over a year away . He loves Disney, but he leaves the planning to me.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I usually do most of the planning. My bf doesn't like Disney (he's never been) and gets bored when I talk about it too much. I'm going with a first-timer (a friend of mine) this year, and my dd who is 11 and hasn't been to WDW since she was 3. In other words, the planning is up to me.

 

[kathy884]

Wasn't sure how to respond. I'm the family / extended family travel agent for an extended family group who love to travel together. I gather preferences and book and plan parks for the whole group. My brother and my mom in particular help make lots of the decision, and I draft the overall trip intinary that people can follow or do their own thing.

 

[pigletto]

Kids and hubby love the trips but happily let me plan it all. They suggest a restaurant or two, and help make a resort choice once it's narrowed down, but that's about it.
I swear I could say.. "Hey guys, we're going to walk to Disney, eat bread and water and sleep in the parking lot" and they would say "Yay! Disney trip!"

 

[gr8leg8]

There is something wrong with my child
she won't talk Disney with me.

sigh...

Oh yeah, that's right
she just looks like me
but inside - she's all her Daddy.

In a pinch
I call my neice
She's always up for Disney talk.

 

[luvbeinamom]

I will say that I get input from my family by asking what they want to do, where to eat, stay, etc.

But then I happily do the planning. They don't even want to hear about it after the initial decision to go because I tend to get a little obsessive about my planning.....

Ditto!

 

[kerplop]

I plan almost everything myself because the people I travel with are totally and frustratingly indecisive. The only things I ask for input into are meals and travel times and occasionally where we stay.

 

[LucyBC80]

I've been the sole planner of all our family trips since I can remember. My mom is happy to just nod and go along for the ride. Of course, I do ask her if she would like to do something special and I list the options for her.

For example, we decided together on both ADRs for our EPCOT visits, I read the menu of all the restaurants we were interested in visiting and then she gave her input. I had to convince her about Biergarten because she was aware of the food, but since I really wanted to try that restaurant she agreed to at least try it once!

 

[jedi jen]

I am pretty much on my own. My family loves to go, but they let me do the planning. I ask them what they want to do, and they give me some feedback. I will talk about it and plan with anyone who will participate. They aren't into the planning as much as me, but they definitely appreciate the planning of rope drop, sequence of rides to avoid long lines, and the ADRs (especially the meals). I love the planning so if it is only me, I don't care.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I do plan most of the trip myself but DH does get somewhat involved. He likes to help me with ADRs and what days we should make them for (I'm a lucky girl). My kids, who are getting old enough, are starting to help out too. They love looking at photos of different things that we haven't done yet, looking at food menus, and photos of resorts. They give their 2 cents which I will take into an account .

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I get input from DH and the kids as to where they want to eat and sometimes I let them weigh in on the resort but I do all the booking and planning. I also pick the parks days.

 

[alex9179]

DH and I decided on the budget together, then I've done all the research myself. I do ask him what he thinks about choices now and then so that he feels involved and I've shared some of the neat things we can do, but I've pretty much planned it all.
Honestly, he will appreciate the fact that we don't have to THINK about anything while we're there. My family has no idea how much work I've done to try to make this an easy-going vacation for them!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I happily do all of the planning by myself! I do talk about Disney with them and find out what is important to them, but I really already know. Hey, no complaints so far!!

 

[shannonstar]

I do all the research and set up a general plan. Then I get input from my husband and son.
For example, my son thinks that Thanksgiving Day in the parks will be crowded, so he wants to do early time and then spend the rest of the day resort hopping for penny presses. I can make time for that.
Husband doesn't input much beyond: don't plan for a time when it's hot outside, make sure we eat at the following, and if you plan to do EMH until 3am at MK I will be sleeping while you 2 go do that.

 

[kadesha]

I plan by myself. I ask DH what restuarants he wants to eat at (6 months ahead of time) and he acts annoyed. But he sure does enjoy the planning when we get there!

 

[Eric in TX]

I get input from everyone as far as restaurants they'd like to try or what "must see" things are on their lists.....

But then I take it from there. I don't mind doing all the legwork - especially since I wouldn't trust any of them to do it right anyway!


"Hello, my name is Eric, and I'm a Disney planning addict."

 

[Scubee]

Like others have said, I get input. I usually ask the kiddos if they want to eat at a restaurant we've been to before. The DW and I talk about where to stay, new restaurants we might want to try, dates of travel, # of days in the parks, etc.

After that, I'm on my own to book the airline, rental car, resort, tickets, dining ressies, or any other ressies. I sort of like it that way. I pour over airline and rental car web sites (and forums) for the deals, populate a few spreadsheets (the DW wants none of that!), and handle all of "the details." I know some folks talk about time spent versus money saved, but I enjoy planning the trip and usually do my planning in the late evening after the kiddos are asleep.

The family is happy to be informed when all is set.