How detailed do YOU plan??

[Tinkalink]

We planned our dates, got our ressies,flight times and DDP.
Phoned in our ADRs for full sevice meals for each of our dates. We based our ADRs based on advice, book reviews (Unofficial Guide and Fodors) and menus.
DH attacked it like a football game plan. I saw the ADRs as a good way to get us to see different areas of WDW - either in the vicinity or inside a park. DH and I like different style rides, he always planned for 2 - 3 "must" rides and the rest of the time rode with me and my DDs
Then we decided how that evening would be spent: In a park, around an activity or as a romantic interlude with the kids being babysat. (The romantic interlude was a MUST- I need mommytime!). If our ADR was for breakfast, we would start out the day in that park.
After reading the books and ALOT of friends' advice, our plan was simple:
Get there early,take a midafternoon break back at the resort, go out to dinner and hit the parks or the activities. While we did vary from our plan, it worked out great!

 

[dawnball]

Our next extended family trip (DD and I, my sister and her DD, our parents) starts May 2nd, which means everyone else starts traveling May 1st. They own a small tax/accounting practice, so they aren't thinking about anything but tax returns until after April 17th. That leaves them just under 2 weeks to get their lives back in order, pack and do any planning they want to do.

As a result, I'm the primary planner. I've picked a first choice and an alternate park for each day. I found a rental house, planned meals, done the shopping for specialty foods we'll want (we have a lot of restricted diets) and compiled lists of favorite/must-do/new attractions.

I type up a newsletter sort of thing that contains all the information they need to absorb before the trip or have handy during the trip- sort of a cliff notes touring book. It has things like:
directions to our rental house (and check-in information)
airport pickup/dropoff information
everyone's cell numbers
Primary and secondary parks with hours
Ticket information (what we have, what we need, what needs to be upgraded, where to do it, etc)
articles on the flower and garden festival and new attractions
For each day a little blurb with park choices, projected crowd levels, parade and show schedules, the plan for splitting up/getting back together, dining plans, etc
For each park a list of the attractions we'd really like to hit and directions/location for attractions that are new to us and suggested meeting places
Also for each park a list (with location/directions) of places to get the few foods that are both enjoyed by the kids and on the appropriate medical diet
There's a calendar with parks/park hours/dining on it

I also make up a similar newsletter to post in the kitchen of the rental house with menus, recipes and prep notes. That way whoever has volunteered to cook that night doesn't have to think too hard and anyone who wants to assist can easily see what needs to be done. I carry lunch/snack food into the parks for my DD due to her limited diet, so I have notes there about what to pack for her. When I'm ready to drop at night it's much easier to look at a list and throw it all into an insulated bag than it is to try to make decisions.

Then I do a set of note cards (one per park) that contain the information that will be useful to us in a park. On one side they have everyone's cell number and other useful phone numbers like Disney Dining, plus basic park hours/emh notes. On the other side they have notes like where to watch the parade, where to eat and don't miss attractions with some touring notes for new or new to us attractions.

It's kind of like a mini-passporter or what I envisioned TGM's AVP to be like when I first signed up - all the useful information tailored to our family's touring patterns. So I do a *lot* of planning, but not a lot of micro-managing of our touring.

 

[ktink]

Well we mostly go with the flow. I do plan our ADRs since we do DDP. And the only other thing is we know we want to go to evening EMH at MK and AK so we go w/ those parks on that day, since we don't park hop. We just wing everything else. We also let the kids have an input w/ some guidance on where we'll be going that day. We plan on enjoying the Polynesian this trip and having alot of resort downtime.

 

[MelanieC]

I plan what park I'll visit each day and where we will eat, but that is it. I do subscribe to Tour Guide Mike, but we do not follow any touring plans.

I do take care in picking what park we visit each day to minimize how full the park will be. It works great for us everytime.

 

[wakica]

Since we've been there twice we just have learned to sort of wing it. We wait til we get there and plan our days according to the weather. Sunny days for water parks and everything else fit in around it.

 

[stashf]

I plan for all my ADR's, parties and what parks what day - I have yet to use a touring guide but I do mentally make a list of things we must do or see and make those the priority - everything else is icing. I always keep it set in mind things dont always go as planned so you really have to account for that in your plans. I think the first trip I planned each minute to the tee and our last day I had planned on the CP at Epcot and they had the last show not open to the public and by the time we learned that the lineup for the one show that was available was CRAZY and we didnt get to do it! I was really disappointed about it! Now even though I schedule all meals (stay on site and celebrate 2 bdays there) and events I always leave a day or two slightly open for anything we may have missed or would like to do again. Even if that means an afternoon of swimming at the resort, I think you need to have some flexibility and not plan every single second because there will be disappointment! Of course my dh still thinks I plan tooo much..

Stacey who LOVES to plan...

 

[puffinp51]

We plan a few ADR's and have a general idea of which parks based on EMH but I like to leave it a little loose in case we get a hankering for a dole whip or creme brulee in France so we can hop right over and get it! Hmm . . . . it appears our stomachs rule Anways, I have a game plan but let the crowds, weather, and our moods alter it when needed. We've always had a blast!

 

[danitom]

i will respond to this on 4/8, at 11:27 AM as scheduled.

 

[danitom]

WOW! Thanks for all the replies...... we leave for our first Disney trip Friday (April13) I have done alot of RESEARCH but little PLANNING.......we have 4 kids DD16, DS14, DD12, and DD9. I have made a list of best parks/worst parks for each day using the UG and a few websites. We are ONLY eating CS meals so no biggie there. The kids have each picked their top 3 rides at each park so everyone is included (although they are PRETTYMUCH all the same) So, I think we will do OK......I just got the impression that people had this strict schedule.......like the touring plans 1) ride whatever 2) ride this next 3) go to the potty 4) I don't know.......anyway.....I was freaking a little....I am certainly NOT a planner but I do feel prepared. I feel like I know what we want to do.......I know the parade times....I know where to get "other show" times before we leave (like HSM pep rally time).......I am sure we will have a BLAST!!!!

 

[mmessler]

Oh see, I do PLENTY of research. In fact, I think I'm a research-a-holic. On everything. But planning, that's something I'm bad at. So, one or two ADRs, a very well detailed list of what's open when, what's closed when, and maybe some printed out menus of places we'd like to try if possible.

 

[PrincessNED]

i will respond to this on 4/8, at 11:27 AM as scheduled.

You're Late

 

[Wendy1953]

When going to Disney, how detailed do you plan your trip?? Do you have an actual list and order of rides to do?? Have you ever used any of the "touring plans"? Do you pland meals only?? Just curious.....

My DH actually makes up an itinerary for each trip. Each day we know which park(s) we are going to be at, and where we will be eating our TS meal for the day. Each person who is on the trip, receives a copy of the itinerary, and on it it gives cell phone #'s, EMH's, parade and firework times, recommendations for lunch places, and the dinner res. #!!!!Here's a sample of one of the days on our itinerary for our upcoming trip with friends and their three children:
Monday:
Magic Hours: AK 8-9am, MGM 7-10 pm
AK priority: Exp. Everest - Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade - Kali River Rapids - Kilimanjaro Safari - Primeval Whirl - dinosaur - flights of wonder
MGM Priority - tower of Terror - Rock n Roller Coaster - Muppet Vision 3d - Lights, Motors, Action
7:00 am - get to EE
12 ish - lunch QS - see recommendations at the end of page 3 (Alt. Tangerine Cafe - Morocco(just in case we finish everything in AK early, we'll head over to Epcot)
3 ish - positions for Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade - Parade begins 4pm
6:50 T - Dinner Mama Melrose MGM Res #))))000
Illuminations 9;Spectromagic 9; wishes 10

every day we are there it's planned out like this!

 

[Liltx]

We plan which park we will visit and our meals that require ADR's. We also plan when we will do fireworks/parades (night before a day off) because our kiddos are little (2 and 4) and can't do a late night followed by an early morning. We also plan any special activities like BBB, surf school, dive quest. We never plan which rides to go on. We mainly do parks in the mornings, then, pool and dinner in the evening unless we are going to a parade or such. Our plans always change some and we end up cancelling a few ADR's because we are tired or not hungry. I would call it a flexible schedule.

Monica

 

[Disney Doll]

We pretty much wing it these days. We own the DVC and get APs, so we go at least 2 or 3 times per year. Our philosophy is that if we don't see it this time, we'll see it next time.

We will look at the schedule of fireworks and parades once we get there, because if Wishes and Spectro are on when we're there, we like to see them. Other than that...it's "Wing It City" for us now.