How do you come to terms with the fact that you just can't do it all!

[itchin2go]

Off topic - Enjoy staying at an Epcot area resort. Strolling into Epcot at night for dinner was such a perk. I love that resort area.

 

[DaniMoon]

Everyone has the right idea and given you great advice. Know you can't do it all. Last trip, anything other than our FP and ADRs were bonus, I didn't know how my kids would hold up, so we just went at their pace, followed their lead and it was our best Disney vacation out of nine. Looking forward to doing the same this coming trip. Looking forward to Fantasmic, since it was one of the things we didn't do last trip because my little guy didn't cope well with late nights, I know one or two this trip will most likely be the limit, but there's always next time for Illuminations.

 

[Planogirl]

It's a matter of personal taste. For example we would never miss miniature golf. (I recommend Winter Summerland.) I would rather give up a few meals of part of a park day but that's just us.

You have to decide what means the most to you and take it from there.

 

[Flight]

After just completing a visit to Walt Disney World, I am already planning the next trip and what we will accomplish.

 

[DLBDS]

Food is my weakness as well. It's so frustrating to limit the places you can eat at. So, we decide our favorites we want to go back to and decide on some new ones to try. We're trying 4 new ones in July... Spice Road Table, Sanaa, San Angel Inn and BOG (breakfast). We're returning to... Boma, Artist Point, 'Ohana, The Wave (breakfast), BOG (lunch) and Raglan Road. I can't tell you how often I look at these trying to decide which one I can skip to fit something else in. So far, I've kept them all as-is. It really is a pretty good selection. (This is what I keep telling myself.)

 

[ZoZo]

Thanks everyone! I know that there is a reason that these things have been left off this trip...they just aren't as important as other things. Or I don't think they are worth the travel time (i.e. Hoop Dee Doo). Or I think we can do that at home (i.e. miniature golf, water park)

But because we are so close to DLR and have been so many times and will most likely return there sooner than we would get back to WDW, I am wondering if I should shorten our MK time (skip Small World, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, etc. etc.) to do things that are more special to WDW. That is where I am questioning things. And I don't really think I'll know that answer until we are there.

I think your strategy of skipping the things you can do at Disneyland is a great one! Then you can concentrate on the WDW-specific things. And also the idea of skipping things you can do at home (mini golf, waterpark) is good too. Downtown Disney is pretty much just shopping an restaurants, and the construction hassle is such a pain! We didn't even go to DTD on our last trip.

If you find things you can easily skip, then you won't run yourself ragged trying to "do it all"!

 

[Minniesgal]

Lol this is why we bought DVC

Now we slow down as we always know we will be back even if we don't know when.

No pressure to do everything on fact we are planning a resort trip next time

 

[fla4fun]

I have been going to WDW since it opened and I STILL haven't done it all! There's no way anyone can do it all in one trip. So don't set yourself up to be stressed out over it. Pick the things that are the most important to your family, and be sure to get those in. Then just fit in what you can around that. I agree that some of the best memories of WDW trips are the spontaneous, unplanned, magical things that just happened all on their own.

 

[Nancyg56]

You come to terms with this by accepting you will be planning future trips! Lots of them cause your gonna to want to go back again and again.
Start making your list of must dos for those future trips and cross them off as you do them.

I agree. My daughter had to pont this out when I was planning our first big trip back since my own children were little. SHe watched me plan, strategize, and stress. Finally asked me if I realized there was no way to manage all I was trying to do and told me to just stop the planning, it would all fall into place. My poor husband would leave in te morning, and know I was glued to the DIS, and come home to see me perched there still. He was sick that I was placing so much responsibility on our little Kady, what if she hated the whole thing and just wanted to swim?

Holy Free!!!!!! I let it all go, tossed out my meal planning sheets that itemized how to max out the DDP, the touring sites that had us flying from one attraction to the next, and what a relief.

make your ADR's and then prioitize what your family "Must Do's are. Get familiar with teh layout of each park so you can navigate from one area to the next, and then just have fun! You will get a lot done, and will not miss what you did not.

Believe me, you don't even want to try and do everything. Lol, Nothing worse than having tired cranky folks on vacation. We actually enjoy having down days

Truer words were never spoken. WE have seen so many families who are exhausted but still getting it all done! yep..that park exit is enlightening to say the least.....

Thank you for this!! I need to remember this myself. We are planning a trip this fall and then think we'll go back in 3 years. Even my 7yo will say to me, "well, if we can't do it this time, we'll go next time" (though i don't think he realizes how long 3 years is!!). There have been things I've had to let go of for this trip - Discovery Cove being a big one.
I just read a blog post that said a Disney trip is about having fun and making memories, not riding every ride or eating every special snack. I'm going to try to make that my mantra, we'll see how it goes!

WE let DC go too, and still have not gotten it in. We will, but so far, it is not something we missed. You have time, so make your memories. I remember our first MK day like itwas yesterday. I had booked lunch in teh Castle, and our precious Kady was all dolled u in her CInderella gown. The barbershop was still dressing hair back then, so we got in line and waiterd he turn, the rest of teh family wandering through the gift shops. bak and forth till she was ready. W e must have been "that" family. You know the one....wanderinging around waste of a park pass people who don't accomplish anything...family. It was and still is our best park day! We had the most magical time, one attraction....the Carousel, one meal CRT, one parade, and my lovely granddaughter crouching in front of a dresser to see Tink. My normally frugal husband told me that if that was all we did the entire trip, it was worth every penny.

 

[kmoore7]

First family trip-MIL plus 4 kids- no plans in advance,had a blast.

Next trip- MNSSHP with now 5 children- had found this site. Boy,what a different experience. Rent DVC points? Who knew. Plan your park days? What? We got much more done. Not everything, but more than first trip.

05 now. Still didn't do all that we wanted. But, now we are hooked. Plan on going back again and again. That makes it easier to deal with what we didn't do.

09 trip is a little more stressful. Too much information? Possibly. Must....stick....to....the...plan. had fun but was way too stressed. Too concerned with what we were missing.

July 4th in WDW. FP+ and all that good stuff. Still didn't get it all in. But, even with all the craziness of MK on the fourth, we had a blast. Probably the best family vacation yet. Didn't worry about what we didn't do. Focused on what we were doing instead and loved every minute of it.

We are now deciding if we want to go at Christmas time for our next trip. Lots to discuss and research to figure that out. But hey, that's why the DIS is here, right?

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I thought I had our trip all planned out in my mind...8 nights, 7 days, staying at an Epcot resort, 2.5 MK, 2 EP, 1 AK, 1 HS, no hoppers, one morning off to spend at the pool/resort, restaurants decided on for dinner ADRs.

But the more that I plan and research, the more I want to do! Mostly involving food!

I feel like we will get in all of the rides, shows and attractions that we want to see in each park. But there are other things that I just can't seem to fit in...

• a dinner show like Hoop Dee Doo
• campfire and movie night at a resort
• seeing Wishes from California Grill
• eating at a monorail resort and riding the monorail around
• a water park (unless we give up our resort morning...but I feel like that defeats the purpose of having a rest-morning after Wishes)
• miniature golf
• downtown disney
• many restaurants...too many choices, not enough meals

My mind KNOWS that we can't do it all and to just focus, make a decision and enjoy. But my heart WANTS to experience everything!

I've been to Disney more times than I can count. My parents never liked to fly (my sister and I eased them into it, eventually) and we used to drive everywhere. This meant that our furthest trip was to Disney. We did it almost ever 3-4 years and now that my sister and I can pay our own way, we go once a year - FOR CHRISTMAS.

Xmas is the most packed time of the year, so we go in with the mindset that we can't see and do everything. It's tough for you with a youngin'. Eventually when your daughter doesn't have to get to bed early it will be easier. It's easy for us - we're in our 20s and 30s. Sometimes we have to put my parents to sleep at the resort ... and my sister and I will do late-night EMH.

Here's the deal - you won't see and do EVERYTHING.. but with 8 nights, 7 days, you can come pretty close.

No hoppers is tough, but if you're not going during a very crowded time, you can get away with it. If it is crowded, hoppers serve as an "insurance policy" for us. If we head to Magic Kingdom and it's crazy crowded, we can "hop" over to EPCOT for the day. But it's not for everyone and honestly, like I said, if it's not supposed to be packed - you don't need em.

I'd start by making a list of your must-see and must-do attractions. Would you rather accomplish almost everything in Disney and miss one of your must-do attractions, or see all your must-do attractions and miss out on something you don't care about as much? Focus on the must-dos first, and then build out the rest of your plans.

For example - don't look at Magic Kingdom and say "how can we tackle all of Adventureland before lunch?" Look at Magic Kingdom and say "how can we accomplish Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain in one day. Okay, now how will we fill in the time in between?" You're going to MK for 2.5 days. I'd spend one day hitting the big rides. Arrive early in the morning - especially if there's morning EMH. Set up a FP+ for Thunder Mountain, 7DMT and Splash Mountain. When you arrive for morning EMH, head directly to Space Mountain. Fill in the rest of the day with rides according to wait time. Your second day at MK will be anything you didn't hit on the first day, as well as repeats. I'd make the last .5 day all about the parades and wishes. Head to MK for nighttime and see the parade and wishes. Stop at the confectionary for a cookie or grab a dole whip and enjoy your last view of the castle.

- seeing Wishes from California Grill
I know you said you'd like to see Cali Grill from Contemp. That's fine - I'd still recommend checking it out from Main Street. Cali is amazing, but nothing beats the view from Main Street!

- eating at a monorail resort and riding the monorail around
Cali Grill is in Contemporary - a monorail resort. If you'd like to go somewhere else, I'd say hitting up a quick service, such as Capt. Cook's. This will give you a chance to see the resort, eat there, and it won't take as long as a TS. You're staying at an EPCOT resort, so you're going to ride the monorail a lot on your way to and from MK.

- a water park (unless we give up our resort morning...but I feel like that defeats the purpose of having a rest-morning after Wishes)
We go during December, so we never have this problem. The water parks are cool, but I could do without them. Spend the morning relaxing at the resort's pool. Trust me - you'll need a morning off.

As for the rest...

Spend one day in EPCOT going on the rides and exploring a bit. Spend the second day eating around the world. This will give you a great chance to try some food! Your close proximity to the park allows you to leave in the afternoon and relax at the resort for a while. You could always leave between 2pm and 4pm and return around 5pm for dinner. Or eat dinner at the resort and then head back to EPCOT.

DHS, sadly, is a one-day park. Get your FP+ for Tower of Terror and RnR OR Toy Story. Whichever you choose between Toy Story and RnR, arrive at DHS for morning EMH or rope drop and head directly to the other. By lunch, you can easily accomplish the big three rides.

AK is also great, but can be done in one day. Arrive early. I'd make a FP+ for Expedition Everest, the Khali River Rapids and the Safari. Use the rest of the day to see the animals and explore and appreciate the park and its theming.

 

[Nancyg56]

I agree that given a choice between Wishes on Main Street and Wishes from any restaurant.....go for Main Street. If you want a nice dinner during Wishes, and CG is taken, Narcooses is a great choice. The food is delicious, the location is awesome, you can watch teh show from teh front porch, and you get to explore the Grand Floridian.

 

[SFMommy]

- seeing Wishes from California Grill
I know you said you'd like to see Cali Grill from Contemp. That's fine - I'd still recommend checking it out from Main Street. Cali is amazing, but nothing beats the view from Main Street!

We already have an MK night planned to see MSEP and Wishes from inside the park. Cali Grill was just another wish-list-no-time item!

- eating at a monorail resort and riding the monorail around
Cali Grill is in Contemporary - a monorail resort. If you'd like to go somewhere else, I'd say hitting up a quick service, such as Capt. Cook's. This will give you a chance to see the resort, eat there, and it won't take as long as a TS. You're staying at an EPCOT resort, so you're going to ride the monorail a lot on your way to and from MK.

I will be taking the monorail a lot staying at an Epcot resort??? We've never been to WDW, so maybe I am confused. I thought that we would walk to Epcot and HS. But on our MK and AK days we will be taking a bus. Isn't the only way to get on the monorail from Epcot, to go through the front gates? So we would have to have hopper tickets, walk through Epcot and then take the monorail to MK? Which we are not planning on doing. Am I wrong in this?

 

[MatzoBelle]

Didn't worry about what we didn't do. Focused on what we were doing instead and loved every minute of it.

This is the key, I think. We all share your predicament, OP. I would recommend that you focus on maximizing each day's enjoyment rather than checking items off your wish list. Does each day sound fun and fulfilling, or are some days' schedules a race to finish tasks? Building in free time (for rest and spontaneity), not focusing on what you AREN'T doing (which increases unhappiness), and scheduling some fun activities and meals each day will make for a great trip. Knowing you'll need to return is an awesome consolation.

 

[dkrauss]

To me the beauty of WDW is really the "inability" to do it all.........in ONE visit There is such an enormous amount to do at WDW you could never do it all...............and live ...in 1 visit. Nor should anyone try IMHO.

What we do is pick 1 or 2 "big" things we'd like to do for each visit.........notice I said for "each" visit. We're Disney Geeks.........love it there. Our usual trip length is 5 days/4 nights, shorter than most so we don't get overwhelmed in planning or touring (its our way.........works for us..........may not for all). On our first trips I planned an ADR for every meal............by the end of the trip.........we were worn out visiting different TS restaurants. We went to a DIS meet last year and heard Kathy tell a story of how she had a customer want an ADR for every meal for an 8 day stay............she said you're going to spend all your time in restaurant's! Ya know she was right...........for our next trip we cut back on TS ADR's and we found we had more time in the parks.............whoda thunk it!

For our Sept trip we choose 3 (ya one more than I suggested.......). We had an ADR for CG and watched Wishes from the 14th floor of the Contemporary......AWESOME both the food and the fireworks. Second, we did the Segway tour at Ft. Wilderness..............we stayed at the WL so it was close and it was a break in the morning from the hustle of the parks..........tons of fun!!! Finally, we did MNSSHP.......we went all out.........dressed up (my wife as Malificent.........and me as Darth Goofy). This was a first WDW party and it was so much fun...........the parade........the fireworks. But the best part was meeting the "7 Dwarves".........yeah we met them all!!!!!

All of that was spread over 5 days..............yeah there was other stuff but those 3 were the highlights..........now there's still things we like to do.............would love to see the tunnels under the MK.......haven't seen Disney Springs.............and have yet to do Hoop Dee Dooo Review.........all on the bucket list...........all reasons to go back!!

Your plan is ok.........but it could never cover it all...............take your time and look up.........smell the air on Main Street...........look at the flowers in Epcot................checkout the carvings in the Tree of Life. Those are the treasures of WDW. And when you get back..................start planning your next trip

Doug

 

[rwdavis2]

If you have to make choices then I would put food near the bottom of the list. Most restaurants' food is average at best.

 

[JCornell]

I feel this way about most any new place. Even some old places. Just a matter of focus and priorities. Though, it can be difficult at times to choose. I wanted to see HDD for years before we finally booked it.

I am sure you have some awesome plans and will enjoy your trip regardless. If possible and if you did enjoy your visit, maybe you can return to do those other things.

We have APs and have had them a few times over the years and live close enough for a day visit--and we still haven't done everything. In some cases, we missed activities entirely as they were retired or closed before we had the chance to enjoy them. I never did make it to River Country or Discovery Island.

I agree with the general consensus here. Prioritize and plan to come back. We try to do a couple new things each trip. For instance, we have been repeating some of our favorite restaurants so this time we're doing many new ones instead. Who knows, maybe we'll find a few more favorites. And if not, hey we tried something new. Speaking of HDD, we're actually going over to FW for our first time ever and this will be our 11th time with the kids. We're just going to do Trail's End and explore a little. There are still some resorts we've never visited, restaurants we haven't tried, one water park we haven't done, and just when we've tried a lot, there are always new things to explore. This time we'll be able to see the new Poly lobby and go to Trader Sam's.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Set aside enough to make this trip relaxing and pleasant. Then on the way home or after the trip at home you can talk and make plans about the things you are going to do next time and those you loved and want to do again. It is another level of fun after vacation is over.

 

[kaybird]

I find the key to a great trip is focusing and ENJOYING what you ARE able to do. If you spend your time fretting, that is what leads to disappointment. We have great trips because we enjoy being together, and when all is said and done, we are at WDW!!!

 

[Nancyg56]

We already have an MK night planned to see MSEP and Wishes from inside the park. Cali Grill was just another wish-list-no-time item!



I will be taking the monorail a lot staying at an Epcot resort??? We've never been to WDW, so maybe I am confused. I thought that we would walk to Epcot and HS. But on our MK and AK days we will be taking a bus. Isn't the only way to get on the monorail from Epcot, to go through the front gates? So we would have to have hopper tickets, walk through Epcot and then take the monorail to MK? Which we are not planning on doing. Am I wrong in this?

I always took the bus from the BC to Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom. I walked to Epcot, and my family liked to take the boats to DHS. WE love the boats! LOL! What you can do, and what is fun, IMO, is if you are heading towards MK anyway, take the Monorail and get off at the Ticket and Transportation Center, hop onto the Epcot monorail and enjoy the ride! This takes time, but IMO, it is a nice way to get a bit of a glimpse of Epcot from another vantage point. We are monorail freaks though, so we do tend to ride it on our first day just to soak it all in.