Is It Just Me?

[Missytara]

My trips change from year to year, depending on my traveling companions or lack there of (solo trips are awesome).

I went with two families a few years ago and we didn't do park hoppers because they had young children and wanted to save money. They were only interested in doing the parks during the day and the pool at POR every night.

This year, I am taking a friend, her teenaged son and his friend; we thought it was well worth getting the PH's, since it was easier than trying to explain that they had to go back to the same park each day after dinner at a resort. Also, adding the option for the two of them for the water parks when we get down there for another $22.00 is so worth it.

Years I go solo, I don't do the dining plan; years I travel with friends on a budget, it is worth going with the dining plan so they have pre-paid for their meals and only have to worry about bringing a bit of spending money for tips, drinks, etc.

Next year I am going with three friends from work on the parks/cruise option. We opted out of getting dining for the parks, since all our meals on the cruise will be provided and they can afford to pay to eat out every night.

 

[pmaurer74]

We do the same thing except we are there at rope drop or close to it. It is essential for what we want to do ETWB, Merida, Tinker Bell, etc. I have an idea in my mind of what I want to do each day but for now we do not park hop, we make an ADR at the same park we are in. We stay until after lunch then go back for the pool and to relax and sometimes go back in the evenings but usually only for MK.

 

[gwmort]

I would guess you actually plan more than most people in any particular park each day.

You see a lot from a very vocal minority on here seeking advice on their commando plans, because they are so full of detail there is a lot to talk about. However I think very few guests are walking around with a minute by minute commando touring plan.

Knowing what park you're going to be in for a particular day and planninf far enough ahead to make ADR's in them is probably more than 50% of guests do.

There are the people who can't wrap their head around the need to plan for a theme park vacation, the people who choose not to plan, and the lifers who just no longer need to plan because they don't mind what they see or miss (they've seen it before or will again).

Our style matches yours, one exception is our DHS day, that is the one day of the week I insist we go to rope drop, get our TSMM passes and sign the kids up for JTA, but after that initial flurry of activity we are fairly unstructured the rest of the day. (although the return times for TSMM and JTA add some structure)

 

[AaronInWI]

I think this is a perfect example of how each person should plan a trip that works best for his/her family. We do things quite opposite of you, for the sole purpose of making our trip more relaxing for us. For instance:

1) We LOVE park hoppers. It makes us feel like we have more control over our trip. If we are at a park that is busy or that we just aren't "into" that day, we can simply hop to a different park. I'd get stressed if I felt like I was "trapped" at one park all day.

2) Making a bunch of ADR's ahead of time also seems more stressful to me. I don't like feeling that I have to be at a certain place, at a certain time, when I'm on vacation. So by doing mostly counter service meals, we can just go with the flow.

3) Ok, I'm 100% with you on this! We don't do rope drop either, but I'm also an early riser. (My wife, on the other hand, could sleep until noon.) I normally let my wife sleep until about 8:00. Then we shower, eat breakfast, and are typically at a park by 10:00.

4) Our last trip was our first with a car, and I can't imagine NOT having one now. We loved being in control of our travel. My least favorite memories of past Disney trips is waiting for a bus, then being crammed into a bus with a couple dozen sweaty, cranky guests who just want to get back to their rooms after a long hot day.

Like I said, each family needs to plan what makes sense for them. It sure sounds like you have!

 

[LSUfan4444]

I'm fairly new to these boards and absolutely loving all the information here! We're planning our 4th trip to DW in August of this year and can't wait!

But I feel like I'm totally alone in how I go about planning the trip. I read about everyone's detailed touring plans, being at rope drop, hopping park to park, staying until close, extra morning hours, extra evening hours, etc. We definitely try to fit a lot into our days there, but I have a very different planning strategy.

1) We do not do park hopper, never have. We start at one park and that's our park for the day. If we happen to finish a little early in the evening, it's back to the hotel pool to relax.

2) I make ADRs based on which park I think we'll be at that day. This ties in to #1. So in our case Monday is Animal Kingdom day, Tuesday is Epcot day, Wednesday is DHS, and so on. Restaurant ADRs match the park.

3) I just don't want to set alarms during vacation! Yes, we're naturally early risers and are usually up, had breakfast and on our way very early. But if we don't make rope drop, oh well. I refuse to put the pressure on that we have, have, have to be here at this time.

4) No car for us! Totally on Disney transportation! We are making one exception this year. My son wants to go to Legoland, so we'll rent a car one day only and go there for the day. Otherwise, no hassles of parking or driving!

To me, this makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable stay. We do get to do a lot, but no one feels super pressured. The idea of having one day/one park and knowing ahead what it will be and relying entirely on Disney transportation just appeals to my sense of order and organization. I feel the frenzy of so many others' plans and it just makes me tense thinking about it!

So am I totally crazy? Or there others out there like this?

Then it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks or how it falls in line with what anyone else does. Anything else is just going to be another thread where people defend their touring style as others make comments that passively aggressively (intentionally or not) comment on one that contradicts their own.

I could tell you why and where I agree with your style and why and where I disagree, but if your style makes you happy and works for you, it's futile.

 

[luvmy2babies]

No, you're not the only one. Your #1, #2 and #4 matches what we do as well. Although we have had some resort ADRs, they are just about always near the park we visit that day and so far they've only been at monorail resorts (Ohana once, Chef Mickey's twice). While I'd love to try Cape May, I haven't wanted to leave Epcot to do it.

We do however love being there when the park opens as we love the afternoons to relax. I did have to set the alarm for our pre-park opening breakfasts we had last summer. Since we were depending on Disney Transportation and the busses don't run as frequently that early, it was important we not miss the one we were aiming for each time.

Touring plans is good for me to do the recommended park, plus map things out a bit.

This trip I'm driving us down there so we'll have the van with us. Since we'll have it, I wanted to try eating somewhere we hadn't been due to the limitations of transportation. I made an ADR at Captain's Grill on our 6th day. The menu looks really good. Plus, I'm leaving that day open as far as what park we visit. We'll do a mix of driving and using the busses this trip depending on our plans since parking is free for onsite guests.

 

[capegirl]

Our plan is much like the OP's when it's only DH and me on vacation .....we could care less about rope drop, etc... Everything changes when the whole family is on the scene. However, I did cut way back on ADR's for our upcoming family trip. I don't enjoy feeling anxious about getting to restaurants on time. I discovered you have much more freedom when you are not locked in to these reservations. Like others, when we go in the summer, an early start to our day is a must.

 

[tmbacon]

We haven't been to rope drop once in the 10+ times we've been to WDW. Still manage to have an excellent trip each time we go.

 

[MrsDuck]

It's just different strokes for different folks. We are DVC/AP/FL residents. It's not as crucial for us to pack everything into a trip because we are able to get to the parks more frequently.

We typically are there for rope drop and do extra hours. ADRs are rare. And we almost never park hop!

Just depends on your style!

 

[hollygolitely93]

I'm fairly new to these boards and absolutely loving all the information here! We're planning our 4th trip to DW in August of this year and can't wait!

But I feel like I'm totally alone in how I go about planning the trip. I read about everyone's detailed touring plans, being at rope drop, hopping park to park, staying until close, extra morning hours, extra evening hours, etc. We definitely try to fit a lot into our days there, but I have a very different planning strategy.

1) We do not do park hopper, never have. We start at one park and that's our park for the day. If we happen to finish a little early in the evening, it's back to the hotel pool to relax.

2) I make ADRs based on which park I think we'll be at that day. This ties in to #1. So in our case Monday is Animal Kingdom day, Tuesday is Epcot day, Wednesday is DHS, and so on. Restaurant ADRs match the park.

3) I just don't want to set alarms during vacation! Yes, we're naturally early risers and are usually up, had breakfast and on our way very early. But if we don't make rope drop, oh well. I refuse to put the pressure on that we have, have, have to be here at this time.

4) No car for us! Totally on Disney transportation! We are making one exception this year. My son wants to go to Legoland, so we'll rent a car one day only and go there for the day. Otherwise, no hassles of parking or driving!

To me, this makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable stay. We do get to do a lot, but no one feels super pressured. The idea of having one day/one park and knowing ahead what it will be and relying entirely on Disney transportation just appeals to my sense of order and organization. I feel the frenzy of so many others' plans and it just makes me tense thinking about it!

So am I totally crazy? Or there others out there like this?

LOL...i would say majority are like you or rope drop wouldnt be a good strategy . LOL...is this just another...GAH you rope drop people thread in disguise?

We tour like you except we do rope drop. It isn't stress for us...it is a stress reducer for us as crowds and waits = stress for us... getting to a park by 9am when we are at school/work by 7:30 am is a vacation for my family

 

[BlueStarryHat]

We do just about the same as you except that we *do* get up early and we have Park Hoppers just in case. My sister wants to do Rope Drop at MK this year, but I couldn't care less. I'll do it because she wants to. Like everyone has said, what works for your family is "right." There is no wrong or crazy when it comes to touring Disney. it's all good.

 

[Serrina89]

1) I've never done park hopper before. Typically, whenever I go we go long enough to do one park each day. This august (9 park days) I'm contemplating getting park hoppers because the next to last day I want to do ak and hs. I am only considering this because it is not much more per ticket if you already have the water parks and more option (which we have).

2) My ADR match the park I will be at too.

3) This trip I will set an alarm for one of the MK visits so I can see the small opening show.

4) This year we (me and DBF) won't have a car...Its too expensive. Disney is pretty much its own city. With the money we are spending, we want to get as much out of it as possible.

I'm not really a Disney Commando. I like to plan what park we will be going 2 for ADR's and I like to have an idea of what direction I'll take so I can see what I didn't the next day. Since this trip is so long I plan more because I want to be able to stop and smell the roses while still getting to see the majority of shows, rides, that interest me.

 

[Thenwood]

Half there with you but we get premuim hoppers passes. Each day belongs to a family member and they pick what park(s) we go to and what we do. I do some reservations for resturants that are within the parks that I know that family member will pick on their day (ie. DS12 loves Animial Kingdom and Disney Quest so on his scheduled day I'll make a res for T-Rex for dinner or lunch at Rainforest on DS8 day I know he'll pick HS so I make a res for 50's Diner or Sci-Fi). That person of the day can stay at one park or float around. Sometimes we'll even pick a day (or part of the day) at another resort for the pool (DVC members so we can pool hop). They do usually split their day between 2 parks. We don't set alarms unless we have a breakfast reservation and we wing it entirely! Afterall, it is supposed to be a vacation right? We normaly go for 10 days once a year. This year might be going 3x's within the year so we'll get annual passes but will still stick to the same routine. The kids love it, they feel special and it eliminates the fighting.

 

[MackenzieFL]

I'm fairly new to these boards and absolutely loving all the information here! We're planning our 4th trip to DW in August of this year and can't wait!

But I feel like I'm totally alone in how I go about planning the trip. I read about everyone's detailed touring plans, being at rope drop, hopping park to park, staying until close, extra morning hours, extra evening hours, etc. We definitely try to fit a lot into our days there, but I have a very different planning strategy.

1) We do not do park hopper, never have. We start at one park and that's our park for the day. If we happen to finish a little early in the evening, it's back to the hotel pool to relax.

2) I make ADRs based on which park I think we'll be at that day. This ties in to #1. So in our case Monday is Animal Kingdom day, Tuesday is Epcot day, Wednesday is DHS, and so on. Restaurant ADRs match the park.

3) I just don't want to set alarms during vacation! Yes, we're naturally early risers and are usually up, had breakfast and on our way very early. But if we don't make rope drop, oh well. I refuse to put the pressure on that we have, have, have to be here at this time.

4) No car for us! Totally on Disney transportation! We are making one exception this year. My son wants to go to Legoland, so we'll rent a car one day only and go there for the day. Otherwise, no hassles of parking or driving!

To me, this makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable stay. We do get to do a lot, but no one feels super pressured. The idea of having one day/one park and knowing ahead what it will be and relying entirely on Disney transportation just appeals to my sense of order and organization. I feel the frenzy of so many others' plans and it just makes me tense thinking about it!

So am I totally crazy? Or there others out there like this?

1) Us too... 1 park is enough in the day for me. Even when we had APs we usually just did 1 park in a day. I like down time too.

2) Me too... don't even usually make ADRs as usually we eat QS and just eat when we feel like it. We only made ADRs this time for character meals because of FD... and with that, we planned it around our park/non park days.

3) We very occasionally make the effort to make rope drop. Like this year we're going to try to make rope drop for Epcot because of the F&WF so we can do Future World before venturing into the World Showcase. Maybe once in a while during EMH to AK because the animals are more alert in the morning.

4) We don't fly; we live about an hour away. But when we stay in a room we don't usually use the car unless we go off property. Buses all the way. Very convenient.

And being from NYC originally, waiting for/crowding onto buses is not a real tragedy. Usually we plan to leave a little early before the park closes, or we plan to linger in the shops or sit on a bench until most of the crowds have gone.

I'm not a super planner nor do we push ourselves too much... otherwise it wouldn't be as much fun. For me, planning our park days around EMH & ADRs is about as planned as we want to get.

 

[bennifer]

I'm fairly new to these boards and absolutely loving all the information here! We're planning our 4th trip to DW in August of this year and can't wait!

But I feel like I'm totally alone in how I go about planning the trip. I read about everyone's detailed touring plans, being at rope drop, hopping park to park, staying until close, extra morning hours, extra evening hours, etc. We definitely try to fit a lot into our days there, but I have a very different planning strategy.

1) We do not do park hopper, never have. We start at one park and that's our park for the day. If we happen to finish a little early in the evening, it's back to the hotel pool to relax.

2) I make ADRs based on which park I think we'll be at that day. This ties in to #1. So in our case Monday is Animal Kingdom day, Tuesday is Epcot day, Wednesday is DHS, and so on. Restaurant ADRs match the park.

3) I just don't want to set alarms during vacation! Yes, we're naturally early risers and are usually up, had breakfast and on our way very early. But if we don't make rope drop, oh well. I refuse to put the pressure on that we have, have, have to be here at this time.

4) No car for us! Totally on Disney transportation! We are making one exception this year. My son wants to go to Legoland, so we'll rent a car one day only and go there for the day. Otherwise, no hassles of parking or driving!

To me, this makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable stay. We do get to do a lot, but no one feels super pressured. The idea of having one day/one park and knowing ahead what it will be and relying entirely on Disney transportation just appeals to my sense of order and organization. I feel the frenzy of so many others' plans and it just makes me tense thinking about it!

So am I totally crazy? Or there others out there like this?

No, you aren't alone!!! I felt the same way when I first starting reading the DIS, too.

1 - Sometimes we have park hoppers, sometimes we don't. It's nice when we're visiting during a busy time, get to a park and realize it's just too crowded for us, we can just hit a different park! But, when we're there during a slow/moderate time, no way.

2 - Yep, with the exception of leaving a too crowded park in the morning, then going back in the evening.

3 - Never made it to rope drop, never even knew there was a "Rope Drop" until I started reading it here! I may make it this year only because older son 18 isn't coming and younger son 4 is usually an early riser.

4 - Only WDW transportation for us, too! Who needs the hassle?

 

[lilpeople]

we have never been to rope drop. i do not make plans we go commando all the way. i would rather relax and enjoy my vacation then try to rush through it. our first and only time we have been we spent more time at pools then at park

 

[monkyby87]

As someone said earlier, these boards are kind of the vocal minority when it comes to plans and touring schedules. The majority of people don't have any sort of plan, and many that go to the World don't know what all is offered. The number of people that aren't aware of Fastpasses, for instance, is pretty amazing. What seems like common knowledge and practice for us on the boards is foreign concept for a lot of people. But anyways...your plans are yours, and if you like them, great You can have a good time no matter what you do.

 

[aVASTGrl]

We're kind of inbetween you OP, and the hardcore planners.

1) We always do parkhoppers, and we do use them just about every day of our trip. For us, DHS is ALWAYS a half-day park...either we go in the morning and we run out of things to do by 1, or we go late for Fantasmic. We usually combine HS with part of Epcot. We also hop back and forth for EMH.

2) ADRs for the park we're in too, for sure. It's one thing to hop around for attractions, but to do that just for a meal takes too much park time! If there's someplace we really want to eat, we make sure we're at that park. On the nights that all of the parks close early, we'll eat at the non-park restaurants, and make those nights our evening pool nights or DTD.

3) We are NOT early risers LOL! We rarely make it to rope drop, but we do set alarms, otherwise we wouldn't get to the parks until noon every day

4) WDW transport all the way! I've never understood why resort guests drive to each park. Maybe because we don't have kids with us and don't have to worry about strollers and such? For us, it's wayyy too much of a hassle. Transports free, and even when you drive yourself and park, you still have to take the trams and boats. Seems a bit redundant

I've never used any of the touring plans websites. We go to whatever park we want to when we want. Because sis is a teacher, we can only go when all of the parks are swamped...summer, spring break, or christmas. Picking a "green" park doesn't really exist, hahaha. And I hate planning every second of my day. I feel like it takes the fun and spontaneity out of the trip!

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Thanks all! At least I know it's not just me. Yes, we plan ahead and don't just wing it. But our plans are meant to simplify, I guess. When I hear plans that include RD at one park, lunch at another, around to this park for the evening, it makes my head spin!!!!

I guess everyone finds what works for their family! Was just wondering if I was really missing the boat on something here, but I don't think I am.

Actually that's us some days - seriously - we don't do ADRs but will do RD at DHS - PH over to Epcot for lunch just because we like WS or Sunshine Seasons food then head over to AK or MK for the afternoon.

We have a car and LOVE it - really don't like the idea of waiting for a bus.

We do set the alarm - are at the park before RD and leave generally around 6 pm to go back to the resort to swim or play pool games.

So in many ways we tour differently than you do but it's what works for us.

 

[hgeisler]

Agree with you except for everything but the hoppers. I've got dd 5, ds 3, and dd 1. We are staying at the CR with park hoppers, so that when we return from another park anyone can go back to sleep with grandma and we can take anyone else back over to the MK or Epcot. That way, those that need rest can get it, and those that are hyper balls of energy don't wake up my 1 year old!