NON planner VS. Planner.

[bryon]

Last May I was just about ready to go to Disney and the lady in the cube next to me just returned from Florida where she was visiting family and went to MGM for a day.

I asked her if she saw Fantasmic...She said no.

I asked her if she went on Tower of Terror or the Aerosmith Rollercoaster. She said no, her family is all chickens.

I asked her if she went to the Muppets 3D....She said no.

I asked her if she went to the Little Mermaid...She said no.

So I asked her....WHAT DID YOU DO?

All they did all day was:

Who wants to be a Millionaire
Indiana Jones Stunt Show
One Mans Dream
And they ate at counter restaurants.

She said they were there for 10 hours.

I was stunned that was all they did.

 

[beansmom]

to me that's pretty much a waste of a day's ticket. Thank goodness for this board and all you great folks who made our first and my next trip a blast!!!

leaving for the Mouse House in 7 days!!!

 

[TXTink]

Just my opinion, but I think you have more fun if you plan, especially if it is your first time and touring at a busy time of year... Not that you have to tour like a comando, but at least get a good idea of what rides are there, and how fast pass works.

Besides, it's fun thinking about it!!

 

[Amirah95]

I can't do that because to me it's a waste...we start counter clockwise and hit everything in sight and right after The Muppets we hit a PS and then to Fanstasmic.

My friend went to MGM in July 2004 as well and didn't really do anything either (she can't blame it on the hurricane either) and it really got me upset because she asked me to make her a personalized MGM itinerary. She even missed her PS. But then again, she is not as Disney obsessed as I am. I think that's the big difference between the planners and the non-planners.

 

[jjarman]

The lady next to me is sending her 13 year old daughter to WDW with their church group in two weeks which is the same week I will be there with my son. I gave her a couple of websites, this one and Deb's, to get some good general information. She still has not looked at them and has no idea how much money to send with her daughter for food and such much less the other things you need to plan for like bandaids, sunscreen, water bottles, etc. Now, one of the attorneys in our office is just like me and reads this board (Hi Tim). He and his family are going at Christmas and are already making their plans. My kind of people.

But I don't just plan WDW vacations obsessively. We have two beach vacations in April and May and I plan those like crazy too.

 

[Bill From PA]

A co-worker of my wife's is a time share holder at Old Key West, says she lives for Disney, goes twice a year at least, is depressed for a week on returning. What's her park schedule? She knows where all the porch rocking chairs are in WDW, someplace in Frontier Land, Y&BC porch, etc., and she parks herself there an 'People Watches'! Can't you do this for free in any mall or town square in America? She's not a physical wreck and she's younger than we are, but that's her version of Disney entertainment. I've slacked off a little from my Commando days, but there's too much to do there not to make the effort.

Bill From PA

 

[captcaveman]

I will say that MGM is one of the hardest parks to do in one day. Most of the attractions are on a schedule. Millionaire, Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Indy Jones, Playhouse Disney, and a lot of the character meet-and-greets are all scheduled and seeing all of them is nearly impossible combined with ToT and RnRC. That being said, I hope the person who did only 3 things in 10 hours had a good time, because if they didn't, it's their own fault.

 

[dmslush]

It amazes me how people will spend 1000's of dollars on a WDW vacation, and not spend one minute researching or planning. But, they can be content to spend hours in line and talk about how only resort guests can use the fast pass line

 

[fan4life]

Planning is part of the MAGIC!

 

[mclep]

Planning is absolutely part of the fun and well advised. Our last trip was during President's Day week 2003, with my DD's soccer team and their families. We had a plan and saw everything we wanted to see at each park over the course of each day. Other families who had no plan, enjoyed probably half of what we did.

 

[Rootskate]

I think planning is half the fun. I couldnt imagine going to WDW without putting in some serious time on the Dis boards and combing thru my Unofficial Guide to WDW! (Actually, I do both even when I dont have a trip coming up!)

 

[2gether]

I am an obsessive planner!

I've literally been planning our vacation for December since LAST YEAR when we cancelled our summer vacation to WDW because our first DD was on the way!

This year is our first DVC trip, and since we had the extra points we decided to get a 2 BR and invite my mom and stepdad. Check this out....without any coordination two weeks ago we both ordered our WDW Trip Planning videos. We got them on the same day...and Saturday while DW and I were watching it for the first time, I called my mom and she was watching hers! AMAZING!

I must come from a mouse-obsessed bloodline....

 

[tinkerbell81284]

I don't try to plan out everything but I do try to remember all the things I want to do at each park and/or trip. Sometimes I don't know where I want to eat, but soon as I do even it's that day I stop by Guest Services/City Hall and make the PS for it. I know some of the best stuff that's happened to me at the parks/resorts wasn't planned at all (like character interaction or special attention from a CM)! I'm already starting to semi-plan my next trip on May 5th, just for the day!

 

[newholidayx2]

our past trips to WDW were in 01, 02 & 04 - I planned 01 & 04

02 I had 22hrs to put together - got MVMCP, Chef Mickey's & O'Hana's - brought back 01's touring plans

Im doing lots of planning for Aug - 1st mother/son WDW, 1st (2) wk vacation