10 Days To Go And NO Plans Yet.

[herprettiness]

When my husband and I went to WDW in 2000 for our honeymoon or trip was scheduled in 15 minute intervals.

Since then we have been to WDW 7 more times and we have a 3 year old. Each time it seems like I plan less and less. Other then quickly putting together some priority seatings, I have not made any plans about which parks on which days.

My plan is basically to print out park, early entry, our favorite shows and parade schedules and the making a plan on the flight over.

Anyone else experiance this or am I losing the Magic?

 

[Leota]

Nope, we do trips like that most of the time..... I did more planning for this April trip because I think it'll be more crowded than we are used to, so I wanted to make more PS ahead of time - But I'm betting we'll only make half of those anyways. Even when I do plan, we usually blow it off anyways & just go with whatever we feel like at the time....

I don't think I have lost the Magic at all - still just as obsessed as ever.... Just do things at a much more relaxed pace these days....

 

[mtdevine615]

You haven't lost any magic, you're just becoming a seasoned Disney adventurer. We were just talking about this. Our first trip was planned to the max. That was back in 1989 for the opening of Disney/MGM. Now that we've been so many taimes I've lost count we only make a few PS at the most. It's much more relaxing if we just wing it. If we can't get into a restaurant we want we try somewhere else. We do make PS for dinner that morning if the parks are crowded, but most of the time we just take it easy.

 

[HollyJoy]

I don't think you're losing the magic at all. There are some people who just love to plan every detail. Maybe you are just wanting a very relaxed trip! I had made plans for our trip; which days to go to which park, but DH certainly changed all that when we were there. You can't plan on how tired everyone will be, and sometimes plans have to be changed. You can decide which park you want to go to when you get there! have a great trip!

 

[ADisneygirl]

I don't think having no real set plan is so unusual. We often go to WDW just like that. While planning a trip out and scheduling and thinking and plotting can add to the excitement and be fun, going with no real plan is an adventure too! And infinitely more relaxing once you are there knowing you can just do as you please from day to day, no schedule to keep. I think this type plan works best with those who have already been there.

 

[herprettiness]

I guess the key is just going...

 

[DEff]

I wouldn't call myself a seasoned Disney person, but I did plan the first trip with my first daughter to the max. It went off without a hitch. Second trip wasn't planned as much, but still was pretty good. We're going on Friday and while I have a plan, I don't like it. Further, with the expectations of greater crowd levels than usual, the plan may not make any sense anyway. Add to the mix extra magic hours in both the morning and the evening and the unknowns those throw in, it is unrealistic to expect a plan to be hard and fixed anyway.

I also have to think that with the Net, more and more people are catching on to the tips and tricks, so they are no longer have the impact they once had. (Gonna have to come up with some unusual strategies or something, like blowing off Disney in Florida and going to oh, say, France ;-) )

I still expect to be uptight until I get there, and can assess the situation and then reassess my plan. But I hope that I can roll with the punches. I've already decided that eating a breakfast as Cindy's isn't important and for me, that's a big step. ;-)

Best of luck to everyone planning or not planning their trips!

 

[MagicKingdom05]

herprettiness,

That is basically how my upcomming trip in 5 days is. Except for 4 PS one each day from March 2-March 5, where I will have to plan my park days around, I have nothing else planned. When I wake up each morning which ever park I decide to visit will be the one that I go to.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We are going in less then a week and I just made the PS a few days ago (and even then not all of them)

I wouldn't worrry about it at all, if it wasn't for the fact that we are going with a group of 10 (2 couples, each with a 3 year old and a baby, and then a niece and a sister for "helpers")

I am draggin me feet becuase I don't want to plan it all out, like going through a process. I want to be able to enjoy it, not worry about being late or having to be somewhere.

We did make some PS, (about one a day) because we are such a large group.

I want felibility for the moods of the kids and others in the group.

After all we know it so well I don't think we have to plan every step out, we are the Disney experts after all.

I can let you now how the "less" planning goes, but you will be there when we get back (actaully I think we over lap some.)

We are staying at BCV, how about you?

 

[torianne31]

I wanna be y'all when I grow up!!!!!


I'm still planning every facet of my family's firs trip to wdw.... I can only dream of the day when we're seasoned enough to do just the bare minimum of planning...


I think the best piece of advice I've gotten from these boards is to plan...but don't fall apart if / when the plans do!!

Thanks y'all!!

GREEN WITH ENVY HERE!!

 

[DEff]

Something else -- I've made my PS, Fantasmic/dinner and Wishes Cruise plans and I also feel that they tie my hands to any last minute changes that need to take place. Isn't that weird? With all of the emphasis on planning, by planning I force us to have to be somewhere at a certain time which may or may not be really the best time for us.

I guess everything is a risk. Not planning and having a less-than-stellar trip means you can beat yourself up for not doing due diligence, and then planning and having tied your hands you can beat yourself up for losing the flexibility that you need to deal with unforseen circumstances.

So Disney is a perfect vacation for those who absolutely need to feel guilty about something!

 

[DisneyPhD]

I think the less people you have (and less kids) the less planning needed.

I remember when it was just hubby and I. We used to show up at the bus stop and go to whater park's bus showed up 1st. We had a great time. It was all magical.

My only concern is dinner with such a large group. I think I have a plan each day for dinner,but I really want to find out what the weather is before we decied what to do that day.

I made a bunch of PS, but it is better to have it and and cancel if you change plans then not have it.

For the most part I don't worry about PS at all, but large groups can be hard.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

torianne31,

I'm not seasoned at all. This is only my second trip to WDW as an adult and first staying onsite. I've just listen to what the Disney regulars say on here.

 

[torianne31]

Yeah, but MagicKingdom05 I bet your sock drawer is in disarray and your closet isn't arranged by season and then color like mine is either is it? I always go a little overboard with planning and organizing things...My DH has nicknamed me "the producer"....I can turn a simple child's birthday party or a picnic at the beach into an "event"....So IMAGINE what I'm doing with WDW...WOOO HOOO!!! GET THE NETS!! It's my family's FIRST trip to WDW...and my sons are 14 and 11...I just want to make sure to get the things done we want to get done...on my next trip though...I'm gonna do like the Dis'er above me and just go where the first bus takes me...***Dreaming of that day*****