A Week to go and panicking!

[Hopefully]

Some advice from my 55,000 DIS friends is needed! I believe that a hugh amount of my joy from a Disney trip is in the anticipation and the planning. I love it!
A tiny bit of history. I have learned about myself that it is all about expectations, if my expectations are "in line" with reality, I will be fine. That said, On past trips I have been the "Planning Commando" with ever minute planned, PS for every meal etc. etc., and EVERYONE was miserable. Then we had the trip where I planned nothing, no direction, no PS, lots of "What next" and EVERYONE was miserable. In February, my DH and I went alone, and I planned a few meals and a broad plan and it was wonderful. We did have a few disappointments when we couldn't eat where we wanted, but all in all, we relaxed and had a great time. So I thought I had adopted the "Middle Ground" approach! Not So, I have discovered today!!
This trip is myself, my DH and our adult DS (27). Our primary goal in planning this time was to enjoy the Food and Wine Festival. I started out with a minimal schedule. leaving lots of time to just wander. But, as I looked at my planning info today, I realized I am very close to the "Every Minute planned" situation again, although I have repeatedly told my DH and DS that I was only asking so that I could make a PS "if we wanted it". Not only that, but as time has drawn closer, I now have made PS for more than one Restaurant on the same night (I PROMISE I will cancel one before we leave) because the park hours changed, Wishes began, I couldn't decided etc. etc.
I fear I am setting us all up for a miserable week - OH NO!
Advice???? Thanks

 

[Harambe]

It's so tough to not plan, but it sounds like you and your family would be better off with the "middle ground" planning you mentioned.

I am constantly re-doing my plan at the beginning of the planning stage, but I have learned that overplanning (and over-PS'ing) does indeed lead to a miserable time.

Now - I only make about 5 PS's a trip, and am flexible on these if folks get tired and cranky - or are just having fun where we are and don't want to head over to such-and-such for dinner.

It is important for me to have a plan on which park we'll be at each day - so when DD or DS (or DH, for that matter!) says they want to ride Splash Mountain - I can say "We'll be at MK tomorrow, and you can ride it 100 times then!" That keeps the peace and we can enjoy what we're doing at the moment!

Have a great trip!

 

[GoofysPrincess]

I too can be an overplanner. I can't bear the thought of not planning and having every restaurant in the entire park be full and my poor family eating nothing but spiced pecans for dinner. Irrational, yet scary. Anyway, here are some of my 'middle-ground' attempts that might be helpful.

For PS's, I tend to plan a PS for somewhere in the park we're planning to go to during the 'dinner rush' time frame. Then, if we need it, it's there (and I can stop fretting). If we decide to eat someplace else, I call and cancel the PS -- because I can't bear the guilt of just not showing up. This costs me a long-distance cell phone call if I'm not near a guest service area, but I've found it's a small price to pay to bring peace to the PS dilemma.

For touring, I always put a plan together based on feedback from others on what they want to do, but I don't make them stick to it. If they want to diverge, I just tell them the consequences. Such as... "no, we don't have to go back to MK to see Spectromagic, but this is the only night left and if we don't go tonight we miss it all together". Seems like there's less dissapointment that way.

The other thing I always plan out is not to follow a late night with an early morning -- closing Jellyrolls and then doing EMH at MK is no fun for anyone! So, I plan the early mornings first, and then work in the late nights.

The other thing I try to do is leave a couple of afternoon/evenings later in trip completely unplanned. After everyone's been there a few days and we get an idea of what we might want to do, I make those PS's while at WDW. I've had pretty good luck getting them even same-day if I'm flexible with the time.

Good luck walking that planning tightrope. It's a feat worthy of Cirque!

 

[sharonel]

I can relate. We have one week to go and I've made no PS's. We wanted to remain flexible, to minimize costs and to be able to fit meals in whenever. Now I'm starting to panic that I don't have the 'what if' scenario down - what if we can't get in to eat anywhere & I have 4 hungry children that will soon have a group melt-down. I'd rather be in your position of having the safety net of PS reservations, even if in duplicate, to fall back upon.

 

[disneysteve]

We're definitely in the non-planner camp. We leave in less than 48 hours. We have no PS's. Last trip, we made one PS in advance and that was only because we were meeting a bunch of friends for dinner and there would be 10 or 11 of us.

We have been to WDW many times. Of course, we have our favorite restaurants, but since we are able to go annually, nothing is an absolute must on any given trip. If we get to it, we get to it. If we don't, we'll eat somewhere else. I know we won't go hungry.

The other reason is there is just no way for us to know days or weeks in advance which park we will visit which day. It depends on weather, crowds, special events, and how we are all feeling. We usually decide the nite before what we will do the next day. Sometimes we don't decide until that morning, especially if the weather is iffy.

Now we will make PS's during our stay. I'll call the nite before or morning of, or schedule something when we first enter the park in the morning, but that's as far in advance as we'll plan. Unless you are going during peak season, which we never do thankfully, PS's just aren't all that necessary except for a few particular spots like CRT or HoopDeeDoo.


For all of you visiting next week, keep a lookout for the green Mickey heads and say hi if you see us. I've got my DIS t-shirt too!

Steve

 

[sue1013]

The only times I have made a PS was once for Candelight Procession dinner pck and once on Easter Sunday. We certainly have nver starved. I feel everyday of my life is so planned when I'm on vacation I don't want schedules. Making resort reservations is as far as I go. We have been waiting for a bus to a park we decided on, another came first DH has said lets go on this one. OK lets go. I'm leaving tomorrow with my sister (planner), neice and nephew. Sister has made PS's for CRT, Hoop De Doo, Ohana's & Chef Mickey's. She probably has an iternary for each park too, though she hasn't told me I just know her. So I guess I'll get a taste of the commando planner vacation. Since I know this I've already booked a trip in Feb with no planner allowed!

 

[jdads2]

I do most of the planning. I have to take into consideration that we may not want or get to all the thinngs I have planned. I have an itinerary but I also know that if we feel like straying from it that would be OK.

During our second family trip we went in September and we had PS's planned and parks to visit, rides to ride, attractions and shows to see. Well it got hot and my 5 yr old DD wanted to cool off her feet in one of the fountains Epcots FW. Two hrs later my 8 yr old son and DD were soaked from head to toe and the itinerary was left in shambles.

I've always used my plans as a guide to our days. If we change them its fine because we change them because we have a plan, not because we are standing around wasting time saying "what next".

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Hopefully.....I know coming from the Boston area myself we feel we have to try and get it all in.............. it is not cheap to come from the Northeast to FL... but in saying that, I have learned the best way for us to do WDW is just take as it comes... I have a few reservations lined up but just try to take my time and enjoy the weather and the sites.....look at the flowers as it will be a while before we see them again in MA... Please just enjoy yourself and try not to worry about getting it all in... Take as it comes...

 

[Hopefully]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support. I have had a "Long Talk" with myself, and I have calmed down! I agree that the best plan is to enjoy the moment - and the Magic. I also had a bit of a talk with my DH! The middle ground for me can be more successfully achieved if I have a "hint" of a plan for the day ahead. What makes me "nervous" is having no idea at all. So if we just decide that "tomorrow we'll go to the MK" for example, I'm fine. And if in the morning, the weather forecast indicates that today would be a better day at the pool - so be it!, I'm on board!
Thanks again for listening and offering your support. I appreciate it.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Enjoy, Hopefully, and hope you feel better too, I am sure you will. Have fun.

Dan

 

[oshun]

The first time we took our children, my husband did everything the commando style, from PS, to Early Entry everyday, to collapsing at nighttime because we couldn't miss any parades, shows etc. Even though we had a great time I needed a vacation after my vacation. We have learned to enjoy the Magic more and to not plan as much. Our end of November trip only has a few PS, no early entry, and the last day of our vacation is kind of a do what we want day or visit our favorites rides at a few park and swim. Hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[sjw4870]

I have a hard time with PS's. When I am at home planning, I think I have everything arranged so well, yet when I get there, I usually find myself at one park with a reservation in another. On my last trip, I had a bunch of PS's and I ended up canceling almost all of them. I then walked into San Angel Inn, Boma, Whispering Canyon Cafe and Kona Cafe at prime eating times (noon and 6pm) and got seated immediately without a PS. I think it all depends on occupancy levels during your visit.