Advice needed on how to get husband to follow an itinerary

[aliceinwdr]

I too am an over-planner! I have a nick-name from my family about going on trips to disney with me! Last time I had a typed itenerary every day. So this trip I started an 8 page spreadsheet with estimated ride times - etc. and then I realized we had 10 people (who will not split up) and forget it - I don't want to stress this much! We are going during free dining - so I started with EMH hours - then I made ADRs for all of the fabulous restaurants we want to eat at and we go from here. My goal is to start early and be in the general area of our ressies for our meals at meal time because I know my DGM (86 yrs old) will not back-track quickly like I am used to. Last trip we walked MILES back-tracking to different things and restaurants on my schedule - this time is go with the flow - from rope drop to park close- haha. And I even planned a down time day and will allow snack times! Our CS meals will be wherever we are when we get hungry! I do plan on being a fast pass runner for everyone so we can use those to our advantage.

My DH thinks I am obsessed too - and he just says he will show up and go with the flow. I think he will be surprised when I DONT hand him a typed itenerary every day!

Relax - have fun and go with the flow!

 

[Mickeypooh99]

If my sisters husband chooses not to follow my plan it is okay with me. We have 11 people total that plan to go. 6 adults and 5 children. I don't mind splitting up and meeting later. We all have cell phones so its not a problem. My big thing is getting to the parks by opening time. Everyone is warned ahead of time where we are going and when. If they aren't ready then they have to meet up with us later. We had a problem last big family trip where we were waiting around for 2 people (my dad and step mother) and we missed about 1 1/2 hours of morning park time. I was frustrated by that, but I put on my happy face and went on with the day. After that we decided to do more splitting up.

 

[Aliceacc]

Play "Let's make a deal."

Do the first day his way if he'll agree to do day #2 your way. Then decide on day #3.

Or, failing that, get him to at least agree to look at the crowd calendars and hit the less crowded parks at rope drop.

 

[Tinkmom75]

MickeyPooh99 (that name cracks me up ) I love to plan. We'll plan and then go with the flow when we get there. You're not evil, well maybe a little. We're all driving separate right. No waiting for the 1 1/2 hour late slackers. We can meet up later. I think my DH just likes to pick on you. I think he is more excited about this trip since he knows what to expect. So when do we get to make our spreadsheet

 

[jillyb]

My DH was the same way...when I would talk about our park itinerary he would get a glazed look on his face and say things like "don't overplan it...let's just go with the flow". Ummmm...no...this was our first visit and I wanted to maximize our time in the parks and rides.

I had plans for each day just so everybody would know what we would be doing the next day. However, there were some times when we got in a park where we had to make adjustments. The key with having plans is also being willing to be flexible.

DH and I were talking about our trip the other night and he told me that he was glad we had plans because we got to see and do so much and he said he was also glad that I was flexible with those plans when needed. He told me because of that we all had a fantastic time.

 

[Hoopfamily]

Let him think it's his idea to have a plan. Leave a copy of the unofficial guide lying around. Eventually he'll flip through it and probably come across a horror story or 2 before you know it he'll have read the whole book, and approach you with ideas.

 

[Tinkmom75]

Let him think it's his idea to have a plan. Leave a copy of the unofficial guide lying around. Eventually he'll flip through it and probably come across a horror story or 2 before you know it he'll have read the whole book, and approach you with ideas.

Great idea

 

[ToddyLu]

Well, I have the perfect trip this year. Have my Excel Spreadsheet ready to go with ADRs, park times and EMH, including parades and closing shows. I am so excited because my parents are going for the first time with us as an adult only trip. Been with Grandkids but not me and DH ( no children). They have asked me to be their personal tour guide and will do my bidding...mwaaahaahaa. DH has requested time to tour AK alone and take pictures. He is a free spirtit and I am a task people person , this is how we are enjoying our eighth trip.

He has seen the spreadsheet and all I tell him are when when need to eat, the rest I will just steer them too using my magic wand and pixie dust

 

[noahdove]

This is the first time I will have a "plan"but, not set in stone, but what park we will visit each day..The 2 children I am taking, have no clue as to what I have "planned" so if I vary from it, who cares? I will pack our tee shirts in order in my suitcase by the park we will visit the next day. I am very much an organizer, and I guess I have been since I was in high school all tho I didnt' know it until recently..My hope and prayer is that since my 8 year great nephew is going for the first time, I do want to catch a few things that I haven't done before or with my granddaughter on our first visit. Maybe what you can do with your husband, is have him pick the park and the way to go in that park that day We must make the best and the happiest time that we are there.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I obsessively plan...but to a point... and then stop.

About 7 months out I start figuring out where we want to eat table service meals, how much time we want to spend in each park and what the historice EMH hours are. Then I take into consideration special events (pirate cruises, MK parties, etc.) and plan out which park/which day.

Any ADRs that we need are based on where we are that day (ie, Chef Mickey's would not do for dinner the day we are at AK).

After all of our ADRs are set then we start looking at parks and their attractions. We make a list of our "must see" attractions and come up w/ a general plan (ie get Soarin FPs and then check out Future World, or head to Tomorrowland first for Space Mountain, etc.).

I DO NOT make a step by step plan...Heck as it is dh thinks I plan too much!

I like my balance of planning and spontaneity and dh respects that going w/o ANY plan whatsoever would have a negative impact on our vacation.

I should add that on our trip in December... one morning we chucked even my loose plan and dh slept in w/ the kids while I went to DHS and Epcot ALONE! We met up later at MK and it was the best decision! They woke up late, had brunch and played in the pool for a while while I got my leisurely Mickey fix!

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I love the idea of packing your t-shirts in order for each day, but I don't think my family would go for it. My boys are old enough now that they like to choose their own clothes. It was so cute when they were younger and I could dress them in matching outfits. People used to ask me if they were twins all the time. They are 6 and 7 now. Maybe I will try to pack the shirts in order, and see if they just grab the one on top. One can only hope.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I love the idea of packing your t-shirts in order for each day, but I don't think my family would go for it. My boys are old enough now that they like to choose their own clothes. It was so cute when they were younger and I could dress them in matching outfits. People used to ask me if they were twins all the time. They are 6 and 7 now. Maybe I will try to pack the shirts in order, and see if they just grab the one on top. One can only hope.

I actually pre-pack the kid's outfits (2 and 7) into gallon ziploc bags. Top, shorts, socks and underwear (for the 7yo) in each.

When we arrive at WDW I just transfer the bags to the dresser drawers and each kid can pull a bag out every morning ready to go! No fussing over if stuff does or doesn't match! I do throw in a few extra outfits as well as a couple of miscellaneous tops and shorts just in case.

I pack my clothes by outfit too, but need to buy larger bags for them.

This also gives me lots of gallon sized ziplocs to use for miscellaneous things as we go through our trip.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

Outfits in zip lock bags? Thats such a great idea. This could take my planning to a whole new level. Now if my DH would just let me pack his suitcase I would be all set.

 

[Tinkmom75]

I think the bag thing is really neat idea This would work for my boys, but not for DD.

 

[Picabo]

I'm kind of in the same boat as you. My DH isn't refusing to follow a plan, but he doesn't like a lot of structure (on vacation) and I have a feeling he's going to feel like "Plan-sham" once we get there. (Like you, ours is over a year away too!) I LOVE to plan (was a travel agent until I had the kids!) and enjoy the entire process.

MY QUESTION for those who don't have any plan is this...how do you make your ADR's (which are now necessary or you'll miss out!) if you don't also plan when you'll be at each park? With 2 toddlers, I do not want ot spend a day at Epcot, only to then have to truck over to MK to get to the Crystal Palace. Or I don't want to go to Donald's bkfst in AK and then leave to haul everyone over to MK, etc. See what I mean? This is the biggest reason I see to have a plan (for us, personally) is that i don't want to go back and forth any more than I need to.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I'm kind of in the same boat as you. My DH isn't refusing to follow a plan, but he doesn't like a lot of structure (on vacation) and I have a feeling he's going to feel like "Plan-sham" once we get there. (Like you, ours is over a year away too!) I LOVE to plan (was a travel agent until I had the kids!) and enjoy the entire process.

MY QUESTION for those who don't have any plan is this...how do you make your ADR's (which are now necessary or you'll miss out!) if you don't also plan when you'll be at each park? With 2 toddlers, I do not want ot spend a day at Epcot, only to then have to truck over to MK to get to the Crystal Palace. Or I don't want to go to Donald's bkfst in AK and then leave to haul everyone over to MK, etc. See what I mean? This is the biggest reason I see to have a plan (for us, personally) is that i don't want to go back and forth any more than I need to.

My thoughts exactly. I Love to plan also. I've always thought I should be a travel agent, but after spending most of my adult life as a in home child daycare provider its probably too late to change now. Still it's something I keep thinking about. Now that my kids are in school full time maybe I need to get out of the house to do something different. I'm not getting any younger.

 

[Aliceacc]

MY QUESTION for those who don't have any plan is this...how do you make your ADR's (which are now necessary or you'll miss out!) if you don't also plan when you'll be at each park? With 2 toddlers, I do not want ot spend a day at Epcot, only to then have to truck over to MK to get to the Crystal Palace. Or I don't want to go to Donald's bkfst in AK and then leave to haul everyone over to MK, etc. See what I mean? This is the biggest reason I see to have a plan (for us, personally) is that i don't want to go back and forth any more than I need to.

I'm new to this, but here's what I did:

I took a look at Touringplans.com and Tourguide mike to determine which days are most probaly the least crowded in each park. I chose a park, then matched my ADRs to the park I wanted to be in for that day. (I had a list of ADRs I wanted, so I just plugged them in.)

If you choose not to use those 2 sources, you could work from the EMH schedule instead.

 

[GrumpyMom25]

I'm lovin the Ziploc bag idea too ... I can see the looks I would get from my kids tho.
I've had which park we'll be visiting which day planned since I booked our rooms. This trip tho it's based on a wedding we'll be attending and what parks we have meal reservations planned at. We usually plan which park we'll start off at tho ... who knows where we'll end up at to finish our day. Oh, I haven't planned what we'll do the day we arrive ... we'll have a park pass but aren't sure exactly what time we'll arrive since we're driving, my husband is already asking what we'll be doing as soon as we get there.

 

[DznyDreamz]

I am one of those hybrid planners.

In the MANY months before our trip, I plan out which parks to plan for each day - knowing MK is always our first stop, then Epcot. Then I decide which restaurants sound good and adjust any park plans as necessary. I make my "wish list" of ADR's always with a back up in case my original choice isn't available. I read the DIS every night to keep up to speed on the goings on and obsess about all things WDW to the point the family doesn't want to hear about it anymore!

When we actually get to WDW, we know what park is planned for the day and where we "need" to be for any ADR's. The rest goes with the flow. I can't plan out which ride to ride when, that is too much for me, but I'm sure it works for others and certainly can see the benefits.

DH isn't a huge fan of getting up at the crack of dawn on vacation. This year I'm adopting a "I'm leaving at such and such time, you can join us or meet us". He is perfectly happy with some quiet time in the resort.

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

We did a last minute trip (14 days notice) back in 2000. I did not know about this web site and han't been to WDW in 10 years. Talk about "wing it" I had no plan, no nothing! And the week kinda sucked! We spent a lot of time in lines and a lot of time trying to figure out where stuff was, and we didn't know that EMH hours in the morning jam up a park...we really just had no clue!

So we went again in 2005 and I figured there had to be a better way. I found this site, and a bunch of othersm and planned my heart out. Dining plan meant 8 meals to book (for 8 people!!!) and daily where to go and what not to miss lists were made. I speant many hours planning and my husband laughed at me for months. He was NOT GOING TO FOLLOW A PLAN! Fine! No plan then. I learned all I could and only planned which park to go to each day, which ride first and where to eat dinner. But in my head there was a real plan. Becuase I knew which rides to try to get to first, and which rides to grab fast passes for and come back later.

Hubby never knew he was on any touring plan. There was no paper in hand. When we got home he asked me if I had planned it all out and I told him all of it. He was thrilled with the trip and how it had worked out. He thanked me daily for weeks for knowing how to fit it all in without making anyone feel rushed or pushed.

So there are ways to plan it without him knowing

(This coming trip he asked me to plan it all out again, but not to tell him the plan! )