am I crazy for not having a game plan?

[jclark5735]

we are going from Jan 30-Feb 6. There are 6 of us--me, DH, DM (mom) 67, dd1 (19), dd2 (11), dd3 (10). I have no game plan. I don't even know how to create a game plan for Disney. We are all basically newbies (I was there with school trip 23 years ago). DM will be using an ECV.

So, and I crazy? How do I create a game plan?

 

[ToddyLu]

. You will be fine the very first thing I do is look at park hours and I make a small spreadsheet with columns for each day..I plot the park hours and then try to decide where I might be since we always make dining reservations. I think free dinning will be going on when you are there so you may want to be sure you have a couple of places reserved especially if they are popular. Then I also plot parade / nighttime shows. You definitely will want to do each of those at least once. Then I would get a pass porter and just get familiar with the layout of the parks just to have a mental map...at will save you time. My parents will have the dinning plan this times we have a Table service ADR almost every day which helps me help them to get the most out of their credits.

 

[ToddyLu]

The park hours are already up on wdwinfo.com for your vacation.

 

[dansamy]

Check out Touring Plans dot com. They even have some "Not A Plan" plans! That will give you a loose guideline at least.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

We subscribed to touringplans.com recently and it has a lot of good information. I subscribed mostly for the predicted park hours, events, and crowd levels. As long as you know how to use the fastpass system to its fullest you will be fine. If you have any questions about that feel free to ask!

 

[pepe of ohio]

Without a plan.....we've been doing it for years....it's amusement parks, nothing out of the ordinary..... we've never used a tour plan, crowd counter etc in all our 45 trips and still managed to have a great time and see what we want....

Best tip I can give is get some park maps and become familiar with the layout and attractions you don't want to miss...know your eating establishment before hand...check out restaurant menus before getting there and make your decisions....eating isn't hard at WDW, plenty of places, prices and types....we're not TS people and prefer grab and go food.....

Big tip from us, and we're early morning people....get to the parks as early as possible....alot can be done in the first bunch of hours before the late risers get there...but you're traveling at a slow time of year...but you never know, so touring should be a breeze...pick a park, if staying on site...we like the parks with EMH's, and travel in one direction and take in each attraction as you come to it...we never criss-cross a park to get to attractions......

A vacation is for relaxing and enjoying...not over planning and stressing...

You can't do it all but will get most accommplished and there's always another trip to pick up where you left off or missed....enjoy the landscapes, and the magic and just being in the world....

 

[Alesia]

I find going without a plan to be incredibly stressful. I just hate the whole "What do you want to do?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" routine. I would much rater have a plan (even if we end up deviating from it) than not have one.

I like making touring plans, but even getting a pre-made plan from touringplans.com is better than nothing.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Even if you don't want a strict plan you could just research enough to know exactly what is most important for you to see or do, and try and hit those things and squeeze in whatever else you can. I hit my favorites, and add a couple new things to each trip. I still say utilize the fastpass system. If you don't, you won't be able to ride as much. Our first trip my parents would drag us from place to place to place b/c they didn't know you could get a fastpass every two hours (and sometimes sooner if you get lucky). It was much calmer and way more fun once I figured it out and we used it.

 

[katiemely]

The first time we went together on our honeymoon 7/10 I had no plan but the DH is a big planner so he had a plan . . not a crazy down to the minute plan but a plan. He is really funny about not doubling back so I told him in the morning the things that I really wanted to see/do in that particular and he made a general walking plan for our day. When we went 5/11 the only planning prob we had was not knowing the park times for all the parks during the day. We had park hoppers and we got done at DHS early and were wanting to hop over to MK but realized that they closed early that day. So we made a mental note to make sure we knew all the times for the days.

The only other planning I would recommend is making dining reservations if you want a particular restaurant. Sometimes at places like the Coral Reef or some of the restaurants in Epcot's World Showcase they are busy so it helps to have the ressie.

Have a blast we are total Disney addicts . . bought into DVC last time we were there and are headed there again next month

 

[dizzi]

yes

 

[Tori 2001]

You're not crazy, and don't stress about not planning every minute. We much prefer to play it by ear, kinda go with the flow, relax and be spontanious. In fact, we often get on the bus for whatever park comes to our stop first...

With this said, you really should do a little advance research. You'll want to know what the weather is likely to be, what parks are priorities, and what attractions will be must-sees for you. Park hours are short in winter and some shows are held less often, so knowing that schedule can help prevent disappointments from missing specific things. With a list of a few places you really want to go, rides to ride and shows to see, you can still relax and explore at your own pace.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

yes

hahahahahaha!!!!

 

[supernova]

. You will be fine the very first thing I do is look at park hours and I make a small spreadsheet with columns for each day..I plot the park hours... Then I also plot parade / nighttime shows.

Spreadsheets? Plotting parades? Egad. Overkill and then some.

Without a plan.....we've been doing it for years....it's amusement parks, nothing out of the ordinary..... we've never used a tour plan, crowd counter etc in all our 45 trips and still managed to have a great time and see what we want....

A vacation is for relaxing and enjoying...not over planning and stressing....

Now THIS guy's got it right. You're visiting an amusement park, not the entire state of Florida. Want to visit England and see seven different cities before heading over up to Ireland and sigthsee there, too? Yep, you'd better get your maps, agenda and transportation figured out. Visiting a place with roller coasters? Eh, not so much to plan. Pick a park, jump on the right bus, and see whatever that park has to offer. Not too much planning.

I have never once, not even on my first trip, used a crowd counter, bought a touring plan (can you imagine that people actually PAY for this nonsense??) or anything. And certainly not three months out, no less. Yes, you might want to figure out where you are going to be eating, though that time of the year is usually not as crowded so you most likely won't have a problem. But as far as making charts and graphs and spreadsheets and paying people to use their "touring plans", that's just silly.

 

[kwdw]

I might suggest you look at park hours for your stay, suggest everyone in your party suggest one attraction they would like to do, and decide if you want to do any table service meals. And you need to know in advance if you want to do a character meal to make a reservation. Discuss with folks their feelings about sleeping late, getting up early, taking breaks or not.

So - if it's important for someone in your group to see the Electrical Parade - well - you need to go to the MK that evening as it doesn't happen every night. If someone wants to see Fantasmic - well - you need to go to HS that day.

And know a little about the park layout - crisscrossing the park because you are looking at a map the first time when you walk in the park - can lead to alot of extra walking.

My boyfriend REFUSES to plan at all and won't pre-plan anything. We can end up wasting a ton of time figuring out "what to do." I've found that if I make a few decision - which park on which day, a ride/attraction I definitely want to do, a couple of important meals, etc - it gives us some structure to work with. Yep - sometimes those plans change - but it gives us a starting point.

Disney is alot of money - don't go clueless. But no, you don't need to buy a touring plan, don't need to look at crowd levels, don't need to plan every meal in advance, but without any plan or research - you risk wasting time and making some naive decisions that might limit what you actually get to do. For example - showing up at 2 pm to the Animal Kingdom when it closes at 5 pm and realizing you can't do Everest, the safari, the parade, and Lion King show in that time - especially because you spend 20 minutes looking at a map and trying to read the Times Guide. Ouch. A little pre-planning can avoid mistakes like this.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Spreadsheets? Plotting parades? Egad. Overkill and then some.


Now THIS guy's got it right. You're visiting an amusement park, not the entire state of Florida. Want to visit England and see seven different cities before heading over up to Ireland and sigthsee there, too? Yep, you'd better get your maps, agenda and transportation figured out. Visiting a place with roller coasters? Eh, not so much to plan. Pick a park, jump on the right bus, and see whatever that park has to offer. Not too much planning.

I have never once, not even on my first trip, used a crowd counter, bought a touring plan (can you imagine that people actually PAY for this nonsense??) or anything. And certainly not three months out, no less. Yes, you might want to figure out where you are going to be eating, though that time of the year is usually not as crowded so you most likely won't have a problem. But as far as making charts and graphs and spreadsheets and paying people to use their "touring plans", that's just silly.

Disagree, disagree, disagree. I understand everyone has their opinions, and yours is exactly that...an opinion. I respect and understand what you are saying, except when you say that what we do is silly or nonsense. It is silly in your opinion. It is nonsense in your opinion. Anyone who goes to Disney on the dining plan has to have a plan. I have to know exactly which parks I am going to, and when so I know where to schedule my meals. There is no way my family of 7 with my extended family that can bring the number anywhere from 7 up to 16 could walk up to a restaurant and expect to get tables without reservations. Your thinking that we wouldn't have a hard time getting into a restaurant shows me that you either don't eat at many of the restaurants, or you travel in a smaller group. In order to make my reservations, I want to know what is happening on which days in order to plan what days I go to certain parks. For instance...If I am doing BBB with my girls at MK, I need to know if I can get into Cinderella's castle that day to show off their fabulous new looks. I also need to know if MNSSHP is going on that day b/c I might just want to plan BBB so as to be already dressed up for the costume party, and then I also need a reservation for BBB. Or...I may not want to go to MK that day at all b/c it will close early for MNSSHP. I like knowing what time parades are so we can decide to go to them or avoid them. I also like knowing which day is the best and least crowded day to head to HS for Star Wars Weekends. Planning provides my children and myself tons of bonding time. We love to discuss what we want to do, where we want to eat, what we would like to avoid (like Star Wars Weekends...ugh that was rough.), what shows we would like to fit in next time, what shirts we will be making so we can plan a family day doing tie dye and such, etc... kwdw is right. Planning does avoid a lot of time wasting, especially with a big family. My brother went on our last trip with us, and he is going through a pretty bad divorce that he doesn't want. He really just needed someone to plan his trip so he could show up with his kids and have a great time. He still gives me massive praise for planning that trip. He said it was as perfect as he could have imagined it, and he looks back at the time with his kids as his best memories. Someone had to coordinate him coming after we were already there, leaving before we left, his room, his food, everything. He didn't have time to stand around trying to decide what we would do next. I loved planning his trip, and I am doing it again. I paid ten bucks for Touring plans to predict the crowd levels and park hours for me a year in advance. For a full year I can go on that site and check updates made to the predictions. To me and my family, that couple of dollars was well spent. It equals a fraction of a cent each day I have access to it. I make my money, so I spend it on what I feel will benefit me in some way. I have touring plans if I need them, but as long as I know what park I am going to and where I am eating I am usually good. It helps to have them just in case, and it helps to have the info on what shows and parades are scheduled to plan breaks, meals, etc... around what we want to see. It doesn't work for everyone to make a plan, and that's fine. But just because making one doesn't work for someone, doesn't mean it's silly, or a waste of time, or a waste of money, or nonsense. That's how we get from one trip to the next with too much time in between each trip. Having a plan doesn't mean that every day is mapped out by the minute. It is important to go with the flow when we get there as to what rides we want to do and such, but at least we know where we're going and where we're eating at what time, so there's less hassle, especially since we don't use hoppers. Having a plan means I get to spend priceless moments with my babies planning what will be some of our best memories together. I get to find out what matters to them most for this next trip, and what doesn't, and I love hearing them reminisce and plan, and laugh. I would hope that in future you would be interested in not offending those of us who don't share your opinions. I may be wrong, but I hope not. I'm glad your way works for you. I am even happier that my way works for me. After all, it is my trip, paid for by me, planned by me, and ENJOYED by me and my wonderful family!!!

 

[ancestry]

I think veteran disers can wing it without a touring plan but if this is your first time I would highly recommend doing some of the things that the other posters have suggested. Make sure you have dining reservations and know how to use fast passes.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[jclark5735]

we have counter service meals, and I haven't booked any ADR, nor am I planning on it. My kids are a little older, so I don't think we need any character meals. And sit down restaurants are pricey since there are 6 of us. I worked a ton of extra shifts to pay for the vacation and I am working a few more shifts for spending money. Not going to kill myself working when we already get free meals.

I'll look at the plans, but I think we are just going to play it by ear. We do want to see the parades and fireworks, so I'll make sure to check that out.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

we have counter service meals, and I haven't booked any ADR, nor am I planning on it. My kids are a little older, so I don't think we need any character meals. And sit down restaurants are pricey since there are 6 of us. I worked a ton of extra shifts to pay for the vacation and I am working a few more shifts for spending money. Not going to kill myself working when we already get free meals.

I'll look at the plans, but I think we are just going to play it by ear. We do want to see the parades and fireworks, so I'll make sure to check that out.

Counter service meals are great b/c you can share and stretch the meals. We ate breakfast everyday on our trips by sharing our CS credits at every meal. We happen to love TS, so we get free dining at a moderate so as to be able to eat at TS every day. My kids are totally into all the different restaurants. You will be very happy with your choices of CS restaurants! My hubby still talks about some ribs we ate on CS credits!

 

[tinkmom2]

I agree with the PP's that you do need some kind of a game plan going in. If this is your first time you can run into a "deer in the headlights moment" at the parks if you don't have some idea of what you want to do.

Many rides will be hard to get on if you don't go get a fast pass. An example would be the "Toy Story Ride" at HS. Even though we were there to get a fast pass bright and early at 9 AM the return times were still at 4PM. We have been to MK 7 times now and there are some rides we have NEVER ridden. The parades and fireworks are a not to miss also so it helps to find out when those are once you are in the park.

If you have booked your vacation through the Disney sight you can get free maps and add the attractions you want to see. Also I agree with checking park hours to find out when EMH's are. That way you can figure out what parks you want to be in.

We always do TS meals so for sure with a large group you can never just walk in to a place. It has taken me 6 trips to MK to finally get CRT. But even if you are on QS it is helpful to know what types of food you are interested in and you can do moderate research on the Disney sites or here. You can find out what type of food is where and have a better idea of what to do instead of settling for something you may not enjoy.

 

[dizzi]

Without a plan.....we've been doing it for years....it's amusement parks, nothing out of the ordinary..... we've never used a tour plan, crowd counter etc in all our 45 trips and still managed to have a great time and see what we want....

I subscribed earlier in the week but have not had time til now to chime in...

There is a difference in doing it for years with no plan and going for the first time with a bunch of people you possibily feel like are depending on you to show them a great time.