Am I insane................

[CinRell]

Thanks, Madi

 

[denanbob]

TGM is Tour Guide Mike. It is a planning website. See banner above. He gives very specific times to do certain things, but asks that they not be shared here. I think that the OP shared accidentally.

Yes, I did! I found Tour Guide Mike before I found the DIS boards. TGM is a paid service and you agree to a non-disclaimer agreement when you join. It makes perfect sense because this is how this guy makes a living, so if I pay for it and then spread the word to thousands of other people (who are potentially paying customers), I'm esentially stealing from him. I accidentally noted a bit of "his" information in my original post by mistake. With the big TGM banner across the top of the board, sometimes I get confused which board I'm on! LOL! Anyway, thanks again for all of the suggestions everyone! I love the DIS boards for the volume and friendliness which is why I visit both forums.

 

[KevinM]

My answer to the title of this thread: yes

I've found that meticulous planning is great for adults, but not so great for the kiddies. Relax a little, you're on vacation!

The word "itinerary" should never be used in the same paragraph as the word "vacation".

Good luck, but remember to take the time and smell the roses.....

 

[denanbob]

My answer to the title of this thread: yes

I've found that meticulous planning is great for adults, but not so great for the kiddies. Relax a little, you're on vacation!

The word "itinerary" should never be used in the same paragraph as the word "vacation".

Good luck, but remember to take the time and smell the roses.....

I totally see your side here and believe me, I'm just using this as a "guide". If we get sidetracked or if the FP windows don't work out as I have it scheduled, well then we'll just wing it. (Seems like alot of work if it goes right out the window in the first hour, huh?) I just wanted some type of idea of what we'd like to see since we don't have the luxury of spending 3 days per park (I'm so jealous to those that can do 2 week vacations). So this will hopefully optimize the time that we have to fit in all that we'd like to do. I know it's not foolproof, though, and I'm not going with the attitude of "do or die".

 

[Madi100]

I totally see your side here and believe me, I'm just using this as a "guide". If we get sidetracked or if the FP windows don't work out as I have it scheduled, well then we'll just wing it. (Seems like alot of work if it goes right out the window in the first hour, huh?) I just wanted some type of idea of what we'd like to see since we don't have the luxury of spending 3 days per park (I'm so jealous to those that can do 2 week vacations). So this will hopefully optimize the time that we have to fit in all that we'd like to do. I know it's not foolproof, though, and I'm not going with the attitude of "do or die".

You are still going to be there for a good amount of time. Are you planning on going to the parks when you get there and the day you leave? With the new pricing, it doesn't cost much more to do the extra days. Have you planned at all to do rides twice? This was our fourth trip, and I think that we saw less than we've ever seen before. And, the reason is that we really let our girls dictate what we did. Of course, I said where we were going on each day. But, we really liked Soarin'. DH LOVED it. So, we went on that twice right in a row. Not planned. But still fun and no wait. We went on it last thing at night, which I would really recommend, by the way. We rode Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain more times that I can count.

Are you planning on doing extra magic hours? We did the evening ones, and we really got a lot done at Magic Kingdom that way. We weren't much for the morning ones, though.

And, about what another poster said about your youngest wanting to see characters, World Showcase is a perfect place to see some of the characters without long lines. Maybe not Mickey and Minnie, but the princesses. Character meals are a great way to see characters, too.

 

[WINTER]

in my opinion, you have over planned. Just go into the parks and enjoy!

 

[4theloveofdisney]

In all of our trips, doing Fantasyland first has always worked better. By afternoon, it fills up so much so that ride wait times are terrible. Utilizing Fast Pass is the way to go but I would hit Fantasyland first thing instead of last.

 

[LaughinPlace289]

........to think that we can accomplish all of this on our MK day? Here is the plan so far (after arriving before rope drop of course):

FP Buzz on the way to Space Mountain
Ride Space standby
See Stich
Ride Buzz with FP
Take red path to Toontown and catch Railroad to Frontierland
FP Splash
Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad standby
(if time left before Splash FP, visit Tom Sawyers Island while waiting)
Ride Splash with FP
Ride Haunted Mansion
FP Peter Pan right before lunch
Lunch
Ride Peter Pan with FP
Ride Winnie the Pooh
Ride Tea Cups
Ride Snow White
FP Philharmagic before leaving for break
Break (will it be 2:00? Or will it be 8pm by now? )

After our break (about 2 hours), we'd like to return in the evening and see SOME of these:

Philharmagic with FP
Jungle Cruise
Swiss Treehouse
Tiki Room
Hall of Presidents
Carousel
Small World
Ariel
Astro Orbiter
Indy Speedway

**Note: No plans for Toontown (other than to catch the Railroad). I think my kids are old enough that it won't be a MUST see. Also, all of the evening plans (except Philharmagic and Jungle Cruise) are not MUST do's for us. If we can't get to them, it will be ok.

Thanks for any ideas/suggestions.

CHILL. It's suppost to be a vacation. It's much more enjoyable if you just go with the flow rather than planning everything out right down to how and when you're going to get there.

 

[denanbob]

CHILL. It's suppost to be a vacation. It's much more enjoyable if you just go with the flow rather than planning everything out right down to how and when you're going to get there.

Jeez. Maybe that is how YOU enjoy a vacation, but we are paying LOTS of money to go on this "once-in-a-lifetime" trip (we will not be annual visitors, we just can't afford it), and we'd like to try and see as much as possible by using our time wisely. We don't want to get there and walk in and just not know where to go or what to do. Again, I'm not saying it's MY WAY OR BUST, it was just a guideline. I know alot of people plan itineraries and I was wanting suggestions from those who are experienced in planning/using touring itineraries. Sorry our style of vacation isn't the same as yours, but I guess I was a little offended by your CHILL comment.

 

[snowbunny]

I had a spreadsheet directing us from ride to ride

I'd like to forget I ever read that, but I can't.

 

[Anna114]

Oh I ditto this comment! My family and I haven't done half of fantasyland because we didn't want to wait on long lines.

Have a magical day,
Anna

In all of our trips, doing Fantasyland first has always worked better. By afternoon, it fills up so much so that ride wait times are terrible. Utilizing Fast Pass is the way to go but I would hit Fantasyland first thing instead of last.

 

[denanbob]

Oh I ditto this comment! My family and I haven't done half of fantasyland because we didn't want to wait on long lines.

Have a magical day,
Anna

So it's best to grab a FP for Space, ride Buzz standby, and then dart over to Fantasyland in the AM, huh? I'm worried about the wait times for Splash and BTMR too though. Do you think the standby's for FL rides are longer in the afternoon than the lines for BTMR, and Splash Mountain?

 

[WeLuvDisney05]

To answer your title....No, I Don't think your insane. It sounds to me like you have a plan & if you can do most of it then great & if not...no biggie, Right?! Yes, your list seems like a lot But I guess what I'm trying to say is....it seems that your attitude about it all is in the right place, if you know what I mean, And that is all that matters. So don't worry about the negative comments! I can't give much advice about what to do first/what's more crowded when b/c the last 2 x's that I've gone to MK was during the MVMCP & it was Not crowded at all! I Loved it....Quite a few rides were walk-on's-Sweet! I had a list that was similar to yours (well not quite as big But Very Close!) We did everything on our list & the "if we have time stuff" we did all except for maybe one...I think it was the tea cups (which we could've done but it was getting late, Oh well, maybe next time). I remember showing my DH my list beforehand and he thought I was insane But I still brought it along....Overall it just gave us an idea of our top things to do. When we got there we didn't Just stick to the list...We made sure to take time to enjoy the magic & do some xtra's that weren't as important to us! Our last trip (with our list) was the best ever!....Even my hubby agreed! Have Fun!

~Kristi

 

[Madi100]

Jeez. Maybe that is how YOU enjoy a vacation, but we are paying LOTS of money to go on this "once-in-a-lifetime" trip (we will not be annual visitors, we just can't afford it), and we'd like to try and see as much as possible by using our time wisely. We don't want to get there and walk in and just not know where to go or what to do. Again, I'm not saying it's MY WAY OR BUST, it was just a guideline. I know alot of people plan itineraries and I was wanting suggestions from those who are experienced in planning/using touring itineraries. Sorry our style of vacation isn't the same as yours, but I guess I was a little offended by your CHILL comment.

I hope you weren't too offended by the people telling you to relax. You've got to find a happy medium. And, some people just really want to know exactly where they are going. So, if you are one of those planners, then go for it. If you want to plan and know what you are doing every day and be more structured, then do it. I think the best way to be successful with that plan, though, is to make sure that you are flexible. You will put a lot of time and effort into planning, but it won't be worth it if you aren't having a good time. I'm one of those that doesnt' plan too much. But, I know there are a lot of people that do plan.

 

[KevinM]

I hope my previous post isn't construed as being negative! We had no plans at all on our first trip, and we did miss out on alot. Fortunately, I found the DIS when I returned and subsequent trips were much more enjoyable.

My point is that overplanning can sometimes ruin the spontaneous fun that you can experience, especially on your first trip. The little ones will be exhausted in the first few days, both from all the walking and the over-stimulation and excitement. I found that character lines often disrupt plans; "Let's go see Donald!". Next thing you know you are 3 hours behind "schedule".

Work out a loose plan or guideline and stick to it as much as possible. Don't try to do everything - it can't be done in one trip. But remember not to sacrifice fun in order to cover all the bases.

 

[denanbob]

Work out a loose plan or guideline and stick to it as much as possible. Don't try to do everything - it can't be done in one trip. But remember not to sacrifice fun in order to cover all the bases.

I think this is excellent advice - well taken! And I don't find it negative in the least. Thanks!

 

[k_k_100]

Plan! Plan! Plan! It is a must! Wandering around w/out a plan for the MK will only lead to tired, frustrated children standing in line for 1 hour to ride Pooh

I have to agree - Fantasyland first - If you go for a fast pass for Peter Pan just before lunch you might not be able to get on till late in the evening.

 

[Anna114]

I think it's best to do FL in the AM. I haven't gone too many times but everytime I make the same mistake lol. Everytime I go back I get to knock another one or two off the list! Doing it this way is taking too long to get through FL )

Have a magical day,
Anna

So it's best to grab a FP for Space, ride Buzz standby, and then dart over to Fantasyland in the AM, huh? I'm worried about the wait times for Splash and BTMR too though. Do you think the standby's for FL rides are longer in the afternoon than the lines for BTMR, and Splash Mountain?

 

[dbenlee]

Are you going thru Toon Town to catch the train because you want to ride the train or to use that as transportation to Frontierland? If you using it as transportation, it might be faster to walk thru the hub to Frontierland. If I remember right the train stops at the main gate station before proceeding to Frontierland and that stop could slow you down a little. If you are doing this in order to ride the train, by all means do it this way, The train is great and I love riding it!! Have fun and good luck!!

 

[Madi100]

Does Fantasyland slow down at all during the afternoon for the parade or during the time that people take breaks? Isn't there sometime other than the morning that is good for Fantasyland?