Any fellow Over Planners on the board?

[MagicalMomAZ]

Yes...I plan things to death. It's a sickness. Family & friends go with the flow - I like to have a plan, a detailed one too!

If there is anyone on here who actually has made up or used an itinerary for your days at the park(s) .... could I see it? Do you do a "land" at a time, conquer all the rides there then move on? I'm trying to figure out the most time effective way to see as much as possible as we will only have 2 days.

 

[abby]

I too am a planner, and while I have never written a list of what rides we are going to do, I generally know when we start our day what the first hour or two will be and sort of where we will go from there. I learned last year on our DL trip, when my dd and I both got sick, that planning only goes so far. Also, I have found that over planning makes my kid and I cranky as I find myself in a hurry to go to the next thing, and she finds something else along the way she wants to do. So, I think it is important to have a plan, but be willing to stray from it when needed.

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Oh I agree about straying....everytime I have a plan it doesn't go as expected...which is to be expected! I think it makes me feel better to have a plan even though I don't plan on sticking to it rigidly - I may have a neurosis but I'm not psychotic!

Like if we do these so & so rides in a certain land I know I have these so & so restaurants nearby to choose from - that sort of plan.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

omg i plan to death but not so much about which rides to do but like what restaurants to go to, what days I will see shows, do TT, parades, fireworks etc...once I get to the park as far as rides I have my favorites and I do them over and over till they make me go home

 

[Hermosa11]

I consider myself a major planner. I do let things happen once I am at my destination, but I have planned and done sooo much research I feel like a veteran even at a place I've never visited before!

Co-worker was going to Hawaii with dd and staying with friends and their dd and another couple and their children. Condo setting on Ohau. I sit right across from her........I wanted to see where they were staying! I asked: where are you staying. she did not know !!!!! She KNEW she was driving me crazy! she had to call to find out. I then showed here where she was staying. I was the one to inform her that she will be getting a meal and a movie on the plane ride. she did not have a clue. I told her what she was going to eat and what movie she was going to see.

I LOVE to plan plan plan plan away...................

 

[Twinprincesses]

I do!!! In fact I was just down going over what I have planned so far and I thought my DH was going to kill me.

 

[mikayla73]

I am a planner. DH always gives me trouble about being on the computer so much (read: on the DIS ), but he is glad when I know the answers to all his questions and some tidbits that he didn't know I don't (at least not yet, but I feel it coming ) write it all down, with the exceptions of ressies for resturants etc ... I have an idea about what I would like to do and we go from there.

Now when we go to WDW next year, I am sure that will all change. I think we would end up frustrated and tired if we didn't have some sort of plan written down there, especially since it will be our first time

 

[HydroGuy]

I make adaptive plans. It sets a direction for us to go, and then we adapt as necessary based on circumstances. On some days I arrange a default ride order and times we will see certain shows. But it is not written in stone - as things come up we work with it.

For me planning is not so much to get us to specific things at specific times - although sometimes it is - but to give me the information I need to integrate everyone's ideas.

For instance, last summer at DLR I found out about the DCA Animation Studios and Turtle Talk With Crush thru the DLR forums, neither of which we had ever done. Based on my research, I anticipated my kids would want to stay at the Animation Studios for 90+ minutes. I did plan for us to visit the Animation Studios on our second day, but not a particular time. Since no one in our family had been there, no one was excited about going there. So I suggested we try it, and we all went in, and the whole thing was a major highlight. My DS9 sat in front for TTwC and got called to ask Crush a question. We did everything there, and Sorceror's Workshop was also very popular. I finally had to corral everyone (including DW who was wrapped up in the sound studio area) after 90 minutes so we could get back to the hotel for a nap.

I did not plan the Animation Studios as a military operation at a particular time, but I did research it and had a basic idea of what to expect. To my kids it all seemed fairly spontaneous. Without some level of planning, we might have missed this fun activity.

One trap I occasionally fall into is while I am on a particular ride I am thinking about "what to do next". Whenever I find myself doing this, I always stop and force myself back into the present to enjoy the current ride or activity. If you find yourself spending so much time thinking ahead that you are not enjoying the present, you have overdone it and need to drop the plans and get spontaneous.

 

[SilverCeladon]

I also am a planner but now since I have two young children I'm just plan to "go with the flow" and see where it takes us. I am planning when to do and see things but I'm not on any time frame but I do wish to do certain things on a particular day.

 

[twinmommyks]

Yes, I'm an overplanner too. But now with 3 kiddos (which includes a set of twins), I have learned to be a bit flexible with my plans. But I need a plan or we just waste a whole lot of time trying to figure out what to do.

 

[twinsmom2]

I do a spreadsheet with blocks for different shows or reservations that we have and then other blocks for times for rides/character meeting. I also block in nap time so I have a good idea of our day before we go. We stick to it pretty well, and it's nice for us to know the times of shows before hand otherwise we would easily forget something.

 

[mystic_path]

I love to plan things, just to keep things organized (Hotel, eating stops, passports, transportation, rides etc.) incase something goes wrong and then I have a backup plan. But as for when I get to my destination, its free sailing. Its nice to have an idea as to what you wanna do, but its nice to have an open mind so if things dont go as planned, its ok. It gives you room to open your options and it keeps everyone happy.

I mean no matter what, in the end you end up having a good trip anyway, and the things you never got to do, gives you a reason to go back for a 2nd, 3rd, 4th-67th trip

 

[4girlsmom]

I'm planning our Dec. trip around meals. With a group of 9 during peak holiday season, I don't want to spend park time figuring out who's hungry when, who wants what, how long is the wait, etc. So, I'll arrange at least one TS dining PS per day and plan out what counter service/buffeteria places have something for everyone. I'm printing menus from dlresortinfo.com so we can ask the kids ahead of time what they'll want to order. Snacks and shopping will be go-with-the-flow.

As far as rides are concerned, I have to go with HydroGuy's rule about riding your must-do faves early in the trip. Last trip one of my DDs wanted desperately to ride the Matterhorn, but we didn't get around to it until the 3rd day and, wouldn't you know it, it was down. Fortunately it came back up that evening and she spent the rest of the trip riding it repeatedly w/ my DH. Next time we'll put high priority on doing everyone's faves at the get go.

We will be bringing friends for their first Disney (and California) experience ever, so I want them to be able to explore & discover Disneyland at a leisurely pace. I have a basic plan of which parks/lands to visit on certain days, but no specific ride order other than doing Fantasyland at EE. We'll accumulate FPs during the day to use at night. Oh, and with 6 kids... there's definitely a rest period scheduled.