Anybody ever go without an intinerary?

[Pig Pen]

On our "impromptu" winter trip I have decided NOT to plan an intinerary. Anyone who shares the Disney obsessive/compulsive disease knows how difficult this is.

I have been to WDW dozens of times. I started out as a wide-eyed innocent, then became a Disney nazi commando, and finally morphed into a laid back free spirit.

But, I am determined to do it. We are staying at AKL and I will eat at Boma (my only real plan). I refuse to check the park hours or the entertainment times. I want to do whatever "floats my boat."

I have another trip planned in April which will be a commando type trip with relatives.

Who else goes without planning every minute? How do you feel about it?

 

[ToddBreakey]

I've been going to the World since it opened in 71. First with my parents and now with my family. We have never planned our itenarary. We just decide what ride we are going on first when we are waiting to go in. The only time this changes is when we plan on eating somewhere special (Crystal Palace or King Stephan's for esample). But even then we only plan on when we have to be at the restraunt.

 

[disneysteve]

We always go without an itinerary. We've been there enough times to know our way around and to have seen most everything at least once. We never make dining reservations in advance of our arrival. We decide what park to do each day the nite before. Sometimes, we don't decide until the morning based on the weather. For example, last month we were driving to Epcot one morning and it started raining so we went to MK instead because it is a much better rainy day park.

We will sometimes make dining reservations in the morning when we first enter the park but that's about the extent of our pre-planning.

I could never go to WDW the way many people here do who plan every day and every meal weeks or months in advance. That would drive me absolutely insane.

Steve

 

[arminnie]

I do it all of the time. I only go during off times so it's rarely been a problem to do what I want when the mood hits me.

My trip earlier this month was the most planned one I have ever been on - had reservations for MVMCP, Candlelight Procession, and House of Blues Gospel Brunch. I had an emergency appendectomy within hours of my trip starting so all of those plans went by the wayside. The problem with all of that planning is that 1) It can become a chore to check off all of the items planned for a day and 2) It can be very disappointing if something knocks out your plans.

I guess someone who had never been before might need some structure, but that's not me.

 

[Figaro]

About the only things we plan now are any special meals (like Boma) and then we take notice of which day and what times the evening parade and fireworks are at the Magic Kingdom in case we want to see them. We usually catch a weather report in the evening and will sometimes plan to go shopping off-site if it is going to be rainy the next day.

Heck, we've been known to head out to the bus stop and just take the first bus to the parks that shows up(smile). There are just the two of us and since we always try to travel at the non-busy times have found that we can usually call WDW Dining and get same day PS's without much of a problem.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

I've found the newer you are, the more planning that needs to be done. If it is a "Once in a lifetime" trip (unlike most DIS board members) then by all means get the unofficial guide, have itineraries etc just don't think that you will "stick to" the plan to the end or "check off" all the items.

But, since you've been there dozens of times, go and have fun. You know your way around and what you like/dislike, so go for it. At this point it doesn't take me much to get up to speed on the latest closures, showtimes, etc so my plan can be in my head and be very fluid.

When I take 1st time disney goers, I make them sit through a class (I was a curriculum designer in the Military, so that comes naturally) complete with background music from 16 Disney CDs, and presentations on the parks and the resort we will be staying in. I just lead a group of 35 last June. I am gearing up to lead a group of 100-300 next.

 

[zurgswife]

No itinerary here....except for a few PS's for Dinner...we just wing it..

 

[Efastpitch]

Originally posted by Pig Pen
On our "impromptu" winter trip I have decided NOT to plan an intinerary. Anyone who shares the Disney obsessive/compulsive disease knows how difficult this is.

I have been to WDW dozens of times. I started out as a wide-eyed innocent, then became a Disney nazi commando, and finally morphed into a laid back free spirit.

But, I am determined to do it. We are staying at AKL and I will eat at Boma (my only real plan). I refuse to check the park hours or the entertainment times. I want to do whatever "floats my boat."

I have another trip planned in April which will be a commando type trip with relatives.

Who else goes without planning every minute? How do you feel about it?

What's an inteinerary?

 

[Ducky4Disney]

...but I didn't like it. I am the worst procrastinator of all procrastinaotrs. I take it to a new level. I found the DIS just a month or so before my trip and started reading about how people plan, plan, plan and I had not, not, not done any of that! I started to panic! I needed to SEE and DO everything! Then I realized, "Wait a minute - I can go abck!" So my new itinerary is to do some of the stuff I missed on the last trip. That's it.

I did find that knowing the park hours helps. That way when AK closes at 5 you can hop to the next park that closes later. Also, it is a good idea to check and see what rides/attractions will be closed during your trip. Don't get psyched up for Splash Mtn just to find out that it's closed!

D4D

 

[donac]

We usually go without one. We just check to see how late the parks are open and play it by ear. This past Aug we ate at a couple of restaurants and made the PS either when we went into the park or from FW. We just called after our rest time and made the PS from the house phone.

 

[smjj]

I use to spend a lot of time on creating detailed intineraries the first few trips and would end up following less that half of what was on it. There is just too much going on to follow it. You get there and the kids see something they want to do instead or it rains one day or the lines put you behind schedule or something like that. Now we just make a general one. We make a few PS arrangements and plan to maybe be at one park this day and another park the next day but thats about it. No timetables to follow or plans that have to be rushed to get back on schedule. We just look at whats going on and decide then and there for that day or maybe the next. We are after all on vacation and schedules remind me too much of the office. Hope this helps...smjj

 

[paladin]

The only thing that I plan for is the Candlelight Processional, otherwise I play it by ear. I have been driving down the street still not knowing which park I am going to, though I will sometimes go so far as to decide the night before. I like to just go with the flow and spend lots of time stopping to smell the roses. I find it much more fun and I think you get more out of the atmosphere and the small details when not running to get to the next big thing.

 

[antmaril]

We've been going to WDW for years - I've never had an itinerary. I sometimes make a couple of PS's, but even that is subject to change. We are basically winging it every time.

 

[luv2nascar]

I can't do it
I can try to plan less but can not plan at all
It's like overpacking for me
I can not - not overpack
I can pack less but still too much
plan away

 

[Poohbear123]

Itinerary, and have used it for maybe 1/2 a day, and just winged it the rest of the time. My next trip is in 42 days and will be for 5 nights and 6 days! I plan on NO Itinerary, and on hardly any park visits. I want to explore other resorts and "hang out" at POP Century!

 

[DisneyMim]

Never have had one since WDW opened and never will. The only thing we do, and not always, is make one or two dinner PS.

 

[Pig Pen]

Sorry about the typo. I did it twice too! Remember when they used to make us write our incorrect spelling words on the blackboard 100 times?

itinerary, itinerary, itinerary....

Anyway, I just realized our first day at AKL is Super Bowl Sunday AND the night of the Survivor series premier, so I will need to figure out what to do about that!

You notice I didn't say "plan."

 

[nativetxn]

I rarely have an itinerary anymore but I have several trips each year. That allows me lots of flexibility and I don't really need an itinerary.