Anyone else beyond the planning thing?

[kikiq]

PS - A question, when was the last trip you picked up park maps as you enter a park? We stopped about 5 years ago.

My DH only picks them up for the cover. He cuts them up and puts them on his bulletin board in his office. I don't think I've picked one up and opened it in several years.

The only planning I do now besides make the reservations with MS is check park hours/EMH. Last year, the first day of all three trips, we just got on the first bus that rolled up and went from there.

 

[disneydenisel]

Kudos for being relaxed and unplanned ! That is how we typically do our WDW trips. Being from California, enough planning goes into finding decent airfare (stress, stress, stress because we usually fork out $2000-2400 for the four of us). Booking the DVC is the easy part! Then it's on to find the tickets at about $2000 also (good for two trips in two years). By the time that is done, I am too relieved to do any other planning. We just show up and play it by ear every day. We have yet to make any dining reservations, because we really have no idea where we might be each day. We look at the hours and parades and shows schedule when we get there.

I love being unplanned, because the upfront planning is way too much work!

 

[Elise79]

We have gone full circle in 5 years! When first returned to WDW in 2006 after a break (due to getting married, buying a house etc) we didn't plan anything except which parks had EMH - we didn't have ADR's and ate offsite. Did the DVC tour but didn't have the cash to buy then

2007 was our first Free DDP trip - planned parks, ADRs full on for 14 nights

2008 - last minute trip when I was pregnant with DD had limited planning as I was unsure how tired I would get but planned it so we knew we would see each park.

2009 - full on planned trips with ADRs every day esp as one was free DDP (also bought DVC this year! ) these were our last 2 non DVC trips!

2010 - First trip was fairly planned, second less so just a few ADRs

2011 - Well we leave in 6 weeks and we do have 10 ADRs inc 4 Character breakfasts (for a 14 night stay) as it is the last trip DD will be free so decided to make the most of it as I am not pay $11 for her to not eat! However one of those is a lunch for me & DD as DH will be out and I can not face a CS meal with a 2 year old on my on!

However our end of September trip has given me a lot of stress - as I am not used to planning any more and we decided we would like to see Fantasmic! and MNSSHP - Well this meant I needed to plan and it was a shock! Booking ADR's has just become about spacing them out for any restaurants we want not having to look specific days.

I like not having to worry about seeing everything this time as I know there will be a next time

 

[HayGan]

PS - A question, when was the last trip you picked up park maps as you enter a park? We stopped about 5 years ago.

We actually pick a stack of them up every trip from each park. Our oldest is autistic and he loves maps. We have a whole box full of them. (I also take tons of napkins to use occasionally at home when I'm needing a Disney fix LOL!)

 

[akl-fan]

I have 3 ADR's booked for our fortnght trip in September. I have made no other plans. I wll look at the leaflet at check with the EMH on it, and make some decisions from there.