Anyone else feel like they WAY overplan?

[kittylady1972]

Hello...overplanner here too!

It's hard NOT to overplan because we have a large group and we enjoy some meals at Disney Restaurants...so ADRs are a must. Plus one of our upcoming trips is Thanksgiving week...those ADRs are all done for a party of NINE of us!

Now I have to add in the FP+ and I'm wondering how well I'll be able to do scheduling a party of SEVEN on rides. Is that going to limit us? I'm not sure.

I keep telling myself, as many times as we have been, we don't need to do it ALL. If we miss a ride...it's okay. We don't need bit sitdown dinners...they take up so much time. And the first trip coming up is supposed to be during a VERY low travel time...late September...haven't been at that time in many, many years.

My one priority is at least one ride for all of us on 7DMT. I'm really hoping we can even knock that out on our night of arrival. Plan lands around 7pm at MCO. We have a car rental and carryon luggage. We know where we are going. We'll be staying at SOG which is a monorail ride from MK which closes at 9pm that night. I'm thinking arrival, drop the luggage, hit the park for one of the last rides of the night. Doable?? Maybe.

Now the next morning is MK for EMH, so that may be our next best shot. Hit MK for rope drop (we are early risers anyway) and ride 7DMT first thing. Have a few FP+ scheduled that morning.

Really worried about getting any FP+ scheduled with only 30 days advance...for all seven of us. Just don't know what that is going to be like.

Since we have the Annual Passes with waterparks, I'm also really thinking of doing both waterparks for at least a few hours at some point during our trip. We have 4 full days to squeeze them in right now. So trying to only plan our days through some lunch ADRs. With F&W plans, we know from experience that eating and drinking around the world will mean we won't need dinner at least for the days/evenings we plan to do that. Plus one night devoted to the MNSSHP means I don't want dinner that night either.

This should make it easier really. I have already scheduled at cancelled at least a dozen or more ADRs as I refine my plans. Once I get FP+, those may make me change my plans. I'm still struggling with how to fit those in as well.

Thanksgiving trip will be much more planned out. This September "bonus" trip I'm trying not to overplan. Hope I succeed!

 

[TygerHawks]

No...not an overplanner, I am only reading up for my vacation next year

Oddly enough, I spent over six months planning for our trip last year. When we got to the parks, we basically threw the plans out. But because the research was done, we had an easier time at the parks. Turned into a planned unplanned trip which was awesome!

 

[cinderkelly]

I too am in the over planners club I am trying really hard not to over plan this vacation, which is why we changed our plans to do DW for 5 days to DW form2 days and a 4 day Disney cruise. My husband says this way I can have the best of both worlds, I can plan the heck out of two days then cruise time is all about relaxing!

I think for me all the planning in a way extends my vacation, I love the planning process and consider it an actual part of my trip because the "being there" part goes way too fast!

Have fun planning but remember to roll with it if the plan gets changed!

 

[fla4fun]

It's hard not to get swept up in the FP+ and ADR frenzy. But I have found that I end up cancelling any reservations by halfway through the trip, just to enjoy being in the moment at WDW. So for the next trip, which is ten days, I have booked FP+ for the first four days, and one ADR, and the last six days are still wide open. That way, I know I will get into my absolute favorites, but I will have time to just relax and enjoy myself as well.

But each family is different, so there's nothing wrong with planning each day full of activities, and nothing wrong with doing a total "wing it" trip either. Whatever works best for you is what you should do.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Not me...but we dont usually try and plan our entire day.

We know what parks we want to be in on what day, so that lets us know where we should and shouldn't eat and when we should eat. Then, we pick the FPs that coincide with those parks. Outside of coordinating our FPs with certain things that are time sensitive like parades and shows, I don't try to overdo it.

I would say the most detailed my planning gets is for something like Festival of Fantasy Parade. Our plan is to get to Frontierland around 2:30, then I have a FP for Splash at 2:40 - 3:40 so after the parade we will catch the tail end of our splash FP, then walk right next door where we have a FP for Thunder from 3:40 - 4:40. So, for the most part I know what we are doing from about 2:30 - 4:30 or so.

 

[LSUfan4444]

you need to be flexible

I agree 100%. I think it is good to have a plan, but be able to throw the plan away and start from scratch if need be. Disney changes things sometimes with little to no notice and if your plan is too rigid to adapt, you're stuck missing out.

 

[dkrauss]

It's hard not to get swept up in the FP+ and ADR frenzy.

A truer statement has not been written!

Doug

 

[wareagle57]

I agree 100%. I think it is good to have a plan, but be able to throw the plan away and start from scratch if need be. Disney changes things sometimes with little to no notice and if your plan is too rigid to adapt, you're stuck missing out.

I like to plan the first 2 hours of the day. That is usually as far out as you can be accurate. Then I just have a general time table for when to try and ride certain things. Now with FP+ though, it's turned into planning the first 5 hours if I use them at the first park. MK has so many options now it makes my head hurt. But there's also almost no wrong plan.

 

[ryanmac]

I plan on underplanning sometime, but it's not in the plans to do so at this time.

This comment had me rolling!

Im having fun reading up on Disney and overplanning everything but I know that going to the park with a group of nine that we wont be able to follow any plan I try to force on the group.

I like the idea of knowing what options are available and having one or two ADR's and 3 FP+ is probably as close a plan as we can hope to stick with.

 

[GotLabradors]

I want to over plan in the very worst way. However, the next trip is 4 families going together (16 of us). I'm the only one who has been to WDW. The other 3 moms are overwhelmed at just the sheer amount of information available on WDW vacations. I'm thinking the best thing might be to just plan our fast passes and our TS ADRs for dinner and then just let the rest of the day play out. Everyone is getting hoppers, so this will help our flexibility a bit, not to mention we've decided to go in September which will help with crowds. I have 14 months to obsess!

 

[adventurous6]

I just posted my plans because I need some validation they look okay (our first trip). But after I get some feedback and make any necessary changes, I need.to.be.done. I have read at least 6 guidebooks cover to cover, spent countless hours on here, reading Trip Advisor review, blog posts, etc. I am just overwhelmed by the amount of information and unknowns (since I've never been to Disney). Also, when I started planning, Legacy FP was still in place, 7DMT/A&E were not yet on the radar and I planned everything and then later had to change plans with the new FP/attractions.

 

[Clawdya]

Yes. I was actually happier going to Disney before discovering DIS, easywdw etc etc we just went. And every trip was great. Now I find myself feeling anxious- did I plan the perfect trip? Are we hitting the right parks on the perfect days? Did I pick the perfect ADR's to match our perfect plan 180 days in advance?

Don't get me wrong- it's super helpful now that we have a little one, and my mil remarked how smooth our last trip went, so I know planning is worth it. I'm grateful for all these websites. But I find myself feeling anxious until we actually get to WDW. And FP+ and Anna and Elsa has added a whole new level of anxiety.

Ah ignorance is bliss ....I miss those days but now that I know, I just can't go back to showing up without a plan.

 

[asmit4]

We have the opposite experience. Before I found these boards our trips STUNK. Long lines, cruddy places to stay offsite, crappy CS food at whatever we could find, did I mention the LONG lines??

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I used to plan like that. but one day I got tired of stressing myself out about it and have since stopped all the over planning.
Now I tend to go the other way - very little planning.

So this next trip, I'm hoping I found my happy medium. I planned my park days, made 2 ADR's and tomorrow need to start figuring out my FP+ stuff since my booking date is coming up soon.
I hope I don't stress myself out about the FP+. It was a pain to figure out when I went with the family so I'm hoping I do better this time.

Best of luck to you! And have a fun trip.