Are we the only ones?

[Cadiewampus]

Just curious about something. I read lots of posts on here from people who have everything planned for their trips. Nothing wrong with that at all but is my family in the minority. The only thing I ever plan is where we are staying. My ds's are 9 and 16, my wife and I all just love to get there and fly by the seat of our collective pants.

 

[Nie0214]

You aren't the only ones, but I would suggest at least booking one sit-down meal. The fast-food fare from Counter Service restaurants could get tiring quickly.

I think Disney's change of Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) to 90 days will help people like you who don't want to plan everything in advance.

I went in September and had every meal planned, and we had great food and a great time (Mom, Brother, Myself). I'm going solo at the start of Februrary, and I don't have park tickets, no dining reservations, etc. All I know is my flight lands on Sunday, and I'm staying at POP. I'm looking forward to just relaxing and not thinking about anything! I can say I don't have a plan all I want, but I am a planner, so even though I've nothing planned, I have an outline in my head.

 

[BeckityBobbidyBoo!]

I think it would be easier with older kids, like you have. Still, I like knowing as much info about different possibilities at the parks. While a bad lunch might not ruin your trip, a lot of little unpleasant things could add up and make a trip less enjoyable (not so great food, not being able to get to the good food because no reservations were made, waits in line that could be avoided with some prep, going to a park that will be more crowded, etc.)

 

[okeydokey]

We usually plan out what parks what days, but that even changes according to the weather or changes in park hours etc. We try to stay pretty relaxed and don't plan everything out ahead of time. Of course we do a lot of research ahead of time though and that's what allows us to roll with the punches. I could never follow an actual touring plan or have ADRs every day.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Just curious about something. I read lots of posts on here from people who have everything planned for their trips. Nothing wrong with that at all but is my family in the minority. The only thing I ever plan is where we are staying. My ds's are 9 and 16, my wife and I all just love to get there and fly by the seat of our collective pants.

That's great, but if you want a sit down/table service meal in WDW, then you need to do a little planning. Most of the popular places book up months in advance and during busy times of year won't even take walk-up customers. If you are doing all fast food and a sit dowm meal doesn't matter to you, then no you probably won't have any problems.

 

[Iott Family]

No, im sure you are not the only ones. Our first trip as a family and my trips BK(before kids) were never planned out like they are these days with 6 of us! We had a blast then and we have a blast now! I say if it works for you and you feel like you are getting your monies worth then why let us OCD vactioners rain on your parade??? LOL!

 

[donac]

ON our last trip the only thing we planned is where were going to stay and to do a Segway tour one morning.

 

[msmayor]

I will plan a few sit-down meals, but NEVER insist that we be in whatever park the restaurant is on that particular day. We fly by the seat of our pants in terms of what to do on each day, and the plans are VERY fluid. We each get to choose one specific activity that we MUST do while there during the week, but other than that we just go with the flow.

We have always known that you can't see and do it all in one trip, so it always gives us an excuse to think about going again.

I live my 'regular' days as a slave to a calendar and schedule as do the kids at school. The very LAST thing we want on vacation is a schedule to keep.

 

[MiniGirl]

Very little advanced planning here, too. I have even been known to call CRO on the way to WDW to get a room for the night. LOL!!

Of course, we are only 90 minutes away and passholders and do lots of short last minute trips, and my girls unerstand that we may not be able to stay, but we go and have fun anyway.

Oh, and we have always been able to have a sit down meal. It may mean eating at 5:00 or some other reallt early or late time, but with the exception of a character meal like CRT, we've had no problems.

 

[ms_missy66]

We did that once and regretted it. Though I do wish that approach would work for our family. I find all of the planning exhausting. I just like sit-down meals too much to miss out on them! ;-)

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We plan what park what day, but that could always change. We do make ADR's so we kind of plan around that each day but they are normally at night and we get the hopper pass so no big deal there. I don't sit down and plan what to ride or see, we just roll with the flow.

 

[alyssa810]

We also don't plan much other than where we're staying! If we have a special occasion and definitely want to eat somewhere specific, we still usually don't make any arrangements until we're in WDW. The only time I can think of us making an ADR way out was when we were going to be at DL for my birthday and we wanted to eat at the blue bayou, but even then walk-ins were getting seated. We're bringing my parents next month, and I'd really like to take them to Ohana but like others have said, we don't know where we're going to be which day...and our moods change daily so we'll probably just decide when we're down there.
The only other time we make any advance plans is if there's an event going on, like when they have the pin events...
...we're on vacation, it's nice not to be on a schedule...

 

[jmj2wdw]

If that works for your family, then go with it!
If you want a TS or character meal though, I would consider making an ADR when you can.

 

[laceemouse]

We plan which park/which day and schedule one ADR at that park. We do not hop and need at least one decent meal a day. Other than that though, we have no real plan of what to see or do each day.

 

[DawnM]

If I were going when the parks are more crowded, I would plan more, but we try to go off-season as much as possible and little planning is needed then.

Last year we go those Year of a Million Dreams fast pass things and we never needed to use them as the parks weren't crowded.

Dawn

 

[phins_jazy]

The only planning we do is make our resort ressies and one trip to Chef Mickeys. Everything else is whatever we feel like in the morning.

 

[Cadiewampus]

We also don't plan much other than where we're staying! If we have a special occasion and definitely want to eat somewhere specific, we still usually don't make any arrangements until we're in WDW. The only time I can think of us making an ADR way out was when we were going to be at DL for my birthday and we wanted to eat at the blue bayou, but even then walk-ins were getting seated. We're bringing my parents next month, and I'd really like to take them to Ohana but like others have said, we don't know where we're going to be which day...and our moods change daily so we'll probably just decide when we're down there.
The only other time we make any advance plans is if there's an event going on, like when they have the pin events...
...we're on vacation, it's nice not to be on a schedule...

I guess I am lucky in that my boys don't like to do the Character meals as they think it takes to much time away from rides. Plus they are both cheeseburger freaks and we can get those anywhere. I will say that we will do a sit down meal a couple of nights at whatever resort we stay at. Of course that usually takes just me going by and making a reservation the morning before. The last couple of times we have stayed at AKL and eaten at Jiko. It is always good.

 

[Michelina]

I always make my ADR's way in advance but this time I just felt too confused because we're going with our baby. I only called yesterday and couldn't believe that I got everything I wanted with lunches at noon and dinners at six! It makes me hopeful for low crowd levels

 

[KJ and Crew]

I am a spontaneous person, but we had a bad experience on our one and only day in MK.

My little kids and my sister's teens were stuck on the Carousel of Progress when they heard the banging and popping of Wishes. It was our ONLY day in a park, and they were missing it! They ran frantically looking for a corridor at the back of the ride, but it's a maze for employees and no exits! With every, "great big beautiful tomorrow" chorus, the teens grew angrier and angrier! (My sister and I thought it was a little funny, though)

We also took the whole family on Stitch's Escape before freaking my little one out and having a HORRIBLE start to the day...

Soooo... the pendulum swung and I became an obssessive planner to avoid pitfalls in the future!

I don't understand the word "balance."

 

[GoofyFairie]

We pick our hotel and I get park hours. That's it. We decide the night before or the morning of where we are going for the day. No touring plans. We try to make sure that we do at least one thing that everyone wants to do each day. And my kids were 4 and 7 on our trip. It's vacation- I'm not going to be held to a strict schedule!