Are you go-go-go visitors who've tried a low key visit?

[roxiepenguin]

DH accuses me of being go-go-go, whether it's 10, 12 or 14 days at WDW or one day at DL. We spend copious amounts of time planning and replanning everything from resorts to dining reservations to FPs. (Side note, we generally plan our trips closer to last-minute, so we're usually well within the 60-day mark.) This possible next trip is no exception--less than 60 days out--BUT we are thinking of going the NO-PLANS route.

Other than one or two must-do faves (he LOVES the Crystal Palace character breakfast), we don't want to plan all of our dining or even many FPs this time, and rather just go with the flow and see what we want to do for the day--on that day.

We've had luck with this on a small scale on previous visits (FPs are generally available day of as are dining reservations to a lot of places), and I do miss that nostalgia of Disney visits past where you could just do what you wanted that day... no plans.

All of that being said, I'm a planner. A list-maker. An organizer.

So my question is for those who do the we'll-sleep-after-vacation/go-go-go/super plan thing and have actually tried a slower pace. (Are there actually any of you out there? Do I just hear crickets?!) ;o) Did you feel like you missed out on anything or did you enjoy stopping to smell the Mickey-shaped roses?

 

[juliekzp]

We are pretty go go, but when we want a low key visit we do only water parks during the day and various non-park restaurants and entertainment in the evening. We love those trips! But if you want park time too, I’d probably still get FPs for the big rides that won’t be available on the day of, make a few dining reservations (that you can always cancel), and then just see where the Disney winds take you

 

[e_yerger]

Hi - it's me, your over-planning nightmare.

This last trip I let go of the reigns and it actually was my favorite trip thus far. You seem like someone who has been frequently, so you know the rides and you've done the big ticket stuff. My tip is to plan like you want to see everything, and then if you're feeling tired at one moment or want to rest, go back to the hotel and swim - find a new place to eat - step of the beaten path. It's okay to skip that FP reservation, and it's okay to cancel/modify dining last minute. Just enjoy your time and live in the now! It completely changed the way I park tour.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I sort of tried it once. It didn’t work. Midway through the trip I revised everything. I like slow and relaxing vacations from time to time but there is nothing at WDW I care to do besides the parks so that just isn’t the place for me to try it.

 

[IluvMGM]

I think it's tough now to not have to plan. I remember the days where you would just hop on the first bus that came, and you didn't need dining reservation or fast passes. Now you're kind of screwed if you don't at least have the basics planned out. That being said, I am a go-go-go vacationer. I want to have fun fun fun until I drop. My boyfriend is more of a, "vacations are for relaxing," type of person. That makes no sense to me, because I can sit around and relax at home. LOL No matter how long the trip is, I still end up feeling like there's not enough time to see it all and ride all the rides as much as I would like. I have the dining reservations booked, a pretty good idea, therefore, of which park for which day. I booked fast passes, but if I end up skipping a few for one reason or another I am okay with that.

 

[KenHutch]

The closest I will ever come is I plan a shopping day in town for the girls. I was a Marine for to many years not to plan everything. I did think I was going to get killed once for this thou. We took my daughters mother with us and in the plan I wrote down break time let them do anything and make them think its their idea. My daughter sold me down the river for a Mickey Bar and showed the plans to her aunt and her mother. OOPS

 

[DisArmyWife215]

I love the planning and being organized! Our first trip was probably over planned and it's the one we've enjoyed the least. Each trip since I've made FP's and ADR's but have also just gone with the flow and cancelled things as we got closer to our trip or even missed FP's day off. And I have to say we as a family are enjoying ourselves much more when we just let things happen organically with a little planning thrown in, cause well it is Disney

 

[roxiepenguin]

Hi - it's me, your over-planning nightmare.

This last trip I let go of the reigns and it actually was my favorite trip thus far. You seem like someone who has been frequently, so you know the rides and you've done the big ticket stuff. My tip is to plan like you want to see everything, and then if you're feeling tired at one moment or want to rest, go back to the hotel and swim - find a new place to eat - step of the beaten path. It's okay to skip that FP reservation, and it's okay to cancel/modify dining last minute. Just enjoy your time and live in the now! It completely changed the way I park tour.

LOL! "your over-planning nightmare"!!! I can so relate!

Yes, looking back at even our last trip, one of our favorite parts was stepping off of the beaten path (which, that day was Epcot) and just leisurely strolling around the Epcot resorts. No plans, nowhere we "needed" to be... just taking it easy.

I love all of your tips, thanks! (And yes, I think that moment is also what kind of changed our park touring. So calm. Well, a trip we'd taken April '18 was also calm and relaxed because we could go back to the hotel and swim at the end of the long day; the trip this last December? Not so much with the earlier pool closing times. [We actually even checked out early and left to go to an off-site for better pool hours. First time off-site, too. And that led to the car rental and a beach day and time away from the parks because we were so 'over it.' <--and that's saying a lot for two Disney fanatics!])

I'm actually getting more excited about a trip that focuses around the pools vs. the parks. (Don't get me wrong, there will still be parkhoppers because I'm not that crazy(!), but the idea of an early morning at a park, most of the day at the hotel at the pool and then an evening back at the park or another park sounds ideal. ESPECIALLY without the "my FP is at this time and the next is at this time and I NEED to be here and then there and lunch reservation is at...." etc.)

Thanks for the first-hand report. It helps, a lot.

 

[roxiepenguin]

I think it's tough now to not have to plan. I remember the days where you would just hop on the first bus that came, and you didn't need dining reservation or fast passes. Now you're kind of screwed if you don't at least have the basics planned out. That being said, I am a go-go-go vacationer. I want to have fun fun fun until I drop. My boyfriend is more of a, "vacations are for relaxing," type of person. That makes no sense to me, because I can sit around and relax at home. LOL No matter how long the trip is, I still end up feeling like there's not enough time to see it all and ride all the rides as much as I would like. I have the dining reservations booked, a pretty good idea, therefore, of which park for which day. I booked fast passes, but if I end up skipping a few for one reason or another I am okay with that.

Yeah... i miss those days, too; no plans, grab a bus and go.

And we're the same: I'm go-go-go for all your exact same reasons, and husband is much more relaxing vacationer... so it's tough to make us both happy. I think we're going to go with minimal ADRs (maybe 2 or 3 over the 10 days), and will just grab a few FPs for different days and well, if that's not the park we end up that day, oh well. (See, I tell myself all of this now and it all sounds great sitting at home... but then that go-go-go mentality hits once I'm there. We're going to hope I can contain it this time...!)

Thanks for your input!!

 

[kclark9830]

We're in the same boat! Every trip I say that's what we're going to do (go with the flow) and then I end up planning everything. Our next trip I am legitimately committing to not over planning. It is SO HARD but I really do think we will love it. It's just that stinking fear of missing out!

 

[Wild4Walt]

I had been to Disney more than 20 time when I met my now husband. I am a planner ( I swear it's in my DNA ) and he's by the seat of his pants. Always.

So for us, our 1st trip to Disney a year after we started dating was the acid test. I asked him some basics when I started the planning process which quickly made me realize if this trip was going to be fun for both of us that I'd have to change my typical strategy of out of the room by 9a and go until I drop.

So for us, I plan at least a 10 day trip so give us time to accomplish some of my must dos. I try to only plan 1 ADR a day so the rest can be QS on the fly. We also use Disney transportation since neither of us want to drive while on vacation ( that is a total switch from my old days were I'd get the car at the airport ). We also go in September when the crowds ( historically ) are a little lower. We can get more done in less time that way.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

This is a very interesting thread for me because as I mentioned earlier I am generally a go-go-go type visitor. However, I am not a big planner. The days I plan are the ones I generally take at a slower pace are the ones I had the most plans because there are always those times where there is a break between where I am now and where I have to be next. Or at least I don’t have time to cram anything in and just relax I’m getting from place a to place b. But when I don’t have a plan beyond spending the day at XYZ park, those are the busiest days because I can fill them with activities on the go.