Best Way to Keep Planning Details Organised?!

[DisneyIzz]

Hey guys,

Getting ready to plan my 9th trip to Disney with my best friend (graduation/birthday trip!) and am well and truly a self confessed organisational freak.

My last trip (Dec. 2012) I took along an A5 binder full of plastic sleeves with all my print outs, reservations, etc.
I used it to store receipts/maps/stickers/unused fastpasses as well, to take home as souvenirs!

Now, it did work, and I love the idea of having a whole binder with EVERYTHING in it, from room costs, to ticket confirmations, to ADRs, but even the A5 binder ended up being quite heavy.

I'll also have somewhat limited luggage space, and the binder did take up a decent bit of space.

I'd love to know how everyone keeps all their details together! I definitely like having a hard copy of it all, even to look back on years later and remember the planning of the trip
Even those who use binders - do you have any tricks to keep the pages from sliding out of the sleeves, or ways to make the load a bit lighter?!

Any advice would be so, so appreciated!
TIA

 

[consumermonkey]

I seem to have ended up with a triple pronged attack.

Firstly I started with a small CHEAP plastic business card file which I have put credit-card sized laminates for luggage tags, mousekeeping envelopes (pre-tipped) and for each day a laminate for what we are planning to do (park opening hours, parades, reservation numbers etc).

Secondly I have the envelope sent by WDW with all thier stuff.

Thirdly I have put all the reservations ont my phone (andriod), playbook (Blackberry) AND my sisters iPad (Apple, via the disney experience ap)

The file is about half A5 on the vertical (so not A6) and easy to store, the envelope is A5 and quite small and doubles up as a handy passport holder too. My phone is in my pocket anyway, so no problems with carrying. Playboo is small enough too. My Sis carries her own iPad, so I don't worry about that!

VERY much overkill on my part and it was not supposed to be this way, but having never used an all tech system, trying those out with the paper being a backup.

 

[Caseheidi]

I always have an Excel Spreadsheet with all our info needed for each day, including addresses, reservation numbers, schedules...whatever we might need. I print a hard copy, and we always take a laptop with everything saved on it.

My DH use to print everything out, but has eased up on that. He now loads all maps and addresses into the GPS and keeps the info on his phone & laptop, so it is easy to get to.

For our tickets and vouchers, DH stores them in the newest plastic office supply envelope/file/wherever he is trying this trip that he carries in a binder. He is very anal about knowing where it is at all times. He also locks all of this in the room safe as soon as we arrive to our hotel.

 

[chadridge]

I really like the PassPorter book I pencil everything in it and as I confirm I write it in pen. You can also get last minute updates online

 

[DisneyIzz]

Thanks for the ideas guys!

I'm definitely hoping to still have some sort of hard copy of my plans, but I'll have to put my phone to good use as well!

 

[starsweeper]

I make an Excel spreadsheet listing everything for each day:
Breakfast (where, when, ressie info)
Morning Park (rope drop, EMH yes/no, rides to accomplish before crowds grow, FP yes/no)
Lunch (where, when, ressie info)
Afternoon Park (parade, rides, FP yes/no, EMH yes/no)
Dinner (where, when, ressie info)
Evening Park (parade/fireworks, rides, FP yes/no, EMH yes/no)

I also have basic info about the hotel, WDW dining number to change ADRs, etc. listed below the daily plan.

 

[Toulouse]

I highly recommend the "TripIt" app/site

www.tripit.com

You can forward all your confirmation emails and it will build you an itinerary automatically.

If you have a smartphone, you can also download the app for it and have it at hand, otherwise you can just use the website and print it all out in one place.

This way, even if you lose your binder with all of your stuff it is still available online if worse comes to worse.

 

[wdwpirates]

I went with the binder on our last trip. I am going full on digital on this trip! I have a Samsung Galaxy II and an iPad and between the 2 of those we should be golden!

I will most likely make PDF's of my "stuff" and then save it to both devices and Dropbox.

 

[SCRAPBOOKQUEEN]

Hi,

If you would e-mail me at krsmith@salud.unm.edu, I will send you a spreadsheet that was shared with me. It sooooo helped and I just made sure that I had several copies of my final and then took it to the park in my carry bag or purse. If I lost it or it got wet I had another copy in my room. Hopefully you might find that helpful.

Scrapbookqueen
Kellie

 

[Phil Cirrone]

That is such a good idea!

 

[magicalmoments4]

Hi,

If you would e-mail me at krsmith@salud.unm.edu, I will send you a spreadsheet that was shared with me. It sooooo helped and I just made sure that I had several copies of my final and then took it to the park in my carry bag or purse. If I lost it or it got wet I had another copy in my room. Hopefully you might find that helpful.

Scrapbookqueen
Kellie

Can you share that spreadsheet as well with me

 

[DisneyIzz]

I went with the binder on our last trip. I am going full on digital on this trip! I have a Samsung Galaxy II and an iPad and between the 2 of those we should be golden!

I will most likely make PDF's of my "stuff" and then save it to both devices and Dropbox.

As much as I love having hard-copy planners, I'm definitely going to try your approach and keep it mostly digital this time!
Hopefully getting an iPad soon, so that'll come in handy I'm sure