Best way to plan?

[HollyJoy]

A friend told me about this place today and so far, I love it! There's so much useful information here! Anyway, I"m trying to plan our disney vacation. This will be our first time taking our girls (they'll be 5 and 7 when we go) and I was just wondering what you have found to be the best way to plan/organize. Do you keep notes in a notebook, use a program on the computer? What? It seems so overwhelming to try to figure out what rides/attractions that we want to see, hints to remember, etc... Any input would be great! Thanks!

 

[luvsTink]

I am so jealous of you! We just got back from a trip that included a 6 year old a 4 year old and a 16 year old.

I had a spreadsheet on which I listed each day, the parks we would be in and our meals. We started with the parks based on two resources: The Unofficial Guide and Tour Guide Mike. As a newbie I found those resources (along with this board) to be invaluable. Once I id'd the parks we would be at I choose our meals. We decided on two big meals a day with snacks. We always had a late breakfast or early lunch. I went so far as to "guess" what each person would eat so as to have an accurate budget.

As for attractions, both resources I mentioned have stellar touring plans and I personally wouldn't go without them. Having a plan (even if very slowly paced) will help you to avoid what I call the "ummmm, uhhh, hmmm" syndrome: that huge amount of wasted time looking at each other and the map trying to determine what to do next.

Have a great time planning, and believe me, it will all be worth it in the end!

Anne

 

[Melann]

I keep a notebook...I have a Themepark, my resort, dining, fun activites, tips, packing, etc. section in this notebook that I put important information in. I use a three ring binder b/c I can add in pages I print off the internet...I'm a planning freak, and read Passporter and Birnbaums for my trip! Both are very good, might I add! Happy planning...I'm jealous! And...WELCOME TO THE DIS!

 

[HollyJoy]

Thanks for your ideas. I guess no matter how you do it, it's rather overwhelming! We pretty much want to do and see as much as we can, so my "things to see" list will be pretty long. Do you know if there is a listing as to which rides/attractions have Fast Past, or is that something that changes frequently?

 

[DDinGA]

Holly, here is a website that has quite a bit of useful information including the rides in each park that have fastpass

http://allearsnet.com/tp/fastpass.htm

Happy planning!

I hope this helps

 

[dizagain]

It's so much fun to plan!! I spent many a relaxing hour dreaming ans planning for our first trip last year with DD's 6 and 8. It totally paid off and my husband (who teased me mercilessly for my obsession) was bowing to me by the end of the trip!
I used this site, Passporter, and Unofficial Guide to WDW the most. The girls REALLY loved the WDW for Kids by Kids book and still get it out now and again. They have asked me to go ahead and get the 2005 one when I see it...ha! ha!

I kept a notebook all the time, and as it got close to the trip, I began to map out iteneraries with our PS and must-sees. We did great navigating the parks, and I knew when to do certain things,etc. This site can give you tips for almost everything - just ask! Have so much fun planning as I'm still in the dreaming stage for our June '05 trip!

 

[scottsalisbury2003]

I start planning as soon as we pick a date to go. Even as much as a year in advance. First decide whether you want to do the Hoop de doo revue or the Spirit of O'Hana (or both) and figure out which nights they work in your schedule. Then figure out which parks have early entry each morning and plan on starting out there. Then plan a priority seating dinner somewhere each night.

Other things to think about:

Pirate Treasure Cruise (90 days out)
Cirque du Soleil
Fishing excursion in Bay Lake
Breakfast at Cindarella's Castle
Divequest
Fantasmic Dinner Package

All these require advance planning.

Scott

 

[DizBelle]

I'm glad to hear that there are bigger planning freaks than I.

My #1 resource - The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

And I use a monster spreadsheet to plan out each day and note my PS numbers.

 

[01Sweetpea]

You are on the right track by just being here! I printed out everything I saw that I thought I was interested in, and put it in a folder. I also ordered the WDW vacation DVD and bought the UnOfficial Guide. Then at night once the kids were in bed I started going thru everything. Keeping thing I was really interested in and discarding the others.

Then we go to excel the spreadsheets of itineraries, which have been changed more times then I care to admit.

Look at as many websites as possible, this one, allears net, mousesavers, etc. They are all a wealth of information. Last, but not least, we are ALWAYS here to answer any and all questions!

Have fun planning, it's half the fun!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I used a word document listing each day's planned meals, airline times, etc.

Then I did an excel doc for the budget listing everything that required $$ and if it was paid, or when it needed to be paid, inlcuding estimated costs for meals at the restaraunts.

Then I made a checklist on Word for packing.


For fun, I made up another excel sheet for each day until my trip with a different attraction on each day; and then spent that day learning as much as possible about the ride of the day!

 

[noopy]

I ordered plans from a web site that was suggested in this forum! I filled out a questionnaire (mostly, a list of what you want to do) for the park I chose (MK), and they mailed a touring plan 2 days later. It cost $11, but it seems like it's worth it for my first visit to WDW. The schedule they created for me is very relaxed, making me feel less stress about how to get it all in. The person that emailed me-Len- also answered other questions I emailed to them after I received my plan, and they offered suggestions and advice. He even revised my plan after I decided to try some of their ideas. He was soooo nice to work with! I feel very pleased with the plan, but I guess I'll have to judge its value when my DD and I visit in April. I may post a thread to get opinions from those who have used this service.

http://www.touringplans.com/