Can you overplan?

[OneExcitedMomma]

Me again! Do you think you can plan too much for a Disney trip? My extremely patient, laid-back DP thinks I'm overplanning. I'm just so excited! It will be our first trip and we'll really only have 3 full days in the parks. I want to maximise our time enjoying ourselves, and limit the time wondering around looking for places to eat, and then regretting making bad choices! I want to reserve where I can in advance and peruse the menus here on my couch at my leisure, and make informed choices on what I know my girls will eat, and most importantly, what they'll enjoy. (And it will be nice to have an idea of how stretched our budget is going to be!)

One thing I am having a problem deciding is this: Our youngest turns 3 on our trip. I was thinking of booking a character tea for us at Plaza Gardens which works out at €72, bit expensive for a tea perhaps? We have also plans to have dinner at Cafe Mickeys one of the nights. Would it make more sense just to order her birthday cake here for an extra €22? Seems like the characters are very involved at these dinners? I did consider Auberge de Cendrillon for her b'day also, but don't know if the menu is something the girls would relish. i do like the look of those glass slippers though!

For our other 2 dinners, we (meaning I), are looking at Buffalo Bills Wildwest Show and Annettes.

Lunch is looking like Rainforest Cafe, and maybe 2 of the fast food ones like Fuente del Oro (DP loves spicy food) and Au Chalet de Marionette. Does this seem kind of reasonable or too over-planned????

Again, all opinions and advice taken on board, even if you do agree with my DP.

 

[DLPdaft]

I'm like you, I love planning, especially for DLP!!!

I'd say, if you're having dinner at Cafe Mickey's anyway, have her birthday cake there at the same time. We did the tea party at the Plaza Gardens, and it was great, but that was the only character meal we did.

We haven't done the Rainforest Cafe yet, but are planning on a lunch there this time round. Annettes is really good value for money I feel, and there are good children's options there. We didn't plan anything for lunches etc in the park, just went with the flow, and ate wherever we happened to be at lunchtime.

Elaine

 

[A Small World]

By all means plan ahead but also be prepared to change your plans whilst there. If you try to stick rigidly to what you have planned it can spoil the holiday sometimes.

If you book Buffalo Bills in advance you will pay for it in advance which is good in one sense as it is paid for but means you cant cancel it (well you can but youve still paid)

I think you can book and pay for the character tea party in advance as well although we just booked it whilst we were there.

With other places you can book in advance but then cancel your booking if you change your mind. (You cant book for Annetes or rainforest cafe)

We did character tea party which we really enjoyed and hag good cahracter interaction. there was a good selection of food both savoury and sweet but we didnt have it as a birthday tea (with Bday cake). In one sense it seems a waste to me to have it like this as there are already loads of cakes there which youve paid for so why have yet another. If you do choose this option ask to take the remains of the cake away with you at the end- there were loads of half eaten birthday cakes left on the tables at the end.

However having the cake at another restaurant (eg Mickeys) means you have it instead of desert.

We tended to eat our main meal at lunch time then just grabbed a sandwich or hotdog in the evening as it gave us chance to escape the crowds for a while at lunchtime.

If you do plan to eat at Mickeys definitely book as it gets very busy and if you want to eat at annettes in the evening try to be there by 6.00 or before the park closes otherwise everyone heads there when the park closes (its the first restaurant inside the Village from the park end so often the first one people stop at.

 

[winchamwench]

I am like you and believe in planning. I am already in planning mode for our trip this December.

I have only one previous trip to refer to a couple of years ago when we went 9 - 13 Nov for the beginning of the Christmas Season. Everyone quite happily left all the planning to me and very sadly I had an itineray planned for each day down to which rides we would do and options for eating. We had a fantastic time and did everything we wanted to without having to dash from place to place, but there were times we deviated from the plan because we came across something we hadn't planned for and just wanted to take the time to enjoy it. So I would say plan away by all means but be prepared to also just go with whatever may come your way.

I had a 4 year old with me at the time and there was no way I could have taken the time to start looking around at mealtimes. I had an idea each day of which land we were likely to be in around lunchtimes and I had a couple of options for each to eat in and then each morning we decided on where we planned to eat in the evening and booked that too.

Have a fantasic time.

Mags

 

[MazdaUK]

You cannot overplan but you can overstick you your plan "Quick! It's time for going back to the hotel for a rest! Leave the characters and come on!" I heard in WDW

 

[R.S.Winters]

lol i plan a yr ahead for a trip that lasts all of 3 days lol. im terrible for it!
but i do believe u CAN overplan. sometimes i have to take a step back and think "chill Dan - it will all work out, dont panic!" lol
sometimes u should just go woth the flow. plan where u may like to eat, maybe make one or 2 special reservations, write down the top attractions u want to c, but other than that just see where the days take u!
D.