Can you Plan Too MUCH????

[quiltymom]

Some will say yes, others will say no. Like a pp said, it's being armed with knowledge. To me half of the fun is trying to figure this stuff out! If I didn't take the time I wouldn't know what is out there to do.

I make a huge list of each day, print it out, fold it and stick it in my pocket or purse. I pull it out to see what to do next, but if I miss something or we change our minds, it's okay. It's more like a guideline.

So, if you have fun with the details, great. If it bother's you, take a break! Personally, I can never get too much of anything Disney!

 

[tarazandra]

Because of various delays (including having a baby), I planned our first trip for one month shy of 3 years by the time we actually made it to WDW. In all that time I had one rule and that was that I did not look at pictures. In general I saw some, of course, but I did not actively seek out pictures of say, every float in a parade we wanted to to watch. Or detailed photos of a restaurant we wanted to eat at. This way I had all the fun of planning but I was still completely in awe of what everything looked like. For me it worked perfectly.

 

[irisbud]

Because of various delays (including having a baby), I planned our first trip for one month shy of 3 years by the time we actually made it to WDW. In all that time I had one rule and that was that I did not look at pictures. In general I saw some, of course, but I did not actively seek out pictures of say, every float in a parade we wanted to to watch. Or detailed photos of a restaurant we wanted to eat at. This way I had all the fun of planning but I was still completely in awe of what everything looked like. For me it worked perfectly.

That's a good idea! I didn't see too many pics before we went in Dec, and lots of things were totally different than I had imagined, usually in a good way. You know, usually you end up disappointed if you imagine something fabulous over and over again and then finally get to the reality of it. I don't think it's that way with Disney as a whole, though! Most of the new things we tried were better than I had imagined.

 

[Along4theRide]

I plan so much, I actually plan in my sleep. I woke up last night (this morning) 3:30 am, thinking about my ADR's times, got out of bed and wrote down the times I thought would be best (for the 100th time) to make sure we don't miss Wishes and Fantasmic. My DH thinks I have lost my mind.
I find myself thinking "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO AFTER WE GO ON OUR VACATION AND NO MORE PLANNING TO DO"

I am worried too about not having a vacation to plan. It seems I've been planning our 1st trip to WDW 24/7 since I last August, but I love it. I can't stop! I was getting depressed at the thought of not having it to plan anymore so I booked an extended weekend trip to Chicago a few months later! I had credit with SW and found a good deal on a hotel so we're making it a women's trip-just me and mom. No kids, no men!! I'm excited about it as I've never been and have always wanted to go. I can't concentrate on that trip until we get back...gotta have something to do when we get back!

 

[quiltymom]

I find myself thinking "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO AFTER WE GO ON OUR VACATION AND NO MORE PLANNING TO DO"

DH said to me just after we decided to go on our next trip, "You're not going to love me anymore starting in November." "Why," said I? "Because we'll be back from WDW & we won't be going back to WDW for a long time." "I'll still love you." "Oh yeah? Why?"

BECAUSE OUR NEXT TRIP WILL BE A DISNEY CRUISE!!!!!

This is the response I got:

I think that it would make the perfect 50th birthday present, don't you?

 

[momandseandodisney]

Well, as long as you don't drive yourself crazy with all the planning, I think it's ok. I drove myself nuts. We had the resort picked out, but I did so much research about what restaurants to make ADR's for that my head was spinning. I was so relieved when I finally hit the 180 day mark so I wouldn't have to think about them anymore.

Same here, I hit my 180 days March 31st

 

[becky_AK]

I do not think you can plan too much. In fact, I live for planning our WDW trips. I keep telling my DH that I need to start a home-based travel agency specializing in WDW & Disney vacations since I have been going many times each year since I was a child I think that part of the fun of the vacations, for me anyways, is the process of planning the trip and building the anticipation of arriving & knowing that you have a week's worth of great activities & events to take part in.

 

[maidenfairy]

I love planning, and I don't think you can plan too much. on the subject of planning, does anyone have a link to the thread on what to put in your box to ship down?

Thanks
Tonya

 

[davidlw]

Yea, 611 days, 18hours, 4 minutes, 4 seconds until we arrive and am planning every day.

 

[mabenoab]

I don't think you can *learn* too much before you go. For me that just builds excitement, and adds to the thrill of the vacation; and I think its really important to know about things that may not seem obvious. But I do think one can plan too much (at least I can). When we first went to WDW, armed with our lists of daily todos and PS arrangements, my family got a little stressed out having to follow a plan. I think that lasted about 2 days...then we adopted the attitude "we don't have to see it all or do it all...we'll just come back again sometime." Once we did that, we relaxed and really had fun.

Now, we plan the resort, a couple of PS (the day we arrive and one dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe), the flights and towncar transportation...other than that, we wing it, and we love it. But thats just what works for my family, everybody is different.

 

[piglet50]

i think you need to know your options. things like park opening times, special events, emh's, basic knowledge of what you want to see at each park, fastpass info, etc. are necessary. things to pack like ponchos, mole skin, etc. are good, too. i guess planning too much would be to have so many things you "have" to do or see that you get stressed out if you get behind on any kind of schedule you make for yourself. and you will get behind. stuff happens, lines are long, somebody has to go to the bathroom, it rains, whatever. we just make an effort to know what things we really want to do at each park and go from there. relax and enjoy yourself.

 

[Priorityonecb]

I think you probably can plan too much...but I don't think you can fantasize and read the DIS too much enjoying everyone else's experiences knowing your time is coming! Our last trip was 10 days...I had everything planned and spent hours on DIS every day for a year before the trip. I honestly went into a bit of depression when we returned...not being able to plan anymore! I just booked our next trip and am right back...enjoying every second of the fantasizing and anticipation. The Easter Bunny is bringing me the 07 Unofficial Guide to WDW.

 

[C_leen]

Well my mom is an overplanner. I try to fight the genes, but as I plan my first WDW trip I can see the enjoyment and the kill-joy possibilities as you wrestle with various decisions that you know will limit what you will experience at WDW.

My best WDW over-planning moment was my mom set us up for dinner at the Coral Reef and then tickets for the Candlelight Procession in Epcot. We don't do many ADRs, so for us to stop and eat at such a lovely restaurant was a highlight of the trip. Well, from the Coral Reef we had to walk to the outdoor amphitheater by USA in World Showcase. I had to go to the bathroom. Every female bathroom was line ridden out the door. My mom was furious with me as I was threatening her plan to get a great seat! When she saw the que line to get into the theater, she went berserk. My dh stuck with me and we left my parents in line and went in hunt of a bathroom not so busy. As we passed the ampitheater, we discovered you could enter the theater from either side. For some reason, everyone was lining up on the USA entrance. Sure enough the next country had a bathroom I could jump right into. My DH & I wound up entering the theater from the opposite side and got better seats than my parents! I swear my mom glowered at me the entire show. But I did enjoy it!

 

[chepar]

I am an anticipation junkie and planning a trip is about as fun as taking the trip itself. This applies to any vacation of mine, not just Disney. Some vacations require more planning than others, such as the trip to Europe we took last year.

While I normally fly by the seat of my pants when going to Disneyland (the closest Disney park to where I live), it is apparent that's not the best idea for WDW.

I think I'll be deciding which days to go to which park, make my ADRs, know the opening/closing times and whether EMH applies - and then keep it flexible from there.

 

[libinatorsmom]

Thank you everyon for the advise... I really appreciate it... I am really looking forward to this trip... not only is it our 1st dinsney trip - its our 1st family vacation (other then seeing the grandparents) and I think it will just be magical... I cant wait till I can book my package this summer as then it will seem that much more real... I think my plannig will only help us in the long run!!!

 

[Tasmen]

I am an anticipation junkie and planning a trip is about as fun as taking the trip itself. This applies to any vacation of mine, not just Disney.

.....

I think I'll be deciding which days to go to which park, make my ADRs, know the opening/closing times and whether EMH applies - and then keep it flexible from there.

I am the exact same way. Be it a camping trip 2 hours away or an across country jaunt to the World, I plan and I plan and I plan. It's part of the trip for me and enables me to have a little 'vacation magic' before I actually go on my trip.

For our upcoming trip, we've pretty much got all our adrs set, we know which days we'll be in which parks, what we are doing each night (dinner/shows/etc.), and have our transportation (airline tickets, shuttle, etc.) figured out. We aren't super scheduling things like touring plans other than we know what we want to hit first and go from there.

I think you hit the point of overplanning when your planning infringes on the fun of your vacation.

 

[byoung]

Let's face it a lot of us plan to much.

 

[Disneytwinz]

I think you can plan too much. However, for us there are things that have to be planned, such as dinner reservations. We like to sit down at the end of the day as a family, and give thanks and share laughs together. Dinnertime is our time to do so. So planning our ADR's has been a biggie for us. I have jotted down where I would like some pictures taken but that's negotiable.
There are things that we really don't have to plan for, such as which ride to get on at what time. For us, it takes the magic out of this being our first trip. Plus, with our kids something would be bound to knock any plan we make out of kilter and we would find ourselves frustrated instead. We like to wander where the day leads us, knowing we don't expect to see it all.

 

[Bethnde1]

IMHO you can absolutely get carried away and then be upset over it. My first trip with many relatives, I planned out the dinners, what rides we "had" to do, etc. I got really upset when the rest of them couldn't keep up with the schedule, and my fiance and kids were even arguining with me about "let's just go to the room and rest, swim, etc.". Ohhh no, we couldn't do that, too much to see. I said. The family was upset at me, and after 11 days, of them doing what I wanted, we were all exhausted by the time we went home. After that "lesson" I finally said to myself, "we've been there other times, and we'll be here again many more times to come, there's really no rush to see everything." To be honest, it would probably take about 3 months of attending everyday to see and experience everything. So, I now tell my friends and family to pick out 2 things they have to see or do, the kids pick two of their favorite restaurants (I do plan the remainders, as this is a have to), and this is what plan we go by. Nowadays the kids have tried all the rides, so the only have to's on our list is the meals (not even counter meals are planned) and the new shows/ride we haven't ever tried.

With all that said, it's not a bad idea to plan what days at what parks, as some of more hours, then others. Plan the parks around where you are planning that dinner or lunch. Lastly, just keep in mind, that it's not possible to see everything, so be happy with what you were able to fit in. Know that anything missed will be there for many years to come

 

[Ears]

i think you need to know your options. things like park opening times, special events, emh's, basic knowledge of what you want to see at each park, fastpass info, etc. are necessary. things to pack like ponchos, mole skin, etc. are good, too. i guess planning too much would be to have so many things you "have" to do or see that you get stressed out if you get behind on any kind of schedule you make for yourself. and you will get behind. stuff happens, lines are long, somebody has to go to the bathroom, it rains, whatever. we just make an effort to know what things we really want to do at each park and go from there. relax and enjoy yourself.

I completely agree. There's preparation and planning, then there's obsessive/compulsive planning. You definately need to know things like park hours, and how to accomodate any special needs you might have. After that, it makes sense to plan on whick park and for about how long you'll be there (1/2 day, all day, etc). You could even try to make a must-do list for each park, but that's about the edge of it.

ADRs: I understand that some people absolutely need to make a reservation due to group size or a special dining event, but there are others that act like there's 4 places to eat, and they're only open 3 hours a day. We prefer to wing it a little, and if there's a particular place we want to eat, we'll check into a reservation earlier that same day. We might not eat at our normal times, we'll probably have to add a snack before or after (like we wouldn't anyway..) and if there's no room, no big deal. We're doing a land/sea plan and we're planning on getting the dining room meals on the ship anyway. Part of the fun is eating the park food like turkey legs, and small vendor type food anyway. Worst-case scenario is the overpriced delivered to your room pizza. Last time we just went to downtown/pleasure island and hit the food joints there for supper.