Daily planning

[Muscateer]

Hi just wondered how everyone plans their days and do you stick to the plan? I have done strict planning before and has always worked well but this time I only have my first few days planned and have booked some ADRs and will plan trips round them. Still think up and on the go early is the best way for the park days but plan some cocktail nights too so the next days won't be so early

 

[WiganTony]

As DD and myself aren't the world's most patient when it comes to waiting in queues, we generally tend to plan our days around the least busy parks which ensures minimal standby queue times and/or good availability of Fastpasses throughout the day.

We then plan any Table Service ADRs around the park we are in that day to avoid any unnecessary travelling.

Once in the park, we don't have a fixed plan of what rides at what time, other than say trying to get to TSM and Saorin' early to get Fastpasses, and being at a restaurant fpor our ADRs.

Always found this has worked well for us, but appreciate that not everyone likes to be as "formal" when on holiday.

 

[ben1993]

I've planned our days around the least crowded parks according to Touring Plans, and evenings for whatever shows are on etc. Only have 4 days ADR's booked though, I don't like having to stick to a plan where dining is concerned for the whole trip.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Hi just wondered how everyone plans their days and do you stick to the plan? I have done strict planning before and has always worked well but this time I only have my first few days planned and have booked some ADRs and will plan trips round them. Still think up and on the go early is the best way for the park days but plan some cocktail nights too so the next days won't be so early

Hi, yes generally I do a plan and stick to it! I check out when the parades/ fireworks etc are on and plan around them.
I do however remember on our last trip we had been in Florida just over a week (we were staying 2 ) and set the alarm to get our bus to uni (we were off site). When I turned the alarm off we both just layed there and couldn't move we were so exhausted! Normally we would be jumping out of bed to get to a park but we mumbled something to each other about doing uni another day instead and went back to sleep for another two hours!! We obviously needed the sleep and just had a nice morning by the pool and went shopping in the afternoon!
Just goes to show all the best layed plans.... don't account for you being totally pooped after a week at Disney!

Claire

 

[willeve]

This year we are doing rope drop/emh for our first 4 mornings, then scaling back a bit. Our kids(9,11) can only do either early mornings or late nights, not both. As the week progresses and tiredness creeps in, we'll do some later mornings and later nights!

 

[jjk]

we have a rough plan based around our Adrs for the day, but we like to go with the flow a bit too and sometimes change our plans altogether.

 

[Goofyish]

I do a plan and generally stick to it, but I find that all the time taken making your plans gives you the knowledge to be flexible

 

[Muscateer]

Thanks everyone, always nice to know what others do and I am always grateful for any tips that makes life easier.

 

[skelfbsfb]

I leave it all to my DW, who plans all times

 

[2Tiggies]

I do a plan and generally stick to it, but I find that all the time taken making your plans gives you the knowledge to be flexible

Totally agree with this. From intense planning on our first trip to this year where I have done nothing.

I leave it all to my DW, who plans all times

Sounds like a man with a plan

 

[matt1902]

In case anyone is interested, there is a very good, free planner on www.thedibb.co.uk

 

[MichelinMan]

For some reason, when we go on holiday me and the wife change our nature completely! Normally she plans everything to the extreme, but on holiday wants to go with the flow a bit, whilst I'm the complete opposite and try to plan everything whilst on holiday, especially if it includes theme parks, and try to stick to the plan.

When we went on honeymoon in July 94, my best man managed to get hold of my written plan (sad!) which had words like 'early night' written on it for when I wanted to get up early the next morning. He took great delight in reading this out in his best man's speech, including lots of nudge nudge wink wink moments for all those early nights!

During that 94 holiday, we stuck rigidly to the plan every day, to the point where the wife said 'it doesn't seem as busy as you reckoned, can't we just be a bit spontaneous today'. That day happened to be one of the busiest days of the year at Universal, and after standing in queues all day, she conceded that perhaps the plan was a good idea after all!

 

[elkvideo]

We tend to do the parks in the morning until mid afternoon and then go back to the hotel for a swim and relax and then back to the parks late afternoon until parks close.
We try to make use of the extra magic hours, we have been in magic kingdom and on splash mountain at 2am which is really good fun!
If we have late nights we tend to have a bit of a lie in.

 

[Pegasus928]

We have only ever done one plan and that was because my sister was coming with us for the first time and had a list of 'must-dos'
All the other trips we have winged it and I didn't see much of a difference between the 2 to be honest.
If this is your first time - and you have things that you want to do - it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a rough plan in mind to make sure you get everything done that you want to do - just try to keep it flexible for the unforeseen things.

 

[Funky_dino]

We just wake up and see what we fancy doing.

The way some people plan their holiday is like a military operation!

You're on holiday just have fun

 

[2Tiggies]

We just wake up and see what we fancy doing.

The way some people plan their holiday is like a military operation!

There is a balance between the two I must admit though, having done a couple of Easter trips, military style planning has its merits.

 

[london75]

We never plan anything really and the Lines phone app works great, in the evening we look at the weather forecast (on the phone) and then look at the two quietest parks on the Lines app and go there! I was a bit reluctant to book a restaurant for August as I never know where we're going to want to be on any given day but determined to visit Le Cellier this year as we've never been in 10 trips. Also want to get a Fantasmic package which seem to be booking fast.

This year might have to be even more different though, we're going for 4 weeks but I've booked a surprise cruise in the last week so while everyone will be all laid back thinking they've got loads of time left, I'll need to push them into getting everything done they wanted to do before we head to the coast! Exciting though.

 

[crabbie1]

We never plan anything really and the Lines phone app works great, in the evening we look at the weather forecast (on the phone) and then look at the two quietest parks on the Lines app and go there! I was a bit reluctant to book a restaurant for August as I never know where we're going to want to be on any given day but determined to visit Le Cellier this year as we've never been in 10 trips. Also want to get a Fantasmic package which seem to be booking fast.

This year might have to be even more different though, we're going for 4 weeks but I've booked a surprise cruise in the last week so while everyone will be all laid back thinking they've got loads of time left, I'll need to push them into getting everything done they wanted to do before we head to the coast! Exciting though.

Ahh thts a lovely suprise wow. Regards le cellier hv u booked yet? We couldnt get dinner at 6 months out but got lunch. Good luck.

 

[london75]

We would normally do lunch anyway, the kids don't behave as well in the evening.

Not sure how they'll cope on the cruise as it's an 8pm sitting! Maybe they'll get second wind.

 

[PoppyAnna]

Our last two trips back in 2007 were very different, for the first one we took my Mum who had never been to WDW, it was packed with ADR's and quite planned. Five months later the four of us returned, booked no ADR's, stayed offsite in a villa, ate off site more and didn't plan one single day.

However, we keep to a few rules:

Up early (this is easy with little ones) and straight to each park for one early morning to get the "must-do's" out of the way. Afternoon break back at villa or TS ADR's work better for us at lunchtime on these days as we're out of the hottest sun and kids are less ratty and get a rest. Then evening meal is light or CS type takeaway on the way back to the villa

For days that we want to do fireworks or late nights we have a lie in, either swimming or shopping followed by nice meal offsite at lunchtime, into the park late afternoon and stay for late night with CS food/snacks.

Avoid parks at weekends. Period.

We only have four ADR's booked for our upcoming trip, DH hates being tied to times and places he has to be for meals etc.