Did planning used to be easier?

[MaryKatesMom]

Hardly.

1) Decide on what days work best for a Disney trip
2) Price shop airlines and schedules to find best time
3) Book Disney hotel
4) Make Dining Reservations
5) Now quite often the park hours aren't out yet when I want to make dining reservations. So I have to keep my eyes on that and perhaps change them down the road. That requires more effort.
6) Book FP's for each day and book them so as not to interfere with dining.



Agreed



I'm a big foodie so naturally food is a big part of my trips. Sorry but I have no interest in eating at Columbia Harbor House for the duration of my trip.

I'm right there with you! Food is a big part of my trips and I've had to stop some of my favorite TS lunches because it is hard to schedule them with my FP+.

Have you been to Il Mulino in the Swan? It is a hidden gem of a restaurant. The fresh focaccia in the bread basket is worth the trip.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I'm right there with you! Food is a big part of my trips and I've had to stop some of my favorite TS lunches because it is hard to schedule them with my FP+.

Have you been to Il Mulino in the Swan? It is a hidden gem of a restaurant. The fresh focaccia in the bread basket is worth the trip.

I haven't been to Il Mulino yet mainly because it was never on the Disney dining plan. Todd's Bluezoo was the last non DP restaurant that I visited a few years ago. I'll definitely check it out one of these days though!

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I haven't been to Il Mulino yet mainly because it was never on the Disney dining plan. Todd's Bluezoo was the last non DP restaurant that I visited a few years ago. I'll definitely check it out one of these days though!

Yes, none of the restaurants at the S & D are on the DDP. In fact, it is only in the last few years they started taking the TIW, but even at full price it vastly out strips any Italian restaurant in WDW. It isn't as good as the Il Mulino's in Manhattan but it is still really good and worth the trip especially if you are a foodie.

 

[StraightToDumbo]

There are way more options now than there ever was. All of the add-ons are head-spinning. If you're not looking for a generic "resort and parks" vacation, it's way more complicated. Having said that, FP+ definitely helps because now I can have a clean RD morning of stand-by rides and then lay on my FP's for after an early lunch. Legacy FP didn't allow me to pick return times so we were at the mercy of the machine.

I think once all the major additions are done, things will calm down as crowds disperse more evenly. Right now it's kind of a hectic time.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

There are way more options now than there ever was. All of the add-ons are head-spinning. If you're not looking for a generic "resort and parks" vacation, it's way more complicated. Having said that, FP+ definitely helps because now I can have a clean RD morning of stand-by rides and then lay on my FP's for after an early lunch. Legacy FP didn't allow me to pick return times so we were at the mercy of the machine.

I think once all the major additions are done, things will calm down as crowds disperse more evenly. Right now it's kind of a hectic time.

Pretty much. I'm not going back until 2021. I will probably stick with Disneyland and some of the international parks in the meantime.

 

[StraightToDumbo]

Pretty much. I'm not going back until 2021. I will probably stick with Disneyland and some of the international parks in the meantime.

I was thinking of doing the same, but our family hasn't been to WDW in 4 years (DL in 3) so it was "time". It's unfortunate we're going during a lot of renovations, but it was like that in 2013 when we went with 7DMT and the GF construction.