Disney Binder

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

You don't by chance have pics of these, do you? They sound SUPER cute!

of the binders or the shirts? lol! assuming the shirts: we all had ringer style t's:
Dd Minnie DS Mickey Mum: Eeyore (also got her Sally) Brother: Tow Mater and ex sil Cheshire Cat. ANd I had my fav character of all: Cruella DeVil


here is a pic of me.

edited to add: if you meant the binders, sorry i dont have a photo of them. :O/

 

[whitney37354]

I started my binder a year ago and we don't even go until June 2010! I thought I was the only crazy person who did this. I put Disney stickers on the front and spine of the binder. I have MANY tabs since it's my first trip since 1986 and DH & DD have never been.

1. MK
2. EPCOT
3. HS
4. AK
5. Accomodations
6. Dining Plans
7. Schedules-blank calenders with ADR plans in pencil & extra blanks for when I am actually able to make the real ADR's.
8. Photopass
9. Fireworks & Parades
10. Maps

I think there may be more but I don't have it with me right now!

I will print menus closer to time so that DH can decide if he wants ADR's for meals other than the 10 character meals or if he just wants counter service or a mixture. Once we have ADR's and plans for other meals, I think I'll make an index card for each days plans and cover them with contact paper, putting it in the clear backpack I plan to carry so that I don't have to take the huge binder with me. We have always been flexible on vacations before, so I think lots of planning on the front end will ensure less stress during the trip.

We only take a vacation every four years. I do all the planning and gathering of information. Once the vacation has begun, DH reviews all the information and decides what he wants to do. It always works well for us.

 

[Tigger2252]

I have a binder too, but I don't take it on the trip. I downsize to a folder for travel . One thing I made last year that came in very handy were 3x5 cards with a list of quick service restaurants and what they served. It was small enough to keep in my bag and, no matter what park we were in I could pull it out and find the place we wanted to eat based on what kind of food the kids wanted to eat.

 

[JenJenFer]

I have only previously made one for our Vegas trips. I am working on one for our June trip to Disney now also. My binder is the mini size usually used for Forensics. I do a lot of copy and paste of information into a word doc with 2 columns in landscape setting. It works great to print, cut, and hole punch.

In addition to the great items listed above, I also make sure I have:
*Hours of restuarants for quick service meals
*Front and Back copies of any credit cards or debit cards. (it's nice to have the phone numbers if you can't find the card.)
*A plastic zipper pouch (usually used as a pencil holder in day planners)

 

[derncare]

I have only previously made one for our Vegas trips. I am working on one for our June trip to Disney now also. My binder is the mini size usually used for Forensics. I do a lot of copy and paste of information into a word doc with 2 columns in landscape setting. It works great to print, cut, and hole punch.

In addition to the great items listed above, I also make sure I have:
*Hours of restuarants for quick service meals
*Front and Back copies of any credit cards or debit cards. (it's nice to have the phone numbers if you can't find the card.)
*A plastic zipper pouch (usually used as a pencil holder in day planners)

This is all great. After reading all these posts, I decided to make yet a 3rd binder and do it this way - half page style and get it binded at Office Depot so that it will fit in my backpack and so that I can take it to the park. Woo Hoo!

Oh and I just made the cover for it. What do ya'll think?

 

[MomsOf2boys]

You guys have given me some great additions to my binder. The pencil zipper pouch and credit card #'s is very useful in case of...

My nephew just called me and said, "Can you add a list of hidden Mickeys for us to locate this year?" So now I am in search of that for the binder. I might do that in its own binder so they can carry it with them to check off the ones they find. Every year they do something, one year it was a picture by every single bathroom, one year it was pictures with random cast members, one year it was fountains...even water fountains. They like feeling like they have a "mission".

 

[anewmac]

Here is my binder (opened flat) its a 1in. I made it for our cruise, and this yr it converts to my WDW binder

In it is pencil pouch, with black, blue and red ink pen, highlights (4diff colors for the 4 of us) a single hole punch.
Dividers are as follows:
* hotel info, reservation #
*refridgorator swap info
* airfare info- reservation #
* packing LISTSSSSSS lol
*ADR's with printed menu's (along with our backups incase we deceide to change once we get there)
* Park hours, fireworks, EMH calander
*MUST DO's what everyone must do while at each park/while on vacation

going to make note about the copying of cc number and insurance cards!

 

[WDWAtLast]

These are all great ideas! I especially love the 3 x 5 cards with CS menus!!!

 

[Pig Pen]

I can now get everything on one page. Most of the "secret and fun" details are engraved in memory. If something new comes up I just make an abbrev. note on my one-pager.

I remember carrying my notebook around with me, though! Although I just bought my first laptop and am considering taking it with me next trip...but if I do that I will probably be logging into my work email and that will not be a good thing.

 

[mickey916]

Wow! I thought I was the only obsessive one and I just have a folder. I can't believe the binder idea didn't occur to me (I use them all the time for my work projects!) Guess I have to go to Staples and get a binder now 'cuz I'm definitely jealous that I only have a folder....a binder would be so much better...

 

[OhMari]

Put me in the Passporter group. I love that binder. It's compact and I can toss it in my purse.

I print all additional info and put it in the pockets provided. I complete the blanks for ADR, park schedule, flight, hotel, etc.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!

I got my first Passporter in 2005,
this is when I found out I needed glasses.
They pack a lot of info in those things and the
font was way to tiny to read.
I looked at 2009 Passporter the other day at Waldenbooks and I am glad to see they made the font a little bigger now.
I'm betting that font was at a 8.


I got my last binder at Target. It was a "Budget planner" that Target sells.
It has a zip lock page and about 12 pages. On each page you can write what you want to do for the day and each page has a pocket.
It also has a strap that wraps around the binder.
When we went to WDW, as each day when on, I would put small things in there, that I collected like special park maps, receipts for the day.

One morning I saw my dh looking at it, and I asked him what he was doing.
He just told me he had to see what I had in store for him that day and wanted to see if there was any rest for the weary.

 

[DisGal520]

lots of neat ideas everyone!

and my thanks to other Dis'ers over the years for their ideas.

I find that 3x5 cards are too small for us. But I create excel spreadsheets over the weeks as I plan, then print them off prior to the trip so everyone has a copy. These go into clear sheet protectors and those go into a 3-ring binder. Binder is the soft bendable type, not the hard type. This goes into the front pocket of the carryon when flying. At the resort, we take out only the sheets for the particular day's activities. By leaving the sheets in the protectors, they bend and fold up easily in a purse without getting torn or lost in the (big?) purse.

In addition to flight #s, airline telephone #'s, emergency #'s, ADRs, tour confirmation #s, 'don't forget tips', etc I also include

WDW TOUR 407 939-8687
WDW DINE 407 939-3463
WDW MDSE 407 636-6200
DISNEY TRAVEL CO 407 939-7545
Your resort # 407 XXX-XXXX
rental car #
VISA Rewards card activation #


My friends love the spreadsheets and they jot down any changes to the itinerary on them as it happens. These end up in their scrapbooks when we get home.

 

[rwrocksme]

A binder? A binder? You're gonna need to pump it up if you want to fit in with some of the crazies on here (namely, me).

But seriously. I basically buy the new versions of all of the travel books each year, and then deface the old ones. I take notes online. If I think of something when I'm out of the house, I use my iphone and email it to myself. I think I only use one side of my brain in the real world-the other half is always in Disney!

 

[derncare]

Okay, so after all these discussions, I went nutso and made my THIRD binder over the past weekend and I must say that I am super happy with it!

I made it HALF the size of a sheet of paper so that it would fit in my backpack. I made the cover and then I used my copier here at work to take all the stuff I had gathered and shrunk it down so it all fits nicely. I used green construction paper as dividers between each "chapter".

I must say that I am liking it better than the Passporter. I know, I know - that's blasphemy! But really, it is pretty kick a$$! lol

Here is my layout:

Cover Page

Section 1 (Stuff that I need before we get to Disney):

-Ultimate Packing List
-Directions (we are driving to FL so these are directions from our house to the place where we are staying which is OFF property)
-My Trip Budget
-TGM's What to bring with me to the parks Suggestions
-Maps of Orlando
-Stroller Rental Locations for each park
-ADR Information
-Chart of Characters (where to find each character at each park)
-Attraction Height Chart
-TGM's What to do when your child gets lots

Section 2 - (Ecpot)

-Schedule (includes list and locations of all Kidcot Stations)
-Live Entertainment Schedule
-Daily Highlights Journal
-Trip Journal
-Restaurants at a Glance including types of foods and Costs
-Location of Passport Photographers
-Pressed Penny Locations
-Best Kept Secrets (thought this would be good to read standing in lines or whatever)
-3 Blank Pages for Added Info Later

Then Section 3 is Animal Kingdom, Section 4 is Magic Kingdom, and Section 5 is Hollywood Studios all with the same info as stated above for Epcot, just specific to that park. (They are in this order as this is the order that I am visiting them)

Last Section is stuff that I might need before we get home but after we leave Disney. It includes blank Trip Journal pages, Directions Home, and other blank pages. It also includes Park Recommendations for that whole week we are there so that if our plans change, we can pick the next best recommended park for that day.

I had it bound at Office Depot and it looks NICE! I'll have to post a few pics later...

 

[Livin'TheDream]

I have binders for every cruise / trip we have been on!! I always get the binders that have the clear plastic slip cover front and print a personalized sheet for the front cover of the binder! I also put a 3 ring zip pensil pounch in them to keep passports, highlighters, pens, birth certificates, key cards, luggage keys etc in my binder too! I always have it in my carry on when flying so all my important info is all together, nice and organized!! The top of my walk in closet is lined with all my vacation binders, but they are great when your friend later takes a similar trip and has questions....i just pull out my binder and answer away!!!

 

[sharadoc]

My binder has a 3 inch spine. We drive, so I have a separate 1" binder for the driving trip with maps, hotels and confirmations and planning ideas/tips for the road.

My actual Disney Binder has the following sections:

1. Hotel confirmation, hotel maps and print-outs from various websites with hotel info.
2. Disney hotel info - other resort activities, restaurants.
3. Disney Park general info
4.-7. Individual park sections - maps, attractions we want to see, menus of restaurants we want to eat at, special tips and show schedules
8-9. Downtown Disney, other on-site info.

Each divider is a pocket folder.

I print out everything onto 3 hole punch notebook paper that school kids use. The lines are light enough that they don't interfere with reading, and the paper is already punched for me.

On our last trip, I used that binder more for planning rather than use it on-site. We did use it for restaurant menus, but it was better for me BEFORE the trip. My driving trip binder came in handier during the trip.

Having a binder assures that you won't lose the information that you found on some website sometime. That's why I love using one. I deleted my pictures on photobucket or I would post one. It's very colorful! Like a rainbow.

 

[matt&jakesmom]

Okay, so after all these discussions, I went nutso and made my THIRD binder over the past weekend and I must say that I am super happy with it!

I made it HALF the size of a sheet of paper so that it would fit in my backpack. I made the cover and then I used my copier here at work to take all the stuff I had gathered and shrunk it down so it all fits nicely. I used green construction paper as dividers between each "chapter".

I must say that I am liking it better than the Passporter. I know, I know - that's blasphemy! But really, it is pretty kick a$$! lol

Here is my layout:

Cover Page

Section 1 (Stuff that I need before we get to Disney):

-Ultimate Packing List
-Directions (we are driving to FL so these are directions from our house to the place where we are staying which is OFF property)
-My Trip Budget
-TGM's What to bring with me to the parks Suggestions
-Maps of Orlando
-Stroller Rental Locations for each park
-ADR Information
-Chart of Characters (where to find each character at each park)
-Attraction Height Chart
-TGM's What to do when your child gets lots

Section 2 - (Ecpot)

-Schedule (includes list and locations of all Kidcot Stations)
-Live Entertainment Schedule
-Daily Highlights Journal
-Trip Journal
-Restaurants at a Glance including types of foods and Costs
-Location of Passport Photographers
-Pressed Penny Locations
-Best Kept Secrets (thought this would be good to read standing in lines or whatever)
-3 Blank Pages for Added Info Later

Then Section 3 is Animal Kingdom, Section 4 is Magic Kingdom, and Section 5 is Hollywood Studios all with the same info as stated above for Epcot, just specific to that park. (They are in this order as this is the order that I am visiting them)

Last Section is stuff that I might need before we get home but after we leave Disney. It includes blank Trip Journal pages, Directions Home, and other blank pages. It also includes Park Recommendations for that whole week we are there so that if our plans change, we can pick the next best recommended park for that day.

I had it bound at Office Depot and it looks NICE! I'll have to post a few pics later...

What about a section for Hidden Mickey's. Just a thought.

Can't wait to see the pics of your binder.

 

[TillyDe]

I want to thank everyone for all of the wonderful ideas. I have written 1 1/2 pages of ideas for my binder.

Our trip is not until June 2010. It is a little different on how this trip came about. My daughter (age 30) and her Boyfriend are looking at marriage in the future. They were high school sweethearts that broke up later on. Well, anyway. I told her if she would agree to a small (and I mean small) wedding, I would treat them to a trip to Disney and the Orlando area (her Dad lives there). But there is one condition - I go to and also his daughter (age 5 now) goes. I told them this way I could watch her if needed. We will be spending the first 1/2 of the trip at Disney.

So, with everyone's help, this is going to be a great trip. The boyfriend and his daughter have never been.

So, again thanks to each and everyone of you.

 

[MICKEY1024]

Okay, so after all these discussions, I went nutso and made my THIRD binder over the past weekend and I must say that I am super happy with it!

I made it HALF the size of a sheet of paper so that it would fit in my backpack. I made the cover and then I used my copier here at work to take all the stuff I had gathered and shrunk it down so it all fits nicely. I used green construction paper as dividers between each "chapter".

I must say that I am liking it better than the Passporter. I know, I know - that's blasphemy! But really, it is pretty kick a$$! lol

Here is my layout:

Cover Page

Section 1 (Stuff that I need before we get to Disney):

-Ultimate Packing List
-Directions (we are driving to FL so these are directions from our house to the place where we are staying which is OFF property)
-My Trip Budget
-TGM's What to bring with me to the parks Suggestions
-Maps of Orlando
-Stroller Rental Locations for each park
-ADR Information
-Chart of Characters (where to find each character at each park)
-Attraction Height Chart
-TGM's What to do when your child gets lots

Section 2 - (Ecpot)

-Schedule (includes list and locations of all Kidcot Stations)
-Live Entertainment Schedule
-Daily Highlights Journal
-Trip Journal
-Restaurants at a Glance including types of foods and Costs
-Location of Passport Photographers
-Pressed Penny Locations
-Best Kept Secrets (thought this would be good to read standing in lines or whatever)
-3 Blank Pages for Added Info Later

Then Section 3 is Animal Kingdom, Section 4 is Magic Kingdom, and Section 5 is Hollywood Studios all with the same info as stated above for Epcot, just specific to that park. (They are in this order as this is the order that I am visiting them)

Last Section is stuff that I might need before we get home but after we leave Disney. It includes blank Trip Journal pages, Directions Home, and other blank pages. It also includes Park Recommendations for that whole week we are there so that if our plans change, we can pick the next best recommended park for that day.

I had it bound at Office Depot and it looks NICE! I'll have to post a few pics later...

I love the sections and everything that you included it your binder.. I need to make one of my own now...Do you have any pictures..Is there any way you can email me the sheets you used so i can print them out and make my own. Thanks!!

 

[klmorg]

I have been working on my binder since December when we booked. DH thinks I am nuts but still uses it when discussing our vacation with his friends I think we have basically got it all done now with the exception of adding things we think of to our packing list. I have one that you can slide in a cover page for too, and I made it with the kids using some of our Disney scrapbooking materials. We have 6 sections and they are all nicely divided and organized, with 'sections' done much as the same as most of all the other posters. My DD asked me if I was going to take it into the resort when we check in.....and I proudly said, "Absolutely!! It has all of our information right there at a glance!!"

So do all of you carry your binders in to check in with you???