Disney Trip Planning

[tevisco4]

Hi Everyone! I have seen previous posts on everyone's obsession with planning a Disney trip and I have to admit I am addicted to planning!

We are going at the end of September and can't wait for it

I booked back in October of 2011 and have been counting down the days until I can book my ressies for Dining 21 days!!!!!

What I really want to know is...what does everybody else do to plan? I have read that some make travel books and I would love to make one.

If you don't mind, can you share what you put in your book or what you do to plan and help time go by faster for your trip?
Can't wait to hear from you guys

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I love planning our Disney trips. I don't keep a book, I have a folder.

First I work out the dates, then the resort, then adrs and then think about the extras. Things like an Illuminations cruise, special cake, arrange for a fairy godmailer and sign up to be a fairy godmailer. I buy the party tickets if it's that time of the year.

I like to get matching tshirts for everyone going for one day of the trip.

For the baby I will get Disney outfits for each day we are there.

I pick up ponchos, glowsticks for evening shows/parades, and misc items.

I order our custom maps from the Disney website.

Then I go back and rearrange our adrs.

Edited to add I place our Garden Grocer order 3 weeks before our arrival date.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

My newest interest is the DVC rental process.

 

[graceesmom]

I plan what days at what park, then make ADR's and BBB appts. I buy or make matching or coordinating outfits for each day. Fortunately DH will go along with this and wear whatever I give him to wear each day while at WDW.

I recently purchased an embroidery machine so I've been embroidering my own t's and and purchased new Disney beach towels for DD and her BFF that will be travelling with us -- and of course then embroidered their names on them.

I am trying to decide on an autograph item and will make that -- we've done canvas bag and pillowcase in addition to the autograph book so if anyone has any other cool ideas of keepsake autograph ideas I'm happy to hear them. I don't know how to quilt, but I saw someone who did that. Super cool idea, but quilting will have to wait until I master embroidery, sewing and applique.

I start saving quarters and pennies for pressed pennies and putting anything we will need for the trip in the Disney box. I have a canvas box that I put our Disney items in, like light spinners, glow necklaces, misting fans, etc.

I make a folder with our reservation confirmations, ADR's, and recommended parks information.

I've been keeping up with the Fantasyland expansion and new enforcement rules for FP's which will change our touring strategy a little.

I come on here to converse with others who understand my Disney "language" such as MK, EP, ADR, Rope Drop, etc. When I use these words with friends or other non-Disers, they think I'm speaking Greek.

Have fun planning!

 

[mobesfamily]

We are going for the first time with kids which is completely different than when hubby & I went by ourselves 8 years ago! Looks like we'll be there the same time!
Planning seemed overwhelming at first but I have been reading just about everything on these boards and making notes by copying & pasting to a word doc.
Stuff like:
what to pack, restaurant reviews (ADRs in 19 days!), crowd calendar to plan out what parks to do when, ride & show reviews etc.
I got a Passporter to keep everything in (took out a bunch of pages we don't need), my sister got the girls autograph books. Been buying up Disney GCs to pay for tips and souvenirs. We will charge these to our room key and pay off at front desk (another great tip from the Boards)
I keep a list of stuff to buy/look for in my car so when I stop somewhere unexpectedly I can check the list to see what I still need. Everything goes into the "Disney container".

Free dining took a lot off my plate

Have fun!

 

[krismanda]

We are going the same time, Tev! I'm so excited about planning too, I feel like it is taking over my life. lol

Great tips on this thread ladies!

 

[kimmer]

I usually start by picking the week and then using a crowd calendar, picking what park for what day

I research which hotels we'll stay at on the way down and the way back home (we drive from Ottawa, Canada)

I plan the activities, movies and snacks for the drive

I research and book our ADR's. I put a lot of thought into these and take my time. It's part of the fun. I check the disney dining site as well as this site to see the menus:
http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm

I update my list of must-do atrractions for each park, usually adding a few new ones as my kids have grown a year taller. This year they're super excited because they can all do splash mountain

I check out youtube videos of some attractions and restaurants to give me a better idea of them

Using a touring plan site or software, I make touring plans for each park

I make "park cards" for the days we're at a park. Last year I used a mini picture album, but this year I'm using a peice of 7.5" x 9.5" bristol board with my touring plan and park ADRs on one side a park map on the other side, then laminating it

I usually re-read and update my list of tips from this thread I bookmarked a few years ago:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1082988

I order new safety wristbands from mabels labels:
http://www.mabelslabels.com/products/my+411+wristbands

I make a countdown calendar. This year I did a mickey head countdown calendar using those disney paint chips from the paint store. I put a disney fact/trivia behind each head so when we take one down each morning, we can read it. So, this took some time. No pictures yet, but if you look here, you'll see what I mean:
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=lTtfT77wDYbY0QHQgrygBw

I plan out our meals for when we're not out at restaurant. We stay at Bonnet Creek, so we have a full kitchen.

Once I have our meals, I make out our Garden Grocer list. I'll place that order just before we leave.

Book Bonnet Creek, obviously

Start a list of little things to buy for the road trip and hotel room (mini sunscreens, collapsable bins, travel trays, etc)

I have a folder that I keep all the paperwork/ideas on while everything is in progress, then once complete, I move it all to a Disney binder I made last year that has the following dividers: Packing, Shopping Lists, Money Matters, Driving, Hotels, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Itinerary, Dining, Touring Plans, Misc., and Documents.

Hmm, that's what I can think of off the top of my head. If I think of anything else, I'll add it.

Honestly, for me, half the fun is in the planning! Good luck & have fun

 

[tevisco4]

Thanks everyone for replying! I am definately going to make a folder for the trip. I am also going to do the countdown calendar, I think the kids will love that.

Keep 'em coming

 

[.:allisonr:.]

I've LOVED planning our trip!!

When I first started planning, I made a planning binder. In it, I have section for our hotel information (I printed out our confirmation e-mails), a section for our ADR's (I printed off the confirmation e-mails, and also have a sheet that has each one written down), and I have a section for each park, that has a listing of all the rides we're interested in riding, and all the character's that are at that park, and it also has the park times for the week that we're going to be there.