Do some overthink it.

[Disney Frenhines]

Is it me or do many people overthink their trip? I see people with Ipads in one hand and the Frommers in another checking and rechecking, packing shedloads of stuff to take into the park 'just in case', enough backpacks for a trip to the real Everest to carry it all. They talk of touring and treat it like a military exercise racing from one ride to another, the worst ones are the ones pushing strollers while running, so dangerous. You are on vacation, there is a danger of being so focused that you miss out on the smaller, but, just as much fun stuff, look above your heads in the stores as you exit a ride and stop moaning about how every ride ends in the gift shop, it is an invitation, but, not a requirement to buy, chill. I love Donald in the gift shop after Philharmagic and the Dinosaur at Chester and Hester's giftshop, especially when he has his Santa suit on, stop and read the windows in DHS and the crates by the lake to see who they are being shipped to and by whom.
I don't know if they still do it, but, some of the street cleaners were taught to draw characters with mops, so good, then someone would just walk through it as he was doing it because they were to wrapped up in getting that next ride in. Anyway, I could go on. It just amazes me that people forget that it is a vacation, they make negative comments about everything, oh boy, I got fed up with overhearing negativity when I was in the parks, yet they'd be the ones that if they didn't get their own way would cry 'Where is your Disney Spirit?'

So get the FP+ and ADRs sorted and be flexible, if you can't get your FP for the Wednesday for MK try another day and go to another park instead on the Wednesday, I shouldn't have to be saying all this. I couldn't get my ADR for The Wave when I originally wanted it, big deal, I went through a couple of days until I saw a time I wanted booked that day instead, the same with Beaches and Cream, believe me so close to the trip there was precious little choice, but, I still ended up pleased with my ADRs.

 

[stamot]

Nice post! So true

 

[crazymomof4]

Is it me or do many people overthink their trip? .

There are some that over think.
Then some that under think it.
Then some who think juuuuust right...... like me!


Seriously, I feel like I've been enough times to plan w/o overplanning and if "plans" don't work out, I know the place well enough to "roll" with it and still have a great time. But this sense of comfortable well-being takes years to achieve. It's a really huge knowledge-base we're talking about here! I DO feel sorry for newbies, facing the FP+ challange with no previous wdw experience.
Another factor is.... is this a person/family's "once in a lifetime" visit? Some lean toward over-planning, I believe, because they want that ONE trip to be PERFECT. I tend to have the attitude, "if it doesn't work out on this trip, we'll do next time". So that brings with it a lack of urgency as well.

 

[4one6]

I think it's hilarious when people talk about touring the parks. Or people saying their trip was ruined because one ride was down or something small wasn't working proper. People go crazy over thinking and over planning and bringing everything but the kitchen sink to Disney.

I bring my star wars backpack and a bottle of water and I'm off at a leisurely pace enjoying everything little sight and sound Disney has to offer. People get way to stressed out trying to make a perfect vacation they forget to actually have a vacation.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

The world is made of different people. What works for you may not work for others. We all have different definitions of what it means to get a value for the money we are spending. I'm fairly certain my next trip will not be spent "smelling the roses". I'll be with my sis and her family and going on rides is important as it is a once in a lifetime trip. That doesn't mean my way is better than yours...it just means we view things differently. And that in my opinion is perfectly fine!

 

[crazymomof4]

wanted to add too.......
I love all the "little" things you mention in your post! As a family we have a phrase we keep reminding ourselves while in wdw... "look up!". It's amazing what you miss if you don't look up or look down or slow down enough to take in the atmosphere.
I've been known to watch as people run through the entry way to China building where they play the movie. They walk right under that beautiful stained glass dome and never look up. Totally miss it. I wanna stand there all day with my finger pointing upward (no, not THAT finger!) so people will be encouraged to appreciate the beauty above them.
Also, persons who fast-walk thru the "museum" part of One Man's Dream! It's almost like a sacriledge! Like, show a little interest in the real man who made all of this enjoyment possible! I was happy to hear from all 3 of my kids (ages 14-22) that are going with us that this time they wanted to spend MORE time in that part of the attraction!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I do overthink my WDW trips.

I don't overthink my Universal-onsite trips.

Go figure

 

[Sandy Fisher]

In a few words, yes, of course some do. Many do. I wouldn't want to go to Disney without a clue, but I wouldn't want to plan it as if it were my last chance on this earth to have a vacation that included Disney.
We don't do, never did, ADRs, we took our most recent trip in May and didn't do FP+. We don't do character meals -- at least we haven't for many years. Our sons are adults and we did more things like that when they were young and accompanied us.
We never did do meet and greet of characters, princesses, etc. We watched parades from wherever we were when it began. We watched Illuminations from a similar viewpoint, although I wish we'd done an Illuminations cruise at least once.
We loved/love Disney, but it's become too much of a job now -- planning things 180 days out?????????????? Seriously?????? We usually planned our days in each park according to recommendations on crowds, special events, weather, etc. We could change our mind at 8 a.m. and do just fine.
Plan all you want. Be aware and alert. Don't make it a full time job if you don't have to.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I like best of both worlds. 2.5 days at MK.


Day 1, full on commando touring. We will get to every attraction in the park that we can do (Not too hard because height eliminates all 3 mountains and 7DMT, so with FP it's pretty easy. We'll have 3 ADRs and see all nighttime shows.

Day 2 and day 2.5, it's time to chill and really take in MK. Check out stores, seek out some characters, bask in the glory of main St. Hit some QS restaurants, and re-ride some of our favorites. It allows for both kinds of touring in one trip.

 

[Aggiegrl]

I think it's a little dramatic to say missing one attraction, one bad meal, etc. ruined a trip. Now, there are situations where this could be true (like injury), but in reality those occurrences are rare.

I'm an OCD planner. I check the ADR site probably 15-20 times a day looking for the perfect ADRs that I don't have yet. I was up at midnight booking my fastpasses. Some people think I'm crazy, but I do it because 1) I enjoy it, 2) My family gets the benefits and that makes me happy, and 3) I have time, so why not. I over plan in advance so that while we are there I am prepared to lead my family and friends in having a really great vacation.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I choose not to do touring plans and spreadsheets,but that's me. I make ADRs, but we always have park hoppers so that works fine.

I think for some, it's kind of a hobby and that's fine if it works for them. I only get peeved when people imply that is the ONLY way to do WDW and if you don't want to do rope drop, you will have an awful trip.

People are different. For me, a trip to WDW should be low stress. I can have just as good a time sitting on a bench, eating ice cream and people watching. I've seen some very entertaining meltdowns, that's for sure.

 

[crazymomof4]

. For me, a trip to WDW should be low stress. I can have just as good a time sitting on a bench, eating ice cream and people watching. I've seen some very entertaining meltdowns, that's for sure.

so true!

 

[catra121]

Is it me or do many people overthink their trip? I see people with Ipads in one hand and the Frommers in another checking and rechecking, packing shedloads of stuff to take into the park 'just in case', enough backpacks for a trip to the real Everest to carry it all. They talk of touring and treat it like a military exercise racing from one ride to another, the worst ones are the ones pushing strollers while running, so dangerous. You are on vacation, there is a danger of being so focused that you miss out on the smaller, but, just as much fun stuff, look above your heads in the stores as you exit a ride and stop moaning about how every ride ends in the gift shop, it is an invitation, but, not a requirement to buy, chill. I love Donald in the gift shop after Philharmagic and the Dinosaur at Chester and Hester's giftshop, especially when he has his Santa suit on, stop and read the windows in DHS and the crates by the lake to see who they are being shipped to and by whom.
I don't know if they still do it, but, some of the street cleaners were taught to draw characters with mops, so good, then someone would just walk through it as he was doing it because they were to wrapped up in getting that next ride in. Anyway, I could go on. It just amazes me that people forget that it is a vacation, they make negative comments about everything, oh boy, I got fed up with overhearing negativity when I was in the parks, yet they'd be the ones that if they didn't get their own way would cry 'Where is your Disney Spirit?'

So get the FP+ and ADRs sorted and be flexible, if you can't get your FP for the Wednesday for MK try another day and go to another park instead on the Wednesday, I shouldn't have to be saying all this. I couldn't get my ADR for The Wave when I originally wanted it, big deal, I went through a couple of days until I saw a time I wanted booked that day instead, the same with Beaches and Cream, believe me so close to the trip there was precious little choice, but, I still ended up pleased with my ADRs.

I would say that in general I probably tour the parks very similarly to you...where I get to do everything I want but also go a little slower, stop and smell the roses, etc. I sort of shake my head at the people rushing from one end to the other, faces buried in their phones, and when I read posts about how to get as many rides as possible in to get the value out of the trip.

BUT...I recognize that everyone is different and they probably shake my head as me as I casually stroll through the parks taking everything in or post about how I'm perfectly happy using my FP+ on Figment...lol! I don't think there is a "right" way to tour Disney.

I make LOTS of plans in the sense that I have 2 TS meals planned a day (ADRs made at 180 days out), FP+ reservations and online check-in done 60 days out, know what parks I will be in on what days, etc...but I don't feel remotely inconvenienced or frustrated by having all these plans...they actually make me feel more relaxed. That said...I don't stress out over the plans either. Last trip (and the one before that) I had incidents at the park that left me in a lot of pain and I ended up doing no rides for a day or two...and that was fine with me. I don't mind changing plans on the fly when necessary and my heart doesn't break if my plans don't go exactly the way I scheduled everything. I mean...I'm in Disney World...a terrible day at Disney World is better than a good day at work, right?

So we're all different and while I may shake my head at people who tour differently it's more of an, "I can't wrap my head around that..." deal than a "Those people aren't doing it right..." deal. I do pity the people who don't plan at ALL and are on their first trip with zero research and end up having a bad time because they had such impossibly high expectations...but all I can do in those situations is offer help if I can and keep going if I can't and hope things improve for them. I hate the idea of anyone having a terrible time in Disney World...regardless of the reason and whether it is their own "fault" or not. It's my happy place and I want so badly for everyone to feel that way about it...but I know it's not for everyone.

But just because someone else finds joy in the over planning, commando type touring...who am I to judge? As long as THEY are having a good time...what's it to anyone else?

 

[kathy884]

lol I think it's a good sign when I think about changing an ADR or changing what day to visit what park on an upcoming trip vs. work problems. // I definitely do more planning than I need to for most vacations, but for me that's stress relief and something that I really enjoy doing. With that too, I know lots of options and go with the flow. And I've never been someone who had a do everything mentality or is concerned about missing something. So we always have a plan that's pretty detailed, but we don't have issues with deviating or changing it completely if that seems like the thing to do.

Actually we don't have any ADRs on the next trip. We're staying offsite. We also except for SeaWorld that offers us a good advanced purchase discount will be buying our tickets at the gate, so that means no FP+ reservations ahead of time too. It's a slow time, though, and if my nephew is still working for Disney then, he'd be able to get us in for free too. He's going to be taking a few days off and hang with us when we are down, so that's another good reason not to buy our tickets in advance. We do have plans for what we'll do each day and we even have touring plans. I think these make things easier though rather than harder, especially with a large group. We always have a great time in Orlando and don't find vacationing down there stressful at all. We've been a zillion times, though, it seem. Well actually 38 trips for me lol -- averages one every 1.25 years since WDW opening in 71 when I was 10. Disney though for us is usually not our main vacation, but a fun budget add on mini trip. The shorter stay means not that many days to plan and wanting to take advantage / do what we really want to do in our limited time.

But definitely I'm one who overthinks it, and there are others out there like me too. The reason I overthink it though has nothing to do with my thinking that I need to do all this planning to have a good trip (I could wing everything), and everything to do with my loving to do vacation planning and find that planning to be stress relief for me from other things going on in my life (escapism).

 

[crazymomof4]

I would say that in general I probably tour the parks very similarly to you...where I get to do everything I want but also go a little slower, stop and smell the roses, etc. I sort of shake my head at the people rushing from one end to the other, faces buried in their phones, and when I read posts about how to get as many rides as possible in to get the value out of the trip.

BUT...I recognize that everyone is different and they probably shake my head as me as I casually stroll through the parks taking everything in or post about how I'm perfectly happy using my FP+ on Figment...lol! I don't think there is a "right" way to tour Disney.

I make LOTS of plans in the sense that I have 2 TS meals planned a day (ADRs made at 180 days out), FP+ reservations and online check-in done 60 days out, know what parks I will be in on what days, etc...but I don't feel remotely inconvenienced or frustrated by having all these plans...they actually make me feel more relaxed. That said...I don't stress out over the plans either. Last trip (and the one before that) I had incidents at the park that left me in a lot of pain and I ended up doing no rides for a day or two...and that was fine with me. I don't mind changing plans on the fly when necessary and my heart doesn't break if my plans don't go exactly the way I scheduled everything. I mean...I'm in Disney World...a terrible day at Disney World is better than a good day at work, right?

So we're all different and while I may shake my head at people who tour differently it's more of an, "I can't wrap my head around that..." deal than a "Those people aren't doing it right..." deal. I do pity the people who don't plan at ALL and are on their first trip with zero research and end up having a bad time because they had such impossibly high expectations...but all I can do in those situations is offer help if I can and keep going if I can't and hope things improve for them. I hate the idea of anyone having a terrible time in Disney World...regardless of the reason and whether it is their own "fault" or not. It's my happy place and I want so badly for everyone to feel that way about it...but I know it's not for everyone.

But just because someone else finds joy in the over planning, commando type touring...who am I to judge? As long as THEY are having a good time...what's it to anyone else?

Great post! I'm the same way!

 

[claryche]

For sure some people over think and I think with FP+ it is going to make that even more so.

Now I do admit on our first few trips with our son I had an excel spreadsheet with park times, ADR's, and also what rides to try to ride at certain times. But with that said I have also seen people who have had spreadsheets broken down into like 30 minute increments and it was laminated. That is overthinking.

After the first 2 or 3 trips, I quit doing the speadsheet except for it to include which park we planned on going to and the hours and adr's.

I agree with others that if you over think and rush through it you miss so much. Some of my favorite trip pictures aren't the posed one, but the ones of just my DS walking around like he owned the place or running to his daddy while standing in line for the bus.

I feel sorry for the people who over think. But I feel more sorry for the people who under think. I feel sorry for their kids, if they have them for sure.

 

[Sparkly]

We actually found it more stressful to get to ADRs then to make our FPs. You can still somewhat change them if you want a change of plan, or at least we could in Feb.

I love planning though. It's nearly as fun as taking the trip itself!

 

[MartDM]

So true. I always shake my head when I see a group who are all lugging huge backpacks and look like they are on a mission to storm the castle. And the ones with the binders of info and index cards always make me feel bad too.

We bring our magicbands, sunglasses, phone, and a bottle of water and we're good to go.

 

[Sharpdisney]

I liked this post because it actually made me calm down with my planning... I need to keep reminding myself (translation: I think I need all of you who have been before to remind me....) that I can make a nice plan, make FP, make ADRs, and if we only end up hitting 1/3 of what I planned, it will likely still be the most memorable family vacation we've taken.
And yes, it is like a hobby... it's what I do in my downtime in the evening instead of watching TV or whatever. I enjoy the research.
But, because of the research it sure is easy to get "sucked in" to overanalyzing everything, and second guessing, and trying to make the "best" plan!!!
I have a feeling we'll walk through that gate, stand with jaws open, follow my 5 y.o. DS who is running to the first cool thing he sees, and leave my touringplan in the dust... and I hope we still have a blast doing it!

 

[Aggiegrl]

So true. I always shake my head when I see a group who are all lugging huge backpacks and look like they are on a mission to storm the castle. And the ones with the binders of info and index cards always make me feel bad too. We bring our magicbands, sunglasses, phone, and a bottle of water and we're good to go.

I take it you don't have kids or have kids of a self sufficient age? I also take it you stay on site for a decent amount of time? The backpack scenario you said describes some friends we met at the parks a few years back. They looked like pack mules, but it worked for them and it was what they needed. They stay off site and stay in the park all day, since their trip is usually 2-4 days in length. Their backpacks all had a change of clothes and flip flops in case of rain or drenching on a water ride. They also carried their food, as they are not comfortable eating in the parks with a severe food allergy. It's not my style, but for them it was necessary for their enjoyment of the park. I'm not carrying their bag, so who am I to judge?