Do you "plan" if you're not making ADRs?

[LightBurnsBlue]

Reading a previous post got me thinking about planning. My family is not eating at any table service resteraunts on propety (this may come as a shock, haha, but we have our own favorites off site). After reading that many of you plan detailed itineraries...do you think it's necessary to do that if you're not making ADRs?

I'm not really sure what I would plan for...The only planning I've done in the past was to print out what parks have EMHs on the week we're going, and avoid those parks on those days.

I guess my question is....what, exactly, should I be planning?

 

[bytheblood]

Of course....that is half the fun for the trip.

 

[ainmama2001]

Oh yeah. You need to plan, especially if you're park hopping, so you can fit all the rides around the shows and such!

 

[Pyrotechnics Man]

Just don't let the planning interfere with the fun! Since meals are not a factor, think about the shows you want to see and make sure you're in the right place at the right time. Outside of that, ride what you want when you want to ride it and let the mouse be your guide!
IMO a strict schedule (Buzz at 9:30...TTA at 10:00...Carousel at 10:20...Space Mountain at 11:00) is just not a vacation.

 

[Paisleyjane]

I think it depends on your personality and likes and dislikes. We never planned, my DH says when he is on vacation, he does not want to be on any kind of schedule. So, we are fortunate enough to have been to WDW many times and we just go with the flow.

 

[cruisin'Mike]

For us, eating is a big part of our vacation (my waist proves that!). So we try to plan out which parks we'll be in which days to make ADR's, but we don't get down to details of which rides we'll go on when. It sounds like that's pretty much what you'll be doing, as far as avoiding EMH parks. So I would just stick with that, relax, and enjoy! See the big attractions you want to see, and then everything else will be bonus!

Mike

 

[jtdl]

I usually plan what park we will go to on which day. But I remain flexible - if there is a last minute change in park hours or EMH, parade schedule, whatever, we will change our plans to accommodate. I do not plan where we will be at any given time other than what park we will be in.

 

[Eeyore2003]

Well, we'll be there for the 9 days in the upcoming vacation in November treating my niece. Her and I are going to Saratoga Springs Spa for "My First Manicure/Pedicure for her, and a Pedicure for me also, the My Disney Girl Princess Tea, the Albatross Treasure Cruise, DH has a conference 3 of the mornings, he would like to go the Disney Wilderness Preserve for the buggy ride on Sunday at 1:30, Sunday also is the Green Bay Packer game at 4:00. (yes, we're typical "die hard" Cheeseheads), it's the last week-end of the Food and Wine Festival, so we want to take advantage of that, also the Festival of the Masters Art Show is that week-end at DTD that we would like to see. (If we were soap opera fans, that's also going on that week-end, as it is, I know to steer clear of MGM for those days)

We'd like to fit in a game at Summerland/Winterland mini golf and spend at least a 1/2 day at Typhoon Lagoon. I wanted to see when the "candy lady" at Japan has her perfomances to see if we can plan to be there to see that, so I checked that out yesterday. In my "searches" I found out that the "Mickey's Jingle Jungle" Christmas parade will already be going on, luckily I was planning on evening EMH for AK, but now I know I want to be there early enough for the parade. Much to my joy the Osbourne Lights are showing early and will start that week, so that's going to be fit in after Fantasmic.

I normally jot down the times of the "shows" at the parks we want to see, so I don't waste time there doing that, "Cinderellabration", "Lights, Motors, Action", "Lion King", etc. Most of these things have specific times to do them . I haven't even gotten around to time to do the rides and time at the pool yet. Since we're staying at BCV, I want to make sure she gets to enjoy Stormalong Bay.

Well, that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I do have all my meals also planned at Disney World. Mostly "character" and "fun type". But as you can see, there's SO much more to Disney that we enjoy doing than just the parks. We would never be able to do all of these things, plus get in all the stuff at the parks we want to do if I didn't at least "pencil" in all of this, allowing travel time also.

Things like the "candy lady" would be by "chance". And we waste precious ride time looking up the times of shows. Believe it or not, my vacations so far are very relaxing, considering all we do, but I think it's precisely because of my planning that they are and we get to do so much.

AND, it NEVER goes quite as planned, and I ALWAYS have to adjust. That's just part of it. But having all this information, you can "usually" make adjustments quickly so that you don't "waste" wonderful time at Disney "standing around in confusion". NOW, having said all that, before EVERY trip when we take others, I get very nervous hoping it will all go well, and am so SURPRISED if it all does!!!

My own kids are grown now, so when it's just DH and myself, except for a few things, throw all of this to the wind!!! I have a "loose" idea of what I'm going to do, especially if it's something we plan like a tour or special event, and the rest of the time we relax and "wing it". For us, Disney World is our "therapy" and we just enjoy getting away and being there.

 

[goofy4tink]

I really think the amount of planning involved depends on the frequency of your trips. As I go more and more often, I find myself planning less and less. We know what we want to do and what shows we want to see. We know how long it's going to take to get to a different part of a park. I do like to have one table service meal a day when my whole family is there. I'm going by myself in Nov and only have a few table service meals planned and those are only because I'm meeting up with some other DISers to eat. Otherwise, I'll be grabbing a bite to eat when I'm hungry at whatever cart/counter spot is closeby.
If you have been before, then I'm all for just taking your time and enjoying each other's company in WDW. Some of the most wonderful memories I have have happened when we slowed down, rather rushing from one attraction to another, or to get to a PS (ADR) on time.