Does anyone "not plan" their trips ever or sometimes?

[edk35]

This is our 8th trip.......and when we first started going.........we just WENT. LOL Then I started getting Steve Birmbaugh (sp??) book, and in Nov. three years ago...........I started using message boards, in Jan. this year, I added TGM and this trip coming up........I have not REALLY PLANNED TOO MUCH. I did a little as far as where we are going each day....but sometimes I think it is fun to SORT OF NOT HAVE A DETAILED PLAN OF ACTION. So that is what we are doing this trip. Just curious what you all think.......sometimes it is OVER KILL WITH ALL THE PLANNING. I think you have to be VERY flexible and have some sort of game plan...but you can also over do it too.

Denise

 

[MagicKingdom05]

Denise

Besides resort and air reservations, that is usually all the planning I do. I walk up in the morning and decide at that point which park I'm going to. I might look at the info the night before, but very rarely.

Being single and going solo allows me the advantage of really not having to plan things out and stoping and seeing what I want when I want.

 

[jcriket]

We never really plan either. Other than resort and where to eat, and sometimes we've not even done that. Once we were driving off of the property, and I just didn't feel like driving home. We saw that sign that says plenty of rooms available, so we tried it.

 

[goofie4goofy]

This trip will be the first that we have done any kind of planning. We are going 2nd week of Dec and wanted to see all the holiday decorations at night. So we planned our dinners at a different park....that's about it!

 

[danny1649]

= A good time at WDW.That said if you overplan I think it is to easy to get stressed out.Some folks get a little behind on the schedule they get unhappy quick.I think it is good to have idea of what park you want to attend on what day.What attractions you want to do and what you're willing to forgo until another trip.Have ADR'S in place for your TS dining you want to do.Have a good budget in place on how manny dollars you want to use on this vacation and stick to it.Just my opinions

 

[Eeyore2003]

I only plan allot when we're going with someone else and I want to get allot in and still have it relaxing for them. I think that takes planning.

When it's just DH and myself, we have our ADR's, just because we like eating at some of the more popular places like Le Cellier and I'd like to be sure we get them. Otherwise, we just do what we want when we want.

I think both vacations are fun, in November we're taking my neice so it's big time planned and "packed" with fun stuff to do, cant' wait!!! In April, just DH and myself, so there will be very little planning, can't wait for that one either!!!

You know, I'm just really glad I know how to plan both. I like taking others and sharing all the fun stuff and knowing enough to make the most of our time, it's so exciting, even though it's allot more planning, Disney planning is really one of my hobbies, but I also love the ones where we just "wing it".

Although, I do think that all the "knowledge" helps you be able to "wing it" allot easier.

 

[disneymama73]

We never plan anything other than where we are staying & where we are eating.

 

[eblack0409]

Aside from TS meals on the dining plan, we usually don't do much planning....other than going to AK first and ending the trip at MK.

 

[Paisleyjane]

The only way I could have ever gotten my DH to go all the times he has, is if we have no set plans. He is on a schedule at work, and does NOT want to have his vacation scheduled, so we always just go with the flow.

 

[Cinderella94]

We never really plan. We just kind of go, see which parks seem the least crowded that day. And the park-hopper passes are really nice, since if one park gets too crowded you can leave and go somewhere else.

We dont really plan, we just kind of wing it.

Cinderella

 

[DrTomorrow]

I believe that the more trips you have taken - or the more often you go - the less intensive your planning needs to be.

Our first few trips with DS (in the 1990's) I was a UG Commando (131st Testa Brigade). I had those touring plans photocopied, miniturized and memorized (I wanted to tattoo them on DS's back, but DW said no).

Now, we're empty nesters who own at SSR, and we've been enough - and will be going back enough - not to worry too much about planning. I pretty much only do two things: I work with park hours & event schedules and try to figure out what parks we'll want to go to / avoid on each day (say, if MK is open 'til midnight, that's for me!), and I'll see if there is a new ride (Soarin' last May) or special event (MNSSHP, MVMCP, etc) that we'll want to make sure we catch. Other than that, we pretty much play it by ear. Oh, and I know this is heresy, but we rarely make PS (oops) ADRs - with our DVC kitchen, fondness for counter service and a car, we don't eat at too many Disney table service places - the one exception is 'Ohana, which is near and dear to our hearts.

Be well!

 

[wilma-bride]

We always have a rough plan of where we will go on what day - but that is it. Unless there is something specific we want to see at a particular park, we don't have any sort of detailed plan at all. We just go with the flow. TBH, on both of our trips we've changed days around to suit ourselves during the trip anyway - but we like to have an idea of what we're going to do the following day. Half the reason we don't make ADRs is because it means we can't be as flexible with our plan as we like. Although I fully intend to make some ADRs for next year as I keep getting home and realising there are so many places I want to eat that we never will unless we actually plan to!

 

[Suzyq9241]

When my hubby and I went down the first year we planned everything ...

Now our 6th year straight ....

We planned nothing...

Why you asked?

No Children ....
21 November 11


This year we are just doing what John and Suzy want to do...

this is our year.....



:thewave: :thewave: :thewave: :thewave:

24 days and counting till birthday and leaving for WDW

 

[IAdisney]

our first trip was last year, didn't plan anything but 3 ts meals and iur vacation home off-site. The night before, we would discuss which park to visit the next day, and it worked out perfectly. We're doing the same thing this year, but staying onsite, and having a few more adr's. Can't wait.

 

[LoveWDW]

We haven't been for 4 years, but like last time, we only have 4 days there. So I plan which parks on which days- 1/2 day at AK, 1/2 at MGM, 1/2 at MK, 1 1/2 at Epcot. The remaining day we pick what we want to go back to. Mixed in this time are ADR's at the places we want to eat on the dining plan, so it is a little tighter than before. But I don't like to have to get up that morning and wonder which park is most crowded because of EMH or whatever, I like to look at a note card and say today we are going to MGM and eating in the evening at the Polynesian. I don't want to have to figure that out or try to get reservations after we are at WDW. I'd rather do some homework before we leave home and then relax and enjoy the vacation. Besides, it spreads out the anticipation to do a little research before leaving. It worked last time and we were pleased.

 

[paladin]

For our upcoming trip, I have reservations for the CP dinner package, Fantasmic dinner package, fishing excursion and a couple of dinners (and these only because we have friends joining us for the weekend and they have some places they want to eat at). We play it by ear and often find that when we do have reservations for meals (except for the show packages), we end up cancelling them because we just don't feel like it that day. We are not commando types at all (obviously) and often decide where we are going based on which bus shows up first! It's easy to do it this way since there are just the two of us and I've been there so many times.

 

[metsfan11]

after planning airplane and the resort, i usually drive my family crazy by planning. especially since ive found these boards. after we plan what parks and which days, we usually play it by ear

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I plan and plan, but it often falls apart and we just do what we want to do, whenever and it doesn't upset me. Part of the fun is planning and driving my DFi crazy before we go (reciting funny lines from the UG to see his reaction is great). I have planned more this trip b/c we are going in Dec and I don't know what the crowds are like. But the only things I have planned is some ADR's, some for hard stuff to get places like CRT, and for the CP, and the Segway Tour.

 

[Disneyof3]

I plan only what days we go to which park and ADR's and that's it. When we walk into the park that day, we look at the map (yes still need the map) and we say ok, where first. Usually it is counter clockwise but it depends on how we feel. Planning in MIO no good with kids, they have to follow a schedule all year at school, they want to just relax while on vacation.

 

[edk35]

WOW...........lost os planners and non planners. I do agree that going with some knowledge is THE BEST......but when we went in Nov. 2002..........I had too many PS and it got old quick..trying to be at a certain place for this PS breakfast,lunch dinner some two in one day IT WAS NUTS. WHEW~..............so this past Jan. We did one lunch, 2 breakfasts and 1 dinner. IT was much better.......but this time we are winging it even more. As of right now...........I HAVE THANKSGIVING DINNER PLANNED AND THAT IS IT. LOL I will need to throw in a few others though. My ideal vacation would be to go for about 2 -2 1/2 weeks.........then you aren't trying to get it all done so fast, I feel I miss out on stuff each trip because WE WANT IT ALL.........and we still dont' GET IT ALL. LOL