does anyone NOT plan??

[daisy_77]

On our first trip a few years ago we didn't plan too much. We decided which parks to go to on what days but didn't stick to the plan on a few of the days. We made a few PS before hand but made several either on the day or the day before. We were lucky that it was not busy and we were able to go with the flow a lot of the time. Our next trip is at Christmas and I have planned a lot more this time, but not to the point of planning every minute of the day. This time we have booked tours and will make a PS for dinner each night. We have also planned which parks to go to on which days and have a list of a few rides and attractions we want to do in each park. I will do some research to find out which order is the best to do the rides in, but if that dosen't happen it is not the end of the world. I have also already looked into the best place to stand for parades etc. I am not going plan minute by minute as I don't want to get too dissapointed if things do not go according to plan. I guess I just want to plan more this time just to be better informed for when I am there.

Planning is half the fun!!! I plan even though I know I probably won't stick to any of it! What else are we to do while passing the time before we leave?

 

[marcbelt]

Wheeew. I thought I was the only one who didn't plan. I just follow my kids and go where they want to go. Keeps me from planning and becoming Clark Griswald!!!!!

 

[Unofficial Fan]

We followed the Unofficial Guide plan note by note on our very first trip, and it was FANTASTIC. It was the best way to see things and do things I wouldn't have known about. It was also without kids and when I was in a lot better shape. LOL. Now that I've been there more, I take a much more relaxed view of things and just try to do the big things on my child's list. I have a love/hate relationship with PS's - it always seems to be a challenge to get to the restaurant on time, but during busy periods they are necessary if one wants to eat at a decent restaurant!

 

[jennyl772003]

To us, it is a vacation. A vacation means not HAVING to be anywhere. THAT means no PS, no touring plans, nothing.

Yet, we go during a very busy time, and we still are able to do everything we want. We go with the flow. If an attraction has a long line, we try back later. Something has a short line, we jump on.

This year I have made our first ever plan (Fantasmic dinner package) and i think it is driving my DH crazy already.

 

[TartanFan]

Planning is half the fun!!! I plan even though I know I probably won't stick to any of it! What else are we to do while passing the time before we leave?

Me too!!! I spend months planning, replanning and refining my spreadsheet then when we get there, we throw it in the trash!

 

[Disneyrsh]

Phew, I'm glad you were on antibiotics. I'm a bit of a nut about that. (no, really?)-strep has ruined a few vacations for us....


The beauty of a perfect itinerary is that you can choose not to do the things on your day, do them another day, do half of them, and it still works. I like knowing when the things I'd be interested in seeing are, but I acknowledge that I may not want to see them.

The only time we've had trouble with our itinerary was when we vacationed in Disney with friends who asked me to make an itinerary for them that worked with our itinerary, and then got mad at us when we wanted to deviate from it-we wanted to delay going back into MK by about 2 hours because it was too hot and spend the time at the pool instead, and they were like, oh, hey, that's not on your itinerary! So we went into MK and roasted. D'oh! I don't do itineraries for other people who meet up with us in Disney anymore, we just agree to meet up at a dinner or a special ride and go from there....

For me planning lets me know what I want to do, not what I will do, that way once I'm in the park I know to head left, right, or back to the hotel!

 

[impsmom]

We'll be there June 12-18 and all I have planned are our dinner PS/ADR whatever they are now. This is our first family vacation and with three kids under 7, planning doesn't work well with them

 

[Sinclare]

I plan on when we are leaving, where we are going to stay, and what we have tickets (anual pass) to but beyond that nope. I know the basic rules, what parks are crowded on what days, but I just let everything flow and just float along with it. We wake up and then decide what to do and it really works well for us but then again we are laid back and flexible.

My life at home/work is rigid enough. I couldn't comprehend having an actual ride schedule. But everyone has to do what works for them.

 

[Sinclare]

To us, it is a vacation. A vacation means not HAVING to be anywhere. THAT means no PS, no touring plans, nothing.

Yet, we go during a very busy time, and we still are able to do everything we want. We go with the flow. If an attraction has a long line, we try back later. Something has a short line, we jump on.

This year I have made our first ever plan (Fantasmic dinner package) and i think it is driving my DH crazy already.

IMHO don't do the dinner package. The seats are ok but they are to the side. Just get there and get in line ~6:30 (yes I know that's way before the show but worth it). We usually end up sitting on either the very front row or second up in the center. I actually prefer the second up because you have a place to prop up your feet (at least until the place starts to fill up).

 

[DMRick]

I love the planning and we get so much more covered. I've done the "let it flow" and we come home missing a lot. While we don't plan what ride we go on when, we do start at the back and go in a circle. We especially plan around early mornings (we'll get there for em, and then leave to another park when the park starts to get busy), and late nights are must do's for us. We get to go on so much more without wasting time in lines. I like to plan lunch at non-lunch times, to maximize our "fun" time. While we aren't commando about it we definately see a difference in fun time, versus time spent figuring out what is next. It really showed on this last trip (May)..I wish I had stuck to what I had planned..I know better than to mess with what works for us. Makes for confusion, when stuff changes LOL!

Many shows are are certain times, and with some planning, we get to get there at all the right times. Our last trip had much of the planning go out the window, and I can't believe how much more time we had to spend in the parks to see everything we wanted to see, and how frustrating it was, to have a park day change, which meant it might have different hours for certain things, or perhaps in the case of Epcot, we would be there on the days off for the British Invasion or the Canadian group.

By missing late night at MK, we had to stay a whole day there another day, to get on everything that would have taken just a few hours..which meant less time at another park. We often take other people with us, and generally they are pretty pleased (and usually surprised with all we fit in, without being rushed) with all we do and see. A lot of the times, they didn't even know that stuff was available (like the flag ceremony and many of the "on the street" stuff).

Nine of us in February, and the planning was perfect. I had times I thought we would separate, but, after one day of seeing what planning did, the other 7 stuck to us like glue LOL.

So yep, planning is a big part of Disney for us, even after 28 trips! Whatever works for you, is the way to do Disney.