does too much planning ruin a trip?

[Sandi]

I love planning, so I don't consider it over-planning. I always deviate from my plan somewhat though to be able to stop and smell the roses. If we didn't deviate, we'd have missed a lot -- like ladybug releases, the Epcot jammitors, etc. At the same time, having a plan and knowing when things are busy or not makes the whole trip more enjoyable.

Whomever mentioned the golden mean is exactly right. WDW isn't one size fits all. And, if you like it, you'll be back so you don't need to fit in every little thing on every visit.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

My family had this conversation a few days ago, as my 9 Y.O. said I was obsessed w/ planning. DH actually defended me, in saying that I was much better than a few years ago, when I planned absolutely EVERYTHING.

We went about 10 years ago. I was innursing school, so didn't have time to plan. Anyway- went over Christmas, w/ really no idea of what to expect, and no plans. Did not even buy a book. BIG mistake.

Our next trip, was w/ kids, and I did plan everything, right down to whick ride to go to first. Well - guess what- I was thrown back to reality real fast, when it didn't work out. I almost cried, when we did not get a patio table at Rose and Crown for Illuminations. We found ourselves w/ no free time, and we were all exhausted by the end of the week. We still had a good time though, and couldn't wait to go back

Anyway- I guess I'm trying to say that there is a happy medium. Now we make PS (one/day), and know what days we plan on going to which park, but we have at least 1 1/2 days of wherever. We realize that if we cancel PS, no big deal, and that we can be flexible.

These boards are great- I have found soooo much valuable info, both for $$ savings, and itineraries. But, with so many great ideas, you tend to get the do-it-all mentality, and can drive yourself crazy I would still get a generalized plan, and at least get familiar w/ park hours, EMH if you are on site, and make a few PS for meals. But just have fun (as everyone is saying)

Hello-My name is Kim, and I'm a disney over-planner.


WOO-HOO- Look at my countdown!!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

The DIS is a wealth of information. Soak up as much knowledge you can so you are prepared and then just go with it. I like to to know what park we are going to on what day. Have an idea of what the major things the kids want to do and see and just have fun.

 

[Stiff]

we loosely plan where we may be certain days of the trip just so we can make some PS's.....other than that, we are open

if we have dinner planned at epcot...doesnt mean we necessarily will be there all day...we may decide on another park for the morning.....we definitely leave alot open

but I also dont want to eat counter service the entire time, so we find it important to have some PS's for sure.

 

[henrylovespooh]

I will admit to being a planner, but my planning is more of research before I go. I plan to avoid crowds, get on the rides most likely to be crowded early, and to have a PS for dinner so I'm not left without a good place to eat.

My husband is a go with the flow guy, but when he saw Disney crowds (at off peak time, no less) he was flabberghasted. He was so appreciative of the plans I had made because it made the trip better for him.

The only park I do follow touring plans for is MK. I have two little ones who like Dumbo and Peter Pan and don't understand waiting 25 minutes in line. But at the other parks, we just do what we want - with the caveat that I have researched what we would like to do beforehand so we're not wasting time sitting on a bench reading the park map and trying to figure out what to do. I'd rather spend that time sitting on a park bench eating a Dole Whip after I just rode some rides and saw some shows.

The way I look at it, we get to the parks early and ride the "must-do" rides and see characters early. We never run from ride to ride, but there is a bit of a plan. But by 11:00 a.m., we are usually just strolling around and riding what we want with Fastpass.

I think if you put the work in ahead of time, you can relax and enjoy your trip.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I think planning every minute is a mistake, but I also think not planning at all is just as bad.

Like someone else said...Disney World is HUGE...you won't really realize how huge til you get there and I think you could easily get more overwhelmed with no plan at all as you might by over planning.

I am the family planner for Disney trips and while I might overplan before we go, once we get there I go by a general plan and allow for flexiblity as needed. I could never do the commando plans I think the OP is referring to.

Get a general idea of what park you want to do on what day...if that doesn't work out for some reason, you can always hop to another park. Make a list of absolute MUST SEE things that you really don't want to miss at each park, shoot for doing those and then whatever else is gravy. I usually make a pretty long MUST SEE list a month or two before we go and then I'm constantly revising it until I cut it down to the really, REALLY Must See's. Like for Animal Kingdom, there are only four things on my MUST SEE list now and I think I started off with seven or eight. Doesn't mean you can't or won't see and do other things, but you will be pretty sure to see and do the ones that you feel are most important.

 

[nordtrjr]

Interesting topic. I'm generally known as "the planner" in my family. We have taken 3 recent week long trips to DW. 2001 just the wife and three kids. 2003 same plus my wife's parents. Feb. 2005 we took my parents. On each trip I planned out every day. Meals, parks, which ride to ride when, etc. On each trip we started out following the plan and we did everthing we wanted to do. However, by about the 4th day we started to drop some events from our plan beacuse we got too tired or just felt like doing something else. Even though I spent a great deal of time making all these plans I was perfectly fine with not following them if that suited our group better. I'd much rather have a plan and choose not to follow it then to not have a plan and wish we did.

On our most recent trip with my parents we did a lot of special things beyond the normal activities. We played golf, the girls went to the Spa, Cindy's breakfast at the castle, Cirque, Sunrise Safari @ AKL, even the chef's table at V&A's. We all had a great time. But now that we've done all that and have been on two trips before we don't feel the need to "do it all again".

Although our next trip will likley not be until 2007 we are now consdiering a less planned and more relaxing trip. The kids will be old enough to be in the parks on their own which will be great for me and my wife. We can sit by the pool or even have a lunch just the two of us. We'll probably only schedule a Dinner PS for every other night and that's about it. Heck, we might even sleep in a couple of mornings.

It really all comes down to what you want to do. DW isn't the sort of place where you can just walk up to the most popular attractions or restaurants and get in on a whim (even during the "slower" parts of the year). If there are some things you really want to do then plan for them.

 

[sunnygirl]

I LOVE planning! The anticipation of the trip is almost as much fun for me as the trip itself! But I agree that you need to find that balance so that you aren't stressed out trying to stick to your plan.

 

[missypie]

I LOVE planning! The anticipation of the trip is almost as much fun for me as the trip itself! But I agree that you need to find that balance so that you aren't stressed out trying to stick to your plan.

I was waiting for someone to say that! Most of us plan because we think it's fun. When I read the ride descriptions and imagine our family going from one to another, or when I read the menus on allearsnet for the restaurants I've selected, I get so excited about the trip!

 

[maxaroni]

We hadn't been since '81 when we went in '01 and we were going with ds8, we thought we planned well and had a good trip. We went again in '02 and again, did well. We are planning a trip in August and found these boards....HELLO, I find that what I thought I had planned well was close to not having a plan at all... I've gotten so many incredible ideas, thoughts and advice from these boards and love it all. DH, on the other hand, looks at me each time I say something that I read on here. He's more the type to have a loose plan, be flexible and things will be fine. It has worked in the past.....I'll be the one thinking, we have to do this at a certain time and go there at a certain time....those dis'ers said this or that!

 

[Nanabug02]

I used to think there was no such thing as too much planning....until my last trip. Now, don't get me wrong, we had a good time, but all the planning and worrying about every little thing ended up with me getting sick while we were there. Also, we missed having spontaneity in our days, and all the fun that comes when you don't have the day planned to a T.

I think it is good to be prepared & be aware of all the options you have, and it's definitely good to have a few PS's....but other than that, don't stress out too much! Just have fun & wing the rest.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

planning is essential to a good trip unless you have already internalized WDW and its layout and how things work. Or if you just don't care about doing rides and attractions and can just go with the flow and not care if you don't do a bunch of rides.

I believe planning is essential because for me - I still do not "know the parks" - So if I plan it helps me learn mnore so when I am there I am more readily capable of being flexible and rolling with the changes. Afterall, if you don't know how things work, what ride flow is like , ride loading , crowd levels at different times of day ... well if you don't know that you are walking into a big mass of stuff and will have no idea where what is. When there are 30,000 people there with you if you don't konow where you are and where the things you want to see are then you are at a big disadvantage. If you want a sit down meal and you don't have a PS you can pretty much forget about it depending on where you are and at what time.

SO can you plan too much? yes, but only if you are so rigid that your plan must go just like you have planned .... then your plan could wind up being a fun killer.... and you could wind up nerve racked...

If on the oter hand you reaslize that all this planning has helped you internalize how things work, and you are open to things not going as planned then your planning will be beneficial.

I have a post I did somehwere let me see if I can find it

 

[DrTomorrow]

The only thing worse than over-planning is under-knowing. ITA with all the others who suggest that there's a "happy medium"; but do know the basics of the attractions, layout of the parks, show/parade times, what is / isn't important to you, etc.

I also have a theory that the less frequently you go (or have gone), the more important planning is. If this is someone's first trip to WDW, and they probably won't get back for a few years, then they really need to lay things out pretty well so that they do their "Must See List" items. However, once someone has gone a few times - or knows they'll be back soon - their schedule can be much more forgiving and flexible; missed the parade? We can see it next time.

But showing up the the MK a few hours after opening on your first day there ever, grabbing a map and saying "So, what do we want to do?" is a baaaad idea.

Be well!

 

[nataliesdaddy]

I wrote this on a different thread but it seems relevant here.

Here is the deal - you plan like a banshi, then you plan some more, then you change your plans and modify ... you eventually get exasperated and throw your hands up in the air thinking, "We are screwed". All of this planning however is a learning experience. You start to internalize things at WDW. That knowledge in and of itself prepares you to be more flexible in your daily routine once you get there.

The beauty of planning is not that you have to follow some order moment by moment. The beauty of planning is that you are better equipped to adapt as circumstances arise. The beauty of planning is the information you learn in the planning process. Nobody likes unpleasant surprises; they tend to ruin an otherwise ok experience....and if you don't plan and learn you for sure will have several unpleasant surprises on your trip.

Example: I used to be a professional musician and songwriter. I would practice the same musical scales at extremely slow speeds, highly disciplined, no originality, no emotion, and no fun. All work. Other musicians would rag on me for being an uptight guitar and song writing nerd. When I put together a show we would play the exact same thing over and over and over again until we could play it with our eyes closed with earplugs so we couldn't hear. Now that is disciplined planning with nothing fun or spontaneous about it. The result of all that uptight planning was more spontaneity, greater flexibility, greater ability to adapt to others' mistakes or technical glitches, the ability to be freer to improvise, and a mind-boggling level of fluidness.

We had a saying - SPONTANEITY COMES WITH PRACTICE.

After all, if the G string on your guitar flies off and smacks you in the eye and you built 1/3 of your solo around your G string and now you can't see...you are in deep trouble unless you are so well versed that you can close your eyes, adapt, improvise and wail like a mutha while shifting your entire solo into a one handed solo so you can continue playing effortlessly while you simultaneously change your string. And that kind of spontaneity doesn't come from being a free spirited undisciplined person all the time. It comes from practice and planning. It is the difference between not knowing how to adapt to a negative situation, or being able to take any negative situation and with ease turn it into a positive. Its the difference between boos or screaming fanatical applause.

It isn't fanatically sticking to the plan that matters. It is the process of planning that matters. It is that process that gives you the insight and ability to adapt, to be more flexible, and to be more fluid, and paradoxically to be more spontaneous.

 

[newholidayx2]

I got in trouble w/planning a Disney vacation back in 2002 - I planned the wrong vacation! When the plans I was working on went "down the tubes" I brought along the 2001 plans

 

[cdnmom22teens]

Last year I witnessed a couple of huge arguments about PS - both times the women were completely bent out of shape that it was time for their PS but the men and kids were refusing to go because they were having a great time and weren't hungry. Planning gone awry.

 

[DrTomorrow]

[Significantly profound words snipped]

So what you're saying is that, if I plan, then go blind in the Magic Kingdom, I'll know how to play a guitar? Cool!

Seriously, nataliesdaddy, you're dead on. I posted somewhere (commando thread?) that it's not that you have to plan, but that you have to know. You can have a great plan, but then Test Track breaks down (hard to believe, but it happens) then you're on your own - if you know show / parade times, etc., you're in better shape.

Be well!

 

[nataliesdaddy]

So what you're saying is that, if I plan, then go blind in the Magic Kingdom, I'll know how to play a guitar? Cool!

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

The best advice I can give is this :

Plan, plan, plan your little heart out.

When you get there, go with the flow.

Right now, for my next trip, I have things planned to the hour because I won't be solo and will be playing "tour guide". However, even when I plan things down to the minute I recognize that it's a guide-line, not a life-line.

The "problem" with over-planning isn't so much in the planning, but the execution. If you find yourself dragging your kids around saying, "I don't care if you want to see that character over there, we have a PS at 3:45 and we aren't going to miss it!" then you know you need to pull back a little.

That said, I always try to be a little "down-low" with my commando style in-park. Often the people I'm with don't even know I have a schedule planned, or that I'm following a strategy - I just avoid making a schedule a problem. And the people always thank me - because at the end of the trip I've made sure we've seen Fantasmic!, Wishes, Illuminations, and every attraction they wanted to see. If only they knew how much planning that takes!

So I'll stick with "go with the flow" being the short answer. And make sure YOU enjoy the trip too. Make plans for things like EMH mornings and late night rides to make sure you get all the "E" tickets in, and fill the rest of the time doing whatever feels good. Some of the best times I've had at WDW involved me, a friend, a bench, and watching the busy crowds fight each other - because all you have to do is look at the Castle in the background to have a good time at WDW.

N.E.D.

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

How long is your trip for? (I didn't have time to read all the other responses so forgive me if this has already been answered.) If its for a week or more you have PLENTY of room to plan and be spontaneous. For instance, DH and I are extremely spontaneous. For us to plan a lot is odd too. We wound up planning where we woudl be the first and second days or our trip, and on the 4th day. Basically we said, well duh, well be at MK the first day, and Epcot on the 2nd full day so we can make a PS at the Coral Reef that day safely. Every other PS we have is for a character breakfast at a hotel or park (4th day AK). By making only breakfast PS for the other ones we give ourselves the freedom to do half days at parks, split our days between parks, etc. Perhaps plan where you'll be, and one or two breakfast outings, but besides that leave it up to your whims. They won't steer you wrong!