Go With the Flow??

[Kaler131]

I book our ADR's adn the parks that we will be in that day. That's it.

I'm a planner...DH is not. So we meet in the middle. He lets me plan the meals and what park on what day but I give some wiggle room. Our evenings aren't planned because usually DH will say "let's just go do this" and without having somehting planned I won't get upset. We do pool time, park hop, DTD, DQ, visit family. Whatever it may be.

When we get to the parks we grab a guide and just go with the flow. I sort of have a jist of what I want to do first but it's not planned out.

That's EXACTLY what we do too!

 

[GreatGranny]

You can get that type of info from the Unofficial Guide and TourGuideMike.

Thanks

We have free dining so need to do some planning around meal times. Booking ADR's was a bit hairy because loads of people are on the free dining promo, so we couldn't get in a lot of our choice restaurants/times

GG

 

[DisneyKidds]

While I agree that there is probably little value in planning your whole day out hour by hour (like someone said, when does anything go entirely according to plan?), I also believe that a strict 'go with the flow' approach can be a recipe for disaster.

I think you definitely have to plan your dining reservations, which will also require you to plan in advance what parks you will be in on which days and at which times, and you should also factor into that plan various fireworks, parades, or special events (i.e. SpectroMagic isn't offered every day). Beyond that, I strongly believe there is also a need to plan to be at each park at opening, and have a game plan for the first couple of hours. That first two hours after opening can be a great time to get things done, if you have a plan. If you just show up and go with the flow and fail to hit certain popular attractions before the lines build, you may find yourself waiting in much longer lines later, or having late fastpass return times, or missing out an fastpasses altogether as some rides distribute all their fastpasses by early afternoon. After that first couple of hours in the park I think a go with the flow approach is workable.

Unfortunately, I know too many people who had a very casual approach to the theme parks, who didn't plan to be at the parks at opening, and didn't have any kind of plan on what to do when they got there......and they had a miserable time. If you are going during a very slow time maybe the casual approach will work out fine, but if you are going during a busy time you should invest a little planning time to go along with all the money you've invested in the vacation. You don't want to show up at the MK at 10:30 on a summer morning only to find that each ride you make your way to by going with the flow (Space, Splash, etc.) has a 90+ minute line you don't want to wait on, and before you know it you are hot and miserable and you've gotten nothing accomplished. I know people who hate WDW and will never go back because of this type of experience, an experience that easily could have been avoided with a little advance planning.

 

[tlcoke]

I am planning more this trip than I have in the past... I am on the DDP so I have to work around my ADR's. I am also scheduled to do the Backstage Magic tour on one day of my visit, so that on my schedule to work around also. I am planning Park visits around EMH's somwhat, since I have a park hopper ticket w/wp&m, so I may spend time in one park for a couple hours, then hop to another or go to one of the waterparks for a couple hours. I am somewhat flexible since I am on solo trip, so I don't have to work around other people. My main strategy is that I plan to hit key rides & shows in each park that I have enjoyed in the past, in addition to the "New" attractions since my last trip in 2005 that I want to experience. I also want to Resort hop to see the Decor of each of the Resorts, thus some on my dining ADR's are planned at the resorts to help me accomplish this. This is also my first time staying in a WDW Resort.

 

[tinkgurl]

We always go with the flow...the only thing that is planned ahead is where we are eating dinner for our ADR's. Then, we just go from there. We decide what park we are heading to either when we wake up that morning or the night before. Once we get on the bus, we decide what rides we for sure want to do so we can get fast passes for one of them once we get there. From there, we just ride what we want at our pace. We stop and smell the roses. We enjoy the scenery instead of rushing from one thing to the next. I think that's one thing many people forget to do.

 

[TerrytownGrl]

Thanks

We have free dining so need to do some planning around meal times. Booking ADR's was a bit hairy because loads of people are on the free dining promo, so we couldn't get in a lot of our choice restaurants/times

GG

UG's website at touringplans.com will give you the crowd calendar and best park/worst park to visit for each day for the upcoming 30 days. If you want to see beyond the 30 days, the subscription cost $7.95 for a year.

HTH

 

[Stitch2007]

The only plan we have is the place we stay. My boyfriend and I like waking up in the morning and deciding which park we want to go to. Also, no ADR or DDP (too much food), we eat when we are hungry. I don't like plannin which park I want to go to 6 months in advance.

 

[wrighter]

To my husband I know I sound like I plan obsessively, but compared to some of the die hard Dissers I know, I'm a lightweight.

We do things a little differently - we stay in a villa, so we have the big kitchen and order most of our groceries for the week. We eat breakfast at the villa, eat CS meals at the parks, and most nights have dinner at the villa. (My DH loves to cook and doesn't get the opportunity much, so he actually enjoys this.) We usually make 2 ADRs per trip - one character meal for all of us and one night out for my DH and I. We do tend to plan the "which day at which park" thing as soon as hours are available, deciding if we want to take advantage of any particular EMH or parties or parades, etc. But other than that, we go with the flow. Although by this year (our third year in a row) I'm pretty sure I can tell you what my kids will want to do. But we usually let them be our guides - go where they want, leave if they're "itchy," etc. It works well for us and we love it - we have a lot of fun but little stress.

 

[6264EVER]

I am the planner in the family and usually plan our park days, ADR's, shows, etc.... My DD12 and I are doing a mommy/daughter trip in March. I rented DVC points from good friends, will book 3 TS and then we are going where the wind takes us. Even decided no dining plan - last time we went with the dining plan and has CS left over and brought home 18 Mickey Rice Krispie Treats. DH likes his daily sit down meal - DD and I think the ice cream sandwich at Sleepy Hollow can be considered lunch. I am looking forward to a lot of "let's do this" and taking off..............

 

[wendyinaustin]

DD and I think the ice cream sandwich at Sleepy Hollow can be considered lunch. I

You sound like my kind of people!

 

[stacym]

We just plan what parks on which days and the rest is pretty much up in the air. We just eat when we are hungry. My husband likes to relax on vacation and not be overscheduled...he gets enough of that at work.