Have no plan- am I crazy?

[Ragnrok23]

I am taking my girlfriend to WDW for the first time Aug28th- Sept2nd. Right now the only thing I have planed is a wishes cruise the first night and CRT dinner reservations (which I am trying to change to lunch) . Other than that I have no plan on what parks I am going to on what day. I don't even know what park to go to first! (we land in Orlando at 10:50AM)


After reading how everyone else plans I am beging to think I might be crazy

Does anyone else just play it by ear?

 

[NY Disney fan]

We always play it by ear at WDW. This year though I planned only because we wanted to check out the restaurants we've never been to before. If its just you and your gf you should have no problems getting last minute reservations at the times you want.

 

[mcgrawfan]

We are about the same as you just because we have to have ressies. We have CRT and MNSSHP. We have never planned what parks to do what day and what rides. We just wing it. We are on VACATION.

 

[kgkmom]

Hoo-boy, are you going to get some opinions! Here's my .02.

When I took my DH and DD to WDW for the first time, I had already been 2 or 3 times. I knew what to expect, they didn't, so we sat down with one of the guide books (Birnbaum's I think) and looked through it together. We let our DD make a list of attractions that she definitely wanted to do. Then, I kind of mapped it out so we could do the things she wanted in a timely fashion. DH had no opinion at all. So...

DH was fine winging it,
DD had only a few 'must do's' and didn't know what else she was missing, and would later consider 'must do's',
I mapped out the trip rather tightly for the three of us to accomodate DD's plans.

If you have been to WDW before and know what are your 'must do's', plan accordingly. If neither of you have been, then I do recommend picking up a guide or two, or doing some internet research, and base your plans on the kinds of things you both like to do, and don't worry about everyone else's plans.

For example, if neither of you is a fan of sit down arena style shows, then it doesn't matter at all that Indiana Jones Spectacular is a great show and some people's 'must do', because it wouldn't be great for you. My DD falls in the 'no show' category. She did accomodate me for Fantasmic, and agreed it was cool, but has no desire to do any other shows. Okey-dokey, this leaves more time for Rock N' Roller Coaster!

Some planning is worthwhile, so you can take advantage of some of the neat perks and time-trusted tips, but it's not necessary to micro-manage your vacation. It's your vacation after all!

One other thing. Some folks are disappointed if the entire vacation isn't 'magical'. I think that you've got a great start with 'wishes', and that taking it easy, if that is your style as a couple, will create it's own 'magic'.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[klwdisney]

DH & I are also part of this small group of people who like to just wing it at WDW. I can't imagine having an itinerary to stick to or getting up at the crack of dawn when I'm on vacation. But that's just us and how we like to do things. Last trip I tried to plan PS's and a vague itinerary and ended up cancelling them when we got there cuz the plan just didn't work for us. We never had a problem eating when we wanted to eat. If it was a sit-down restaurant, we may have had a 10-20 minute wait but that wasn't a problem for us as we'd have that kind of wait at a chain type restaurant here at home. We also don't have children so that makes a HUGE difference!

 

[jann1033]

After reading how everyone else plans I am beging to think I might be crazy

Does anyone else just play it by ear?

you might very well be crazy, hard to diagnose from only the above info


however i'd personally at least plan what day to go where and generally what to go to when i get there . wandering around aimlessly is asking to miss a lot and waste time and if it's busy( is that a holiday weekend??) you could miss basically everything . looking at a park map will at least get you a little oriented before you get there...all the parks are BIG and could be confusing with lots of nooks and alley ways if you have no idea before hand.

first time i did lots of research via guide books and still was a little overwhelmed, now we know "what day where" and what we want to do in a general order. we hit popular must do rides at park opening and then chill for the rest of the day. spontenaity( sp) is good sometimes but i really think you need a little research before hand.

 

[GoofyGirlnPrincessV]

I usually know what parks that I want to go to and that is about it. My next trip it will just be my 3.5 dd and me. I did make ressies for breakfast and one for lunch.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[pixiedust23]

Going around the same time you are with my BF. I made 2 dinner reservations and thats it. I dont even think were going to the parks, just hanging by the pool (o no I shouldnt ahve said that, it can be considered a sin here to not go to the parks) We're doing Boma one night and CG during Wishes the next night. Other than that we intend on just winging it!

 

[Ragnrok23]

Thank you everyone for making me feel better! I have been a few times fairly recently, so I know what I want to do and what few things are new that I would like to try. I am just scared that because it's her first time, she will be running around wanting to do everything and will be impossible to stick to any type of plan.

Thank you for the wishes comment KGKMOM

pixiedust23- I would come back girlfriendless if we didn't spend as much in the parks as possible!

 

[jswalker1981]

I think the few things you might want to to plan for is what days to go. Now, you don't have to get crazy about this, but if you are staying off-site, I find it better to go to the park (if you go early) that DOESN'T have the EMH that morning. It is kinda disappointing to get to a park when it "opens" to only have it filled already with on-site guests. Also, there are maps in the airport at orlando for the parks, a "Guide to everything", and it has maps of all the parks in one binding. It gives you a little description of the attractions in each park, so you can figure out what you might want to go on first. I have gone to MK several times, and the one thing I know to do when I get there is go to the left, as most people head into tomorrowland on the right. Use fastpasses, and when you do get one, try to get one with the fastest return time. Last time I went, five minutes after my return window opened, I could get another fastpass. So, if you are deciding between Space Mountain and Buzz, odds are to get the FP for Buzz, then when the window opens, get one for SM. But besides that, I normally plan on the whim. I don't read guides, I don't make up trip sheets, I just go where I feel.

 

[dpuck1998]

Nothing wrong with that as long as you know what to expect. Going in late August shouldn't be too bad since a lot of schools start back on the 29th, at least up here. I've found the more we go the less we have to plan. We make a few PS's but overall we just hit the parks and play it by ear. If there is something special like a tour or a cruise plan that and go have fun. I don't think most of the people here do a lot more than that. Its hard not to have fun either way and each person likes to do it different on vacation. I'm up early and some get up late

 

[MommytoMJM]

Ear players here too....now that we have been so much we tend to have a somewhat idea of where and wat to do. But lots of it is dictated by ppl we are with, MJ's level of ability to deal with things that day, heat, crowds, etc.....

 

[dvcgirl]

I think it's fine to play it by ear during certain times of the year. And by "play it by ear" I mean *no* plans...just wing it...no ADRs...nothing. But for the week you're going, you may want to think about whether or not you plan on dining at any sit-down restaurants. The Free Dining package folks will be there in full-swing and you could be out of luck. Other than that, sure...wing it.

 

[FanOfStitch]

I never plan. Me and my DS12 always just wing it. Usually we will figure out right before we go to sleep what park to go to the next day. Sometimes we don't even plan that far in advance. We'll wake up, eat breakfast, and during breakfast start discussing where we want to go.

I have semi-plans this year. Just becuase I bought the dining plan I had to make ressies at restaurants. However, we proably won't stay at those parks, we'll eat and then figure out what to do. We're also going to MNSSHP this year. Should be fun.

Probably not the best way of doing things, but this is what works for us and we enjoy every minute of our vacation!!

 

[Dizz(n)ey]

less plans = more fun

 

[disneyfam]

Now that I have 2 kids to take to Disney I'd say plan, plan, plan.

However on our Honeymoon, DH and I just "winged it". The only thing we planned were some of our evening dinners and one lunch. We stayed at the YC so if we decided to go to EPCOT we walked over. SOmetimes we'd go to the bus stop and go to the park whose bus came first. That was fun!

So enjoy yourself and plan, but don't plan.

Cynde

 

[dpuck1998]

less plans = more fun

Maybe for you...but for me planning is fun so more plans = more fun

 

[krissy2803]

DH says "wing it"..We are on VACATON!
Soooo..I read as many posts my poor brain can handle from the DIS boards. If we are going to "wing it" at least I can have a lot of info. Does that make sense??