Here's My Number One Tip

[sandiegosusie]

I started out with index cards, but graduated to a full blown booklet. I put it together in MS Publisher (quarter sheets) and print it out on thin double-sided photo paper. It's decorated with Disney clipart, and has everything I need to mount an 'attack' on the parks. (park hours, parade hours, confirmation numbers, ADR numbers, etc.)
I spend the weeks leading up to the trip putting together the book (finding new graphics, researching dates/times, scheduling, etc.) Great anticipation and an awesome souvenir, but admittedly a bit over the top.

Love to see it...if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing in my book!

 

[ddgckg]

These are some great ideas! Can't wait to use them!

 

[sbpuckett]

subbing

 

[JennyandMike03]

These are really great ideas! I'm gonna have to do this for our upcoming Weddingmoon at WDW!

 

[Shanley312]

Hi all,
I am surprising DH with a 10 year anniversary trip to WDW during the CUBS special days 12/8-12/12.
It will be be a first for both of us. I can BARELY keep it to myself until our anniversary in Oct when I'll spring it on him.

Anyway, I have NO idea how to go about this whole WDW thing and wonder if anyone would be interested in sharing their daily cards I am reading about here. I don't know where to go, what to do, what to see, what not to see, etc. HELP! If you want to share them with me I'd really appreciate it.

THANKS A BUNCH from this WDW newbie but REALLY EXCITED TO GO!
Shanley

 

[HappyCamperToo]

None of the, "where do you want to go. I dont care where do you want to go" kinda thing cause that always ends in someone getting upset, or a 15 minute discussion about where, when, for how long.

Oh boy, I almost forgot about this! I've been a detailed planner for so many previous trips that we were going to take a break on this trip and do WHATEVER. But yeesh, I can see the negative possibilities....I think I'm going to do up a plan as "plan B," start out freewheeling it, and tell them that if we get any of those long indecision periods or upset feelings, then boom, straight back to the plan. And I love the idea of having them plan the plan, so that it's their plan your following!

 

[justplaingoofy]

This worked really well for us.

I did a lot of research and my boys knew what they wanted to see, what parks they wanted to frequent etc. But I realized that once we got there we'd be lost in all the excitement. We were on the free dining plan and had to be sure and make our ADRs, and it was our first trip to DW so were a bit overwhelmed.

I did a word document and listed what we were planning for each day. Not real set-in-stone stuff but a basic plan of attack. Then I cut them up into basically 3x5 index cards and took one card for each day. When the day was over I could just toss that day's plan and move on to the next. Each night we read the schedule for the next day so that we could prepare, each morning on the bus we reviewed the upcoming day's plan. The kids didn't really fight over what we were going to do because they became pretty focused on "sticking to the plan". (They had helped me devise the plan to begin with...so it was "their plan" and we were stickin' to it!) On the 5th day we had an open schedule all afternoon and it was son number one's choice. HE decided what we'd do and we all had to follow. Son number two got the next afternoon at his discretion. They both looked forward to the afternoon that they would be in charge.

Anyway, a typical day's index card went something like this, and we would add notes on the back if we wanted to remember to do or see something:

______________________________________________________
TUESDAY

MAGIC KINGDOM OPENS EARLY TODAY! WAKE UP AT 6:45!

Lunch - Cosmic Rays Tomorrowland or Harbor House near Haunted Mansion.

Afternoon maybe a pool break? Remember to call Grandma before 6pm

EVENING AT EPCOT
Dinner is TEPPANYAKI at 7:30pm. Conf#4037126 (Can watch Illuminations afterwards from the Japan terrace.)
________________________________________________________

I do that too! On the back I list the hours to all parks that day including what time parades, fireworks are. Incase we decide we want to leave its easy enough to check. Also, I list which park has EMH incase we want to partake/avoid that park
Thanks for sharing!

 

[house_of_princesses]

Hi all,
I am surprising DH with a 10 year anniversary trip to WDW during the CUBS special days 12/8-12/12.
It will be be a first for both of us. I can BARELY keep it to myself until our anniversary in Oct when I'll spring it on him.

Anyway, I have NO idea how to go about this whole WDW thing and wonder if anyone would be interested in sharing their daily cards I am reading about here. I don't know where to go, what to do, what to see, what not to see, etc. HELP! If you want to share them with me I'd really appreciate it.

THANKS A BUNCH from this WDW newbie but REALLY EXCITED TO GO!
Shanley

First, Welcome to the DIS, Shanley! If I may suggest... just start by reading posts that sound interesting. If you find something that intrigues you, copy it into a file. Come November, I'd start sorting it and putting it all together. That's when you want to put it all on the 3x5's.

Ask questions... you'll have a few! Someone here always has an answer.

Welcome again, and Ejoy!

 

[raammartin]

Great tip!

 

[kmccain]

I am glad to hear I am not a planning freak!


I took my Passporter and marked all the attractions I wanted to see in the Charting the Attractions. Then I highlighted points in the description like, best view to the left.

Then I highlighted the ones I wanted to see in the list Attractions At-A-Glance.

Then I went to the Favorite Touring Plans section and marked them in the Attractions At-A-Glance in that order. I just numbered them.

Then I typed them in a spread sheet. I put the attraction on one column. The amount of time to allow for the attraction in another and a column for the tip. I went back to the charting section while they were in order and put in the tip and then I put in the number. Then I sorted them by the number. The last thing I did was to add up the times and put in my breaks.

It is not set in stone but I give me a good touring plan and I know I won't miss anything that I don't want to and I will get the most of every attraction. It really worked out good.

I am spending too much on those tickets to just meander around!

 

[ZoZo]

Last year, I made several little laminated cards (credit card size) that fit into the slots in my wallet. That worked great!

* One had all of my ADRs and other reservation info (hotel reservation #, etc.)
* Another had our "plan of attack" (which parks on which days) including park hours. The other side had the parade schedules.
* One had all of the phone numbers I needed (resort phone number, town car service number, cell phone numbers of all travelers, etc.).

It was so handy to have this info in this format - the cards fit right into my wallet. The day we arrived, I was very glad to have the town car service phone number handy - we were trapped in the plane on the runway at MCO during a thunderstorm, and were delayed by about 45 minutes. They wouldn't let the ground crew out until the lightning ended, so we called the town car service to let them know (thank goodness for cell phones!) we would be late.

 

[jenr812]

Great tips on this thread Last year we started out bringing a passporter pocket into the parks each day, but the pockets got a bit destroyed and were a bit bulky in the July heat, so we scrapped that after two days The idea was good but not very practical. I like the index card idea, esp. saving them for the scrapbook And I am so excited to have something to use my Xyron laminating cartridge for LOL!

 

[Hope73]

I put our trip info on a spreadsheet along with park times parades and fireworks. We also had cell phones on it. dinner res numbers and hotel res number

 

[dreamergirl78]

These are awesome ideas. I too am making index cards. I found the coolest thing at Target on clearance. It is a double duty item. It has one one side spiral bound notebook paper. I will use this for my journal, etc. On the other side it has an expandable file system that is just big enough for index cards. The whole thing fits nicely into a small fanny pack. I will make up the cards, laminate them and then file them into my book. Lightweight, easily portable and accessable.
Thanks for sharing your idea!

 

[tracys2cents]

I've gotten a lot of messages this year saying how well this tip worked for people, so I am topping it!

 

[Wish2BinWDW]

Great idea! Thanks for the tip.

 

[kimis]

I do this with different colored 3X5 cards. I love it.

 

[johnandjo]

1. take a fanny pack
2. pack plenty of sunblock
3. take a pop up hamper
4. take the hooks that stick to the bathroom wall -great for hanging wet
swim suits
5. pack bug spray
6. Take light up bracelets and necklaces from the dollar store.
7. We bought a real small camera-Olympus 240 that fit into fanny pack
8. Individually packed wet wipes for fanny pack

Trading pins! We did not discover this until the last couple of days. You can buy a lanyard and 7 small pins (pins in box) for around $35.00. All Disney cast members that are wearing lanyards will trade pins with you as long as you are trading a Disney pin and they don't already have the pin you are trading. This was such a great souvenier.

We loved Ohanas and the Crystal Palace

 

[Julianna07]

I love the idea of using the index cards. I have a small "brag book" for photos that holds the 3x5 or 4x6 cards. I have 1 pocket for a calandar on the first page, then the 4 parks on the next pages that have hours, parades and Fireworks schedules, then the dates of my trip on individual cards with my days plans laid out. The book is thin (12 pages with 24 pockets) and is meant for 4x6 pics. I also have a few extra pockets in the back that I will add addresses for post cards and email addresses for sending the e-cards from Epcot, and leave some blank cards for notes and funny remarks to add to my scrapbook when I get home.

 

[portia9]

Wow what great ideas-you are my kind of people

Yvette