How do you Plan!?!?

[lizet313]

Hello to all,

Maybe this is a little crazy but..

When you go to WDW the happiest place in the world.

How do you plan?

What do you look for?

What makes you vacation extra special (and am not talking about going to Disney)?

Dinning Plan important?

Rides?

Attractions?

Shows?

Parades?

What are your plans?

Hope you share your opinions.

I will share mines when I come back am at work .

 

[WDWCNY]

Planning: We do it all. Get infomartion the hours of the parks. This helps in trying to figure out what day we are going to for that day so we can plan rides at that park. Find out what is new and what is going to be closed for rehab. Mark out 90 day on the calander, so we can mark ADRs. Figure out where we want to dine. What makes the trip special: So MANY things. I will name a few: Being alone on vacation with DH, not having to go to work everyday and not having to worry about doing things around the house.

 

[twanner]

I'm a huge planner when it comes to Disney vacations! I get together with my entire family and we all decide which restaurants we want to try. We also weigh in on which rides an attractions we want to try and put them in order of importance. Pin trading is a must for my DD8 and I must admit I love helping look for that "special" pin. Our next trip will be #4 and I'm going spend more time trying to find the hidden extras, since we've already done the big stuff.

 

[lizet313]

I went on my first trip in Feb. this yr. It was my first time and well everything was last minute and I had so much fun. I will be going again in March 2010. It will be my family's first time so then I want to make it extra special. I am trying to create a binder or a planning notebook to put all the information there.

These are my ideas for the notebook

Who will go
. Family Members
. Friends
. Packing List
. Important before we leave info
Reservation & Confirmations
. Hotels
. Flights
. Restaurants
. Car Rental
Inportant Information
. Park info
. Near hotels
. Opening hours
. Park maps
Plans
. Must Do's
. Wishes
. If time permits
. Day by Day forecast
. ADR's to go along with each park or free day.
TR section
. What was done
. Special Memories
Future Notes for next trip
. Must do next yr.
. Important info for next trip

What do you think?

 

[kzapp2000]

I use Tour Guide Mike and check the boards.

 

[airhead]

First thing I do is my dates.One year out I make reservations for hotel(the Dolphin)and Discovery Cove. Then I wait for Flights out of Boston. I also start watching for Budget Rental for good deals(and I check every day until the day we leave!)Last thing on my list is where we will be each day and where we will eat(I do this 6 months out).
Right now I'm just writing down places and things we all might want to do.
Nothing is in stone this far out in planning.

 

[byejou]

I am a planner, planner, planner.......have always been.

1. For my trips, which has been too many to list I start with a cheap 3 ring binder from Target, Walmart, anywhere.......
2. Then I add 10-15 pager protectors.
3. Kids decorate a scrapbook page for the front cover and I print a thin strip with Trip info.....ex. Land & Sea 2009, this slides in thin column outside of binder
4. I slide in all paperwork in order into page protectors....1. flight info, 2. car rental, 3. hotel ressies....so on, so on
5. I print, in large font the dates to make ADR's with the specific ressies we want and a line for conformation numbers, this is slid into its own protecter and placed in front as a reminder and I also make sure all calendars are marked.
7. I have a planning page which breaks down costs and our savings budget
8. Packing lists to the T, so we do not overpack!!!!!!
9. I order maps from Disney and slide them into the slot on back binder cover.
10. I print a page of emergency numbers to give to family and neighbors to locate us, just in case.
11. I also add daily agendas, just to have an idea of where we will be and when. To try to keep us on track not to miss anything, especially ADRs.
12. I a a pre-printed letter to fax to Disney 4 days prior to room requests
13. I have letters and scripts from Drs. for each child stating disabilities, just in case we need to get Special Needs Cards. We try to do parks without this but if they r super busy it becomes a necessity for everyones sanity

I think that may be it but there r extra pages for extra items.

It works out great, everything has a place and I just throw it in my bag and out the door......

 

[byejou]

I am a planner, planner, planner.......have always been.

1. For my trips, which has been too many to list I start with a cheap 3 ring binder from Target, Walmart, anywhere.......
2. Then I add 10-15 pager protectors.
3. Kids decorate a scrapbook page for the front cover and I print a thin strip with Trip info.....ex. Land & Sea 2009, this slides in thin column outside of binder
4. I slide in all paperwork in order into page protectors....1. flight info, 2. car rental, 3. hotel ressies....so on, so on
5. I print, in large font the dates to make ADR's with the specific ressies we want and a line for conformation numbers, this is slid into its own protecter and placed in front as a reminder and I also make sure all calendars are marked.
7. I have a planning page which breaks down costs and our savings budget
8. Packing lists to the T, so we do not overpack!!!!!!
9. I order maps from Disney and slide them into the slot on back binder cover.
10. I print a page of emergency numbers to give to family and neighbors to locate us, just in case.
11. I also add daily agendas, just to have an idea of where we will be and when. To try to keep us on track not to miss anything, especially ADRs.
12. I a a pre-printed letter to fax to Disney 4 days prior to room requests
13. I have letters and scripts from Drs. for each child stating disabilities, just in case we need to get Special Needs Cards. We try to do parks without this but if they r super busy it becomes a necessity for everyones sanity

I think that may be it but there r extra pages for extra items.

It works out great, everything has a place and I just throw it in my bag and out the door......

 

[lizet313]

Everything sounds great. I am a planner too it's just since this will be the first time with my family I want to make sure I don't under or over do it. My family is not a planner type I think they are ready to send me out the door with all my Disney talk . I just tell them you haven't experienced the magic yet.

 

[mreid1974]

I love to plan too.. But i dont like to plan exactly everything.. It takes a little out of when you are there and you come upon something different or new!! Spontaneous is never a bad thing either.. So basically dont stress if you dont have everything planned.. just make sure you have the main things like ADRS..

 

[Mick West]

Interesting subject! In my case there is little planning. I think the reason for this is becuse normally it's just the wife and I and we do go often. We make reservations well in advance and never do the dining plan. We just don't want to plan a schedule arounfd where we will be eating. Each trip we do make one or two ADR's and we really like to try different places. On our Sept trip we plan on eating at Kona and France for the first time. I do use tour guide mike for each trip, primarily for the crowd levels and when to hit parks. You know, there's actually some advantages to being a healthy senior citized that just loves DW! When you don't worry about rides, beating crowds at rope drop, and are just as satisfied with counter service as anything else - DW is just great!!

 

[lizet313]

Yes i understand I do not plan every minute I plan our must do's ADR's and which park to visit when the rest is up to them. i like everyone's opinions keep them coming. Check my PTR if you would like.


So what do you do when you arrive to WDW?

 

[NateNLogansDad]

My wife and I have been to DW a few times before we met. We were able to go with the kids last yr with very little planning and had the best time of our lives. We will be leaving in a few weeks with DS(5) and DS(3) and my mom and staying at the same place (BEACH CLUB BABY!) This yr however, I have read hundreds if not a thousand different posts from this site mainly and sites that were reccomended by other users. I've learned SO MUCH about the different parks that I've problably forgottem more than what I knew last yr when we went. My basic plan is this, go with ADR's set and all the park info that I can find, then when we get there ask the kids what they want to do. I've introduced them to many classic and recent Disney movies and cartoons so they know pretty much what is going on. Last year, we pointed them in the right direction for most of the rides, but what really made the trip was them thinking they were in charge of what we did. The whole week is was "What do you guys want to do today?" or "After this ride is over, where do you want to go?" They were in heaven which in turn did the same for us. The best idea I've heard on here was when you STOP TRYING to have fun, you WILL have fun.

 

[tlcdoula]

Hello to all,

Maybe this is a little crazy but..

When you go to WDW the happiest place in the world.

How do you plan?

.

Great questions.... Wish I knew the answers LOL... My family is ready to lock me up.... I read these boards all the time, make lists, notes they think I am insane

Dh says I over plan everything so I am hoping to just plan what days we are going to each park and then do our ADR's... from there the kids figure out what they want to do once we enter the parks...

We are going August 29th-Sept 8th for Free Dining... How am I to make ADR's before park hours are out?

 

[budcollector]

i don't really plan. the only tough choice for me is, do i book in Dec. or Jan. {for my May trip}. about the only plans i make is if i hear theres a new ride or show then i plan to try and see/do it. other then that i just like to wing it.

i do have a couple things planned and one is for the first day there;

Get a Dole Whip Float at MK {1st day}
Get a Turkey Leg at AK
Have a Fun Trip

 

[jenharring]

I like the idea of the notebook and the planning pages. I am going to do something like that but smaller and in a small photo book. I got the idea from some one on here. You print out the pages on to 4x6 pages. I have all of our adrs made, Im working on our packing list, I think I have most everything bought for the trip that needs to be packed. Now comes the waiting game.

 

[lizet313]

I like the idea of the notebook and the planning pages. I am going to do something like that but smaller and in a small photo book. I got the idea from some one on here. You print out the pages on to 4x6 pages. I have all of our adrs made, Im working on our packing list, I think I have most everything bought for the trip that needs to be packed. Now comes the waiting game.

4x6 not a bad idea I have looked around the boards to get ideas. Hope everything works out for you?

i don't really plan. the only tough choice for me is, do i book in Dec. or Jan. {for my May trip}. about the only plans i make is if i hear theres a new ride or show then i plan to try and see/do it. other then that i just like to wing it.

i do have a couple things planned and one is for the first day there;

Get a Dole Whip Float at MK {1st day}
Get a Turkey Leg at AK
Have a Fun Trip

In my first trip I didn't really well I didn't plan I made my ADR's when I arrived to WDW I didn't know anything about WDW so I felt bad because I missed some great things but my trip turned out ok.

Great questions.... Wish I knew the answers LOL... My family is ready to lock me up.... I read these boards all the time, make lists, notes they think I am insane

Dh says I over plan everything so I am hoping to just plan what days we are going to each park and then do our ADR's... from there the kids figure out what they want to do once we enter the parks...

We are going August 29th-Sept 8th for Free Dining... How am I to make ADR's before park hours are out?

My mom says am crazy and am a Disaholic. I haven't shown her my plans and ideas etc. because then she will call me insane Goodluck with your plans I wish they would just post the hours for the yr. lol

My wife and I have been to DW a few times before we met. We were able to go with the kids last yr with very little planning and had the best time of our lives. We will be leaving in a few weeks with DS(5) and DS(3) and my mom and staying at the same place (BEACH CLUB BABY!) This yr however, I have read hundreds if not a thousand different posts from this site mainly and sites that were reccomended by other users. I've learned SO MUCH about the different parks that I've problably forgottem more than what I knew last yr when we went. My basic plan is this, go with ADR's set and all the park info that I can find, then when we get there ask the kids what they want to do. I've introduced them to many classic and recent Disney movies and cartoons so they know pretty much what is going on. Last year, we pointed them in the right direction for most of the rides, but what really made the trip was them thinking they were in charge of what we did. The whole week is was "What do you guys want to do today?" or "After this ride is over, where do you want to go?" They were in heaven which in turn did the same for us. The best idea I've heard on here was when you STOP TRYING to have fun, you WILL have fun.

AWW that is nice. Living life from a kids prospective so special. I know if my niece and nephew go with me my trip plans are out the window with the exception of food

 

[klacey1]

How do you plan?
I go online, look for specials. We always go in late August, so that is one thing that is forever pre-planned. I always book my trip via phone and call back if I have any questions. At this point, I only seem to have random pieces of paper with info, but those will be organized into a notebook soon. To carry around the parks, I organize note cards for each day with projected park(s), park hours, parade/fireworks hours, restaurant/ADR time. I never plan down to what rides we'll be riding at what time, but I actually do jot down the little things that we might miss but would regret if we did. (I.e. we'd never forget to go on BTMRR, but I don't want to miss the shooting arcade for DBF!)

What do you look for?
I look for good deals on tickets (more applies to our Universal trips), and the "little" things I need-- new shoes, park bag, etc. I also LOVE looking for travel miniatures haha. I check Target/Walmart for the best deals.

What makes you vacation extra special (and am not talking about going to Disney)?
The people I go with. The resorts. The restaurants. Everything that adds up to the "Disney" experience.

Dinning Plan important?
Not for us. We've never done it, but we're trying it for free in August for the first time. This will let us know whether we'd like to consider it for the future. We tend to only do 1-2 sitdown restaurants a vacation (and always offsite, because we've never stayed in Disney), so the cost doesn't seem worth it.

Rides?
All the "mountains." Really everything but Stitch and Living with the Land. We play it by ear and never do TGM or Ridemax or anything. We feel it takes away from the supposed lax-ness of vacation. (And believe me, in "real life" I plan everything to a T, so this may shock some!)

Attractions?
Mickey's Philharmagic is a must-do. I'm not sure what else would qualify as neither a ride or show.

Shows?
Country Bears! Fantasmic! Beauty and the Beast!

Parades?
Spectromagic is our only must-do. I actually can't stand the day parades. Spectromagic is just too beautiful not to watch.

What are your plans?
For our next trip, DBF and I will be staying at POR for 5 nights. We're flying Delta and will arrive at 12:30 at MCO on August 20th. We don't know yet which restaurants (many options to narrow down before May 22nd!) we're doing or which days/which parks kinda thing. We'll narrow that down in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Snow Shoe]

Well I do all of our planning, what little there is to do, and I really enjoy it. We're empty nesters now, and it's very different planning and going now without clikdren, then it was with them. A lot more planning went into going then, than now. Now we first determine when we want to go. You know it's really different being able to go when "you" want to, instead of the summer when the kids were out of school. I then call MS at the 11 month window and make our res's at BWV. Then we start searching airline prices and buy when it looks like a good deal. However, next year I think we might drive instead, but that's next year. We then sit down and figure where and when we want to eat, and I make a note of when to call at the 90 day mark. Over the next months we will take stock of cloths that we might take or replace, replenish the first aid bag, and start reformating the camera's memory cards. As far as what park on what day, when we get up in the morning at BWV we decide then. Thats it.

 

[lizet313]

Thanks for your input. I need to narrow down my Disney planning I just don't want to over do it.