How do you Plan!?!?

[Mary D]

I plan trying to get every discount available. When I bought my AP, all info I found said there were never any discounts on AP's. I just got coupons for 10% off AP to give to friends. If anyone wants them, contact me.

 

[amandaluvsgoofy]

I think your notebook idea looks great! I totally plan on doing something like that! I know I'm probably over-planning, but there are several things I really want to do. And I really want my hubby to enjoy his first trip! Just can't wait to get there!!

 

[magicaldisney11]

My planning is pretty simple....
...pick the dates
...pick the resort
...always park hoppers with water parks for us so tickets is no planning required
...as for dinning we now get the dining plan so it is paid for ahead of time
i have looked over all the menu's here under dining and after talking to the kids decide which we will go to and make our ADR's (this year 90 days out)
...we all decide on must do's at each park and otherwise we go with the flow.
...we plan on 2 days (or at least part of a day) at each park so if we cant do a "must do" then we try again on the second day. The rules are no one can get upset if we miss something. The trip is for the family to be together and have fun, everything else is extra.
...after this I put it all on 5x7 cards, bind it (I am lucky that I can do this at work) and carry the basic plans around in my purse.


Happy Planning!!

 

[lizet313]

I plan trying to get every discount available. When I bought my AP, all info I found said there were never any discounts on AP's. I just got coupons for 10% off AP to give to friends. If anyone wants them, contact me.

Oh I think I want some do you need anything from me like my email or something yesenia.lopez@yahoo.com

I think your notebook idea looks great! I totally plan on doing something like that! I know I'm probably over-planning, but there are several things I really want to do. And I really want my hubby to enjoy his first trip! Just can't wait to get there!!

Thanks I know I am very excited for you too. I will be following your PTR and your TR.

My planning is pretty simple....
...pick the dates
...pick the resort
...always park hoppers with water parks for us so tickets is no planning required
...as for dinning we now get the dining plan so it is paid for ahead of time
i have looked over all the menu's here under dining and after talking to the kids decide which we will go to and make our ADR's (this year 90 days out)
...we all decide on must do's at each park and otherwise we go with the flow.
...we plan on 2 days (or at least part of a day) at each park so if we cant do a "must do" then we try again on the second day. The rules are no one can get upset if we miss something. The trip is for the family to be together and have fun, everything else is extra.
...after this I put it all on 5x7 cards, bind it (I am lucky that I can do this at work) and carry the basic plans around in my purse.


Happy Planning!!

Sounds great no hassles no worries.

 

[magicaldisney11]

There is some pictures of my notebook on my pre trip report (click the link) and it's on page 13. Also is the autograph book for my DS#4.

 

[barski45]

I always get a recent guide book, I really like "The Unofficial Guide" and "Passporter" I also scour discussion boards like this, then I start putting together all the good ideas and info that I have picked up as well as input from the family. Then I start a plan for our trip on a calender page, this plan starts at going to the airport and ends when we depart Orlando. We find that planning out the first four days or so works best, this gives us more time for spotenaety towards the end. On each day of the plan I put hours of operaton for each park.
We always do the water parks, Sea World, Islands and the Beach so we work info from those destinations in.
I make a packing list for myself and son (10), my wife and teenage daughters handle there own packing. I like a packing list because forgetting a necessary item wastes time and money I'd rather be spending in the parks.
We always rent a car and stay in a place with a kitchen, we stop at the Albertson's on Orange Blossom, I have a grocery list with breakfast items, lunch stuff, snacks and beverages. We also get taco fixings and easy dinner stuff for the nights we eat dinner at the room. We eat breakfast in our room everyday accept for a character breakfast. We pack sandwiches, water and snacks for the parks, we still get a couple of snack items during the day.
We eat dinner out a couple of time during the trip, we tell our kids we have to have some days where we don't spend very much money so we can afford Disney dining, the are really good about that.
When you put together your plan leave room for shows and fun stuff you didn't plan on.

 

[torsie24]

I think the real question is - how don't I plan?!?!

I have most of the guide books (all the highly rated ones), Passporter, Tour Guide Mike, will get Ridemax, and I am on the DIS every day.

I think it is very important to plan most aspects of a WDW vacation so that you can get the most from it and stay as stress free as possible (plus I LOOOOVE planning!)

Here's my home made planning book so far:

 

[Tinker_Belle]

I type all of my notes in a Word doc, starting with a basic layout - which park on which day (we skip park hoppers). Then I go back and add park hours, ADRs and a list of must-do attractions - in order of location (after the first attraction). Before we leave, I reformat the doc to 4x6 cards and print them for our trip. We usually end up with one 4x6 card (front & back) for each day.

Oh - I almost forgot, we bring a magnetic clip with us and clip the cards to the inside of the door so we know where to find them each morning. (Another tip I learned on here!)

Have fun!

 

[stacythatgirl]

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......

This sounds like me !! I recently went on a 13 day vacation & cruise for spring break. I had an entire 7 pocket folder for our trip. My friends thought I was crazy (as I'm 23 yrs old. ) I'm just that organized & a perfectionist!

 

[lizet313]

Planning is good great options to choose from if no one minds. That is a great way to distract yourself from the long lines torsie24 using the binder to fill in while you are waiting I would of never thought of that.

Oh cool a magnetic clip to find th ecards easily great tip those cards would come in handy Tinker_Belle for when kids are around and you don't wanna carry a lot of items.

I don't think there is such thing as over planning. I also do know that sometimes what you think is going to happen doesn't so if we understand and accept it then everything is good sometimes even better.

I am 22yrs old my friends think the same way as your friends do . I jsut tell them they don't understand because they haven't experienced the magic.

 

[ZoZo]

We make a "loose" plan. This includes:

Which days to visit which parks.

Making any ADRs (we only eat at about 3 or 4 TS restaurants per trip, since we go during Food and Wine Festival time).

Making arrangements for any special activies like behind-the-scenes tours, MNSSHP, F&W Festival activities that require reservations, etc.​

Other than that, we're pretty casual. We don't have a step-by-step plan, since we go at a fairly slow time of year. Because we have hopper tickets, we can change our plans at a minute's notice, if needed.

 

[Planning fanatic mom]

As you can see by my name, I am a planner. I have a binder where I keep all of my notes. They might be handwritten or word processed.

I read books and the Disboards for information. I believe that you can't have too much information.

I make a survey for the family to complete, so that I don't miss anyone's must see attractions or activities. From there I make a touring plan using the UG as a guide. I change it to fit our family.

Here's my philosophy; Although I have a touring plan, we certainly take advantage of the spur of the moment things that come up. Chip and Dale standing with no one around them, Cindy's Carousel with no line, street performers at DHS, running into Devine at AK. Also the bad stuff; lost wallet, sick child. I believe that because I have a plan and I know what I'm doing, when something comes up to change it, I can be more flexible. I know what we are doing next or when we are coming back to a park because it rained.

The key for us is that my family completely trusts me. They don't question the plan, and they know that if they want to ride EE 4 times in one day, then we will. Yes, we did that on the last trip. They say to me, "What's next?" I tell them and off we go. We are lucky because DH can get around any park without a map.

My kids are not fans of the parades. This really saves a lot of time. We can do a lot while others are waiting for the parade to start and during the parade. DH makes sure we are on the right side of the park before the parade begins. However, they have promised to watch Spectromagic with me this year.

I love the fact that no matter what your family decides, you can't make a bad decision in the most magical place on Earth.