How do you tackle the parks?

[stacy347]

I'm just curious to see how everyone strategizes their parks days.

Do you go in laid back, strolling from attraction to attraction with the attitude that whatever gets done, gets done since this is, after all, your vacation?

Or, are you the gung-ho type personality who feels like you only have this short vacation time and everything MUST be squeezed in?

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I usually go every year or every other year. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to go twice in one year. When I go, its usually for 10-16 days. When I go on a trip, I like to make sure I hit any new attractions, any attractions that are closing down, and after that, its whatever I feel like on any given day. We always go to one park in the morning, and then usually a different park in the evening. I could go to Epcot a few evenings in a week just for dinner and Illuminations. I have had a few trips in the last decade where extended family come down that have never been there before. On those trips, I can use my knowledge to show them most everything, and still not have to run around too crazy. It becomes a different kind of trip, but I love experiencing WDW through the eyes of first-timers.

 

[barrett7890]

we're about to go for the 4th time and have never planned more than what park we're doing on what day.....and even that gets jigged about

cami
'x

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Always with a plan.

 

[newholidayx2]

It depends on the day
DS13 & I will be at WDW for 14nights in August - we're not planning on the parks until our 3rd full day - will do Typhoon Lagoon, pool hop (DVCers), Downtown Disney, explore AKL, etc
so we'll end up w/11 park days
we have 1 morn planned for each park at their regular opening times - these days we'll go commando and hit the bigger rides - those 4 days are when we're at VWL
the other 7days we're taking it easy - will see/do whatever we get to see/do - most of those days are when we're at the BCV and planning on PS brkfsts and Stormalong Bay to start the day

 

[WDWLVR]

We take it easy. That's the beauty of DVC - we know we'll be back. So before each trip we pick what are the must-do's for us. Maybe they are new rides like Soarin' (which we've done at DCA and love) or maybe it is something that we really enjoy and want to see again like Mickey's Philharmagic.

This is our first time going in a peak season so we've made a few advanced dining reservations. We'll still do breakfast in the villa. Our plan is to hit the parks in the morning, relax in the afternoon and then go back in the evening.

We are doing the Illuminations dessert party with Project X on our first night. Our last two days I'll be on my own during the day as DH has a convention to go to (which is why we are going at this time of year). I'm meeting up with a friend on one day and on the second day I'll just spend either at the pool, walking around the shops of Epcot, or a combination of both.

Having Disney as our "home away from home" means we don't have to rush!

 

[Sally]

We go almost every year, so we can take our time. However, the last two days are rush rush because there is always those couple of rides you want to do again and those gift shops you want to go back to one more time. We plan the last two days that way and we find it fun trying to get to everything.

 

[Leota]

I have gotten pretty laid back. The only caveat to that is that we have to go during the more crowded times now that DS is in HS & can't go during the off-peak times anymore. We rarely wait in long lines, figuring we can always see it another time.
I have found that getting up early & hitting our favorite big attractions pretty commando for the first 2 hours is the best way for us to do them without lines..... After, say, 11:00am - Noon tho, we go pretty mellow.
We hit what we can with Fast Passes & enjoy lounging & swimming in the afternoons.
Evenings we enjoy leisurely dinners, more Fast Passes & PI for Adventurers Club and Comedy Warehouse. This seems to work best for us at this point in our lives.

 

[stacy347]

Thanks for all of the replies so far! For the trip that we are planning we will only have one day each at the parks we picked (3-day non-hopping magic plus so we have picked MK, Epcot, MGM, BB and DQ).

My family has been making fun of me quite a bit lately because I already have a schedule for each day planned out but this may be our only trip for several more years so I want to really make the most of this trip. From everything I've read, going in without a plan doesn't seem wise for first-timers. This board has been a tremendous help already!!

 

[elastigirlfan]

I voted a little of both. I definetly "plan" - and I don't mean a rigid plan but I plan on what things we definetly want to do and plan around the EMH and stuff like that. This is our third trip so we are still at the point that we still haven't "seen" everything. But, we still want to have fun and relax so no plan is written in stone.

 

[ADisneygirl]

One of the few highlights of living in Florida for us is that we are within 2 hours of WDW and we get to go several times a year. When we traveled to WDW from New York, we were more park commandos. Now it is infinitely more enjoyable to stroll around from ride to attraction, then back to the hotel for a swim. I find these vacations much more relaxing.

And we leave for another one in 3 days! Woo hoo!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I'm very laid back.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

In my mispent youth (i.e. my honeymoon), I was a commando. Now with DS7 and DH(not particularly happy to be at Disney in the first place, don't ask!), I have a plan, but have learned that it may have to be adapted, and we only have as much energy as the least patient person in the group.

I also finally "get" the Disney isn't going anywhere, and we can come back. We don't have to try to do everything, and we will be much happier if we don't. That said, arrive early, have a plan, and make sure you do the things everyone most wants to do!

 

[ely3857]

Hello,

I do have a plan that has taken me ages to get sorted. HOWEVER this is just a guide and although I will joke about going 'commando' age and experience has told me to go with the flow...



Jodie

 

[Ilovestitch]

We are a mix of laid back and commando I usually just plan out our first day and make some PS's for the other days but that's it, I don't plan really which park for which day.

On our first day, my bf always wants to rush first thing to the park that has a new attraction. In Dec we rushed to see Stitch and then left the park, in May we rushed to Soarin' and then left Epcot

He usually wants to do 2 parks, DQ and shop at DTD just on the first day! And I'm always like- chill out we have 9 more days left!

But I would also say we are laid back b/c we never get to a park at opening- we usually sleep in til 9:30 or 10:30 am and we usually take naps in the late afternoon.

 

[LadyLuc361]

I have to keep telling myself not to rush because I am worried that we won't see everything we set out to see. If we rush I don't have a good time so I try to slow down and take some time to enjoy the atmosphere. We are probably a mix between the two choices.

 

[C.Ann]

No "tackling" here - and it's years between visits.. Very laid back - just walking around doing things as the mood strikes me..

Next winter - when I'm staying with my sister though - I'll be able to go any time I want so I can be REALLY laid back then - practically comatose!

 

[mill4023]

We go to Disneyland every year or two and had never really done much planning until last summer's trip. I bought the UG and followed their touring plan pretty closely. It was our best trip ever because even though it was crowded, we barely waited in line for anything. It turns out that doing more planning and even going commando style made the day much more relaxing and enjoyable because we didn't spend hours standing in lines. To me, standing in long lines is much more stressful than having a detailed touring plan. That experience convinced me that having a plan makes the trip more fun.

Doing lots of planning for which parks on which days and the order of attractions at each park worked really well for us when we went to WDW for the first time a month ago. We saw just about everything we wanted to see and never waited in a line longer than 10 minutes. The key for us was to be at the parks at opening time, follow a plan and see the big attractions in the first couple hours, then be more flexible and basically do whatever we feel like in the afternoon and evening.

Obviously everyone is different and some people would prefer to not plan anything. There's nothing wrong with that if that's your style, but you have to understand that you will be waiting in longer lines and seeing fewer attractions. Unless you go when crowds are very low of course.

Just went back to vote in the poll, but I'm not sure how to answer. It is possible to have a detailed touring plan and still not rush. I did a lot of planning, but still kept the attitude that we were going to be flexible, not rush for anything, and not worry about it if we didn't get to see everything.

 

[skiwee1]

We've been going twice a year staying for 10-12 days each trip. I do plan the parks for each day and also a sitdown meal each day. I take my little itinerary with us and we usually follow it pretty well. We don't have a problem changing it up due to bad weather or something though. My mom is very slow walking so there is never a rush for us. We go at literally a snails pace and only stay at the parks for 4-5 hours at a time. We've done it all over the years so it isn't that big a deal to get somewhere fast. We also spend probably 6 days in MK alone and will actually do It's a Small World, Haunted Mansion and all the other Fantasyland rides at least 5 times each trip. Going on the offseason works really well for crowds.

 

[mamaprincess]

I'm a planner. I make ps's because of the kids, character meals are a must. I plan which parks for which day it usually has to do with our dining schedule. We decide which rides are priority and which are not before hand. We fast pass any popular rides and ride others with less of a waiting time. The maximum time we'll wait in line is 30 minutes. We get to do pretty much every thing we want this way within about 5 hours, even if things are busy.