How long does it take you to plan your daily itinerary?

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by MELSMICE
I have to agree with some of the points disneysteve said, especially with a little one. He may take a longer nap than you anticipate,

Or he may be like my DD when she was younger and not want to nap in Disney due to sensory overload. So it may take longer than you expect for that nap to actually start. And with the constant activity, walking and heat, the nap may well be longer than usual.

 

[cinjam]

Don't feel strange, I do the same thing. I even map it all out in a spreadsheet & give a copy to DH for him to review.

So it starts with this one big spreadsheet, then I break it down day by day into smaller spreadsheets.

Interspersed in there are our character meals, regular meals, PS confirmation numbers, nap time, and one time I put what I wanted DS to wear each day..really I did...DH will never let me live that one down LOL!

Since we have a toddler I think things need to be planned out. We can always adjust my plans to do something spontaneous if it comes along and that's OK with me. I do not HAVE to stick to my original outline. But overall, I can't just say "on monday we will do MGM...we'll work out meals when we get there".

I love lists & planning! For me, since I enjoy it, it just adds to the excitement of the whole trip!

Editted for a typo & clarity

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by cinjam
Since we have a toddler I think things need to be planned out.

That's interesting to me and its basically the same point trish1970 made. We just happen to find just the opposite was true. I think its much easier to plan an itinerary for an adult-only trip - schedule meals at certain places, plan to take in certain shows, etc. With a small child, we found that going with the flow became a much less stressful way to do things. If we had set plans, we would just be disappointed when they didn't quite work out or we'd be rushing around more when what we really wanted to do was slow down and relax.

The first time we took DD to WDW, our experience (DW and I) was totally different than any previous trips. We spent much more time strolling around, taking in the scenery, walking along the side paths and less traveled routes. Some days, we literally only rode 3 or 4 rides all day, but never for a minute felt like we had missed anything. And we were much more relaxed since we had no agenda and weren't constantly on our way to somewhere. We gained a whole different perspective on Disney World that trip.

Again, whatever works is certainly what you should do. I just find it interesting comparing the planners with the non-planners.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by disneysteve
I just find it interesting comparing the planners with the non-planners.

I find it interesting also!

 

[CathyC]

Our first trip with our son, I planned everything down to the smallest detail. When we got there, the plan flew out the window. The fisrt day my son wanted to play in the water at a fire hydrant at MGM. He had SO much fun. (18 mos at the time) Now we plan a few PS and where to start each AM, but then we pretty much try to read the kids and make it fun for them. When they get tired we go back to the room for a nap, or find a shady to rest while they sleep in the stroller if they have already crashed. This way we dont stress about not following the schedule and they have a great time! Being a planner by nature, I was nervous about this approach, but it has worked well for the 3 trips so far. The kids are not 2 and 4 and have fun helping me pick the resturants and parks. They love being involved!

I am sure you will have a great time no matter what you guys do! Just wanted you to be prepared however that your plans may not go exactly as you thought. Enjoy your magical vacation! September is a great time to go!!!