How Many Of You REALLY Plan Out Your Trip To WDW???

[Pig Pen]

I plan which parks on which days, usually according to the park hours and events.

However, if we decide we just CANNOT get out of bed when we were planning to take advantage of an EE day, we stay in bed and figure something else out.

Planning is half the fun for me and keeps me sane all winter!

 

[dzneprincess]

Nah half the fun for us is deciding what to do 1st! The most we plan is the night before, we decide what park to go to in the morning But I imagine if I had to do airfare, and make a big deal out of every trip that my attitude would be a bit different. However since we live within driving distance, I figure there is always next time

 

[Kirk]

I plan around meals and shows. One character meal or show each day and pick the park accordingly.

 

[Blueberry]

When we used to go every two years or so we would plan, plan, plan, plan...

A couple of years ago after micro managing many trips..I said the heck with it..detailed plans are out the window now for us two.

Now we plan what park to start the day in and maybe a few PS but this coming trip we are not even making the PS as we are not sure what we are doing and going. In September we have just walked up to restaurants just fine in the past, so we are going with the flow.

Last year we ended up even modifying our what park each day do we start in plan due to cold weather and rain..the Epcot is a better rain park theory we call it...

So if you take very infrequent trips or maybe once in a lifetime I say plan away and make sure you do see the things you want to see this trip. But for those of us lucky enough to go fairly often,at least once a year, i saw go with the flow. Have a rough idea in your head, but be open to last minute changes and decisions to do other things.

I was behind a family last year on Maelstorm in line where the Mother was kinda belittling the Grandmother who was along for ruining the "plan". She was saying to the kids while the Grandma was still there, well Grandma ruined our PS to have dinner at Akerhaus at 4pm, since she insisted we have lunch at Biergarten at 1pm today...

BE FLEXIBLE, BE FLEXIBLE, BEFLEXIBLE IS MY MOTTO

 

[married2grumpy]

Ms. WDW,

This is our 4th visit in 4 years so we don't feel the need to really plan too much. Don't get me wrong, I have a few PS's for the must do restaurants and know which parks have EE on which mornings but want this visit to feel relaxing. The past few years we had done so much planning. We even had spread sheets to hand out to everyone traveling with us to let them know what we had planned for the day. This time we will be staying longer so I don't feel rushed to get everything done. I am looking forward to this trip more than any in the past. Have a great time and enjoy!

 

[mom_rules]

My family swears my planning makes their life here in the winter easier since I'm not constantly nattering at them.

 

[miko]

I make all kinds of plans because I enjoy creating them. Since we go so frequently, normally all the plans change based on weather and crowds when we get there. Sometimes you are sure that you would like a seafood dinner at Flying Fish or maybe Fultons, then a few days before you change your mind and end up at Citirco's! (Of course cancel any priority seatings)
That still does not stop me from planning the next trip!

 

[The Duchess]

I plan everything. I break down each day into three time slots and plan where we'll be and where we'll eat so I can make my PSs. For the money, I'm not winging it!!

 

[Gaiusrex]

My upcoming trip will be my 4th (2nd as an adult), and this is the first one I'm planning. I had to make golf reservations, and I really wanted to make PS arrangements for particular times.

I made a rough outline for what parks on what days, but the only fixed times are for golf and dinner.

When I'm on vacation I really vacate. I'd be happy sitting on the beach at the Poly for a week. The rest is all gravy.

 

[Ms. WDW]

Boy this thread is still alive! Great!

I also think one of the things that makes me feel the "need to plan" is the time of year I go. I have to go during the busiest time; summer. So that fear of "not being able to do what I want" because of the crowds hangs over my head. Sure; I will most likely be there again next year (God willing) but I just can't get comfortable with the idea not knowing where we are headed when we get up in the mornings!

Who knows.....maybe the more I read on this thread the more comfortable I'll get with "not planning"

Then again....maybe not! But I will tell you one thing....

Whether I plan or I don't plan, I will have a Wonderful Time In WDW!!

 

[airhead]

and I have started some planning; when we're going,where we will stay. We know we want to go to Discovery cove for a day .That's all we have planned so far!!

airhead

 

[Ms. WDW]

Bump to see who else plans and who doesn't plan.

 

[pintrader]

I'd plan for the trip (just to pass the time) and then throw it out the window. Disney is for fun, not deadlines.

 

[cindy_k]

I plan, I really can't imagine not doing it. But it's what I call a Macro Plan.

It's what park on what morning (usually taking advantage of EE). Which night for E-Night.

When we are going to which night shows, Fantasmic, Illuminations, etc. and any Restaurant PS's, we made before coming down.

I put this all on a spread sheet that looks like this:

<I>Not sure why I get this big space... </I>
<TABLE border=1>
<TR>
<TD BGCOLOR="Yellow" >Extra Magic Hour</TD>
<TD>Friday</TD>
<TD>Saturday</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>Magic Kingdom</TD>
<TD>9a-10p</TD>
<TD>9a-10p</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>MGM</TD>
<TD>9a-10p</TD>
<TD BGCOLOR="YELLOW" >9a-10p</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>Animal Kingdom</TD>
<TD BGCOLOR="YELLOW" >9a-8p</TD>
<TD>9a-8p</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>Reservations</TD>
<TD></TD>
<TD>D-Boma 7pm</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>

I find this helps us decide what we are doing while we are there.

Have Fun!!
Cindy in NY

 

[sm4987]

I planned like crazy last year. However, who knew the kids would ge so tired at strange times?? So I pretty much knew where we wre going every morning and came back for a nap in the afternoon or to get away from the rain, then we would pick a park to visit at night so see a parade or fireworks show. I am doing the same thing this year. I have PS at the places where I know we will be spending EE. The nights are up in the air. I don't know how I feel spending the whole day at the same park. Besides this year I am so interested in visiting various resorts. Plan what you feel, and leave the rest to adventure.

 

[tinkerbee]

It depends on who is going with us. This trip some of the family is coming with us and none have been to Disney so I have planned which days we are going but thats it. I think that with to much planning if things don't go right I feel I failed in some way.
Our last trip we would wake up and as we were getting dressed we would figure out where we wanted to go.
We now go about every 6 months so as long as I hit Splash Mnt. I'm okay.

 

[asa'smom]

I plan what parks we go to on which days. And where we going to eat at. Nothing is etched in stone. It can all be changed around if needed. I think the fun is planning. Maybe not always sticking to it.

 

[ToyStory Fan]

Not only do I plan my trips, but I act a s consultant to friends and family on their trips. I have my own notes (basically a living document with new additions every trip), that I give out to friends with tips/tricks, places to eat, places to avoid etc. Also, give them advie on what ressies to make and by what dates...they all (including DW)think I'm out of my mind, but I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[KAMommy]

I anticipate obsessively! I don't plan that much. We plan what days we will be in which parks and that's about it. Honestly the coolest things we have had happen to us have been accidental!

 

[MKFan-PR]

Everybody has different tastes. We are more laid back. Planning is a fun way to pass the time before the vacation, but what I actually do is look for info on the things to do and see, and make 'mental notes' on what I'd like (I have every Birnbaum guide since '94). But I don't plan every detail and every day. Once there, we have a 'general plan' (which park to visit what day, which days are off days, etc.) and make PS's for places we'd like to eat in (just to be sure we don't miss out on them). And even that can be thrown out the window on a whim! We get up whenever we feel like, we enter the park we have previuosly chosen, then we just go as we feel like going. Some people feel that you have to plan a lot in order to make the most of spending their hard-earned money. That's an excellent point. To me, I see a WDW vacation as paying for the privilege to do whatever I want, whenever I want. I get enough of schedules and deadlines at work. When I'm on vacation, the toughest decision I want to make is which side of the bed I want to get up in the morning!

On the other hand, like KAMommy, I am also an obsessive anticipator! Once I know I'm going, I spend every waking hour
anticipating the day!