I forgot how much work this is!

[wvjules]

I haven't been to WDW since 2013. I decided to treat myself to a solo trip the week before Memorial Day. My solo trip now includes my sister, her husband, 2 teens, and baby for the first 3 days. And my DD and her DS (20 months) for the entire time. So much for solo but I'm excited nonetheless.

Now I'm looking at crowd calendars trying to decide what park on what day. Then the fun begins! What FP to get and what to get day of.

Luckily I only have once TS meal I want (Chef Mickey's) and that is scheduled, unless I switch up my park days.

Vacations are hard! I made a spreadsheet with park hours, EMH, and crowd calendar dates. And I still don't know what to do when. I shouldn't need a spreadsheet!

Can't I just pay someone to do the planning for me? lol

Thanks for listening! I'll probably post a lot of questions between now and my FP window opening (March 19).

 

[monkyby87]

It can be challenging, especially with the number of people going with you. But also remember to relax, and not having a rigid schedule can be beneficial. Personally, I don't put a lot of thought or care into crowd calendars. I think they're decent guidelines, but I've seen them be wrong quite a bit, and I personally haven't always agreed with the associated number.

Assuming you have a hotel reservation as well, is the March 19 your exact 60 days, or is that your 60 + whatever day?

 

[Klayfish]

Not at all trying to sound snarky but remember, it's only hard if you make it hard. It doesn't need to be. You absolutely don't need a spreadsheet, it's a personal choice to use one. You can plan as much or little as you want and still have a wonderful (and productive) time at WDW. Even if you aren't a hardened vet, you still don't "need" to plan to extreme.

Crowd calendars are utterly useless, and frankly I think quite misleading, so don't even waste your time with those.

Pick the FP+ for the rides you think you and your party will like most. Don't stress over it.

ETA: Take a deep breath, relax, remember that you're going to Disney!! Ask yourself if you really need to have a spreadsheet and that level of planning. If you want it, great, enjoy it. But if it's driving you nuts, let it go.

 

[richmo]

I'll just add the crowd calendars aren't that great anymore. Disney has done a good job of spreading the crowds out (that is, making it crowded all the time)

 

[wvjules]

March 19 is my exact 60 days.

I hope to be flexible once I actually get there. Whatever DGS can handle and wants to do will be what we do. I want to get in a few adult rides too. It's the planning part that is making me go gray! I think once I figure out what park, I will be able to decide on FPs. Or maybe not! lol

 

[Klayfish]

March 19 is my exact 60 days.

I hope to be flexible once I actually get there. Whatever DGS can handle and wants to do will be what we do. I want to get in a few adult rides too. It's the planning part that is making me go gray! I think once I figure out what park, I will be able to decide on FPs. Or maybe not! lol

What park do you want to go to? Don't worry about "crowd calendars" or other strategies. Go where you want to take your family. There's no rule that says you can't go to MK on a Saturday, or Epcot if it has EMH, PMS , etc...

Besides, if you say that whatever DGS can handle and wants to do will be what you do...which is great...then how much planning do you really want to do? So much of it may get tossed out the window.

 

[monkyby87]

March 19 is my exact 60 days.

I hope to be flexible once I actually get there. Whatever DGS can handle and wants to do will be what we do. I want to get in a few adult rides too. It's the planning part that is making me go gray! I think once I figure out what park, I will be able to decide on FPs. Or maybe not! lol

How many days is your trip? If March 19 is your exact 60 days, you would actually be able to start booking fast passes ahead of that date depending on how long your trip is. So you should actually be able to start getting fastpasses on March 17 more than likely, even earlier perhaps. This is why you see some people talk about 60 + 4 or whatever. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not, I probably didn't explain it very well...

 

[wvjules]

This is all my spreadsheet is. Just trying to nail down what park on what day. My Sister and her family are skipping EPCOT so that means I can't do it until later in the trip. And they don't have hoppers. Not sure if it is worth it for me to have only for 2.5 days. If I could change up my days to what works better that'd be great but I can't so it is what it is. Yes I know its a simple or as complicated as I make it. I just fee a little overwhelmed to start with. I am honestly surprised that MK isn't red on either calendar on a Saturday! Yes, I know calendars aren't always accurate but that kinds surprises me.

Either way, it will be a great trip, that I know.

 

[wvjules]

You all are helpful! Thanks.

 

[epcotobsessed]

Just remember there's a point at which planning becomes detrimental, i.e. it causes you stress, worry, even anger. Don't let it get to that point. I really enjoy planning for a Disney trip and I think that it's because the amount of planning I do is "just right." Of course "just right" is subjective but, I plan in this order:

1. Resort (almost always an Epcot one for us, but sometimes we switch it up)
2. Fast Passes - I use crowd calendars as a guideline, not gospel.
3. Any ADRs - there truly is no ADR you can't get, with the possible exception of CRT, after you schedule your FPs at the 60+ day window.

After that, I sit back, relax, maybe try to adjust my FPs a bit if I didn't love the times, or especially if/when Disney changes the park hours roughly 30 days out, but even that has never produced a real problem for me. Hope you have a really fun trip!

 

[Disneylvr1971]

Have you asked your family members what their "must do's" are? It does look like you have quite a variety of ages. That may help with some FP and park planning. Also having traveled with family, it is ok to split up and meet up later. Don't stress out over it. It will all work out! Enjoy yourself and have a wonderful trip!

 

[wvjules]

I'm actually not even really concerned with they want to do, other than no EPCOT. lol I am concentrating on my DD and DGS. They are residents and can come back often. I am not. I will send her my plans and let her plan her part. The teens will probably go on their own and do stuff most of the time.

It'll all work out. I know that. But a little vacation stress every now and then is good for the soul. Right?!?!?! lol

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Maybe I’m crazy but I think I may actually enjoy the vacation planning just as much as the trip itself. That being said, it can be stressful trying to plan a trip for a group. It’ll all be worth it in the end, when your family has an awesome trip they’ll remember for years.

 

[Micca]

My solo trip now includes my sister, her husband, 2 teens, and baby for the first 3 days. And my DD and her DS (20 months) for the entire time.

Maybe you should delegate the planing Jules After all, you know exactly what you'd like to do, let 'em fend for themselves!

 

[Kbosch]

I was just about to write a similar post! My last trip was 15 years ago when all my "Touring Plan" consisted of was picking which parks to do on what day!

It will be my husband and kids' first time, and we are also going with my mom, stepdad and sister. I am definitely a planner but now there are sooo many options I'm having a hard time narrowing everything down. I have 5 different itineraries already and I'm still a month away from even being able to make our ADRs. I kind of wish I knew nothing about Disney and had just let our TA handle everything.

 

[wvjules]

When I talked to my sister she said that she was fine with whatever I planned because I know Disney better than her.

So now I will do what I want and they can change it if they want/need to.

And as I told her, plans mean nothing to a toddler and a baby so this will all be for nothing. I mainly want to make sure to get FP+ for a few big rides and then we can do same day FP for the kids rides, hopefully.

 

[richmo]

...I kind of wish I knew nothing about Disney and had just let our TA handle everything.

Watch out what you wish for. It sounds like you're much better Disney educated than most TA's.

 

[Kbosch]

Watch out what you wish for. It sounds like you're much better Disney educated than most TA's.

I feel like I am, but I'm not! So much has changed since my last visit that even the things I think I know I don't really know lol. Plus I've never done Disney with young kids (well, except when I was a young kid) so that's a whole other ballpark.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I have a spreadsheet! I pull it up at work when I need a little pick me up. It isn’t a rigid schedule or anything, but I have park hours and EMH on it. I’ve looked the QS meals we liked and tried to anticipate what everyone will be ordering to get an accurate budget of how much I’ll be spending on food. One section is all my Fastpasses, and my tentative meal plans. I also took the time to write out a list of every attraction in all the parks and mark which ones are fast passes. I printed those out and laminated them and I intend to take a dry erase marker and cross thing off as we do them to see how close we get to everything. I’ve also laminated where all the fastpass kiosks are in each park. It’s a labor of love. And it makes me happy.