I forgot how to plan...

[margot31]

I think I have totally forgot how to plan....I was an AP holder for about 2 year when I lived in FL. Our last trip was Oct 2019 when we moved away and now here I am looking to take a 4 day trip and feel a little lost. How did I forget how to plan. This will be my first trip back since 2019 and my last for a while as it's not easy for me to go to DW living in SOCAL and with life.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We understand completely and a lot has changed since your last trip. Please go to this thread to start learning about trip planning now.

Planning Tips for Your Disney World Trip - Start Here!!!​

Please feel free to ask additional questions here and we'll do our best to help you out.

 

[MamaKate]

I live in SoCal and we go 3 to 4 times a year .

However, it is a lot of planning, and all that planning is starting to get to me. When our AP's expire at the end of this year, I think we will be taking a break for a while and start going only once a year...

I'm already planning Hawaii for my kids' spring break instead of WDW because relaxation is starting to sound better.

Good luck on your planning .

 

[wabbott]

I think I have totally forgot how to plan....I was an AP holder for about 2 year when I lived in FL. Our last trip was Oct 2019 when we moved away and now here I am looking to take a 4 day trip and feel a little lost. How did I forget how to plan. This will be my first trip back since 2019 and my last for a while as it's not easy for me to go to DW living in SOCAL and with life.

Dig out your old pics and videos from your previous trips and spend a bit of time reminiscing. It will come back to you pretty quick.

 

[margot31]

I live in SoCal and we go 3 to 4 times a year .

However, it is a lot of planning, and all that planning is starting to get to me. When our AP's expire at the end of this year, I think we will be taking a break for a while and start going only once a year...

I'm already planning Hawaii for my kids' spring break instead of WDW because relaxation is starting to sound better.

Good luck on your planning .

If you need help with Hawaii granted it has been almost two years since I moved back to the mainland but I can help there. Still very fresh in the mind as we would love to go back.

 

[MamaKate]

If you need help with Hawaii granted it has been almost two years since I moved back to the mainland but I can help there. Still very fresh in the mind as we would love to go back.

Thank you! What island did you live on?

We are only going to Oahu and staying 5-nights in Waikiki and 4-nights at Aulani (still get a little bit of Disney ).

 

[margot31]

Thank you! What island did you live on?

We are only going to Oahu and staying 5-nights in Waikiki and 4-nights at Aulani (still get a little bit of Disney ).

We lived on Oahu.

 

[DJFan88]

Your doing it, just being here. Once you keep reading these message boards it will all click.

 

[Cloudy]

At least you don’t need to make ADRs 180 days in advance anymore! That sure helps. It’s 60 days in advance now. Plus most don’t seem to go as quickly anymore. I didn’t have any problems getting what I wanted except 1900 Park Fare and then I just randomly checked every now and then and I showed up.

The biggest problem for me was figuring out VQ, LL, and Genie+. It took me forever. I even met up with a friend who goes a lot to help explain it to me but I’m not sure I really got it until we were there and I did a VQ “test run”. I suggest you read the first post about those several times.

 

[poooh]

I feel you. The last trip I actually planned myself was Sept 2019. Spreadsheets breaking down each half hour block of the day and all. I felt confident that I knew all there was to know about planning. Then I went a few more times with my sister as the main planner so I was just along for the ride mostly. Now I'm going again and I actually want to learn Genie+, ILL, strategies for tron/cosmic rewind etc. I've never joined a VQ before. I have a lot of research to do but it's the best type of homework.

 

[NavyDad]

We do WAY less planning than we did about 10 years ago. Some of that is our touring style has changed. Some of it is due to changes in Disney operations such as not making Fast Pass reservations far in advance. Some of it is also technology. We love the mobile ordering and are more spontaneous now. We do way less ADR's (sometimes zero) than we used to do and do way more snacks or small meals at QS locations. The ease and flexibility of mobile ordering has made a world of difference to us and really changed out style.

I would say unless you want to do a lot of sit down dining, you may not need to do as much planning as you previously did.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ I agree. We were never the type to spend days/weeks ahead of our Disney trips 'planning' every minute of the day. Not how we choose to vacation. ADR's are about the only thing you can do much in advance if that is something you are interested in. If you have been to Disney in the past, you already know the parks you prefer, their layout and which rides/shows are of interest. No amount of advance planning will make any park less crowded. The various Genie options can only be purchased that day so also not something you can reserve prior to traveling.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I think I have totally forgot how to plan....I was an AP holder for about 2 year when I lived in FL. Our last trip was Oct 2019 when we moved away and now here I am looking to take a 4 day trip and feel a little lost. How did I forget how to plan. This will be my first trip back since 2019 and my last for a while as it's not easy for me to go to DW living in SOCAL and with life.

I understand completely. When we lived in California, it was a pain flying to FL. I think we went to WDW 2-3 times while living in California and that was 16 years. We'd go to DL & those trips were shorter (4 days). Took advantage of being closer to Hawaii and went to Aulani twice. Now we live within a 6-7 hour drive to WDW. We just got back from a week stay, left WDW day before Memorial Day and people were flocking in. I never liked the planning. Where you were going to eat, what park to be at, etc. I am not good with technology and cringed at the idea of Genie+. We only used it one day in MK. It was $75 for three of us. We took advantage of extended evening hours which worked well in MK but was a joke in Epcot. We made ADR's but none in the parks. We didn't get park hoppers which was a first for us in 20+ years. Didn't go to AK. It all worked out for us. We found that when we left the park to go back to hotel to get ready for dinner, we were mostly done with that park for the day. If we wanted more park time, we'd just return to same park we visited that. day. Our touring style has changed drastically. No longer go, go, go. I need a more relaxing vacation. WDW is not relaxing.