ITINERARY ~ what is yours?

[SandraC]

I am a DISNEY COMMANDO ~ there I said it!!!!!!! Our last two trips were filled with DISNEY parks! It was great, but we miss so much other fun stuff to do at the resorts. Our 2001 and 2002 trips had us using up all 7 days on the hopper pass and 2-3 plusses. We are planning our next trip but would like to only do about 2 or 3 park days, BB, TL, Sea World, Nasa and about 2 or 3 nights at the beach. I am writing to you all asking about your itinerary.

Based on your last trip or an upcoming trip, what do you have planned? How many park days? Other theme parks? Beach?

THANKS! S

 

[SandraC]

anyone?

 

[Lucky4me]

Another commando here. We don't get to go as often as we'd like. Each time we say let's do something else we always end up at Disney parks. If I stayed two weeks a year I could probably find the time to do other things. Your itinerary sounds great!

 

[Bichon Barb]

We are a family (me, DH, DS7, DS9) who needs lots of sleep. LOL. Here is our itinerary. We are staying in a townhome at Emerald Isle.

Weds: Arrive MCO 3:00 p.m. get rental, stop at grocery store, off to townhome, swim, dinner, early to bed.

Thurs: Epcot early, do mainly FW, lunch at GG. Off to MGM for a few hours. Off to townhome for swim and dinner. Early to bed.

Fri: MK early! Stay there all day. Back to townhome. Don't know what we'll do that night. Catch fireworks? Dinner out?

Sat: SLEEP IN!!!! This is the start of Pres. weekend. Parks probably busy. Maybe do a character b'fast. Inlaws arrive lunchtime. Guys golf? Kids and girls DD?

Sun: AK early with in-laws. Stay most of the day. Go back to townhome, rest, get beautiful . Night out alone with DH. Probably go to Epcot WS, hang out in Germany with our friend Beck's , late dinner at Rose and Crown during Illum?

Mon: President's Day. Hang out. DD? Ft. W for biking, watersprites... Dinner out?

Tues: Universal with friend who live in Orlando and her kids.

Weds: Back to the arctic tundra. Probable snow shoveling

Hey, you asked. Sorry that was long. I'm not too excited.

 

[Rneighh]

we are always comando opn our trips too. PARKS PARKS PARKS and we try to fit in few quick meals -- very few sitdowns. The upcoming trip will be a little different. We are leaving hubby and taking my 72 year old mother with us. This is almost her first trip. She was there in 1978 when the park was just that one park MK.

We arrive on Feb. 4 Tues at 1:00 p.m. check into AKL, dinner at Boma, storytelling and to bed.

Wed. -- breakfast at Crystal Palace, MK all day, dinner at Chefs du France, see Illiminations

Thursday -- breakfast Boma, Epcot, late lunch Teppanyaki, return 7ish to enjoy concierge lounge

Friday -- MGM, lunch Prime Time 50's, Fantasmic and late dinner at Jiko 8:30

Sat -- Sunrise Safari, AK, dinner at Ohanas, fireworks from beach.

Sun -- enjoy lounge and resort, DD, plane leave at 7:30 pm.

 

[SandraC]

WOW! Thanks all! Your itineraries sound GREAT!

I am so undecided to go March 2003. We took dd only (no ds yet) in 1998, she was 4.5 years old. We went again April 2001 with dd 7 and ds was 15 months old, again in April 2002, dd 8 and ds 2.5 years old. We all loved the 2001 trip so much, so decided to go annually. However, in 2002, the trip didn't seem as special. Everything was too familar. So we decided to go every two years instead of annually. Now that I am home, I want to go annually again, LOL!

If we do go March 2003, we would like to do other things besides parks for 7 straight days. I would still buy a 7 day hopper plus pass but only use one or two days, probably two days. S

 

[CamColt]

On our last 2 trips we arrived on a Sunday, after driving 24 hours, so we took that as a relaxing day. We went to the pool and then to ESPN/Boardwalk for dinner. Then we spent Mon-Fri at the parks. We were able to get a lot done on both of these trips, but there were very low crowds. The first time we did this we spent 1 evening at DTD, and on our last trip we spend one night at HDD. Other than that we only did the 4 parks, and took pool breaks at our hotel.

And to make you feel better, I now have to admit Im a commando too. My nieces still laugh at me since I had them run through AK after eating at Donalds Breakfastasaurus, to get to the Safari so we could make it in time to the 9:50 Lion King show. Breakfast went a lot slower than I had a planned and I was panicked that my whole itinerary would fall apart.

 

[SandraC]

Here is another giggle for you.....I bring Q-cards.

One card per day. It lists all the PS and activities. DH couldn't stop laughing at me at first, but now, he loves them. He reads them the night before so he is prepared for the next day. LOL! S

 

[dansyr]

I would love to have an itinerary....but with a dbf who changes his mind 10 times an hour...it is somewhat impossible.
We did come to a compromise this year though. He agreed to let me make ps's ( at least the important ones) ahead of time and I agreed to take afternoon breaks this year. I get so excited I have to admit I go a bit commando when we get there.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by SandraC
Here is another giggle for you.....I bring Q-cards.

One card per day. It lists all the PS and activities. DH couldn't stop laughing at me at first, but now, he loves them. He reads them the night before so he is prepared for the next day. LOL! S

ROFL! You are making me feel better by the minute! I also do index cards. Say Monday we spend the morning at AK and then the evening at Epcot, I will have a separate card for each of those, and which attractions I want to get done during that visit. On the back I will have notes that I have picked up here or in guide books of things to look for(ie dino prints in boneyard make a roar when stepped on), and any specific things I want to do, but not really attractions(get beavertail in Epcot). Everyone laughed at me, but my mother & DH both agree that my system works great!

 

[Bichon Barb]

I know how you feel. My DH thinks I'm a bit obsessed. I carry my "Unofficial Guide" around with me and quote from it like Jim Baker might carry around his bible. I even have three different colored highlighter pens. Each one means something different: Pink is a must do. Green is a try to see. Yellow is check it out if we have time.

My DS9 has Birnbaum's For Kids by Kids. He has the orange and blue highlighters.

I think it's only going to get worse as January is a pretty boring month.

 

[eeyore0062]

Major commando!

I often have to split from the rest of my family, because I am like the energizer bunny...go, go, go!

Our next trip will be of a different variety, because our primary focus won't be on the parks (what??? you say!)

We are moving down to Florida in June, so we will be there job hunting and apartment hunting, and will fit in one, maybe 2 days of park time. Thanks to AP's, this is no problem.

My major goals this time will be to ride ToT as many different times as possible to take advantage of the different ride sequences, and to eat at 50's Prime Time Cafe!

 

[Eponine]

Well, we do plan on doing the parks on most of our days this trip, but I don't think it's really going to be commando-style. For one thing, we'll have our nearly 3-yo Disneyholic-In-Training with us for the first time (although he has been to Disneyland). For another, we're DVC members, about to be AP holders and already planning another trip in December, so there's no hurry to "see it all" this time around. We may spend full days in the parks, we may not, as we feel like it at the moment.

That having been said, here's our itinerary for February 3-9:

Monday - arrive early afternoon. Check in, head to Downtown Disney to grab a bite and soak up some Disney atmosphere. Maybe check out the Boardwalk in the evening.

Tuesday - Epcot. Let son do Kidcot masks in WS. Watch husband try to induce people to drink Beverley in Ice Station Cool so that he can see their faces when they do. Eat, eat, eat! See ToD and Illuminations.

Wednesday - MGM. Ride our faves - ToT and RnR - by ourselves, or not at all (hey...someone's got to hang out with our son!). Mostly concentrate on the shows, especially BatB and Playhouse Disney. See the parade, which we missed last time. Lunchtime PS at Brown Derby.

Thursday - Animal Kingdom. Catch parade here, too, because we missed it before, also. Find Devine and watch her freak people out. Dinner PS at Boma, and then Epcot again later, if we feel like it.

Friday - Magic Kingdom. Breakfast PS at Crystal Palace. Do Dumbo, the carousel, Pooh, the works. This is our son's day! Put him to bed early, wait for the Fairy Godmother to arrive and then head out to Pleasure Island for a few hours.

Saturday - Open for negotiation. Probably Magic Kingdom again.

Sunday - Again, open. Most likely Downtown Disney for souvenirs, as well as any possible last-minute purchases in the parks. Flight leaves for home at 6:00 in the evening.


Sorry...it's probably of very little help to you, but it's fun to write it all out!

 

[Mamu]

My children call me a commando, I think of myself as a planner.

We will be heading down in February. Myself, DH, Grandson 12, 3rd trip, Granddaughter 8, first trip.

We will be arriving on a Wednesday the 12th, around 11:00am. Pick up rental car, shop for water and a few room snacks and check-in.

I have made breakfast PS's and some dinner PS's. We may or may not keep all the PS's. We will be a Disney till Tuesday morning with a late breakfast at O'Hana's. Then over to Cocoa Beach for the remainder of the week.

We will try to take in as much parks as we can, seeing it's Lucy's first trip. I'm sure as the weekend approaches the parks will become more crowded. This is Presidents week and I've heard it gets very crowded. One reason why I've made so many PS's.

I do not call this commando I call it planning ahead.

 

[SandraC]

Camcolt ~ The back of my cards is a THINGS TO DO THE NIGHT BEFORE THE NEXT CARD/DAY ~ lol

For instance, I'll write: Mickey Wake-up-call 8am, pack bathing suits for Epcot water play ~ that type of thing. I take a look at the back of the card as everyone is settled in for the night. DH used to joke about the cards, but now he likes reading them. Many times, the card will contain only one MUST DO, like PS at POLY OHANAS and the rest of the day is free. For days like that, I'll write a few suggestions and maybe we'll do them and maybe we won't. I like those FREE days. S

 

[JulesMom]

We usually go to a park everyday.

Last year, we went to Clearwater Beach for a day. It was so much fun!!

We don't stay at the park all day. We get there at opening and leave after lunch. Then go back to the hotel for a nap or swim or head to the outlets for shopping. Then, in the evening we go to a different park.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Because of the time change already, wwe don't do Magic Hour/EE. But glad they offer it for us to plan around!
We don't nap or laze by the pool. If I wanted to do that I could go to almost any hotel anywhere.
we are there for te parks. We are usually there when they open until closing.

 

[sconstantz]

We just decided to go this weekend, and we will be there Feb. 2 - Feb. 9. As I completed booking the air tickets, my mother turned to me and said "when will you have our itinerary?" Geez, Rome wasn't built in a day, it takes time to create a fabulous, stress free, wishes do come true, vacation itinerary!!!

that said those asking for the itinerary or those that scoffed, laughed and even mocked me 2 years ago when I showed up with one. Now, they beg for it.

Well, who is laughing now?

Itinerary should be complete by the end of the week.

Shelly

 

[susy]

We are commandos HALF of the time!!!!


Up and out extremely early. My son was the gatekeeper at MK his first time ever at MK

this past veteran's day weekend, my niece and I were "first riders" on Space Mountain- that was Sat at MK.

It is rare that we are not first at the turnstile-either to get in at opening or for the 8am breakfast Ps time.

That being said.... we do the commando thing in the morning. We have found that you can get the most done within the first three hours. After that, it slows down significantly. We have done MK on the Sat of Columbus day weekend and vet day weekend, so I would not avoid Mk on Sat.




Then we eat an early lunch.
Since we are up so early, we are hungry for lunch around 11 or 11:30-as soon the restaurants open up. Even on very busy days we have not had to wait to eat. We usually do counter service for lunch, but a sit-down is really nice at this time.

then... we vacate the premises (around noon). We really love going back to the resort and taking it easy for a few hours. We swim, go to the giftshop, eat a snack, lay down , shower, change, and go back to the parks (our favorite is Epcot) around 5pm.

We enter as the park is emptying of all those brave souls who tried to make it all day (congrats to those who do!)

We ride, eat , enjoy the parade and fireworks. we are usually in bed by around 10 or 10:30. We aren't as wiped out becasue of our beloved "break".

As far as an overall itinerary, we do plan which parks we will do on which days and make our Ps ahead of time.

 

[Reminisce71]

We are heading out Feb. 7th in the evening.

Friday-Heading to Fl. Drive all night in 3 hour shifts.

Saturday-Arrive early, check in then do some monorail riding and resort hopping. Just take it easy. To bed early.

Sunday-MK

Monday-MK

Tuesday-Hang out. Play mini-golf, go to the petting zoo, the campfire at FW. ect.

Wednesday-Move Off Site and go to the Kennedy Space Center

Thursday-Hang at the Beach all day and whatever else we feel like doing.

Friday-Heaing to Tn. Spend the night where we feel like stopping.

Saturday-On into Nashville to meet FIL.

Sunday-Drive home to Indy.