It's like us DISer's are in a WORLD OF OUR OWN!!

[mjmcca]

I honestly dont plan. I drive down without even a hotel room booked. I know most of the nooks and cranies of every park though and I dont care if i get to see everything i go to enjoy myself and relax.

I have a close friend who is a CM and she makes my hotel booking this usually means i stay with her for my first night.


I dont plan which park to go to until that morning and sometimes it depends on what bus comes first. The only caveat to that is if i have a PS for a certan park or plans to have dinner with my friend ( then i ususally do AK since it is an easy exit out sherberth road to her home.)



I never get up early I would be miserable if i tried. I take advantage of FP and other activites if the lines are too long for some rides.I know about these other activities because i research these things.


Thinking about it i guess i have a plan but it is very unstructured

 

[Micca]

I am a planner but after numerous trips over the past 3-4 years(and many before that) I no longer obsess over getting to all of the attractions. It took me about 25 years to get to this point. I like to plan PSs and find the least busy park for the day.

 

[crazyj4488]

I went in February of 2002 and really didn't make any plans because I thought such an off season time wouldn't warrant it. While there, I kept getting annoyed with some of the crowds and couldn't understand it. I look back on that experience now and truly know that the absence of, at least, a little planning got me caught in undue crowds I could have, otherwise, minimized upon.

Planning is good....just don't make yourself crazy over it. Also, remember to plan for one IMPORTANT thing while you are there....relax a bit and enjoy yourself no matter what you have to deal with.

 

[iLoveEeyore2]

Yep, 75% of statistics are made up on the spot!

(Like the one I just typed!)

I guess that's where DH came up with 7 out of 10 people like their potatoes without the skins! DD and I knew he made it up!!

 

[iLoveEeyore2]

Yeah, But I have ran into several people over the years that come home from Disney saying..."We will never go back"!! It was so HOT AND CROWDED. I tell them that they need to give it another chance.

My DS and BIL said that, but not because of weather and crowds, they just didn't like it!!!! (We can't possibly be related!!!!!)

 

[Aidensmom]

Disney can be fun without a "plan" but it really helps me to know all of the tips I have learned in guidebooks and on this board.

When I did a 4 day trip last year with DH, DS, and MIL, I loosely planned things like what parks we would do what days, had one PS meal planned (Mickeys Backyard BBQ), and made sure we got to the attractions that were most important to everyone in each park. That was the extent of my plan, but without this board and my guidebook, I would never known you needed PS for sit down restaurants, that there was even such a thing as Mickeys Backyard BBQ, what the advantages of staying onsite are, what days are historically busier at each park, the high and low points of the various resorts and restaurants, what is the best time to hit certain attractions or rides, or even how to use Fastpass. And I would not have known these things even though I have been to WDW more than 30 times in my life beginning the first year it was open! WDW has grown and changed dramatically over the years, and I had previously only done day trips so the whole restaurant and resort thing was completely foreign to me.

I still do day trips without any type of plan, I guess I know that since I live an hour away I can always go back and do what I've missed. I do however use the knowledge I have acquired to make that day more enjoyable. Last trip was just me and DS3, and I actually let him decide what we were doing all day, though I did offer some suggestions like "The line is really long, why don't we get a fastpass and come back when we don't have to wait." And I made sure we got there right when the park opened so we could run to Buzz Lightyear first thing before there was a line!

Thank you for all you have taught this Disney veteran!!!

 

[JoannaOhio]

If I had 8 kids, I'd have a plan just to go to the grocery store.

I nearly fell off my chair when I read this response, and I was all set to quote it and add
Then I scrolled on down and read this one from texas munchkin:

Yeah, I'd plan to go without them and make it a long trip

It's obvious that I'm not the only one on this board that finds the idea of going anywhere with eight children overwhelming. (Please don't flame me if you have a large family and love every minute of it. I barely made it through raising three kids, spaced 5 and 6 years apart, but now that they're 45, 40 & 34, they're my best friends.)

 

[Tinkaroo]

Maybe I'm really mean, but without all those people NOT knowing what to do, knowing what to do would be worth a lot less. If everyone was there for EMH and left, there would be no crowded to leave before. It'd be, well, *gasp*, more even, and then I wouldn't get to do what I wanted to do. So it's okay with me!

I just make sure that I try to talk to people I want to have a good time, without going nuts. Friends of ours just went, and I helped them get some discounts and gave them general guidelines, but when eyes start to glaze over, I say, "Have a great trip!". Not everyone is as complusive as me.

I'm with you - I hope they don't learn all our secrets!!!

 

[kerry34]

I nearly fell off my chair when I read this response, and I was all set to quote it and add
Then I scrolled on down and read this one from texas munchkin: It's obvious that I'm not the only one on this board that finds the idea of going anywhere with eight children overwhelming. (Please don't flame me if you have a large family and love every minute of it. I barely made it through raising three kids, spaced 5 and 6 years apart, but now that they're 45, 40 & 34, they're my best friends.)

LOL This is the funniest thing. I can truly say taking my five out can be a chore. I always getting amused looks from people when I walk into a store with my pack. They are generally well behaved kids but things can get chaotic at times. The only time I dont worry is when we go out to eat, because they are all sitting in one spot. I am leaving next week for my trip, and think I have a good handle on park touring. Hopefully all will go as planned.

 

[jnrrt]

LOL This is the funniest thing. I can truly say taking my five out can be a chore. I always getting amused looks from people when I walk into a store with my pack. They are generally well behaved kids but things can get chaotic at times. The only time I dont worry is when we go out to eat, because they are all sitting in one spot. I am leaving next week for my trip, and think I have a good handle on park touring. Hopefully all will go as planned.

Hey, have a great time!

 

[CinderellaIam]

I am a compulsive planner, I plan everything and make sure I am getting the best possible price for everything.

We have been to WDW many times and have seen and done everything we have wanted with minimal lines and nominal costs. We have GREAT vacations.

My DSIS on the other hand has taken 3 trips to WDW, one with me, two without. She plans nothing. The trip she took with me we argued much of the time because she just wanted to meander around the parks. I eventually took her kids while she wandered around and we had a great time. The two trips they took on their own, they came back and said you'd need to spend a month there to do everything! We only got on maybe 5-6 rides a day!

Well, after listening to, and seeing all the pictures from our trips and realizing how much she missed, and hearing me respond to someone what our last trip cost (very much less than anyone thought), she and her husband have begged me to plan their next trip for them and are even paying for me to come with them!

They have agreed to do things as I say and wrote me a check and said "Here, make us some magic". They cannot believe what a wonderful trip is planned for them and how reasonably priced it is. They are however a little doubtful that we will do everything I say we will....oh those of little faith!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Too me that is one of the funnest parts of my trip! I love all the planning and if we get there and plans change....no big deal, but atleast we have some PS times set and if we don't need them that is ok.

I also know we can't do everything and I just keep in mind " We will be back"!

I would love to go in Summer some day just to have longer hours and more time at the parks. I feel confident that I could work around crowds.
We are planning for the week before Memorial day next year. I know it will be busy,but nothing like Summer.

I am kind of glad that not everyone knows our secrets or like one of the previous posters said...There would be no good time to go and get around the crowds.

 

[MAGGIED]

These people who don't plan a little are crazy!!! Well at least I think so - even though we are staying at the SOG and saving $$$ I still work hard for my money - why not get the most out of it you can..... I have one "big" event planned for each day of our trip - a fishing excursion, a Illuminations cruise, CRT, something like that - and I couldn't have done it without the help of all of you - I think about what we missed all the other times we were there!!! But then again - with all those others out there not knowing - saves more room for US!!!!!! lol

 

[cmonroe]

I once heard a statistic that only 5% of all visitors to Disney have ever seen a Disney guidebook such as Birnbaum's, Passporter, unofficial guide, etc....

But you know what they say about statistics......

I also have a co-worker who goes at least once a year, I talked with him recently and told him about my October AKL trip. His response was: "Animal Kingdom Lodge? How did you find out about that? That sounds great!"

 

[Eeyore2003]

We were standing in line at Epcot one morning, before EHM opening of course, and the guy behind me saw me looking at my plan for the day. He was incredulous. Now my plan is fairly general, a list of the rides we want to do in the order I think we should do them and a couple times of things I might need, just in case. I started talking to him about what he wanted to do and perhaps he should think about changing this to that and he looked at me like I was from outer space.

I'm in college (at age 50 ) and one of my instructors just came back. Went during spring break, no plan, and then said how they didn't get very much done. I told her she should have talked to me first!!!

 

[maxsmom]

Dh and I are self professed WDW experts and I JUST found these boards and neither of us has picked up a book. Don't get me wrong these boards are great. Dh and I have to go during peak times b/c we're teachers and don't have a choice. However we've done a pretty good job. We also don't go early b/c we are on vaction and like our sleep! We always get to everything we want and then some. We even get in time to go over to the island at MK and sit in the rockers and watch the roller coaster. We love to do this. Our little piece of seclusion and we love to see the different personalities of the train cars.

Anyways, I love these boards and also can't understand how people have such a difficult time there. We'd be glad to help!

 

[salbythec]

I love the planning!!!! It makes the trip more fun! I used to think I knew alot about WDW until I joined these boards!
Now I am obbessive about it but the DH and DD realize how it has made a difference! ( so they let me have more computer time!!!)

 

[AshClan]

I sometimes wonder if I don't enjoy the planning more than the trip!

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

I sometimes wonder if I don't enjoy the planning more than the trip!

I second that!!!! Planning a trip is half the fun !!!

 

[kat6994]

Sounds like the WORLD is full of...how did Granny put it...

DISNEY MOGLES...I'm probably spelling it wrng, but...C'est la Vie.

The less they know...the more fun we can have !!