Making an Itinerary...

[etwinchester]

Ok all you disney experts, I need help. I would love to know how you set up your itinerary. My next trip to Disney will be our FIRST onsite stay and FIRST eating onsite. I would love to set up a sample itirnary on my computer so I have it done and know what to do as the time gets closer. We all love planning in advance, well this is definately advance and I need something to do to keep me in the disney mood/spirit.

We would be arriving Saturday, March 1st and departing Saturday, March 15. The first week 1-8 at CSR and second 9-15 at POLY. I'm not sure what to plan on what days. I'm making up business size cards with our daily plans and times with confirmation #'s for reservations needed for that day.

Here are the places we'd like to eat:
Rainforest Cafe
LeCellier
Ohana's
Chef Mickey (1 or 2 breakfasts and 1 dinner)
Planet Hollywood
Sci-Fi Movies
Coral Reef
Fulton's Steamboat (not a definate - thought it would be cool as we live in PA by the town/man that it was named after, which is Robert Fulton)

Here are the parks & extras:
All Disney Parks - getting a 10 day park hopper
Universal
Blizzard Beach
Cirque De Soleil
Disney Quest

* also, some days to chill by the pool and relax or visit DTD

Again, I've never made an itinerary and would love to see how you DIS Members do it. I know several of you go more than once a year and have a definate day to day plan. I would love to give it a whirl but have NO IDEA where to start...

Pretend this is your vacation and list your daily itinerary if you would. I'd be so greatful

 

[VSL]

Well, you know where you want to eat and the places you want to visit, so that's a good start!

To be honest, the only thing that I'm sure of at the moment is where we CAN eat (or, to be more precise, where my boyfriend WILL eat - I'll eat pretty much anything but he's very picky), and I know the following:
- Planet Hollywood on Dec 15 (my 21st Birthday - 'tickets' already booked)
- Universal Studios/IOA on the first Monday and Tuesday we are there*
- MVMCP on Dec 20!
- 14 full days to split between all the Disney parks (including BB/TL)*

*These will depend on BB/TL rehabs

I'm not planning my exact park days until I know what the EMH will be and what water park may be in rehab.

 

[pinkdiamonds1007]

I am a planner too! I think its 1/2 the fun..at least.
Just to give you an idea on what we do...

We try to plan our meals according to what parks we will be at ,and our dinner shows near the park we are at that day as well. We like to start our day out later and end it later, esp. since this will be our first trip with our dd (3.5 on trip.)
If you are buying the meal plan..*which i would reccomend* their is a list on the Disney website of all the restaurants included.
I would also reccomend Birnbaums Offical Guide to WDW, great book, and has sample itinerarys..I loved it paired with the Unoffical Guide. Together they make a great team!

I love your buisness card idea..wow, my family will just LOVE that I found that idea. lol
Have fun planning!
Nicole

 

[threeboysmom]

I'm game!! But first I need to know if you want to take advantage of the extra magic hours that Disney offers its onsite guests (extra hour in the morning or 2-3 extra hours in the evening depending upon schedule). Also, will you have your own transportation or relying on Disney's? What kind of tickets do you have for Universal? Disney Quest - one day or more? Same with Blizzard Beach...

 

[etwinchester]

The business cards seem to be the perfect size. I print them on regular cardstock with the outline so I know where to cut. This is much cheaper than buying the preferated business cards. I do this all the time for my Mary Kay business.

It will be perfect for carrying around WDW. You know exactly what you had planned for that day and confirmation #'s as well. I also plan to laminate mine. Not like it will rain in Florida or get wet from a ride...need the extra precautions.

 

[pinkdiamonds1007]

The business cards seem to be the perfect size. I print them on regular cardstock with the outline so I know where to cut. This is much cheaper than buying the preferated business cards. I do this all the time for my Mary Kay business.

It will be perfect for carrying around WDW. You know exactly what you had planned for that day and confirmation #'s as well. I also plan to laminate mine. Not like it will rain in Florida or get wet from a ride...need the extra precautions.

Good idea! You are really prepared! You go girl!

 

[crisi]

I do a spreadsheet. We parkhop for dinner. There is a place on my spreadsheet for mornings, lunch, afternoons, dinner, and evenings. Also a place for notes.

So if I want to eat at Alfredos for dinner, my AM may say MK, lunch may say counter, afternoon may say MK/Epcot, dinner will say Alfredos, evening will say Epcot/Illuminiations.

I'll juggle it around a little when I know what the EHM schedule will be. But with dinner PSs, it probably won't change much.

I have a row along the bottom for notes, this is where I put that MNSSHP is happening that night, or Cirque is dark. As I firm up plans, I move those into their planned spots.

I leave most days towards the end of the trip open with dinner plans in only.

 

[etwinchester]

Definately would be doing early entry or maybe extra magic hours. I'm staying onsite, I want the perks that go with it (hehe). When we went in March of '03, MK closed kinda early and I was disappointed. I love being at parks when they are lit up for the night. Knoebels is a yearly visit for us and I love walking around the park at night.

I would be buying the 10-day park hopper plus (or whatever it is called now). I think that includes a couple of water parks so I at least want to do Blizzard Beach once, maybe twice if we like it or try typhoon lagoon. Would also be using Disney transportation for the Disney parks, even though DH wants a rental car just incase we want to venture off site for something.

Also, Universal will just be a regular park ticket. Never visited before so I wasn't sure what a good day is for that. Heck, being onsite for the first time has me all tingly inside. This itinerary thing makes it new...when we stayed offsite, we'd plan the night before to decide what we felt like doing in the morning. Then again, we had 10 other members with us.

This time, it will be just the 3 of us YEAH, YEAH, YEAH

 

[tampaman]

I saw that you were thinking about just getting a regular Universal Ticket, but there is a great deal that you might want to take advantage of...their 2 day, 2 park ticket gets 3 free days...that is a total of 5 days between both parks for $99.95. A one day one park ticket is $57.95, so its a great deal if you might want to spend two days there. I personally love Universal and there are some nice restaurants in City Walk that you could hit before you go back to the hotel. Just a thought.

 

[threeboysmom]

OK, Here's a "rough draft". Once we find out a little more about your wants, we can switch things around. For instance, I don't know the age of your child going with you and DH. I don't know what kind of rides you are looking for? I personally love both Islands of Adventure and Universal, so I scheduled both in which can be changed if you are planning on just buying a one-day ticket.

Saturday 3/1 Not sure what time you arrive....
Epcot - Dinner at Le Cellier - Illuminations 9:00 p.m.

Sunday 3/2
Animal Kingdom a.m.
MGM - dinner at Sci-Fi Diner
Stay for EMH (if scheduled)

Monday 3/3
Breakfast at Chef Mickeys
Blizzard Beach
Dinner ??

Tuesday 3/4
Magic Kingdom - Ohanas - Wishes fireworks

Wednesday 3/5
Epcot a.m.
Dinner ??
Magic Kingdom for EMH (if scheduled)

Thursday 3/6
Universal Studios - dinner at Citywalk/shopping

Friday 3/7
EMH at Magic Kingdom (if scheduled)
Break/nap in afternoon ??
Dinner at Chef Mickeys
Epcot p.m.

Saturday 3/8
Pool Day
Cirque de Soleil show

Sunday 3/9
Sleep in!
Disney Quest
Fulton's for dinner
Park in evening ??

Monday 3/10
Islands of Adventure
Lunch at Mythos
Citywalk in p.m. for dinner/shopping

Tuesday 3/11
Epcot a.m.
Animal Kingdom p.m.
Dinner at Rainforest Cafe
Stay for EMH (if scheduled)

Wednesday 3/12
Pool Day/Disney Quest ??
Dinner at Planet Hollywood
Evening at DTD shopping

Thursday 3/13
Animal Kingdom a.m.
Epcot p.m. - Dinner at Coral Reef
Stay for EMH (if scheduled)

Friday 3/14
Typhoon Lagoon
Chef Mickeys for dinner

Saturday 3/15
Breakfast at Chef Mickeys
?? Park ??
Not sure when you're departing...

 

[Grand2me]

Your schedule is VERY VERY nice. The only thing that I would change is on 3/11, I would flip that and do AK in the am, LUNCH at the Rainforest and then the evening at EPCOT. The animals will be REALLY active in the morning, so they will see alot. I saw that you had them going to AK again but I just think the first time you go to AK, it's gotta be in the morning. Otherwise it's hot.

 

[etwinchester]

Thank you !!! I just need a rough draft to help me go by. DD will be 8 and we ALL LOVE thrill rides. DD rode the roller coasters at Knoebels at the age of 4. Definately takes after mommy...that's my girl...

I'll have to check into the Universal tickets. We've never visit there so we may want to do more days. Still seems like so much to do for a 2 week visit. Hum, maybe I should just go for the month. Yeah, like school would love that for DD.

 

[threeboysmom]

If you are a thrill-riding family, (like ours), then I would suggest getting 7-day park hopper pluses for the 3 of you and then getting the 5-day Universal tickets (only $99.95 I think) so even if you go 2 days you are getting a bargain. But I would plan on 3 Universal days (one full day at Universal, one full day at Islands, and one day to hop between both parks to ride your favorites again). Just another thought for you to mull over. It does seem like a lot during your 2 weeks. I was getting tired just planning your days!! LOL!! Also, one other thing to take into consideration - are you a morning family or an evening family? You usually can't do both on vacation or you will be WIPED.

 

[etwinchester]

I'm primarily an evening but I know last time we were at Disney in March, MK closed at 7:00. Too early for me. I do like being at the parks when they open. We might switch back and forth since we have 2 weeks.