Making your own Planning/Itinarary book??

[Dimples]

Please let me know how you move Tour Guide Mike's information/pages onto a Word document. Also, then how do I shrink/select them to the size of Index Cards? I have been writing all this down on cards and/or shrinking them on a copier so that I can tape them to index cards. Please help me with this process.

 

[rie'smom]

Dear Dimples,
Right click on the info and hold the CTRL button and run the mouse over all the info you need- press copy. Then with word open press paste. When you are ready to print -press print and open the prooperties of your printer. Then click on paper size. Many printers will have various sizes including index cards. If not click on 3x5 or 5x8- whatever size you want to put in your purse or fanny pack,etc. Be sure to buy the blank index cards. If it's too diffucult to format the cards,just print on card stock but insert lines round the text to give you a cutting line. It takes a bit of prctice but you'll love having your cards on the trip.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

I like the binder with page protector idea. I've started printing off my touring plans from UG's website as well as their cheat sheets. Plus, I can make notes of what time ADRs are, best CS meals, and what characters can be found at what locations. I think I'll go get a binder during lunch and work on it tonight.

 

[Miller1412]

I bought a little lined journal (about 6" x 8") at the Paper Factory outlet and marked it off in different sections with sticky tabs. All important confirmation #'s are inside the front cover, all phone/reservation #'s are inside the back cover.
The sections are itinerary, planning, financial, airline, AAA, dining, attractions, hours, to do list, MNSSHP, etc.

If I find info, I jot it down in the pertinent section or copy, cut and paste in my computer's notepad and tape it into the book.
It's all in one, and easy to have on hand when calling for ADR's, reservations, etc. And should be pretty easy to carry in the parks in a backpack.

 

[CapeCod53]

I feel so old-fashioned but I actually hand write everything in a little notebook from CVS (2 1/2or3x4). I include all flight & resort info, adrs, emergency contact info, basic itinerary for each day, etc & use the extra pages to keep track of all money spend, food in 1 section, purchases in another. Try & jot down info to use for a later trip report & for scrapbooking. I started doing this with our 2nd trip in 1990 after having no clue for our 1st trip(luckily that was when the world only consisted of Epcot & MK). I have excellent & very small handwriting & writing everything out has always set everything in my mind & added to the enjoyment of trip planning. This fits in any pocket. I found the passporter pages too large. However with all these ideas, its time to move into the 21st century! Plus this time I'm the planner for a grand gathering of 12-15!

 

[Cthia]

Wow that are a lot of creative ideas here.

For this trip I have printed out everything I could possible need from TGM's web page and other websites and put them in a 3-ring binder. (My airline information, Magical express phone number, the resort information, all the park informations, and dining information are all in the binder.) I got tired of having to read the same thing over and over or write them down. The binder also has a pocket in the front and back I can put pages in.

I do have the Passporter just not sure how that is going to fit in with my planning just yet.

After I have it figured on what parks I am going to visit then I will break it down day by day and make it smaller so I can take it into the parks. I have plenty of time to work on that.

Thank you for the ideas of laminating. I've never laminated anything and thought you would have to take it some where to do it and it could get expensive.

 

[Priorityonecb]

I have a folder that I keep all trip related things in. I just organized it this morning as a matter of fact.

This morning I made index cards. One card for each day of our trip. On it, it has park hours, our plan for the day, meal plans for the day with ADR confirmation numbers, transportation reminders and parade/firework times. I laminated each one. Each morning, I will put the corresponding index card into my purse...and we have all essential information in one easy place.

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

Inspired by this thread, I went out and bought a binder and tab dividers at lunch today. I like the idea of putting flight info in the binder as well.

 

[jjarman]

jjarman: I think that is www.themouseforless.com. I just went there and copied the coolest pages just like that. Plus a matching journal page and a PS page. SO cute!

That is very close but still not quite the same. Maybe it is the same and they have changed the format. Thanks.

 

[jjarman]

I found it. You have to create a free membership to get it but it is worth it.

www.touringplans.com

 

[MinnieM3]

I can see my yellow legal pad strategy could use some updating! What are weekends for?

 

[Jalva22]

Yep, I did the 3 ring binder with sheet protectors. Put the usual stuff into it that people are already naming (resort confirmations, dining reservations, photocopies of park passes, etc). Since you're driving (as we did), one thing I did that was seriously over the top was to google up all the fast food and chain restaurants that we like and go to their store locator. Once I had an address, I went to mapquest and printed off a map of each city I thought we would be near at mealtime. I then penciled in the location of all the eateries we might consider. I did this because I feel like we always waste a good 15 minutes by exiting the interstate and searching for options (hey, those minutes add up over the course of a long drive). With my binder, whenever we got hungry I'd see what city was coming up and we'd pull out the binder and pick what we wanted before we ever got to the outskirts. So I knew right where to exit and how to get there. I know it's over the top, but it also served the purpose of giving me something "trip related" to do in those loooooooong months before we went.

 

[SnwflkCts]

I didn't put my stuff in a binder -- sorry -- pocket type file folder for me -- but I managed to shrink down my daily plan and print it on card stock, small enough to fit in my plastic lanyard holder!!! One card for the park of the day and rides I didn't want to miss, one with my CS choices and adrs for each day and one with the count down of my TS and CS meals & snacks. My husband would say -- where are we eating or what rides did we not want to miss and I would whip out my little card (or just look at it where it faced out)-- I did take along an extra set but one set on card stock saw me thru my week --

Others -- you have some GREAT IDEAS! DIS PEOPLE ROCK!!!

 

[mouseplanner]

Me too! I have my spreadsheet with all the hours for the parks, parade, fireworks, ADRs and have printed out all my menus. Haven't read all the posts so sorry if this next one has already been suggested. I had also prepared a sheet for each park with notes on the rides, i.e., might be scary, definitely ride, avoid, wet ride - bring change of clothes, etc. However, recently a friend returned from Disney and was kind enough to bring me a map for each park. Most of that info is already printed on the map -- I just transferred any notes not already included and also stapled a blank piece of paper the same size to the cover for any lengthy info I need to add. So, each day I'll just need to grab my handy map!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

OK, took some pictures so you can see what I am doing. Great ideas you all are giving me though. I hope this helps someone as well. My plan is for a few of the things, like the park counter service menus that I cut and pasted, I will pull out each day and fold up and take in the backpack. Not planning to take along the whole book, even though with the backpack I could actually...we will see. Just like the I-95 Guide pages (LOVE THEM, PM me if you would like...I can give to you), we will pull them out as needed. Shows all the exits and what is at each in way of gas, food, lodging and other things. AWESOME!

Just the front. I will make a cool cover page to stick in there, like Disney June 2006 trip or something.

Then I have seven of these...one for each day. I stapled two sheets together, blank back to blank back. The front has the Daily Highlights page, the back has the Trip Journal page. Got these from www.themouseforless.com

On the left side here you can see half of the Priority Seating page, also from www.themouseforless.com. That is also two of those sheets stapled blank back to blank back. Then on the right is the VA state I-95 section. Each state is stapled together and each in their own plastic cover sleeve. I have VA, NC, SC, GA, FL and the I-4 over to Orlando one.

On the right is the MK Counter Service menus I printed out. I did MK and MGM (we know where we are eating in Epcot and not going to AK, but in the future I will print those out and add to the book). Each park is in a seperate cover.

This is a cover that I have some puzzles for my DD (age5). This one you see is from www.themouseforless.com as well. Thanks TMFL!

And this is just a close up of the binder part and the plastic covers. Binder I had, but they are super cheap. This is the thin 1/2 inch one. Has a cover on the front and back, so I can slip a page in there. Also the plastic covers I got at Target, 25 in a pack for $1.99. I have used up only about 15 of them so far, so the 25 pack should be enough.

 

[magicmirror]

I have done so much copying and pasting to word perfect during this thread than ever in my life. Thanks for all the great tips everyone. This Nov. will be our first trip, I want to plan as much as I can to get the most of our trip. I have joined TGM, bought UG and Birnbraums, and been handwriting so many tips, its crazy. I went to a shorthand, I can't even remember, let alone understand, but once I get this stuff all together in one place, we will be set to have the time of our lives. Thanks everyone

 

[Sleeping Jedi Beauty]

Just when I thought I was done planning for the night, I come to this thread and get the great idea for the menus. Here I go again. The binder continues to come together.

 

[2nd childhood]

My "Book" always gets laughed at by my family, but they are the ones who really benifit from a well planned trip.

 

[gems_smiling]

Thanks for the photos MemoryMakers2669, that's the same kinda thing i usually do. I have not quite decided of what I'm doing this year, i keep starting things and then changing my mind. There's some great ideas on here, thank you.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

You're Welcome gems! This is the first time I have done anything like this. We are driving though, so figured it would come in handy for sure. I am also going to add to it, our hotel ressies and also a list of potential Friday night hotels. We leave here at noon on Friday and are hoping to make it there late late that night, but will be prepared in case we cant make it that far. SO, I have used travel sites to pick out hotels in Savannah, another exit further south in GA, in Jacksonville and Daytona. I went by free breakfast, then place and rating as well. But I have four picked out so far that aren't too far apart. I will probably find a few more. I just can't pull over and pick one off of an exit, so will have to be prepared.

I also have to come up with some Disney area ones as well, in case All Star Music (our Sat night stay) doesn't have room.

Will have a list of phone numbers for all these hotels, as well as ASMu to call ahead.

My sister and I are the ones going, with my two little ones...no DH's. She and I have traveled a LOT together, long trips and always have some sort of thing like this, we document everything and love looking back at them. So, have to do this trip as well. While I always journal, I really don't have anything else that I do, except the few prints outs my DH and I need, like air, car rental, hotel ressies.