My DH thinks my itinerary runs the trip!!!!!!

[riopooh]

My husband (actually - whole family) made fun of me for reading all the guides and my planning lists and notebooks. I do tend to be more analytical then them so I figured I would back off and relax & go with the flow. So what happens - the first day of our trip, they all turn to me and ask "what are we doing?!"

BTW - After a cancer scare with my Mom, my sister and I were talking about a family reunion (her and my brother have NEVER taken their children to the world! Other than that their good parents!) So last night at my parents, the discussion turns to a trip and everyone is in favor (esp since Dad said he's paying!) - so my sister asks me if I can plan it. My Husband responded that we would have it done within the hour!! LOL!!

I'm already nervous about that first day when all fifteen of then turn to me and ask" WHAT NOW?? " (and I know they'll do it!!)

 

[iluvtink]

riopooh, are you familiar with WDW's new Magical Gatherings program? You have enough people to qualify... with 8 people or more age 3 or over, there are group activities, as long as you are staying in a Disney resort that sound really neat. Go to: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...erings/landing?id=MagicalGatheringLandingPage and read all about it! Can I assume a cancer scare means everything is okay? Hope so. Y'all have a great trip and have fun planning!

iluvtink

 

[McCall]

You know what I think you should do? you should give him the first half day at WDW, no plan let him call the shots, do just what he say, see how far you all get.
Then when he realizes you ain't getting anywhere and are swamped with crowds and can't get anything to eat etc. Take over with the remainder of your plan.
See if he ever opens his mouth to complain about your planning again.

 

[OLT2004]

To paraphrase the Unoffical Guide -

"When it come to WDW you either need a good plan or a Frontal lobotomy."

"The operational definition of self discovery and spontaniety @ WDW is the pleasure of heat prostration and the joy of standing in line."

Write your Plan!

 

[slo]

Yesterday I made the first draft of our itinerary - yes....I said first draft. This draft will be reviewed and changed, reviewed and changed and made into the final draft at the 90 day out mark when all the PS's are made official.

I love to plan!!!! We go in Sept when the crowds are low and if we didn't plan it wouldn't be the end of the world, but part of my vacation would be lost if I didn't plan.

My DH is very supportive of my planning and fully understands why this plan is created. He does think that I go a little overboard with my planning because my itinerary is made day by day, and each day is in a different color, and there are enough copies for me to take each day to each park when we are in The World. These copies have everything from where we need to be to our PS confirmation numbers. The itineray is very important - it is the map of our vacation.

After the vacation I enjoy saving a copy to look back on it while I am planning the next trip. It's fun to remember the fun we had!!

 

[HappyGramma]

I have gone with and without an itinerary and I definitely think that having an itinerary is the best way to go. There is so much to see and do at WDW that if you don't have somewhat of a game plan you end up missing so much of it. On the trips that I had an itinerary I was a lot more relaxed and it made it easier to go with the flow when something didn't work out just the way we planned. I have been planning my next trip in Dec since around Aug or Sept of 03. I will be taking my oldest DGD and want this to be a magical time for the two of us. And with going during the holiday season there is so much more to consider into your itinerary. The one thing that I always remember in my planning is to be flexable. It is not the end of the world if you don't get to do something that you had planned on doing. Remember, there is aways next time.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My husband thought the same thing. After our first trip to WDW he thanked my for all of the research and planning that I had done before our trip. He finally realized that we got to do so much in our short time there because I knew what I was taking about. Now he just stands back asks me what are the plans for today.

Lori

 

[IMADSNYLOVR]

LOL slo~my itinerary is color coded per park with the PS in another color! I too have multiple copies packed-including a wallet size one for my DH if we were to get separated!

Sara-we are in the south suburbs -about 35miles SW of Chicago

Now I know the intinerary I plan sounds overwhelming-but I seriously don't walk around the park with a whistle and a bull horn-my plans are list of things I know we really want to get to with my PS-conf# and which park we go to for the day-corresponding with my PS. It worked really well-maybe he is just overwhelmed with the actual paper so this time I'll give a copy to my mom-maybe my dad and let my DH just be directed around when he looks lost! LOL! I guess I am even more concerned about the itinerary since my parents will be there! I want it to be a smooth trip!

P.S. I love the fact that there is some one out there as obsessed as I am!

Sarah

 

[sayakubik]

Since I am new...and going in May(with a preschooler), would anyone be willing to share any type of plans or itinerary with me?

We hope to go to AK, MGM & MK.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sayakubik]

Sorry, I posted twice.

 

[Gaiusrex]

If I want to worry about checkpoints and deadlines, I'll go to work

I plan my sit down meals and golf ahead of time. I then fit in some senarios for "what-park-what-day", but there are so many variables that can change.

While not planning can lead to a dissappointing stay, so can micro-planning.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by Gaiusrex
If I want to worry about checkpoints and deadlines, I'll go to work

I plan my sit down meals and golf ahead of time. I then fit in some senarios for "what-park-what-day", but there are so many variables that can change.

While not planning can lead to a dissappointing stay, so can micro-planning.

All of this rings very true for us!

What we do is pick the what-park-what-day thing and then make 1 PS per day usually for an early lunch at the park of the day. Then we make evening plans like Illuminations cruise, Fantasmic, Luau, etc. This gives us a park/meal plan thru about 1pm and and evening plan beginning around 6pm so we have from approx 1 to 6 open each day to either park hop/swim at the resort/ stay at the park we're at/ whatever mood strikes us.

When we are in our morning park, we don't really plan an itinerary of what-ride-next although we do try to get the "biggies" out of the way early so we're not doing too much standing in line. This is the system that works for us. A loose general plan with room for flexibility. If you go with no plan at all, you'll have trouble fitting in your "must dos" and you'll spend alot of time standing around trying to decide what to do next.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by sayakubik
Since I am new...and going in May(with a preschooler), would anyone be willing to share any type of plans or itinerary with me?

We hope to go to AK, MGM & MK.

Thanks in advance.

If you let us know what dates you will be there I am sure there are plenty of people here who would be willing to give you some advice! You may also want to start your own separate thread on the boards to get even more help!

 

[sayakubik]

We are hoping to get up very early on 5/18 and go to AK. We hope to be able to the the few big things we think would be age appropriate for by DD. Like the Safari & maybe rapids and petting zoo and see the tree.

If possible that afternoon go to MGM.

On 5/19 we are going to MK. We are planing to leave the parks around lunch and go back to the hotel for lunch, swimming & break time. A friend told me this is a must!

I was just curious to see what the plans or itinerary look like...
Maybe I could work one up for us.

I am so glad my friend told me about this board. I have found some very useful info already!

THANKS!

ps - how to I get that great contdown counter in my posts???

 

[WendyWorld]

We are leaving in ermmmm A MINUTE and DH doesn't want me to make any plans, all he knows is we are going to MK on Wednesday and that he wants to go to Universal ONE day and Sea World ONE day and try and get into Dicovery Cove. Okay so that's 4 days out of 10. He won't let me make ANY PS because he doesn't know if he will want to do that then, he is VERY VERY spontaneous. Needless to say I went ahead and bought 5 day hoppers, called DC to see if they are booked up and they aren't until the end of the month. I think we are going at a good time...but all this from a man that didn't know there were 2 different US parks...LOL. Okay I guess we can give him a break, he's from the UK and his first time to Disney wasn't until he was 30, he's still a big kid! WE are going to have to take it all slow as we will have an alomst 4 YO, an 8 YO and a 9 month old!

So I will let him think he's in control and just point him in the right directions, teee heeeeeeee!

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by sayakubik
ps - how to I get that great contdown counter in my posts???

You can get the countdown Here.

For my itinerary I made a chart (like a grid) with the rows down the left hand side including one day in each block, then the columns across the top had: breakfast, AM, lunch, PM, dinner, evening. Then I just filled in. For example you want to go to AK your first day, so the first row across would read something like this:
5/19 -- breakfast in room -- AK 9:00 -- lunch Pizzafari -- hop to MGM -- dinner Mama Melrose 6:00 -- Fantasmic 9:00 (or whatever time it is scheduled). Then, when it was important to me, I would be more specific in each block, for example: AK 9:00; Safari, Kali, Rafiki's Planet Watch. That way we were able to get done the things that were most important to us and then with the time left over do any other things that caught our eyes.

You certainly could be even more detailed if you wanted. Across the top you could break it down further by going hour to hour if you really want to plan. Then instead of breakfast, AM, etc. you might have 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, etc. allowing you to schedule in shows and everything else.

You can see the scheduled show times Here. That should help you to plan around any shows that are important to you. If you haven't already checked, you can see menus to all the different restaurants Here.

 

[jiminyml]

I think the best part of having all your information gathered and at least a rudamentary plan is place is that, even if you alter it slightly as you go along, it allows you to make INFORMED DECISIONS. If it turns out that you have time to either ride SplM and BTM one more time, OR catch the parade, at least everyone will know what's at stake. There is nothing worse than finding out after that fact that you've missed something you really want to see or do, only because you were not prepared with all information ahead of time.

Our first trip to WDW was tarnished a bit by the realization (after we'd left!) of all the things we did not get to see or do, because we did not properly plan, we didn't "know" what we were missing!

So, for me, that's the bottom line.......there is so much to do in WDW, and everyone wants to see as much as they possibly can. But how can you do that if you don't know what is being offered and when, and at least a basic idea of how you're going to go about seeing/doing these things while everyone else in the park is doing their OWN thing!

Plan the plan, my friends!!!

 

[RLewis]

There are two types of people in the world.

Type A always plan; Type B never plan.

And there are 3 rules to these types:

1) Type A people drive Type B people nuts.
2) Type B people drive Type A people nuts.
3) Type A peolpe always marry Type B people.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by RLewis
There are two types of people in the world.

Type A always plan; Type B never plan.

And there are 3 rules to these types:

1) Type A people drive Type B people nuts.
2) Type B people drive Type A people nuts.
3) Type A peolpe always marry Type B people.

 

[Vivianne]

I agree with you. The best way for you to enjoy your vacation is to have an itinerary. No planning increases the possibility of missing some show or parade. Which has happened to us. We went to Animal Kingdom and missed the last Lion king show.

It's great to be spontaneous but when my DH stares at me and says "what's next". I'm tired of frantically trying to decide. He's certainly not going to do it. Then I used to find myself reading brochures in the hotel room while he relaxed.

This trip will be different..I haven't planned every second but I certainly have a plan for "what's next" and I will also get to chill in the hotel room.