My friend thinks I'm nutz . . . . .

[donna in Oz]

We're takin' a first-timer with us in October. I just gave her a copy of our itinerary, complete with copies of some of the menus at restaurants where we have PS's (so she'll have an idea of cost)and a few pages of info & photos for events we'll be attending (MNSSHP, EWP), etc.

And my itinerary is really pretty general ... just which parks on which days. I didn't spell out the order of attractions or anything like that as some people do.

She thinks I've gone over the edge!! PLEEZE help me persuade her that there really is a benefit to it, and that I'm not the only one who does this!!

 

[deadheadbelle]

My DH thinks me and my DSIL are nutz as we put plans together as well. He laughs & just does not understand. However, once there, he likes not having to wait for a table at dinner & not spending half of every morning deciding where to go for the day. I think the biggest thing to tell her is that getting the PS's is important & you just loosely plan the rest of the day around the dining reservation. Once she goes, I'll bet she looks forward to helping plan the next trip!! Planning is one of the best parts of a Disney Vacation IMHO

Have A Great Trip!!

 

[andrabell]

Planning is absolutely ESSENTIAL to getting the most out of one's usually limited time at "The World".

How fantastic would it be to have a barrel full of money to spend at Disney...stay 3 or 4 weeks at the Boardwalk Villas with an all access pass and a concierge to book all the dining ressies?!?

...slap slap...SNAP OUT OF IT...

I've got 8 nights/9days, two of which are for the drive to and from which leaves 7 days to plan very carefully so that DH and I can have a wonderful time soaking up the Magic and eating great food without wasting a minute at Disney with up our thumbs up our bums!

I don't mind in the least sitting here like a disnazi with my agendas, charts and graphs...part of the fun is the planning and anticipation of the Disney Holiday.

My husband will be a first timer on our upcoming trip and he's even getting in the spirit by watching Disney DVD's with me every weekend and watching the Disney Show's on the Travel Channel.

Maybe we planners are Nutz...but we know how to have a great time!

---Andra
totally nutz!

 

[Grumpy92]

I am sure once she gets there she will see the error of her ways. Besides none of us would be here unless we were fanatical about planning our wdw trips and helping others do the same. It is just too much fun.

 

[tkldisney]

Grumpy92 you said it perfectly. Half of the fun is planning the trip!
This way when we get back home, we start planning for the next one & talking to our friends, here and helping them plan, then it's not quite as SAD to be back home)

 

[MDDisneyFan]

I'm going to WDW in October. Half of the fun is planning the trip . . .where do we want to eat, what shows, what backstage tours . . . I want to make sure that I can do all of the things I want to do, so I plan and make PS arrangements, etc. I have printed up a brightly printed list that shows what parks on what days etc (decided in part by where we want to eat). My guide book is almost worn out.

That said, I don't micromanage what rides to go on, there are too many things that can interfere with that sort of planning.

When planning I can picture in my mind being there - it certainly increases the WDW magic.

 

[hucifer]

If you want to visit your favorite restaurants, you kinda need to plan to be at that park that day! I did exactly what you did...made an itinerary of parks and PS's per day. First-timer DH found my schedule and asked me if I planned the day in 5-minute intervals.

So your friend isn't the only one who thinks we're nuts.

 

[poj7]

We visited WDW last May with my brother and sister-in-law and son. My Sister-in-law had never been. I started by recommending a guide book etc. She didn't seem interested so rather than go on and on about the place I decided to say absolutely nothing. My wife and I of course planned everything behind the scenes. When we arrived she was so shocked by the size of the place and it's complexity she was bowled over (in a good way).

As it turned out they relied on us for the planning etc. but it was fine. You may want to just not mention anything until you go and see what happens. After all, it's fun to see them "get it" once they're there.

 

[nhdisnut]

As someone above mentioned, half the fun is in the planning! I figure the trip is quite an investment, why not strech the fun out over several months?

I too am guilty of planning PS way in advance as well as figuring which park on which day to visit. Nothing is really set in stone, but some planning is essential!

 

[thessaly]

Nothing is more annoying than when you're really trying to make things work out nicely for everyone (i.e., by planning), and someone has to take cheap shots at you and call you crazy or imply you're a control freak.

I travelled to New Orleans with a friend who insisted on this free-spirited, unplanned, walk-around-cluelessly approach because it had worked well for her before, and she made me feel really... uptight? for trying to plan things.

End result? We didn't get to see most of the things I wanted to see, because I wasn't really allowed to plan anything.

Heh, I'm not exactly friends with this person anyway, but she was an extreme example of willful ignorance (in most areas of her life, really)... Most people will come around when they realize that's it's nice to actually have the inside scoop on the cool stuff to do, places to eat, ways to avoid potential headaches. Just smile and nod till they actually get to the park.

 

[ww52]

We have gone twice with friends who reject the idea of preplanning on any vacation. We also have vacationed with them other places. That worked fine in Hawaii and on a cruise, but not at WDW. The first time I planned, and while we saw quite a lot, I know they objected to the rigidity of the schedule. Five years later we went again, and this time we decided to go at our own separate paces, and meet up once or twice a day. Naturally, we saw much more than they did, but each family had an equally enjoyable vacation. We didn't feel held back, they didn't feel pushed and pulled. To each their own. (Why they didn't seem to mind 90 minute waits for rides in the extreme heat and humidty was something I never asked.)

Other side of the same issue - my BIL went with us (his second trip). His first time (without us) they didn't plan and missed quite a lot. Of course, he didn't even know what he missed until he got back and talked to us. This time he was amazed at all there was and was grateful for my planning. Which points out the key thing is at least know what is there and what you might be interested in seeing.

What I've learned to do is plan well, but kind of hide it from everyone in case they may object to it - including my family. Then as it gets near the trip, as the "expert" I'll be asked simple ideas like what parks / what days / what restaurants / what shows, etc. I'll make my suggestions and give my reasons (and have some alternatives and try to stay flexible), and no one realizes how much effort went into coming up with those suggestions. In the end, we all have a great time and no one feels we were obsessive about the planning.

 

[CamColt]

Oh boy can I relate! We took a family of newbies last week(parents hadnt been in 17 years and the kids never) . I did exactly as you had, but I also broke down which attractions I wanted to accomplish on each particular visit to each park. They never came out and said it, but I have a feeling they thought I was insane. Well the first park day came, we left AK at 12:00, after 4 hours and doing 6 attractions. The guy said to me "if we were here alone we would still be sitting in the room deciding what to do". We did split up twice, Tuesday after noon at Epcot, and the last morning they decided to sleep in and skip MK, but I do think they would agree all that planning is helpful.

 

[SnowWhite33]

But at least we get to see what we want and don't feel like we are wasting our time and money. My BIL took his family which included 3 children to "Disney World" (MK only), in the middle of summer stayed offsite, didn't get there until noon and then said that the kids hated it because of the heat and lines ! They left only 3 hours after entering the park and have never returned. This is our 3rd trip and they can't figure out what we see in it. I would like to take them once and show them what they are missing.

Planning is half the fun and the only way to go IMHO!

 

[TonyS20]

The first time we went to WDW, I had done all the planning and created a rough outline of what to do each day. Over subsequent trips, I have found menus and suggested various restaurants to coincide with our park. While on vacation, my DH will complain that there is a schedule and he wants to relax or not follow the plan. We usually reach a compromise because I think he does it to feel "power". The other night he was trying to organize plans with his brother for Labor Day weekend. I overheard him say "It's like when we go to Disney World and we know which park we are going to go to, which attractions we want to see and what places are options to eat. You are able to get things done and not spend the day trying to decide what to do." I knew then that he appreciates all the "behind the scenes" work that I do to make our vacation as joyous as possible!

 

[AKASnowWhite]

The first time we went to WDW as a family (not a couple....) I pre-planned A LOT! DH thought I was insane. He was looking for bathroom break times on my schedule! While I wasn't quite THAT specific, I did have a very well laid out plan. Well, it was no surprise that he was extremely thankful that I had done all that work ahead of time!

Now my spreadsheets have become legendary in our house! The whole family loves to see at a glance the who-what-where-when (we KNOW the WHY!!! )

Just today, DH and DS were at our neighbors house....empty nesters.....and they are leaving for Disney on Sunday morning...UNPREPARED! DH has now offered my services to give them a last-minute crash course in how to "do" Disney! And he thought I was crazy

 

[sha_lyn]

LOL... I just learned this from one of my sisters employees a couple of weeks ago. Sis complained before our trip last May that I had planned too much and she hoped I'd at least allow her to go to the bathroom. Really my schedule wasn't that bad. I had a planner set up that listed the opening time for the park we were going to that day, and what time our meal PS's were. Most day we did have 2 PS's, usually an early lunch and an late dinner. I even had down time, such as sleeping in every 3rd morning. After we returned she told her employees that there was no way we could have done all that we did without my preplanning.

 

[Grog]

I agree that planning is half the fun. I always have a stack of stuff printed off the intenet (menus, etc) to go with the guidebooks. At one time my SO thought I was a bit crazy but then she started to realize how helpful it is to know this stuff in advance. I have one friend who went to WDW and tried to wing it. No planning at all. She now hates WDW because she had a miserable time and says she will never go back. I've tried to tell her she should give it another try and let me help with the planning but she had such a bad experience last time that she doesn't want to give it another try.

 

[mickeysaver]

You know, it all seems to be a bit over the top, until you get there and things go smoothly and you look around you and see so many other people around you wandering around clueless and having vacation meltdown over not being able to be seated for dinner or waiting in lines for too long, and then it all makes a world of sense. A basic game plan, some well timed PS's for meals, and you will have a great time. If that's nutz, well, count me in the same group. Mickey

 

[Grumpy92]

I always preach flexibility and some downtime on these boards. That planning is good but dont overplan. I think it is great to think about what parks are best on what days, which attractions should be high priorities and making PSs.

Have to say I have my family so well trained that they just let me take care of reservations and all the planning. They know I make PSs but leave flexibility for the group seperating or joining those who go to the parks. I try to break the day up so if they dont want to go in the morning with us they can join us in the evening and we always have one meal together a day.

Anyway I had lunch one day with my mother at Beaches & Cream. At the next table over we noticed a family obviously fresh arrivals to the hotel & WDW. The father pulled out this huge binder. It included every broshure and a verrry specific plan. She turned and looked at me and laughed, saying I know they have overplanned & over scheduled. They need your help. I responded ahhh virgin guest. So how long before they throw out that detailed schedule?

It was too funny. Dont get me wrong i think preplanning is the best idea but you can go overboard. After all it is a vacation.

 

[matcoland]

Planning meals and such does seem nuts to me...I would agree with your friend.

I prefer to just eat wherever we are at the time then try and make all kinds of PS and then worry about what time it is all day.

I supposed if you had one or two favorite places and were going at a busy time maybe a PS or two is okay....but really, I prefer to play it by ear, just do what you feel like doing at the time.

I see all these people who plan what rides they are going on, and in what order...that's crazy....I can't see how sticking to a schedule makes a fun vacation...maybe you will get to see more and do more that way, but at the expense of a relaxing vacation.