Navigating the Labyrinth of a Disney Planner's Mind

[phoebusII]

Hi everyone! I've been coming to these boards for years, for tips on how to plan a Disney vacation. I've found these boards to be very helpful. However, I must confess that I mostly lurk and don't post often. That being said, I suddenly have the urge to write a pre-trip report about our December 2014 vacation that is still in the planning stages. I've been lurking and reading and planning, and crossing out plans, and re-planning. I have plans and contingency plans and backup plans just in case the contingency plans don't work out. All hinges on when I can grab a BOG dinner ADR and a Candlelight Processional ADR.

A few introductions are in order.

There is me, mom. Planner. Someone who takes the other family members wishes into account, but really just wants them to agree with me and do it all my way. Gets miffed if someone throws a wrench into the planning.

Then there is my DH. Usually a very laid back guy who lets me plan to my heart's content. He doesn't usually like to get into the details of planning. Except this time, after numerous trips, he has become a bit more savvy. As in, he knows the names of restaurants now, and has opinions about them, and requests. *sigh* More on that later.

DD 17 is super excited about Disney World. She wants to do the College Program in her sophomore year of college. At the moment, she is busy taking her ACT and SAT and is considering colleges and majors. This coming school year she will be a senior, so this may be our last family vacation. That makes me sad, but is also a reason (excuse) to splurge on a "last" trip.

DS 14 will be heading to high school next year. He is a wonderful, kind person, who has suddenly hit the adolescent wall. As in "what happened to my baby?", as in some days he's a pleasure to be around and other days that adolescent attitude kicks in, as in I actually have to look up to speak with him. He also loves Disney, though he is quieter about it than his sister. When asked what rides, restaurants, etc., are on the top of his must see list, he says: "I'll be happy just to be there, mom."

Many years ago, when the kids were still in pre-school and a toddler, respectively, we went to WDW in late November-early December. The Christmas decorations were up, the Osbourne lights were on display, the World Showcase had special characters telling the holiday stories of their countries. It was a magical time. We always wanted to return at Christmas, but one thing or another always got in the way. While we returned, it was never at that time of year.

This year, being our "last" we are going, come hell or high water. Or sleet or snow, for that matter. So we planned the trip. December 26 - January 4. The busiest time of the year. Crazy, I know, but we won't take the kids out of school at this age.

It sounded like a good plan. It was a good plan. Spend Christmas with extended family, fulfill our family obligations and then have a wonderful trip.

Except....

One day, I was reading these boards, and...surprise! Disney came out with free dining. Ending December 23.

So I got on the phone and called DH at work. Because I knew that if our start date fell within the free dining time, we would get FD for the entire trip!

It just happens that DH is a sucker for "free" and "on sale". Back when we were getting married and consolidating households, I went through his food cupboard. The man had 23 cans of soup! Because they were on sale. He didn't eat them, but they were a good deal. Did I mention that 3 of them were expired? How does that even happen? So free and sale items are his Achilles heel. Not that I would take advantage of that. Yeah right.

So I explained the situation. And he agreed immediately. We won't be spending Christmas with the family. However, we will be hosting a get together the Saturday before we leave and will invite everyone. Those who can or wish to can celebrate with us then. In any case, we will have fulfilled our holiday obligations and will be free to travel. Woohoo!

We changed our plans. We are now going from December 22-January 3. Twelve nights. 12!! Count 'em. Twelve!! Up from nine. With 10 day park hopper passes, also increased from 9 days. The first, last, and one day between will be non-park days. But there are so many other things to do, too. Like sleep.

I have had to shift my planning. My mind was wrapped around my first tentative plan, but I think I have a new tentative plan pretty much worked out. Depending.

Did I mention DD also likes to plan WDW vacations? She now has definite ideas of her own, and requests, lots and lots of requests. I think she would be happy planning this one herself, but momma doesn't let go that easily. I do think of this as a teaching moment and have been discussing and running plans by her. She has come up with some very good ideas and has even corrected me when I lose track a little.

This is getting long and I'm getting tired. Next time I'll walk you through our tentative plans and contingency plans. Including our lovely family disagreement we had over ADRs. But that has been resolved. I think. I can now look back on it and laugh. A little.

Also, DD has been writing her own pre-trip report and wrote a trip report of our vacation last summer. Hers even has pictures. I'll ask her to teach me how to post a link. Maybe I'll even ask her to teach me how to make a table of contents. Maybe a spreadsheet, too. Because the kids grew up around computers and I didn't. I'm getting old. Sometimes I feel like my parents when they try to operate a remote control.

See ya real soon!

 

[phoebusII]

After adjusting our trip dates, I had to adjust the plans I had already formed in my head. We are now staying for both Christmas and New Year's Eve, that's 12 nights, 13 days, with 12 days of free dining. Disney's December calendar was late being posted, which raised the stress level a bit, because this year, for the first time, I want to follow the recommended days for parks. I picked easywdw to follow, because it's free and seems to come highly recommended. But, of course, those recommendations can't be set before Disney releases it's park hours.

The hours have now been released. Finally!! Subject to adjustment. This year's calendar is showing MK opening at 8:00 a.m. for EMH, when last year it opened at 7:00. This may still change. On the one hand it would be nice to arrive earlier, on the assumption that most people will sleep in and not arrive until around 10:00 or so, regardless of the opening time. On the other hand, it would be nice to get an extra hour of sleep. Josh's site now has the recommended parks posted for the whole month, and day by day reasons for the recommendations posted up until right before we get there. I am waiting. Patiently. For the remaining days.

I get to make ADRs in 19 days and have been running through different scenarios. Months ago, in a moment of planning excitement, I went through the whole list of restaurants with the family and had them list which ones they wanted to eat at. Then roughly rank them by priority. Then I went over the lists and took the top choices to come up with a short list. From there, I have been slotting them into our park days. I have also been keeping the family updated and running the plans by them. Which brings us to a discussion we had over dinner a few days ago.

I must admit I am an over-planner and hate it when people throw a wrench into my planning. DH has been known to do that, and I have come to expect it, but it still irks me.

We were discussing ADR's since our 180 day mark is coming up soon. DH who normally doesn't bother to research plans surprised me by asking if what I knew about the new Four Seasons hotel. Uh oh. This means he has been looking at Disney things on the computer. Does the free dining work there? I didn't think so, but I would look. Does it work at Shula's? Um, was that on your list? What about eating at Tusker House? Not on the short list, either. The kids chime in with Yak and Yeti. DH wants Tusker House. We have eaten at Y&Y several times and not TH for a couple years. I will check.

Four Seasons and Shula's are not on the dining plan. This is fine. He doesn't want to eat there then.

Fast forward to a couple of days later at our now fateful family dinner conversation. Because family dinners are when we are all together and discuss things. DH wants to eat at TH. Everyone should get to pick three restaurants, he says. That is only fair.

Except... I say...except, we should coordinate them with which parks we are visiting, and some of the ADRs are 2 credits, and we already made the list, and, and, and....

It's not fair. Everyone should get to pick three, and he gives me the look. That look. The one that says I am a control freak and want everything all my way. Okay, so maybe I do, but that is entirely beside the point.

I had a mini-melt down. A mini-rant. Fine! Pick three. I grabbed the planning papers. Three each and pick them now.

Which did we end up with? Did it work out? In the end, yes. Theoretically, only, since I still have to make the ADR's. With a good lesson on planning thrown in for everyone.

Continued in next post.

 

[phoebusII]

For weeks I had been hearing from DD about Garden Grill and how we had to eat there. Puleeeze! Because they have sweet potato fries.

We were now each to pick three restaurants. DD went first. She is very excited about the trip and has a number of places she would like to eat, but she only had three choices now. Her picks:

DD: Hoop Dee Do Revue (2), 1900 Park Fare, California Grill (2)

*(2) means they count as 2 dining credits

What happened to Garden Grill after hearing about it every day? I guess it was no longer the top priority.

DS: Be Our Guest, Akershus

Both were as expected. But he got a third choice. Sneaking a quick peek at DD he chose: Garden Grill

Did you see that? He chose a restaurant for his sister!! Awwwwww! So sweet and kind.

DH: Yachtsman's Steakhouse (2), Tusker House, and Kona

Kona was another choice high on DD's list.

Does anyone see the issue yet?

Now it was my turn. I noticed that no one had considered the Candlelight Processional, which we would really like to do on Christmas Eve, if we can get in. So I made that my top priority. Akershus doesn't qualify for the CP and I can't see making GG the dinner for that so...

Me: Chefs de France for the CP (2)

I was absolutely certain that Chefs de France was DH's top choice, but he left it out of his list. Which technically meant I could choose any restaurant for the CP, but I kind of already had my mind set on this one. If we can't get in, maybe Tutto Italia for a backup. Maybe.

I also think I want to do the Fantasmic dinner package, but let it go for now.

Let's count up the credits. We have 12 free TS credits and are now up to 14, and I haven't even chosen my last two ADRs.

I put on my best innocent eyes and tried hard to keep any smirk off my face. Because planning isn't as easy at it looks and someone was about to find that out.

"What would you like to do about that, dear?"

Cut some choices? Pay oop?

We talked.

And decided to pay oop for a few meals.

So the crisis has been averted. Everyone has gotten a few choices. The next time they complain, I can pull out the sheet and point out their choices to them.

And I still have my final two ADRs to choose. Even though I made everyone cho0se theirs right now. Because no one made me choose. And I want the flexibility. Need the flexibility. Though one will probably be Mama Melrose with the Fantasmic package.

I think we will probably pay Hoop De Doo oop. It is 2 credits and you can only get category 1 seating at the late show. We will probably eat here on our off day, which I am hoping will be Dec. 29th, to rest up for the two New Year's Eve parties. Paying oop will provide the flexibility to see the early show, get category 1 and get to sleep early.

As for Four Seasons, we'll see. It sounds interesting.

Checking our final choices against the short list of top priority restaurants, we managed to pick all except La Hacienda, Chef Mickey, and Spice Road Table. We can't make an ADR for SRT anyway. I will keep LH in mind, depending on where we decide to spend our days. We will also try for a BOG lunch FP, but that isn't available for months yet.

 

[phoebusII]

Sometimes I think too much, plan too much, but that is half the fun of going. I forgot to mention I booked the flights on SW as soon as they became available. It is much more expensive than I had hoped, but we got good flight times.

Our current schedule is as follows:

Dec. 22: Arrive, get to resort by around noon. Go resort hopping to see the Xmas decorations. Eat at 1900 Park Fare.

Dec. 23 MK. Try for a dinner ADR at BOG, though it's a long shot. FP+ 7DMT, Splash, BTMRR.

Dec. 24: Epcot. Candlelight Processional at Chefs de France, with Tutto Italia as a contingency plan. Arrive at opening, ride Soarin'. FP+ TT, MS, SE.

Dec. 25: DHS. FP+ TSMM, TT, ST. ADR at Yachtsman's Steakhouse. Skip Fantasmic tonight in favor of a fancy Christmas day dinner. See the Obourne lights.

Dec. 26: AK. Tusker House lunch. Except it is the least recommended park for the day. So I mentioned flipping the days with DHS, then DD reminded me we needed to do something special for Christmas, so we will deal with the crowds. Parkhopping if it is too busy is a possibility. FP+ EE, Dinosour, KRR.

Dec. 27, 28, 29 Are all back up days for the Candlelight Processional and BOG. California Grill, if we don't need to use the days for CP or BOG. Hopefully, the 29th will be rest day, with Hoop de Doo for supper.

Dec. 30: MK. Possibly BOG. Will try this day for an ADR first. If not, maybe Crystal Palace? I still have one ADR flexible choice left. We'll see.

Dec. 31 Epcot. I am thinking about zagging when everyone else is zigging. I read a report somewhere that stated WS was packed shoulder to shoulder in the afternoon, while FW was "relatively" empty. So the plan is Akershus for a late breakfast, Garden Grill for supper. FP+ in the afternoon. Maybe do the Behind the Seeds tour? Anything to get us out of the crowds.

Jan. 1 and 2 Still open. Contingency dates for BOG if needed.

Jan. 3 Our last day. Kona breakfast.

That still leaves Mama Melrose to schedule. I am leaving the date flexible for now, depending on when we can get the other ADRs.

Only 19 days until I can schedule ADRs, which is why I am a bit obsessed with them at the moment. My mind is a little overwhelmed right now. Hopefully, it will all work out.

 

[phoebusII]

Yesterday was my 180 day mark. The waiting was finally over, I could make ADRs!!! After all the planning and worrying and making contingency plans in case my first choice ADRs were unavailable, it went so smoothly. The only hitch is that I was so tired! I couldn't sleep from nervousness and excitement, so it was after 1:00 a.m. that I finally fell asleep. I was up before the alarm sounded and was just laying there before 4:30 a.m., trying to snatch a few extra moments of rest. Finally, I got up, was on the computer, and the Disney site opened for reservations.

I had listed the restaurants in order of priority and simply went down the list. BOG was first. I tried for an early dinner on Dec. 30 and got it! All the other plans followed from that ADR. I got all the times and restaurants that I wanted. Only two minor issues.

The first is that I cannot make our last ADR, because it falls outside the 10 day window, but it's not a high priority restaurant, so I'll just make that reservation tomorrow morning, whenever I get up.

Second, the night before I made the ADRs, the Disney system was adding the Candlelight Processional info, so I was lucky enough to fall into the glitch. Unfortunately, Chefs de France wasn't showing up for me, so I decided to grab whatever I could, just in case Dec. 24 filled up from others who were lucky enough to take advantage of the same glitch. So I have a R & C ADR. When CP opens for real, I will try to switch it. Hopefully, it won't be an issue, if it is, then at least we have an ADR somewhere and guaranteed entrance to CP.

I scheduled Mama Melrose for 12/28. Oh! My last choice, since I didn't have to use it for 12/30? Sanaa!!! We have never tried it, but I have heard many good things.

I am dancing on cloud 9 right how. Woohoo! Hooray!! Yippee!!!

 

[phoebusII]

Yesterday, booking for the Candlelight Processional opened. I had read that last year it opened July 9 at 7:00 a.m., eastern time, so I was carefully watching the boards during this past week, for any sign it would open. Monday there were posts that it would open Tuesday. Woohoo! I set the alarm clock for early and was all set to change the package from R&C, which I had booked during the glitch to Chefs de France.

Bright and early, I awoke and logged on. Sure enough, the package was available, but the times were not quite what I wanted. Still, I was able to get the restaurant, so I got an early dinner time and am booked for the 6:45 show. Since the Illuminations seating isn't offered this year and we wouldn't have to worry about getting there before the fireworks, DH and I had discussed trying for the late show, so we could book a more normal dinner time. That wasn't to be. I checked back for other times later in the day, just in case, but by then Chefs de France was fully booked for the entire day. So it's fine. Unfortunately, I also learned that the package had opened at midnight, which is why the good dinner times were gone. Ugh!! I was up then, but it never crossed my mind to check. Live and learn. We have the restaurant we wanted and have the CP seating, so all is good. I'm happy, DH is happy, kids are happy.

I had promised a link to DD's pre-trip report, so here it is:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3236141

She is a fantastic writer, actually posts pictures, and is positive and enthusiastic about the trip. Reading back, my report sounds much more negative, probably because I worry and plan and then rethink all the plans. So far the actual booking has gone relatively smoothly, a few minor hitches here and there, but not as bad as they could be. With all the ADRs booked, it's time for a break, before I have to plan the FP+ schedule. The first few days should be easy to plan, but I am a bit concerned about the last few days, because pre-booking FP limits the park hopping options. We like flexibility during the last part of the trip. I guess we will just have to work with it, choose a park for the morning and hop in the afternoon or evening if we feel like it.

 

[phoebusII]

It's been a laid back few months. I've kept up with the changes at WDW by reading the DIS and a few other sites. Getting FP+ went well. I was able to get all the rides I wanted, which I didn't expect to happen, so I had back-up fourth and fifth possibilities planned, but I got them all, including 7DMT on our MK days. No one was interested in A&E, thankfully, so I didn't need to worry about that one. The only bobble was that the 7DMT FP+ on our first MK day was late in the afternoon, but since I had the coveted FP in hand, I couldn't really complain. I then kept checking every few days, not obsessively, just whenever I had the time or inclination, and a few days ago was able to move it to an earlier time. I'm not sure whether we will be successful in booking additional FP's at such a busy time of year, I hope so, since I will be looking to book rides like POTC or JC, rather than the mountains.

The BOG FP+ date is rapidly approaching. I have heard that opens at either midnight or 2:00 a.m., either way, I will be waiting to book it. After that, we should be all set to go. Our travel docs arrived from Disney a couple days ago, still waiting for the Magic Bands to arrive. The hard part is done, in 33 days and counting down, the enjoyment begins. Hopefully, all the obsessive planning will have paid off.

 

[foxyroxy40]

We will be checking in Dec 21st and checking out the 28th were staying at Port Orleans french quarter my ds is 19 and my dd is 15

 

[phoebusII]

We will be checking in Dec 21st and checking out the 28th were staying at Port Orleans french quarter my ds is 19 and my dd is 15

A reader! Hooray!! Thank you for posting!

We stayed at French Quarter a couple years ago and really enjoyed the resort. Your kids are nearly the same age as mine. I hope you have a fabulous stay, I'm very much looking forward to all the Christmas decorations and events.

 

[brittbrat63]

I love your obsessive planning! It's so refreshing to see I'm not the only one with multiple spreadsheets who hates people throwing wrenches into the ever so carefully made plans. Looking forward to your trip report!

 

[phoebusII]

I love your obsessive planning! It's so refreshing to see I'm not the only one with multiple spreadsheets who hates people throwing wrenches into the ever so carefully made plans. Looking forward to your trip report!

Thanks for reading! I think it's that I run through scenarios endlessly in my mind. Deep breath. I know not everything will go according to plan and it will be a magical vacation anyway.

On a bright note, we received our magic bands today!!! Hooray! My artistic daughter is decorating them right now. I'll try to post a picture when she is finished.

 

[BGHindman]

Thanks for reading! I think it's that I run through scenarios endlessly in my mind. Deep breath. I know not everything will go according to plan and it will be a magical vacation anyway. On a bright note, we received our magic bands today!!! Hooray! My artistic daughter is decorating them right now. I'll try to post a picture when she is finished.

I enjoyed reading this! How was your vacation?