non-commando, first trip "home" - no planning?

[newholiday]

so pls tell me when you started your non-commando mode vacationing
This trip (in just over 4wks) I have 2 PSs, all park ticks, and we have our room booked - thats it
I keep changing my mind on which park/which day, not sure about our other meals, etc.
When I planned a WL vaca in 01 I had it all scheduled (even down to our pee breaks- just kidding)
This trip - not even a budget made yet

So when did you change your trip planning? And what do I NEED to be doing?

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

I am just a planner by nature, so I at least try to have one PS scheduled per day. You can always cancel or rearrange PS's when you get to WDW.

And remember the dinner shows like the Luau and HDDR seat you by when your reservation was made.

Good luck!

:thewave:

 

[MJTinNH]

I stopped commando planning about 4 trips ago. The most I do now is to cruise the boards to see which parks are quietest on the days of the week we are there. Then we try to go to that park on that day. We also take long breaks away from the parks in the afternoon at the resort. We usually are up early come back to the resort after lunch and then go back after dinner. Unless dinner is at one of the parks!

I have so far had good luck with calling dining services while at the resort in the am if there is a restaurant we think we need PS's.

It was really strange at first, not having every minute of the day laid out. We may even change our minds about what to do on any particular day. Like maybe sleep in and try out the pool. But you will get used to it and find your vacation much more relaxing!

 

[StormalongKay]

As we go along, we do less commando planning before we leave. For your first few trips, I think its essential. But we're getting ready for our 7th, and we're pretty laid back about it.

Its kind of hard to make PS if you haven't made agendas for each day, what I would suggest is plan them for about half of the days you are there and then work around them. That way, you'll have some guaranteed plans and some "off days" where you can do what you want. End of Sept. should be pretty open in most of the restaurants.

Let's face it, if you do end up missing out on something this trip, you have plenty more years to make it up!

 

[helenabear]

I stopped doing commando about 2 years ago. I did one trip in December and had so much planned I was nearly miserable (not really, but I knew it was too much). My trips in December usually have more planning than average as I have to plan to meet up with some people, but as of right now, I have no plans to make and PS at the moment. I might make one for CP, but I haven't totally decided yet since my husband doesn't seem too keen on the idea of going.

I kind of like being able to wake up in the morning and just think "where do I want to go today" It feels good and is so relaxing... a real vacation

 

[lenshanem]

We don't do the attractions commando anymore, but I don't think I could cope without doing at least a little planning. It is part of the vacation in itself to me and what I like to do. Like a hobby.

 

[chainkid]

The only things I plan are priority dining, and special events, other than that we decide when we are there what we want to do. The last two trips we didn't feel like getting passes as we had seen everything new and it was too hot so we rested at the resort, did a little sight seeing at the new SSR and then tried out a few of the new restaurants that we hadn't eaten at before. Blue Zoo at the dolphin is wonderful for fresh grilled seafood. This time we will probably get a UMP as we have a large group and we all want to dine in Epcot and walk around theworld. Also we plan golf dates. Speciallty cruises but no we aren;t park commandos any more and since my husband has had his fill of the parks after so many trips since we bought in 1999, that I don't push my luck. He still enjoys the BW and the other things in the area so it hasn't reached crisis stage where I would be asked to trade to go somewhere else on points.LOL I keep telling him THERE IS NO PLACE ELSE. I travel alot on business and pleasure so I know their are very beautiful resorts all over the world but for me it doesn't get any better than BWV with family. DH on the other hand doesn't truly enjoy himself unless there is a chance we could get killed during vacation. So far we have gone white water rafting, ballooning over sedona, horseback riding in the mountains of Alaska, and mountain climbing in several places. This is very stressful for me although I must admit he does get me to do things that on my own I wouldn't even attempt. BUT I like chill out with a good book, go to great restaurants, entertainment,etc,,all of which the BW hasplenty of. So I try to make our WDW trips as free as possible. DH and I did the Richard Petty driving experience and he loved that. I survived. You can also parasail at the contempary which again we did...rather a tame ride actually. I keep looking for more thrill for him in the area. LOL He now wants to learn to sky dive and I will absolutely not do that......famous last words.

 

[rocketriter]

There are a number of restaurants that we like--most of them at Epcot--and we hate to wait an hour in line, so what we've done is made a number of dinner PS at Epcot and not much else.

That way we can decide which park to visit (if any) when we get up each morning, and come home for a swim/snooze in the second half of the afternoon. In the evening we walk into Epcot and have supper, maybe visit a few pavilions during the fireworks, then walk home.

Our plan isn't completely non-commando, but it allows for a lot of free choice and improvising while getting us into the dinners we like.

 

[DawnCt1]

I stopped the overplanning quite a few years ago; actually since we stopped doing all inclusive plans. All inclusive plans used to be the bargain of the century but over the years, the costs pretty much caught up with the rewards. During the "paper ticket" years we booked Vic and Al's at least once, the Empress Room, water skiing every day and the most expensive restaurants. I would also go to guest services every morning and "buy" a paper ticket for the water parks, Pleasure Island and Discovery Island. (remember that?) I still have and use those tickets. You should the CM's faces when they look at the ticket prices. We only go to WDW during school vacation and still I don't do priority seating. There hasn't been a restaurant that I have wanted to dine in that I couldn't get into, either by calling the day before or that day. I would prefer now to go with the flow.

 

[Chuck S]

We haven't toured the parks in a pre-planned all out assault since 1992, when we joined DVC. We usually travel in early June and early to mid December.

For the June trips, since it is normally during "GayDay Week", I make a lunch PS for Friday at Brown Derby, Saturday a LTT, and SUnday at Chefs du France. For December, I pre-book CP Dnr Pkg and MVMCP. Otherwise, we decide that morning which park we're "in the mood for" that day, and I call dining to make a PS for lunch. I almost always get a seating time within 15 minutes of my desired time. If the restauraunt is busy, and the convenient seating times are busy, I go to the "2nd choice" restaurant, and have always been able to get in there. Dinner we usually decide on "last minute", it is usually counter service.


That it, that all the "planning" I do.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Like you, my trip which starts next Saturday consists of 2 PS's, got my AP and ressie at AKL, that's it. It's my friends birthday trip and we are going to kick back. We figure it's pretty hot and humid....no racing around. We'll probably even go see a movie while we're there! We'll get around to all our favorite rides sooner or later, and probably have some lighter meals (wanting to try Fresh!). Plan on lots of time at the AKL pool, probably hit PI one night and may check out Disney Quest, which we've never done before. But nothing, other than the two PS's is written down on a piece of paper!

HOWEVER, four weeks after that trip we're going back to play with some DIS pals! THAT trip is planned to the hilt! About five group meals, doing a MK morning and noshing our way around the F&WF at Epcot. Some are attending MNSSHP (I must make a decision on that one soon) together also.

 

[disney4me4ever]

Originally posted by newholiday
What do I NEED to be doing?

Like many of the other posters, since joining DVC, I have really become less obsessive about planning our vacations. I would suggest you would want to know park hours, which park is opening early for each day, have a basic outline of park attractions you don't want to miss and make reservations for any non-Park activity that might require them (spa services, Segway tour, etc). Your plan sounds like you've covered those bases. I've found it so much more fun and relaxing to just let go and enjoy! Have a great trip!

Nancy

 

[Micca]

I am a recovering park commando I don't include planning park days, ,making ps and ressies for special events in the definition of commando. What I have stopped doing is planning when we are to be at every attraction and staying in the parks from EE to closing. I also don't plan every meal, but we have our favorites and they usually fall into place. My first visit was 1977 and it took me until just a couple of years ago to stop the commando touring. It helped when we started going approx twice per year. I think the APs help too because you don't have to worry that you're getting every penny's worth out of your park admissions.

 

[rcyannacci]

I think I try to find a happy medium between going "commando" and planning ahead. Seriously, it's almost impossible for me not to plan ahead because it's so theraputic for me. I'm so excited about our upcoming trip in Dec. (still many monthes away) that my DH and I spent (no kidding) 2 hours yesterday talking about our budget. We've still got some saving to do, but now that I know exactly what everything is going toward, it will even be fun not spending money these next few monthes since I know the end result.

We plan ahead so we don't have to go "commando" once we arrive. My biggest frustration is wasted time with "well, what should we do now?" and then going somewhere and finding the line too long or having a performance already started. If we have a plan, we can either follow it or make adjustments as needed.

 

[skuttle]

We have always liked to have a general plan. Which parks on which days, a PS for each day to make sure we can eat at certain restaurants, etc. If we don't feel like going to that particular park or if the weather changes things or if we're not in the mood for the restaurant, we just change our plans. We do make plans, otherwise we'd spend half the morning trying to decide where to go. But we are more than willing to change them depending on how we feel.

We really enjoying planning so there's NO way we couldn't do it!

 

[miste76]

I can't remember ever doing the commando planning thing. For the past 21 years, we've done things on a whim. We know what we like and what we don't like... and generally get to do just about everything we like. If we miss something on one trip, we make sure it's one of the first things that we do on the next trip!!!
Have a great time!!!

 

[WDWLVR]

It seems like most of our trips are around specific events (Member Homecoming) or special times of the year (Holidays) so we make base plans and I put those in a spreadsheet. If there is something we absoluting want to do (dining wise) we make our PS's and put them in the sheet. I carry the sheet with me to help us stay on plan but the days themselves are open. We have never really done commando and with DVC we know we'll be back so there is no need to.

 

[CyranoJones]

The most planning I ever do is deciding which park bus to get on in the morning. I have made the rare PS before leaving home but most of the time I call from my room in the morning to make a PS for that evening. Scheduling is part of my daily life and I don't want to do it on vacation. But that's just me.

 

[Disney Doll]

If it's just DH and I going, we totally "wing it". If we are going with a group, I will try and make a few PS's here and there, so the group has a a chance to get together on days when we may decide to go our speararte ways for a while. If we go with "Disney virgins" (folks who have never been to WDW before), I do a little more thinking about the trip, so that I can be sure they see the best of what there is to offer.

 

[C.Ann]

I am not a "Commando" type person when it comes to visiting Disney.. When things are set in stone, it's far too easy to become upset when everything doesn't go exactly as planned.. The higher your expectations, the greater the disappointment when something goes wrong..

Right now we have a trip planned for Nov. 30th to December 7th and the only things that are "planned" are: flights to and from; hotel; and MVMCP.. I may or may not make a PS for a character breakfast, but other than that, everything will be decided as we go along..

When we went in Sept. of 2001 for two weeks, we had everything planned out to a tee and NOTHING went as planned due to 9/11; weather (rain almost every single day); a tropical storm that kept us out of the parks for a day; attitudes of various people in our group; the need to drive back home rather than flying; etc..

This time around it's going to be a matter of "going with the flow" - doing what we want, when we want - and hopefully the lower expectations will result in greater satisfaction..