Organizing your days....a planner?

[mollyseven]

O.k so how do you guys organize your week. I wish there was some sort of daily Disney planner.
A sheet for each day and space on the sheet for writing if it;s an early opening or late open day.
Rides/events and times so you don't miss them. Dinner reservation numbers and times booked. Blah blah blah.
Does this sound very anal....yes o.k I know it does but I am obsessed.
I now have my week planned so that we have 2 days at each mgm epcot and mk. with a day out of disney with a car rental and all our dinners are booked ....all this and we hve never even been to disney and I have no idea if we will even want to do 2 days at each park....ugggg. I just know these are the only 3 we want to do and have time for 2 days at each so ....?
O.k so what do you guys keep all this info. in/on????

 

[Hollyster2]

I am using tour guide Mike's planner sheets!

 

[mickeysaver]

Throughout the planning process, I keep notes and bits of info on Word docs. When I am ready to make my sheets, I make a sheet for each day, including the park plan, dining arrangements, and some cute Disney clipart. I take the sheets to Kinkos for lamination and spiral binding. This way, the notes can't get destroyed by water and they are easily tucked into my backpack! Happy planning! Maggie

 

[rwodonnell]

I usually print out my own sheets using some excel sheets I have put together, but I did subscribe to Tour Guide Mike for our next trip. So far, it looks great!

The thing you are describing though looks exactly like the Disney Passporter (Amazon Link). If that link doesn't work, go to Amazon.com and do a search on "passporter" - it was the top result on my search.

I have not used this book, but it seems like you might like it.

Edit: Found this site: Passporter Online which appears to be the book's official site.

 

[denecarter]

We've been several times... enough that I no longer plan everything out in detail. I might plan a park I'd like to visit on a particular day (though, I'll probably visit at least one other on the same day). I don't plan what I'll ride in which order any more. Or even where we're going to eat (unless someone with us is "new" or wants something special).

My method of keeping up with any plans I make varies. Sometimes I use my PDA, sometimes a few notes in a notebook, sometimes I just scribble on a print of park hours for the time I'm there, this time I'm customizing Weekly Calendar Sheets in Print Shop... I have the different park hours for each day (including the EMH). I put all the hours for each park, because we're not sure where we'll feel like going. We only have 2 ADR (just got those Saturday and by the way, we had our choice of times for Boma dinner and Chefs de France lunch in early June), but they're on there as well as the "big plan" for each day... MK late, AK late, DD late.

I LOVE to plan my trips... but one thing I love even more is the ability to toss those plans out the window if we feel like it or if something comes up. I've planned and learned enough that I can relax and adlib... and often, the adlib is a lot more enjoyable than following a rigid plan. Since DD18 and I will be alone for a long trip this time, we'll probably play "left or right" (left represents one thing, right another... daughter picks without know exactly what she's picking) or "first bus" (we take the first bus that comes, no matter where it is heading).

 

[dyna]

Years ago long before there was any such thing as planner books I used to make my own 3 ring notebook binder thingy section for each park etc. Now that we've been a dozen times I usually make a list of what parks what days and their hours if there is anything I don't want to miss that I might forget about which isn't likely to happen I include that then I put each day in its own 5x7 envelope (hint if you use address labels or something of that nature you can keep reusing those envelopes a few trips)

One thing I did this time that is helpin me quite a bit is I happened to have an extra wall calander for this year. I penciled in the parks that has EMH hours and the park I will prolly go to that day. I did this by dividing the space for the day into 3rds. I will prolly highlight the calander and take that page with me on my visit then if we decide we want to do EMH hours we will know where we need to be.

 

[anne930]

I use an Excel spreadsheet and set it up like a planner page. Each hour of the day has a different row - each day has a different column. I merge the cells together to indicate being at a particular park. I enter each PS in the appropriate cell with the restaurant, time & confirmation number. I then enter a row indicating the hours every park is open and another row indicating the extra magic hours, both early & late - I make sure our flight information is on there somewhere and particular things I want to purchase, so wherever I am, I can check the list. I then save it in the computer and print a couple of pages for us to carry with us. Then the next time we plan a trip, I start with that page and adjust it to the new trip.

It's not that fancy, but it works for us !!

 

[eeyoreforever]

I use www.touringplans.com They have a free organizer that you can enter all of your information on and then print it out in several different sizes. We used these last year and I am working on them now for our upcoming trip. There are pages for everything-lodging, transportation, budget....

What I like best is that there is a "daily activity" page - don't know the actual name of the page. There is a place to put what park you are going to, the hours, parades etc. There is a section for dining reservations. There are sections for morning, afternoon, and evening activities planned. Then there is a budget section where you can enter your projected and actual budget.

I print all of these out on a 4 x 6 size card and carry them in a soft 4x6 photo album in my pack. It gives me all the information I could possibly need.

I think you have to register to be able to enter your information online, then just go to "free organizer pages" and then to "trip planner".

Can you tell I love this site?

 

[mjkaferle5]

I use www.touringplans.com They have a free organizer that you can enter all of your information on and then print it out in several different sizes. We used these last year and I am working on them now for our upcoming trip. There are pages for everything-lodging, transportation, budget....

What I like best is that there is a "daily activity" page - don't know the actual name of the page. There is a place to put what park you are going to, the hours, parades etc. There is a section for dining reservations. There are sections for morning, afternoon, and evening activities planned. Then there is a budget section where you can enter your projected and actual budget.

I print all of these out on a 4 x 6 size card and carry them in a soft 4x6 photo album in my pack. It gives me all the information I could possibly need.

I think you have to register to be able to enter your information online, then just go to "free organizer pages" and then to "trip planner".

Can you tell I love this site?

I've set up our trip on this site as well. It is awesome and it is totally free!!

It also has some pretty good packing checklists.

You can go crazy putting info into this thing. Or you can just keep track of the few things you think are important. It is very user-friendly.

eeyoreforever - I like this site too!

 

[Jrabbit910]

Hi Molly,
If your a member of Disney's website you can log on and go onto "planning my Disney Vacation" and all you have to do is put the dates that your going and you will be able to enter times of everything, any notes that you want and what attractions to see and do (they walk you thru it as well) The best part of it is you didnt have to book thru the website to use it. We booked thru a travel agent this time but I use it everytime I go.

If you cant find it let me know and I will email you the link.

GL and I hope this helps,
Jessica

 

[maelstrom]

I make a calendar sheet in Word for the two weeks of our trip. For each day, it lists park hours (with EMH); times for Spectro, Wishes, & Illuminations, any priority seating, during Flower & Garden it lists the act performing that day, Star Wars weekend, MVMCP, etc. It works out well for us. We just check the calendar each morning.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I am right now typing up my notes on the large 4x6 index cards and slipping the cards into a small plastic "brag book" photo album I found at Target for $1.99. The book holds 40 4x6 photos, or index cards as the case may be and I like it because I can slip the cards in and out, to make changes if needed and I can slip in other things behind the cards (tickets, FP's, small maps I shrunk down from my Passporter, ect...) I made index cards for each day with intinerary, general attraction order/plan, ADR's, ect...and then about two cards with tips, notes, general show times and other things I want to remember for each park. The books are all plastic, so pretty much water proof unless submerged. The only thing was the cover was ugly, so I made my own Disney one and slipped it in the front. So far, so good, I love it!

 

[littleladykaty]

I am SOOOOO getting a passporter!!! YAY thanks for the tip!!! That is exactly what I've been looking for!!

 

[Sunkissed]

Absolutely LOVE my Passporter...Just bought the deluxe edition as a gift for my inner (ok, not so inner) compulsive planner. I also use an Excel workbook that I've modified over the years. PM me, if you would like to see it.