Over Planners Annonamous

[erinfarber]

I absolutely love all the wonderful advice. So many issues I never thought of. Thank you all

 

[rubberbootbunny]

I'm cracking up reading this! You all would be horrified to travel with me. I lived in thailand for 3 years and we traveled all over southeast asia during that time. I land in a new country with no idea how to even to get to our hotel. No plan at all.

That being said, I actually opened this thread to get ideas to be more organized about our cruise which is Aug 5. Yes, less than 3 weeks to go. To boot I have a kitchen remodel going on that is set to finish just days before we leave. My house is in shambles. I don't have rental car set up yet for returning to MCO. I've been working on lists as I have been reading. It's not too late to pull off a semi organized vacation, right?

Yes you probably can still pull it off
if I were in your shoes the first thing I would do is write a packing list with column for washed and pack anything you aren't going to wear before the trip that is clean(having lived in a reno zone I get how crazy your life can be right now)

next I would probably grab a big box,/ Rubbermaid tote and start pitching stuff in it (things you want to take on the boat)

here is my #1 dirty secret procrastinator over-planner trick

don't worry about the laundry just put the clothes you want to take in the box after you wear them, then the night or two before the trip go to the Laundromat LATE. 2 hrs before they close and do all of the laundry in one fell swoop (at that time of night you can often run 20 loads at one time!!) bring the empty suitcases and fold and pack at the same time - the big tables many have are great for this.

and at this point about the car rental, I might be tempted to wait another two weeks and see if that helps the price, then call every day untill the day before you head out I did that one time and I ended up getting a GREAT price on the rental that way

good luck

 

[r2d2jsh]

DH started laughing when I told him about this thread...he is always making fun of me for my planning...

...we are cruising out of Galveston in September and I've started a spreadsheet of recommended foods/foods to avoid for each menu. I figure having an idea of what I'm going to order in advance will make it easier for me to focus on getting my DD, 5, and DS, 3, to decide what they want.

 

[rubberbootbunny]

Hi my name is RBB and it has been 65 hours since I last looked at my packing list

(My DH bet me a massage on the boat that I couldn't go 7 days with out looking at it)

I think I am going in to withdral

103 hours left!

 

[chateau]

don't worry about the laundry just put the clothes you want to take in the box after you wear them, then the night or two before the trip go to the Laundromat LATE. 2 hrs before they close and do all of the laundry in one fell swoop (at that time of night you can often run 20 loads at one time!!) bring the empty suitcases and fold and pack at the same time - the big tables many have are great for this.

This is a GREAT idea... see you in the laundry room! (why in the world does the "laundry" smilie come and go on the smilies list?!?! Just when I have use for it!)

Hi my name is RBB and it has been 65 hours since I last looked at my packing list. (My DH bet me a massage on the boat that I couldn't go 7 days with out looking at it) I think I am going in to withdral 103 hours left!

FUNNY!!

 

[disneybeachprincess]

for the 2014 itineraries!!!

 

[toy]

I am not as organized with everything else in my life. My house is in disarray the majority of the time. I fly by the seat of my pants on a daily basis. This isn't because I want to it is just who I am.

BUT, when it comes to a Disney trip I am the one others come to for help. Our trips are planned out all the way down to what we will be eating. I make lists a year in advance. These lists can be found on all computers, iPads, and my notebook. I start putting special trip items in an empty suitcase so they won't get lost or forgotten. There is a folder with info in it from our first trip to Disney as a family. I'm about to laminate it because it is about to fall apart. I don't have a count down chart within view of my children because they would all obsess over the trip. My husband thinks one person obsessing in our house is enough. I will do laundry on vacation because I have kids who make messes and I don't want those stains to set in or smell. We use our timeshare because I can make light meals and fun snacks to take with us to the pool or park. Yep, if I wanna go to Disney I have to be able to afford it and not give the Mouse all of my husband's hard earned money. I read these boards every free moment I get. I set up a Facebook page for the 30 friends and family who are going on the cruise with us in October so I can provide weekly (sometimes daily) tips for them. I have a secret stash of FE supplies hidden in different places all around my house so the kids won't figure out they are going on a surprise cruise in October. I am counting the days down until school starts not because I'm ready for them to go back to school but because I want to start packing and making FE gifts without them seeing me. I have a timeline set up for completion of each project.

When the big day arrives my hubby sits happily behind the wheel knowing his wife has taken care of everything and he just has to get us there and buy me something pretty.

 

[rubberbootbunny]

I have a secret stash of FE supplies hidden in different places all around my house so the kids won't figure out they are going on a surprise cruise ... I am counting the days down until school starts not because I'm ready for them to go back to school but because I want to start packing and making FE gifts without them seeing me.

Me Too!

 

[chateau]

I have a secret stash of FE supplies hidden in different places all around my house so the kids won't figure out they are going on a surprise cruise in October. I am counting the days down until school starts not because I'm ready for them to go back to school but because I want to start packing and making FE gifts without them seeing me.

Learned our lesson with setting up FB contact with fellow cruisers... make the site "private" so that the kids can't see a cruise is coming up. That way no one can see you are corresponding with Disney (Ship) (Date) fellow FB/DISers. We knew people also keeping a secret, but the kids saw the parents post on the FB page set up for their cruise. BOO!

 

[rubberbootbunny]

Learned our lesson with setting up FB contact with fellow cruisers... make the site "private" so that the kids can't see a cruise is coming up. That way no one can see you are corresponding with Disney (Ship) (Date) fellow FB/DISers. We knew people also keeping a secret, but the kids saw the parents post on the FB page set up for their cruise. BOO!

Thanks for the tip! I covered mine by telling her the trip is still a maybe - NEXT year!

 

[DisneyMom70]

Love this thread.

We just got back from our first trip to WDW and then a Disney Cruise. My H made fun of me for all my planning, but he had to concede it was the best vacation ever.

I did have multiple lists, but the most detailed were the carry on lists for each leg of our trip for each person. We needed different things on the plane (red eye) to WDW, and then from WDW to DCL, and then the two flights home where the kids would be awake.

We also made a huge effort to have a clean house (clean sheets) to come home to, and boy was that so worth the effort.

 

[Purdue Mouse]

Hi my name is RBB and it has been 65 hours since I last looked at my packing list

(My DH bet me a massage on the boat that I couldn't go 7 days with out looking at it)

I think I am going in to withdral

103 hours left!

INTERVENTION!!!!!!!

 

[rubberbootbunny]

INTERVENTION!!!!!!!

purdue mouse every time I read one of your posts here I

Thanks for the chuckle

still laughing...

 

[Coconut8473]

I love this thread! I'm a chronic over-planner for all of our trips, including our annual WDW vacations. Now we're leaving in 9 days (!) on our first ever cruise (DCL or otherwise), and I've been prepping for months! One thing that I have been a little lax on is officially putting together my trip binder (like I'm sure many of you do, I always have a binder/folder with all essential trip documents, itineraries, reservation times, packing lists, etc.).

As I'm gathering everything together now, any tips on what else to include in a DCL cruise binder? I want to preserve all of the Navigators and other documents as well - will they fit in standard-sized binder sleeves?

TIA!

 

[rubberbootbunny]

Still have not touched my list - and it is killing me! but I will get that massage yet.
the big problem is I have bought all this stuff I needed but my to do list is in the same spreadsheet file as the packing list so I can't cross anything off and I can't remember what else I still have to pick up arrrgh!

 

[jahber]

Still have not touched my list - and it is killing me! but I will get that massage yet.
the big problem is I have bought all this stuff I needed but my to do list is in the same spreadsheet file as the packing list so I can't cross anything off and I can't remember what else I still have to pick up arrrgh!

Oh no, no, no! You MUST have a separate list so you can cross things off when you buy them! ; ).

I just took care of most of my shopping list yesterday. I hand-write my shopping and to-do lists in a journal so I can take it with me everywhere. I've got kids, so I never know when I'll have time to pop over to Target.

I just bought some Disney gift cards at Target to get the 5% discount. Our target only has $50 cards. Does anyone know if other Targets have other amounts?

 

[JOANNEL]

May I have the name of the travel planning app (via PM)?

Me too please!!!

 

[DizDragonfly]

Can we just post the name of the app here? There are whole threads on the DIS devoted to apps.

 

[LunaCup]

I also suffer (aka get enjoyment) from OCVPD- Obsessive Compulisve Vacation Planning Disorder. I love making lists and adding things just to cross them off. I actually joined DISboards just to help me plan with my upcoming cruise.

My main thing is knowing prices so I can be on a reasonable budget on vacation and not worry about money without going overboard. All the planning I do ahead of time is to enjoy myself while on vacation. Not only that but planning gets me more excited for vacation.

When my friends and I go on trips I am the one to plan our itinerary for each day so we don't miss anything or show up somewhere like a museum that is closed on Mondays. I know all admission prices and give myself a budget for food and shopping. This makes me feel better knowing we won't miss anything and I won't have to stress when I get home about spending too much.

With all of that being said I actually LOVE surprises! I can't wait to get on the Dream for the first time next month and explore the boat. This is my way of having my cake (planning) and eating it too (surprises).

 

[Goaliemom30]

Just wanted to say as a fellow sufferer, there was a program about cruising on CNBC last night and part of it showed all of the people standing in line trying to book excursions as the ship pulled up to port. My 10 yr old son says, "look at those people in line Mom, we never have to stand in those kinds of lines, cuz you plan it all. " I love that boy!