People who plan vs people who don't plan

[Disney Khaleesi]

I wouldn't consider myself a huge planned. I pick a park per day, and decide if I want to do an ADR that day. If I don't get it, I don't go. I won't rearrange my schedule for the sake of a dining reservation. Then I make my Fastpasses. So, I'd say I'm a casual planner. We do a few ADRs per trip, not a ton, and we don't go in with a plan besides our Fastpasses and dining reservations, so we leave ourselves pretty open in that aspect.

I'm sure there are many people who go who don't know how to plan a Disney trip and end up not having a great time because they thought it would be low-key.

 

[Merx]

Actually, I'm very curious as to what happens to the people who don't plan?

Like, I'm not from the US, I don't get anything in the mail from Disney after we booked our vacations, no one told us about 180+10 ADR, 60+ FP+. I found out from doing research on my own initiative. It'll be a horrible experience for me if I can't eat at the restaurants I want, or meet the characters my children wanted to meet.

But I guess this is seeing the world from my own eyes, I'm sure people will enjoy their vacations with plans or no plans. But for me, planning is the only way to go.

 

[phoebusII]

I plan which park we will visit each day, ADR's, and FP+. Also, which rides we will visit at the beginning of the day, at rope drop, to maximize the number of rides we can enjoy each day. From visiting a number of times, I also know which rides have the longest lines, so subsequent FP+ choices can be used for maximum effect. I have learned, though, that the family needs to have some time during which they think we are doing things spontaneously, this usually happens during the afternoon (between additional scheduled FP's).

Our last trip, during the Christmas holidays, I spent an enormous amount of time planning, and we had a great vacation as a result. I made sure everyone understood that planning was a must during such a busy time and they appreciated being able to bypass a number of very long lines.

DS just returned from a high school band vacation to WDW. They stayed offsite, arrived at least an hour after park opening, had no ADR's. Everyone thought they had to pay for FP+, even though we had a couple of parent meetings beforehand and it was pointed out that FP was free; so they weren't going to use them, until DS insisted they were free and showed them how to use the FP kiosks (I had reminded him before they left). I asked him how long he had to stand in line and for a few of the rides, they waited 60-90 minutes. Some rides, they didn't get to go on at all, sometimes due to the day being interrupted by their band events. Even so, he said he had a lot of fun. I didn't chaperone, the lack of planning would have driven me crazy.

We are headed down again in a few months. Due to uncertainty with AK hours, I have made some lunch ADR's, rather than dinner, so that we have some days planned during which we can spontaneously park hop. While spontaneously park hopping, I plan to use my phone to schedule a FP in the new park for as close as I can to our arrival time. So a combination of a great deal of planning, along with the illusion that we are being spontaneous, works well for us.

 

[Mikie]

Actually, I'm very curious as to what happens to the people who don't plan?

Like, I'm not from the US, I don't get anything in the mail from Disney after we booked our vacations, no one told us about 180+10 ADR, 60+ FP+. I found out from doing research on my own initiative. It'll be a horrible experience for me if I can't eat at the restaurants I want, or meet the characters my children wanted to meet.

But I guess this is seeing the world from my own eyes, I'm sure people will enjoy their vacations with plans or no plans. But for me, planning is the only way to go.

I have a friend who, in her day to day life is a very scheduled, type A person. Her idea of vacation is absolutely taking a break from that! She definitely did not want to hear any tips or know about my favorite planning sites when she took her family on their first WDW vacation. In short, they had multiple "hangry" episodes where they waited too long to look for food, then didn't know where to look for food. Criss crossed a lot because they thought they knew where some things were but didn't. Were CRUSHED when they saw Jedi Training going on and wished she had learned about it ahead of time so her son could have done it. They ended their trip with a couple beach days, which were the highlight of the trip.

She says she's glad they can say they took their kids to WDW once and that they have a "what not to do" story to amuse people with, but she never wants to go back.

 

[Disneymom1126]

I think planning is most important for your first trip - it's a lot easier to make less plans when you know what you like and you know what to expect. The biggest thing I was glad I did before our first trip was to get familiar with the park maps so you knew where things were and then make a plan for how you are going to move around the parks. The only one that is not basically laid out in a circle is Hollywood Studios...and even with that one we start on one side and make our way to the other. We decide where we will eat based on where we will likely be (side of park) at meal time or even plan meals first and then plan our direction around the park to be close to that planned meal.

I agree with others though - dining reservations and FP+ make it much more difficult to "go with the flow"

 

[mousefan73]

I've always preferred organised fun over "going with the flow". Even though it's my first WDW trip, I've planned (and made back up plans) and while it isn't rigid, it covers my main priorities. I've found many blogs and forums which has given me the impression that there are many people like me. Equally, I was thinking that there will be non-planners. Do you ever wonder how many people plan vs those who don't? I'm gonna be looking around the park and thinking; did you plan that or did you just walk by and like the look of it?

If this is a once in lifetime trip with one park a day. You better plan!!!!

This year it's our 5th and 10 days. I planned ADRs. And will "plan" FPs but not take then too serioysly. I figure one day per park ride focused ( planning) other days winging it and smelling the roses. Looking forward to just chilling and if that means just hanging in the monorail and resort hopping,( letting FPs go) so be it

 

[BudgieMama]

I have a general level of planning (parks, FP+ and ADRs if needed) plus an idea of arrival time for each day, but to be honest, it doesn't feel much when we're on the ground and touring the parks. We get done pretty much everything, unless we forget things by mistake.

My brother went to Orlando with his new wife for their honeymoon, and after asking for tips (basically, I told them to pre-book their FP+, even if only the night before) they didn't bother. They missed loads of stuff (despite being there 3 weeks to our 1 week) and came home lamenting all the things they didn't get to do.

Definitely convinced me planning works!

 

[momtotaryn]

Since we don't get to go to WDW very often (it will only our second trip this June!), I feel like I have to plan, so that we include the main attractions that we want to experience. Of course, nothing is set in stone, and I won't get all worked up if things don't go exactly as I intended, but at least we won't enter a park and have no idea what to do or where to go. With the expected crowds, we would miss out on so much, if there wasn't at least a loose plan.

ETA: I wanted to add that I find planning one of the most fun things about a Disney trip!

 

[Merx]

I have a friend who, in her day to day life is a very scheduled, type A person. Her idea of vacation is absolutely taking a break from that! She definitely did not want to hear any tips or know about my favorite planning sites when she took her family on their first WDW vacation. In short, they had multiple "hangry" episodes where they waited too long to look for food, then didn't know where to look for food. Criss crossed a lot because they thought they knew where some things were but didn't. Were CRUSHED when they saw Jedi Training going on and wished she had learned about it ahead of time so her son could have done it. They ended their trip with a couple beach days, which were the highlight of the trip.

She says she's glad they can say they took their kids to WDW once and that they have a "what not to do" story to amuse people with, but she never wants to go back.

That's a sad story. Hope this doesn't happen to a lot of people

It's the exact kind of situation that I want to avoid

 

[Jon84]

Hope this doesn't happen to a lot of people

I would put money on it happening to a large proportion.

Disney is concentrating on the once in the lifetime tourist.

People who visit regularly won't spend as much money in the the parks as single trip folk.

People come back feeling that they've only found a park full of shops, and they don't open their eyes to see everything they could experience.

 

[joanchris]

We're going in 2 weeks, a trip that was supposed to be kind of winging it. This will be my 5th, my daughter's 6th trip since 2005. Since it's just the two of us (usually 4 of us), and we have similar likes, we thought we'd kind of go with the flow.
But, of course we had to pick parks so we could take advantage of FP+ (which we're open to changing if the mood hits us)
Then, of course we had to make a BOG lunch ADR, since that's the one table service we really enjoyed last trip.
THEN, since we're staying at AKL, we made Boma breakfast ADR for our first morning....
And we planned a senior portrait session, so had to plan that in there, and so on..............

SO, our "not planning much" trip is now pretty planned. However, I do think all the research I've done for all the prior trips has paid off and we can decide to scrap our plans and still get in what we want.
I also think that for those who go more often, there's not the feeling of HAVING to do everything that trip. Our first trip we didn't think we'd ever get back, we lived too far. So we made ourselves crazy tired (and cranky by the end) trying to do everything. Then we moved to driving distance and now we keep going back.

 

[Jon84]

We're going in 2 weeks, a trip that was supposed to be kind of winging it. This will be my 5th, my daughter's 6th trip since 2005. Since it's just the two of us (usually 4 of us), and we have similar likes, we thought we'd kind of go with the flow.
But, of course we had to pick parks so we could take advantage of FP+ (which we're open to changing if the mood hits us)
Then, of course we had to make a BOG lunch ADR, since that's the one table service we really enjoyed last trip.
THEN, since we're staying at AKL, we made Boma breakfast ADR for our first morning....
And we planned a senior portrait session, so had to plan that in there, and so on..............

SO, our "not planning much" trip is now pretty planned. However, I do think all the research I've done for all the prior trips has paid off and we can decide to scrap our plans and still get in what we want.
I also think that for those who go more often, there's not the feeling of HAVING to do everything that trip. Our first trip we didn't think we'd ever get back, we lived too far. So we made ourselves crazy tired (and cranky by the end) trying to do everything. Then we moved to driving distance and now we keep going back.

We always plan it out, then scrap plans during the trip lol

 

[mindeola]

I don't think it is a planner vs. non-planner thing. I think the key is research. If you do just minimal research you will know you need a plan- even a loose one. When you have been several times, you may decide you no longer need a plan. That is fine and works for some people. BUT... by then you KNOW things. You have an idea of what you are doing because you have been so much.

I am firmly in the planning camp. I plan all my vacations though. I love it. I am pretty sure I should have been a travel agent! My family has no idea the amount of planning I do. They do not enjoy talking about plans either! Good thing I do. We show up and it all seems seamless to them. My sister was frustrated with me about a trip we took to Scotland. You have to have an idea of what you are doing. She thought we should wing it. NO! We had ten days and it costs way too much money to go and stand around deciding what to do.

 

[VACamm]

We plan rope drop thru lunch every day.... then its pool time / relaxation time for every afternoon. We then always have ADRs for dinner at a park or resort. After dinner, with park hoppers we then can decide which park we would like to visit that evening. So we are 50/50.... Go Go Go in the morning and then super chill past lunch. It works for us and we get to do everything that we want each day before lunch

 

[ELSA711]

I plan and research so the trip to WDW or wherever we plan to go feels like it's relaxed and unplanned if that makes sense.
While I like to plan because it fills in my time between trips we really don't care what happens once we are there. It's going to be crowded and there are going to be lines so if we ride the people mover 6 times in a row so be it.

 

[k8Davies]

I read the title of this thread and was gripped by Terror, the thought of not planning especially a Disney holiday fills me with dread...

I think I'm going to need a lie down in a dark room to get over this...

 

[Lirael]

I feel like at least currently, WDW is hell for both planners and nonplanners

I mean, I like to plan everything to the last detail and wdw is making me lose my mind. They want me to know and schedule ADRs 180 days before...but then change park hours at the last minute. Attractions, shows and parties that will be happening during my stay (MNSSHP, RoL, AK night hours etc) are still not fully released or confirmed, so I have to plan a Plan A, B, C and D just in case. It's really vexing. And I'm still bracing for when my FP+ window opens.

That said, I don't think not planning would have been better at all. By winging it I doubt I'd get to eat in the places I want, and without being on the lookout I might have missed the offers released yesterday. Or not getting FP+ fr the necessary rides. Not to mention risking not getting tickets for the MNSSP I want, or having one park day left and not having seen the shows I wanted because, say, RoL and Fantasmic and the party all happened when I was in the wrong park.

 

[lovethattink]

I've found it's pointless for me to plan because I always seem to have to change them. I book the 3 FP+ and maybe an ADR each day, but they rarely pan out.

Yesterday, we winged it at DHS. Arrived after 1pm. Went straight to Launch Bay. While ds was playing video games, I made a FP+ for the Frozen singalong. When it was time, we left Launch Bay and headed out to the singalong. That was the extent of our DHS time. It was too hot for ds who can't control his body temp and we left for home around 3pm. His cooling vest totally melted by then. We're locals with AP so that was fine.

But April 14 to 16 we stayed at CSR, I booked 3 days of 3 FP+ 60 days in advance. Got great ones too! And we only actually went to a park one day. The other two days, I ended up cancelling the ADR the day before and the FP+ the day of.

 

[dreiwhit]

We planned everything out in advance, but were flexible when it came to the plans. If we needed, or wanted, to make a change, we did so.

We did figure that we could see what we missed next time, but we really don't know when next time is going to be.

 

[snayak]

I feel like at least currently, WDW is hell for both planners and nonplanners

I mean, I like to plan everything to the last detail and wdw is making me lose my mind. They want me to know and schedule ADRs 180 days before...but then change park hours at the last minute. Attractions, shows and parties that will be happening during my stay (MNSSHP, RoL, AK night hours etc) are still not fully released or confirmed, so I have to plan a Plan A, B, C and D just in case. It's really vexing. And I'm still bracing for when my FP+ window opens.

That said, I don't think not planning would have been better at all. By winging it I doubt I'd get to eat in the places I want, and without being on the lookout I might have missed the offers released yesterday. Or not getting FP+ fr the necessary rides. Not to mention risking not getting tickets for the MNSSP I want, or having one park day left and not having seen the shows I wanted because, say, RoL and Fantasmic and the party all happened when I was in the wrong park.

I agree, and think trip duration and group age/mix play a part in this craziness too. If you have a large group (or lots of age groups) and short duration, trying to plan the trip could drive you nuts! If you're staying for longer (7-10+ days) then you have more time to fit "everything" in.

I think a smart thing to do is book a VIP tour if you are only there for a couple days (I didn't say most affordable!) - even just the Ultimate Day ones for $300/pp or whatever. Knock the headliners out in a day, relax through the rest. This is also why I'm interested in the Disney After Hours event - pay a bit more but there is value there (walk on everything at MK? Sign me up!). The trade off is spending less time in the World, and offsetting the higher ticket costs with less lodging and food.

We recently went on a trip through Europe, and I happily booked all museum tickets, shows, train passes, etc before hand. Sure I paid a couple bucks more, but I was stress-free the whole trip.