Plan or not Plan?

[Alexis Green]

Alright so I've been reading many different tips and answers on this but I still would like to ask. I'm going to WDW in April 2007 and am wondering if making plans for which parks to go to on which days, or making out lists of things to do during the stay is a good idea? I'm only staying a week and staying at a Disney Resort (Coronado Springs Resort). Also is it worth it to make reservations for meals and how many days in advance should I do so? Thanks!

 

[mking624]

How much planning you want to do is entirely based on your touring preferences. DH & I like to be spontaneous...as in we will literally wake up in our room and decide after we get ready what park we want to go to. We very rarely get to a park any earlier than 11am. We typically don't make any ADRs...and if we do, it's only one or two. We're fine with eating counter service. And the thing is, we usually go in June (lots of crowds) and we're still able to do everything we want. This year is different for us since we're doing free dining and we have an ADR for every night we're there. While I love the idea of free food, the planning wound up being more of a headache for us since it's not our preferred touring style. We're VERY laid back when it comes to vacationing.

HOWEVER, if you have your heart set on eating at certain places or doing certain things...it's best to have a plan so you don't miss them. ADRs can be made up to 180 days in advance...so I highly recommend making them if you want to eat at a restaurant without running the risk of being turned away if you're a walkup. Certain parks on certain days can depend on if you have an ADR at that park, if there's EMH going on (in which case you should decide if you want to do or not do EMH...we love doing evening EMH), etc.

Really it comes down to how you want your vacation to turn out. If you want to just go with the flow and don't mind eating all CS or care what parks you do which days, don't worry about a plan. If you definitely want to do specific things or eat at specific places, I'd recommend a touring plan.

 

[marksor]

From four week-long trips worth of experience:

1. Make a general plan before you go. It makes you feel better and gets you along until the trip.

2. Make several dining reservations in advance of the trip. Over a seven day stay you should probably make one a day- either breakfast or dinner.

3. When you first get to WDW, rip up your itinerary/plan and throw it in the garbage. Now, go where you fell like going and work around the dining reservations. Don't make yourself (and your family) crazy by trying to adhere to a rigid or semi-rigid schedule.

4. This has worked well for my family and me.

 

[Lilo312]

We were there last April and will be there again April 07.
We observed many people being turned away because they did not have ADRs. This one elderly man couldn't understand why he was being turned away from the Hollywood and Vine because he was a resort guest (but no ADR).
While we waited for our table at the Sci Fi, at least five families were turned away. By the end of Oct, I'll have all my ADRs line up for our trip next April. It's good to have and you can still always change them if needed.

 

[PrincessV]

From 10+ years of day and overnight WDW trips, here's my two cents' worth: it really does depend on the kind of trip you want and the kind of person you are. Do you enjoy planning things ahead, or does it make you absolutely crazy? If you don't plan ahead and aren't able to do as much as you'd like, will you be devastated? How critical is it that you A. eat table service meals and/or B. experience popular attractions with minimal waits?

I ask these questions becasue I've done The World both ways. For many day trips, before DS came along, my ex and I would wake up, decide to go to WDW and play the whole day by ear. Sometimes we got to ride popular attractions, other times we didn't want to wait 45-90 minutes and didn't bother. Either way, we had a good time. But we also lived nearby and knew we could try again another time.

I then discovered the Unofficial Guide and its touring plans and we tried them on a multi-day trip. Planning ahead meant that we got into TS restaurants we'd never before been able to try, were able to ride everything we wanted with little or no waiting, and still had plenty of time in the day to take it easy after the touring plan.

My personal preference now is to plan things out for the first few days of the trip, ensuring that we do the things we absolutely want to do. I leave a couple of less-structured days at the end of the trip so we can play it by ear.

 

[PrincessAlways]

I admit it -- I am a planner!! I have got to know where I'm going & when. Seriously, if there are certain restaurants you would like to try, I would suggest getting your ADRs. Especially if you want to attend CRT, LeCellier, etc. I've found that it's better to have those & work your day at the park around it. Of course, others like to go with no plan. Each to his own. Now go have fun planning your vacation!

 

[Bete]

this doesn't me I can't be flexible. You can always change your mind and do something different from the plan. I like value on vacation and a plan usually allows you to accomplish more. We've been well over a dozen times and it's always better with a plan. A plan will make sure you hit your favorites. I don't like using valuable vacation making decisions that can be done ahead of time by planning. The more people on the vacation the more important it is to plan. I don't want conflicts while I'm there; because, everyone has their own ideas. I want everyone on the same page.

With all that said you need to be savy, too. If there's a two hour wait or more for a ride, etc. you are probably better off skipping it and moving on even if it's in the plan. You may get a special opportunity like being in a parade. Well, you skip your plan at that moment and join the parade.

Some activities like Disney tours and firework cruises are real hard to come by if you don't make advance ressies for them.

We've done it both ways; I'm 100% for planning especially for a trip to Disney World.

 

[AnninIowa]

I believe in a 50/50 mix - you want to have SOME idea of what you'll be doing, but you don't want a minute-by-minute schedule.

With Disney, if you want to do sit down restaurants, you really NEED to make advanced reservations. Like another poster said, you can always change them later; but with the dining plan (free or now), sit-down places are really getting hard to get in to.

As far as parks, I like to have a rough schedule of which park we will do which day, mainly because this goes along with where you are dining. It's also good if you have evening plans such as Cirque du Soleil. For instance, I know I'll want to go see Cirque on the day we visit Animal Kingdom as that isn't an all day park for us.

We're going in February, and I've already started trying to figure out a schedule!

 

[NJGuy3]

When I went last year, I had ADR's for every night of the 7 nights we were staying there. But I did try to plan some of the restaurant locations according to fireworks, EMH's, etc. Regarding what parks to go on what days...I had a general idea of the park we would go to the following day, and also being ready for any rain too.
Hope that helped.

 

[Shell0616]

I think you should do what fits you and your family. For me 1/2 the fun is in the planning. I like to make a schedule of which park we will go to each day. I plan on one table service a day and make the ADR. I also write little things I don't want to forget on each day. ( Things like- To try and wake Tink and find the paintbrush on Tom Sawyers Island or to try the school bread in Norway) I carry each days paper with me. However, If I wake up and every muscle is sore I will just go back to sleep. If half way thru the day we want to leave Epcot and go ride Pirates then we will do it.

I also never plan the order of the rides. I really can't stand being on a timed schedule when on vacation. It stresses me out and I feel rushed and then I miss the magic.
So in other words I plan but the plan is not set in stone.

Whatever you decide I hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

[Skylarr29]

AT the very least you need to make a few dining reservations and they can be made 180 days in advance. April is prime spring break time.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The one thing you can't have at Disney is your cake...if you want to eat it, too. You can get up early and follow a plan, or you can sleep in and stand in line for hours in the hot Florida sun. Or, you could sleep in and skip all the best rides...but why bother going if you're skipping the best stuff?

I plan because I want to ride the popular rides (but not wait in line), enjoy the parks (but miss the crowds), do lots of stuff (but not wear myself out) and eat where I want without being turned away.

It requires time before we leave, but it saves lots of time on vacation. If you want to plan, get yourself a copy of the Unofficial Guide. It is a giant help for planning.

 

[Jambo!424]

Personally I've found it is somewhat pointless to plan until you know two things:
1. EMH days for each park
2. ADRs
We found on our last trip that almost our entire trip ended up being planned around meals since some were at parks and others at hotels. We just had to do what would fit in the time we had. (although if you don't make a lot of ADRs then this may not affect you I suppose) I don't know if anyone else had this problem; however, I would say some planning is certainly a good idea, but don't make anything definite until you make those ADRs as we had to make lots of last minute changes.

 

[AKLRULZ]

We make ADRs and a loose flexible plan - no one enjoys rigid commando touring.

 

[mom_of_5]

From four week-long trips worth of experience:

1. Make a general plan before you go. It makes you feel better and gets you along until the trip.

2. Make several dining reservations in advance of the trip. Over a seven day stay you should probably make one a day- either breakfast or dinner.

3. When you first get to WDW, rip up your itinerary/plan and throw it in the garbage. Now, go where you fell like going and work around the dining reservations. Don't make yourself (and your family) crazy by trying to adhere to a rigid or semi-rigid schedule.

4. This has worked well for my family and me.

This was me on our last trip! I planned for months every park, time, ride, ADR's it was exhausting. When we got there I pulled them out each day, put them in my pocket and never looked at it again. We did whatever we and the kids felt like. It is so different once you get there, especially if it is your first time you really don't know what to expect. Maybe on our next trips my plans would be more closely followed.

 

[blanq]

When specifically will you be at WDW? Also, have you ever been to WDW before? My response to you may vary depending on your answer to these two questions.

If you go in late April, after the spring break/Easter rush has passed, crowds should return to more moderate levels and the need to stick to a touring and restaurant plan is not as crucial. If you are planning on visiting WDW smack dab during one of the busiest times of the year (early to mid-April) I would highly suggest you have a plan of attack and make some ADR's.

If you have never been to WDW, I would suggest you consider developing a "loose" plan, one that does allow you a bit of flexibility. At least lay out what parks on what days, and if you are going to hop, how are you going to work it. Also, it is important to determine your your must-see and must-do priorities for each park. If you are visiting during a peak time, then I would amp up your plan from loose to more firm.

Finally, if you have not been to WDW before, the best advice I have for you is to study your park maps in advance to get a good idea of the layout of things. If you do not do this, you likely will spend a significant amount of wasted time hovering over your park maps, trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B. We no longer need to use park maps (except for show times), and it saves a ton of time. If you don't need a park map, then your need for a "plan" decreases, IMHO.

If it were me going during spring break (or Thanksgiving, Christmas or the summer), I would have ADR's and a good plan even though I have a decent amount of WDW experience, because it would allow me to maximize my time during the busiest season(s).

 

[Alexis Green]

Thanks everyone you have helped a ton! We'll be going during Spring Break time (1st-7th). I bought two different books with a lot of the restraunts in it already and there numbers! I'm on my way! I'm having a lot of fun planning this yay! I'll be sure to call and get in those ADR's!!