planning at a hault , what do you do ?

[tinksgilrs251520]

Well I belive my planning is a stop becuase I need Aug park hours to plan the rest of my trip so tell me what do you guys do when this happens... Could start packing............lol

 

[Crystal824]

I have the same issue. We really can't plan without knowing the hours and times and dates of parades, Fantasmic, etc. We are still going to do a tentative plan knowning that it may have to change.

 

[Crystal824]

I just realized we are going to be there at the same time. Are you staying on property, if so where?

 

[mjones73]

Have your ADR's ready so you can plug them in once you figure out what parks on what days then take a break from planning til the August hours come out sometime next month.

 

[srwarden1928]

You could look at touringplans.com recommended days. Yes they will likely update them when the calendar comes out, but I think its fun to have a penciled in plan to modify at that time.

 

[MelanieC]

I made a preliminary plan based on July dates. I just added the free Dining for the last 8 days of my vacation and changed how I was doing my passes for while we are there. All this has kept me busy. Soon, I'm sure I'll be on pins and needles for August calendars. June will be busy booking ADR's and making final plans.

I couldn't do much planning for August until I got back from my March trip. Now I'm off and running and excited to begin the planning.

 

[tinks_mom]

Now you have time to do fun things like... read other people's trip reports; read the Kingdom Keeper books; shop for trip items like sunscreen, mini-fans/spritzers and glowsticks; maybe even get your photos from your last trip into a scrapbook instead of just floating around on your computer!

Enjoy! Before you know it, you'll be back doing this

 

[Ktharee]

I mapped out a whole itinerary based on last years EMH days and park hours. I know they may change, but I have a core plan in place as to what we want to see, where we want to eat and how much time we'll need at each park to do what we want to do. It's fun, but waiting for the September calendar to come out is going to be tough!

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

Now you have time to do fun things like... read other people's trip reports; read the Kingdom Keeper books; shop for trip items like sunscreen, mini-fans/spritzers and glowsticks; maybe even get your photos from your last trip into a scrapbook instead of just floating around on your computer!

Enjoy! Before you know it, you'll be back doing this

we lost our photos from our first trip on 07....... so thats one thing i cant do

 

[BelleBway]

I'm going in Aug, too. I just, errr, do randomly obsessive things like go to Disney sites all the time... and sometimes read the same pages over and over...

Actually, this time I am taking my nieces. This means that they are very lucky because I am using a lot of my pre-trip energy to think of little things to do to make this extra special for them. So far I've come up with: giving them an envelope with Disney Dollars each day (possibly with a card/poem to go with it, if I become creative enough), having lots of art supplies on hand and asking them to spend a little of the mid-day break writing or drawing something about their favorite things from that day (I will then compile them into a scrapbook along with my trip reports), writing up a lighthearted copy of each person's rules and responsibilities so that everyone is on the same page- including rules for the stuffed animals since they are part of the family, etc.

I also just generally dream of their reactions to everything- they've never been on a real vacation at all so it should be a big treat for them!

But on the other hand, I am already stressing about which park to do on which day. LOL

 

[KigerKat]

I'm in the exact same boat!! We're going to be there 8/23-8/29, and I'm an obsessive planner!! In fact, I've been so down in the dumps for the past few months because DH and I had not decided when/where to go on vacation this year - which meant I had NOTHING to plan!!

We decided just a couple of weeks ago to come to Disney during FD this year, so I booked right away on Monday. Now I can start planning again!! This means I spend every waking hour on every Disney website I can find, reading reviews, trip reports, and news updates about the parks.

I even made a list as soon as we got home last time of things to do differently, because I know we would forget when it came time to book another trip. I've been reviewing that and checking touringplans.com to see what the predicted crowd levels are and trying to decided which parks to do which days.

The good thing about going at the end of the month is that the hours *should* be out on or around the 1st of May, and we still have a couple of weeks to arrange our preferred ADRs before calling at the 90 day window.

But yeah - I'm with ya!! I wish May would hurry up and get here so I can do some more planning!! Maybe we could open up our own travel planning business?

 

[Jen414]

I feel stuck too. I'm sort of basing my plans on last August's calendar as well.

 

[topmonkeygirl]

I'm the one who is really stuck I've got over a year and a half to wait until our big day. What do I do with myself for an entire year? The Humanity!!!!!!!! ARGGGG!!!!!!!!!

I know what I could do pull my hair out one by one doesn't that sound like a good way to kill time?

 

[mmmears]

I went ahead and planned things out anyway. Then the park hours went up & I just adjusted things a bit. That was months ago. Then a couple of weeks ago, Disney went and radically changed their park hours for April!!! Since we're leaving really soon, it was too late to change ADRs and all our plans.

My advice: dont rely on the park hours when they come out. In this economy, Disney is changing things at the last minute depending on how many people they think will be at the parks.

 

[rentayenta]

I planned too according to last year's hours. This May's hours and show times were reduced but planning early gave me a general idea. Looking at menus is fun too. And of course, reading others' reports.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

Well we are going in Sept. and our suitcases are out with stuff in them! They are in the guest bedroom so they are hidden away but I have started packing!

 

[scotas]

I've hit a stopping point to. My trip is late September. Can't book ADR's or flghts yet (waiting for some to still decide if they are going) so I take this as time to start shopping for clothes to wear!!! OK mostly window shop, but hey I don't want all the same stuff I wore last year.

 

[Brer Shay]

Same boat. I spend time here or on other disney sites reading. Continuing to sort out what restaurants we want to try this time and how to work them in to which park days. Won't be able to set days until park hours come out.

Still very excited!!

 

[junebugs]

I am waiting for Aug hours also! We've pick out the restaurants we want to try this trip, I've check out last August hours and this year late July hours to get some idea about where we will need to be when. But I'm sure they'll change and I'll have to start all over! Thank goodness for all the interesting things to read on these boards - or I would be going crazy by now!

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm just impatiently waiting, waiting, waiting.... for those August hours!!!