Planning Disney before the Internet/DisBoards?

[WaltD4Me]

I was just thinking today how many great things I have learned from this board and how much I use the DIS and the internet to plan Disney trips and I wonder how I ever did it before?

For our trip in 98' - I either didn't use the internet or I had no idea that I could and all I remember is we booked Mears and thought it was so great and we booked our hotel room at whatever rate the person on the phone gave us and that we really didn't have much of plan except for certain parks on certain days and we had no idea where to go first or last once in the park or the best spot to watch the parades or fireworks and a million other things....there was SO much I didn't know. BOY have things changed!!!! It's really amazing when you think about it.

So what do you think is the biggest difference in your Disney planning since getting on-line and/or finding the DIS boards?

 

[MagicKingdom05]

The biggest difference is that unlike 2001 when I went and now, is the fact that I now know that there are resorts run by WDW on property. Back in 2001 I had no clue that there were resorts owned by WDW that I could stay at and that's why I stayed offsite (horrible by the way).

 

[Eeyore2003]

Before coming on the internet, I had already discovered the Unofficial Guide in the early 90's. (I'm almost positive I used it in our vacation in 1991) cuz I know I had a schedule and I know I knew to go early etc. and I think I followed one of their plans.

What I think really helps on the internet is the "latest info", extra stuff, like the Albatross Treasure Cruise I'm planning for November (the little stuff that Disney does that's not necessarily in the books), first hand info right when you need it, I like all the info on restaurants, the specific favorite foods at the restaurants, I guess basically having recent info, detailed info, and opinion info. Plus of course all the search engine info, times of shows and special events etc.

 

[rlduvall]

I used to get more housework done

 

[danny1649]

I used to get more housework done

 

[bobbiwoz]

Our boys were growing in the 70's and 80's and so the planning I did was with books. I managed to find information about things like "Marshmallow Marsh" and my boys did go on a pirate cruise at the Poly, so the information was out there.

I didn't discover boards like this until we joined DVC, I did a DVC search on the internet and found DISboards.

One regret is that by using whatever references I did I never realized the magic of Disney at Christmas. We went to Nashville (Opryland), Pigeon Forge (Dollywood) and Hershey Park, but I never thought Disney had anything that would be remotely religious like the Candlelight Processional. We would have been down there every year.

Bobbi