Planning mode over… time to switch to “Whatever” mode

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

We’re headed back to WDW at the end of September. 16 years after my wife and my last trip, and the first trip for our DD6.

As usual, but even more so because it’s Disney, I’ve been obsessing over the plans to make sure everything is ready to go. Between my friend letting us know he’s joining us at the parks at the (relatively) last minute, the complexity of planning any WDW trip, wanting to make this a perfect trip for my little princess, and deciding last minute that we might as well add one more day on the trip, it’s been quite the ordeal.

But now all ADRs have been booked:

• CRT
• Akershus
• Space 220
• Sci-Fi Dine In
• Garden Grille
• Raglan Road
• Hoop Dee Doo
• Mythos

Park reservations complete, and optimized:

• MK EE hours -check
• Epcot EE hours - check
• MNSSHP - check
• Extra day at Universal to use “free” tix - check

Flights changed and confirmed. Added hotel booked. Can’t reserve water park umbrella yet (web site issue), but not too worried about that. We didn’t get Space 220 Lounge, but snagged a reservation for the restaurant. Just have to decide if we need to do 2 Princess meals, or just 1, but both reservations are made. Optional activities written down for evenings and resort/water park days. WHEW!

Now I just have to get into the mindset of “whatever we end up doing, we’ll have fun”. Our trip to DLR a few months ago DID NOT go according to plan…. Our DD decided that 6-7 hours in the park was enough after the first day. So I’m getting ready for all of my carefully constructed plans being thrown out the window on the whims of a 6yo. And that will be OK, since this time, there are contingency plans for everything!

I’m keeping my fingers and toes all crossed for no hurricane. But if something does happen, we’ll work with it.

Had to get that all out, so now I can “let it go” and just enjoy whatever we do.

 

[QueenofPrideRock]

I'm similar ... I really enjoy planning down to the most seemingly minute detail, but have to remember there is only so much I can control once I get there, and a day at Disney is still better than a day at home!!

 

[mroulier]

Also visiting in September! And hoping for a no-hurricane week, but you never know!
I stressed about dining reservations but the only MUST-Do was Space 220 Lounge, which I got!
All the other spots were fine as we don't do buffets or character meals. We got Sci-fi Dine In and then Rose and Crown just before fireworks (but not a Fireworks package!) and Chefs de France for a lunch. Everything else will be QS.

The only thing stressing me out now is G+ and ILL's. Yikes! We'll do rope drops most days but will also go back to hotel for breaks, then go back for EEH's or fireworks/Fantasmic.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Also visiting in September! And hoping for a no-hurricane week, but you never know!
I stressed about dining reservations but the only MUST-Do was Space 220 Lounge, which I got!
All the other spots were fine as we don't do buffets or character meals. We got Sci-fi Dine In and then Rose and Crown just before fireworks (but not a Fireworks package!) and Chefs de France for a lunch. Everything else will be QS.

The only thing stressing me out now is G+ and ILL's. Yikes! We'll do rope drops most days but will also go back to hotel for breaks, then go back for EEH's or fireworks/Fantasmic.

We’re going the last week in September, so I’m hoping we’ll avoid any hurricane interruptions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for your trip too!

We wanted to get 220 Lounge reservations, but we had to book that reservation second, and by the time we tried booking (about 7:04) there was only 1 slot available at the restaurant. Congrats on getting your reservation!

 

[loves to dive]

The most important thing to remember in your whatever is that things will go off plan. It's September, it will be hotter than the surface of the sun and will rain at some point every single day. Make sure you always have rain gear with you and just enjoy the cool down of the rain and play in it.

If your little princess wants to sit on the hub grass and just turn summersaults for a half hour, go for it. Yes, you paid a lot of money and she can turn summersaults at home but it's not the same. A happy princess makes for a happy family.

Don't over plan. You will read and hear that you can not go to WDW and just go with the flow. That might be right to a certain extent but you can just drop all your plans and just do whatever comes next.

Speaking of heat and rain, while TS meals are great to escape that, large meals in the heat sometimes aren't a great idea. I know when my son was younger, the last thing he wanted was to eat a big meal when it was hot (and we are from Georgia where it also gets as hot as the surface of the sun). Be flexible on that one too.

Most of all, don't worry about it. Yes, WDW can be stressful for the person trying to make sure everyone has a good time and knowing all the money you are spending. Sometimes those magical moments just happen out of the blue though and can surprise you. Some of my son's (and my own) best memories of WDW are the silly little things that had nothing to do with rides or things that costed money. 40 years later and he will tell people how funny it was that while eating a character meal Chip came up behind me when I didn't know he was there, put his hand on my back and I jumped a mile high and may have let out a little squeal. Poor Chip jumped as well and my son and Mom who saw it was going to happen laughed so hard I'm pretty sure Mom was crying down her legs. (Oh, back then character meals sometimes just happened). Just this April I was on a solo trip and sitting on the sidewalk outside of Country Bears waiting for the parade. Big Al and the other bear were out walking around and greeting people. I wasn't paying attention and Big Al came up behind me and leaned down next to my face. Again, I jumped and squealed. Everyone around me saw it was going to happen and I'm pretty sure Big Al wanted it to, so there was a lot of laughing going on. Big Al was making a big deal about having a heart attack and after I got over the shock, I too was laughing so hard I was crying down my legs. You can't plan for these moments and they cost nothing.