Planning your days...

[lenshanem]

From the DVC vets, how do you plan your days at this point?

With two trips this summer and being the one who always get planning duty I was curious what most of you do.

To be honest I'm starting to get planning burn out.

Do you plan what parks you'll be at each day?
Do you still take advantage of early morning entry? Or do you avoid those parks on those days like the plague?
Do you make all your PSs ahead of time or wait until you get there?

I'm thinking I might take the 3 part approach -
Decide which park for the morning, break mid day, then PS for dinner and which park at night it will be in.
I'm also thinking these two trips I'm going to plan one day later in the trip for sleeping in.

One trip recently i didn't plan as many PSs and we ended up calling each night looking for a good time and spot. Turns out there is only so much fast food crap you can bear and a sit down meal is something a body craves! (And we don't cook! I know, DVC... We do eat breakfast though in our room!)

One complaint i have is how do you know where and when to PS for when the park hours and parade, fireworks times aren't out?
That makes it really hard IMO.

Do you use the MS number for all your PSs meals?

Thanks for sharing your planning ways...

 

[Granny]

Shan...since DVC, our planning is pretty minimal.

1. We rarely go to the parks before 11:00 in the morning.

2. We don't go to a park that had an early opening that morning.

3. Before the trip we plan our park (on-site and others) visits but then end up changing them anyway.

4. We don't make any PS until we get there. And then we usually only make one for a Fantasmic dinner package and maybe one other for a "nice meal".


One of the reasons we don't use PS much is we don't want to be tied to a particular park at a particular time. We don't want to "drop everything" if we're having a good time just to be able to make a dinner time we had set.

We end up eating sit down dinners in WDW most of the nights...without PS.


One thing that helps is we don't usually go during the "normal" times. We don't eat lunch at noon. We don't eat dinner at 6:00 pm. We tend to eat an early dinner and lunch is usually on the go.

 

[shelbyjosh]

Hi Shan. Just thought I would share some thoughts with you! We do not plan our days out like you are trying to plan. So much can change (weather, how you feel, etc.) that. We usually do our planning the night before. We look at what the weather is supposed to do and wing it. If it is ungodly hot, we shoot for the water parks. Some days you may just need to take a break. We gave up the commando style years ago. As far as PS goes, we rarely call. I must say that last year we ran into a problem getting into Chef Mickey's for dinner. DH said to wait till we get there and then we "shouldn't have a problem getting in". Ha!!! Don't listen to your husband! Needless to say, we could not get a PS before 9 pm on the 6 nights that I called. So, I have 2 PS ressies for our upcoming trip at 6pm each night. I planned ahead for this one!! Just about every trip we eat at Liberty Tree Tavern at MK. We usually are able to go in with less than a 15 minute wait. Don't stress yourself out about all this. It is not worth it. Heck, we are leaving Tuesday morning and have I started packing?? NO!!!! I think I will get DS suitcase out and get that going today. I have pretty much reserved Sunday for packing. I just don't like those suitcases sitting around. The cat makes them a bed and he begins to suspect something is up. The cat and dog will have enough anxiety while we are gone, they don't need anymore! I hope this has helped you. Relax!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We no longer do much beforehand planning. If we are doing CDS, or a dinnershow, we plan that ahead, but nothing else. We sometimes will start out at the EE park, but always return for a break in the middle of the day, and usually leave the EE park by 10. We rarely have a plan until the night before, and that is only when we have guests. If we are alone, we might not even decide what we are doing until the morning! We do like to go to the parks early in the day and do other things midday, and often eat at one of the park restaurants and usually go to one of the fireworks shows each evening.

 

[OneMoreTry]

It's hard not to plan, especially if you want PS for a popular restaurant. But looking back I have found that the trips with less planning were more enjoyable and "fun."

You can plan away the "magic."

 

[DrTomorrow]

Hey Shna!

As we start going "home" to SSR, we are really hoping to avoid the commando/plan.every.second approach that we've always had at WDW visits. Up at 6AM for EE/EMH, out of the parks by 10AM, 11 minutes, 38 seconds for lunch, hut hut hut!

We're going to try to sleep in a little, casually do the parks, eat more meals off-site - all because we're secure in the knowledge that we'll be coming back once or twice a year until there are no more tomorrows for DrTomorrow.

True, during some trips - we're doing the MH, for example - we'll have to have some schedules; but the checklist and stopwatch are a thing of the past.

 

[rocketriter]

We like to find out where the early entries are, duck in, and leave by the time the crowds get heavy after lunch. We also do PS for the nice meals in restaurants that otherwise jam up so much that you can't get it.

On our next visit to BCV in October, we're going to try something different. Since there's so much good eating at Epcot and MGM, and they're both within walking distance of BCV, we'll make PS for most of our evenings in one or the other of those two parks. During the day we'll just wing it, deciding which park to go to based on early entry, the weather, and the whichness of what. We'll come back for a swim and snooze in the afternoon. In the evening we'll walk to our supper reservation, take in fireworks or whatever, and stroll back to BCV or the Boardwalk. This plan moves most of our visits to Epcot and MGM into the evening, gives us all the fannnncy meals we feel like, and allows us to skip the crush on the transportation system when the parks close. But it also leaves our daytimes loose and improvised. From this distance it looks like a great way to have our unstructured cake and eat a nice dinner too. I'll send in a report after the trip.

 

[jaysue]

Shan, here is our general approach:

Go to EE park for opening
Hang around until 11:15ish
Go back to Room for lunch, rest, swim, resort touring, playground time etc.
Late afternoon go to a park other than the EE one

We will book one or two PS for dinner ahead of the trip and leave the rest to cooking and chance

We use MS# for PS setting up since 1-800#

Fireworks are every day at MK now so with some educated guesses we can usually plan PS

thanks
jaysue

 

[DebbieB]

I map out the parks for which days but usually switch some around when we are there, depending on what we have done and still want to do. Weather sometimes plays a hand in that. Make very few PS's, if any. Don't get up early. What's nice with DVC and going twice a year, we don't have the commando mentality anymore. It's more of a relaxing vacation that happens to be at Disney.

 

[jodifla]

During our five night stays, I make PS for 3 evening meals. One with DS, 2, at a fun place like Chef Mickey's, and two for a quiet evening out with DH (we get a sitter from Fairy Godmothers.) The other two evenings we cook in.

Breakfasts are in the room, lunch is at counter service restaurant in whichever park we're in. (We have our favorites at each park.)

We don't plan the parks until we get there and see what DS's mood is, and what the weather's mood is. But we are normally in the parks for a few hours in the morning, followed by a pool break. Sometimes we go back to the park, other times, we go to DD or the boardwalk.

 

[AnnaS]

We also do not plan on a day to day basis. I might make one or two PS reservations. I don't like to many appts./reservations. I do that at home all year. We take it as it comes. Everyone has a different idea/mind about where they want to eat or which park to do first. My two oldest now also started going together on their own or w/friends and we meet up here and there. I will have a few things that I would like to see or do. This August, I would love to do Comedy Warehouse and the Key to MK tour. I know we will go to one or both water parks. I will be happy if we do half of what's on my agenda. It's easy to get together with friends or family for water parks or a sit down meal. Last July, I wanted to spend some time by the pool so my dh to our dd to Animal Kingdom. We do not rush anymore in the am and only my two oldest do the ee nights (or whatever it is called, lol).

 

[Lexxiefern]

Hey Shan, here is what we do:

I generally plan which park for which morning. We NEVER do early entry. Then we come back to resort around 1pm and do naps, swimming, etc until about 5pm. Most nights are spent at Epcot.

I do NOT plan which ride at what time or anything like that. (although we do have a pretty good routine for each of the parks - i.e., fantasyland first at MK, TOT and RNRC first at MGM, etc)

After our trip in October where we tried to "wing" it on getting sit down dinners without PS's, I always make PS's now. We had a really hard time getting in anywhere that trip.

I like to think I just give us a general outline of what our day will be But definately no more park commando for us.

 

[colleen costello]

I read a great tip that said to let everyone talk about what they'd most like to do on the vacation. You record these and work them into the plan. After that you can do as you please, but those "favorites" get priority. We always do this now. My son will always choose "speedboats on Bay Lake" as his "must-do," so we plan that for a sunny day early in the trip so he doesn't miss out. My favorite choice is usually an afternoon at the Poly pool, pina coladas included!

We sleep in, lay around at pools a lot, and "waste" a lot of time. Sometimes we just go to a park in the evening if it's hot or crowded. DVC has really changed the way we vacation.

 

[gracelrm]

Our plan is much like Jaysue's. We do take advantage of Early Entry and hit those parks when they open. We try to leave by noon and go back for swimming, napping for DS3, then choose a park for the late afternoon/evening that did not have EE. A few weeks before we leave for "home" we do make some PS reservations, but sometimes we don't make them until we get there. DH has bought several DisneyWorld guides and it seems as though they give advice of which parks to avoid on which days and so we keep that in mind also in the planning. We usually plan a day for a waterpark, but sometimes we have to be flexible due to weather. DH has a plan in mind, but we are flexible enough to not let it dictate our entire trip. I'm sure as the three kids get older, we'll plan less and just go with the flow; but for now DH likes planning the days of the trip as much as I love planning the trips with DVC for several years in advance.

The only time I get really aggravated with all the advanced planning is when we try to go to an Early Entry and due to transporation - we are late in arriving. It puts me in a bad mood to get up that early, then miss out on the advantage of EE because a bus NEVER comes

 

[WDWLVR]

DVC has made it so easy to enjoy our vacations. Since I'm usually an early bird I'll get up and read or watch TV while DH is still sleeping. Since we have breakfast in the room I don't have to wait for him to get up to enjoy a cup of tea or even have my breakfast.

We usually do a park that isn't early entry from about opening time until mid-day. Then we usually head back home to rest or relax. We don't make too many PS reseervations and have done like others said and if we are in the mood call that day and see what is available.

Relaxation is what DVC is all about to me.

 

[NancyDVC]

No early entry for us. We go to another park that day. We do our favorite attractions and any new ones we haven't seen yet. Mid day breaks are a must.
Days off from the parks are important too.
We usually don't make PS until we get there and see the park schedules-do we really want to be at a specific park on a certain day? It depends on what special or limited time event is happening while we are there. For example we made AK a must early in one trip because Kali River Rapids was not officially open yet but doing the last of its previews only the first 2 days we were there. Or an evening to see the fireworks or another show that is only done on certain nights.
We take each trip day by day and are flexible enough to change as the mood strikes us.
DVC has made vacationing so much more relaxing.

 

[magsmom]

Between AP and DVC, we just don't do as much planning anymore. The vacations have been for the new experiences. They have just gotten better and better.

On our last trip, DH was sick with an ear infection. Just knowing that we would be returning in October was a good thing - I can't imagine what it would have been like if we only had 5 days to do this or that.

I think you definitely see the difference in the parks too. DVC and AP holders are much more relaxed and leisurely. Isn't that what a vacation's all about?

 

[dvcfamily41801]

I plan, a little bit, but only because it gives me an excuse to talk and think and call WDW

I try to make a few PS, and then that kind of determines which park we go to on which day.

We usually take our time getting up in the morning, unless we have a PS for breakfast someplace. Watch the Today show, do a load of laundry, the things that our friends can not fathom doing on vacation

We just kinda stroll around the parks, if we get there and 1/2 hour later decide we want to leave, we do. No big deal. We just love our relaxed vacations thanks to DVC

 

[Ms. WDW]

But what about all the rides!!!!!!!!!! I just gotta get on them!!!

I'm sitting here reading all the post saying to myself "gosh I wish I could get myself into the non-planning or the not too much planning mode". But I can't!!!

Dispite the fact that I've been to WDW more times than I can actually remember, I just have to do all my favorite rides per park that day!!!! Mind you, I'm not "a kid" here. I'm a mature woman who just won't grow up.

Here's what I typically do....

Plan out what park on what day. If I plan on any PS, I try to make them for lunch, in the park we're at. I also do EE. After lunch we head back to the resort for down time and then hit another park preferably one without the EE.

I really think that there is something mentally wrong with me because the thought of sleeping in more than one day at WDW terrifies me!!!! I've tried getting out of this way of thinking, but alas, I can't.

DS tells me that there's a place here in New York City for me and it's called Belevue!!!!

Maybe if I keep reading this thread it will convience me that I can actually "relax" in WDW!!! My family would greatly appreciate it!

 

[Laurabearz]

With 8 trips in 2 1/2 years we are beyond planning.... lol

What I do is gather information. What time are the fireworks at MK... What nights is SpecrtoMagic running? Other Parade times, Special events, etc...

What new rides can the kids ride... Very Important in touring the parks... hit the new rides and old faves first!!

Where we are staying also plays a factor... since we focus in on the area we are living...

Then we have a couple of places we have to eat... Chef Mickeys, 50's Prime time Cafe, Cape May for Dinner and such, plus new places we want to try... Aukerhaus, France, Garden grill.. etc..

Some PS's I make ahead of time... 50's Primetime for lunch, Chef Mickey's for dinner... but the rest we call the day before... esp if it is lunch we seek!

A plan of attack will come to you.... you got the next 39+ years to figure it out.