Planning

[martinrmn]

Can anyone tell me if they are the same as me? We are due to fly Dec 1st and I can't help but try and plan our days. What do most people do, do you take each day as it comes or, do you try and plan for some days? I don't want to miss one minute but am also afraid of spoiling the holiday by palnning too much. At the moment we have 14 days of Disney tickets, 1 at Kennedy, Busch and Gatorland. We are also staying on site for the last 3 nights. As John will be 6 when we fly we are not planning on going to Universal or IOA this time, after all we are only going for 2 weeks!!

 

[paulh]

no we plan plan plan.The we check and plan some more
Paulh

 

[jna]

I'm sure the vast majority of people, and particularly forum members, plan their time in Orlando very carefully indeed. With so much to see and do it really is important to discuss all the options in advance and link your ideas with information such as when a particular park is likely to have a quiet day, which day is a park open early or late etc. You might want to make some ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) for say a character breakfast for your son.

Then you will want the odd day off to relax (recuperate), go shopping etc.

If you go there without an itinery you inevitably will end up missing things.

This is one holiday when you really shouldn't take it as it comes.

 

[Lisash]

On our very first trip we got the Brits Guide and following their advice made an itinerary which was invaluable. It ensures you are using your time efficiently and saves on all those 'what shall we do today?' arguments. It also helps you sort which park tickets to buy so you don't waste money on unused days. We still do one for every trip accounting for practically every day including days off although we do occasionally swap and change plans when we get there depending on the weather or how tired we are. I did our Christmas one way back in March/April and made our ADR's in June it's part of the holiday for me. It's well worth the time it won't spoil your holiday it will only add to your enjoyment

 

[UKDEB]

Actually, I think it's important to do both. I don't think this is your first trip, is it? We plan to the extreme beforehand (because that's all part of the fun), but then tend to mix things up whilst we're there. Even then, we take care to avoid the busier parks (which, in practice, means EMH). Whichever way you choose to go, it's really important to take time to stop and smell the roses, IMHO. All too soon you'll be home with just your memories.

 

[feistyblue]

Yep, I've planned each day and that includes alternate non-park days for shopping, water parks etc. I've built as much flexibility in as I can to fit with the non-flexible things - my son's birthday, Discovery Cove, Princess & Pirate party etc and built in ADR's where appropriate.

Planning is half the fun and I'm sure if you do none then you end up missing loads!

 

[Girlsontour]

PLAN!! But be flexible - i can keep up the pace but those around me flag early on in the holiday In fact after reading your thread i began to draw up a day-to-day plan (and look at my countdown ) I think if you are booking ADR's then you need some idea of where you are going to be on a certain day. Our days aren't written in stone but we try to keep to them at least 90% of the time. As someone said in a previous thread it stops any arguements about who wants to go where and when - we have had all those round the dining room table at home

Just print off a busy days list off the Brits Guide website and your park hours and the two are quite easy to work with together.

Good luck and enjoy - it is one part of the planning of the holiday that i love

 

[paulh]

the reason we do the planning is unlike spain where its beach,pool and left and right from hotel,there is much more to florida

Paulh

 

[Graeme]

I plan as soon as the flights are booked. Food mainly.

 

[disneyvillainlover]

I have been 11 times and I have never done an itinerary.

though the last two trips I have done a calender and I put on this calender every EMH, the parade times, the opening and closing times at the parks and any special days (like MVMCP)

if I book any fireworks cruises or special partys then I plot these too but apart from that we have no plan...

we then usually sit with a drink and discuss what we would like to do tomorrow... this is usually based on

1 weather
2 crowds
3 what we feel up to

I would be hard pushed to know what I want to eat for dinner that morning let alone 180 days befor!! so very few ADRs if any .. If I cant get into a disney restaurant then I will eat off site their loss imo

I think that so long as you have done lots of research then an itinerary is not esential ... jmo but i enjoy my hols this way

 

[UKDEB]

I put on this calender every EMH, the parade times, the opening and closing times at the parks and any special days (like MVMCP)

if I book any fireworks cruises or special partys then I plot these too but apart from that we have no plan...

we then usually sit with a drink and discuss what we would like to do tomorrow...

Although I always have stuff pencilled in (just because I enjoy it and it all helps with the anticipation), in practice this is what we do too and it's always worked for us. The way I see it, we're on holiday, so we shouldn't be slaves to a pre-planned itinerary. If we don't fancy doing what's on the itinerary then we do something else instead.

 

[martinrmn]

Thanks for the info everyone. Its nice to know that others plan as well as me. I've taken on board what people have said and will probably plan using a joint approach, plan a rough itinerary but change it as and when we need to. We have booked 2 character breakasts and Mickey's Christmas Party and we can spend 3 days in Disney as we are staying onsite. The rest we will take as we feel. There is one drawback - we have to sleep at some point!

 

[Miffy2003]

Actually, I think it's important to do both....... it's really important to take time to stop and smell the roses, IMHO. All too soon you'll be home with just your memories.

I so agree with this sentiment

One of my favourite memories of WDW was sitting on a bench in MGM chatting for ages with a friend while others in our party rode RnR & TOT

 

[jax100]

can i also just add, that you say you are not doing universal or ioa because your ds is only 6. in my opinion these parks for us were our best. my dd and ds at the time were 5 and 4, they loved chilling out in dr seuss land and taking in all the rides at that particular section before heading to see and meet spiderman which for ds was a huge plus at universal they loved meeting shrek and chilling out at woody's play area. i can appreciate that you have bought your disney passes already and purchasing universal ones on top is just a bit ott but it is something to consider.


that aside we always plan but plans can be changed, we base it on busy days schedule, weather and how the kids are feeling. we have never as of yet ventured to a firework display cos the kids(no scratch that we have been too tired!!!!) have been too tired to appreciate it.

we have also yet to venture to busch gardens and space kennedy.

make sure you have some rest days too or you will need a hol to recover from this hol.

 

[flortlebap]

We have planned 10 out of the 14 days, based on crowd levels, the shows we want to see, and the parks we want to do. The other 4 we will just take as they come, and do whatever we want to on the day

We don't have a tour for each park booked, though. Never do - we prefer to be spontaneous!!