Quest for an uberorganized trip

[Disneydiversion]

My goal is to be ridiculously organized for this trip. Checklists and a well put together 3" three ring binder. I would love some ideas to help get me uberorganized.

 

[JUJU814]

My goal is to be ridiculously organized for this trip. Checklists and a well put together 3" three ring binder. I would love some ideas to help get me uberorganized.

Once you've determined which parks on which days, be sure to get all your ADR's booked.

It's great to want to be organized. Just be sure you're not so organized and commando that you drive your family crazy and have it backfire on you. You've gotta build in plenty of flexibility and down time. Ask me how I know..

 

[Disneydiversion]

Thanks JuJu! Your right about too much controlled time. I want to have room for spontaneity I just afraid I will forget something important or I could have done something more efficient and saved time and/or money. Having fun family time and vacationing as stress free as possible in WDW are the priorities.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Thanks JuJu! Your right about too much controlled time. I want to have room for spontaneity I just afraid I will forget something important or I could have done something more efficient and saved time and/or money. Having fun family time and vacationing as stress free as possible in WDW are the priorities.

Throw away the binder and do the minimal planning- dining, what park what day etc. and that is it. You will enjoy your time much better than having a lesson plan every day and so will your family.

 

[mom2meiko]

always have a plan b. for instance - i have been extremely organized by tracking everything on my laptop. i leave a week from tomorrow and as i was reviewing my packing list just now my computer completely died on me. not sure it can be revived - have never seen this happen before. so, now i have to go by everything in my head. not a good thing - my brain is crap since having children...

so definitely have a backup plan - even if that plan is just to backup your plan. lol.

 

[donaldsgirl]

It is a good idea to be organized but be prepared to throw it out the window, at least for that day if it starts going down hill. There are several websites that I go to constantly while I am planning a trip. Also depending on when your going should determine how strict you need to be to see what you want to see. First, find out what days are slowest in each park. Alot of people will go to the parks that have extra magic hours, unfortunately so does most everyone else. If you have a park-hopper go to the least crowded park and switch to the park with emh. Next, find out the schedules for the fireworks and parades and if need be, shuffle your days around to fit in the fireworks and parades that you would like to see. My husband makes fun of me figuring out which park to visit on which day. .
After that, I make everything else fit into the schedule that I have come up with. Passporter also has a really cool planner that has maps and pockets ect..but I just go get one of those accordian file/holder/divider thingies so I can keep everything together but organized. I tried a binder but it just didnt work very well for me. It wouldn't hold everything. Here are some links of the websites that I have found so helpful. Hope this helps.

www.passporter.com/wdw/webunofficial.htm
http://www.mouseplanet.com/mp/tripplanning.htm
http://www.mousesavers.com/nondisney.html
http://www.wdwinfo.com/
http://allears.net/pl/dislinks.htm
http://allears.net/tp/ohours.htm
http://allears.net/tp/emhour.htm
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/weather/whentovisit.asp

 

[MJAJmom]

If you want to be super organized, here are several threads that I've saved about planning guides that you can print out and some tips threads:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2203757
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2114031
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2173185
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2115381
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=772074
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1082988
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1742188

Happy reading!

 

[yankin]

I used to be anal retentive about organizing our Disney trips. We have taken a long break (been traveling and working around Europe) for ten years without WDW but are returning for three weeks on Nov . I guess I am mellowing in my old age and am going to take this years trip much more relaxed. We shall make some dining reservations and avoid the parks which have the early morning entry-overpalnning not only stressed me out but drives my wife nuts. I kept telling myself that I wanted my family to have this great family vacation and would plan each day out=unrealistic expectations. In the end my wife believed all the planning was a control issues-she was correct though I wont tell her that . Life is to short and I dont want to spend so much of it wishing the time away until our next (or any vacation for that manner) WDW vacation.

 

[brymolmom]

I don't do this anymore...because I know what I want to do without writing it down from going so many times...BUT, back when I was newer, I would map out specific itineraries for each park. I would put arrival time at the top and go down through the order to hit things (including when to get FP's for rides). Also included would be meal stops and ADR #'s when appropriate. I would do this all in a spreadsheet. Then, when done, I would print out the spreadsheet shrunk down to a large index card size. I would take each of them (one per day of trip) and laminate them. Then I would hole punch through one corner and put a key ring through them all. This was my bible for the trip and I carried it everywhere.

 

[brymolmom]

[/B]
Throw away the binder and do the minimal planning- dining, what park what day etc. and that is it. You will enjoy your time much better than having a lesson plan every day and so will your family.

Depends on your personality and how your family likes to vacation. NOT having a detailed plan would stress me out. I can just imagine my kids faces if when they turn to me and say 'what's next Mom?' I said 'Well...let's just stroll around for a bit and decide'. It just wouldn't work for my family! Not that we go for 12 hour days in the parks - we don't. But we have our time planned - even the rest/pool/early night times!

 

[Disneydiversion]

Thank you all for the links. tips and advice. : I love the planning part It keeps me satisfied I don't know what I would do with myself for a year without something to do. I am sooooo ADHD My family just shakes their head and rolls their eyes at me
Vicki

 

[-Hope-]

I love the planning part as well and also have a folder. I think the key is to keep your plan open enough that you don't have to march military style from one ride to the next without stopping to look at something that interests you or hug that special character that happens to be walking by. I have planned my days and have an itenerary of the order we'll do rides but it is really just a guide, when we're actually there we'll use it as a reference to ensure we're making efficient use of our time but we'll also be open to whatever comes our way.

One thing I'm really glad I found was a description of all the rides and attractions at allears. I know going in what rides, shows, etc. will fun for us so we don't wait in line for things we will ultimately not enjoy. After doing this I went to the Disney website to get the customized maps for our family. You can put in the things you want to do and they send you a free map with your family name on it. After getting the map I was able to plan our route through the park and see what attractions are close to the ones that offer fastpass so we can plan for what we'll do while waiting for our return time.

The menus on allears were really helpful too. I have some very picky eaters coming with me and I have a list of the counter service in each park that will satisfy everyone. This way when we're hungry we can choose something from the list that is close to where we are at that time and won't have to spend time going to several different places to satisfy everyone.

For us planning isn't about documenting every minute its about ensuring that we aren't wasting time on things like standing in line or wondering which way to go as well as trying to fit in everyone's picks. Without a plan I just don't think we'd have as much fun.

 

[BlueFairy]

Touring plans aside - these are some other things that have saved my sanity on "vacation" at WDW -
Print packing lists and double and triple check. Take them with you in your binder and check again as you pack to come home.
Plan outfits for each child each day and have them in baggies labelled. Pull them out the night before.
Include a laundry bag and have it in the closet. All that dirty laundry makes a mess of your room.
Have a nightly routine for how to get ready for the next day (replenish cash, re-pack the backpacks, check your ADRs, set out clothes, setup the coffee maker) and morning routine (breakfast, grab backpack, grab camera, tickets, etc) and use these as a written checklist before going to bed or heading out the door. For the last trip I did this and not once did someone have to return to the room for something we forgot. Getting everything ready the night before after the kids were in bed made mornings SO smooth.
Get up 15 or 20 minutes before you need to start getting the kids ready. Take a shower the night before so the family can sleep as long as possible without your disturbing them.

I'm sure there are other things we've done, but these made all the difference for me on the last 2 trips.

 

[AirGoofy]

To be organized, DW has taken a map and traced our route so that we ride all the rides, see all the shows, pictures with characters, meal times, etc. with the minimum amount of walking/ re-tracing our steps. Although, I still enjoy the spontaneity.

 

[Magic Mom]

[/B]
Throw away the binder and do the minimal planning- dining, what park what day etc. and that is it. You will enjoy your time much better than having a lesson plan every day and so will your family.

You family will appreciate this approach SO much more.

 

[Rylee]

Just off the top of my head...

Decide on a Budget.

• Check this site and Mousesavers for special offers.
• If using a travel agent, make sure you use someone who specializes in Disney Vacations.
• If booking yourself, make sure you have the code for any special offers and ask to have it applied.
• If booking on-line, read carefully before booking. The site automatically adds on some things you may not need or want... Hoppers, Trip Insurance, etc. Simply "un-check and update" any features you aren't interested in.

Pick your vacation dates.

• (If flexible, check hotel and flight prices, first.)

Traveling -

• Driving or Flying?
• Need a Car Rental?

Accommodations -

• On site or off? On site at a Disney Hotel offers conveniences and extra perks. Off site is usually cheaper.
• Choose your resort.

Packages or Room-Only Reservation -

• Packages require a $200 deposit and must be paid for in full 45 days before your arrival.
• Room-Only reservations require a 1 night deposit.
• If staying at a Disney Resort, decide if you want to book a package - room and tickets, with or without dining.

Tickets -

• Decide which type of Ticket your family will need.
• Will you visit 1 park per day?
• Hoppers offer flexibility, especially for dining, but Hopping also requires time, time that could be spent in the parks.
• Will you visit the Water Parks? One visit - cheaper to buy at the gate, More than one visit - cheaper to add on the Water Park option.

Dining Plans -

• If you want a Disney Dining Plan, (DP) decide which plan is best for your family - Regular, Quick Service, Deluxe.
• Read Menus, here or at Allears.
• Make Advance Dining Reservations (ADR's) 180 days in advance.

*If you aren't purchasing Hoppers - be sure to make ADR's IN or NEAR the park you are visiting that day.

*Even if you don't purchase a Dining Plan, you still need to make ADR's for any Table Service meals.

The Parks -

• Check Park Hours, Extra Magic Hours, Show and Parade times, etc.
• Decide which park you'll visit each day.
• Make a list of Must-See-And-Do attractions for your family, and try to see these attractions first thing in the morning.
• Learn about FastPasses and use them!
• Study Park Maps.

*After you've checked-off a few of your Not-To-Be-Missed attractions... RELAX! Enjoy discovering the Magic at your own pace.

Staying Organized -

• Put all important phone numbers in your cell - resort, airline, Disney Dining number, etc.
• Carry a small notebook or index cards with an itinerary for each day. Include which park you plan to visit, parade and show times, dining confirmation numbers, and your list of must-see-and-do.

Packing -

• If flying, check airline luggage requirements.
• Make a list of what you'll need, by running through your morning routine, just as if you were getting ready for the day... (toiletries, etc.)
• Buy ahead, and pack ahead.
• Do the same for clothing.
• Check weather sites, to get an idea of temperatures and the type of clothing needed.
• Remember medicine.
• Don't forget the camera!

*If using Magical Express -

• Pack anything you'll need for the first day, in a carry-on, as your luggage will arrive several hours later.

Traveling with Children -

• Will you need a stroller - bring one or rent one?
• Pack items to keep the kids busy and items of comfort... blankie, etc.
• If needed - order I.D. tags, bracelets, tattoos, etc.
• Set out their outfits the night before, so they can be getting ready while you are.

*Tip - Take a picture of your children each morning on your digital camera - You'll have a picture handy to show the CM's, and in the exact clothes they are wearing, if you should get separated.

Extras -

• Will you need extra bottled water, diapers, pop-tarts, granola bars, etc? Ship ahead or place an order with Garden Grocer.

Some other thoughts -

• Order the Disney Planning DVD.
• Ask for input from your family and listen!
• Be sure to allow time to relax and to repeat favorites.
  
  
• Be ready to toss all plans and go with the flow!

 

[Disneydiversion]

Just off the top of my head...

LOL Thanks Rylee!

 

[Rylee]

LOL Thanks Rylee!

Oops, did I get carried away?

Well, it really was off the top of my head, as I plan Disney vacations for others all the time. (Six in the last 2 years.) Also, we travel a lot, but sadly, not always for pleasure.

Anyway, even with all that, I forgot a few things.

When are you going and who is in your travel party?

We'll be there in April.

Have fun.

 

[Disneydiversion]

I have to finish playing with my signature. We are going Christmas Eve till New Years Eve 2010.
Party of four
Me (vicki)
hubby (jim)
our boys:
Logan 11 and Hayden 5

We are so excited!!

 

[JUJU814]

I have to finish playing with my signature. We are going Christmas Eve till New Years Eve 2010.
Party of four
Me (vicki)
hubby (jim)
our boys:
Logan 11 and Hayden 5

We are so excited!!

Thanks for sharing that..IMHO that makes a BIG difference because you are going during the single most busy week of the year at Disney. You'll definitely want to be as organized as possible..but still build in a little flexibility.