Second guessing now...

[minmate]

We were in WDW last March and June (Atypical of us... prob won't go again for 18 months-2 years)... but I'M AIMING FOR A RELAXING TRIP... NON-COMMANDO! How do I do that and still feel like I'm getting the most out of my dollar? Am I there yet? HELP!!!

4/5-4/12
TUES 5:
Arrive
Enjoy resort
Dinner @ 1900 Park Fare
Watch Wishes and Elec. Parade from GF

WED 6:
Sleep in (If we can't either pool time or go to AK, AK EMHpm the nite before)
MK - 1 TO CLOSE (emh pm)
1:10 Crystal Palace Lunch

THURS 7:
Sleep in FREE TIME AM
EPCOT (4 - close emh pm)
5:30 Dinner @ LeCellier

FRI 8:
MK (8-noon ish emh am)
FREE TIME REST of Day

SAT 9:
AK (8-1ish) EMH am
PS @ Breakfastasaurus
2-5 ish FREE TIME
MK (6ish - eve mostly for Spectro and wishes only)

SUN 10:
EPCOT (9ish to 2ish)
10 Akershus Breakfast
HOP TO MGM or Back to Hotel for break until eve
MGM (4ish to close EMH pm)

MON 11:
9:30-11:30 Pirate Cruise
Noon-4 FREE TIME
MGM (4ish - Fantasmic)
5:30 H&V Fantasmic Dinner Pkg

TUES 12:
10:30 Bkfast @ Chef Mickey's
DTD
3:00 pick up -- Farewell

 

[pixie08]

I think it is a great plan..we had a similar itinereary last year andthis year plan on being as laid back as possible..here is my advice to you to make sure everything goes smoothly:

1. plan out ALL meals so there is never a question (where r we going next? what r we eating?) and so you can make PS's for ALL of them (except CS)

2. It is great to sleep in...just make sure you say OK by 3:00 we will be on bus/monorail to _____

3. Yes you will enjoy this relaxed wdw vacation but understand you will probably not see EVERYTHING pick your must see priorities and do them first, if you have time for more great!

4. last make sure to use FASTPASS....and have a awesome time!

 

[minmate]

Thanks... I better figure out some more PS's though

 

[MsSpinShady]

Wow, as a bonafide park commando, I had a panic attack just reading your itinerary! There are blocks of time in there that are not scheduled - holy camoly!!!

I think it looks like a calm, relaxed vacation. Please check in with us after you get back and let us know how it goes. We keep saying we're going to try a calm relaxed trip one of these times, but it hasn't happened yet...

Spiffin' up my running shoes for November...

MsSpinShady

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Holy camoly is right!!! Nearly fell off my granny rocker (I'm getting old, turning 40 in 4 days) when I read the words "sleep in".

We're leaving in 3 days and will be hitting the parks running (it's Spring/Easter break). Impressed that you can turn off the commando mode, and LOVE LOVE LOVE that you're sleeping in some.

Have a fabulous trip!!!!

Go Banana, Go Banana, Go Banana

 

[pezpam]

The last 2 times I went, I was with DD, who was 5 and then 6, meaning that I had to take things non-commando-style. This time, I am using the Dining Package, so I will make my PS reservations for convenience at sit-down meals and a character meal or two, but everything else comes as it comes. We'll start at a different park each of the first 4 days, but I've found that not planning too much is the key for us. We eat counter-service or snacks when we're hungry, we catch parades if we happen to be nearby, we wake up when we wake up, etc.... I do use the Fast Passes, but that's minimal planning - we pick up a FP and then find things to do nearby until our FP time comes around. I will keep track of any major things that could interfere, but patience is the key - if you know there's likely to be a long bus line at a certain time, relax and hang out until that time window has passed, for example. Noone was ever sorry they took a little time for a favorite snack or extra ride instead of waiting in line for a bus.

The biggest thing? Remembering that you can't see it all anyway, so why kill yourself trying? Any WDW vacation will be a great memory and taking it easy won't change that.

 

[MomofKatie]

I, too am really trying to de-commando myself on our next trip. But, we have always done two or three day mini-trips before, and this fall we are going for a whole week !

I know it sounds weird, but I find that I have to schedule, commando-style, relaxation time into our days. For instance, a sample day looks like this:

8:00-9:15 up and b'fast in room. Catch bus to MK.
10:00-2:00 MK
Lunch- MK CS
2:00-6:00 back at resort. Pool time, relax, etc. Get bus to Epcot.
Dinner-7:15 PS for Garden Grill
9:00- Illuminations

That way, since I have everything obsessively scheduled out, I feel honor-bound to follow the plan and can feel okay about lounging around at the resort. Otherwise, I'd feel like I was breaking my schedule.

I'm sick, I know! Honest, I'm not Type-A about anything in my life except vacation planning!

 

[minmate]

Well, I am TRYING to slow it down. Even with that I, too, feel I need to PLAN out the down-time... I promised dh I wouldn't overplan, but really what I meant was I wouldn't overschedule!

 

[sarahsmom73]

DD and I will be arriving at POP on 4/5 too!

 

[benedicttw]

The most relaxing trips we have had is when the only planning we do is the PS. We always plan one sit down meal a day and the rest is based on what we feel like doing that day. We may sleep in, we may go to the pool first thing in the morning. One trip without the DD and DS we sat in Ecopt for 3 hours just people watching. We just take a deep breath and know that we cannot do everything so what we don't do does not matter. We will do it the next trip.

Have a great time.

 

[nluvwithmickey]

I am also trying to change my commando style touring....it is very hard! But if I don't do this my kids will never want to travel with me again! We go to WDW in the HOT HOT HOT summer months and the kids find it hard to keep up with me so I promised ( OOPS ) to slow down this year and aim for the favorite attractions and shows and skip the others.

I too want to get my $$$ worth ( canadian $$$ ) so I tend to always want to do as much as I can, but the kids were so exhausted at the end of our last vacation that they did not want to hear about another WDW vacation .

So this year my itinerary will resemble yours..... I hope.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

Holy camoly is right!!! Nearly fell off my granny rocker (I'm getting old, turning 40 in 4 days) when I read the words "sleep in".

We're leaving in 3 days and will be hitting the parks running (it's Spring/Easter break). Impressed that you can turn off the commando mode, and LOVE LOVE LOVE that you're sleeping in some.

Have a fabulous trip!!!!

Go Banana, Go Banana, Go Banana

I have scheduled this years trip so we can sleep in a little bit - as in we will not be hitting EMH parks. Also we are doing 8 says at WDW this time so we can be a little more leisurely about it.

I have to admit I read the itinierary thinking...woah if they get to the parks that late fast passes will be gone for the day !!!!

 

[pezpam]

I am also trying to change my commando style touring....it is very hard! But if I don't do this my kids will never want to travel with me again! We go to WDW in the HOT HOT HOT summer months and the kids find it hard to keep up with me so I promised ( OOPS ) to slow down this year and aim for the favorite attractions and shows and skip the others.

I too want to get my $$$ worth ( canadian $$$ ) so I tend to always want to do as much as I can, but the kids were so exhausted at the end of our last vacation that they did not want to hear about another WDW vacation .

I find it helps to keep reminding myself that getting my money's worth involves getting a fun vacation and good memories. If I were to try to take my DD on a commando-raid of the parks, we'd have neither.

 

[pumpkinfish]

minmate: I think you have done a great job de-commandoing yourself, and yet getting that bang for your buck! You really are utilizing the EMH days to the fullest. This will allow you to stroll around the parks and not feel "rushed". DH and I discovered this works best after the 2nd trip. Last year we honestly didn't try to race to do everything. We didn't even ride all the rides we usually do. No Mission Space. No Indiana Jones. No Liberty Belle. This allows us not to feel "maxed out" and now we have several rides/attractions to look forward to. All we do now is plan PS, and plan our parks around those days! It's a free-for-all!!!

 

[minmate]

thanks for all the input... I too, am starting to feel like maybe we'll have trouble getting some FP's... not sure how to handle that... guess we'll just have to take things as they come and adjust if we are having trouble doing everyone's faves.

 

[pumpkinfish]

Ultimately, I think it comes down to how often you visit. I can understand the commando style if you are only able to visit once every couple of years. But since we are going at least once every year now, we have no need to rush to do EVERYTHING.