The Joy of Planning

[River Country]

I am going to go on a bit of a rant here and please if a MOD thinks this should be moved by all means move it.

I am in beginning stages of planning a super WDW 10 day trip with 5 people, I am a PAP holder, DVC member and a lifelong fan of all things Disney. We are planning MNSSHP on Halloween, the first MVMCP, Food and Wine festival, etc.. I know it has been said in the past about people that say to us fans "how can you go to the same place year after year?" my response is always how many islands can you go to or how many times can you go to the Jersey Shore...well I love the shore too and go all the time but its not WDW.

Part of my vacation is the planning. I don't plan every detail, but there has to be organization to a point. well Organized chaos anyway. But I love planning the ADR's and the FP+ well I wish there were more of them per day and able to park hop but it will come I am sure...

Disney is not for everyone some people do not enjoy planning but I do makes me feel like I am part of the magic way before I even get there. Anyway that's my HUMPDAY message.

Everyone have a Magical Day

 

[Hopefully]

I feel the same way as you do about planning. Some trips I actually wonder if the trip itself is a bit of a let down after all the fun I had for months of planning.
We are DVC members and usually book our home resort 11 months in advance. So I nearly always have some trip in the making.
I am glad I am not the only one to enjoy this phase so much!!

 

[Mikie]

I don't think I'd ever answer the question "what was your favorite part of the vacation?" With "the planning!" But if I'm honest, the anticipation and learning about a new restaurant to try, new (to me) attractions, new (to me) resort as I await my trip certainly add to the overall fun. I Have enjoyed and been rejuvenated by beach vacations when we rented a house with a view and just took it easy, but destinations like Disney where I spent planning time learning about new adventures and figuring out how to get the most fun out of our time sure added something to my overall enjoyment.

 

[kj2mom]

Planning is a huge part of the fun for me, really I feel like I learn something new every day (Yesterday's was about the Mickey pants sundaes at The Plaza where we already have an ADR for our twin friends' 13th bday. How cool will it be when I ask to order that for a fun dessert?). I do have a huge let down when the planning is over but I try to channel it by helping others based on our experiences whenever possible.

 

[GillianP1301]

I'm definitely in the planning is fun camp. I love planning in general, but when it comes to my Disney vacations it's even more fun for me. I love coming up with daily itineraries and imaging how a day will unfold. I tend to put together full hour by hour plans, sometimes a few versions, just for the fun of it. I hardly ever follow them once I'm there, to be honest. My ADR & FP times are solid and everything in between just becomes more of a guide for me than anything else. If I come across an attraction on my plan that is either down or wait time is longer than expected, I can easily adjust. I think all the planning and research make the on the fly adjustments way easier to handle and eliminates any stress for me.

 

[River Country]

...and all the planning makes it easier to change the plan on the fly cause we usually have a plan B, C, D , E and F.

 

[MrsHull]

...and all the planning makes it easier to change the plan on the fly cause we usually have a plan B, C, D , E and F.

Yeeeepppp. You can never spend too much time making up new plans.

 

[Hokie2000]

I would say that as much as I love the planning I enjoy the trip more, however the planning stage lasts much, much longer!

 

[Ambear]

I know it has been said in the past about people that say to us fans "how can you go to the same place year after year?" my response is always how many islands can you go to or how many times can you go to the Jersey Shore...well I love the shore too and go all the time but its not WDW.

Hahaha yes! I was originally planning a Chicago vacation this April, but after looking at the cost I'm like, why not go to Disney World instead! It cost the same. Then my friends were like, "you ALWAYS go there." And they always go to cape cod! Same thing.

 

[Frozen2014]

I feel the same as you and loved the planning for Disney. Last October was our first trip and it kept me "busy" while waiting paitently 9 months from the time we booked to the time we travelled. It first started with ADRs, then the rides and FP+. For this reason too, I am one that loves the new FP+.
Our next trip is a cruise (RCL, not DCL) but we are going on a ship where you have to book the shows and dinner times. Plus there is the planning of ports, activities, etc. Not quite as extensive as a Disney World trip, but I love the fact that there is stuff trip related to do before (and our trip is a year away). My DH actually joked that whenever we go on vacation, we'll have to somewhere that requires planning to keep me happy.
Have an amazing vacation. Disney World will be our next trip after our cruise (or so I hope).

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

The planning is one of my favorite parts. I almost feel a little let down when I am planning for places where there is very little to plan. If I had to choose a new career today, I might be a Disney travel agent.

My problem is that once I book, I want the trip to come pretty quickly. I often book after the 180 window, though that had no impact this trip - I still got all the ADRs I wanted.

 

[disneydarling07]

My in-laws give us a hard time about going to Disney all the time too. They need to mind their own business. It's not like they are paying for it!
We choose to go to Disney all the time because my son is still a little guy!! He would not enjoy historical sightseeing! We do however, have a huge bucket list to attack as soon as we feel he is old enough to enjoy it all. But whatever...I dont judge them on what they do for vacation....don't judge me. I'm tired of biting my tongue around them.
The latest comments made were to my daughter. When one of the kids turns 18, one of the SIL's takes them on a trip of their choice...anywhere they want to go...EXCEPT Florida! Becuase we have been there too many times. Apparently she forgot that there is much more to Florida outside of Disney. So much for letting the kid make their own choice. She is only 13, but she has chosen NOT to go on a trip with her at all.

 

[Stuart Ward]

As we are coming over from the UK, and its my 5 year old nephew's first time, we have made a huge deal out of the planning, having a few family nights, where we all set aside the night, order in some takeaway, put the lion king on the TV and go through the parks one by one, seeing what rides he can go on, planning what days we are going to go to each park.

He has absolutely loved each one of these, and it has definitely helped to raise his excitement levels!

 

[disneydarling07]

AND...they feel that all my planning ruins the whole trip. They have never vacationed with us, so they dont know how it works with me. Yes, I do plan obsessively,but I also know that there has to be room for adjustlments and spontaneity. If my planning ruins so many trips, why is this the 3rd time a friend and his family has requested that we all travel together and I can make all the decisions and plans?? It works so well, they dont even realize I have everything scheduled for them...lol

 

[monica9]

I agree. There's only so many things you can do on an island or Jershey shore so stop bothering me about going to Disney every year. There's way more to do in WDW than on a beach and with one child, the beach isn't too exciting!
I love the planning part. It is one of my favorite parts of the vacation. I write and re write and type and re type our itenarary over and over again. Love it!