The *Official* February 2011 Thread - Happy Dance Time...The Park Hours Are Out!

[scrappinmom]

My DH still refuses to talk about the trip with me. When it was time to make ADRs about 140 days ago, he told me in no uncertain terms that he wasn't going to talk about where and when and what we'd be eating 6 months from now. So I laid off for a few months and didn't bring anything up. Now the other day I thought *surely* he would be interested in looking over my 3-ring-binder with separate sections for hotel info, dining info, park info, etc. etc. And he said no. I asked when he would be excited about the trip and/or want to hear about our plans and he said on the plane, lol. Every time he sees me with my binder he tells me I'm nuts. He's such a party pooper.

Thats my DH!! We are about 30 days out, and I try to talk what parks and ride does he really want to do, and I get stonewalled.

ummm, that's why I leave my dh AT HOME

Then your husband would truly think I'm nuts... lol. But when I'm organized, and my available data is organized, I feel so much more relaxed!! I have color-coded spreadsheets for packing, for park hours and EMH times, for crowd levels, and for dining plan credits. Then there's the phone apps for shopping lists, to-do-list, flight trackers.... lol. And my wonderful, indispensible PassPorter is never more than a few feet away! Hey, my life is way busy -- without all my lists and charts, I'd end up at WDW with no underwear, all the lights left on at home, and probably on the wrong flight.

The funny thing is, I'm only this OCD when it comes to travel! My house is definitely *not* organized.

Wanna share? I'd love to see your sheets

 

[DLB]

Mickey mail arrived today!!!! Wahoo!

 

[Shunasee]

Chris - DH enjoys being there, but not the planning bit of it all. Whereas, I ADORE the planning bit of it all.

As a matter of fact, I was checking out the indvidual park schedules today (show wise) and was quite disappointed that it does not look like FOTHLK/FNTM or Beauty and the Beast are showing on the days we will be in those parks. I will have to investigate more.

We didn't see any shows in July, to hot and crowded, and our DHS day, i ended up sick as a dog and we call it a short day, so I could go back to POFQ to and rest.

I was hoping to see Beauty and the Beast, at the very least.

 

[DiSnEyLvR76]

Ticker check...

 

[lamb616]

Chris - DH enjoys being there, but not the planning bit of it all. Whereas, I ADORE the planning bit of it all.

As a matter of fact, I was checking out the indvidual park schedules today (show wise) and was quite disappointed that it does not look like FOTHLK/FNTM or Beauty and the Beast are showing on the days we will be in those parks. I will have to investigate more.

We didn't see any shows in July, to hot and crowded, and our DHS day, i ended up sick as a dog and we call it a short day, so I could go back to POFQ to and rest.

I was hoping to see Beauty and the Beast, at the very least.

Beauty & the Beast show at HS? They don't have it every day? What schedule are you looking at?
What's the other show you're talking about?

 

[scrappinmom]

Beauty & the Beast show at HS? They don't have it every day? What schedule are you looking at?
What's the other show you're talking about?

That's what I was thinking...isn;t Beauty & The beast and Festival of the Lion King shown every day????

 

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

UGH- where is my Mickey Mail?? I have my ME Stuff- but not my luggage tags, etc. I am getting impatient. PLLLLEEEEEEASE come tomorrow- then I can stop freaking lol

I need to stop looking at my days vs. crowd calendars vs. ADRs- I am pretty sure I am addicted to perfecting my touring plans- I seriously dream about my sequence of rides, times, FP running, etc.

 

[srauchbauer]

That's what I was thinking...isn;t Beauty & The beast and Festival of the Lion King shown every day????

Is there a place to find out what time shows are the entire week that we are in DWD DHS does not show B&B playing anywhere or at anytime.

So wondering about other parks and show times.

 

[Lil Bo Peep]

Where do you see these crowd calendars? I would like to take a look, may not be a good idea, kind of like an accident, you shouldn't look but you can't help yourself you know.

 

[DLB]

UGH- where is my Mickey Mail?? I have my ME Stuff- but not my luggage tags, etc. I am getting impatient. PLLLLEEEEEEASE come tomorrow- then I can stop freaking lol
I need to stop looking at my days vs. crowd calendars vs. ADRs- I am pretty sure I am addicted to
perfecting my touring plans- I
seriously dream about my sequence of rides, times, FP running, etc.

I swear we are the same person! I hate the unknown and I always second guess myself! DH has banned me from changing our ADR's anymore. LOL!!! With being on bed rest for the past week and a half I am scouring the boards and making myself nuts! I am really worried about my knee and fear that I will be in a wheelchair for our trip I know that it isn't the end of the world abc I am sure that we will still have a blast... It just isn't what I was expecting. Ok enough about that.

Allison- I am sure it will come tomorrow! It really made it real when I saw the official Mickey mail!!! 23 days and counting!!!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I was watching the mail like a madwoman for my luggage tags and ME stuff. Then I finally decided to upgrade to CSR from POP and while I was on the phone with Disney...my dh brought the mail in and my ME stuff had come for POP. LOL Now, I am back to waiting it out.

 

[Gina]

Wanna share? I'd love to see your sheets

Sure thing! I have the most updated copies at work, though, so I'll have to post links tomorrow.

 

[scrappinmom]

UGH- where is my Mickey Mail?? I have my ME Stuff- but not my luggage tags, etc. I am getting impatient. PLLLLEEEEEEASE come tomorrow- then I can stop freaking lol

I need to stop looking at my days vs. crowd calendars vs. ADRs- I am pretty sure I am addicted to perfecting my touring plans- I seriously dream about my sequence of rides, times, FP running, etc.

I just spent about 2 hours pouring over Ridemax plans...& re-doing & redoing again........Not sure what I'm going to do...We almost always avoid morning EMH parks.....but I kinda like evening EMH especially at MK.....& I had planned around it....but now maybe......

Is there a place to find out what time shows are the entire week that we are in DWD DHS does not show B&B playing anywhere or at anytime.

So wondering about other parks and show times.

I think the only shows that are day specific are Main Street Electrical Parade/Wishes and Fantasmic. Everything else runs everyday - you'd have to look at a current "times" guide to get the exact times...but you could narrow it down to say Beauty & the Beast at the 11amish show...does that make sense?

Sure thing! I have the most updated copies at work, though, so I'll have to post links tomorrow.

I'll probably end up redoing my charts & copying yours! hahah - since I'm done moving around ADR's (I think)...& can't really pack yet...I NEED something to do

 

[Gina]

I just spent about 2 hours pouring over Ridemax plans...& re-doing & redoing again........Not sure what I'm going to do...We almost always avoid morning EMH parks.....but I kinda like evening EMH especially at MK.....& I had planned around it....but now maybe......

Evening EMH at MK is one of the absolute biggest things DS & I look forward to. Nothing like riding Buzz over and over and SM over and over and just enjoying the late evening there, soaking up the little details that Disney does so well. One of my favorite memories was just sitting on a bench in Frontierland late at night, the park almost deserted, watching the flickering lanterns and listening to that awesome background music.

Unfortunately, I am steeling myself for somewhat bigger crowds during the one evening EMH at MK during our stay (the 13th) since the cheerleaders will likely head there that night. But there's not a million of them, and maybe they'll all have to get up early the next day and not be able to stay out late the night before. That's what I'm hoping, at least.

I'll probably end up redoing my charts & copying yours! hahah - since I'm done moving around ADR's (I think)...& can't really pack yet...I NEED something to do

LOL!! I doubt mine would help you much... We don't do AK, only do DHS for one morning, only doing one table service meal, and tend to bug out before things like Wishes/Illuminations/parades in general. Did I mention how much I hate crowds?? lol I like Wishes from either the Dessert Party or the Poly beach, and I've seen Illuminations enough times. It's not worth those insane crowds all leaving Epcot at the same time.

My main daily-planner chart is still mostly in pencil, because I keep tweaking it.

 

[gamomfromsc]

Sure thing! I have the most updated copies at work, though, so I'll have to post links tomorrow.

Ohhhh....I would LOVE to see those sheets, too! I do not use excel...at all! I want a plan...laid out...for our trip in 33 days!!!!

 

[mccarts]

I agree the Free dining Plan is great. But I am a DVC member and we don't even get a DISCOUNT on the plan. I know some of you are going to say I have the benefit of going every year. But I have paid a lot of money for this and pay monthly dues.

 

[srauchbauer]

Been doing a little bit of reading this morning and have noticed a lot of posts on "how to get about" is that another part I have to plan is how to get from resort to park and from park to park (if we decide on park hopper). Ugg way to much to rememeber.

 

[eeyoreland]

I really need to start playing with Ridemax and getting things nailed down. DH and DD think I'm nuts and just don't understand the planning. They really think you can just walk into any park on any given day and go on whatever ride you want. We have been fortunate in that crowds haven't been insane during our visits, but I still think it helps to have a good touring plan. I'm not even asking them anything this time. I'm just plugging the stuff into Ridemax that we usually do and that will be that! Once we complete what I have for the day, we can do whatever else they want. I did ask DH about dining and I made only two TS reservations. We aren't big TS people, but like to do at least a couple. DD is 16 and as much as she loves Eeyore, we aren't doing any character meals nor did we last year. She really likes Mary Poppins so I should check into that character meal just for kicks. I just hate to take time out of the rides for eating. We will be at WDW for 6 full days, half a day on arrival day and most of departure day (flight at 6:30 PM). One day we will go to the Gulf and we're doing IOA another day. That leaves us 4 full days, one half day and one almost full day. We've been many times so we don't need to see everything, but I'm still in a panic (as I always am) about not having enought time and I haven't factored in any DTD time or swimming (hopefully) time. We're also doing a split stay so that will kind of cut into one day. Based on past trips, I'm sure we'll have time to slip other stuff in, and if we can only do our favorite rides twice instead of three of four times, so be it, right? It's just that sometimes I start to feel greedy and I know I should just consider myself blessed that we've been as many times as we have. Last February's trip was SO cold (even for us Wisconsinites). DD and I weren't prepared and that put a little bit of a damper on things. This year we will be better prepared so we can stay out later at night and be warm.

 

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

Mccarts- that stinks about the dining plan for DVC members!

Srauchbauer- YES! Try to figure out how you are getting where in advance. We have a dinner planned for Boma right after AK closes- We could take the first park bus that comes to AKL to whatever park, and then get off the bus, and go to the Pop bus stop- wait for that bus to come, etc..... TIME consuming and annoying with two kids- instead we are going to suck up the $20 or whatever and just take a taxi from AKL directly to Pop.

Where is my mailman? I need my mickey mail!

Winter storm coming- 2-4 inches this afternoon, 4-6 inches overnight, and 4-6 inches more on top of all that tomorrow- No biggie here- and schools will probably not be cancelled unless driving conditions are bad tomorrow morning. I am hoping that Mr. Snow Machine gets all the snow over with now, so come February 2nd the airport has no issues!!!

 

[Gina]

Ok, hopefully this works! These are viewable at the ThinkFree site -- I *love* this free service, use it all the time. Has an app for my phone too (Android) so I can view and upload/download files to and from there and my online ThinkFree workspace.

Anyways, this is the chart I made to help me plan out my days -- it has the most current per-park and overall predicted crowd levels, and EMH days:

http://member.thinkfree.com/myoffice/show.se?f=62b839f975deaaa145dd4c71d74f98eb



And this is my main daily planner chart that I made using the above. The holes in the schedule are on purpose, as DS & I like to decide on the fly what we want to revisit.

http://member.thinkfree.com/myoffice/show.se?f=69f9309d0dbc179d8d06be71e6de9285


I have individual touring plans printed out from the TP site, as we have found those very useful. I have my packing list too, but I'm pretty sure y'all know what to pack already.

Please let me know if you have any problems with the links!