The Official Planning Notebook Thread

[rwrocksme]

I have heard a lot around here lately about making a planning notebook for your trip. So, I decided to create the ultimate guide to making one of these "handy dandy notebooks" (apologies to old-school Nick Jr). I have found them so helpful, and thought that I could share what I know.

Chapter 1: Why A Planning Notebook?

You may be wondering, why should I make a planning notebook (PN)? Here are a few reasons why PNs are great:

• It keeps all of your info in one place
• They are very easy to keep organized
• They are portable, so you can take them to the parks with you
• They are a great reference for future trips
• They are totally fun!

Check back for content ideas and more!

 

[DISNEYJAZZ]

I sign me up ....i am planning to make one and would love some inspiration! can't wait to see what you got in store! i've been saving info from this board and will amke my notebook and write/print the info after the holidays when things calm down a bit... then we will really get down to the heavy duty planning and final count down....

 

[AMaloy314]

I would never want to discourage someone from having fun planning a Disney vacation, but I think this may have already been done.

I eat, drink, sleep, and breathe my Deluxe PassPorter before my trips. I can't imagine any notebook having more that it does in the way of organization, information, and flexibility.

If you enjoy making something from scratch, you will have a blast making your own planning notebook. After all, what can be better than spending hours obsessing over details of a WDW trip? (DH was looking over my shoulder and yelled, "I knew you thought that way!". I've been denying it publicly for years!) I wish that I had the time to do that, but for me, my PassPorter fills the bill.

Have fun!

 

[DISNEYJAZZ]

AMaloy where do you get a pasporter? price? and can you gussie it up to look all cute nd scrapbooky....i am traveling with my 2 oldest grandkids this trip and will in the next few years take on the world as they say with the next 2 'sets' of grands as each set gets older...but i wanna 'do' cool things that are like no one else's and add to my magic and thiers...lol...i'm not frufru in my real life but wanna be frufru at disney...lol....thanks for any info...i have read about the pasporter but not info on the where's and how much?

rwrocksme....i can't wait fro your next installment ....princess hugs and pirate arrgghhsss....

 

[Kim1964]

It's funny to come across this thread today. I booked our 2008 WDW trip yesterday and I decided to make my own planning notebook, too. When I got the email confirmations, I printed them and put them in a 3 ring binder.

I have a Passporter that I used for our 2007 trip and I liked it, but I am doing this notebook just to have fun with it. I'll still refer to my Passporter, but I want to create my own pockets and tip sheets. I have to do something to amuse myself until it's time for the actual trip.

 

[AMaloy314]

AMaloy where do you get a pasporter? price? and can you gussie it up to look all cute nd scrapbooky

Here is the web site for the Deluxe 2008 starter kit. http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710501.aspx It is in preorder right now and expected to start delivery on Nov 15. You can see there that the price depends on the coupon code that you use. The best deal is using the coupon from the PassPorter Club. You can join it for a month for $4.95 and get the $8+ discount, plus you get to download all their e-books and <Best of all!!> the interactive worksheets.

As far as making it scrapbooky, it is a 6 ring binder, so you can add whatever pages or remove pages as you would like. The binder is a very nice brown leather(ette?) and I've used the Disney 'Wallies' to decorate mine. BTW, the binder is a one time purchase, at least for most of us. You can always just reorder the annual refills as needed for a much lower price.

The PassPockets are wonderful for scrapbookers. You can store all receipts, notes, other small souvie things like napkins, mini menus, etc.

Can you tell I am completely hooked on this book?

 

[AMaloy314]

I have a Passporter that I used for our 2007 trip and I liked it, but I am doing this notebook just to have fun with it. I'll still refer to my Passporter, but I want to create my own pockets and tip sheets. I have to do something to amuse myself until it's time for the actual trip.

Kim,

I am curious about what you are doing with your personal notebook that PassPorter doesn't do. I'm a bit excited to think that there may be more to do to while I'm planning for my trip. Everything that I've done from packing lists to tentative touring plans, fits inside the PassPorter. Please give me some more ideas!!!

 

[DISNEYJAZZ]

vi can't wait to check out the passporter site...may have to get with dd & ddil { ddil,ds,dgs#2 & dgd#5 are going in feb.] and see about us getting it together to share...we will get lots of use from it hopefully since planning triop in *08,*09,*10 so we go with each set of grands as they get to the ages of 3 & 5! thanks for the link and i can't wait to hear what ohters are doing in the way of planning notebooks.i have even gotten the disney bug into my boss and friends at work.boss talking about taking her dgs's and she even picked me up a tink watch for dgd to give her as one of her 'tink magic' gifts on the trip...and friend at work tells me when she see's disney stuff { christams cards at the dollar tree! 10 to a box,tink and pooh one's,got tink for granddaughter to give to teachers at school and baton teachers/squad.and grandson got pooh to give to his teacher's and classmates } oh and friend got me a big wooden m'm' for micky/minnie so i can do some sorta crafty collage with it after the trip! so this magic is cathing!

 

[Kim1964]

Kim,

I am curious about what you are doing with your personal notebook that PassPorter doesn't do. I'm a bit excited to think that there may be more to do to while I'm planning for my trip. Everything that I've done from packing lists to tentative touring plans, fits inside the PassPorter. Please give me some more ideas!!!

The Passporter I have is the spiral bound book, not the binder style. I'm making my own book so I can 3 hole punch things that I print on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and put them in the book. The pockets on my Passporter held everything, but I had to fold most of my stuff and put it in the pockets.

I also want to have plenty of blank pages for journaling about our trip. I like to sit out on the balcony at the hotel and have a cup of coffee in the morning while I write about the previous day. I scrapbook, but not fast, so I really need good notes about the trip so that when I finally get to scrapping that day, I know what we did. An 8 1/2 x 11 binder would be cumbersome to carry in the parks, but I don't carry it with me. I take the Passporter map for the park we are visiting, but leave the rest of the book in the room.

I have most of the supplies I need to make this notebook already because I scrapbook. In addition, we always have extra binders kicking around, so I didn't have to buy one. Part of the reason I am making my own book is to save money toward the trip. My 2007 Passporter maps are still in great shape, and when I need/want more current Disney information, I have the DISboards as a great resource .

 

[duffy]

I have my own notebook that I keep jotting things down on during free moments at work, but I use my computer for most of my info. As I read the threads devoted to the hotels we're staying at, (the Wilderness Lodge and the Dolphin) I copy and paste important bits onto a Word document.

I plan to eventually edit the document to have different categories, and split into different files. I will copy each file onto my phone, a Treo 650.

I also plan to make tiny copies of the most important stuff, like dinner confirmation nos., park hours, daily schedules, phone nos. etc., laminating and punching holes in them to attach to a key ring on my bag. I don't want to carry a notebook to the parks!

 

[Shmu]

Count me in. Nice to know I'm not the only fanatic out there. Planning actually relaxes me. It gives my brain something positive to think about instead of the hassles of owning our own business and the demands of homeschooling our two teens. Hello my new friends. I have started a PN. I can't wait to learn some new ideas. I'll try to share some also. I'm already planning our 2008 trip and we just returned from WDW a few weeks ago. Figured our mistakes are fresh in my mind so I want to do better next time. I am LOVING DISboards.

 

[erinstar]

Would love to see the next chapter of this... Hope you haven't forgotten OP.

 

[Aliceacc]

Over the summer, Staples had binders on sale--4 for $3 I think. I bought a bunch for the family (3 kids and 2 teachers.)

One of the red ones has become my planning notebook.

It has lots of the tips I've printed up from here, info on the meal plan, my tentative ADR's, the work I've done lately on finding a decent airfare, info on the Photopass, ideas about gardengrocer/wegoshop and anything else that occurs to me.

I like the idea of a binder because I can add something new into a particular section. (It's very loosely organized-- all the flight info together, all the food info together...)

 

[CU82]

Origanization Junkie (and 1st time trip as a grown up) checking in for this one.

 

[kimsuenew]

I did this for our 2007 trip and am in the process for our 2008 trip. I did not use a binder, notebook, or folder, instead I bought a large box of heavy duty sheet protectors from Sam's Club and the metal rings from the office supply store to make mine. I just slip the sheets in in the order I want. Some are staying this year from last, many papers were slid out as they only pertained to last year, and more will be added as I print them or complete them. I like this because it is easy to transport and I can easily place it in my bag when I go to the park. It is nice because I removed the ones I did not need for the day and replaced/switched daily as needed!

 

[hddanis]

I also have a deluxe passporter. Anything that isn't included or they haven't created an ebook/worksheet for I ust print out on a half size sheet of paper, hole punch it and add it in myslef. Love the pockets! I also print off pages from my spreadsheet and put them in there. Last year I figured out how to print off the menus from allearsnet.com onto small enough pages to fit so they went in there too. It turned out great.

I do wind up taking out all the info I don't need before we leave on the trip. I take the Passporter with us, but leave it in the room. I take the maps (love the maps so much better than the ones they hand out in the parks) and that days passpocket and slip them into my bag.

Love the idea of using the Wallies to decorate. Going to look for some now!