The unneccessary planning and scheduling

[surferdave]

Planning to the minute rocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZXITCwBdJQ

 

[Postal68]

If FP+ means what I fear then.... I will just quit going. No, I don't want to plan all rides and meals 6 months out. .

Exactly!!

If Disney is going to make me plan and schedule everything 6 months in advance I will simply stop giving them my money. I have seen it plenty of times, I enjoy it, but I don't NEED it

 

[cwehrstedt]

Lol I have read through most.. And for all the touring plan people (I know you are out there), we have all see a spread sheet like above... And have really LOVED making it.


My first 2 disney trips we had no plan.. And I was miserable, especially when we went with our 2 and 4 year old. Now, I plan all year... Yes all year, and we always have a blast. We have toured in the rain, cold and schedule thrown out the window, but having a good plan, really helps.

I am pretty much break down to the
day, breakfast, morning, lunch, afternoon, dinner and evening... And will even throw fast pass order and ADR in the mix!

 

[Pmctn]

Wow! My coworkers teased me because I made a rough itinerary spreadsheet for DD and my trip to Minneapolis (we pre-bought tickets for certain times/days for our 4-day trip, and I was having trouble keeping track of it all). My famous whiteboard calander on my fridge at home isn't even this detailed, and I write EVERYTHING on that (color-coded, even! LOL)

If I showed anybody I know this, they would laugh at me.

I don't think you are wrong for doing it....I really have no opinion. But I can see how some people might think that this is an example of "over-planning".

Yeah, I know there will be people who lol at my "over planning". We don't care though. It works for us. They'll laugh at our matching tie dye mickey head shirts too.

 

[Squidgyness]

Exactly!!

If Disney is going to make me plan and schedule everything 6 months in advance I will simply stop giving them my money. I have seen it plenty of times, I enjoy it, but I don't NEED it

I wish I could but I still want to see some of the non ride or table service things at disney one last time, plus there is the new stuff at the other parks.

Unfortunately we come from across the pond so to speak so there isn't really much chance of a week long trip just for the other parks in Orlando... So two weeks at them all it is. I'm actually a prime candidate for planning when I think about it. Come from a long way away, spend lots of money, don't go so often... I should be planning detailed itineraries to get the most from my trip.

However, the unsuitability of tickets here in the uk vs at the gate in America, my picky eating and our families lack of desire to do sit down meals plus a hybrid research in advance/laid back when we get there approach means we don't plan. So I'm not too sure how much truth there is on less frequent visitors/visitors from further away needing a plan (though many no doubt want one, and good luck to them I say! ). The only time we came unstuck was because of my parents lack of, frankly, common sense at attending a timeshare presentation. Never had an issue otherwise.

 

[MichiganDVC]

It was the calling people insane and crazy for planning the way they do that caused people to be defensive. That is not discussing something. That is making fun of it and being rude. It was 100% uncalled for and unneeded.

It would have been different if the OP had simply said they do not understand why some people plan that much since they prefer otherwise. Then they could have asked why some people do it. The wording of a post is very important to give a "feel" to it.

I got to this post after the "insane" part was already edited out of the OP's post.

 

[MichiganDVC]

It was the calling people insane and crazy for planning the way they do that caused people to be defensive. That is not discussing something. That is making fun of it and being rude. It was 100% uncalled for and unneeded.

It would have been different if the OP had simply said they do not understand why some people plan that much since they prefer otherwise. Then they could have asked why some people do it. The wording of a post is very important to give a "feel" to it.

But while we are playing the semantics game, in your opinion is there a difference between calling a person insane and calling what they do insane?

I find that many people on these boards feel that if their opinion is being questioned, that they are being personally attacked....

 

[Postal68]

I am the original poster. My post was not intended to "Troll" or to make fun of attack anyone as an individual. I was using the one person's plan as an example of what I thought was "Insane" after a few replies in the first few minutes I realized my wording of "insane" was too much and I noted it and said I went back to edit the original post. I didn't mean to call any individual "insane" but I meant that the compulsive scheduling seemed "insane" to me

I'll admit I plan, but I don't go crazy. My plan basically involves
1- Do I have any ADRs for a particular night
2- I use Easy WDW for what day we will go to what park

But that's it. I don't worry about rope drops or when I have to get a fast pass. If we don't get a fast pass or the stand by is too long, we do something else. Now I understand we have this luxury because we have visited plenty of times.

I understand if you or someone in your party have a special needs, sometimes it is necessary to plan

I don't see Disney as a place that should be stormed through like a military operation. There is so much to see and do. So many times to take a step back and just enjoy the sights and smells around you. One of my favorite things is to just people watch, or meet people from all over the country and world.

I'm glad to see there are many that understood my point and see it from my perspective, but for those who are attack planners I apologize if I offended you.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I don't see Disney as a place that should be stormed through like a military operation. .

Right, that's exactly it. Those who come in here and say "oh, my kids love it"... that's because they were never exposed to doing it differently, maybe, or are scheduled like that at home, too. I don't think it's insane to plan like that, but it's not my style.

 

[rharper1496]

I don't get it. I saw one woman who had their schedule set to the minute that they are going to get in line for Dumbo and how long it will take them to get on the ride and off(like that is really going to happen) I don't understand why people can't just enjoy it as it comes.

In fairness to that poster she was pretty clear that she knew it might not work out that way and they might have to skip that second ride on Dumbo. Her concern was more that if it did work out they'd be cutting pretty close to the party time and wasn't sure they would be allowed to stay to ride. It really didn't have anything to do with touring plans at all other than the fact that TP gave her 6:47 as an estimated time and she wasn't sure what party night policy was.

 

[SLK1]

This thread is cracking me up. You can tell the planners from the non-planners!

 

[luv2sleep]

This thread is cracking me up. You can tell the planners from the non-planners!

Lol, yes!

All that planning puts me in mini panic attack mode but for other people not planning would do the same!

 

[Squidgyness]

I think the mix of people makes things... Interesting. Who wants a forum where everyone agrees?

 

[bumbershoot]

This thread is cracking me up. You can tell the planners from the non-planners!

Of course you can. But as I mentioned, there are a lot of "non planners" who have been going to WDW for decades.

I can figure out things to do in my town and do them pretty efficiently, while a visitor or new resident is going to have to work harder to do the *exact same things*. I look at posts in the Cruise forum about what to do in Vancouver BC and everyone's so stressed about it, and to me, Vancouver is just about the easiest city in the world. It's not a big deal at all for me to do MORE than what many are planning to do. But they haven't been there, and I have, many times, since I was 18. If I called their plans insane or unnecessary, that would be awful of me. It IS a big deal for them, even though it isn't for me, because they haven't been going there for decades.

 

[CapeCodMouse]

I say all things in moderation. I found the 1st time we went I did a LOT of planning because I was new and I wanted the trip to be magical and it was!
The next few times, I did less and less planning, with the exception of ADRS and which park on which day. I don't necessarily "plan" getting fastpasses at certain times, I just follow the general ideas that have always been on this board about getting certain ones and not "criss-crossing" the park too much.
The last trip we went on last year we basically had no plan except dining reservations. It was wonderful! We sauntered through the parks, did what we wanted to do, and my 12 year old never once said "I didn't get to go on this ride" or "that ride".
I am not and never will be commando. I admire the people that are and leave them to the ultra level of planning that they do. If it works for them, who am I to judge.

 

[Squidgyness]

Of course you can. But as I mentioned, there are a lot of "non planners" who have been going to WDW for decades.

I can figure out things to do in my town and do them pretty efficiently, while a visitor or new resident is going to have to work harder to do the *exact same things*. I look at posts in the Cruise forum about what to do in Vancouver BC and everyone's so stressed about it, and to me, Vancouver is just about the easiest city in the world. It's not a big deal at all for me to do MORE than what many are planning to do. But they haven't been there, and I have, many times, since I was 18. If I called their plans insane or unnecessary, that would be awful of me. It IS a big deal for them, even though it isn't for me, because they haven't been going there for decades.

You don't necessarily have to work all that much harder though, even if you are a first time visitor. When I was going to Malta I had only limited knowledge, so I sat down on google earth and started looking up places to visit on the net and looking up where they were. One hour later, and I was armed with a list of what options we had in the vicinity of our hotel and an adequate overview of each. No planning, no appointments or reservations, no timetable. Just good old fashioned knowledge in the noggin. Granted that one hour was an hour extra that natives didn't have to do, but its not exactly a timetable is it? When we got there we just picked randomly from the list depending on what we wanted to do and what my knowledge suggested on the day.

Of course WDW might need a little more time (perhaps three to four hours I would estimate) to get a very reasonable overview of the rides and locations in the parks, and the dining choices. These days its all there in a few links, but even when we first went we got some maps, made some common sense observations and we were off.

I get that at least a little extra work is needed for the first time guest, I do, and if you want a plan that is fine, but that extra work doesn't have to be in the form of a plan. It might just be as simple as some googling, knowing where things are and what you like the look of.

 

[luv2sleep]

This thread is cracking me up. You can tell the planners from the non-planners!

Lol, yes!

All that planning puts me in mini panic attack mode but for other people not planning would do the same!

 

[ILUVALASKA]

I am the original poster. My post was not intended to "Troll" or to make fun of attack anyone as an individual. I was using the one person's plan as an example of what I thought was "Insane" after a few replies in the first few minutes I realized my wording of "insane" was too much and I noted it and said I went back to edit the original post. I didn't mean to call any individual "insane" but I meant that the compulsive scheduling seemed "insane" to me

I'll admit I plan, but I don't go crazy. My plan basically involves
1- Do I have any ADRs for a particular night
2- I use Easy WDW for what day we will go to what park

But that's it. I don't worry about rope drops or when I have to get a fast pass. If we don't get a fast pass or the stand by is too long, we do something else. Now I understand we have this luxury because we have visited plenty of times.

I understand if you or someone in your party have a special needs, sometimes it is necessary to plan

I don't see Disney as a place that should be stormed through like a military operation. There is so much to see and do. So many times to take a step back and just enjoy the sights and smells around you. One of my favorite things is to just people watch, or meet people from all over the country and world.

I'm glad to see there are many that understood my point and see it from my perspective, but for those who are attack planners I apologize if I offended you.

I am with you. I just want to go with the flow and have fun!

 

[LSUfan4444]

Is anyone asking anyone else to "get" their style of touring? Is anyone asking you to convert?

If not, who cares what anyone else does?

I'm starting to think these threads are nothing more than someone who wants others to agree with them as some sort of reassurance they're doing things "the right way".

 

[momofboyz3]

I am the original poster. My post was not intended to "Troll" or to make fun of attack anyone as an individual. I was using the one person's plan as an example of what I thought was "Insane" after a few replies in the first few minutes I realized my wording of "insane" was too much and I noted it and said I went back to edit the original post. I didn't mean to call any individual "insane" but I meant that the compulsive scheduling seemed "insane" to me

I'll admit I plan, but I don't go crazy. My plan basically involves
1- Do I have any ADRs for a particular night
2- I use Easy WDW for what day we will go to what park

But that's it. I don't worry about rope drops or when I have to get a fast pass. If we don't get a fast pass or the stand by is too long, we do something else. Now I understand we have this luxury because we have visited plenty of times.

I understand if you or someone in your party have a special needs, sometimes it is necessary to plan

I don't see Disney as a place that should be stormed through like a military operation. There is so much to see and do. So many times to take a step back and just enjoy the sights and smells around you. One of my favorite things is to just people watch, or meet people from all over the country and world.

I'm glad to see there are many that understood my point and see it from my perspective, but for those who are attack planners I apologize if I offended you.

I think this post is awesome! OP ~ I did get your original thread, but I respect the fact that you clarified what you meant & you worded it very well. Everyone does whats good for their family. I for one am a planner. I am team Rope Drop. I also plan am ADR each day. I have a schedule from RD to lunch & from then I am more of a "go w/the flow". I found the one park we did not hit RD or have any schedule was AK & let's just say it was a bit of a mess... Lol.
but again it's what worked for us.