This question is for the extremely anal-retentive (like me)

[DancingBear]

I can testify to the effectiveness of Disnee Dad's plan, as we used it on our last trip. Skip the 5-minute increments and just follow his order of rides. Remember Pooh and Peter Pan are Fastpass if you need this variation.

After trying several approaches, for our last couple of Disney trips (and other vacations), I've had two items:

--An Excel spreadsheet which shows each day broken into A.M., P.M. (afternoon) and Evening. I have enough room in each block to put in PS times. There is a row which says what the EE park is for that day, and a row which shows the hours at each park that day, and any non-daily events (like Spectro if only twice that week). A longer row at the bottom gives some info on the daily events (afternoon MK, Studios and AK parades, Fantasmic, etc.). I also had a few things like Disnee Dad's plan on there, still all fit on one legal size piece of paper. This gives us enough structure to make sure we hit the things that are fixed, and enough information to make decisions like whether we want to hop to another park, etc.

--A longer itinerary which has things like hotel and PS confirmation numbers, a packing list, various park tips that I've assembled from the DIS, etc. This usually stays in the backpack or back at the hotel room.

 

[RumpleMom]

I just love the posts about husbands thinking that any kind of planning is over planning.

I have always planned our WDW trips- ps, parade times and which park per day, not excessive planning, but we didn't stand around asking the family what are we going to do next (saves time ironing out differences of opinion with kids,IMHO). I have endured a lot of kidding about me being anal retentive.

Now we are going to HHI and DH wants me to be sure to plan each day. IT'S THE BEACH! My plan-go to the beach sometime after breakfast, return to 1 bedroom to make a sandwich for lunch, go back to beach if not sunburned from the morning or nap in ac, have dinner at a restaurant. OK, maybe I'll look into the restaurant choices before the trip because I'm a planner at heart. But he is serious about me planning each day. I like my plan more and more.

 

[loriandmatt]

before our first trip, while i was "psycho planning" as my DH put it, he thougth i was an idiot.

Once we got there and were half way thru our vacation, he thanked me for having a clue and admitted that if i didn't we would have not seen near as much and wasted a lot of time.

Now that we are a bit more informed and have lost of info burned into our brains, we don't have to plan with as much detail.

I still enjoy it though. I love creating my custom spreadsheets detailing what days are best for what parks, hours, parades and fireworks, ee's, PS's, campfire movie schedule and loads of other goodies for each specific trip.

-lori

 

[carone0318]

Not only am I a planner by profession (inventory planner), but I am also a advid Disney planner, but as everyone says, planning does pay off.

I use an excel spreadsheet. I have the days of the week across the top that we will be there and my main breakdown is breakfast, lunch and dinner. I put all of the park hours for ea of the days with the "EE" days bolded and I record my PS as I make them. My PSs dictate where we will be each day. I am fortunate enough to not be so crazed about doing everything there is to do because we are DVCers and usually when I am there, I already have my next trip booked. You don't realize how much pressure that takes off of you to have the "best trip possible" because to me I have a great trip every yr.

Punkin - my only suggestion for you (I don't know if it has already been said or not) would be if you would like to plan in 5 minute increments that morning, would be to hit Dumbo first, since that is not continuous, that is the one that will hold you up the most. If you find a short line at Dumbo, I would have someone in your party FP either Pooh or Peter Pan and then come back in line with you for Dumbo. I would ride Dumbo, than go ride which ever (Pooh or PP) one you didn't FP, then ride Small World and then do your FP. I don't know if the children in your party are up for Snow White, but that is really what you would have left, except the carousel, which doesn't usually have a line. Oh yeah, the tea cups - usually not a bad line either, but I personally choose to forget about them. Ever since my 2 kids have been born, I just can't ride tea cups anymore! Small sacrifice.

Good luck and have a great time!

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

I am another formerly cynical DH who was converted to the "anal planning" camp after our last trip. DW had a great plan that allowed us do A LOT! My concern before the trip was that she would freak out if we got off schedule. The only thing she did that was "irrational" (IMHO anyway!) was not waiting for me to use the restroom before going on the safari at AK on EE day!

 

[punkin]

OK. Here's my plan:
While DH goes on Space mountain and gets FP for Buzz Lightyear for all of us.
8-8:05 Dumbo
8:05-8:10 Carrousel
8:10-8:20 Peter Pan
8:20-8:30 Winnie the Pooh
8:30-8:45 Teacups (by this time hopefully DH has rejoined us)
8:45 Check line at Speedway. If not longer than 5 min, get in line and finish ride by 9:00 otherwise go to tomorrowland. (this is where my plan breaks up cause the lines at the speedway are enormous, but my girls love it. I'll probably skip it on this morning because we will have another morning at MK with more time)
9:00-9:15 Buzz Lightyear with FP.
9:15 Get another FP for Buzz.
Take leisurely walk to calstle for 9:35PS
After Breakfast Do Buzz Lightyear (on FP); Small World and Snow White (these rides do not tend to have big lines).

Go to Hotel (Dolphin) for swimming and lunch.

Go to Epcot in the evening (no plan at all...not even a PS yet)

By my estimate, we should be out of MK before 12:00 when it get really crowded!

Suggestions by other crazy planners would be greatly appreciated.

 

[carone0318]

I think that it definitely looks do-able. I agree that your one problem might be those darn indy cars. I agree though, you can skip them and come back the other day.

No PS in Epcot! Now that would kill me. I keep staring at my spreadsheet trying to fill in my meals for our trip, I will not rest easily until everyday has a PS. I know that dh wants to go to Le Cellier and possibly Rose and Crown.

I think you have it covered now. I don't know about you, but part of the fun for me is to see how close I can stay to my schedule. I will not be upset or anything if it doesn't work out, but I guess I want to see just how good I am

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

Can anyone fully explain the phrase "Anal Retentive" ?

How does it relate to vacation planning ??


I would have thought that the phrase " Anal Rententive "
meant that a person is prone to *constipation*

 

[punkin]

Well, I will have a PS at Epcot, but we are going at the begining of May and I think I still have some time. Besides we have a Cinderella's dinner PS (at GF) for that day which we will cancel (it was a back-up if we did did not get breakfast) when I do get an Epcot ressie.

 

[anne60]

Claudia -

I will give it a shot.... ...people who like to have everything planned out and neat and in order, emphasis on the order. Supposedly, it comes from your potty training experience, that's where the "anal retentive" comes in...the kid who won't go at all once you start training. Keep in mind I was an engineering major, so all psych majors please feel free to correct me.

 

[ejacobson]

Psych major here....leave it to Freud to give us such pleasant phrases with which to describe our behaviors.

 

[lentesta]

Hi Punkin,

I wrote the software the Unofficial Guide uses to create its touring plans. Drop me a line and I'll see what we can do for you.

Sincerely,

Len Testa
testa@ncat.edu

 

[Lucky4me]

January is definitely slower than May but looking over my notes from our trip in January. EE at MK on Sunday morning January 26th looked like this:

8am- in the gate-no rope drop (?)
8:05 or 6 or 7? Dumbo
8:15 Peter Pan 5x (!)
8:50 Small World
9:10 Snow White
9:20 Pooh
9:35 Tea Cups 3x
9:55 Carousol


So, we did a total of 13 Fantasyland rides in two hours-if you add the multiple Peter Pan and tea cup rides. We didn't go to any of these in any particular order- I just followed DDs lead. There were no potty breaks until after 10am. It was unusually slow and dd went on Peter Pan a total of 10 times that day, walked on every time. (I don't care if I ever go on that ride again. )

A far as planning all this out, it's fun to do, but I ditch the spread sheet almost immediately. Mainly because something always happens to mess it up. And it also seems like work to me. I don't want to work on vacation, I want to play! As long as I have a loose plan of park days and meal PSs, I'm good to go.

Your plan looks doable as long as nothing unforseen come up. If it does, don't worry, be happy!

 

[punkin]

Hi Len.

I just e-mailed you.

 

[strawberryblonde]

Interested to hear how your MK morning went. Hope your trip was a blast!

 

[turbodisney]

excel spreadsheets...query the family....palm pilot....5 minute intervals..????

Disney, please deliver me......I am micro managed everyday at work....I need the freedom to play....

I made one PS...Ohana for our 25th wedding aniversary dinner...

 

[rjordan]

Hello everyone! Just my $.02: I use Excel. I have each day in its own column. My days are divided in the following manner with blocks for the following categories:

Breakfast - Morning - Lunch - Afternoon - Dinner - Evening

I just usually put in the park we'll be at and where we'll probably eat and also PS # confirmations. Each park has its own color code (MK=blue, Epcot=green, AK=yellow, MGM=purple and the resort is left white. I use orange for non-Disney (such as Sea World). It helps me see that I've planned enough time for each park. To me, it's (almost) as much fun to do as going on the actual vacation! LOL! My husband also thought I was nuts the first trip but he admitted on that trip that we really got to see and do a lot! Now he doesn't think I'm so nuts anymore...he just asks me..."Okay, what's next?" Gotta love 'im!!

Have a great time!

Punkin, let me know if you'd like me to email you my Excel sheet.

 

[Horizons16]

Originally posted by Matty_Disfan
You are crazy.

Seriously, get help. (joke)

They only thing we plan is where to go for that day... am i like the only one who does that.

 

[erinch]

one of my favorite t shirts reads:

But....does anal retentive have a hyphen???

 

[bbchurch]

Glad to know we are the only family wandering aimlessly around the parks with no idea where we are going next.

I know I represent everything you planaholics hate!