Too Much Planning

[Miss Stitch]

Reading the boards I find it so amazing that so many people plan their vacation like a military campaign. I like to go with the flow and on our last trip last year, we didnt even decide which park were were going to go to sometimes till the morning, a few times while waiting for the bus. We once went to the TTC and decided to get on the first bus to anywhere lol. I must admit when we went it was really quiet and crowds were really minimal and we had two weeks, i suppose if you have only got a few days at a busy time you must plan if you dont want to miss anything. I popped into a few TS and got reservations for later in the day and if I hadnt have done I would really not have been bothered. I just dont like being beholden to time schedules etc. I have to do this every day at home, when on vacation I like to relax, take my time, and just chill.

I do understand why planning is important for some people but is there anyone like me who just likes to potter about and go with the flow

We will be returning next year same time and although I will be sticking to the same laid back attitude, I will try to book a couple of character meals when I arrive in the world, I have two weeks again, If I dont get any so be it, there is plenty other magic and pixie dust. Coming from england to the U.S. it so cool, anything else is a bonus.

 

[marivaid]

To each its own I guess. We're going at the most crowded time of the year, it's our first time and we'll probably not go back for a while so we wanted to make sure we got to experience everything. The DIS is addicting too ! Every time I come on the boards (which is pretty much all the time ) I want to add something to our already crowded itinerary.

 

[Fitswimmer]

We are minimal planners, but we go often and usually not during peak times. For this visit, we have ADR's for the Candelight Processional and we have Christmas Party tickets for our December trip, but that's it.

However, our laid-back attitude did get us burned. Dad tried to make reservations for the Keys to the Kingdom tour for my birthday next Tuesday but couldn't get in.

 

[Miss Stitch]

I agree the DIS is so addictive and it keeps the pixie dust going when you are away from the world. I want to do so much more this time that I didnt know about, just little things the Lady and Tramps footprints etc. I cant wait to see the little touches I didnt see before, thanks to the dis

 

[golden1]

I haven't been in six years so I'm not sure how the crowds have grown in general but I could definitely see "going with the flow" if I had two weeks during a slow period. Sounds really nice!

 

[Cass]

I must admit when we went it was really quiet and crowds were really minimal and we had two weeks

This gives you the luxury of not having to really plan in advance.

 

[blessedby3]

Major planner here. IF I had 2 weeks, maybe I wouldnt plan so much either, but we can only go for a week at a time so therefore we definately plan. I dont plan ride by ride, but I do plan what park we will be in each day and where we will eat. This saves so much time standing around saying "where do you want to go" or "where do you want to eat" to everyone in your touring party. I have a friend who I helped plan their 3rd trip to Disney last year. The first 2 trips they didnt plan anything out and when I helped her with the 3rd trip, she said "we did so much more and rode so many more rides since we had a plan"!

 

[Allison]

This gives you the luxury of not having to really plan in advance.

Very true. Two weeks at a time for at least 2 trips during a slow time. That would be wonderful. It's just not the way we are able to do things so planning has to happen. If it was, I would be more laid back, too. Sounds fun but I have a great time because I plan how to do things during a busy time.

Then again, planning is fun for me so I enjoy that part of it.

Everyone has their own style that works best for them.

 

[jkfreeman33]

I was also a planner, planner & planner. Until I realized that I missed so much by rushing to the next attraction and not seeing everything around me. There is a lot more to WDW that just the attraction you are on.
We go during the non peak times so it is easier to enjoy it at a reasonable pace.

 

[dbmarie]

I like to go with the flow and on our last trip last year, we didnt even decide which park were were going to go to sometimes till the morning, a few times while waiting for the bus.

I try to find out all I can before the trip so I can adjust our plans. Usually we go to the park that has the least people getting on the bus so we don't plan the trip obsessively. But TS you bet I am on the phone right at the 180 day mark. We made that mistake on our first trip with free dining, never again.

 

[disnut8]

I think the planning versus non planning also has a bit to do with how many times you have visited Disney World. Back in 1996, I planned everything to death. That was our second real trip as a family. I poured over the guide books, read everything I could, had index cards to every single attraction listing the best times to go, the best seats for the shows. I sat along the Mississippi River in St. Louis on a 100+ degree day (we were on vacation!) and planned out every morning and every afternoon. My husband and son chucked the plan the first day.

When we went back three years later, I did plan. But not as intensely as before. I did know the extra hours parks and we did avoid them. I made reservations for eating. But we decided on which park the night before.

Since then, I've been to Disney World about 45 more times and the husband and I just fly by the seat of our pants. I did make a reservation for Thanksgiving dinner but it looks like I'm cancelling that today. Our plans changed because an entertainment schedule changed.

 

[Kick Save]

I'm probably a mid-level planner. Mainly we plan out our meals in the evenings and get the ADRs as soon as we can. Not because of "The Plan" but because we really enjoy the dining experience while we're there, always have. So, that kind of dictates our afternoon park on each day.

For our morning park, I just aim to avoid the EMH park, go armed with a touring plan, and tour for 3 hours or so. Getting there at opening and using the touring plan, we get in a lot of attractions in very little time. May sound commando-ish, but honestly it's not that bad. We don't really wait in line, and we're not running between attractions to get there and get it done...just getting our money's worth.

All that said, before we leave home, we know which park we'll be in each day, but not scheduled down to the minute. We leave a LOT of time to just stroll around and see what we want, when we want. We've also chucked the plan on more than one occasion when we get there. Works pretty well for us, though.

 

[skier_pete]

I plan a lot because (1) we don't go too often and (2) usually have limited # of days, so I want to get as much out of it as possible. That being said, the planning is more about which parks what day, getting the ADRs lined up, and which rides will work for the family we are with. I usually have a plan in my head for the parks, but it usually gets tossed quickly. I should state that I am an engineer, and as someone once said, we won't take a s**t without a plan.

Personally, I love the non-planners though, they're usually the ones waiting in the long lines.

SkierPete

 

[Miss Stitch]

Thanks for your views. I do plan to a certain extent, I dont just jump on a plane and arrive. We do sort of decided where we'd like to eat, what rides we really wanted to do most, any days we might want to spend out of the world, but then just go with the flow, but we still get everything we want to do done. Once we are in a park we sort of plan but not like a military campaign but sorta like we know what we want to fit in and where we will probably eat but thats it and we do use fastpasses, although the only we had to use on our last trip was for soaring! no q's. Our last trip, the only thing we missed what we would have liked to have done was spectro, but this was because Ds was too tired on the days it was on and we wanted to get back to the hotel.

 

[JMD]

I never really plan anything any more. But I've been to WDW 50+ times and have pretty much seen everything already. So when I go, I don't feel pressure to get everything done.

Still, I think people tend to over-plan and over-analyze everything. Some people like to plan out every minute of every day. I could never enjoy myself on that type of schedule. Many people seem to look at a WDW vacation as accomplishing as many tasks as possible instead of just having fun and enjoying yourself.

I would rather miss out on an attraction or restaurant than stress myself out about fitting everything into a schedule.

 

[bytheblood]

I'm an OCD planner, and proud of it.

To each his own - for me, planning is half of the fun!

 

[Kick Save]

To each his own - for me, planning is half of the fun!

It definitely keeps your trip in the front of your mind for longer than just the week or so you're there.

 

[Tasmen]

It definitely keeps your trip in the front of your mind for longer than just the week or so you're there.

Yep yep Self professed planner here! It doesn't matter if it's a WDW trip, Vegas or a snowboarding adventure, I still plan and plan and plan. It's part of the fun of a trip for me. That being said, the only thing I've really planned out for my WDW trip are the places we are eating and which parks we are hitting on which days. Beyond that, I don't think I'll do much more planning.

 

[Fafolguy]

I've got my plan down to the second, thanks to the UG. Yes I'm crazy.
I do know, however, that the plan may or may not last. We'll stick to the plan until something comes up that we'd rather do.
I am an action vacation person myself. I don't have any children so I actually get a good deal of relaxation when I'm at home.

 

[winterman]

DH and I plan what park to go to on each day. Then we plan where we want to eat and make our ADRs. We also figure out which CS restaurants we would be interested in (to avoid those that we would hate). We also decide in advance which ride we will do first in each park. That is the extent of our planning. I think that to do less than that would waste too much time "Well, what do you want to do." And the more people in your group the more important to have these decisions made ahead of time.

And I find that the anticipation and the planning are half the fun.