Trip Prep

[CoachBeard]

I'm a solo traveler and I've been to WDW twice in the last 3 years, with a trip in 97 days. Now that I am in double digits, I'm thinking about plans a little more in detail. What are some things you all do planning-wise once you're getting closer to travel?

I generally keep a spreadsheet calendar with potential parks and restaurants by day, with estimated costs to help with budgeting. I'm not quite there yet with filling it in but I am constantly thinking "what am I forgetting to think about?"

I hate this feeling where I can't be proactive about dining/experience/tour reservations yet, but I need to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. Last trip in January 2024 was awesome and the only thing I messed up on was thinking my 2 pairs of shoes were good enough. So, what is your planning routine once you hit the double digits but aren't quite at the 60 day mark?

 

[Jonnnyap]

Sounds like you have a good approach to planning. We utilized spreadsheets with all the items we needed to pack, park hours, extra magic hours, which parks had special events (to attend or avoid), and priority on rides. One thing we learned after all of our planning was than Disney will change hours of park opening depending upon expected crowds. For example, years ago, we planned to arrive at AK at park opening only to find it had been opened for 30+ minutes. Our plan of getting ahead of the crowds for first rides in the morning went sideways. Of course, we had a great time anyway, but we learned to check posted park hours the night before and adjust accordingly. Just something to keep in mind as your planning (and in case you do rope drop).

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[CoachBeard]

I have a goal to rope drop at least 2 parks. Last time I went I just couldn't get in tune with the 3 hour time difference and had some sleep issues on top of it but this time I think I should be good. I'll be at a deluxe resort so whatever perks come with that for extra hours, I should definitely take advantage.

I'm a little worried about the lightning lane in advance thing. Part of me doesn't want to commit to it unless I feel I need it, but I also don't want to lose out on the prime return times. I need to research the new system some more.

 

[_19disnA]

Everyone on here seems to have their own way to prepare for a Disney trip. Some make the planning as big a deal as the actual vacation. We have never used spreadsheets or extensive planning to prepare for Disney and don't feel like we were missing out on anything. Some ride might be down for a maintenance issue or inclement weather that you can't plan for in advance. The most popular rides will tend to have the longest lines. Disney can involve MILES of walking in hot weather with large crowds, so it is best to be realistic about how much you will be able to accomplish each day. No one suddenly turns into a marathon runner when they arrive @ Disney so how much walking you will be able to do or how many hours you stay at a park varies by person. If you have been the many times in the past, you likely already know the parks/rides/shows you like best. No amount of advance planning will change how crowded it happens to be when you are there.

We like to be spontaneous on vacation and following some rigid schedule isn't our idea of how to enjoy a vacation.

 

[BrianL]

Everyone on here seems to have their own way to prepare for a Disney trip. Some make the planning as big a deal as the actual vacation. We have never used spreadsheets or extensive planning to prepare for Disney and don't feel like we were missing out on anything. Some ride might be down for a maintenance issue or inclement weather that you can't plan for in advance. The most popular rides will tend to have the longest lines. Disney can involve MILES of walking in hot weather with large crowds, so it is best to be realistic about how much you will be able to accomplish each day. No one suddenly turns into a marathon runner when they arrive @ Disney so how much walking you will be able to do or how many hours you stay at a park varies by person. If you have been the many times in the past, you likely already know the parks/rides/shows you like best. No amount of advance planning will change how crowded it happens to be when you are there.

We like to be spontaneous on vacation and following some rigid schedule isn't our idea of how to enjoy a vacation.

I use spreadsheets, but they aren't that granular as to include specific rides unless I have an LLSP for one. I do put my travel information, parks for each day, and any ADRs or other time-specific things. I include the confirmation numbers, for easy reference. Otherwise I do go with the flow and might deviate from the general plan if I want to.