Type A overwhelmed by planning

[Linc82]

Hello all... we are embarking on our 2nd trip to WDW in mid May (DS 6, DD 4 + grandma & myself). I am a pretty clear cut type A planner but the changes since our last trip in 2012 are driving me a bit wacky! I am hoping that you Disney veterans can help a novice

We are staying for 10 days this time, 8 day standard tickets (last year, kids just wanted to stay by the pool a couple of days and recharge). We have a split stay - Beach Club/Contemporary. Here are my major issues so far-

- ADRS.. my understanding is that without an ADR it's basically impossible to eat at a table service esp. for dinner. We didn't have that experience last time, but I'm hearing it's different now?
- How do you begin planning which parks to visit on which days (or do you work backwards from the restaurants you want to eat at)? If I have to book dinner at say MK, that means we're either at MK all day even if crowd levels are high, or we have to go back to the resort (unless tickets allow you to go in and out of the SAME park in one day)?
- Where are good resources for the Fastpass/Magic Bands? We did not have these last time and I'd like to do some research.

Overall I feel like there's more of a pro-tip thing needed for this trip than the last one... which was perfect! Feeling the pressure. I know I need to relax about this but I also would be comforted by knowing all the ins and outs

Thanks in advance for any help!!

 

[Spunky946]

First of all take a breath. I use www.easywdw.com to plan my days with the crowd calendar. Then I pick my restaurants. Have you thought about park hoppers? They might make sense for you so you are not stuck in one place for an ADR. You could also make them for a late breakfast or lunch instead of dinner. You don't have to make adrs, but you could end yo waiting awhile, or not getting in. You'd have to be pretty flexible and might not find something where you are.

Oh and tickets allow you to leave and go back into the same park.

Easywdw also has information on magic bands.

 

[aaarcher86]

Fellow type A - Seconding the above. I pick my park using easywdw.com and then work on the restaurants. I usually know what restaurants I want ahead of time, but in place them into the schedule AFTER I figure out parks. P

Pay base ticket DOES allow you to enter, exit, and re-enter the SAME park. A hopper would let you go to multiple parks in a single day. We did 8 day tickets over a 10 day stay in September and stuck with a base ticket.

For FP+, there is a great thread on the theme parks and strategies board of the DIS. The first post lays out the basics. The most basic way of looking at it - your picking a time slot for 3 things ahead of time. If you're familiar with the old FP system, it's similar in that it's an hour time slot - you're just picking it now versus walking up to the ride in the park.

Magicbands are really nothing special. The don't really do anything the RFID cards didn't do - they're just your hub for all your components. You'll scan your band to use a park ticket, open your resort door, use a dining credit if you do a dining plan, or charge something back to the room. Everyone gets a free band if you stay in property.

 

[Sue M]

I also like Easy Disney! On the right hand they have monthly Crowd calendars which shows which are the best parks to go to in green, and parks to avoid in red.
He also has Cheat Sheets for each park which pretty much tells you how to tour with the new FP+ system, which FPs to get and what time to get them for.
The FP booking system isn't very user friendly, first you have to go in and select a time grouping, (you'll see what I mean when you get into the system)! Then you can go back in to customize your FP times more. Stupid system

Once I get my park plans figured out, I slot in dining.

Yes, if you don't get hoppers, you can leave then re-enter the same park later the same day.

park attendance has picked up some, and you will need an ADR at many of the popular restaurants. Unless you're willing to either eat really early or really late. If you have some must do ADRs I'd book them.
For our upcoming trip, I've decided to wing it except 1 ADR where I'm meeting a friend. For this trip we've decided to do mostly CS, with a few TS sprinkled in, but we are just going to play it by ear, and on the day look and see what's available, and if it's something we want, fine. Download the MDE APP on your smartphone. You'll need it in the parks. You can check wait times, make dining ADRs, view your FPs( I take a screen shot of them every morning of the days FPs before leaving resort), change FPs, etc

 

[heidijanesmith]

Hello all... we are embarking on our 2nd trip to WDW in mid May (DS 6, DD 4 + grandma & myself). I am a pretty clear cut type A planner but the changes since our last trip in 2012 are driving me a bit wacky! I am hoping that you Disney veterans can help a novice Complete type A as well! There are a lot of changes and I agree keeping up is tough.

We are staying for 10 days this time, 8 day standard tickets (last year, kids just wanted to stay by the pool a couple of days and recharge). We have a split stay - Beach Club/Contemporary. Here are my major issues so far-

- ADRS.. my understanding is that without an ADR it's basically impossible to eat at a table service esp. for dinner. We didn't have that experience last time, but I'm hearing it's different now? We still make daily ADR's as I would rather have one than not. We have certain eateries that are our favorites and would be disappointed if we did not eat there

- How do you begin planning which parks to visit on which days (or do you work backwards from the restaurants you want to eat at)? If I have to book dinner at say MK, that means we're either at MK all day even if crowd levels are high, or we have to go back to the resort (unless tickets allow you to go in and out of the SAME park in one day)? We always tour the same day. Early touring in the AM, rope drop or morning EMG. Take a daily break and then park hop to another park at night. We love to tour early and late and a mid-day break/nap/swim is a must.

- Where are good resources for the Fastpass/Magic Bands? We did not have these last time and I'd like to do some research. Check out Mesaboy's FP+ thread, it is very helpful.

Overall I feel like there's more of a pro-tip thing needed for this trip than the last one... which was perfect! Feeling the pressure. I know I need to relax about this but I also would be comforted by knowing all the ins and outs

Thanks in advance for any help!!

I am totally type A planner and plan everything, but I have learned to go with the flow as well. My family members are not type A, but will go along with my plans for a while. Eventually there is a revolt and they want to change something.

I try and plan our daily parks around morning EMH's, crowd calendars and special events.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Hello all... we are embarking on our 2nd trip to WDW in mid May (DS 6, DD 4 + grandma & myself). I am a pretty clear cut type A planner but the changes since our last trip in 2012 are driving me a bit wacky! I am hoping that you Disney veterans can help a novice

We are staying for 10 days this time, 8 day standard tickets (last year, kids just wanted to stay by the pool a couple of days and recharge). We have a split stay - Beach Club/Contemporary. Here are my major issues so far-

- ADRS.. my understanding is that without an ADR it's basically impossible to eat at a table service esp. for dinner. We didn't have that experience last time, but I'm hearing it's different now?


- How do you begin planning which parks to visit on which days (or do you work backwards from the restaurants you want to eat at)? If I have to book dinner at say MK, that means we're either at MK all day even if crowd levels are high, or we have to go back to the resort (unless tickets allow you to go in and out of the SAME park in one day)?



- Where are good resources for the Fastpass/Magic Bands? We did not have these last time and I'd like to do some research.

I think

Overall I feel like there's more of a pro-tip thing needed for this trip than the last one... which was perfect! Feeling the pressure. I know I need to relax about this but I also would be comforted by knowing all the ins and outs

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Really? Then you lucked out in 2012 because for our first trips in 2007 and 2010 it was the same, without ADR you didn't get seated at places in the parks...maybe you went in a slow time?

We pick the park based on crowds and the park schedule, then try for the ADRs in those parks. I don't let the ADRs determine my schedule. With a long stay like yours, you should have no problem getting almost any ADR you want at 180+...maybe not the hottest place like BOG the first night, but probably later in the trip no problem.

Magic bands and FP's really aren't that difficult to do...until you actually schedule them, the process sounds confusing, but once you do it, it is pretty straightforward and easy

 

[Linc82]

Thank you so much for the suggestions! The easyWDW calendar was a lifesaver... helped with dinner planning tremendously. I'm simultaneously trying to decide if the dining plan is worth it for us, and that was a huge help! Thanks a ton.

 

[dis_guy]

Thank you so much for the suggestions! The easyWDW calendar was a lifesaver... helped with dinner planning tremendously. I'm simultaneously trying to decide if the dining plan is worth it for us, and that was a huge help! Thanks a ton.

Linc82, welcome to the madness! You've gotten some very good advice here and you sound very positive, so I know you'll be just fine. Probably way more prepared than we were on our first trip in 2008. Talk about "deer in the headlights".

Anyway, you mentioned the Disney Dining Plan. This is a really tough one for us to decide on when we go. We've done it both ways and it really depends on how you like to eat while there. If you're going to do a table serve dinner each day (especially in some of the nicer, aka, more expensive places) you may be just fine with the DDP. If not and you'll do only counter serve for meals for at least some days, then it's likely not a good value for you. On the trips we've done, all with similar dining habits, I've found that the out-of-pocket trips totals for food are very close to what the DDP cost for the other trips, so we usually get it now, if only for the convenience.

You may want to try this site's dining calculator to see if the DDP would work for you:

http://www.distripplanner.com/

Have fun planning and have a great trip.

 

[Wings3496]

I'm just going to chime in and say touringplans.com is another alternative to easywdw. I like that their park info has a statistical basis and is updated regularly, and that you get individual park level predictions for each day. But I think it's pretty much personal preference which you use, people around here seem to like both.

As for planning - I've planned a couple trips and I'm pretty type A as well. We typically get park-hopper tickets, it only adds about $50 to your ticket cost (which, for 8 day tickets, isn't so much) and gives you a lot more flexibility. That way you aren't "trapped" in the same park even if crowds get to be too much. However, you're going mid-May, which is a very slow time of year, so you'll probably be fine as far as crowds go.

When it comes to ADRs, I typically decide which park we're going to go to on each day using the touringplans (or easywdw) predictions, then base our ADRs on that.

However, another foood tip - don't forget the restaurants in the resorts! There are a ton of absolutely excellent restaurant choices in the resorts, and they don't require tickets, park-hoppers or any other sort. In fact, my family usually does counter-service in the parks for lunch, and then does our sit-down dinners mostly in resort restaurants. Plus this lets you see the different resorts. You do still need ADRs for these resort restaurants, but you don't have to worry about the restaurant being in any particular park, or linked to predictions on crowds far ahead of time, etc.

 

[gdrj]

a couple of thoughts.

1-I always prefer having park hopper's so I can be flexible and go to a 2nd park if the mood hits me or if park gets too crowded or we just want to change. Since you are staying at Beach Club for part of your stay you may be at HS and decide a stroll over to France for dessert that evening might be nice or while you are at Contemporary after being at AK you may want to hit MK for Parade, Fireworks or EMH.

2- While ADR's planned well in advance are important for character meals etc. We have found a couple of ways to add/change. For the Type A as you describe yourself it may not work but some restaurants will open up as you get closer to your dates due to cancellations, especially the day before since there are penalties for no show. We were there most recently in Mid December and were able to make changes the night before. We also were able to walk-up at a few locations in EPCOT that did not have any resv's available, this was done for an early dinner.

 

[aaarcher86]

Just wanted to add that if you decide not to get hoppers you can always add them in person if you need to.

With our longer stays we haven't felt ph is necessary. We get everything we want done and then go relax at the resort. It takes too much time for us to haul two kids around to hop.

 

[Hopefully]

OP First of all Welcome to the DIS!!!! This is a great place to get your questions answered.
I think you have gotten great advice, but I would like to add one more piece of advice.
Head on over to the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategy forum here on the DIS and as suggested, find Mesaboy's thread on FP+. He updates the first post regularly and it is invaluable.'
If you are looking for dining advice head on over to the Restaurants forum here on the DIS. You will get all kinds of opinions and advice there as well as dining reviews by other posters.
There is a wealth of info here on the DIS. Take some time to look around beyond this, the Resorts Forum
Have Fun

 

[cbellasmomma]

OMG this is the post in my head! I was hoping to find some app where I could plug in our situation and get a touring plan. Or maybe someone who just wants to tell me what to do. Between ADR's, FP, BOG, BLT (the resort and sandwich), you down with OPP.....I'm

 

[nkereina]

As far as the ADRs, the only times you will have a hard time getting into any restaurant is during peak weeks such as Easter Week, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Week. And also during free dining. When people book free dining, it means they have TS credits to burn so ADRs are much harder to come by - thus making restaurants crowded.

In May, you may or may not see free dining while you're there so you may be able to luck out walking up to some restaurants. If you don't have your hear set on the popular ones, and you're flexible with your times, you can usually find a TS to get into. But if you have any must-dos and prefer not to wing your meal times, you should make ADRs.

 

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

With kids the age of yours I totally recommend getting an early ADR at Chef Mickeys while staying at the Contemporary- you can wake up, walk to the restaurant and dine with characters, then walk to MK (or monorail over to EP) FUN!