WDW Commando Club

[Disney Commando]

Welcome All Commando's to The Commando Planning & Strategies Club - To Infinity And Beyond!

This originally started out as a thread looking for other Commando's, I was overwelmed to find out how many of us are out there, Figured a club was in order!

I'm sure most of us on other threads at sometime felt like outcasts for planning a full agenda & have been critized negatively, That is not the case here! Fellow Commando's can help each other to fulfill their plans, instead of putting what you would like to do down!

If you are mild or extreme, or even a beginner, This is a place where you can kick off your boots and relax while planning your trip, share Commando adventures & strategies, but most of all have some fun doing what you enjoy!

Commando Member Role Call:

1- Disney Commando
2- JPGonzales
3- areck
4- jason 10mm
5- bcinohio
6- shmily1
7- Sassagoula Billy
8- JenNel85
9- dudrlydude
10- Planogirl
11- WishAndDream
12- jannylynn
13- starwarsdisney
14- tarheel rirl
15- jake&samsmom
16- MYD714
17- CR Resort Fan 4 Life
18- ntsammy5
19- 3smithboys
20- serene56
21- mortimor
22- Karpkg
23- coreymd
24- Torgue
25- topmonkeygirl
26- sewingmolly
27- bluejasmine
28- onnawufei
29- Dayton Flyer
30- Figment1990
31- blondietink
32- tweedlemom
33- BEANTOWNDR7
34- dizcrazel
35- Fastcars
36- Rekenna
37- disEAR
38- Noel22
39- disneyjunkie
40- Donalyn
41- Sagginit
42- TinkerBellSam
43- Katybug34
44- phnguyk
45- missesdisney
46- always
47- scottishduffy
48- islandbabe
49- mnlibzi
50- tink86
51- AJRitz
52- dvczerfs
53- perfectparanoia
54- Lorilais mommie
55- Goofy Is As Goofy Does
56- stitchywoman
57- Kitikat
58- AlexWyattMommy
59- Plucker001
60- mjp12831
61- afwdwfan
62- princessmom29
63- Sweety tweety
64- Katems
65- ~armywife~
66- Hooked On The Mouse
67- Tara Bara
68- DoleWhip DVC
69- Minnie Mi
70- scrappinmom
71- icesk8abc
72- mindync
73- Motomom06
74- BabyPotatoHead
75- jmm476
76- DisneyWitch
77- lynn s
78- michellelovesthemous
79- mickeymom629
80- kirby428
81- BigTikiDaddy
82- JennyMPO3
83- adsrtw
84- Cinderella's Fella
85- Perseval
86- TIGGERGUY
87- switch15foot
88- tooh8ful
89- mousireid
90- Ginny
91- Riverhill
92- moviefreak00
93- Coach81
94- Stinger5
95- catho72
96- 2 BEKs
97- Cayenne
98- DisneyPsycho
99- 3Minnies1Mickey
100- HARVEYSGIRL
101- SmellsLikeJapan
102- Infamousmare
103- DisGal520
104- Estella
105- DisneyDadC
106- Big Disney Fan
107- Minnie Lor
108- DisDr
109- mommy2mrb
110- verygfy
111- TINK0998
112- plucky
113- APB513
114- fallen angel727
115- diamondcharl
116- TinkerbellsMom0923
117- Rhongepooh
118- supersuperwendy
119- Rememberingthe70s
120- It'sWDW4me
121- zianha
122- SilverSynchro919
123- BamaGirl
124- knitster
125- kdault
126- dormouse72
127- wdwislife
128- sfarmbo
129- MiceFan
130- ptted
131- jordanmommy2boys
132- justakrazymom
133- *sarah*
134- babydoll
135- ktjohn
136- think-like-tink
137- juliebug1997
138- waynesgirl
139- Dobby
140 - HockeyMomNH
141- Disneyfreak616
142- Wendy&Grumpy
143- ~Tonga Wingo~
144- bfamily5
145- LoriABil
146- Pink Mouse Ears
147- delaneyc52
148- The 6 J's
149- Kaewin
150- DisDadDoc
151- csmommy
152- shine87
153- cinabug
154- FamilyDisneyLovers
155- Queen Mamadala
156- jecskc
157- Phoenixrising (FKA - BELLEDOZER)
158- shewill
159- LAS321
160- sweetandsour
161- dazednconfused
162- AlexWyattMommy
163- speedo
164- GoHerd1028
165- ilovejsparrow
166- RFrank9504
167- Eddie75
168- WyldLynx
169- MK2010
170- mamaprincess
171- theduck619
172- twokids0204
173- Belle-To-Be
174- MotherofLandon
175- tpettie
176- daleswife
177- kennythepirate
178- danielephant
179- jedi jen
180- standleyent1
181- Bella1975
182- WC*123
183- Curoly06
184- shannonstar
185- Toystoryfan32
186- phillyteamhater
187- AirGoofy
188- KJay
189- bigdaddy511
190- Pmctn
191- mieshie75
192- kolby
193- CarrieR
194- vanillahip
195- dorchrislen
196- Therinian
197 - Rachandgarry
198- disneyshakeygirl
199- MaMudduck
200- Cinderella's slipper
201- huey578
202- DisneyFamilyMomof5 - aka - civilian seal team 6
203- qv09vvp
204- Cinderella16
205- Twin Dad
206- DisneyPolve
207- RelucantDisaholic
208- QueenBeeMB
209- JoJo1980
210- tinkerbella16
211- tbaptista
212- JimmyV
213-Maxim
214- baldy6060
215- redoschi
216- Xclusive2WDW
217- QueenElinor
218 DISNEYSQUIRRELS
219 rescuetink
220 - Tunasled
221- dr&momto2boys
222- brettew23
223- Tinkerkell123
224- songbird123
225- Cdn Gal
226- jbkmac
227- gojoe
228- NuJoy
229- brerdawg
230- paysensmom
231- DisneyFamily7
232- ShannaBanana
233- agavegirl1
234- kmedina
235- scrapgal123
236- happy2go2wdwmom
237- WDW in Pearls
238- WDW Fan since 1975
239- 4under4
240- stormyR
241- spiritsim
242- bell.of.the.ball
243- Mnementh
244- HollowGrl
245- rnmomuch
246- MinnieMouseMom01
247- compshu
248- Mik2DW2007
249- Elevationist
250- fuzzylogiclic
251- disfanforlife
252- HisMinnie
253- seus-mouse
254- kharrison705
255- Niki Andiokno
256- wrestlingchick26
257- hforman
258- waitomo
259- evcollins
260- southernfriedmom
261- Oodalally13
262- TanJDis2014
263- Luv2Run
264- wareagle57
265- Toadlover
266- kathy884
267- tlimbergsmith
268- shoppie
269- mrsdrake625
270- KimP5
271- Sandy815
272- allsigns
273- EvilQueenLiz
274- Ladybug1112
275- Bekasmic

Commando Laws
- Sometimes 5 minutes of planning can make the difference
- Commando planning is not limited to WDW, Commando planning is a way of life! ( MaMudduck)

 

[JPGonzales]

Sadly, I am the commando of the group. As soon as the reservations are made I make a "down-to-the-minute" agenda for each day, including meals.

Usually, I have to become a little flexible cause the DH and youngest DD start pooting out before lunch. Then I feed them ice cream and we are off again.

What are you strategies? Can't wait to learn some new tricks.

 

[areck]

My husband is a committed commando. However, he doesn't plan one minute of our trips. All the best laid plans go out the window once he sets foot in a park. With no regard for what anyone else in the party wants, he's on to the next adventure. Quickly. No time to waste. When someone has the audacity to go against his wishes, he pouts and becomes irritated. This is when we get to see who is "heir apparent". I tend to go back to the hotel and prefer pool time. My youngest son (13) is of the same mindset as my husband. I wish them the best. We'll regroup for dinner.
Our last trip had to be the best (as far as plans were concerned). The two of them commandoed to their heart's content. We crisscrossed each morning in the parks. I was happy to take lots of pictures and check out the overlooked attractions. They were in thrill ride heaven. Nobody had to wait for anyone! The afternoons were spent by the pool with a book and a cocktail for me. Evenings included night time entertainment enjoyed together. Perfect day!

 

[jason10mm]

Trying to NOT commando our next trip. Only 2 days allotted to WDW, but with park hoppers it COULD be done.......

...must resist!

 

[bcinohio]

We leave in 2 days for WDW and I'm the planner. We always go in the summer and never wait very long for anything. You have to have a plan. My cousin is going to be touring with us for the first time and he told me he has his running shoes all ready to keep up with me. I laughed. We don't run. My plan is always get the big stuff done early, always have a FP, and then do your shopping and site seeing later in the day when the crowds pick up. You can get a lot done in the first few hours.

We can not wait. No one has been sleeping very well the last few nights because we are to excited.

 

[Shmily1]

I've been trying to not go commando every trip since 1973.... I've only done it a couple times. Not that I plan every single minute because I don't but because I want to get up early and go to bed late so I don't miss one single minute of fun! We've been so many times and done so much and I still find myself running from place to place so I don't miss anything!! My kids have been so many times they give directions to their friends on the cell phones when they are down there.

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

Since my last visit was the SO's first trip to WDW, I went commando-style like never before. I regret it slightly, but would have regretted it more had we not covered everything I would have liked to do. Also, the calendar is a factor, and since this was mid-June, I planned for the worst.

I planned every meal and attraction down to the minute. And yeah, it exhausted me, but again... no regrets for this time of year - and this particular trip for a newbie visitor to the World.

 

[JenNel85]

This is SO me. I'm a control freak, uber-organized planner, and the definition of a Type A personality...and a HUGE Disney fan since childhood. I'm headed back to Disney World for the first time in nearly 10 (!) years this August, and needless to say, my travel companions all know what that means!

I've read several guidebooks (including the Unofficial Guide) cover-to-cover, made ADRs months in advance, printed character maps and event schedules, and pretty much have every moment of our 12-day vacation in WDW, Universal, Sea World, Discovery Cove, and Busch Gardens mapped out.

I'm traveling with my boyfriend and my sister, all in our early to mid-20s. We're theme park aficionados who NEVER take a mid-day break, but we're going to be there for rope drop (of course) and, with any luck, tackle the major attractions early in the morning so we can slow down and enjoy lots of indoor shows and air-conditioned rides during the hottest part of the day. I've scheduled one table service meal per day, and we're going to bring our own sandwiches, snacks, and water bottles to enjoy lunch and other breaks cheaply and expeditiously.

I. CANNOT. WAIT.

 

[Dexican]

Count me in I always walk around the park without undergarments.

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

Count me in I always walk around the park without undergarments.

I was this close to saying it. Darnit!

 

[dudelydude]

I agree, but the strategy sharing hasn't really taken off yet. I'll start....#1 rule of going commando is.....what? Well I was gonna say arriving at the parks 1 hour early to ensure that you really are "at" the rope drop and starting your day off right....BUT....if we are starting chronologically, are we starting with packing our park bag the evening before and what to pack???? What's a good starting point?

 

[Planogirl]

We are commando first thing in the morning and then usually until lunch time when we switch to a more relaxed pace. I guess that we're part-time commandos.

As for packing a park bag, I solve that by not bringing one. Light wallet goes in one pocket and cell phone & tiny bottle of sunscreen goes in the other. I try to wear cargo shorts so I can carry what I want without a bag. We breeze right by the bag check area.

 

[areck]

I agree, but the strategy sharing hasn't really taken off yet. I'll start....#1 rule of going commando is.....what? Well I was gonna say arriving at the parks 1 hour early to ensure that you really are "at" the rope drop and starting your day off right....BUT....if we are starting chronologically, are we starting with packing our park bag the evening before and what to pack???? What's a good starting point?

Make sure your party is completely clear on what time you are leaving the room. Your bottom line is arriving before rope drop. Whatever means of transportation gets you there will decide when to depart the room. If someone is delayed, meet them in the park. Do not wait! That much is in your control.

 

[WishAndDream]

Good to see there are so many other commandos out there!

We don't plan every minute of our trip in advance.... but only because we're so used to our strategy that we don't have to actually discuss the plan - everyone just KNOWS. It goes without saying that we will be at rope drop, and there's no debate about what any of our first 3-5 rides will be, lol. We follow the Unofficial Guide strategies in general and it has always served us well. We do generally take a break in the afternoons but my next trip is going to be just my sister and me, and - as the two "real" commandos of the group - we have decided to eliminate the breaks and just go full throttle all day, haha. It's more intense to go commando-style and I can understand why a lot of people, especially those who can visit WDW frequently, prefer to go slower and take it all in, but we don't visit anywhere near as much as we would like so we prefer to see and do as much as possible each trip. Going commando-style allows us to do so.

I guess my biggest strategy tip I have to share is to be willing to abandon/change the plan if the situation demands it. It's all well and good to have a detailed plan, but if your strategy isn't working out - people are becoming worn out in the heat, DHS is inexplicably more crowded than anticipated, or there is a sudden monsoon - stop for a dole whip/frozen mickey-popsicle-thing, hop over to EPCOT, or for goodness' sake, brave the rain and ride those major attractions while the the less intense visitors take shelter in the gift shops . Don't be afraid to improvise. From reading this thread, a lot of you commandos seem to put a lot of time into planning, and that's great; but improvising - when called for - works out great for us.

 

[jannylynn]

I'm sitting here putting all of our ressies, shows, park hours, etc. into Outlook so that I can sync it to my phone. And I'm inviting DH so that it will be on his phone too. I guess I'm not totally comando because I'm not sure we will make it to all rope-drops. We'll stay at the parks as late as they will allow though!

 

[starwarsdisney]

I guess my wife and I would fall into the commando style (me more than her). We actually make a binder with every day planned out. While we don't plan it to the minute we know where we want to be and what we want to do on each day. We list which parks have EMH, the regular hours of the parks the show times, ADRs etc. Then we just take the page of that day with us. I've told my wife we should make this binder a business somehow, that's how much detail and planning goes into it.

I usually make all of the ADRs and then try to tweak them to fit our schedule if need be. We always try to plan pool time in the afternoon. Except for one day (which is usually DTD day) we are at the parks for rope drop. We have found that we usually get to hit the major stuff by 11 then eat lunch and head back to the resort for some pool time. We then return to the parks in the late afternoon for dinner and more fun!

 

[Disney Commando]

Glad to see the thread geting off to a good start Welcome All

I usally plan my day 7am - Midnite, I have my list of things to get done for the day (the only things I list as a time is ADR's, Parades, Shows etc) I've found out this works well and you don't feel rushed

For my dinner ADR, I usally make for a out of park resturant, this way after dinner it's off to a different park (usally the one with the EMH for the night), then depending on what time it closes off to DTD or the Boardwalk.

For my DW & DS I have a child finder tag on them, so if I go to get a FP or get separated I can locate them quickly, I hate wasting time looking for somone.

The last few years I've been going in the Fall so the heat and rain have not been a big factor and stay in the parks the whole time, but If you are going in July or August, the heat can wear you down quick, I would say if you are staying on site take advantage of the EMH's in the a.m. go back to the resort sometime during the day,hit the pool,take a nap go to dinner and hit the park that has the evening EMH's (this time of year some are open really late) IMO the a.m, and night time are the best times to get alot done.

 

[tarheel_girl]

Count me in! I went down to Disney for a week in January complete with a color coded spreadsheet with ADRs, EMH, parades etc on it. I love EXCEL! We go for ONE day in the summer. We drive over from our beach vacation for one day and hit MK and now that my DD is a little older, only 3 but OCD like her mommy, we hop to EPCOT as well. My tip is that you can do commando with toddlers. My daughter sleeps in her stroller or during HoP, Carousel of Progress, TTA on my shoulders. We do not take midday breaks even with a little one. Last summer she woke up at 3:30am (too excited to sleep) and except for two 30 minute naps was awake until 10:30pm! I kept waiting for a fit due to exhaustion, but she just kept saying "What's next?" She knew her mommy had a plan!


On a completely different note, I was at AAA today. Someone came in to book a vacation with Disney for this August 16th! I know that all reading this thread feel just like I do.

 

[JPGonzales]

Our last trip was 10 days in the park.

I arranged our days around EMH. ADR are with the resteraunts in either that park or within a quick monorail ride to. From there I plan our day with the time shows in mind. Give each ride or show a half hour increment. We never step on a ride that is either more then 20 minutes or we haven't FPed. We've send DH off running for a FP while we are in line for food. I use the menu guides to plan which direction of the park we are going to work on. So, if I know we like a particular CS we work on rides/shows that direction. As soon as we are off schedule due to an extra wait, we quickly pass up a few of our planned rides and get back on schedule. It sounds rough, but for the most part it has really helped with each person seeing thier favorite characters or shows with rides in between. Each trip we found that we missed a couple of our planned activities, but then that gives us something to look forward to.

My biggest suggestion is Steve Soares Entertainment Guide. About a week before our trip, I update all the times of our favorite shows. I have found there is so much more shows/character meets on his site, vs the entertainment guide they hand out.

 

[jake&samsmom]

Commando is the only way to go for us!!!

Rope drop to gate closing -- that's where you'll find my crew.

I laugh in the faces of those who say commando touring is wrong, that you don't have fun this way, etc.... uhm, not for us! We love riding as many rides as we can and watching all the shows, parades and fireworks. We can rest/sleep at home for free, so why would we do that in Disney for $$$$? The day just doesn't feel complete if we don't ride everything in our checklist -- and believe me, we do ride/see them all. Twice or thrice even.

We don't push, shove nor run over anyone, so if this is the way we enjoy our trip so be it. Someone made a snooty comment to me on these boards saying that they get to go every year and so they don't feel the need to go commando. Well guess what, we average 2 trips a year as DVC members and we still go commando!

Here’s a sample of what we actually achieved one day at DHS:
Wake up at 630 am
Bus to DHS by 715 am
Enter DHS at 750 am for early breakfast at H&V
Take pics in an empty DHS on Hollywood Blvd.
Eat at H&V from 8am to 9am
Take pics with Stitch by Hat
Run to TSM; Dad and boys wait by standby line, Mom get FP's for TSM
Ride TSM
Ride RnRC
Ride TOT
See HSM2 parade/show
Use FP's for TSM; Get FP's for TSM again
Get autograph/photo with Green Army Man
See Backlot Tour
Pictures with Mike and Sulley
Pictures with Dino Power Ranger
Picture with Ron Stoppable
See Muppets 3D
Eat lunch at Backlot Express while watching Jedi Training
Get parade spot in front of giant Emmy Statue
See Block Party Bash Parade
See Indiana Jones Stunt Show
Use FP for TSM ride again
Photos with Mater and Lightning McQueen
See Lights Motors Action Show
Ride Star Tours
Ride TSM via standby line again (4th time)
Ride RnRC via standby line again (2nd time)
Buy Dinner at Catalina Eddies
Line up and enter Fantasmic theater
Eat dinner while waiting for Fantasmic to start
See Fantasmic
Take bus back to resort (around 1030pm-ish)
Swim at resort pool
Bed by 1 am-ish

Go Commandos!!!!