What is the biggest challenge To planning a trip??

[Rellim]

So, I've been going to Disney for years and I have my own system for planning and prep but when I talk to people who don't go often they look at me like I have three eyes in my head... We just talk a different language.

I'm just curious, what is the biggest challenge for people when planning a Disney trip?

 

[Ava]

My biggest challenge is trying to plan around an unpredictable toddler! It's hard to make dining reservations 6 months in advance and FP+ 2 months in advance when you have no way of knowing for sure what kind of sleep schedule your kid will be on by the time of the trip. So I just guess and hope it works out!

 

[PolDisneyfam]

My biggest challenge is planning how many days at each park and how many rest days. This trip we are going for 11 nights and we have 2 resort days, 7 park days and 1 Universal/Islands day. It was tricky planning which days to break and we also had to squeeze in MNSSHP. I have everything all planned out, but every once in a while I'll think, oh cancel a park day and add another Universal/Islands day, or add another resort day or water park day.

Even though this is my longest trip ever to the world, I feel like I need a few more days to do everything that I want. LOL. Never enough WDW for me!

 

[Lisaloo]

Keeping myself in check. I want to schedule everything for everyone so they can have the most fun ever. Sigh. Letting go of that a bit for July. I've even cancelled a couple of things to free up resort time. That never happens

 

[JimmyV]

For me, it is coordinating "recommended" parks with ADRs given that posted hours change so frequently and the change in hours results in recommended parks becoming "avoid" parks. And after that happens, if you find yourself wanting to change your ADRs you might not be able to.

 

[Marionnette]

So, I've been going to Disney for years and I have my own system for planning and prep but when I talk to people who don't go often they look at me like I have three eyes in my head... We just talk a different language.

I'm just curious, what is the biggest challenge for people when planning a Disney trip?

Paying for it!​

No, really! I won't take a trip unless I have the money to pay for it before we go. So, the major obstacle to planning my trips is staying within budget. After that, everything else is easy.

 

[LONES]

For me, I think it's all of the planning. I know people will say that nobody forces you to plan... but we go during the slow season, and there are still 120 minute waits for Soarin. I realize I could stand in that line, but that's not exactly my idea of a good time.

I used to be able to look through the most recommended parks on touring plans, and make a few "must do" ADR's. Now I'm trying to decide 2 months in advance if I want to ride 7DMT at 2:00pm on Tuesday. Trying to coordinate that with ADR's at the same park the same day.... and it gets to be incredibly overwhelming. I work full time, and am running with kids to sports every waking moment when I'm not at work. I don't have the time to stalk the website constantly, hoping that somehow something will pop up to make my plans come together.

I always enjoy our trips once we're there.... but the last 2 years I have been so mentally exhausted the weeks leading up to the trip that I just felt like I wanted it to be over.

 

[princess jasmine 76]

My biggest challenge is planning a vacation that is an immediate family vacation without any extra friends or family members tagging along. For the last 4 vacations, in each instance we booked a vacation only to have another set of friends or extended family members independently book themselves for the same days we are going and then announce they are "coming with us too". They were all good vacations and a lot of fun and while looking back I would not change them, but going forward I am ready to have a vacation that is just my immediate family of 4. We don't get that much time during the year to re-connect and re-charge with one another and immediate family time is important to us. Our next vacation we're treating as an elopement of sorts and not telling any friends or extended family members that we're going at all until the last minute.

A close running second would be simply planning what days we want to be in the parks knowing that the park schedule will probably change several weeks before our vacation, but well after the 60 day FP mark that you've already done that planning for. (This goes for ADR's too as PP mentioned).

 

[Mikie]

I agree with JimmyV's about recommended days and keeping them coordinated with my ADRs. second would be getting family input on a vacation so far out when they don't enjoy or want to feel the pressure of any advance planning.

We just took a long weekend vacation to Chicago where our last "real" vacation was Disney last fall. My 14 year-old repeatedly told me how she enjoyed just doing what we wanted when we wanted and not planning. My jaw dropped. I didn't have to plan nearly so far out at all, but I had researched all attractions we wanted, plotted hours of operation, searched for discounts, reviewed maps to know where the heck I was and how to find parking for a somewhat reasonable price, public transportation maps and schedules. . . It was far from "just wander about and miraculously have fun!"

so my challenge is to disguise the planning from my family!

 

[xlsm]

For most new visitors, I'd say maintaining realistic expectations about "seeing it all" would be the hardest part. I totally think first timers are shocked at the actual size of Walt Disney World. It's easy to look at maps and pictures, but getting there and dealing with it is another story.

For me, I feel like I have a good handle on things. I know how we (by WE i mean ME, lol!) like to tour, I know when we prefer to eat, I know when lines start getting long and when to make FPs that fit with how we tour the parks...everything is pretty easy now, and the hard part for me is the lull in planning after FPs are made. Sometimes there's excitement when hours change (as happened to us for our upcoming trip), and ADRs need shifted or cancelled to keep us on track for what we want to do, but otherwise, the biggest challenge is the waiting!!

**editing to add...I based my answer on going in the summer. Our next trip after our upcoming July visit will be in December 2016. That will probably hold all sorts of challenges since I've never been anytime other than summer months!

 

[wdw4rfam]

Getting everything we want into the budget. We've had the luxury of being able to go every year, and every year we have tried something new (like adding a Busch gardens day, universal day, park hoppers, dining plan,etc) now we don't want to go without being able to do those things. I remember our first trip, just doing CS, at ASMO, with no hoppers, no frills and thinking it was the most awesome trip. Now we have spoiled ourselves and don't want to go unless we can stay moderate, with a TS every day and hoppers. This year has been a struggle to afford what is now "essentials" of our trip that used to be easy. So I'm thinking Disney may be pricing us out. I also have a feeling we won't be going next year because we might be charging some of this trip which we have never done. I definitely won't be re booking until this one is paid off.