What order do you plan in?

[GatorMama]

Obviously some things HAVE to be doen before others, but what is your planning plan? I feel like I need to be doing something, but I don't know what exactly. I know people here say to research, research, research! but I don' tknow WHAT to research.

We have our rooms booked. We know how we will get there. DH will be buying tickets to the parks next week. I have planned out which days we'll be at which parks and made two dining reservations. I have a Word file with some of my compiled research in it... (things like lists of rides that are great for toddlers, quick serve restraunts that are recommended in each park, a list of attractions with FPs in high demand). What else should I be doing? I know I would like to sit down with DH to look at the menus for each food service in the parks to help us put together a better food budget and decide if we want to make another ADR or not... I just feel like I'm at a standstill... and i"m sure you planners know that that is NOT a good feeling!

 

[RobDIS]

"list of attractions with FPs in high demand"

I think that's key, and you already have it done!

We were following a touring plan, but on our days the mornings were so quiet that we would work in as many high demand rides as possible early and grabbed FPs for double dips later in the day as well. And that worked out really well.

 

[lsenquiz]

I purchased the Iphone ap "Lines". I was able to build my own touring plan in there and have all the info at my finger tips for each attraction(height restriction, FP, current wait time etc...)

I also went through all the menu's to make sure that we had an idea of where we would eat lunch and dinner each day(both my DH & DS6 are picky eaters) - this also helped with food budget

 

[BarbieGal457]

It seems you have covered most of it! My big thing is making packing lists. I'm always afraid I'll forget something even though I'm an overpacker, so in order to both remember stuff & cut down on items I don't really need, I make & go over my lists so many times! I start doing that as soon as I book, because I'm a special sort of crazy haha!

But seriously, you really sound like you're on a great path. I think you pretty much have everything of high priority covered.

I too have a few Disney apps for my iPhone, and they are really great. Despite knowing the parks like my shadow, I have map apps, which are great because you can use them when you need them, but you're not carrying extra maps that fall out all over, etc. I like to carry as little as possible!

 

[BrerNashville]

The first few times I went, I sat down with a park map (well, the ones from touring plans) and tried to plan out our general "flow" in the park. You can do it one of two ways -- 1) make a ride-by-ride touring plan (or use one from one of the touring sites), or (2) at least figure out the order of areas you are going to see (e.g. in MK - Fantasyland, Frontierland, etc.).

I had purchased the Unofficial Guide and signed up for their website, and found the information there invaluable. If you really enjoy the planning part, doing a ride by ride plan is a lot of fun. I knew that it, like any good battle, would go awry the second we stepped into the park, but I at least had an idea what attractions I needed to get fastpasses for and how to tour without criscrossing the park twelve times each day.

If you'd rather eat a bug than go into that much planning, at least get an idea of the path you'd like to take in the parks, so you're not standing around looking at a map all day. At the very least, plan to get to the parks first thing, and know what 2 or 3 (or 6 or 7) things you want to do first thing (presumably the super-headliner attractions), do them, then slow down and enjoy the rest of your day at a leisurely pace.

 

[LisaTC]

Well, we were kind of like you. Prior to below, I joined Disboards and signed up for Mousesavers.com newsletter and went to AAA and got a Disney brochure, signed up on disneyworld.com and made different trip scenarios and price points...then we decided:

1. When we wanted to go.

2. Where we wanted to stay based on how much we had in our minds that we were willing to pay and if we wanted DDP - not free when we booked. I'd rather have a room discount.

3. What, if any, special events or things we wanted to do and what were must do's for us.

4. Which parks appealed to us the most. I think this varies on those in your traveling party. Some would spend most of their time at Epcot, some with very young ones, MK or even AK. DHS appeals the least to us.

5. Joined touringplans.com and bought Unofficial Guide to DW 2011 -- very insightful and you don't have to follow it to the letter, lots of leeway available.

6. Decided where we wanted to eat and where/how to incorporate the ease of this into our daily park schedule, if able. I made 1 sit down/day and changed them multitudes of times based on reviews here on the Dis and allears.net

7. Decided to rent a car - many don't, many do. Individual choice. There's a gazillion threads on this topic.

8. Decided to add an extra day!

9. Now searching for airfare...

10. Scoured ebay for Disney apparel for DD7 as well as trading pins. Lucked out big time!

11. Signed up on a couple of car rental sites.

Passporter is also recommended reading and has good maps. There's a website as well.

I just keep reading and reading, mostly on this site. I'll read something, like Haunted Carriage ride and think "what is that" and search and read and then booked it on the very day it became available, Thanks in no small part to the Dis!

 

[sharadoc]

I like reading everything. Start with guidebooks and websites and NOT discussion boards for your primary information. If you read everything on the DIS website, you'll get a sense of what everything "is" and not people's opinion of it. Read all the menus so you'll have an idea where you want toe at, even it's at the spur of the moment. Opinions on everything that come up on discussion boards can really cloud your planning, so I think it's best left at the "end", rather than relying primarily on opinions.

The worst thing about using discussion boards is they can give you inflated expectations based on people's stories. If you go in with the opinion that you will NOT get chosen to be in a parade, be in a show, have your room upgraded, etc. etc. then you will not be disappointed.

We've been going for 25 years and I still read everything I can. I'm on here a lot, too because I have picked up some wonderful tips and ideas.

Just remember to pack socks and underwear and you're good!

 

[NickyNoodle]

This is what we do...

1) Plan which park for which day based on crowd calendars.

2) Know the first couple of things that we want to do-- For example, in MK we know that my DH will grab FPs for Space Mtn while I make my way to Dumbo w/ the kids. He meets us in Fantasyland and we do those rides, then make our way to Tomorrowland until lunchtime.
Then we let our day flow from there, making sure we are grabbing FPs as often as we can throughout the day.
We have a similar type of plan in mind for each of the parks.

3) We decide in advance where we want to eat (we do QSDP). I always keep a second or third choice in mind in case we have a different craving.

4) We play it by ear based on how the kids are doing if we leave in the afternoon or not.

5) If you're not familiar with the parks-- definitely peruse the maps while you're traveling. It make such a difference to know where your headed and to know what's nearby.

Have fun!

 

[whitney37354]

1. Planned when we were going, based on the week that DD's daycare was closed for summer break.

2. Decided which resort to stay at. I was thinking POP for the value, but DH wanted Contemporary, MK view. Since this was to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for DH & DD, we ended up at CR, MK view, atrium club level...

3. Decided which package we wanted. We knew we were eating lots of TS meals for character meals so we got Deluxe Dining. DH wanted to go to a water park, so we added Water Parks & More Option.

4. Researched all character meals & decided the order of importance to us. Made ADR's based on our preferences.

5. Planned park days around ADRS after they were made at 180 day mark.

Watched the planning video many, many times. Watched videos of rides & shows with DD so she would know what to expect. Planned DD's outfits. Spent lots of times on these boards to learn all I could about the ins & outs of WDW.

DH has promised DD that we'll go to WDW again. I know he wants to do Universal. I am now planning a split Universal/WDW trip & have no clue what year we'll even be going. I can never plan too far in advance. I planned our first family WDW trip for two years!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We pick our dates and then book our room, then I check Fantasmic schedule, then I get ADR's (Fantamic package is a must for us), then I make the rest of our ADR's. Then I check out the park hours and EMH's and plan around those for what we do during the days. We always get hoppers and use them so I have more freedom in planning our ADR's that we would if we did not have hoppers.

 

[LisaTC]

2. Decided which resort to stay at. I was thinking POP for the value, but DH wanted Contemporary, MK view. Since this was to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for DH & DD, we ended up at CR, MK view, atrium club level...

Sweet!

I can never plan too far in advance. I planned our first family WDW trip for two years!

Me, to a "T" I'm already planning our split Univ/Dis trip and we haven't even gone on this one yet!