Your Trip Planner/Binder

[Disney9.9.10]

I am just curious about your planners. I have started myself a binder, and I've put some things in it, but I am looking for some more ideas. So I was just wondering what types of things you have in your planners. Bonus points for pictures!!

(Also, I tried to search, but I am no good at using it, so hopefully there isn't already a thread about this)

 

[UConnFan]

I use Evernote on my computer to keep track of everything. It's easier for me to use from trip to trip and to copy and paste info. Then, in the parks I pull it up on my phone.

I have info about restaurant we want to try and then our reservation numbers once we've planned our meals, ride tricks for buzz and TSM, flight info, our packing lists, daily itineraries, and other specific info I get from the Dis and want to remember (MNSSHP, MVMCP, yummy desserts, etc.).

 

[sharadoc]

I put all my reservation confirmations, menus of restaurants that we either have reservations at, or quick service that we want to try. Then I put together sections on each park and print any tips or tricks that I find about specific attractions or shows.

The largest section used to be my schedule spreadsheet with the TGM daily crowd planner. I had a terrible experience with them last year so I won't use them any more.

Because we drive, I have a section on the drive itself - maps, hotel confirmations, restaurants on the road, etc.

My binder used to be a lot bigger but I found it was more cumbersome printing everything.

 

[rsleleux]

I use the app tripit! Keeps every thing organized

 

[krb2g]

I use a spreadsheet on GoogleDocs (and a separate one for expenses!)--but I have a page for park hours/recommendations, one for reservations, one for our plans, etc.

 

[loislane]

Low tech here - mostly we'll use this to collect receipts and any little tokens each day (unused Fastpass, etc.) to save them in an orderly fashion. It usually helps us more after the trip when looking ahead to the next one so we know how much we spent on food, trinkets, and other extras.

In the past, I got a Passporter book and used the pockets in the back for the same thing - but I don't really need the book. This little pocket organizer was $1 in the bargain bins at Target.

For our actual upcoming trip, not much planning going on. We are staying at the Fort for 11 nights and might make, at most, one ADR. Otherwise, we are winging it for the entire trip!

 

[catherines_mama]

I do my advanced planning in EXCEL including budget etc.

I used to transfer park hours, ADRs etc to TRIPIT, but we'll see what the MY DISNEY EXPERIENCE APP is like.. I've loaded my ADRs for our quick FEB trip in already... we'll see.

 

[CourtneyL]

I use a small expander folder (similar to the picture someone else posted). In the folder I keep all of our travel documents (boarding passes, rental car reservation, hotel reservation, google maps printouts). I also keep a copies of our insurance card and my DD's birth certificate. We don't carry the folder while in the parks.

All of the important stuff for the trip is kept on "the spreadsheet" and we just carry a copy of that with us at all times.

As you can see, I have park hours listed, extra magic hours, parades/fireworks, Dining reservations, flight confirmation numbers, a loose plan for the day, and the best/worst predictions from easyWDW.

The spreadsheet has evolved with each trip and I like just carrying around one piece of paper with everything I might need.

 

[danicaca]

Here are some pics of mine. I based my binder off of the one Shannon has on her site, WDWPrepschool. She has some great links for things you can print off.\

The tabs:

The tabs I have are: 1. General info - this includes my airline info, my reservation info, a monthly calendar (for dates like when to make ADR's, final payment due date, when to order groceries, etc.), our overall itinerary, a chart with the best/worst parks, park hours, and a WDW map.
2. Hotel - hotel map, hotel contact info, a running map, and the hotel entertainment schedule.
3. Dining - my ADR worksheet (dates, times, ADR #'s, etc.), ADR confirmations, Restaurant menus, confirmed snack list (from the thread here on the DIS - I will print this off a couple of weeks before our trip), the 2013 Dining Plan brochure
4. Magic Kingdom - Park map, touring plans, fireworks viewing map, parade routes, entertainment schedule, dining options
5. Epcot - park map, touring plans, entertainment schedule, dining options
6. Hollywood Studios - park map, touring plans, parade route, entertainment schedule, dining options, Star Wars Weekend info
7. Animal Kingdom - park map, touring plans, parade route, entertainment schedule, dining options
8. Misc. - packing lists, to do list (for before we leave), airport map (MCO), DTD map, character info, pressed penny info, Photopass+ info, Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom info, pin trading info

Hope that helps! You should really check out Shannon's website, that is where I started!

 

[amyy]

love this thread

 

[Patrickprincess]

love this thread

I have a custom made notebook that i pruchased from disney shopping. I have divders with flight information and resort dinning and gifts that i have ordered from disney florist i haven't used spead sheets. I just type out what i would like to do and then go for it.

 

[csmith041177]

Love this thread! My wife and i go overboard on planning every year. We always have a thick binder of our touring plans, dining information, menus. My wife is nice enough to organize all of our materials and get a copy bound for everyone. That way, everyone knows what the plan is, and also has a souvenir of the trip when we are done!

 

[pigletto]

I used to do a big binder with all of my info. Then I switched to the Passporter, which I do like but don't find easy to haul around or necessary. After 7 trips I don't need most of the info.
Last trip I printed all pertinent confirmations and reservations etc etc and stuck them in a duotang that stayed in the room. My husband has a Blackberry travel app that saves all of our info. I keep the hard copies just in case, but it's a breeze just to have it in his phone.

ETA) If I ever do a trip during a busier time of year like Christmas or Easter I will plan everything in minute detail to make the most of the trip. I just don't find we need to anymore for when we go.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

About 3 trips ago, we started making a "custom calendar" for the time we were going to be at Disney. We have our airline confirmation numbers on Day 1 along w/ our Disney confirmation number. For each day, we have our ADR confirmations printed and the name of the restaurant. We also include the park(s) we are going to that day and the hours they will be open. This is all on one page that we keep in our backpack while touring. We include other information as needed.

 

[FosterLovesMickey]

I'm using The Hidden Magic of WDW Planner to keep papers, etc. But, I'm 'planning' in a spreadsheet. I'm sure that there are lots of other ways to do it ... but, this is my spreadsheet (still being tweaked as we are 32 days out, yet):

 

[redkel]

I have a small 5x7 notebook that I customize with all the pertinent info -- hours & emh, characters, bathroom locations (yes!), photopass locations, transportation routes (what bus/boat/monorail), ADR's, travel & flight info, phone number and contact info for WDW, where we parked at the airport, contact info for where we board our dog, etc. and of course our touring plan.

It fits perfectly in my Baggallini messenger bag and I can reference it at any time.

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Thank you to everyone who replied! I have a lot of the same things as you, which is good, but there are also things that I can add! I love to plan and organize, so it is nice to see how others do it as well

 

[LSU25]

This thread is a huge help! Thanks everyone, I have some great ideas for my spreadsheets now.

 

[OrangeU]

I use a spreadsheet in Google Drive as well. That way we can access it from our phones. Mine is very similar to "foster's", and I also keep park maps and PDF tickets (MVMCP) on my drive as well.

 

[OasterP]

This is a great thread! Our trip is still very far away and I know very little about Disney so just reading some of the spreadsheets was extremely helpful! So organized!