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Disney Binder
- Thread starter radev104
- Start date
MissingDisney
Well-Known Member
I gave up my binder addiction some years ago and went electronic. Cheaper, always with me and can be updated, corrected, and shared in a second.
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MissingDisney
Well-Known Member
That's the thing...everything we are hands on about are literally printouts from what's available electronically. Why bother. I used to do calendars, etc but that's all in MDE now. I used to do it for my kids when they were younger for their benefit but that's no longer necessary. They have their own electronic devices and can log into my MDE account if they want.
As for being hands on, research some of the prior threads and see some of the posters binders and booklets. It was insane. Some people said they needed therapy over their obsessions!
Doesn't get more hands-on than that. Even scheduling bathroom breaks! Wow!
As for being hands on, research some of the prior threads and see some of the posters binders and booklets. It was insane. Some people said they needed therapy over their obsessions!
Doesn't get more hands-on than that. Even scheduling bathroom breaks! Wow!
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MissingDisney
Well-Known Member
We do this but one card for the entire trip, with all of our ressie numbers on it, times, etc. just in case of a tech malfunction. And yes, it's laminated in case it rains, gets a drink spilled on it. When I look at the 8x10 pages for each day, including park maps, double sided, professionally printed and laminated, hooked to a D ring that hung from a stroller handle for all those previous trips, oh how I laugh at myself! I was one prepared mom, and that helped keep the stress levels low. Good times. 
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LowesChevy
Well-Known Member
I like technology, but I am hands on too. When I am planning-I have all of the dining reservations confirmation numbers and days on a word document; I have a week planner noted with which park we are visiting, where we are eating and park hours each day; I print out a copy of MDE with all of the confirmation numbers; and I always make a packing list to print out for my checked and carry on bags.
The MDE is great, but since I have been making these documents for years it feels weird if I don't. It adds to the fun of planning for me as well. Plus it is nice to be able to look at something other than a screen from time to time and have the backup bubble to fall back on. Not everyone in my party is smart phone savvy, so they like to have paper to look at. I put everything in a heavy duty folder with three holder binding. Don't forget your CM Appreciation notes and Mousekeeping envelopes if you make those too.
The MDE is great, but since I have been making these documents for years it feels weird if I don't. It adds to the fun of planning for me as well. Plus it is nice to be able to look at something other than a screen from time to time and have the backup bubble to fall back on. Not everyone in my party is smart phone savvy, so they like to have paper to look at. I put everything in a heavy duty folder with three holder binding. Don't forget your CM Appreciation notes and Mousekeeping envelopes if you make those too.
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Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I have a trip planning binder (which is used for planning only and stays home when we travel), a travel document folder (which goes in a special pocket of the tote bag I take on the plane), and then a set of 3x5 cards that I keep in my park bag. (I don't have a smartphone and don't plan on getting one, so I'm still doing it the old-fashioned way, which I actually enjoy.) I re-use the planning binder from trip to trip, removing whatever resources have become "stale." As much as it sounds like a lot of work, it takes very little time to update things from trip to trip, and since we don't go to WDW often, I appreciate having a resource I can literally pull off of a shelf to consult anytime. Here's what I put in each:
Planning Binder:
- (Slipped under the binder's clear cover): calendar with important dates and deadlines (e.g., 180 days out for ADRs, 60 days out for FP+, 30 days for resort checkin-in, 1 day for airline check-in, etc.)
- Budget tab (a sheet to keep track of what was paid, to whom, when and using what card; planning charts with prices for different resorts until one is chosen; a folder divider with a pocket for receipts)
- Travel tab (run-down of flight arrangements as they are made; copies of confirmations)
- Touring Itinerary tab (crowd calendar for our dates; chart of which-park(s)-which-day(s); park maps; rough touring plan for each, with list of suggested FP+)
- Resort tab (information about resort and amenities; confirmations; resort map)
- Dining tab (copy of DDP, if using; list of restaurants we want to try; menus, if desired)
- Packing tab (copy of packing list for each family member; airport baggage size/weight limitation info.)
- Notes and Correspondence tab (copies of any necessary correspondence, travel insurance policy, etc.)
Travel Document Folder:
- Copies of boarding passes and confirmations; Magic Bands; Maps for Parks/Resort/Airports, if needed; copy of travel insurance policy
3x5 Cards:
- 1 with resort confirmation # and all ADR confirmation #s
- 1 phone number card with numbers for WDW resort, WDW lost & found, babysitting, travel insurance company, etc.
- 1 itinerary card for each park visit, with touring plan, ADRs and FP+ arrangements listed
- 1 card showing park hours for each park for every day of our visit
Planning Binder:
- (Slipped under the binder's clear cover): calendar with important dates and deadlines (e.g., 180 days out for ADRs, 60 days out for FP+, 30 days for resort checkin-in, 1 day for airline check-in, etc.)
- Budget tab (a sheet to keep track of what was paid, to whom, when and using what card; planning charts with prices for different resorts until one is chosen; a folder divider with a pocket for receipts)
- Travel tab (run-down of flight arrangements as they are made; copies of confirmations)
- Touring Itinerary tab (crowd calendar for our dates; chart of which-park(s)-which-day(s); park maps; rough touring plan for each, with list of suggested FP+)
- Resort tab (information about resort and amenities; confirmations; resort map)
- Dining tab (copy of DDP, if using; list of restaurants we want to try; menus, if desired)
- Packing tab (copy of packing list for each family member; airport baggage size/weight limitation info.)
- Notes and Correspondence tab (copies of any necessary correspondence, travel insurance policy, etc.)
Travel Document Folder:
- Copies of boarding passes and confirmations; Magic Bands; Maps for Parks/Resort/Airports, if needed; copy of travel insurance policy
3x5 Cards:
- 1 with resort confirmation # and all ADR confirmation #s
- 1 phone number card with numbers for WDW resort, WDW lost & found, babysitting, travel insurance company, etc.
- 1 itinerary card for each park visit, with touring plan, ADRs and FP+ arrangements listed
- 1 card showing park hours for each park for every day of our visit
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I like technology, but I am hands on too. When I am planning-I have all of the dining reservations confirmation numbers and days on a word document; I have a week planner noted with which park we are visiting, where we are eating and park hours each day; I print out a copy of MDE with all of the confirmation numbers; and I always make a packing list to print out for my checked and carry on bags.
The MDE is great, but since I have been making these documents for years it feels weird if I don't. It adds to the fun of planning for me as well. Plus it is nice to be able to look at something other than a screen from time to time and have the backup bubble to fall back on. Not everyone in my party is smart phone savvy, so they like to have paper to look at. I put everything in a heavy duty folder with three holder binding. Don't forget your CM Appreciation notes and Mousekeeping envelopes if you make those too.
Everyone in our group doesn't have the app or a smartphone. So I wanted something that we could all look at while at the hotel either in the morning or the night before. I'm definitely having copies of our MDE since it's my account and all that.
This is awesome. Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you! Now I can get moving on making this binder.
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Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Ooh -- then I should probably share the contents of the binder-I-didn't-tell-you-about (because I didn't want to scare you with the level of my binder-loving OCD!!!) -- the one I only made once, because we were traveling with my Dad and my aunt and I wanted us all to be on the same "page" - literally!
The "Hotel Binder" was a skinny 1/2" binder that we left on the counter of our shared villa so everyone could consult it. It wasn't a planning binder, but a reference guide for members of our party. If anyone slept in late and wanted to join the rest of the group later, or just wanted a reminder about what we were doing each day, the "Hotel Binder" let them know where we were going to be and what the general plan was. In fact, my Aunt's first act every morning was to peruse the day's itinerary while the coffee brewed. The Hotel Binder had the following tabs:
Itineraries tab - One sheet for each day, listing the park(s) we planned to visit, our plans for each meal (with ADR information if applicable), plus any other "fixed time" events (e.g., parades) we planned to attend. At the bottom of the page was a "Notes" section with additional information about each component of the day (e.g., a description of the kind of food served at the restaurant for which we had an ADR). I also listed park hours for each park (since we had parkhopper tickets).
(Here is a sample of one Itinerary page -- as you can see, it's written with the first-time visitor in mind, as my aunt had never been to WDW before, and my Dad hadn't been in 10 years):
Resources tab - Here, I had a "Transportation Guide" in case anyone wanted to go somewhere by themselves, listing how to get to other locations from our hotel (e.g., bus, boat launch, etc.). There were also resort and park maps, and a list of "Things to Do Other Than Visit a Park," which listed things like the days/times for the free tour of our resort, offerings at DTD, mini-golf, etc.
Contact sheet tab - with everyone's cell phone numbers, plus the resort front desk and lost-and-found numbers.
Daily Devotions tab - I found a great set of vacation-themed mini Bible studies online and printed them out, and we tried to do a quick 5-minute one as a group each morning before we set out. If one is so inclined, it's a nice way to start the day!
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dig311dug
Well-Known Member
here's a template I used a few years ago:
http://dougmilewski.com/DW13template.xlsx
I still use it... just upload it to my google drive ( and print out a few copys just in case)
http://dougmilewski.com/DW13template.xlsx
I still use it... just upload it to my google drive ( and print out a few copys just in case)
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