Going To Try To Take Things Easy This Trip

JenniferS

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Premium Member
We (my SIL, my 11 year old nephew, and I) will be in WDW in 36 days, for 10 days/9 nights, and this year I am determined to do things differently. No more park commando. I swear every year that I will slow down and smell the roses; but each year, I seem to be more and more determined to do it all.

We are going at a relatively slow time of year, so the lines should not be outrageous.

We are staying on property with a rental car, so less time will be spent getting from resort to park to park.

We already have a DTD afternoon planned, with time set aside to ride the boat to POR.

We have an evening of viewing Wishes from the Poly beach before our dinner at 'Ohana.

I am determined to visit every nook and cranny of World Showcase this trip.

We will be dining at a number of the resorts and will definitely walk around, visit the gift shops, and just soak up the atmosphere of various deluxe resorts - as we do every year.

I plan on foregoing PhotoPass this trip and taking more of my own photos, as this forces you to actually stop. Any other recommendations as to how to stop being so commando while in the parks?
 
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PUSH

PUSH

Well-Known Member
My best method of a slower paced trip is to not plan anything until you are there. It makes it very easy for you to do what you want without ADRs to get to, and stuff like that. Last trip was the first trip that I actually planned out where and what we were doing every day several months in advance. It was honestly the worst trip I've had. Two trips ago, we had nothing planned and had one of the best trips ever.

So my advice: Limit the planning as much as possible, and go with whatever you want to do.
 
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Jenna

Jenna

Well-Known Member
I would agree with limit the planning, for me part of the fun of being in WDW is the spontaneity of everything, waking up in the morning and picking a park. Deciding what rides to go on when you get there depending on crowd and weather. Taking time to stop and sit down, have an ice cream or a drink, take a million pictures, meet characters.
I genuinely believe I could spend a day in a Disney park and not go on one single ride, soak in the ambience :) And most importantly enjoy :)
 
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epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
JenniferS said:
We (my SIL, my 11 year old nephew, and I) will be in WDW in 36 days, for 10 days/9 nights, and this year I am determined to do things differently. No more park commando. I swear every year that I will slow down and smell the roses; but each year, I seem to be more and more determined to do it all.

We are going at a relatively slow time of year, so the lines should not be outrageous.

We are staying on property with a rental car, so less time will be spent getting from resort to park to park.

We already have a DTD afternoon planned, with time set aside to ride the boat to POR.

We have an evening of viewing Wishes from the Poly beach before our dinner at 'Ohana.

I am determined to visit every nook and cranny of World Showcase this trip.

We will be dining at a number of the resorts and will definitely walk around, visit the gift shops, and just soak up the atmosphere of various deluxe resorts - as we do every year.

I plan on foregoing PhotoPass this trip and taking more of my own photos, as this forces you to actually stop. Any other recommendations as to how to stop being so commando while in the parks?
Click to expand...
The best thing we ever did in 31 years of visiting WDW was slow down, relax and enjoy. Changed our way of doing things years ago and even though we don't do a fraction of what we used to, our enjoyment of what we do is multiplied immensely. No more park commando is the best change we ever made...congratulations and I hope it works for you as well as it has for us.
 
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Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
If you really want to prolong your day at Epcot you could take a detour to the Boardwalk and just sit on a bench there (possibly, with bakery or candy store food) and enjoy the warm weather and peace and quiet of the early afternoon resort setting.
 
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JenniferS

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Premium Member
Original Poster
I actually think 5 years' worth of PhotoPass has also contributed to the rush/rush mentality.
If we weren't running from ride to ride, we were running from PP photographer to PP photographer.

By taking more of my own shots, it will force me to slow down, take in my surroundings, and frame my photos.
Seriously, I have all the magic shots anyway.

A couple of years ago, I started taking photos of all the attraction signage. I will update/finish the job this year, and get Hubby to set our most recent photos to the new Parks CD that is coming out in a couple of days.
 
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GeoDonJac34

GeoDonJac34

Well-Known Member
I wish you luck. Every year I tell myself that this is the year we slow things down. Never happens though. But if your plan fails and you go back to your commando ways you will still have a great trip.
 
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luv

luv

Well-Known Member
Everyone relaxes differently. IMO, the most relaxing things to do at WDW are:

1. Lying in the sun at the water parks.
2. Lying on a tube in the lazy rivers at the water parks.
3. Walking to Ft. Wilderness from the WL...and then around Ft. wilderness.
4. Lying in the sun at the pool
5. Walking at the mods.

Bumming around DTD, if you aren't hurrying, isn't bad. Neither is walking from DHS over to the Epcot resorts.

Driving makes the trip easier! If you aren't leaving the MK at closing, consider taking the bus there. It's faster than all that TTC and tram business. Drive everywhere else. :)
 
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JenniferS

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Premium Member
Original Poster
PUSH said:
My best method of a slower paced trip is to not plan anything until you are there. It makes it very easy for you to do what you want without ADRs to get to, and stuff like that. Last trip was the first trip that I actually planned out where and what we were doing every day several months in advance. It was honestly the worst trip I've had. Two trips ago, we had nothing planned and had one of the best trips ever.

So my advice: Limit the planning as much as possible, and go with whatever you want to do.
Click to expand...
DDP eliminates this option. Our daily ADR's dictate, in part, which park we will be at for much of the day.
MM+, once up and fully functional, (if ever, apparently kinks abound) is going to virtually lock us in. Which, of course, is the whole objective.
 
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JenniferS

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Premium Member
Original Poster
luv said:
Driving makes the trip easier! If you aren't leaving the MK at closing, consider taking the bus there. It's faster than all that TTC and tram business. Drive everywhere else. :)
Click to expand...
Every year I swear I am going to take the bus to MK, in order to avoid the monorail/ferry hassle.
And every year we drive (4 or 5 times, no less) because we have dining ressies at another resort, or because we park hop.

I'm going to take a good hard look at this year's calendar to determine if we can take the bus to MK - even once!
 
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PUSH

PUSH

Well-Known Member
JenniferS said:
DDP eliminates this option. Our daily ADR's dictate, in part, which park we will be at for much of the day.
MM+, once up and fully functional, (if ever, apparently kinks abound) is going to virtually lock us in. Which, of course, is the whole objective.
Click to expand...
That's why I hate all of this planning stuff. It doesn't give you a lot of freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want. But that's one of Disney's goals, I guess. Keeps guests in the parks.
 
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