How Do You Plan Out Your Disney Week?

[PacMan2006]

If you travel to Orlando every year, or every other year, or even every few months...how do you plan your Disney week?

Do you have any rituals? Do you ALWAYS go to a certain park on Monday, a certain park of Tuesday, etc? If so, which parks and why?

Do you always eat at a certain restaurant? Do you rent the same kind of rental car? Do you stay in the same kind of hotel?

Do you go with the same people?

When you hit the parks, do you always hit a specific ride first?

 

[Tinker05]

My family has everything pretty much planned before we leave the state of North Carolina! The night of our arrival we eat a nice dinner and got to the hotel to swim and get ready for the next day!
We base which park to go to first by which one opens first! Once in inside we hit the most popular ride and get a fastpass and then hit the second most popular ride and wait in line! By lunch time we have hit the BIG ONES we then usually eat out side of the park (cheaper).Then we hit the hotel for some R&R by the pool then its back to the park to ride the other! We always take our time, if you rush all day you wont enjoy it! You need to understand, you arent going to get to see everything in one day!

 

[Laura]

I always plan our itinerary based on which days the parks open early for hotel guests. So if MK was going to open early on one day I would AVOID it on that day because that's where the crowds will be.

I plan at least one priority seating type meal per day because the food is my favorite part of the trip. Usually for lunch since lunch is way less expensive than dinner. I usually try and plan a day for MK, a day for Epcot, a day for MGM, half a day for a waterpark, half a day for AK, and then a relaxing day for shopping at DTD.

Our Disney trip a couple weeks from now is much simpler. We're doing downtown Disney and Ohana on Sunday, MK on Monday, Epcot on Thursday, and the rest of the week is an open book!

 

[SusanAnne]

Once we get to our room we always hit the MK first. We always eat at the Crystal Palace and Cosmic Ray's. Sunday's are always spent at MGM. Out of 7 days we usally only spend 1/2 day at AK. We spend the most time at MK.

 

[Jekyll Baker]

Like wannabeBelle, when I'm planning a trip, I make up a spreadsheet of the different park times (including Extra Magic Hours, E-ride Nights, etc). But I don't extensively plan which parks I go to which days - I just make general plans of what I'd like to do, and if I don't get to do them, no big deal (I usually go solo, so there's no one else to disappoint).
In the parks, there's only a few things I HAVE to do:
In MK: Haunted Mansion at least twice, TTA at least once, try to go to CoP, and eat at Cosmic Ray's.
In Epcot: Spaceship Earth once or twice, Mission: Space, and El Rio del Tiempo. Watch Kristos and Mo'Rockin. And Ice Station Cool (got to get a sip of Beverly - I don't think it's that terrible).
In D-MGM: got to do Muppets 3D and usually A Man and His Dream.
In AK: It's Tough to Be a Bug, and right now, watch/check on the growth of Everest.

 

[PacMan2006]

Hey guys, what is "TTA"

 

[barnum42]

Hey guys, what is "TTA"

Tomorrowland Transit Authority - formerly known as the Peoplemover.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Like wannabeBelle, when I'm planning a trip, I make up a spreadsheet of the different park times (including Extra Magic Hours, E-ride Nights, etc). But I don't extensively plan which parks I go to which days - I just make general plans of what I'd like to do, and if I don't get to do them, no big deal (I usually go solo, so there's no one else to disappoint).
In the parks, there's only a few things I HAVE to do:
In MK: Haunted Mansion at least twice, TTA at least once, try to go to CoP, and eat at Cosmic Ray's.
In Epcot: Spaceship Earth once or twice, Mission: Space, and El Rio del Tiempo. Watch Kristos and Mo'Rockin. And Ice Station Cool (got to get a sip of Beverly - I don't think it's that terrible).
In D-MGM: got to do Muppets 3D and usually A Man and His Dream.
In AK: It's Tough to Be a Bug, and right now, watch/check on the growth of Everest.

We plan very similarly there Jekyll Baker!!!! For me the do not misses are :
MK: Wishes and I really like Philharmagic
EPCOT: As previously mentioned Off Kilter, M:S and Test Track if the line isnt too long. Of course Illuminations. Oh and a glass of Bellini from the booth in Italy!!!! YUM!!!!!!!!!
MGM: Rock N Roller Coaster, TOT if someone else wants to go on it and the 50's Prime Time Cafe for dinner. Love Fantasmic.
AK, Tarzan Rocks, Primevil Whirl, and Festival of the Lion King if I have time. Also I like Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade
Of course the list is always flexible for seasonal items such as Flower Power Concerts, Eat to the Beat concerts, Food & Wine Tastings and seminars, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Candlelight Processional, etc. Belle

 

[Boo's Mom]

We normally get there late saturday night because we drive. We relax all day sunday, check out the hotel and go to downtown disney. Monday we start going to the parks, parkhopping to whatever park we want to go to. We normally spend a few hours at animal kingdom and then parkhop over to magic kingdom or mgm. We just go to whatever park we want to unless we plan out a schedule on the way down to disney from Richmond. We don't normally stick to a schedule as we are on vacation and are trying to get away from schedules

 

[Diane Hughess]

We come from Philly every year (South NJ, actually), and we fly in on a Fri. morning, and stay off-site that night (I always rent a car) We chill, then go to Downtown shopping, and a good Int'l Drive rest. for dinner (usually Charlie's Steakhouse for lobster!!) We check in after our Cracker Barrel breakfast, and enjoy the whole day at a WP, then to Epcot for our Teppanyaki dinner!! I make PS for every day, every meal--that way, if we feel like having a nice, sit-down meal, we have a table, if we don't, we could have not waited!! Then: Sun: MK starting with bkfst at castle, Tu-AK starting with Donald's bkfst, We-MGM, TH- WP or backtrack to MGM or AK, Fr- MK, Sa-EP then our flight home is @ 7 pm so we can enjoy the whole day. The parks listed above are what we go to in the am. We go back to the hotel to rest when we've had enough, and we always sleep in on Thurs. I like having a car b/c I go to the grocery store to buy snacks & 2 liter sodas for our room. Also, we drive to our evening park destination to avoid the bottleneck lines back to the hotels.

 

[goofyman]

We have a general idea of what we want to do but before anything we ride the Monorail and have Hotdogs and fries at Caseys!

 

[goofy for fire]

I'm ashamed at you Belle. There's not much we can gig you on about WDW knowledge but it's not Mud, Sweat, and Shears. It's Mulch, Sweat, and Shears.

Sorry, just had to take the opportunity when it presented itself. :kiss:

Have a Great New Year!!!

 

[wannabeBelle]

I'm ashamed at you Belle. There's not much we can gig you on about WDW knowledge but it's not Mud, Sweat, and Shears. It's Mulch, Sweat, and Shears.

Sorry, just had to take the opportunity when it presented itself. :kiss:

Have a Great New Year!!!

Thanks for the correction!!! You can tell Jordan from that band that I messed up on the name and that he can yell at me when he sees me!!!! And actually Jordan told me the name of his character that he plays is Axe Mulch!!! You would have though I would have remembered that!!! I met Jordan as he was filling in for Randy Holbrook, the lead guitarist for Off Kilter. He had told us that he was involved with Mulch, Sweat and Shears. Jordan does alternate with another Guitarist Angelo Janotti who is also involved with Off Kilter. THAT was how I had heard about the band, but hadnt seen them, although two of my friends did at separate points during the trip and one of them got it on video tape. Here's hoping Ill get it right before the next trip!!! Belle

 

[WendyOkada]

Nut calling kettle black

I usually go with my cousin and her husband and kids as they are DVC owners. My cousin and I are best friends and Disney nuts (she way more than me).

I can't believe you are calling me a nut. Hee hee hee.

Also, you forgot out traditional mantra of "First Park, First Day" and commemorative photo of us going into the parks.

Also, our traditional fez photo in Morroco... and our Horizons "looking out into the horizon" photo (although taking place in front of M:S now)... and also the necessity to enjoy my Norweigian lefske dessert...

Hee hee hee. Ahhh, makes me want to go back...

 

[Laura]

You don't want to know how I plan my week. It's incredibly detailed and an extremely long process. Its based on what restaurants I want to eat at, what parks have extra magic hours, etc. I spend about 6 months fine tuning it until its just right.

 

[WendyOkada]

And what's the problem...?

You don't want to know how I plan my week. It's incredibly detailed and an extremely long process. Its based on what restaurants I want to eat at, what parks have extra magic hours, etc. I spend about 6 months fine tuning it until its just right.

Doesn't everybody???

Hee hee hee hee.

If not, they should. It extends the WDW enjoyment tremendously...

 

[SpenceMan01]

We always hit MK in the morning on our first day, then hop to either Epcot or MGM in the afternoon/early evening. We used to spend EVERY night at Epcot and watch Illuminations... until they changed it in 2000. We hate it. Now I'm much more likely to go see Fantasmic every night. I LOVE that show!

 

[LadyDarling]

Doesn't everybody???

Hee hee hee hee.

If not, they should. It extends the WDW enjoyment tremendously...

I do the same thing and I TOTALLY Agree. I'm starting to make PS for our DECEMBER trip right now. It takes me about 6-9 months to get it ironed out. 10 months for perfect.
Back to the topic:

Do you have any rituals? Do you ALWAYS go to a certain park on Monday, a certain park of Tuesday, etc? If so, which parks and why?
We always got to the Animal Kingdom on our first full morning. The love of my life (hubby) and I went there first in 1999 in that order. It was the second-time we'd met face to face (internet meeting, not throught personals - a very LONG story). That trip turned out so Fabulous that we now start each 1st day off with an early breakfast at the Restrauntosaurus, just like we did then!

Do you always eat at a certain restaurant? Do you rent the same kind of rental car? Do you stay in the same kind of hotel?
We have a list of restruants we eat at. On the list (it's very long, so I'll sum up) is the Coral Reef, Ma Tsu No Ma lounge in EPCOT, Cinderalla's castle in the Magic Kingdom, Boma at AKL, Mama Melrose's at MGM...

Do you go with the same people?

Well, my hubby is ALWAYS in tow! But other than that, occasionally we take friends with us. In 2003 I got to take a friend dying of Hep C (liver failure) before he got too sick. He had a BLAST!

When you hit the parks, do you always hit a specific ride first?
Nope. Whatever comes up!

 

[SpectroMan]

I make a few priority seatings, and then I go from there. I know where I want to eat, and then plan where we will go and what will do from there. I usually don't plan that much because I usually change it or somebody else changes it up.

 

[DisneyMarg]

I'm a big planner too. I enjoy the planning almost as much as the trip. This time I made pages for each park with a map on one side and on the other our schedule and PS #'s, the counter service restaurants on the MYW Dining Plan, and a list of the shows and showtimes. THEN I HAD THEM LAMINATED. Yes, I have gone too far. My family thinks it's hilarious.


As for how I plan.... I decide where I want to eat and then work around that, since you have to make those PS early.

I like to plan to go to the parks early, hit the headliner attractions hard, and by late morning, relax back a little. Then we go to the less crowded attractions, see some shows, or go back to the room for a rest. Night time is always laid back for us - ride a bit, if not too much trouble, or enjoy the nighttime shows. This schedule lets me exercise my tendency to overplan every minute (in the morning) but keeps me in check in the afternoon and evening so we can all enjoy it a little more slowly.

We don't have a set schedule for parks or attractions because it depends on the results of my voluminous research as part of the planning process

 

[PamelaNiebergal]

We absolutely have to go to the Magic Kingdom the first and last day and we always ride POTC first. Its not necessarily my favorite ride but its our tradition. We also like to plan out our trip out pretty extensively around priority seatings and EMH although we do like to leave room for a couple of days to do whatever we feel like doing spur of the moment.