how do you plan your WDW vacation?

[Cyberacer]

Me? Normally I have a good guide book such as "Birnbaum's Guide to Walt Disney World" or "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" to help me out. Then. I map out a plan. I type up all of the attractions that I want to see and do during my WDW vacation. It works like a charm. What do you do?:king:

 

[raisun]

We're kindda odd...we plan our trips around the restaurants that we want to eat at. With Magic Mornings, we would pick a restaurant in the park that had a MM, and plan accordingly. Its kindda like "dinning your way through the parks." But of course we hit all the attractions and shops too

 

[RogueHabit]

We normally spend 2 weeks in Florida. Generally we plan out the first 5 days, so that the kids get to see the characters they want and then play it by ear after that.

This year we've done it slightly different as we have made reservations/Priority Seatings for several character meals and tried to spread them across the two week period.

Other than that we've done our normal 5 day thing.

Day1: MGM, See Mickey and Pooh
Day2: Shopping on I Drive and Explore PO-RS (It's a Saturday so we avoid the crowds in the parks plus it's our first ever On property stay)
Day3: Donalds Breakfastsaurus and Animal Kingdom
Day4: USF & IOA
Day5: Chef Mickey's Breakfast and Magic Kingdom

After that the only other plan we have is Mickey's BBQ 2 days before we leave.

 

[Dwarful]

We normally go through the newest edition of Birnbaums and the one thats For Kids By Kids, plus I also get the book by Kim Wright Wiley...really like the ones before the 2002 edition w/all the extra tips and hints. Then we figure out charcter b'fasts,, of course we check parks hours and see if any eride nights are available. The kids watch the Disneyland Sing along video over and over and over again! We all make a "must do list" and try and plan it accordingly so we arent double tracking and wasting time.

 

[goaler]

We normally put together a schedule for each day but we keep it flexible to allow for the weather. For example, we'll say we are going to do one day at MK, a day and a half at Epcot, etc. Then we usually try to plan which days those will be just before we leave.

We also keep our park guides from our last trip and start going through them three months before we leave! :hammer: We always go through each park and pick something we haven't seen (at all or for a long time), and someplace that we haven't eaten before. My kids are both young teenagers so we always do the top rides, most more than once. But we like to make each trip different by doing something new.

However you plan your trip, have fun doing it. We'll spend a Friday night by ordering couple of pizzas, watch the latest vaction planner video, look through our many Disney photo albums, and reminisce ...

 

[MinnieFan]

we also pland our trips around food. We wake up and say, "Where do I want to eat today"? That is what park we hit for the day.

 

[durhay]

We always planned our trips during the end of the year/beginning of the next. The reasons were because I was on Christmas break, offsite motel rates dropped nearly %50 after New Years, park crowds dropped bigtime after New Years, to see the Very Merry Christmas Parade in person (having just seen it on tv a few days earlier) and see the New Year's Eve spectacular in World Showcase (which years later became an everynight thing).

 

[stingrock23]

Basically, the only thing I plan is what park on what day. Everything else is just on the fly. That way I can do whatever i feel like at the time. Same with doing anything at night. If i feel like going out somehwere, i will. I buy the guides mainly because it excites me knowing that i will be there soon, and the anticipation builds up. only 158 days.

 

[Married@WDW]

I'm the queen of the laminated schedules! I plan out where we're going each day and where we'll be eating and everything from park hours to parade and show times to hotel and restaurant reservation numbers to flight and rental car info goes on the schedule. It's actually a little scary, but it works great for us! This way we're sure to hit each park at least once and we get to eat at all the restaurants we want to eat at.

I don't plan what we're going to see or do at each park though -- we just let our mood guide us. And while I buy and read Birnbaum's almost every year, I don't really use a guide to plan the trip. I know the place backward and forward so it just doesn't seem necessary anymore.

 

[David]

Originally posted by Married@WDW
I'm the queen of the laminated schedules! I plan out where we're going each day and where we'll be eating and everything from park hours to parade and show times to hotel and restaurant reservation numbers to flight and rental car info goes on the schedule. It's actually a little scary, but it works great for us! This way we're sure to hit each park at least once and we get to eat at all the restaurants we want to eat at.

I don't plan what we're going to see or do at each park though -- we just let our mood guide us. And while I buy and read Birnbaum's almost every year, I don't really use a guide to plan the trip. I know the place backward and forward so it just doesn't seem necessary anymore.

Well if you are the queen of laminated schedules, I am the king. We have almost the identical proceedure. I buy the book, plan our days, prepare a spreadsheet with the days plans, comments about the rides/shows along with the page number in the Birnbaum book about each, then carry the spreadsheet and Birnbaum book in our backback. I usually buy the book just to increase my level of anticipation of going back to Disney.

We are not held captive by the plans for the day, but we check off each thing we do so we are sure to not miss anything.

 

[AkiraRaptor]

Originally posted by raisun
We're kindda odd...we plan our trips around the restaurants that we want to eat at. With Magic Mornings, we would pick a restaurant in the park that had a MM, and plan accordingly. Its kindda like "dinning your way through the parks." But of course we hit all the attractions and shops too

Not odd at all. We do the same thing. We plan our days around our PS at the resturants we want to eat at, and the the tours we want to take (Backstage Magic, etc).

Works well for us. Plus you're not rushing from Park to Park.

 

[DanStat]

AAA

We go through AAA and we usually only plan out which days we are going to certain parks. Otherwise, if one thing gets messed up, it ruins your whole schedule.

 

[Erika]

I can NOT schedule a vacation! I mean, I plan the basics, like where we will stay and how we will get there- and I have a general idea of things I want to do and usually actually do BEGIN some sort of plan- but once we are there, my spontaneous side takes over and any plans go out the window!

It's probably because I am too busy doing this

:sohappy: :wave: :sohappy: :lol: :sohappy: :sohappy:

to really think clearly.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I guess I Am a good cross between most people!!! I do plan my vacation as per my stomach also!! I also own Birnbaums guide and use that for reference and I make up a schedule for all the park hours, parades etc. I havent gone as far as scheduling individual rides yet....that seems a bit much for me. I do use my schedule for reference to plan my days as when I go on vacation my computer doesnt come with me!!! EVER!!!!

 

[raven]

Even thoough I am a Disney CM, I don't like to use the official Birnbaums book. It is basicly a very large brochure of everything you can do. It tells you only what Disney wants you to hear.

I suggest the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It is made by real people who have tried out every possible Disney vacation countless times. It also has many sections where people write in and tell of their own expieriences on what is good and what is not. Each attraction, restaurant, resort, waterpark, and show is rated by each age group and they list REAL prices!

I have planned my entire trip from this book for many years even before becoming a CM. Everything from the time of year when to visit, to air tavel, from resorts to tour plans were made right from the book.

The contact numbers and information on accomodations alone is worth the price of the book. Check it out!

 

[raven]

Hey durhay. Your avitar looks like baby Bob! Cute!:kiss:

 

[Cosmo]

usually i just get in the car and go...though sometimes i have to stop for gas.

 

[Beauty and the]

I plan what day we will go where and add a few PS the rest is left to chance:animwink:

 

[agdbeanie]

I love the book "Walt Disney World for Couples" It has a ton of romantic stuff for couples to do.
I usually type up an itinerary that includes where we will eat and what rides we definitely want to hit. I also include a reminder of which rides have fastpass. We don't usually use our guidemaps, b/c my itineraries are so thorough. The thing is that they really save us time b/c we decide on restaurants ahead of time, but we're pretty flexible with what else we do. We usually go the same way in MK (start w/ adventureland) and Epcot (do futureworld first then world showcase), but we don't really have a routine for MGM or AK. We tend to do the same way each time b/c we've figured out the fastest way to do it and the way to avoid lines the best.
In my opinion it's best to at least plan your restaurants. You can get the info. online or when you check in to a Disney resort you can ask for a restaurant guide that goes into great detail about menu options and price.

 

[dliddi]

I just have what park to go to, and just what ever we want to do we do, for me and out line of the day would take away from exploring the parks, but that’s me.

I used the passporter guide and loved it, it's done buy a couple that have been to Disney many times, it also, takes in the General public’s opinions, and also kids. It gives a description of each ride and restrants in all of Disney, and rates them on a 1-10 scale it also gives you spaces to write experiences of the day.


Just have fun in what ever way you expirence the magic.