How much do you plan?

[robynchic]

I feel like I'm planning too much for BF and my trip over this summer. The different restaurants, which means the parks on specific days; trying to work around hiccups (like how Boardwalk doesn't have any studios available), things that we MUST do...
I've never planned so much for a WDW vacation, so I feel like I'm doing too much. I mean, don't get me wrong- I'm not planning that we MUST be up by a specific time, that we MUST be here or there at a specific time, etc. I'm just trying to plan the basic (major) stuff.

So am I planning too much? And how much do you guys usually plan for a WDW trip that's 5 days long?

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I hate planning. So I don't. At all.

I plan how to get there and how to get back. If the person I'm with knows what they want to do, then I'm usually game. Otherwise, I make it up as I go.

(I suspect I'm the exception, though.)

 

[e4ymod]

I hate planning. So I don't. At all.

I plan how to get there and how to get back. If the person I'm with knows what they want to do, then I'm usually game. Otherwise, I make it up as I go.

(I suspect I'm the exception, though.)

Not the exception at all. I do the same thing.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Not the exception at all. I do the same thing.

Dude...we should hang out sometime. :lol:

 

[AliciaLuvzDizne]

I feel like I'm planning too much for BF and my trip over this summer. The different restaurants, which means the parks on specific days; trying to work around hiccups (like how Boardwalk doesn't have any studios available), things that we MUST do...
I've never planned so much for a WDW vacation, so I feel like I'm doing too much. I mean, don't get me wrong- I'm not planning that we MUST be up by a specific time, that we MUST be here or there at a specific time, etc. I'm just trying to plan the basic (major) stuff.

So am I planning too much? And how much do you guys usually plan for a WDW trip that's 5 days long?

basically
i just reserved a hotel room last night for a month from now
we dont even have plane tickets yet
so
ya
im not a planner

 

[tigsmom]

We decide when to go and where to stay (always have a backup choice). We make our reservations and drive on down. We decide each evening what to do the next day and call to make ADR, if needed. We go have fun. Its that simple.

When you obsess too much and plan out every second of the day then the first time something doesn't go according to plan your day is ruined. Its a vacation, not an invasion...go and have fun and relax. So you don't get to see everything and eat everywhere...big deal! Hit them next time.

 

[SpongeScott]

Gotta agree with what has been said so far. We reserve our rooms and then decide each day what parks we want to hit and kinda go on the fly when we get there. We've been there enough to know what we like/don't like. I would think as a CM that you should be able to be the same way--you know what is popular and good, what is worth seeing and not. Don't strap yourself down to so much detail that you hate the trip and then start hating each other over it.

 

[GrowingUpDisney]

I feel like I'm planning too much for BF and my trip over this summer. The different restaurants, which means the parks on specific days; trying to work around hiccups (like how Boardwalk doesn't have any studios available), things that we MUST do...
I've never planned so much for a WDW vacation, so I feel like I'm doing too much. I mean, don't get me wrong- I'm not planning that we MUST be up by a specific time, that we MUST be here or there at a specific time, etc. I'm just trying to plan the basic (major) stuff.

So am I planning too much? And how much do you guys usually plan for a WDW trip that's 5 days long?

Robynchic,

I am probably the queen of overplanning. It is actually part of the fun and anticipation of the upcoming trip.

We are going down in two weeks and I am currently making all of our plans. I do things this way:
1) Choose the resort
2) Check the park operating hours and decided which park to attend each day. We park hop to maximize our days at the park.
3) According to our park schedule, I choose our meal locations
4) Call and make dining ressies
5) Sit back and anticipate the trip!!!!!- I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I usually leave one day unplanned near the end of our trip to go and do the things that my son enjoyed the most.

 

[Pr1nce55]

I love planning for my trips. It becomes a part of my vacation. It feeds my anticipation. I don't plan each minute but I do plan a majority of the day. My advice is having a well planned itinerary but use is as a guide and not a "do or die". Still be flexible and go by how you feel that day. If you choose not to do something on you itinerary then don't do it. It's not going to kill you. Still, it is good to have things planned out too because you can waste a lot of time trying to figure out what you are going to do next if you don't have an itinerary. Think of yourself as you own personal tour guide of WDW.

 

[bgraham34]

I plan everything. whoever i o with trusts me to make the right decisions and thus far they have worked out. And i also like being in control of it. I get what i want.

 

[robynchic]

Well, honestly, all we've done so far is plan the hotels (yes, two of them- Boardwalk (Boardwalk view!) for 3 nights, Poly for 1) and he's booked his plane tickets. My dad is booking the hotels, because we're using family DVC points. And we've decided which restaurants to go to (with some leeway at the Studios). The only thing I'm set on is that we WILL see the Share a Dream Come True Parade. Honestly, though, I just walk around the parks, do what we want to when we see it, and have a relaxed vacation.

I think I just feel I'm planning too much because he's like "Calm down...you don't need to plan EVERYTHING now..."

 

[PintoColvig]

One thing I'd suggest is to make dinner resv. ahead of time for those special restaurants that you just don't want to miss. For us, we always make resv. for Boma well in advance. Typically, you can get in on the same day but to get a decent time, I call several weeks ahead.

 

[JimboJones123]

booked yesterday, doing meals today... yes i'm

 

[robynchic]

I plan on doing that as soon as Kerry comes back home (being an admissions officer, he travels frequently). We plan to do Chefs De France (I think...my discount means it'd be an early dinner), Cosmic Rays (we need a cheap dinner somewhere!), and either 50's Prime Time, Sci Fi Dine In, or the Brown Derby (depending on my rep rewards points). And I'm thinking of taking him to Marrakesh for lunch...

Edit to add: He'll be home Friday, so no worries. And the trip is July 7-11, so I think I have enough time to make ressies.

 

[PatsRule]

We've been so often that we don't plan a whole lot anymore. I do book DR's for the popular places like Cape May Cafe but I only make a couple because we don't like being tied to a strict plan. We decide the prior night which park to hit the next day based on how we feel and how the weather is supposed to be. This past trip in March we booked a DR at 50's Prime Time at 11:30 am for 6:45 that night because we suddenly felt like eating there. For us the stress of the trip is limited when we are not following a strict plan. That being said, I believe first or second timers should have a plan because things can be overwhelming if you are an infrequent visitor.

 

[Sweetums]

I've NEVER been as compulsive as I have been for my upcoming trip this month.

It started out innocently enough...I looked around at different sites and different packages. Then, I booked our vacation--airline, hotel, park tickets and meal plan. Then I went and looked at the EMH's for the days we'd be there (4/24 - 4/29). So I started to plan out which days we'd be in which park and then used that information to plan out which restaurants we would eat at. So far, so good.

But then, I start going on these forums, which I hadn't been to in awhile. And I come across a link to the Touring Plans site. Ay yi yi....that did me in. I bought the $7 subscription and proceeded to print out all these different touring plans. Then I started filling out a customized one for us, leaving out things I know we don't care about and adding some of our favorites. Also had to account for the dining reservations that I made.

For the past few weeks, at some point during the day, I get all my papers and go over my touring plans. Then I go into my Birnbaum guide or the Unofficial guide (the one with all the touring plans!) or sometimes both and re-read information about the resort we are staying at (AKL) the restaurants we are going to the rides I've planned out for us to go on....It's gotten out of hand!!!

In my defense, it's been 5 or 6 years since we've been and it will be the first time taking my son (almost 3). So...I'm just a LITTLE excited about it.

I am fully prepared to be flexible and go "off plan". But it has been fun for me to map it all out and think about.

 

[robynchic]

This'll be Kerry's first time in...*has to think for a minute* 7 years, so a lot has changed. That's why I'm trying not to plan a LOT, but do a little, so I know what we have time to do.

 

[shannonpete32]

I plan to the max..

I have 3 kids so if I dont plan I hear all day ,what are we having for dinner , lunch, etc. Or where are we going, what park, how long. It drives me and my husband into insanity. So I plan all meals, parks to coridinate with Extra magic hours. I am goign in Sept and have a plan already. I do leave one day free for the kids drag us from park to park.

Only thing i have not done yet is air fare and that is because I am waiting for the biggest deal.:sohappy:

 

[shannonpete32]

A good book to help plan is Passporter walt Disney World. Love it. :king:

 

[robynchic]

I plan to the max..

I have 3 kids so if I dont plan I hear all day ,what are we having for dinner , lunch, etc. Or where are we going, what park, how long. It drives me and my husband into insanity. So I plan all meals, parks to coridinate with Extra magic hours. I am goign in Sept and have a plan already. I do leave one day free for the kids drag us from park to park.

Only thing i have not done yet is air fare and that is because I am waiting for the biggest deal.:sohappy:

Regardless of when you book the tickets, try Side Step. It searches EVERY airline (that I know of) AND every cheaper ticket selling site. Kerry got his tickets for $202. Non-stop from Dulles International to Orlando International on Ted by United. Other than that, I believe the cheapest ticket rates are 60 days before you go.

How old are your kids that they keep bugging you? I would think not much older than 10.