Is it too much?

[djmatthews]

I can understand planning to an extent, especially when you don't get to go that often like many of us Brits. But it’s a bit excessive? I like to be spontaneous and take things in (not just at WDW, but other places). When we last went, the only thing we planned was which park to visit on which day, we did this simply so we made sure we visited each park, however, this simple guide went to pot due to bad weather and Sept 11th.

I do have a current speadsheet of holidays costings for our next trip, however, but I can't think of a better way of doing it.

I am however quite interested in seeing the spreadsheets people use. Can someone email one to have a look at please. Would be most appriciated.

 

[Dopey Dave]

Has anyone used the Passporter System? Sounds like it fullfills all requirments.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

I'm sure Passporter is wonderful, but it to too "pre-fab" for a real geek.

It's like the difference between buying chocolate-covered graham crackers and buying plain graham crackers and a tub of chocolate frosting.

 

[AkiraRaptor]

Here's an example of the planner tab from my Excel sheets...

It's not the current one, which has wish amount, confirmation #, and other notes on it. I usally print this sheet and the confirmation sheet out before going down the WDW, so we have a schedual to look at when we are there.

And the reason I do this is beacuse we do so much in the way of other stuff than normal, like the tours, that I have to have it broken down or we don't know where we need to be.

But if it's not in a timebox, then it's free time, and we do whatever we want then, I don't schedual any deeper than tours/PS/Specials. And last year we usally went back to the resort and rested in the afternoons. :lol:

 

[Dayma]

A famous artist once said "Less is more"......of course I forgot who said it

 

[Woody13]

Originally posted by blackride
A famous artist once said "Less is more"......of course I forgot who said it

Robert Browning said it while Mies van der Rohe and Buckminster Fuller adopted the concept in their work.

 

[GenerationX]

Another famous artist (Pablo Picasso) once said:

"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success."

My goal is for our family to have a happy, fun time at WDW.

I love your spreadsheet, Akira!

 

[kennyj29]

Not too excessive

When we go and we have the Discovery Magic plan (with two wishes per day per person) we have to have every little detail planned. We have to know what park we'll be in and where we're going to eat for breakfast and dinner because I have to make PS reservations. You can't always get the one's you want Beleive me, I call on the very first day I can for a certain restaurant. I call at 7:00 a.m. exactly and I've been turned down already for Princess breakfast (all the time) at the Castle and we were turned down for Liberty Tree Tavern and I'm like one of the first one's calling. You have to be prepared and willing to change your plans for parks according to what PS reservations you get. When I don't have the Discovery Magic plan, we just wing it. So we can be flexible or rigid. We just love it, it doesn't matter how you do it as long as you have fun doing it!~

 

[BRER STITCH]

To answer your question....

Yes. It's too much!

:lol:

 

[kennyj29]

It really isn't too much! It sounds too structored but it's not! We still do what ever we want in the park that day (that's not planned) but when you make PS reservations you have to be there to do it. That really isn't too structored. It's sort of nice knowing what park your going to do each day. Some days we don't even go to the parks! So it isn't excessive!

 

[Yellow Shoes]

Re: Not too excessive

Originally posted by kennyj29
When we go and we have the Discovery Magic plan (with two wishes per day per person) we have to have every little detail planned. We have to know what park we'll be in and where we're going to eat for breakfast and dinner because I have to make PS reservations.

Isn't that ironic? Many people go with the add-on plans because they think it will simplify their planning. But you are correct--you need to plan carefully so you get your money's worth out of the wishes.

 

[AkiraRaptor]

Originally posted by kennyj29
It really isn't too much! It sounds too structored but it's not! We still do what ever we want in the park that day (that's not planned) but when you make PS reservations you have to be there to do it. That really isn't too structored. It's sort of nice knowing what park your going to do each day. Some days we don't even go to the parks! So it isn't excessive!

Yep, agreed! It does LOOK like everythings all planned out, but it's just the "special" events like PS and tours/shows that have to be set. The rest of the time is free time. And by going off my Excel sheet, you will see that three days, with the exception of feeding times, the days are compleatly open. We have not decided what to do on those days, and we wont unlil we get there and make a last min choice.

The only thing we need to think about is where we are in relasion to the PS, and plan when we need to leave to make the PS. No big deal.

It's worked out very very well fo us on our last two visits. And this year we are going with friends for most of the week, so I'll get to see first hand what a non-Disney pepole think of my planning skills. So far they like it cos' I've been doing all the scheduling work except for the hotel/package reservation.

We'll see...

 

[Scooter]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
My wife and I just wander through the parks like Transients.
No rhyme or reason...no plans.

As we wonder around we say to each other..."Hey... THAT looks cool...lets ride THAT!" or " Hmmm...we havn't seen THIS show have we? Lets check it out!"

We usually go for 7 or 8 days so if we miss something...we just go back another day.:lol:

We've been doing this once a year for 10 years and it seems to work for us.

Same with Eating...if we're hungry when we are at Canada at EPCOT...one of us says. "I'm hungry...ya wanna eat here?" :lol:

 

[figmentmom]

When the whole family travels to WDW, I plan like we're invading Normandy. When I go by myself (July 19 - 29 this year!!!), I make a list of things that I want to be sure to do at some point when I'm there. They're generally things I've missed on previous visits, or things that are new altogether. I can afford to be a lot looser simply because I don't have to coordinate the whole family's varying needs and wishes! Since you'll be traveling as a family, I don't blame you a bit for organizing and planning ahead - I'd do the same. Getting the maximum from a trip to WDW takes effort!

Of course, since I AM a tad compulsive, I will admit to downloading the park hours and entertainment schedules for July 19 - 29, and laminating them for quick reference!:lol:

 

[BRER STITCH]

Originally posted by Scooter
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
My wife and I just wander through the parks like Transients.
No rhyme or reason...no plans.

As we wonder around we say to each other..."Hey... THAT looks cool...lets ride THAT!" or " Hmmm...we havn't seen THIS show have we? Lets check it out!"

We usually go for 7 or 8 days so if we miss something...we just go back another day.:lol:

We've been doing this once a year for 10 years and it seems to work for us.

Same with Eating...if we're hungry when we are at Canada at EPCOT...one of us says. "I'm hungry...ya wanna eat here?" :lol:

I LOVE IT!!!

:lol:

That's what we do too!

:sohappy:

 

[mandib]

Ok sorry to say I think your all crazy. I mean I plan but keep it in my mind. It might just be that I've been there 8 times but I don't know. We wake up in the morning and decide what to do. I mean the 1st time we went we were like that but not now. Take a deep breath and breathe in and out. With or without the plan it will be a great trip. Have fun!

 

[careship]

As many times as we've been there, I still make the plan. (we've been there over 50 times throughout our life) Of course, it's all the fun of planning. Getting excited and figuring out where we want to go and when. We never do the follow the plan. The only thing we follow is my list of food. We pull it out and decide where we want to eat. We wouldn't want to eat at the same place all the time. That's no fun.

 

[cindrelly31]

I would say that is too much. My husband would say "Way to go! How do you get your family to agree to that??" :brick:

I just plan the park I want to go to, what I want to see and do, and let time and weather dictate what I do when. Let you know the end of August how it goes.:wave:

 

[spoodles]

I understand the appeal of spontaneity, and I suppose it depends on how many people are in your group and how diverse your interests are, how often you’ve been, etc. But I gotta tell ya, I did the wing-it approach for 20 years and didn’t develop ODD (Obsessive Disney Disorder) until my first day-planner trip in ’96.

WDW is just too big and too expensive to spend time while you’re there deciding what to do while you’re there. Much better to get everyone together and hash that all out ahead of time. After the day-planner trip, for the first time instead of regretting how much money I had spent, the trip felt like a bargain. I easily got twice the bang for my buck.

And don’t underestimate what others have said about the fun and excitement of the planning. How funny, we did the peel-the-days-of-the-refrigerator thing too.

My best advice is to have contingency plans ready (for weather, etc.), and give your schedule more and more flexibility as you get near the end. This allows for plenty of spontaneity and repetition of favorite things. And you’ll never have to realize once you’re home that you forgot something you really wanted to do.

 

[misskat]

the rest of my family get stressed if i just mention "hey theres at show at 7.30,shall we make sure we see it?"

they do not like to plan, not at all! i think its through having the rest of life on a schedule, they like to play everything by ear on holiday.

of course when I have kids of my own it will all be planned, oh yes. i dont think its excessive when you have PS and kids to feed and keep happy, when you're with all adults or older children then people are probably less fussy about what gets done!