Planning Stress

[Mrs.Morrow]

Is it just me or is planning for Disney getting increasingly stressful every year? I've been going to Disney for years with my family and my last two trips have been with my SO. I've never seen my parents become as stressed anywhere near to how I am. Planning for Disney used to be the second best part of the trip now I almost dread it. Last time we got the DDP and felt everything was too based on where we're eating. No DP this go around and I still feel like we're not getting the most out of our trip. I understand that you shouldn't be planning out every last detail and things change, but between reservations, making use of park hopper, and short park hours (going in September), I feel I have to have to plan everything. Any advice?
Thank you

Edit: This is the last time we’ll be going for a very long time which is why I want to get the most of out the trip and do as much as we can. That is why it’s stressful, or maybe a better word as another poster said “an annoyance”. We love Disney or else we wouldn’t be going. We look forward to the trip, counting down every day. Everyone has a different way of doing things.

 

[PrincessJasmyn]

No advice here, but just want to say i know exactly how you feel.
Im going in 6 weeks and my stress levels are through the roof!

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

Know how you feel. We no longer schedule every meal 120 days in advance. Last couple of trips we made 1 or 2 for someplace we really want to eat and then we wing it a little. Now we check the app to see what is available for the next day. We are pretty flexible so always find something.

 

[mouse_luv]

Disney trips are the one thing I don't stress about.

 

[DarthVader]

I revel in and totally love planning my Disney vacation. I never stress about it, and I constantly tweak and tighten it up. I try to keep our plans flexible, so don't think I'm planning everything down to the minute, but I absolutely love doing everything that relates to a disney visit.

As it seems to get more and more expensive for a Disney vacation, our trips have become less frequent, and I suspect the next trip after this April's won't be until late 2020.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

For one, park hours will most likely adjust and extend. We went in September 2015 and had no issue with the time the park closed. Just plan day by day. The hardest part for me is deciding which park on which day. I always try and work around EMH so we get the most of the day. After I decide which park on which day, then we decide on dining. We decided this next trip we arent doing the dining plan and are going to be more flexible. Just remember, if you don't like something change it. If you have a park hopper, and you were stressing about getting a 7DMT FP, but couldn't, try and fit it in on another day. I usually make my initial plans and just go with the flow.

 

[MichiganDisneyDad4]

I revel in and totally love planning my Disney vacation. I never stress about it, and I constantly tweak and tighten it up. I try to keep our plans flexible, so don't think I'm planning everything down to the minute, but I absolutely love doing everything that relates to a disney visit.

As it seems to get more and more expensive for a Disney vacation, our trips have become less frequent, and I suspect the next trip after this April's won't be until late 2020.

Couldn't agree with you more, I don't make planning a stressful ordeal.

Also noticed you will be in WDW same time as my family and I. We will be there April 11th-17th. Are you anticipating the crowds to be fairly low (since its the week after most spring breaks)? I noticed that they extended the hours in the Magic Kingdom, are they anticipating larger that average crowds?

 

[Weather_Lady]

I think you're absolutely right. I never realized until now (when I'm planning a joint trip to Universal and WDW, for which the Universal segment has been an absolute breeze and the WDW segment involves the usual huge time investment and hour-by-hour planning) how involved WDW planning has become. Even though I generally enjoy the planning, it's very much like organizing a military operation rather than a relaxing vacation. (I suspect that much of this has to do with the fact that we only go every 2-3 years, so we feel much more pressure to "make every moment count" than people who visit more frequently.)

I do find that my touringplans subscription, which allows me to see park hours and refurb schedule changes, estimated crowds and wait times, and plan park itineraries that I know will be efficient, helps take much of the stress out of my Disney planning. There are other, non-subscription resources out there that offer similar guidance, and of course, just being on these forums is a great help. As long as I feel well-informed, I don't get stressed.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

I think you're absolutely right. I never realized until now (when I'm planning a joint trip to Universal and WDW, for which the Universal segment has been an absolute breeze and the WDW segment involves the usual huge time investment and hour-by-hour planning) how involved WDW planning has become. Even though I generally enjoy the planning, it's very much like organizing a military operation rather than a relaxing vacation. (I suspect that much of this has to do with the fact that we only go every 2-3 years, so we feel much more pressure to "make every moment count" than people who visit more frequently.)

I do find that my touringplans subscription, which allows me to see park hours and refurb schedule changes, estimated crowds and wait times, and plan park itineraries that I know will be efficient, helps take much of the stress out of my Disney planning. There are other, non-subscription resources out there that offer similar guidance, and of course, just being on these forums is a great help. As long as I feel well-informed, I don't get stressed.

I think the super low fee for the Touring Plans subscription is well worth it. You can also get 20% off the subscription when you click a link on Mouse Savers discount page.

 

[nickys]

I think the super low fee for the Touring Plans subscription is well worth it. You can also get 20% off the subscription when you click a link on Mouse Savers discount page.

I never bother with the discount, it feels a bit mean to me! I love creating my plans, even though mine are very flexible and laid back.

That reservation finder is worth every penny (and I know you don't have to pay for it lol ).

 

[NickMaio]

Seriously - - Hakuna Matata.

We have never stressed about any vacation - - - - I honestly do not understand people - - If you get so stressed out about booking a Disney Vacation you really SHOULD look for other things to do.

A vacation should be a chance to loose some stress in your life - - - not gain more BEFORE you even get there???

Take a breather people - - - - - please - - life is far too short to be up at 12:01 waiting to book fast passes for a "Dopey" mine cart ride.

 

[Dave B]

What is stressful?
I really do not understand. I am not being sarcastic

 

[Weather_Lady]

Wht is stressful?
I really do not understand. I am not being sarcastic

Imagine you're a first-time or infrequent Disney World guest, for whom every potentially-magical moment counts (or so you're told by Disney advertising and the breathless online blogger lists of "must-dos"). You may worry over whether you'll be able to get the ADRs you want, whether you can get FP+ for your desired attractions, whether the crowds will be unexpectedly heavy for your dates, whether you'll be swarmed by tour groups and hordes bearing triple strollers, whether a late bus or monorail or attraction shutdown will cause you to miss a FP+ or incur a no-show penalty for an ADR... all of this encourages you to start planning your days down to the minute (what park, what restaurants) six months or more ahead of time, including signing up for and managing an online account (MDE) and familiarizing yourself with MagicBands and with the Disney nomenclature that is used to describe all of the perks of your trip (My Disney Experience, Disney's Magical Express, MemoryMaker, Fastpass....) This is in sharp contrast to most other vacations, even trips to some other big theme parks, where you can simply book your stay/tickets or tour, show up and have a good time.

That's not to say, of course, that you can't show up to WDW spontaneously and have a ball -- you can, especially if you arrive without any "must-dos." However, not only does Disney tell you that you ought to engage in this uber-planning of a Disney vacation, if you fail to do so and then complain that you didn't have a good time, you will get "flamed and blamed" for having failed to do your homework (and deservedly so, if your name is KatieBug), because Disney makes no secret of the fact that extensive pre-planning is expected and necessary if you don't want to miss out.

I'd also add that for some of us (myself included), the pre-planning is genuinely fun for me, and it allows me to totally relax on my vacation, knowing that I've made all the necessary arrangements for us to have the best time possible. Will there be unexpected hiccups? Of course, but boning up on the necessary knowledge ahead of time is what allows us to calmly and effortlessly navigate those hiccups. We "only" visit once every 2-3 years, so a lot changes in between every visit. So far, the time investment we put into pre-planning has been well worth it: we've brought our children to Disney World (and several other family members) for three separate, lengthy vacations, and although nothing has ever gone perfectly to plan, we have yet to have a single unmagical day.

 

[yensid67]

I have always said and always will say that planning is the best part of a Disney trip! BUT, I don't think I need to plan out every waking minute, like Disney wants! I would plan the MUST DO's like FP's and a FEW Dining reservations, beyond that I would just let things happen as much as possible! Too bad we cannot reverse the role and make Disney plan every guest and their activities everyday in order to get guests to vacation there!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Sure are more stressful... but I still enjoy the planning. It has become a lot more difficult trying to fit everything together so there some cohesion with each day plans. Which park, times for FP+, ADR's, crowd levels, show and event schedules... everything takes more serious planning time to make it come together.

 

[Minnie Mum]

For me it's annoyance, rather than stress, when it comes to planning. But I can understand why some people find it stressful. Many people don't have decades of experience in planning these vacations. Or they don't go frequently and are faced with many unfamiliar changes since their last trip. And they're spending a boatload of money, so they feel the need to get the most bang for their buck.

We gave up on the dining plans a decade ago. And only book a couple of TS meals on any given visit. Disney dining just isn't all that special- not at the prices they charge. We also don't hop, which simplifies park planning a lot. The thing that really annoys me is the need to book FPS. And before someone comes along and says you don't have to - yeah, you kinda do if you want to avoid long standby lines on the headliners.

We're currently planning a 35 day land/cruise trip to the middle east and Asia. It's child's play compared to a week at WDW.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

To add another thing..If it gets stressful to the point of where it isn't fun anymore (some people, myself included enjoy the pressure) use an authorized Disney vacation planner. Its free, and you can give them an idea of what you want to do and where you want to eat and let them be in charge of booking everything. Then, you can move/add/change as you please. If removes the stress of sitting waiting for a reservation to pop up, or a fast pass availability to open.

 

[James J]

I revel in and totally love planning my Disney vacation. I never stress about it, and I constantly tweak and tighten it up. I try to keep our plans flexible, so don't think I'm planning everything down to the minute, but I absolutely love doing everything that relates to a disney visit.

As it seems to get more and more expensive for a Disney vacation, our trips have become less frequent, and I suspect the next trip after this April's won't be until late 2020.

Totally agree with all you say. We booked our trip for this October in July last year, and I love doing little bits of planning along the way, jotting things down to do and go to just so we don't forget! I try and keep some flexibility to it, though I can't wait to make our ADR's in 3 weeks time. It's part of the fun of going for me!

 

[NormC]

I enjoy planning our trips. I do not uber plan. We are always dynamic and go with the flow. We always get hoppers and we eat when we are hungry and very rarely on a timetable. I have been able to get same day reservations at many places including BOG, and Prime Time just by using the MDE app.

 

[DisneyDaver]

I think you're absolutely right. I never realized until now (when I'm planning a joint trip to Universal and WDW, for which the Universal segment has been an absolute breeze and the WDW segment involves the usual huge time investment and hour-by-hour planning) how involved WDW planning has become. Even though I generally enjoy the planning, it's very much like organizing a military operation rather than a relaxing vacation. (I suspect that much of this has to do with the fact that we only go every 2-3 years, so we feel much more pressure to "make every moment count" than people who visit more frequently.

Completely agree. I am a relatively new parent (have a almost 3 y/o and a 5 month old) and before I had kids, my Orlando visits had slowly switched over the years from all WDW (or all but a day in Universal) to my last pre-kids visit which was all Universal except for 1 day at MK. Universal now is more like WDW used to be ... a fun, relaxing vacation which you don't need spend hours planning each detail.

Now that I have young kids, however, there is very little for them to do at Universal so my next visit will be back to entirely WDW. Unless things change (and they will likely change at both place in many way for better and/or for worse), I suspect we will start fazing in Universal when may youngest is 7ish and eventually move toward more Universal vacation time than WDW.

I wonder how many others have changed their Orlando travel patterns in a similar fashion. And how many previously loyal customers (like me) WDW lost some business from over the past 10 years. Clearly not enough for WDW to care.