Any actual (paper/hard-copy) planners out there?

[Horvatk]

So we just booked a trip for October and my mind is already spinning. I love writing things down and planning things out in hard copy. Are there any planners (the things, not the people) that people have used that have worked well? Or maybe planner inserts from Etsy or a specialized shop that I could buy that will walk me through everything I should be thinking about? This is our first family trip to Disney and my first trip since being in my early 20s.

 

[Princesca]

I always have a Touring plan I print out, but I write the highlights on index cards and just carry the one for the day in my pocket.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I create my own, a Word document and an Excel spreadsheet.

My Word document is a one page a day planner. The first page is an overview / summery with flight info and hotel info. I print this page and give it to family at home. Then on each page / day depending on what I have planned, I have various types of information, from what time to set the wake up alarm, to when to leave the hotel, transport information and any bookings or things to do.

For myself I print the whole document. Then each night before I go to bed, I check the page for the next day, set a wake up alarm if needed and get out any documents or items needed for the next day.

My Excel spreadsheet is again a day by day planner but mainly for my budget and spending. I used multiple payment options, so the spreadsheet helps me keep track of my money and how much I need to save. It also helps with meal planning, restaurant reservations and shopping.

 

[_19disnA]

In all of our visits to Disney we have never been big on 'planning' and never used any type of software. We aren't the type of people who plan every minute with 'walk here at X am then walk there', but perhaps that works for others. Part of the reason we vacation is to unwind and not be held to any rigid schedules. You just never know how crowded a Disney park might be on any given day or how long rides lines will be. Rides can also go down for maintenance/bad weather, so there are only so many things you can reasonably plan for.

If you have small children, trying to hold to some rigid schedule can be frustrating for everyone and you just never know ahead of time what might interest them, particularly if this is your first family trip.

Things like ADR's and park reservations you do need to arrange ahead of time. If you plan to purchase any of the paid Genie options, you can only do those the day of your visit. Other then a map of each park and a general sense of where each of the rides you are interested in are located, I would just let them explore and enjoy their park time.

 

[Horvatk]

In all of our visits to Disney we have never been big on 'planning' and never used any type of software. We aren't the type of people who plan every minute with 'walk here at X am then walk there', but perhaps that works for others. Part of the reason we vacation is to unwind and not be held to any rigid schedules. You just never know how crowded a Disney park might be on any given day or how long rides lines will be. Rides can also go down for maintenance/bad weather, so there are only so many things you can reasonably plan for.

If you have small children, trying to hold to some rigid schedule can be frustrating for everyone and you just never know ahead of time what might interest them, particularly if this is your first family trip.

Things like ADR's and park reservations you do need to arrange ahead of time. If you plan to purchase any of the paid Genie options, you can only do those the day of your visit. Other then a map of each park and a general sense of where each of the rides you are interested in are located, I would just let them explore and enjoy their park time.

I was thinking more for planning the logistics of the trip - flights, park days, restaurants we want to hit, things we want to try and get to, making sure we have a crib and stroller. I agree with you about not overly planning a day with young kids - I can barely plan a play date at these ages! Lol

 

[Meglen]

I make a Google sheet for my days and print it out and laminate it. We also made snack must have note cards and printed them out also laminated and put everything on a ring and kept it in our bag. We got everything done and was great for quick looks.

 

[Marionnette]

There used to be an annual guide called The Passporter. It's no longer in publication but you might be able to get a clean copy on eBay or a used book seller like ABEbooks.com. The guidebook had "PassPockets" where you could write your details like air travel and car rental reservations, your lodging plans and then daily itinerary plans with ADRs. Each page had pockets for safekeeping things like boarding passes and restaurant receipts. I think the authors stopped publishing after several life changes and the increase of digital record keeping rendered it no longer as popular.

The images from below are from the ring binder version of the book. There is also a spiral bound version that you could simply cut the PassPockets out of. Obviously, I don't use it anymore even though I handwrite copious notes before making final digital copies.

 

[rebelbuddhist]

So we just booked a trip for October and my mind is already spinning. I love writing things down and planning things out in hard copy. Are there any planners (the things, not the people) that people have used that have worked well? Or maybe planner inserts from Etsy or a specialized shop that I could buy that will walk me through everything I should be thinking about? This is our first family trip to Disney and my first trip since being in my early 20s.

My wife leaves all the planning to me but, of course, I run most ideas by her. I use 3x5 index cards-- one for each ride, attraction, ADR at each park. That allows me to arrange and rearrange as often as I want/need. I do make many changes especially after making ADRs 60 + days out. I include all the pertinent info on the card and arrange a day's cards each morning. I can even rearrange cards during the day at the park. Very importantly, if I need an error or need to change an ADR or ride (if it is down or the wait is way too long), I can simply take out that card and make a new one rather than having to scratch things out or redo larger pages of plans.

 

[Horvatk]

There used to be an annual guide called The Passporter. It's no longer in publication but you might be able to get a clean copy on eBay or a used book seller like ABEbooks.com. The guidebook had "PassPockets" where you could write your details like air travel and car rental reservations, your lodging plans and then daily itinerary plans with ADRs. Each page had pockets for safekeeping things like boarding passes and restaurant receipts. I think the authors stopped publishing after several life changes and the increase of digital record keeping rendered it no longer as popular.

The images from below are from the ring binder version of the book. There is also a spiral bound version that you could simply cut the PassPockets out of. Obviously, I don't use it anymore even though I handwrite copious notes before making final digital copies.

View attachment 664560View attachment 664561View attachment 664562View attachment 664564

This is my dream. Thank you!! Even if I can’t find a copy, this gives a great outline.

 

[Horvatk]

My wife leaves all the planning to me but, of course, I run most ideas by her. I use 3x5 index cards-- one for each ride, attraction, ADR at each park. That allows me to arrange and rearrange as often as I want/need. I do make many changes especially after making ADRs 60 + days out. I include all the pertinent info on the card and arrange a day's cards each morning. I can even rearrange cards during the day at the park. Very importantly, if I need an error or need to change an ADR or ride (if it is down or the wait is way too long), I can simply take out that card and make a new one rather than having to scratch things out or redo larger pages of plans.

It seems like index cards are a great option - I wouldn’t have thought of them myself. Thank you!!