Planning is bananas

[ArielSRL]

I love the planning! Really makes the time go by faster and builds the excitement. This year I am a little bummed because our normally long June trip is only 4 nights with 1 park day (I shouldn't complain because we were supposed to skip 2018 but we are going bc we just bought into DVC in the fall) and there isn't nearly as much planning to do!

We also have a 3 or 4 night trip planned for October but that will just be a MNSSHP and 1 park day (probably at DHS for TSL) but again, very little planning is required. I'm ready for our big 2019 and 2020 trips so I can just plan, plan, plan!

 

[tucky]

Honestly if you're not planning on eating TS, you're fine. Even if you want to eat TS, you can usually find someplace (especially at Epcot) that morning. For my first 3 trips I only did one TS meal total (and that was because my nana wanted to have dinner at Garden Grill). Now is different because my husband likes TS dinners....

Thanks! I am starting to read the descriptions of some of the restaurants and they seem pretty cool. Maybe I'll skip TS this time and make mental notes about places to try in the future.

I don't mind doing some planning before the trip but I'm hoping to just go and enjoy it more spontaneously. It sounds like a lot of people don't think that's possible? Its a pretty expensive trip and I don't want to ruin it because I didn't map out each of my days in detail.

 

[sponica]

Thanks! I am starting to read the descriptions of some of the restaurants and they seem pretty cool. Maybe I'll skip TS this time and make mental notes about places to try in the future.

I don't mind doing some planning before the trip but I'm hoping to just go and enjoy it more spontaneously. It sounds like a lot of people don't think that's possible? Its a pretty expensive trip and I don't want to ruin it because I didn't map out each of my days in detail.

The last time I was there, we did a whirlwind last minute 2 day trip and still had a blast. we got most of the rides done that we wanted to do and ate where we wanted to eat.

 

[dstdis]

Thanks! I am starting to read the descriptions of some of the restaurants and they seem pretty cool. Maybe I'll skip TS this time and make mental notes about places to try in the future.

I don't mind doing some planning before the trip but I'm hoping to just go and enjoy it more spontaneously. It sounds like a lot of people don't think that's possible? Its a pretty expensive trip and I don't want to ruin it because I didn't map out each of my days in detail.

It's totally possible to have a great time even without a detailed plan! Remember this is a Disney planning forum, so the people who spend a lot of time here will tend to skew a little toward the "obsessive planners" type.

For example, my sister and I both planned Disney vacations next month a week apart from each other (completely independent of each other and we're missing each other by a week lol). Me? Detailed planned out itineraries for most of my days with lots ADRs and FPs and scheduled events. My sister? She knows what parks she's going to each day, has an ADR for her favorite restaurant and a few FPs, but other than that, she and her husband plan to just go with the flow. And we'll all have a good time! But if she tried to do it my way she would stress herself out and not have a good time and vice versa. So we each do what fits our vacation styles.

Honestly, WDW is so big there is no way you can do it all regardless of how much you plan, so if the planning starts to stress you out, just pick out a few things you think are must-dos and wing it from there. And remember that the magic of Disney usually happens in those all those little moments you didn't plan for!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

After 5 trips I'm done with the ADR nonsense. First trip I didn't even know what ADR's were and we still ate well at QS. Second trip I discovered ADR's a month before and I booked a few. Next few trips I did the whole plan which day, do ADR's, stressed over the timing, etc.

This next trip we are only booking HDDR, BOG lunch and maybe CG for a 9 night trip. Everything else will be same day ADR's, QS or lounges.

I will still make our FP+ 60 days out.

My son just went on his senior trip this month. He got his tickets about 3 weeks before they left but he didn't book FP+ until he arrived at WDW. He got everything he wanted except FOP which wasn't a possibility at 3 weeks out either. He had no ADR's and ate very well with QS. No complaints from him. He had a blast and can't wait to go back! So planning isn't required to have a good time.

 

[Renee1061]

Back when my daughter and I went every year, I got to where I really didn't do much planning. In fact, most days we decided when we woke up which park we were going to that day (unless we had an ADR). This year is our first trip in 7 years... the first time with FP+, and we will also have two first-timers with us. Definitely more stressful now!

 

[Jess_S]

I enjoy vacation planning generally, but I don't like the level of detail that WDW planning requires. I know that I can choose not to book FPs and ADRs, but then we would need to either skip certain things, wait in super long lines or do commando style rope dropping and I don't like any of those options either. So, yes, I agree. WDW planning is bananas.

 

[SarahC97]

When we took our first trip in 2015, I had no clue what I was doing. I didn't make but 1 or 2 ADR's (and they were for places like Raglan Road and Bongos, nothing around the parks) and didn't even make our Fast Past reservations until about 40 days out because I didn't realize it was a "big deal". We were a little shocked when we got to Magic Kingdom and tried to eat at The Plaza and they said it was a 2 hour wait... zoinks! But we still managed to have a great time. We didn't do much table service (Crystal Palace for an early lunch, walked in at Coral Reef, etc.) but we still had a great time. The crowds were very manageable and the weather was warm, but we handled it. I guess my point being we didn't know what we were doing and we had such a great time that we decided to go back again in 2016 and 2017 and now 2018. You don't have to be an expert to have a great time. Of course, this was 3 years ago and the wait times have gotten so much worse...

Oh yeah, I didn't mean to imply that you can't have fun without planning, I just meant that my friend was disappointed she missed out on a couple of things that she didn't know about in advance, like some of the tours they offer (that are now sold out) and stuff. Wait times have been insane the last couple of years. We just went at the end of January this year and I'm so glad I had all our stuff planned out because it was crazy crowded.

 

[VandVsmama]

Can you over plan? Sure! Of course! But it all depends. What is "over planning" for 1 person might be "just right trip planning" for another person.

For example:
We are going on our 1st ever WDW trip this June thanks to a work conference that my DH has to attend in Orlando. For most of the time, DH will be in the conference while the kids & I are doing the WDW thing. DH will join us in the parks for probably 3-ish days. Our trip is in 2.5 months from now. We're going to stay on site at AKL on our last night (staying in a convention hotel the rest of the time) and I haven't yet booked the on site hotel. Nor have I purchased park tickets yet.

AND I originally wasn't going to book any WDW ADRs, but I changed my mind and booked Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch for the kids & I one day. And I reluctantly booked Via Napoli for a 1pm-ish lunch on our single Epcot day. But we're early risers and I doubt my kids can wait until after 1 pm to eat lunch. So unless I can find an earlier time slot for that, we will just eat quick service.

If YOU feel like you're over planning, then you probably are. I think it's important in whatever vacation you may be on that you allow yourself the freedom to NOT follow your daily plan. I also think it's important to not get your heart set on the attitude of "If we don't do this ONE thing, our trip is going to be RUINED!"

 

[PatMcDuck]

I have a trip coming up with no meal reservations booked. I do have FP+, but I feel so free just relying on QS, that we can be flexible.

Disclaimer, it is only 5 nights after a few days at Universal. And we go a couple times a year, so not the once in a lifetime experience.

 

[bryanb]

I think some people on this board spend more timing planning a WDW vacation than they actually spend doing stuff that they've planned!
Well it's certainly true of a 5 minute ride, when people are reading threads and reviews and watching YouTube videos months ahead of time. And lots of people spend more than a few hours researching restaurants for a one-hour meal.
But I think that's okay too. Studies show that vacations are good for the mind, but the biggest benefits come from the fun and anticipation leading up to the experience. I am not a huge planner, but I'm enough of a theme park fan that I can be on these boards year-round thinking about what I'll do on my next trip to WDW. It's like a mini-vacation being on these boards.

For those fretting first-timers, don't let these boards scare you off. On my first trip to WDW, I showed up at the ticket booth and didn't even know which park I would visit until the CM suggested one. I'm not suggesting anyone do that, but you can vacation with any style you prefer and still have a great time.

 

[bettymae1121]

I "solved" my over-planning problem by making it an 8 night trip, we have 6.5 park days, and we aren't seeing a park on arrival or departure day - which I also feels cuts down on stress (will we make our ADR if our flight is late? How close can we cut it at AK before we have to leave for the airport?) . With that much time to tour, it's been easy to fit everything we want to do in. I've always planned "which park what day" anyway due to ADR's (we like one table service meal a day on our trips) so adding in FPs to that wasn't a big deal once I wrapped my head around how they work now (this is our first trip since FP+ began). So yes there is structure to our trip but also plenty of unscheduled time in the parks (and at our resort) to just see where our mood takes us.

I think the pressure to schedule every.last.minute is greater when you have a shorter trip - the fewer days you have the more you feel you need to pack into a single day. MK is our favorite park and the one with the most attractions, we scheduled 3 full days there. When you have that kind of time the pressure is off to go from rope-drop to midnight, scheduling 3 ADRs and stressing about getting a FP to 7DMT because it's your ONLY day in MK. I think I'd rather go to WDW less often so I can stay longer and have a more relaxing trip, than go more often but then can only afford a 4 or 5 night stay. Of course many families can only afford a short stay once a decade or even just once - period, I'm not saying this is an option for everyone. But for those with the means...I think taking less frequent but longer trips should be something to consider if you find yourself trying to cram 7 days of touring into a 4.5 day trip.

 

[crostorfer]

MEH. *SHRUGS* The more we go, the less I plan. I find it usually all works out in the end, and we don't miss much. I could stress out and try to book everything months and weeks in advance, or I can wait until the day of, decide what we want to do, and book dining and FP's from things that have opened up from other people's cancelled plans. I get my best reservations, morning of.

 

[mzalicia]

I'm agreeing with the OP, WDW planning is bananas, but necessary for popular rides and restaurants.

I really enjoyed a recent work trip to Orlando where I couldn't pre-plan due to a changing work schedule - when an event ended early I went to Epcot and strolled around. Luckily TT has a single rider line, but it meant that I missed Soarin' because the 45 minute wait would have used up too much of my limited time.

Right now I am planning a trip with 4 other single adults for May. It felt worse than herding cats to get everyone to agree on a hotel and FP+ priorities in time for the 60 day FP+ window to get FoP, NRJ and Frozen during our party. I found myself apologizing to the newbies as they were getting frustrated. And now of course another adult wants to join us hopefully it will be easier for one person to get an overlapping FP+ time.

I can understand why these processes are in place, and am looking forward to using them for a trip in August for me and my son, but the hurdles for last minute trips and larger groups are bananas!

 

[IndyToThere]

I'd suggest putting in your reservations mostly for dinners, that way if you have FastPasses in another park you can still have time to hop to the park with the dinner (or even have time to visit your resort to freshen up). The one exception for lunch might be MK, since you'll likely visit this park at least twice (assuming this is a full week or so type of trip).

But the planning thing is part of the reason why I don't care for a lot of dining reservations during a trip (and hence, not one to go for the Dining Plan). Our first big trip had the Dining Plan and everything was planned out. While we had everything lined up, I felt it took a lot of the spontaneity out of the day and didn't allow us to do what we were interested in at that moment. Our second big trip opted to forego the dining plan and only make a few dinner reservations. Less stress.

 

[Redbudlover]

I have been going to WDW for 25 years now and been going multiple times for the past 12 years. I have planned like a maniac months in advance for each trip - but I did so mainly because it is a vicarious way to extend my vacation. I read recently that planning a vacation gives most people more pleasure than the trip itself. I enjoy the trip that way for months in advance. But I use that plan only as a guideline except for a few FPs for things I especially like such as FOP. But I have walked into a park, made my way back to BTM or PIRATES and not felt like dealing with the heat or the crowds and turned right around and gone back to my resort and watched the giraffes all afternoon - or read at the pool or ordered a massage. If I don’t feel like that expensive dinner I go eat on the Boardwalk or at a qs in Epcot or whatever. It costs me $10 to do that but seriously what is $10 compared to the thousands the trip costs? I go with the flow and my plan gave me hundreds of hours of planning pleasure - and the trip is spontaneous with options I MIGHT. Enjoy. I recommend this approach. Missing any one ride or any one restaurant is nothing compared with the joy of the moment.

 

[Pens Fan]

I'm with you, OP!!

Normally, I love planning our travel adventures, but planning for WDW just stresses me out. Every time I sit down to try and make a plan I get frustrated and think, "why do I have to work so hard just to visit a theme park???"

 

[JessBadger]

Wow I could have written this post. My sisters and mom wanted to join us on a trip so I spent hours upon hours making the trip perfect so they wouldn’t miss anything... instead it was just go go go. I wanted to make sure they saw almost everything and got their money’s worth. My mom said afterwards she wishes we could have slowed things down by 50%! We only had 3 park days, we didn’t have the luxury of slowing down haha.

Yeah, we are trying really hard not to "over" plan by giving ourselves flexibility but we have the list of things that are our "musts" and Be Our Guest was mine. I keep telling myself it'll be fine once we're there and that we'll never miss it if we don't get it, but in the moment it's frustrating and makes the planning less enjoyable!

 

[JessBadger]

Have you tried the reservation finder on touring plan’s website? We have gotten multiple BOG ADRs that way for lunch at least.

I have both that set up and the *********** reservation finder, but so far every time *********** has said a reservation is open, even if I immediately jump on the reservations, they are already gone. We'll keep hoping and using the Disboards about ADRs, but I'm trying to make myself let go of that as far as on my "musts" list and make it a "nice to have".