The extent of your day/hour/minute planning...

[livingthedream]

I am a detailed planner, right down to the predicted wait times, time of ride, how long it takes to get from point A to point B. I plan it right down to 5 minute increments. I have a vision, then try to figure out what it will take to make it happen. Is it about the most # of rides? Is it about restaurants and the meals? Or is it about just wandering around and seeing what you can see? You can plan for each of these things - obviously with a ton more free time built into the third scenario.

Then I try to keep us on schedule, but you never quite do based on unanticipated crowds, a ride breakdown, you decide you'd rather do this rather than that. But as previous posters have indicated, really the "planning" is really only "research", and the more "research" you do in advance, the better you are able to be "spontaneous". Gee - Splash Mountain is down again, so let's ride BTMMR instead. Oh great! There's a 20 minute wait. We have enough time to do that before we head over to the next thing on the list, etc. OR Hey, you know what - the afternoon parade is starting soon. We weren't going to sit and watch that, but since Splash is down, why not?

You know your options, you can make an informed decision and adapt on the fly. That's what I mean when I say I plan. I know what my options are, how long they are expected to take, and then make decisions right on the spot whether it will work as anticipated, or whether we should pursue other things. The more you "think" ahead-of-time, the more you can relax and just have fun when there, rather than walking into something you don't enjoy, the lines are longer than you want to be in, or just standing around wondering what to do next! I have a pretty indecisive bunch, and if we didn't do any pre-planning, we'd still be standing at the entrance debating until the parks closed!!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I did that once - my wife hated it. Never again.

 

[coluk003]

OP or any that uses them is this from touringplans.com? and if so i was watching thier vides and they were all before FP+ has the software been updated to include this now?

 

[PixieT78]

I have a similar plan but it is pretty much just for the mornings, FP+s and ADRs. That way we can maximize what we get done in the morning and then the afternoon will be more spontaneous and about what we feel like doing since we should have already hit the headliners between RD and FP+s.

 

[Lillian Gracey]

I don't plan down to the minute, but DH and I have made lists of what we would like to accomplish this trip and will make FPs for the ones that are most important to us. That way we at least know what we want to do rather than standing around figuring out what to do. It's just a matter of when, but with going in September, I'm hoping it will be easier to wing it. I know that if I try to make something so detailed it would go out the door the moment we step into the parks.

 

[orangejeepgirl]

Curious how many other uber-planners are out there that try to strategize out every day/hour etc. I enjoy the planning for our group's trips and trying to maximize every day. My tinkering with our schedule has become an obsession, and we are still 7 months out from our next trip!

The attached is just an example:




View attachment 82893

I LOVE THIS.

I usually do something similar, but each day has it's own page. I really like how you put all of the parks hours on as well in case you want to hop around. I think I need to add that in.... Umm when the hours become available.. (Not going until November!).

 

[MandiC]

I have a 'game plan' as far as what we will do in what order, but I don't plan to the hour or anything, probably won't as long as we are going with kids. I liked repeating the kids favorite rides and strolling slowly from one place to another to take it all in.

 

[Jennifer Dempsey]

I have been totally obsessed with planning our Disney vacation too. This is our first time with kids so I want everything to go smoothly and I want to make sure our kids have a magical experience which I'm sure they will whether I plan everything minute or not. Every chance I get I'm researching and scheduling FP, dining and sites. I have to admit it's kind of fun! BTW - I love your schedule!

 

[FirstTimeDisneyVisit]

we plan ours out for weeks but ours don't look like that i like it !!!

 

[amber_cntrygrl]

I tried a super strict plan in 2010, but with DS being 4 at the time, it didn't work out. I've given up on super planning until my boys are older.
I do, however, plan which part of the park we should be in at certain times of the day. Planning is fun.

 

[cyndylou]

Whew, I thought I over-planned, but you have shown me how it is really done. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[misse320]

I love the planning part! It's my way of starting the vacation months in advance. People mock my planning, but we always have a successful trip. I think the important part of a plan is being willing to throw it out the window if need be and stress out over the plan during the trip. Your spreadsheet is similar to mine, but I've never planned down to the 15 minute increment. That changes today! I was getting bored with what I thought was a nearly complete itinerary. Now time to plan more!

Planning nerd alert - One year I printed out the itinerary and laminated it for all the adults. I got tired the year before of playing the cruise director role. I think I got asked about our dining reservations 10 times every day.

 

[BaseballMoM2007]

My plan is similar only in 30 min intervals. All of our plans (besides major fps and adrs) are totally subjective we use our plans as a guide of what we would like to do not something that must be followed to the minute.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Curious how many other uber-planners are out there that try to strategize out every day/hour etc. I enjoy the planning for our group's trips and trying to maximize every day. My tinkering with our schedule has become an obsession, and we are still 7 months out from our next trip!

The attached is just an example:




View attachment 82893

If I did that, my family would mutiny (Actually tried to do that once, and DH pretty much did exactly that!)

We plan the following:

1.Park/day
2. ADRs (usually 1 TS/day)
3. Now FP+ reservations

We discuss "must dos" for the trip, but outside of scheduling the FP+ for the trip, we don't plan when exactly those are going to happen. Prior to FP+, all we did was #1 and #2, again discussing must dos but did not plan any specific day or time for them to happen. We never used to do any kind of ride-to-ride touring order, now the only rides we do that for are the FP+ rides we schedule, nothing else.

 

[newestkg06]

I did the same thing, but knowing that some flexibility will be needed. I have a general idea of how long things "should" take and what order makes sense, but also what things can be moved around based on ADR's and fastpasses. I'm super nerd-ing out though. Each day will be color coded and the itinerary with meal ideas on laminated 4x6 cards on a caribeener. My husbands thinks I have gone off the deep end. I also plan to print off EasyWDW's maps (that have the color coding with what rides are highest priorities) and laminate them too.

 

[BelleBriarRose]

Planning is fun! It gets me excited for our Disney trips, even if it's a year or more away. Typically I sketch out my ADRs and FPs, and then fill in the gaps with "areas" (ex: Space Mountain fp at 1, so head to Tomorrowland to do those attractions around that time). It allows some flexibility based on wait times and whim, but it's enough of an outline that I know when the best time of day is to hit certain attractions. My first hour in the park is always strictly planned out, though, so that I can get some heavy-hitters before most people are even awake.

 

[Laketravis]

I'm a planner as well, and had a spreadsheet for every trip (some of you have seen pictures of it).

We're here now and I had decided not to do one this time and to be honest - I don't miss it at all. Then again, this time we didn't make any ADR's so that could have a lot to do with it.

 

[LaurEm378]

I try to make a detailed plan, at least for the first time we're hitting any given park in a trip. I sort of top-load the trips and if we miss certain attractions the first time around, we hit them later on the days I've left flexible.

I love your spreadsheet, though--what did you use to make that, @rtbreneman ? Well done.

 

[rtbreneman]

OP or any that uses them is this from touringplans.com? and if so i was watching thier vides and they were all before FP+ has the software been updated to include this now?

I use touringplans. They are new FP+ friendly - allowing you to choose the three existing fastpasses you have and the times, etc. I still have minor concerns with their wait times right at RD, so I adjust my plan accordingly.

I try to make a detailed plan, at least for the first time we're hitting any given park in a trip. I sort of top-load the trips and if we miss certain attractions the first time around, we hit them later on the days I've left flexible.

I love your spreadsheet, though--what did you use to make that, @rtbreneman ? Well done.

I made the spreadsheet in Excel. I started with a personalized touring plan through touringplans, I moved things around a bit to my liking, adjusted for my personal preferences based on time, etc., then put it all in Excel for a one page overview of our entire week. I will still have the app, etc. on my phone, but the one page overview is the starting point.

It really comes in handy moreso at AK and DHS because of the timing of shows. We like to spend most of our time in Epcot and MK, so if I can find a way to hit every show high on our list while still hitting the headliners in our 1-1.5 days at each of the parks, I'm able to be a little more loosey - goosey while at MK and Epcot.

 

[mshanson3121]

Curious how many other uber-planners are out there that try to strategize out every day/hour etc. I enjoy the planning for our group's trips and trying to maximize every day. My tinkering with our schedule has become an obsession, and we are still 7 months out from our next trip!

The attached is just an example:




View attachment 82893

I'm just curious - WHERE did you find the app/program to plan like that?