to plan or not to plan

[disneydiva]

in the early days we never used to plan, we could get walk into restaurants fine. Then we started enjoying the planning and planned every ride almost every hour.

Now with the ADR system and dining plan it seems like we end up planning every day around mealtimes which isnt right really

How do you plan?

do you even plan at all?

[Debbie2]

Always book ADRs and consider EMH days when deciding where to go each day.

[uscwest]

Since we don't have children with us most of the time we go to whatever park we wish to visit and then go wherever we have made our ADR. We have APs so Park Hopping is not a problem.

[mumof2]

when it was just DH and I a looong time ago we never planned - just went to whichever park we fancied on that day.

when we took the boys a few years ago we planned which park on which day and the rides/shows we really wanted but not in any particular order, and anthing extra we managed to fit in was a bonus.

As for food we took snacks in with us and then just ate where-ever we could when we were hungry!

[piglet]

We make ADR's for restaurants where we particularly want to eat. We also decide roughly which park we want to go to most days. I hate waking up in the morning and someone saying 'well I want to go here today' 'No I want to go here' and then taking forever to decide which one to go to. For some strange reason when we book a park in advance, unless something unforeseen happens we say 'oh fine we're going here today'.

[Tink]

For dining, we plan. The rest we leave to the day, but with a decision the night before which park it will be the next day. We've been known to be more structured about it, but that's the general idea.

I'm with you Piglet. I hate that standing around and having the "I don't know, where do YOU want to go," conversation!

[lisaw]

For dining, we plan. The rest we leave to the day, but with a decision the night before which park it will be the next day. We've been known to be more structured about it, but that's the general idea.

I'm with you Piglet. I hate that standing around and having the "I don't know, where do YOU want to go," conversation!

That's exactly why we plan in advance where we are going to go every day, that way we know what time we need to be up so we can always make park opening or breakfast ADR's.

I love planning and will have restaurants booked for nearly every night, it's all part of the fun for me, if I went more often I would probably be a bit more relaxed about it but as it is i want to make the most of every second. Also it helps to pass the time between trips

[Tink]

I'd be the same in that situation, Lisa. When we took Max a few years ago (in July) we had the days planned right down to the breaks (returning back to the resort) snacks for which day, times for swimming, etc. You name it we planned it! I must say it was quite a smooth visit.

It's important to keep the schedule flexible enough to allow for unexpected events, desires and other issues.

I have come to realize that I much prefer a plan, even a rough hewn one than no schedule at all. It drove me WILD with Herself's family during the Birthday Vacation. They don't plan a thing, just go along with no ADRs etc. (Then spend way too much time trying unsucessfully to get a table service setting). :sigh;

Nope. I want at least an ADR plan!

[lisaw]

So much time can be wasted organising things that you could do in advance - fine if you are laid back and happy to go with the flow but unfortunately I am not at all

That said I don't plan a regimented schedule on how we are going to do the parks - we are lucky enough to spend enough days at each park to get everything done without that.

[Tink]

We have a general idea of what we want to do (or show someone) in each park. Through the years we've gained the knowledge of what sort of tour plan makes the most sense, so tend to do that, but we're wide open to doing whatever any of our guests may want to do.

If someone wants a haircut, we know the best times to try for that. If it's Dumbo and the other "little kid" attractions, we know the best times to do those, that sort of thing. I'm sure it must make us look a little rigid, but that's truly not the case. It's just a matter of knowing which order to do things in.

Sometimes, as you know, you can only get so many things done before the queues grow. That's when you tell yourself, you'll do the other things the next morning, or the next EMH. No huge issues, eh?

There really is so very much to do, that it cannot all be done in one visit!