How Much Do You Plan Ahead for WDW?

[Joe User 99]

I started planning our last trip a full year in advance, as soon as I got the approval from my wife on the dates she wanted to go.

I told her I would plan:

Every detail involved in the actual travel to and from WDW (travel to and from airport, flights, etc)
Every detail involved in the lodging (which resort, room view, length of stay, etc)
Every detail involved in food (dining plan, where we would eat table service meals and when, rough estimate of where and when to eat counter service, and winging it on snacks)
Every detail involved in attending the parks (tickets, ticket options, park transportation, which park on which day, etc)

So I hopped on the disney site and customized a vacation package. (Ok, customized a million of em, until I found the one I thought would be best. Yeah, I know, cheating, and not cheap, but hey, I didn't have a worry in the world. Everything was taken care of and paid for in advance, with the exception of gifts and keepsake type spending. The only thing I carried around the park was my DL and my room key. (which had a CC tied to it).

But I also told her that once we were in the parks, I was winging it.
That we would pick a direction and go. We started on morning EMH, and if it got too busy, we would hop some place else, as long as we ended up in the park where dinner was scheduled.

It worked out pretty good IMO.
We rode everything we wanted, multiple times. If it was packed when we got there, we returned when that park had morning EMH and rode it first thing that day. We had some attractions that were 2 hour waits when we got there, so we skipped it and the next day at EMH it was walk on, so we rode it over and over.

[MJMcB]

Looks like we're going in january. yeah. I'm back at week and its time to get back to work

[Barbaraann]

We have decided to go to WDW next Spring vacation. That's 3 of us in April next year. I love the planning part. We are going to do things differently this time. Probably a value resort, less ADR's, and no parkhoppers. I am sure our vacation will still be fantastic. We have never had a bad time.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Originally Posted by Barbaraann

We have decided to go to WDW next Spring vacation. That's 3 of us in April next year. I love the planning part. We are going to do things differently this time. Probably a value resort, less ADR's, and no parkhoppers. I am sure our vacation will still be fantastic. We have never had a bad time.

I am so excited for you!!!

[Hakuna Makarla]

Because there are no dates up for the parks as of yet for November ( yep my 180 days passed a long time ago) I am not sure of where to eat, what park to play in or nothing. its made me infuriated. I thought they were suposed to have the dates up 6 months in advance. not this time I did make reservations, but I am not happy about it since again I want to go as late for dinner as possible. disney please post your dated !!!

[MJMcB]

Originally Posted by Barbaraann

We have decided to go to WDW next Spring vacation. That's 3 of us in April next year. I love the planning part. We are going to do things differently this time. Probably a value resort, less ADR's, and no parkhoppers. I am sure our vacation will still be fantastic. We have never had a bad time.

why no parkhoppers?

[Barbaraann]

Originally Posted by MJMcB

why no parkhoppers?

I have done parkhoppers in the past. I have done a lot of ADR's. I have done the nicer hotels. This trip is going to be lower key, and lower cost. So one park a day is fine with us, for 3 people that saves me about $135.00 That can buy a lot of food. I also usually book a room only reservation and ask for the AAA discount, so that saves me a little money. I have been to Disney World 6 times before, so I try to make each vacation, a different one from the last. I figure I am probably going to spend more on airfare also.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Originally Posted by MJMcB

why no parkhoppers?

Im not sure I really needed them either though the travel agent added them to my ticket. I do not want to go out of the park, take the monorail down to the station, board a bus and go some where else. what a pain in the butt.
I will be doing one park a day and staying there until I am done.

[Barbaraann]

Karla, if you don't want to pay the parkhopper feature then call your travel agent back and take that feature off. It is an additional $45 on each ticket, I believe that is what I read yesterday.

[MJMcB]

Originally Posted by Hakuna Makarla

Im not sure I really needed them either though the travel agent added them to my ticket. I do not want to go out of the park, take the monorail down to the station, board a bus and go some where else. what a pain in the butt.
I will be doing one park a day and staying there until I am done.

The afternoon break is really key to me. And I love being able to go to a different park later.

For example, I made ADRs at say Chefs de France for dinner. But when I get to WDW I find out that morning there is a early EMH for MK. I can use that split at noon. Swim or nap until 3. Then hit Epcot for a few hours before din din

I love the flexibility