Is part of the fun of a WDW trip the planning?

[bc7ate9]

When I finish all our FP+, ADR, touring plans, etc, I start planning outfits for each day. I like to "match" the park we will be at. I'm a planning addict.

 

[yeheyprincex2]

I do enjoy planning to a point, it turns in to a chore like mom2rtk says once the time comes to booking FP+, ADR. I guess I enjoy the research part. packing is also a major chore.

 

[hsmamato2]

no.... I like reading here,and planing fun things, but all the MDE and FP+ and ADR stuff is too much,and so not enjoyable. And no, we don't wear matching clothes either.

 

[olecow]

For me, absolutely YES! I LOVE planning a Disney vacation (or any other vacation for that matter). I understand why others don't like all the planning, but I'm a Disney nerd (okay, I'm actually a nerd who loves Disneyworld), so I love the planning, because it gets me thinking of previous trips, and all the wonderful memories my family has shared there.

 

[quandrea]

It would be for me, except I usually go on short notice and there's always something. To plan for. This time, we booked about 8 months out. I got great airfare prices so I don't have to worry about that. We're renting an rv so I don't have many adr's to make. I've already made the one we really want to do this time. I mean, I guess I could plan menus for our grocery delivery...

I'm 3 months away from being able to book fast passes. Someone please tell me how to do more planning!

Do the menu planning! We do breakfast, snacks and one meal a day in the villa. I love checking out pinterest for suitable meals, devising my shopping lists, figuring out what meals will be in and planning what I will bake. Check, you've got three months. Might as well.

 

[Overexcited]

YES! It is so much fun! Almost like a giant puzzle.

EXACTLY I love when the pieces fall in place. I chart it out and stare at it, I start to see options and new ideas!>

 

[Kalliope]

It used to be...not so much anymore.

 

[KeroKero]

I totally agree that planning is super fun! I enjoy it and agree that it makes the trip seem longer cause you do so much work beforehand. The research and planning are an integral part of the trip for me. I think that is why we go to WDW at least once a year, with our other vacations we never do this much advanced planning.

 

[Bomahog]

"The best-laid plans of mice and man are apt to go astray".

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

It is absolutely part of the fun for me! I'm a planning addict in general, so I enjoy making my Disney spreadsheet, and getting ADRs and fast passes. Plus, like many others said, it makes the trip seem like it lasts longer.

 

[angierae]

"The best-laid plans of mice and man are apt to go astray".

My long-thought out plans for 2012 fell apart after the first day, but I didn't mind. I still had all the fun doing it ahead of time

 

[Maddysdaddy]

For me, the planning isn't fun - it's the daydreaming about the trip after the planning has been completed that is fun. That being said, I'm an obsessive vacation planner and need to have my family's trips planned out on a day by day (sometimes hour by hour) basis in order not to be stressed about it. I can deal with last minute changes (although I'd prefer not to), but I spend my day at my office in a heightened state of anxiety about the 'next' email or phone call coming in which will potentially create chaos, so having a vacation planned out is a positive for me.

I have a colleague who plans her vacations by pointing somewhere on a map, packing a knapsack, and saying "I'll figure out where to go, where to stay and what to do when I get there." I greatly admire her ability to do that and wish I was a little more like her, but every time she tells me about her upcoming vacations, whether it be to a jungle, a 3rd world country, or other destination that 'I' would not consider to be a vacation spot, her lack of planning (and the fact that she is good with doing zero planning), freaks me out. That being said, as much as her vacations have zero appeal for me, she gives me the "you've got to be kidding me" look and speech when I talk about our next cruise or Disney Park vacation.

 

[emilik]

Yes, definitely! I LOVE FP+ for that reason, and I love the pre-order at BoG - when they add an option to pre-select meals for all TS then I will be over the moon! Our style is slow but DELIBERATE. And yes, I plan our clothes for each day beforehand too haha. I have Disney trips outlined through 2020. Whew!

 

[MataHari22]

I am not sure if I would say that it is actually fun to plan, but I'm addicted/obsessed with WDW trip planning. It gives me something to do to help me pass the time until my trip.

 

[MrsJamesPSullivan]

Oh absolutely,! I pretty much always have the basics of a trip planned in my head just in case I actually win the lottery and can go on a short notice trip. My family think I'm nuts but I keep telling them when I win and we're on our way in a matter of weeks with a well thought out plan they'll be glad!
In the meantime it gives me something to do that makes me happy.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Abso-tively, posi-lutely!!! We have a family time making plans and reservations. Then we have a family fun time making plans and doing ADRs at the 180 day mark. We get to discuss what we want to do, share info, watch a YouTube video or two, listen to a podcast or two, and them make a spreadsheet and reservations. My son now does the spreadsheet and ADRs. Then, again, we have a big fun party time when we hit 60 days and make our fast passes; we talk, watch, listen, have a party atmosphere, and then my son makes all the FP+ reservations. THEN as the weeks go by we also make additional reservations and plans. As a family we get at least 20 additional days out of a 10 day stay! It is all fun. 33 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Overexcited]

Abso-tively, posi-lutely!!! We have a family time making plans and reservations. Then we have a family fun time making plans and doing ADRs at the 180 day mark. We get to discuss what we want to do, share info, watch a YouTube video or two, listen to a podcast or two, and them make a spreadsheet and reservations. My son now does the spreadsheet and ADRs. Then, again, we have a big fun party time when we hit 60 days and make our fast passes; we talk, watch, listen, have a party atmosphere, and then my son makes all the FP+ reservations. THEN as the weeks go by we also make additional reservations and plans. As a family we get at least 20 additional days out of a 10 day stay! It is all fun. 33 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

35 for us!

 

[lilclerk]

"The best-laid plans of mice and man are apt to go astray".

I plan like crazy before the trip, but then I pretty much toss it all out the window on the plane. While we're there, we do pretty much whatever, including changing dining and FP+ around day of. The "planning" is really just a way for me to stay excited for the trip way before we get there.

We're planning a trip in 2017 with my friend's brothers for their first trip. I've never planned this far out before, and it's kind of awesome! His brothers keep messaging me to ask questions, and I love that they're so excited even though they have no idea what they're in for. It's also really nice to already have another trip in the works before we even get back from our next one

 

[Angel Ariel]

My dad's wife asked me a few days ago why I do so much planning for our WDW trip and if it gets annoying have to plan things out so far ahead of our trip. I told her that for me, part of the fun of our WDW is the planning. In fact, I would say for me, 30-40% of the fun is in the planning. There is so much anticipation as we countdown to the trip and thinking about the rides, the restaurants, the hotels, the rooms, everything. It last far longer than the actual trip, which is then done in a matter of days and you're left with disappointment. At least with the planning, it lasts for months! Does anyone else feel this way?

I used to feel.that way, but all the preplannig became too much and it was.not fun when we were planning our trip last November.

FFW to this year and DLR, we are almost 60 days from our trip and I'm just now starting to think about our day to day plans (which parks which days, restaurants, etc). The best part is knowing I.don't *have* to make dining reservations right at 60 days, because they don't book up like wdw does in advance. there's also a freedom in knowing I can change those plans between now and our trip and likely not have a problem getting anything.

The freedom in this year's planing has made planning.more enjoyable again.

 

[caylene44]

I literally just explained this to my sister the other day, so glad other people feel the same way I have spent about 75% of the last 5 months planning, researching, and talking about our trip. We're down to 3 days before we leave and I'm still revising the itinerary and adding in new things to do! I'm completely "type A" so planning is very cathartic for me. Plus, there is so much to do at WDW that I want to make sure we don't miss a thing. Don't know what I will do with myself after we are back...