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playdead88
08-27-2007, 06:25 AM
is anyone else out there "the" planner for the family vacation and the target of endless jokes about the planning all year? its not that i even mind the planning, its part of the fun of the vacation for me but i tell ya my parents and dh think is soooo funny that i spend so much time planning the trip but when we get there it never fails they all are standing there looking at me like, what's next? where do we go? how do we get there? thats usually when i tell them to put your mickey ears on and follow me! :mickey:

Tinkerfreak
08-27-2007, 08:24 AM
I know just how you feel. I get the ever popular eye roll from DH when I ask him questions and the glazed over look sometimes when I am trying to talk to him about adr's etc. He really hates having to decide these things 6 months in advance ( I am with him on this one). Anyway, when we get there and see people being turned away from rest. because they don't have an adr or we hear them complaining about not being able to find a ts meal because everything is booked then he just says "boy am I glad you made all of our plans ahead of time". When I arranged a sunset safari for the first time he was like wow how did you know about this? I told him I had read about it on Intercot and that I am not just wasting time while on here. He was also impressed when I was able to get us a adr for the cali grill for around fireworks time, he had never thought of that and I can't wait for all of us to experience it. He is always glad when we get there that I did all the planning in advance so I don't get bothered so much anymore by the eyerolling because I know in the end he will be happy I did it all.

LauraF
08-27-2007, 10:00 AM
I'm the planner in my family - it used to be my Dad and me, but now that I'm on my own . . .

My BF thinks I'm insane for wanting to figure out all this detail, but he's grateful at the same time becuase he can enjoy the vacation without worrying what to do or where to go. He just cautioned me that he refused to get to more detail per day than food and park. He wants some freedom. (But he's used to me telling him what to do 24/7, so he'll be fine.:thumbsup:)

crazeedizneefinatic
08-27-2007, 10:21 AM
Sounds all to familiar! I am usually handing out itineraries to the people I am traveling with, lol. I do everything, not because I want to but if I don't no one else will. This year was especially challenging I had to make ADR's for 10 days! They usually make the excuse "but your so good at it....". I would like just for one trip for someone else to take the reigns and make all the arrangements, I just don't see it happening anytime in the near futrure.

dolphinmickey9170
08-27-2007, 11:40 AM
Tinkerfreak, please give details of the sunset safari.

As well as the rest of you, I get the same from my DH and glazed look in his eyes or he just wants to :hide: from me. However, when we are there, he is thankful for all the work as well. Standing in line to check in for ADR's at Rose and Crown at 745 pm, we hear the large group in front of us having a fit becuase they can't be seated as there are no "walk-ups" available. They complain about not knowing where they are going to want to eat 6 months before their trip. Oh well.

When he sees how much I get done with planning ahead, his response is usually :jaw:. And then he thanks me, usually with some type of sparkly stuff. Last time, it was jewelry from Aribas Bros. This time a MM watch. Next time, I heard him say pearls from Japan:secret:?!

LauraF
08-27-2007, 12:52 PM
I would like just for one trip for someone else to take the reigns and make all the arrangements, I just don't see it happening anytime in the near futrure.
Speaking from experience, when that happens the trip often ends up not being what the group is used to and they complain the whole time that "it's not as good as when XXX did it last time. Why can't XXX take it over now?" On the flip side it DOES make them appreciate you that much more the next time.

Alpha Jeanie
08-27-2007, 01:45 PM
I can totally relate to you. I LOVE planning Disney vacations and really think that I should make it my career. My family now calls me Alpha Jeanie, my Intercot name. I can not get enough of all the planning for our Disney vacations. I download Disney related podcasts and listen to them while I walk on my treadmill so I can be even more up to date on all my Disney facts....it's all stuff I already seen on Intercot first, of course!!

I was in the midst of planning our May 2008 family vacation when my husband just suprised me with an adults only trip for him & me for our birthdays the first weekend of Oct.:party: He has a convention in Orlando the following week so it just worked out for us to spend a long weekend there the weekend before. Now I'm in heaven planning 2 trips at once!!! :cloud9:

I don't think that you can ever get started TOO early. There is so much to choose as far as eating, resorts, parks & entertainment that it does take time to select everything....and even when you have decided you need to keep up with refurb schedules.

Once you catch the Disney planning bug, nothing can stop you!!

1EeyoreFan
08-27-2007, 07:01 PM
I am definately the planner of the group. My DH is more of the "fly by the seat of your pants" kinda guy. lol

I showed him our itenerary for our trip in 13 days and all he had to say was "OMG! Did you type that?" AS IF! Of course I typed it and spent numerous hours of prep, ressies, and planning. Planning is a thankless job. lol. He doesn't have to know I enjoyed every min. of it.

Of course once we get there they are all on board and thankful for the effort.

Lizzie
08-27-2007, 07:21 PM
I think half of the fun of the trip is the planning. My husband is great about it. And when we get there we go wherever I tell him to. Than he doesn't have to think about it.

brewcrew26
08-28-2007, 03:27 PM
Planning is the best part of the trip. I'm so excited to be planning our honeymoon. My fiance thinks I'm nuts to be nitpicking over details for ADRs, where to be on what day to make sure we use EMH, and so on...

But, it makes me happy!

IloveDisney71
08-28-2007, 08:03 PM
Yep - I'm the planner for my family. I was put in charge of our Magical Gathering this December...because I've been so many times! LOL I didn't mind at all and boy were they happy when I called to let them know I saved them some money with my Disney Visa discount! :thumbsup: I guess sometimes it pays to be Disney obsessed!
One family member saw my park schedules and said, do we have to do everything on here?! I laughed and said everyone could do what they wanted, when they wanted, as long as they showed up for the ADR's on time! I love planning so much even co-workers come to me for Disney advice.
My husband and kids tease me about my "planning" but don't complain once we get there.

amd780
08-28-2007, 09:09 PM
Another planner here! I agree that it's part of the fun. For our upcoming Disney trip (which is not going to happen for another 16 months, by the way!) I've already planned a rough itinerary, which shore excursions we will sign up for on the cruise portion of our trip, which resort we will be staying at, and how we will get there--plus a price comparison of flying vs. driving (we'll be living in NC by then, if all goes according to plan). The best part?

We just decided on this trip yesterday!!! :mjump::minnie::tigger:

Tinkerfreak
08-29-2007, 07:53 AM
[QUOTE=dolphinmickey9170;1399924]Tinkerfreak, please give details of the sunset safari.

Sorry I meant to type sunrise safari. It is the one you can book when you stay concierge at the AKL.

scooterca42
08-29-2007, 10:17 AM
Ah, planning. :cloud9:

Last trip DH was snickering - we booked a month before, though, and though we didn't have ADRs to plan for I still put together a "this park here, this park there, afternoon break and EMH here" kind of thing.

He was in awe. We had a fabulous time, and when he got back he was praising me to the skies at family gatherings. :blush:

This trip was planned farther in advance, for several reasons. This time we do have ADRs because of the Dining Plan, as well as the gift of tickets for Seaworld from our best friends, so the planning was a bit more complex - but he just grins when I ask him about things. He knows I'm on top of things and if our situation changes we can change with it.:D

That is the biggest advantage I can see - planning the way we do makes you so familiar with things that if something happens that makes it necessary to change a plan you can do it without a mis-step! I have heard people decry planning as 'losing spontenaity' but I find it actually frees us up to enjoy. We're not constantly worrying that we're missing something.

I suppose that has as much to do with one's own nature as anything. DH just stands back and lets me plan because he knows it's something I enjoy, and once we're there we don't have to think!

I wonder how many planners are women and how many are men? I wouldn't be surprised if it were 50/50.

poeticeclipse
08-29-2007, 10:24 AM
I am the planning nut of the family as well. I spend far too much time on these boards. I even got a job opportunity from a co-worker who runs a cruise line business. She would like me to sell Disney vacations with her! how funny!

Planning is such a fun process. I wouldn't change it for the world!

martinfamily5
08-29-2007, 11:12 AM
I am the planner for our family. I get no eyerolling. My husband enjoys my planning as much as I do. My family gives input as far as where they want ADRs and where to stay. I usually do the rest. I drive my kids a little crazy with the planning. I usually start 6 months out, but this Oct. trip was just afforded about 2 weeks ago, so planning will be a little tight. People have said that I should be a travel agent. I planned a nonDisney vaction for my in-laws last summer. They had never taken a vacation before and they loved that I did everything for them.

Our first year (2000) I did everything with no input. We didn't tell the kids and hubby was just on board for anything. Just going for the kids. Now he is very thankful for me introducing him to the magic.

pixiesmimi
09-01-2007, 07:11 PM
Yes, I am the planner in the family. My DH doesn't want to have anything to do with the planning except to have an opinion on the ADRs and maybe the resort. He showed no interest in this trip until I showed him the menus for the restaurants. (Food is the way to his heart) :) My DD said I was OCD because I had to print everything off and have everything just so-so. But she is the one who likes to plan back and forth with me to get just the right ressies and to plan out what we will do for the day. DH was very surprised at how well things went for the week this week and asked how I knew about certain things. I told him it was from being on Intercot and then he understood why I was on the computer so much. I told him all through the day about secrets or hints I had learned on this site and he seemed very surprised. We were spontaneous but didn't have any bad surprises because I had planned ahead. He would just ask the night before "So, what is planned for tomorrow?" :D

HOLITRIN
09-02-2007, 08:56 AM
I am also the planner of the family and on our last trip my cousin and her kids (2 boys) came with us. The boys thought I was a little crazy when I would call at certain times to ask what they would like - such as ADR's, hard ticket events, etc. They had only been to WDW once and only for 1 day.

At the end of that trip (10 days), they were absolutely overwhelmed at all they saw and did.

I've also had family members call with questions, but they still think I'm a bit of a nut. :blush:

snowblack
09-09-2007, 12:15 PM
Well My first trip to wdw was with my aunt and cousins who have gone so many times they probably have lost count. So the first 2 times they have done all the planning and I followed. But last year my sister took over for us,(we stayed offsite). But my sister say's "she is not going back when we go" so I will have to make all the adr's myself and all the other planning as well. I think by the time I start to put down my deposits for the room's she would have changed her mind. But thanx to intercot I will be ok planning by myself if she decides she is still not going to go.:mickey:

cal5755
09-09-2007, 04:46 PM
I am the Grand Gatherings planner of the family. We go every 2 years... this year was easier there are only 17 of us going... in 05 it was 26 of us.

I get laughed at ... this year I have the "things we have never done but have to" list for each park... DH just rolls his eyes and calls me the Disney Freak lol. Of course he makes fun of the fact that for the flights there and home all the girls dress in the same outfit and all the boys dress in the same outfit... adults included!! All disney t-shirts and jean shorts... this way I know what everyone is wearing if anyone gets lost!! He thinks I am nuts!!

LandFan
09-09-2007, 05:34 PM
Yup - that would be me (disney planner) and DH (disney eyeroller) but everyone loves it because they just follow along and it works! DH thought I was a bit nuts at first (about 6 years ago) but that quickly changed after I saved us a bundle at AKL one year by getting an AP and using AP rates. Knowing about free dining and getting it two years in a row solidified it! :D

Tink#64
09-10-2007, 11:08 PM
I love the planning! It's the next best thing to being there!I could never let someone else plan our trip, I'm way to obsessed with it - I admit that freely! My name is Shari and I'm a WDW freak!:mickey:
I've planned trips for just immediate family (4 of us) also trips with DM & her DH. Also same including a DB & his family. No one else ever wants to plan anything, & they follow us the whole time. Which would be great if they could keep up!:rotfl: But in the end we've had great trips & made wonderful memories together & everyone was appreciative of the fact that I had spent so much time planning for all of us. I've helped friends plan, even the ones who said they were too spontaneous to plan. When I started asking them questions, they didn't realize they had so many choices! I was so proud of them, before they left home they actually had plans, tickets & ADR's!:whew:

Everyone we know that is planning a trip to WDW come to me or DH! It makes us so happy to share our love of WDW with others!:cloud9:
But I know there are alot of them that still laugh at us!Oh well I figure they just don't get it &don't know what they are missing!:mickey:

jpH/keD
09-13-2007, 08:32 PM
I am the planner in the family! We are going w/ our best friend's family and our MIL and others. 11going all together. My friend and I made all the daily plans, ADRs, we called every day at 7am!! Got MVMCP tix, Booked CP dinner package. Looked at hundreds of Christmas in Disney pics online.... So fun!:thumbsup: So here's the thing.... When we finally get to Disney and walk in the gates...... I lose it! I cant walk, I cant talk, I dont know where to go first, I cry, I laugh, I am totally overwhelmed and cannot move! So the DH has to step in and get us where I told us I wanted to go a million times at home but cannot do! :confused: