The Good 'ole days of Disney Planning

Sitting down tonight doing a little Disney planning and can't help but remember the days when I would research the best way to attack the park, agonize over where we would eat, and be really anxious over my resort selection.

In some ways now it is easier - we know what resorts we like and which we don't. We have a few favorite restaurants and add in a new one each trip. Now it is more about fastpass fastpass fastpass. I feel like securing the right fastpass is as competitive as scoring breakfast at Cinderella's castle use to be.

While change is constant at Disney - what has changed for you and your family in regards to planning and what do you miss?

I also remember being on intercot daily. My day wasn't done until I had read all the threads. :cool: I need to be here more often.

Well, now I get up at 2 am for fastpasses. I have to plan details of each day, months in advance. Then if weather or something else needs to alter my plan, I'm bent out of shape during my visit. Creates more anxiety for me.

Being a veteran, yeah, you know where you want to eat,, what you want to see for sure. Don't have to fall for rookie mistakes.

Some of it is that FP+ changed things in the planning area, but also we have been around. We know our Disney pretty well. There's more room for spontaneity as you go more often. You know what you can get away with not planning in advance. It's not as crucial to do certain things/attractions/restaurants after your first few visits. Pretty much the only thing I plan now is the FP selection, and it's really not that taxing since I know my family and our priorities, and the timing needed to get what we want.

But I do miss being here more often, too. I used to be posting and checking posts here all the time and now I'm just an occasional pop-in. And I missed the ICOT 20 and seeing people.

I spend more time planning and scheduling than before. Our days are not all planned out. It's just there needs to be some fore thought, if the group is more than 2. I actually enjoy the planning and have to keep myself from making too many reservations. And I keep a map of the specific park nearby, so the FP+ and the meals don't result in us running back and forth. But we also have been there so often that we don't feel pressured to do or see it all. There's always the next time.

My wife is a true Disney Planner. We honestly plan, when possible, trips 12 months or so in advance. That allows us to hopefully make DVC room reservations at 11 months, ADPs at 6 months, and FP at 2 months. It's total craziness - dates marked on the fridge so we don't miss important reservations. That being said, once all that is DONE, I think it might actually make the trips a bit more relaxing once we get there. Even if we want to switch and make changes while there, it's not that stressful.

I will admit, though - sometimes I feel we need a vacation to get away from all this planning!!

How many of you remember when making a dining reservation involved being at EPCOT at rope drop, and rushing to those "high-tech" video screens they had to make a restaurant reservation for that day? Now THAT was stressful, because I was the early-riser of the family!!

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Originally Posted by ThanxForNoticin

How many of you remember when making a dining reservation involved being at EPCOT at rope drop, and rushing to those "high-tech" video screens they had to make a restaurant reservation for that day? Now THAT was stressful, because I was the early-riser of the family!!

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My sister and I still talk about this fondly from our childhood trips!