Anybody just go with the flow?

[RocknBev]

Although I "plan" a lot of stuff prior to the trip (it helps me anticipate the magic), once we get there, we are very "go with the flow" type of people. DH hates that I even make ADR's because he would prefer to just eat close to whatever attraction we are near at the time. On the other hand, he doesn't quite get that you may not be able to just walk into to those dining establishments like in Atlanta.

Whether you follow your plans closely or not also depends upon when you go and how long you stay as well. We typically go in October or February when the crowds are low. One of my dear friends goes in July when the crowds are at a max so she follows a very detailed plan so that her family gets to enjoy the most WDW has to offer.

Whatever you do, the goal is to have a great time so you so do what you find the most enjoyable!

[wdwfansince75]

I carefully plan every minute of every visit, both with hard copy "schedules" of ADR's, EMH's and show schedules. We then discuss what we are going to do first on the first day.....and toss the plan in the bottom of the drawer! Every minute of our trip is pre-planned, and every plan is ignored. Been that way since our first trip, in 75.

As agreed the evening before, I am up early, on my way to the bus to go to (name the park of the day) to meet with (name companions of the day).....but when the bus arrives, I am alone! (Not always....sometimes someone is co-erced into keeping me reined in.) So I go to the park of the day, or whatever fancies me, hit my priorities, stroll about, and bump into other family members.....and have a wonderful, un-planned day!

But having a plan has its value....We have had friends go for the first time, use our plan, and rave about how much fun they had. Validates my skills as a planner, without forcing us to discard our magical accidental adventures.

[azdisneymom]

Food is the only thing we plan. I guess that lets you all know our priorities. Once in a while we will decide which park to go to in advance but that is only because our ADRs are at a time that makes us think about it. For example if we have an early lunch at Sci-Fi we will start the day at DHS. See - its all about the food.

[teamblackwell]

our family goes to DLR now-a-days, but the only thing we plan is what park to go to on which day. No ADR's at all.

[Polynesian Dweller]

The only thing we plan is the ADR's for TS. That influences a little bit what park we go to.

We like the spontaneity of deciding each morning what we want to do. We think that we enjoy things more because we go to what we fell like doing. With too much planning it feels too much like work schedules and I want to be away from that.

[jrkcr]

I usually plan out which park to go on each day,and where to make the ADR's.

And I carry around a folded up piece of paper all week in my pocket, with "special" things on it. When I get in a visually crowded place, I kinda block out alot of it. So if I know I want to see something, I put it on the list to remind me to LOOK at it.

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Quote:
1) Spontaneity is god.
2) I frequently plan time to be spontaneous.
3) I also plan the spontaneity activities.
4) I live to be spontaneous!




I couldn't have said it better

[Taja]

I plan ADRs around park hours and have a list of things I want to do each visit, but that's about it. I have four dinner ADRs planned for my upcoming December visit (11 nights), and likely will cancel one of them. After the free DDP in 2006, I quickly realized I am not at WDW to dine! *LOL*

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

We go with the flow. No plan at all. We have also been known to plan one park in our room and then go to the bus stop and hop on a different bus.
We did Free Dining for two years before we joined DVC and I actually didn't enjoy myself as much as other trips. It was way too planned for me.
Our last trip this past September we made one ADR for our daughter at Akershus and that was fine.
We do not have any ADR's for this Decembers trip. We are going to make a BBB apointment for our daughter but that is it.
We love to just go with the flow.

[HeyMrsL!ItsThisGuy!]

my family and I like to go with the flow, the most ahead we plan is what park on what day and where we're eating.

i went to disney once with crazypoohbear, payrollprincess, stitchahula, and their sons and boy was that a scheduled trip....yet still just as awesome!

[#1donaldfan]

We are traditional "go with da flow" kinda' people, but I'm afraid the last couple of years we have been migrating to the ADR thing....(ya gotta eat)...if you don't make 'em you may wait for hours for the food you really want....and with ADR's, they kinda necessitate which park your gonna be in ......

.....I don't like it, but we like trying new eateries, and to not wait too long, it's a necessary evil.....

[DizNee143]

your not the only one..i dont understand how anyone could have fun when you have to follow a schedule on vacation..please tell me where the fun in that is?!?!?...
whether i go with my parents and sister..my fiance..or friends..i have always and will alway sbe the go with the flow type...theres just no better way..the most planning i do..is adrs and i might MIGHT know before i go to sleep what park i will be going to the next day..

[BMan62]

We only go during Value Season, so planning is pretty much limited to ADRs. We look at the EMH parks and decide on whether or not we want to get up early or stay up late - but that is while we are there, not before. As far as rides/shows go, we play it by ear - if we are walking by something we would like to see or ride, we gauge the line and decide if we want to wait or not. We don't even use FastPass unless it is something we KNOW will be busy all day (or all week, for that matter.)

[Marilyn Michetti]

We don't make many plans. First of all, we're old, and would forget what the plans were. Secondly, I never know when my body will say, "STOP".

We make out O.K., and haven't starved yet.

[donnah77]

I love to plan ahead, but when it comes down to it once we get to the park we go with the flow. I plan which park we will go to each day and I only make 2 ADRs - breakfast so we start our day off with that and don't have to fit the rest of the day into a schedule.

We had 3 kids along on the last trip so each night I had them pick 1 ride/show each that they wanted to see the next day. Gave everyone a chance to see their special thing and then we just fit in whatever else would work. It was a nice balance.

[Young@Heart]

I'm afraid I'm the Clark W. Griswold of our family. I plan every tiny detail of our trip.

That being said, when DC are all grown, DH and I will be going to WDW by ourselves for the first time and for that trip, I will do very little planning! Our only plan will be to have fun.

[BigRedDad]

We plan our ADRs and which days we are going to which park, but that is always subject to change. The ADRs is about it. I do make a list of things we want to do that we missed the other time. It is not a big deal if we don't get to all of them this time either. Our big items this trip are:

Wishes
Spectromagic
Jammin Jungle Parade
Illuminations
Playhouse Disney
Electric Water Pagaent
Chip n Dale's Campfire (maybe)

[gmgdisneymom]

We plan our ADR's and general itinerary (i.e. MNSSHP etc) and then just go with it. I will say that we like to get up early and open a park then go back to the resort to swim or nap and then go to the park with our ressies for the night. (if the ressies are early enough we like to end in MK - my kids love to ride HM at midnight)

[Daisy'sMom]

We plan each day well in advance but how I would love to just say to heck with it and just meander thru.

[#1disneyfan]

I would like to say we go with the flow, but over the years with the ADR's being harder to get, that is what dictates our plans for the day. We do still park hop and leave parks for ADR's, but that still plays a big part in our plans. We do a lot of evening EMH also, especially since we have been traveling in the summer months as our DD gets older.