Can TOO much planning ruining a WDW vacation???

[ldc12377]

I think I'm becoming a little OC(obsessive -compulsive) about my upcoming trip to the magical World of Disney. I'm the kind of person who NEEDS to have a plan. I'm always willing to change the plan but there always needs to be a plan of some kind. I feel lost if I don't at least have a general idea where I'm going to end up. With that said...Can this personality flaw mess up a Disney vacation?
My gang and I will be going May 27 - June 5 but I have been planning this trip for well over a year now. There are 8 of us - Me, DH, DS8, DD6, DS2, my mom, my brother, and my niece14.
I have all our packages booked and paid for,and all of our ADRs have been made and changed,...and changed,....and changed,....and finalized. I have all my family's clothes put in boxes ready to pack. I have even gone so far as to type up an itinerary listing wake up times and color for shirt everyone is to wear each day. (We are wearing matching colors so the little ones will be able to pick us out of a crowd if they get separated...one of my biggest fears)
Have I gone too far? We still have 57 days to go but I could leave tomorrow if we had to. Will my obsession ruin this trip? Please help!!!!

[thejens]

Hey, we are arriving about the same time as you and I too am an obsessive planner. Is this your first trip? I think the planning only can hurt if you do not enjoy the planning and if you get upset later if things don't go as planned. I planned extensively for our last trip which was my first trip to the world. I am so glad I did! However, lots of things did NOT go as planned, but I relaxed and had a great time. I tried very hard not to pressure my party when the kids found fountains to play in, or we all needed a snack, or the time at the pool never materialized etc. This time I am planning in ever more detail, armed with better information, but also with more realization that part of the fun is letting go of the plan when we want to. I really enjoy the planning, it makes me feel like I am at Disney all year (well a bit anyway). Have fun!

[JPL]

I think you need a good mix of planned activities and spontaneous activities. Some things need to be well planned like ADRs especially with the dining plan. But IMHO using a touring a guide and planning and timing everything is taking it way too far. There are too many factors that end up throwing you off track and it can make for a stressful experience. I have talked to people who tried following a plan and ended running so they would stay on track.

[BronxTigger]

From your signature, it appears that this is your first trip. The more familiar you can make yourselves with the park before you leave, the better, especially at the time of year you are going...it may be quite crowded.

That said, I fully agree with what thejens and JPL said. You should have some plan to guide you, but still be willing to deviate from the plan if something comes up that you would rather do and not get upset about it.

Bottom line, you will not be able to do it all in one trip, so it comes down to choices and priorities.

Have fun planning, and even more fun on your trip!

[Ricbr]

With it being such a crowded place (probably will be pretty busy on your trip) the best of plans will always change.Whether it be longer then usual ride lines...or a bus that you cant seem to catch. Things are going to kink up your plans.

I am going in July and I know it will be busy so my plans will change as well. I will be sticking with all of my meals of course....those are the key events that I want to enjoy. As for the rides...I told my oldest son (6 years old) to pick out 5 of his favorite must do's for each park and we will hit those. As the day goes on and we can do more...great. If we cant do any extra that is fine as well...we will just go back to the pool and relax, shop at downtown disney, or just walk around and enjoy the scenery.

Having fun is more important then sticking to the plan. Remember that and you will be fine.

[Willowwind]

I think that you'll be fine, planning is half of the fun! BUT... be ready to chuck the plan at the last minute once you get there if you have to. There are just some circumstances that you can't control.

When I was a kid my mom and I would plan every last minute of our trip. As an adult with my own family, I'm not that obsessive. I set our ADRs and then create a loose park strategy around them. But I probably go over my plan and my budget plan (I get everything paid for ahead of time) at LEAST once a day.

[GreenBeetle]

Boy do I feel your pain!! :( You sound just like me. I, too, planned and planned and planned our last trip (group of 15) and left nothing to chance. I admit that I do not handle spontaneous well :blush:. I'm always worried we may never get to Disney again, so see and do everything possible!

Unfortunately, "yes" this type of personality can mess up a vacation. So all I can say is try the best you can to chill out and enjoy it - drink plenty of alcohol if you need to ;) - it will all work out in the end. :D

[Marilyn Michetti]

I think you answered your own question in the third line of your post. You said, "I am willing to change it".......

Planning is a fantastic way of keeping your excitement level up, BUT......

Did you happen to see the Travel Channel special a year or so ago where they followed four families - one in each of the four parks - as they planned, and enjoyed their park. Each group approached their vacation at different levels. The family that was featured at AK, was a minister who had every detail of every day on laminated sheets that he had bound in a notebook for each member of his family. He had distance and time between each attraction almost in minutes and seconds. That's just a LITTLE much???

If this is your first trip (I got that impression too), you won't see and do everything - even if it's on the "list". As to whether that will ruin your vacation will answer the question if you're too obsessive/compulsive. I'm guessing you're not, because if you are you would already know it.:blush:

Relax. Have a plan, but don't wear yourself out trying to follow it to the last little detail. You're going to have sooooooo much fun.:D

Last of all, we all want a report when you get back.:write:

[Christine]

It is imperative to have a general plan (which park which day based on EMH, shows, etc), but I wouldn't go too much farther than that if I were you. One, the time you are going will be a bit busy, so what you think you can accomplish in an hour may take five hours. Secondly, the size of your group will come into play. Some may not WANT to do the same things as others, and waiting for rides, tables, etc. for your size party may take longer.

Flexibility is key!

[dumbo ears]

you should have an overall plan on like what parks your gonna do and where you would want to eat supper or other meals. but like you cant control what rides to ride. like you coould plan spending 30 minutes in splash mountain but it could take an hour or more. u just can't plan too much because if you do then if you miss something on your plan then it messes up your whole plan. i say that you wing it and just do what you feel like doing at the time. Also I have found this out, that if you are with others who don't like to plan a lot than your overplanning can be very annoying to them. I hope u have a great trip.:thumbsup:

[Ten of Hearts]

The three of us- me, DM and DF- went to MK just for the day back in Feb. I know there isn't that much to plan- and we didn't make any ADRs. But the itinerary I created was pretty detailed- 3 months in the making! There were one or two musts I had to do in most sections. We didn't have to go to the HM. We all wanted to see POTC, PhilharMagic and ride the TTA. It was also a photo-op for me and DF so it wasn't just about the rides. I noted what places I really wanted pictures of. This was an amazing trip for me because there were places I had never seen before! For the first time went over the bridge from the Adventureland approach leading to Liberty Square and the castle. The view is amazing!!! The only things that we really stuck to were our 1pm lunch at Liberty Tavern and watching the 3pm parade. There are so many wonderful things that go on continuously at the MK!!!

[ldc12377]

Thank you all so much for the reassuance. This board is such an invaluable resource to so many people because of all the time, effort, and knowledge put forth by all you wonderful intercotees. Thank you again. I would never survive planning this trip without all of you!!!!!!

[ParrotheadMinni]

I also LOVE planning about WDW. Our 5th family trip is just 6 days away:woohoo: One of the main benefits of compulsive planning is what you LEARN along the way. That knowledge gives you a lot more flexibility in the park when your plans need to change (and they will!). You know what attractions lines get the longest in the afternoons, so you hit those in the AM, or fastpass them. You will (mostly) know where you are eating; maybe have a couple of choices in mind for counter services in the parks, so you don't have to walk 2 miles to get to your "planned" lunch spot. You will know your group may split up for certain rides, and meet back together for shows, etc. At WDW, Knowledge is better than planning. You won't be one of the families huddled around a park map just inside the gate going "What do you want to see first?" But you also don't want to be one of the groups yelling at their kids "Hurry, Hurry, we have 3 minutes to get to Buzz Lightyear. You can't stop to look at the castle now. It's not going anywhere"

One of my kids favorite activities (which helps me) is this: I made a list of every attraction by park. We looked at them online, and on the DVD planning video. They get to rate them by A, B, or C. They get 5 A's, and 5 B's, everything else is a C. (I have 2 DDs). We make every effort possible to see their A's. (only if they are not running have we missed one). B's are next, and C's if we have time and energy. I know it sounds compulsive, but I don't want to hear "I didn't get to see X while we were there and it was my most favorite thing".

Don't worry about planning, as long as it's fun. Your plan will change, but you will be able to make that change a positive instead of a negative with all your preparation!! Have a great trip!!!:thumbsup:

[merlinmagic4]

Planning is good :thumbsup: I think the only time it can ruin a vacation is if you pour your heart and soul into every detail and get upset if plans change. You have to be flexible, especially with kids. There were days my children didn't want to go to the parks. They just wanted to play in the pool at our resort so we played in the pool and went to the park later! I have been to Disney only three times in the past 9 years and I have gone knowing nothing at all (which is why I don't laugh at newbies) and I have gone full of information. Knowing about the parks is priceless and most of my information and knowledge comes from Intercot :rocks:

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

:mickey: We plan very little. :blush:

We make our ADR's and use that to plan what parks, what days. After that, it is up in the air. We have been known to walk out the door of the lobby to go to a park and then change our mind and head to another.

We had Free Dining the past two years so that forced us to plan more then we like.

This year, we are DVC members and are not buying the DP. We made one ADR for my daughter and her Asherkus dinner..after that it is all up in the air. It works for our family.

I can totally relate to "overplanning", I am that way at home. Our yearly trips to the World give us time to just go and see where we go next.

Have a wonderful trip!!

[angedeaile]

I think everyone on here pretty much agrees....Overplanning is fine. I still don't know how people can just show up to WDW without a game plan in mind or atleast do alittle research before their trip.

Anywho, I am an DPA- DIsney Planner Addict.

On my first trip last year, it was baaaad, but I was glad I did it. It gave our group a little structure, which always helps if you plan on going during a busy season like we did.

Alot of my plans did go out the window, because there are certain factors that can get in the way.

Like rain while you go through WS or your body is way too sore to wake up early for ADR at Chef Mickeys. It happens!

Plan your heart out! However, keep in mind that once you get to the park...things could change and that is okay, because you are at DW!

[Tink#64]

Let me first say I am a planner. I love to plan. The planning I love best is Disney! I think the key to understand about planning, is that you are basically educating yourself to what your choices are at WDW. Then you can decide which things are the most important to you that you get to experience! The rest is all icing on the cake!

I have friends that laugh at all the planning that I do. I have a"plan" for each park. Lots of times we chuck it all & go to the pool! But I can't imagine going to some place as vast as WDW without something of a plan!

I think the amount of planning you do or the lack of planning is a reflection of each individuals style. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it. It's your vacation, you are paying for it and it should be done the way you want it!

Enjoy!:mickey:

[slt21]

We have a little bit of a joke in my family: "The best plan is to plan that absolutely nothing will go according to the plan you've planned.":blush:

In all seriousness, planning is excellent, and even overplanning is still fine, but overplanning to the point where you're freaking out if things don't go exactly according to plan will positively ruin your trip. I see some families and want to remind them that they're at Disney World, not boot camp.

A good plan will make your vacation less stressful and more fun, but you can only plan so much. You can control (to a degree) where you go and when, but you can't control wait times, breakdowns, etc.. You also may find that you or someone else in your party may simply want to stray from your plan at times, and you just have to accept it. It's much easier to accept it and move on then to obsess over it (as hard as that can be at times - trust me, I know!). Have a nice outline, but remember to go with the flow, too.

The most important thing to remember is that you're on vacation to have fun, and to make sure that your plan allows for that no matter what happens. As long as your plan is flexible and leaves room for down-time and changes, then you'll be just fine.

[Sharon1026]

Here are a few tips for you as a first timer who really likes to plan coming from a person who also likes to plan!

I realize this is your first trip and you will want to see it all, do it all. Unless you stay at Disney for weeks and weeks, that's not going to happen.

Pick about 6 or 7 attractions that are on the top of your list for each park - make that your "plan" any other ones additional to that are really gravy. That way you won't feel that you missed out on any of your goals and you've done better than planned.

You are really geeked up about the trip - that is great. Your kids will get tired before you do. I see so many families filled with joy at 9am and then the meltdowns start in the afternoon around 5pm, since the kids are really tired out. Maybe this won't happen on day one, but it will happen on day 2 or day 3. You are vacationing, so put some rest time in there at the pool! i think people feel that they haven't gotten their "moneys worth" if they haven't gone on every ride... remember this is about family time together.

Planning is great, but don't get upset if your plans get changed... Whatever you don't see/do this time around is something you can see/do next time!

Also, if you take your cell phone with you put your cell phone number in your kids pockets. If you get separated tell your kids to find a CM and they can have someone call your cell phone. :) :) :party:

[disneyfan1124]

I think we should all join Planners Anonymous!

I too am a planner, and I love it, and the people I am with love it! I agree, Disney planning is the best, and the more planning you do, the more you feel like you're there and not freezing your toes off in NH! (although it's beautiful today!)

Most trips are DH and myself. We have another couple that we went with last year and again I did the planning. It was their first trip and they have friends who had been many times, telling them the "must see/do's." We talked a bit on phone, sent many emails, and had one weekend get together for planning discussion. (they live 2 hrs away.)

The couple had such a great time last year, we're going again this year with them. They are eager to repeat some items (HDDR and Ohana's) and welcome new ideas.

I'm in my planning glory!! I had custom maps made, I made my own custom calendars, and we're looking forward to our first (and likely only) planning discussion in a few weeks.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as you can be flexible if the need arises, you'll be fine with a plan. Heck, I even have a back-up plan!!

Nov '07 seems so far away, but the planning helps time go by faster and makes it all the more exciting!

Enjoy!! Enjoy the planning, enjoy the trip, enjoy being with your family!

[Dopey's Girl]

My last trip was a solo trip...I threw it all together with the help of Wendy @ MJ in less than 2 weeks before I left. I had resort and DME ressies, and my flight booked...that was as much of a plan as I had...I knew where I wanted to go, but had no ADR's or any solid plans other than I wanted to ride EE and see Wishes.

My September trip is very different. My mom and I took advantage of the Bounceback program they offered last winter, so we have the dining plan this time. We have had to plan more for this trip than we ever have for any of the others (because we needed ADR's to use up our credits) and I have to say, I don't really like it all that much. I love our trips when we just fly by the seat of our pants and do what ever we feel like when we wake up!

I think as long as you don't have a flip out in MK because it's 3:10 and you are only at Pirates, but you were supposed to be at Splash, but Sally had to go potty, and that threw off the schedule, a little planning doesn't hurt anyone! Just know that some of the best things in WDW can't be planned, so go with the flow and have a great time!

[dizne4me]

I love the planning - my family always whines about how I plan everything out and they think it should be totally spontaneous - and most of the trip is spontaneous - but once we get to disney - they all look to me and say what are we doing today(and I love every minute of it:mickey: )

[disneymom2000]

I am also an obsessive planner. However, I have learned not to spout out about every detail to the people who are going on vacation with me. If they ask a question, I will answer but mostly they get irritated if they are constantly bombarded with all that is going to happen each day, every minute. You can however, be on this board everyday asking as many questions as you want and everyone here understands. So welcome and try to enjoy yourself. Because another thing I have found out is that no matter if you plan down to every minute something is going to change somewhere.

[Auntie]

I've been doing this for MANY years. Started when my youngest was only 6 weeks for his first trip(the others were 4 and 11 at the time)..let's just say the baby is going to be 16 in June. We have another May trip scheduled. It's great that you have a plan. Even your ADR's..which to me..I just hate having to plan that all out. But I can understand that now it's better to have them than to not. I did it myself for our May trip. You can always cancel if you don't feel like going with the plan. I do think you might have gone over the edge there with the color coordinated attire for each member of your party.:mickey: Especially with the 14 year old..good luck with that! I mean you certainly can dress your kids in what you think appropriate, but I'm sorry, I had to laugh when I read that even your brother..and his 14 year old are dressing in the "color of the day"..so to speak. You need to lighten up a little and ENJOY the vacation. Relax. If you don't ..you are going to need a vacation from the vacation when you get back. As other's have mentioned..realize that you are not going to see and do everything. That's okay. Sometimes the best times are spontaneous..and maybe just kicking back and enjoy each other..and some fun in the resort pool. I know it's easy for me to say..we've been to the world quite a few times now. Our trips are mostly to see what is new..and what we enjoy doing from previous trips. We don't have that overwhelming desire to race through the parks seeing and doing everything. I do understand and remember it though. Our first trip..I had the tour book in hand..and knew exactly where to go and where to stand. I had two kids in strollers and an 11 year old. My mom trailing about 50 feet behind..with my husband feeling sorry for her and doubling back! So, honestly..I do understand having a plan...but I will tell you some of the best times my kids have had, have been in the pool or even in the game room..because they were kids..and that's what kids like to do. I even have a photo of my kids ..the youngest standing on a box so he could reach the controls of a game in the Wilderness Lodge Arcade. You know..it's one my favorite photos of them..yeah it's in a game room..but they were together and having a ball. (literally..the youngest climbed up the basketball game to put the ball in the net..what can you do? he was 4). Those are the moments you look back on and laugh..and those are the memories that you create as a family. They can be in the Magic Kingdom..or at a character meal..or just splashing around in the pool. Have fun..and enjoy your trip.:thumbsup:

[SandmanGStefani24]

it KILLS me to see people overplan and make their vacation so tight with schedules and must dos that it looks more like boot camp than vacation! A few plans are ok, but you have to approach WDW with a laid back attitude. There are so many people, rides sometimes are out of service, restaurants get too crowded, there are just too many variables to set concrete plans.
Last trip we decided we were going to see certian attractions, and eat at a few places, but did not set times or dates. it works much easier that way. In my opinion, schedules are for jobs, not for vacations!
Also, the tip I learned last trip was to schedule a "FREE DAY" where you have absolutely ZERO plans. This way if anything is missed, or if you find something you really like you have a day to take care of it.
Bottom line : PLAN LESS=RELAX MORE!
Have a great trip! :marg:

[Donald A]

Planning is a good thing - being upset when things don't work out as expected is not. I think at today's WDW planning is necessary. For example, have fun finding somewhere to eat if you do not make an ADR. On the other hand, too much planning can lead to disappointment if you are not adaptable. For instance, what if that ride on Soarin' has to wait a day due to a mechanical breakdown. You should be adaptable enough to have fun enjoying something else "outside of your plans."

[Strmchsr]

Bottom line : PLAN LESS=RELAX MORE!
Have a great trip! :marg:

Well, that's not always true (it's certainly not for me). All of you discussing this are speaking to your own personality and preference. There is no correct answer to this question. If you're a Type-A personality, then chances are you'll be more stressed if you don't plan everything out. If you're a laid-back personality, you'll be more stressed planning. Someone once said to me, "The greatest diet in the world is the one you'll actually stick with." That's true for planning. The only correct answer to this question is the one that works for you.

[caryrae]

Maybe just ask yourself the question, How has your obsessive planning worked for you in the past? Did everything work out well or were people getting upset? Also if everyone going with you is willing you may all do the planning together so everyone can have some input on what they really want to do. Maybe even ask everyone involved how they feel about what you have planned out already and if they like the idea.

I am one of those laid back types were I only plan any ADR's I want and what parks I want to do each day. It has worked out great for me.

Hopefully everything goes great for you. Just remember WDW is a place for fun, where you can throw all your worries from the real world away for a while. Thats why I choose the quote from Walt Disney for my signature.

WDW can be very overwhelming for a first timer but listen to everyone here when they you will not be able to everything in one trip unless maybe you stay for a couple weeks. It's ok to save some things for your next trip. One thing that would help with ride times is get an understanding of the fast pass system (which is free for everyone to use)and what rides use fast pass.

One fun thing to do is get those free personalized park maps. You can get one for each park. They are pretty cool. Here is a thread about it with a link. http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=100093

[Dsnygirl]

:mickey: Hi! I am yet another planner... must be a symptom of being a Disney fanatic. :blush: And I have to say I agree w/ everyone who says planning is half of the fun - maybe even more!

When my DH & I took our DD's last may, my MIL went with us as well, and she teased me for all the planning I had done. I wasn't obsessive about it, but just had a general idea of what park to hit each day, where our ADR's were and lots of tips I'd learned from I'cot about where to be and when in order to get around the rides and parks most easily. Well, two days in and she was loving all the planning I'd done... mostly b/c the sense of urgency was gone - we knew what we wanted to see, we knew what we were willing to miss, and we managed to do most of what we'd wanted to do without having to run around like crazy.

I think Disney is the perfect vacation for planners - it gives us the chance to enjoy our vacation before we even leave, and I think it totally reduces the stress when you're there, as well. Like others have said, being flexible is the key - kids get tired just when you least expect it, or else they dislike an attraction you think they'll love - as long as you're willing to miss a few things, or re-arrange your plans a bit, you'll be fine.;)

And just a tip re: kids and getting separated - that was one of my biggest fears, too - each day, I took a small piece of fabric tape and wrote my DH's and my cell phone #'s on it and put it below the tag of their shirt, on the inside. They knew to tell a CM where the number was in case they got separated from us, and we would be just a phone call away.
I've heard lots of other ideas similar to that - I'm sure if you search the boards, you'll find lots of good ones!

Good luck, enjoy the planning, and have a GREAT trip!! :thumbsup:

[Clotho]

I agree with the poster who said (sorry, I didn't catch the nym) that planning for some people is more a process of researching than it is actually mapping out every detail. I find that to be more the truth for me, anyway.

My planning has been this much:
1) Made a vague plan of where we wanted to be on what days. Meaning, MK is always day 1, we knew Epcot would be day 2, we wanted to make sure we had some nights at DTD, we wanted to have a day at a water park when it wouldn't be too busy so that meant a weekday, you get the idea...

2) Made ADR's (for us, DDP or no, it revolves around the FOOD! WDW is sooo delicious! Well, the food is. I am sure the park would be lovely eating if you liked metal and cement, and landscaping as a nosh...;)

3) Solidified the loose schedule somewhat. I designed a chart in a text document (Virgo! *raising hand) which was basically a calendar in that it was a series of boxes laid out by dates of our trip. I divided each one into top and bottom, representing morning and evening parks or activities. In the top corner of each box, I listed the scheduled hours for each park for each day, and underneath typed our planned park for each section of the day, and our ADR with the ressie time and confirmation number.

3a) the first time I did this, on our last trip, I actually put the parks we wanted to go to on color coded post-its, which fit neatly into the boxes sectioned off for morning and evening parks/activities. MK was blue post-its, Epcot was yellow, MGM was purple, and AK was, what else, green. The post-its allowed me to shuffle around my schedule without having to erase or re-type up anything. Just unstick and restick where I thought we would like to be. This worked great. I would do it that way again, but I am enjoying trying a new system this time. ;)

4) We shopped for some new clothes and planned outfits for the days we were going to be there. Not exactly which we would wear each day specifically (save for a couple nice dinners, which we had dress/suit for just that occasion), and I packed them in bundles--tee shirt with the skirt it was to go with, undies, etc. I usually pack this way, but particularly took care in what to buy and wear since the weather was going to be so different from my hometown of Seattle.

We also had a printed list of the must-see attractions for each park based on reading about them and recommendations from places like this! I kept it folded with our other paperwork, and checked things off each night when we got back to the hotel.

When we went, it was in 2004's nutty hurricane season. Things were canceled and postponed all over the place. My system worked great for rearranging things without a fuss. And though I would not consider myself unyielding, I do enjoy my schedules to stay on-track. I was pleased to discover that I was entirely unfazed by the changes, because I felt that all the research I had done in making my plans allowed me to understand how these hiccups would not in the least ruin my trip just because things got shuffled. I had a good grasp on the whats, wheres, whens, and hows of making sure we still got to do the things we most wanted to, despite the change in the loosely, though carefully and lovingly, planned schedule.

Ultimately, what is too much planning for one person is not enough for another. We have commando-tourists on here as well as the every-detail-ers. So long as your style works for you and your family, then do what you will. The only times I get worried about people as overplanners are those who admit that they freak out or generally can pout or fume over the littlest changes, and end up ruining the trip for their family and friends they are traveling with. If this is something you know you are capable of, I would use this as an exercise to do a little *less* planning than you might normally do, and challenge yourself to be a little more flexible and fly-by-the seat. You may discover you have some skills in improvisation you never knew you had, and make the trip more enjoyable for your entire party. ;)

Have fun!

[Dicecatt262]

My take...I plan, plan, plan ahead of time, so it feels effortless on the vacation. I am always willing to shake things up, but I have dining reservations, I have ideas on where we should eat counter service meals based on the sections we'll probably be in at that time of day, and I have a ride order plan. That doesn't mean I run from ride to ride and time it to the minute. I just have a general plan...first the rides that collect the lines the quickest, that kind of thing. I plan in breaks, so we relax and don't need a vacation from our vacation. My family has no idea...they know I plan like crazy but they don't understand that is the reason they barely have to stand in line and they enjoy every second of their trip. In my opinion, Disney is not a fly by the seat of your pants kind of place. Not unless you want to spend your day in line, that is.

Charts for clothes? Yep, got it. Little laminated cards? That too...but only one a day, for ME, not everyone in my party. I plan so much that during the vaction, it actually feels very free and relaxing. I don't bulldoze my family, they are happy following me, knowing that Mom will keep them out of long lines and get them to the rides they love. I enjoy planning so much, it is a big part of the Disney experience for me, and I enjoy the fact that my planning makes the vacation seem effortless once we get there. There is no debating where to eat, getting turned away because of no availability, no standing in line for an hour with a cranky baby, no wandering around aimlessly and stopping in the middle of walkways to try to figure out where we are and where we are going.

Don't feel ashamed of your planning complusion, use it to your advantage! Milk it for all it is worth before your trip, because before you know it, the trip will be over! Just make sure in the midst of your planning that you've planned to relax!

Oh, and regarding those that are saying less planning makes for a more relaxing vacation, if you are like me, and it sounds like you are, less planning might make you frantic! I would be miserable without a plan...seriously. Not relaxed, but very tense and stressed while trying to figure out what to do next with my husband and 4 kids. I NEED a plan. I CRAVE a plan. I will have a PLAN, and I will love and enjoy every second of my vacation! Planning can be very relaxing, and people that aren't planners can't understand that.

I agree with one of the other posters that say don't share too much detail...if other members of your party aren't planners, just give them the basics, not the details, or you will see their eyes glaze over...

[CleveSJM]

If planning ahead of time lets you relax while you are there, then plan away. Especially for a first trip. Be flexible, especially for weather or illness. Might have to move MK to a "better" day on a whim. But all the planning will just make those quick changes that much easier.

[spoiledraf]

I probably enjoy the planning as much as the vacation. Changes here and there as the time grows near are part of the challenge. It seems every time I think I have it finalized, I realize I forgot something or didn't allow enough time for travel. After a couple trips where the itinerery (Neatly typed and in a 3 ring binder) was totally blown out of the water, I realized it ok to plan but be ready and totally willing to trash the schedule and continue with whatever it is you are doing if you are have a good time.

Of course there are some thigs you want to make sure you get to. We wnet on the Keys to the Kingdom Tour last time and we had to stay with that scheduling. Things ike that. Otherwise, wingit if the schedule get in the way.

[Auntie]

I used to be one of the "every minute planned" types. It worked. However..the kids were pretty young at that point. Mostly I'd say for our 1st trip. I think as they get older you have to be a bit more flexible. Color coordinating clothing..on a 14 year old?....I don't know if that's worth the bad feelings it might kindle.
Also..keep in mind that everyone else reads the same guide books with the same tips. One funny experience..we were at the Orlando airport waiting for our luggage. I figured..no problems..we tagged it with red ribbons as guide book suggested. Well..how funny was it when all the luggage from our flight came out on the carousel and almost all the bags had red ribbons on them!:) My mom just looked at me and said "Guess everyone else read the same book you did."...Had to laugh, what else can you do. So dressing everyone in color coordinated clothing..with the color of the day..is something you see all the times in the parks. I think that it reassures parents more than it really does anything for the kids. I think kids look more for the familiar than anything new..they know mommy's shirt..because she wears it at home too. Just my feeling..having been through it and come out on the other side..having my litle ones be 15 and 19 now..although we started back in "91 with a 6 week old infant and his four year old sister, and 11 year old brother. Oh..and don't forget Grandma..who still loves Disney ! I really think there is a happy medium. You know when you see grumpy people they have either not planned at all...or they are planned out. I think you need ADR's and a general plan on what you want to see that day, and when you should see it, but leave room for just seeing what happens. I think a day just for the resort is a great idea. We choose the resort we do, so that we can enjoy it's amenities. It's a big part of the vacation also.

[MOJoe]

I'm the kind of person who needs to have a plan too. I've never considered it a personality flaw. A good plan is essential to get the most out of a WDW vacation. You can go without one and still have a good time. But you'll experience more attractions and shows with a plan than without one. Just know that your plan is a tool to help your group have the best vacation they can. Not a strict, step by step, minute by minute, itinerary.
Planning for your group - that's being helpfull. Freaking out if your plan is not followed to the letter - that would be a personality flaw.

[princessjojo]

With a lot of thing in my life I am WAY ocd, but I found that when it came to WDW, I had to loosen the reigns a little. I planned our ADR's and the things I would like for us to do while we were there. But we try to go for at least 7 days and usually more. That way, we can let the boys sleep in each morning for a while, let them choose what park for that day, and we get lunch based on usually the park, MY ADR's finish the day with their parks & get back to our resort late that evening only to do it all over again the next day. But we also go, as you will, when the park hours are a little longer in the evening, so we don't try to rush through the parks. We are able to stroll leisurely and let the kids set the pace of the day. It works much better for us this way, and everyone is pretty well relaxed. We also squeeze in some down time by the pool for a day or so, but like all of the other days, that happens when it happens. Just remember, it's not work while you're there and have fun! That's the most important thing to plan!