I'm frustrated-is there something I am missing?

[AuntKari]

I have worked very hard to make this trip for my sister's family very special! I have booked great surprises and I should be all excited with my detailed planning. But by the time you have to leave the parks for your "bookings" (a show, a cruise, a special meal) and then with comments from people that "you get a Fastpass at 9:00 AM and it says come back at 3:00 PM" and "you will wait in line 2 hours for this" how do you ever get all those things in the parks done? Touring plans says to skip an item for every 20 minutes you are behind. You can't plan how long you are going to have to wait, or if a ride breaks down, or if you rush to get a Fastpass what time it will have you come back. And seems like you could only get 2-3 Fastpasses in in a day. It's frustrating. Is it really that bad?

[dizneefan67]

AuntKari,
It seems to me you are planning TOO MUCH! My suggestion is to take a few things that are MUST SEES and plan those and let everything else fall into place later or during the day! I am an over-planner too when it comes to Disney, but if you over plan you don't get to enjoy it as much as you would like to! Simply say, this is what we want to do and this is what we HAVE to do! and leave it there! Otherwise you will drive you and others crazy and it won't be fun for you and you will dampen the fun-spirited day it should be!
I hope you can make a MUST SEE plan and relax with the rest...enjoy your vacation!:mickey:

Will

[dmosher]

I have to agree. DW and I are hardcore planners, but we make a point to allow for time adjustments.
We have Spreadsheets with times, characters, meals, the works! But we do make certain that we are flexible with certain things. Remember that with even the most meticulous planning you WILL NOT see it all on a short trip, unless of course you plan to not actually have any fun on your vacation.

Try to remember that it is just a vacation be it an expensive one and you have to slow down every so often and just enjoy the place your in. Sounds easy but it is not always and we often find ourselves rushing and have no idea quite why. When this happens we just slow down, relax and take stock of where we are and what we are really there for. That seems to work quite often. Good luck with NOT planning so much... its hard than the opposite!
:pipes:
D

[AuntKari]

I have tried not to over plan-just book the things that are supposed to be a MUST SEE.

Aunt Kari by herself for 4 days: Prepare for family (trial runs/timing/confim reservations)
Day 1: They arrive at 6:45 PM-nothing but settling in that night.
Day 2: Enjoy some of Disney's resorts-no set plan. DTD with T-rex at 6:45 PM
Day 3: Enjoy some of Disney's resorts then go to Boardwalk-Private Specialty Illuminations cruise that night.
Day 4: Donald's Breakfast Safari at AK and Fantasmic Dining Package at HS with Fantasmic
Day 5:MK all day. Hoop de Doo that night
Day 5: HS (with Birthday Fastpasses) most of day. 50's Prime Time at 11:35. Cirque du Soleil at 6:00 PM that night (5:00 report time)
Day 6: Princess Storybook Breakfast at Epcot. All day and dinner at Epcot.
Day 7: HS all day. Spectro Magic at MK that night.
Day 8: Private Fishing in AM and then Epcot all day and night.
Day 9: MK all day. Pirate and Pal Specialty Cruise with Electric Water Pageant and Wishes that night.
Day 10: AK all day. Whispering Canyon for dinner. Private carriage ride at FW. See EWP again from Ft. Wilderness that night
Day 11: Free (but they don't have park tickets)
Day 12-They leave but I have another 10 days.

So I don't think it is a bad schedule??? Just seems like there are so many great rides/attractions in the parks but you wait a lot in the parks and can't get very many done????

[AuntKari]

Sorry, the family has 13 days-got my numbers/days wrong only.

[gerald72]

Don't plan so much if it is frustrating you.
Also, you should be able to grab at least 6-7 fast passes per day if you get one right when your time window opens each time.

[deedeebee]

To be honest, we make ADR and which park or parks we are visiting on a particular day and let everything else happen as it happens and we have been happy with that and we have always had a great vacation. To us, all of those touring "plans" make you frustrated, we like to take Baloo's advice, while on vacation, and let the bare necessities come as they may. But that's just us, have a great time.:thumbsup:

[DizneyRox]

I heard a great saying once, I hope I get this right...

Hakuna Matata!

Overplanning, you're going to give yourself a coronary. 12 days should be plenty to see everything that MUST be seen, but depending on the time of year, some things are going to be missed. That's OK, WDW will be here when you want to come back.

[prttynpnk]

I think you have a lot of great plans and the family will wnjoy it so much that missing a particular ride will not diminish the trip as a whole- you will all have a great time!
If a line is too long, my husband usually says 'Dang, now we have to come back!'

[DisneyWFan]

The plan looks fine the only thing I would do is make a list of must do rides, you may find out you don't have to hit all of the rides. Do the must do rides first and let the others fall in where you can fit them that way if you miss a ride it won't be one you really wanted to do

[wdw_bound]

As far as rides/attractions are concerned, our family goes through the Birnbaum's for kids book and makes a must list. For each park, every family member picks, in order, their top three (there are a lot of overlaps, for example POTC gets multiple votes). This typically generates a list of 6-8 attractions per park. Everyone agrees that we will make these a priority, and that anything more is just a bonus. That way, everyone gets what they really want, and potential drama is eliminated.

Have a great trip! :mickey:

[Figment78]

I have tried not to over plan-just book the things that are supposed to be a MUST SEE.

Aunt Kari by herself for 4 days: Prepare for family (trial runs/timing/confim reservations)
Day 1: They arrive at 6:45 PM-nothing but settling in that night.
Day 2: Enjoy some of Disney's resorts-no set plan. DTD with T-rex at 6:45 PM
Day 3: Enjoy some of Disney's resorts then go to Boardwalk-Private Specialty Illuminations cruise that night.
Day 4: Donald's Breakfast Safari at AK and Fantasmic Dining Package at HS with Fantasmic
Day 5:MK all day. Hoop de Doo that night
Day 5: HS (with Birthday Fastpasses) most of day. 50's Prime Time at 11:35. Cirque du Soleil at 6:00 PM that night (5:00 report time)
Day 6: Princess Storybook Breakfast at Epcot. All day and dinner at Epcot.
Day 7: HS all day. Spectro Magic at MK that night.
Day 8: Private Fishing in AM and then Epcot all day and night.
Day 9: MK all day. Pirate and Pal Specialty Cruise with Electric Water Pageant and Wishes that night.
Day 10: AK all day. Whispering Canyon for dinner. Private carriage ride at FW. See EWP again from Ft. Wilderness that night
Day 11: Free (but they don't have park tickets)
Day 12-They leave but I have another 10 days.

So I don't think it is a bad schedule??? Just seems like there are so many great rides/attractions in the parks but you wait a lot in the parks and can't get very many done????

I think your plan sounds fantastic! I've been following your questions and you have been working very hard at this. I wouldn't change a thing. You've planned a wonderful trip for your family.

From your plan, it looks like you have the following park time allotted:

MK - 2 days
Epcot - 2 days
DHS - 2 days
AK - 2 days

I didn't even count your DHS fantasmic night as a part of a day, or the Illuminations cruise or the Wishes cruise. Doing those "activities" that way really frees up your time actually in the parks - so you will be fine. You don't need fastpasses for everything. And as others have said - just pick your MUST SEES and I think you will be surprised at how much you will actually get to do.

Have fun!

[MNNHFLTX]

I think your itinerary sounds fine. As far as wait times for rides and fastpass anxiety, my family circumvents those with one basic strategy--get to the park as early as possible. It's amazing how much you can get done in the first couple of hours at any park, if you are there when it opens. Go to the most popular attractions, grab a fastpass and then get in line, so that you can ride a couple of times in a row. We get our "must-sees" done right away and then spend the rest of the day enjoying the shows, parades, secondary attractions, etc. If it is EMH at any park, we will spend 3-4 hours there and then park hop to help avoid the crowds (especially true at Magic Kingdom).

It sounds like you have been the sole coordinator of the trip, which (understandably) makes you feel responsible for everyone's happiness and satisfaction. But try to remember that the most important thing about being at WDW is enjoying the company of the people that you are with. Plans may change or fall by the wayside, but you will still make wonderful memories all together. I'm sure your family will feel the same way. :mickey:

[Harriet]

It really depends on you but me personaaly I would put a rest day in the middle of your planning. Other then that it sounds great. Me I as a rule due the parks a hafe day at a time and relax back at the hotel and then go for a nice dinner and if the parks are open late take in one of the night shows. I don't push it at my age I want to enjoy every min. My 2 cents worth.

[sainter]

Your itinerary sounds incredible but I think I would put that "free" day somewhere in the middle, maybe day 6 or 7, and make it a rest/swim day.

[Belster]

I too am an avid planner...but to be honest with you I do it because it is fun. I love to plan because it helps ease the excitement of being at WDW. With that said I plan my ADRs make a fun tabbed notebook with great tips and advice from Intercot and let the days go as they will. No matter what your family will have a ton of fun.

Another tip...know your purpose in going. For example, we are theme park people we want to get on every ride and see every show and try every sweet treat that Disney has to offer..oh yeah and parades too...lol. So if I went with you and you had fishing and carrage rides and all of that planned I would not see that as a surprise but as a damper in my park plans. Just make sure that you know what your family really wants out of their experience at Disney. I planned a similar trip last year for 11 and was going crazy to make it perfect only to find out that they too just wanted to let it roll.

You will have a wonderful time.

Don't worry!!

[ransam]

the best thing i have found is to admit you will not see everything..it's impossible. Just make sure to enjoy what you can see.
Relax. have fun....
and realize Disney isn't going anywhere...so if you don't see it all this trip, you can catch it next trip.

[JRocker]

Of course, my first thought at reading your post:
Why would YOU have to try and MAKE this trip very special, it's Walt Disney World! ;)
My daughter's boyfriend is going with us this year (18 days!), and I'm not going to go out of my way to try and make him like the most magical place on earth. I think if he just hangs out with us old timers, he'll have no choice but to have a good time.:D

Seriously, don't worry about it. It looks like you have pieced together an extraordinary trip. Just kick back, don't go all 'park nazi' on em, and enjoy. What gets done, gets done. What don't, will most likely be there next time.

I also agree that the day off should be planted somewhere in the middle. Maybe even on that fishing day, that way it leaves more time for parks.

Have a great trip!

[buzznwoodysmom]

I wouldn't worry about it. I can't imagine that you won't be able to do most of what you want in 13 days. Our trips are usually any where from 7 nights to 11 nights and we always do everything we want. I think you are stressing too much about it. Just take a deep breath, relax and let the trip happen. Some of our fondest memories in WDW were the moments that weren't planned, but just happened. You all are going to have a great trip!

[thejens]

I totally get how you are feeling right now! I felt that way too before my first trip. I was totally overwhelmed. Don't worry, it will be better than you think. You need fast passes for the most popular rides, not for all rides. I used the UAGto WDW plans and they were terrific. Don't sweat it if you go off schedule a bit. Truly the most important thing is to get there at park opening and use fast passes. You may miss a few attractions, but believe me you won't feel cheated, there is just SO much to do! Your plan sounds great. I would also find it hard to take my first two days relaxing, especially since I would be so eager to hit the parks! Maybe instead of 2 rest days you could have a couple of afternoons to relax and explore the resorts, but use the first few hours of the day to hit the parks. I am also the family planner/park commando so I understand the angst!!! Have a great trip!

[brownie]

Too much planning is bad thing when it comes to Walt Disney World. Unless you're spending a week or more at Walt Disney World, you really can't do everything there is to do.

I'd forget the touring plans. We've never used them and probably never will. I've found the best thing to do is to have each person pick the 2-3 things they most want to do at each park. You make sure you do those things. Anything else you do is a bonus. A strict schedule doesn't allow for any problems, or opportunities, that may come up. I think it's more important to have fun as a group and keep everyone from stressing out over a schedule.

[ojeilatan]

WDW can be really overwhelming. Our first trip was 2 years ago, and our second one starts on Sunday. (dasndsajknsdkljn!!!!! can't even think straight its so close! :D)

Two things we learned for sure:
-Planning is important
-Being flexible for breaks is even more so.

When you hit a point that you realize, 'Wow, I'm upset and tired and this is not fun,' it's time to head back to the room. Take a nap, swim, relax.

What we've done this trip is only made 1 dinner reservation for Boma (just personal preference there, we were very staisfied living off of counter service last time) and made a basic outline of parks to see each day based off an online crowd calendar and what days Gay Days are. I think your schedule is well done and every one will enjoy themselves. Just include some flexibility, i.e., someone decides they want to go to AK instead of DHS one day or needs a nap.

Above all, never forget you're in the happiest place on Earth! Enjoy yourself, you deserve it after planning such a great vacation! :mickey:

[KylesMom]

"you get a Fastpass at 9:00 AM and it says come back at 3:00 PM"

I would like to mention that the FP's usually are not like that. The only attraction you will probably see this type of wait for is Toy Story Mania!, the newest attraction within the four theme parks. The problem solves itself if you get there right at park opening and ride then. Soarin' can be a bit longer wait as well, but typically you aren't going to see FP times with this crazy of a wait.

It looks like you have a REALLY nice trip planned for your family! Enjoy it, Aunt Kari! :mickey:

[irish1967]

Auntkari - wow! I hope your family appreciates everything you are doing! I think you are going to have a GREAT trip!

I agree with others that you are probably overplanning - you won't be able to do it all so just work toward being knowledgable so that you can have a unforgettable trip.

Leave some flexibility in the plan so that your family has time to stop and do something that catches their fancy.

I think something that you should keep in mind is that people are more likely to post the negative stuff but not the stuff that goes well.
In other words, for every person that posts about a negative experience, there are 1000's of people who had a positive one.

Take information from the posts and learn from them - but don't let them freak you out. Instead, make thoughtful decisions based on the information. (In other words, don't arrive at DHS in the middle of the afternoon and expect to get a FP for TSM - that simply is not going to work. If you really want to experience TSM, get thee to park opening and go straight to the ride and get in line or get a FP :mickey:)

Things happen - keep that in mind. Rides break down and need to be fixed. FPs run out. Just remember, that around the next corner there is another great thing to do!

Have a wonderful trip.

[peemagg]

Here is something I learned the hard way. I am the planner and though I am not an every minute of every day type planner, I am one who wants to get up early and get there and it drives me NUTS when the others I am traveling with aren't of the same thinking.

As an example of what I mean, the first trip for my sister and her family, I planned the days according to how many days they had for tickets. Well I planned the one day to be a day off and my sis and her husband decided that they wanted to go to Epcot that day instead. Well now we have to rejuggle everything to try to allow them and the kids to see the other parks. Well it comes down to we had to cut MK time down. To this day they complain and blame me because, "they didn't get to see MK". I even bought tickets for the Pirate and Princess party so that they could be in that park more. These people also were slow at getting going in the mornings. My Mom and I and their 3 kids would be up, showered and dressed, kids fed and they would just come wandering out of their room in pj's. Now we are talking 3 small babies (13 months, 13 months, 2.5 years), and they were ready to go before their parents.

We are in the works of planning a trip for all of us in 2011 (at least 9 of us, maybe more), and my Mother and I are already telling them "if you want to sleep in or whatever and the kids are ready to go when we are, We are taking them and you can catch up with us when you get around". I am not getting blamed again for the kids not being able to see everything again.

Long story short, just be prepared that what you plan may not be what they want to do. I would be sure to get everyone's input into all of this before it is set in stone, then make sure they are fully on board with it all.

I would also plan some down time in there. It will be a much more enjoyable trip for everyone.

[Gusgus]

I am by nature a planner. My first trip to DW I planned everything out. This created some major problems for my family. For example, I would have plans to get from Park 'A' to Park 'B' at x o'clock. My plans were rarely on-schedule. For example, when we would be leaving the park the kids would want to get signatures from the characters. Oh look there is this cool skit show going on the streets of Hollywood studios. The wait to get into eat was longer than we planned. It was always something. We were always late for our next thing and I would start getting cranky. As a result everyone was cranky. My wife said to me after a few days "if you don't stop planning every minute of every day the next time we come back you are staying home". We now plan very little.

I give 2 main pieces of advice to people that are going for the first time. 1. Get to the parks early. and 2. Don't try to do everything. You can't. Do this instead. Just say to yourself "I am going to fill my day with fun". Then do it. It's easy to do at DW.

If you can't do everything you want, so what? You had fun. There's a big differnce between your GOAL being "let's have fun no matter what we do" and "we need to do everything, move your butt!".

We now plan for very little and the things we do plan for (i.e. hoopdee-doo, dinner) we make sure we have plenty of time to get there. Needing to be some place at X time becomes the exception not the rule. We have gone from down to the minute planning to letting the kids decide what park to go to. We even have days where we say "The first bus that comes is the park we are going to today".

Less stress
More fun
Happy family
Smiles all around


Gusgus

[joonyer]

Say this over and over again: "Go with the flow"

At WDW that attitude will lead you places and into fun activities you never expected. It's OK to be surprised and to be spontaneous. The trip will be much more fun and memorable.

[Aurora]

I was the planner for a big family trip (then 15 people, four families) a few years ago. We were there for a week.

One thing I did was ask every person to pick two things they absolutely wanted to do, and we made sure we saw/did those things. They could have been an attraction, show, meal, whatever. Since we had 15 people sometimes one or two people had the same thing on their list, so it was definitely doable.

We also had one "no park" day and one day where we were NOT together at all -- everyone took off on their own. If we chose to meet, that was OK, but not mandatory.

This really kept everyone happy. No one could complain that they missed something they really wanted to do, because we made everyone's "must do" choices a priority.

P.S. Did I read your post correctly? You yourself will be there for 22 DAYS??? :wave: I'll trade you worries, sister!! :party: