Subsonic Radio

My family & I have been to WDW many times in the last 15 years and are also dvc members. During all of our trips we have met people that plan every step of their vacation down to the last detail and have a strict schedule to follow each day. Many of these people also seem very stressed out and seem to be hitting all the attractions but missing the magic. I agree that a certain ammount of planning is needed to coincide with dining reservations and park events but when you focus more on you gameplan and less on absorbing this magical place I think alot of people really miss out on what wdw is all about.

Planning, even down to the minute detail, can be a lot of fun if that is what you are into. Now, if you take it to the point of stressing out and missing out on enjoyment, it probably isn't the best thing for you.

My family loves the planning part of our trip. We like to talk about what parks we are going to visit on what days, what attractions we will hit first, etc. It's part of building the excitement for us. When it comes down to it, we get to the parks and our plans usually change. But, coming up with a gameplan is a lot of fun for us.

As one of those planners, I agree that the magic can be missed!!! Unfortunately, we don't get to WDW as much as others, so we tend to want to see and do as much as possible when we are there. But, I also make sure we appreciate the magic as much as possible, including doing things like hunting for Hidden Mickeys EVERYWHERE, rushing to wake Tink @ MK, etc. It's a balancing act.

Awesome that you and your family get to go so much!!

I see this a lot of times with families who just want to see everything they possibly can in the time they have. They go from ride to ride, almost without emotion and have their maps glued to their faces while walking around the parks. Sometimes I wonder if they can actually tell the difference between Disney and Six Flags.

It's hard for me to really judge, because I've grown up with Disney, so me and my family don't have to rush around to see everything we want. We just see what we feel like at the moment and mostly just exerience being there. On the other hand, if I only got one chance to go to WDW, I know I would want to plan out everything to make sure I see it all. I guess real Disney magic doesn't occur until the second or third trips. That's when you start to realize all the things you've been missing before. That's when you start to realize that it isn't just an amusement park filled with rides, it's one of the world's greatest theatrical performances that begins the moment you enter the park gates. You're not really supposed to plan how you're going to view the show. You just go to see it.

cheshire cat, bravo u have really taken my thoughts one step higher. I agree after a couple of trips to wdw one can slow down a little and appreciate all the little things and notice the attention to detail all around WDW.

My daughters are to the point where they are content just with going there and taking it all in. Our last trip was with newbies, so we felt pressured to show them the highlights. My girls had a blast, but are looking forward to us going again without that kind of pressure.

I am definitely not into the whole planning things out. The most I will plan out is which park do I want to go to today........sometimes that doesn't even work. I like to shoot from the hip. That is why I HATE FP, ADR's, etc.

The problem with a Disney Vacation is there is far too much to do against the time you're there. For the average family who plans a one week 5-10 day trip once or maybe every 5+ years, it's hard to accept not doing some things knowing you won't be back.

Thus, the planning monster takes over. How do you maximize your time to see as much as possible. Then there's maps, and schedules, plans, cranky kids, arguing parents, etc. I finally realized that some amount of planning to ensure the dinner locations you want is necessary, but after that just having a good time with my family is more important that making sure I don't miss Space Mountain this year.

I only go every 3+ years, and have finally, as of our last trip, stopped over planning to make my wife more happy (not a Disney nut) and improve my chances of repeat visits. Though, I'm type A and she's not - so the planning didn't bother me until we fought over it.

Anyway, for some people it's part of the fun, for others it's out of (perceived) necessity. To each their own, but the key to letting go is just accepting you can't see/do everything.

I haven't really seen the "over planners" on our trips. We usually see the others... the ones who showed up late, paid a ton of money, have no idea what they want to see or do, and don't even realize that Epcot and the Animal Kingdom aren't part of the Magic Kingdom.

Planning is important, but I also agree that it can be overdone. We only visit every 2 years, but we also don't try to do "everything." We have a list of priorities (usually 3 per park), and we make sure we get those done, but we also like to take our time and enjoy the subtleties that make WDW magical.

this year we are going with friends and they are booking alternate ADR's so we have a choice each day. looking forward to that. we ususally only plan what parks but we also like to jump alot. last year i hit soaring, tower of terror(x3), everest (x3) and dinosaur in a 3 hour period. a bit rushed but fun! the rental car helped tremendously.

WVParkfan wrote:Planning is important, but I also agree that it can be overdone. We only visit every 2 years, but we also don't try to do "everything." We have a list of priorities (usually 3 per park), and we make sure we get those done, but we also like to take our time and enjoy the subtleties that make WDW magical.

Well said. We're pretty much in the same situation.

We make ADRs and assign parks to certain days, but beyond that, we do what we want. It always makes for a great trip!

HSolo29 wrote: We make ADRs and assign parks to certain days, but beyond that, we do what we want. It always makes for a great trip!

Plus, if you don't try to do "everything," then you leave yourself new things to do on your next visit! And that's motivation to start saving-up for the next trip.

WVParkfan wrote:Plus, if you don't try to do "everything," then you leave yourself new things to do on your next visit! And that's motivation to start saving-up for the next trip.

Or even on your current trip. Say you want to eat at one place or ride a particular ride but the wait is WAY to long (because of ADR's or FP's ) you can always find a new place to eat or a another ride that you wouldn't have thought to ride. New experiences are sometimes the best. I went on Maelstrom for the first time on my 6th or 7th trip down and that is something I now look forward to each and every trip since.

Dr. Ravenscroft wrote: New experiences are sometimes the best.

I couldn't agree more! We've discovered so many new places to eat, things to discover, and hidden gems because we took the time to explore.
I've said it before in several posts, but one of our great discoveries is the Lounge next to the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Most people just use it as a waiting area while waiting for their table. We discovered that they sell snacks and drinks at the bar, and we've had the most wonderful moments there. Plus, you can't beat warm 'Smores and a cold beer on a hot July afternoon.

And since most people don't even know it exists, there is hardly ever a wait for a seat at the bar.

The only thing that we really spend time planning is where we are going to eat. There are so many good restaurants that we never seem to get around to all of our favorites.