how much planning do i need?

[cool chris]

hi all
hope all is going well at the mo, Have just paid for our september holiday to orlando (the worst part of it) so now the planning starts.

I know i have to do some planning everyone of the six books i have tells me to but how much?

I want to see as much as possible but don't want my dw thinking its some sort of military operation or should it (by the way we have no kids yet!!) and are pritty fit.

any ideas?

cool chris

 

[BevS97]

you can take the planning as casually or as seriously as you like.

If you want to fit in Universal, IOA, Seaworld, 4 disney parks, water parks, possibly Busch Gardens or Kennedy Space Center, then I think you need some sort of plan or you will run out of days!

I like to have an idea of which park we will visit on each day, and any special meals that I need a PS for. At least one day will be marked 'redo favorites', and we always have a few shopping days scheduled in too.

When you are planning, it's worth knowing that MK is VERY busy on Mondays, and Saturdays (Monday being worse) - I hadn't realised that, and we couldn't believe the crowds the Monday we visited.
There is a chart in the Brits Guide of busy days, but since they have changed Early Entry many people say it's not so easy to predict.

Also, don't forget you can hop so you can visit more than one park in a day.

Bev

 

[bengunn]

As much or as little as you want to do - has to be the answer. Having said that, I would recommend that you do some to make the best use of your time there.

Personally, we are deciding on which parks on which days with one or two extras like an Illuminations Cruise but no restaurant PSs until we get there (too inflexible).

We will try to plan routes round the parks using the Unofficial Guide to minimise queing.

Above all we will be flexible - if we feel like doing something we will do it and blow the plan

 

[UKDEB]

At the very least I would have a list of what you would like to do, broken down as follows:

*Those things which have to be done on a certain day or at a certain time. For us that would be things like Spectromagic which will only be on certain days during our trip, special events such as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and the International Food and Wine Festival, pre-booked Priority Seatings, etc;

*Must-dos - parks, individual attractions, restaurants, shopping, etc;

*Other ideas of things you might want to do time permitting;

together with a note of each park's busiest day (so that you can avoid those days), park opening hours/fireworks and parade times and any significant hints and tips picked up from guide books and these boards.

Above all, take time to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy every minute. Yes, you'll need some sort of plan, but don't make the mistake of blitzing every park and rushing from ride to ride. You'll arrive home with a vague feeling that something was missing.

 

[SpottyDog]

As above, Chris, it's up to you.

Try to glean as much information as you can about what there is to do from forums such as this and the guide books you've already mentioned. Visit all the park websites to get an idea of the attractions on offer as well.

Some folk simply make a point of allocating time to visit every park and cram as much into the day as they can 'till they get too tired then go home. By the end of the holiday you'll know where you want to go back to and how much time you have left to do it in.

There may be things that are higher on your list of 'must do's' than others. Maybe plan around these, but remember all shows or parades aren't always on every day so you'll need to tweak yer planning nearer the holiday to make sure you're in the right place at the right time.

Plan to enjoy your holiday and enjoy making your plan, it's so much part of the fun. But remember it's there to help you get around all there is to do but is not the law - you are in charge at all times- not the plan!

 

[#1MMFan]

Do as much or as little planning as you like.

The first time we went, we read the small guide books (which we out of date) and got excited about all the different attractions, but all we went with was a broad idea of what parks we wanted to visit. We also wanted to get to the shops and Kennedy Space Center etc. Once there, we decided at most two days in advance what place we were going to visit on a particular day. We were spontaneous and did what we wanted when we liked. Inevitably we missed attractions (not the major ones) but the fun about it was that we knew we had to come back to see the rest (again and again!)

So my advice is just to enjoy, and unless you are a total control freak, just relax and go with what you feel at the time!

John

PS I still don't go with an itinery and always have an unbelievable time. You know what they say about the best laid plans...

 

[WDWfan uk]

........ agree with all of the above!
Find out as much as you can about all the main parks, and discuss what appeals most to you both - aim to do those first.
I think that a lot of people who go for the first time don't always realise how big some of the parks are so you need to pace yourselves, particularly if the temperatures stay up!
Ask us as much as you want to- we love answering questions about Orlando/Florida

 

[SimonV]

The real key, I feel, is when you are going. And, in September, it will be a lot easier to get around (although it will still be pretty warm), hence you can take things a bit more leisurely than in, say, Easter or high summer. A basic plan will still serve you well, though, and you do need to ensure you know the full range of choice out there so you don't miss something important (like SeaWorld, which is hugely popular with the British market).