All of my trips have been different. I've gone for 4 days and I've gone for 9. I've gone in February, May, September, October, and December. I've stayed off site and on site. I've gone alone and I've gone in groups of 6-8. So there is no typical for me. But this is what I've learned after trying so many different approaches:
I like traveling to Disney early in the morning because waiting for late in the day is torture. I usually get there early and have no problem hanging around the resort until check in. I don't over-plan my first day so I can enjoy the Magical Express and the resort before I hit the parks the next day. A nice meal that evening is all I need to celebrate my arrival. Then I rope drop every morning with one day off mid-trip. It's normally one park per day, but I've been known to hop around later in the week. I'm also a planner, but have found it's best to plan my mornings up until lunchtime and then leave afternoons open to react to how the parks are going.
One MUST for me is to begin with Magic Kingdom. I had one trip where I started at Animal Kingdom and I swear it didn't feel like a Disney trip until I finally went to Magic Kingdom a few days later. I also prefer to end with fireworks on my last night. Preferably at Magic Kingdom, but Illuminations will do in a pinch.
I'm also big on table service for lunch. Parks are crowded and hot around that time anyway, so a longer meal break works well for me. QS lines at lunch are also horrendous. Disney is as much about food as attractions for me, so I prioritize good meals.
Another thing I have learned is that I prefer going alone. I love sharing the experience with others, but I find that I stress out (unnecessarily) about whether or not others are having a good time. Am I making them do something they don't want to do? Would they rather be doing something else? And on the other side, I like taking restroom breaks when I have to go, and I hate waiting for people to shop.
So, yeah. I like taking the time to deliberately make things as magical as possible. It's a break from the real world, so I always feel like I've earned to just do whatever I want. Skip what I don't want to do, re-do my favorites as many times as possible, and have a magical time! That's the whole point.