Confessions of a WDW Addict (Pre-Trip Report) - Page 5 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Like most of you, WDW is about the food with a periodic interruption for a ride or attraction. So of course planning this trip has been about trying to decide where we would eat. That really is the challenge. There are so many great places throughout the parks and resorts, and as it will just be the wife and I there are really no limits, because we do not have to worry about if the kids will like it, or if they will sit still and not destroy the place. I am sure none of you can understand that. Lets just say , we do not have the sit down and quietly enjoy a meal type of kiddos.
So, if I am going to be able to dream about California Grill and Be Our Guest, I have to know where we will be each day.
This is where the spreadsheet come into play. I pulled up a worksheet, put the date of my trip in as the column headings and started trying to decide where to go each day. We will be park hopping, but with a total of 8 days, I wanted to allow plenty time in each park. I started just placing park on the day, then started to color code the days, then I started thinking about park hours and EMH.
When I started to research I realized that the hours were not published for my day yet on the Disney World website. How frustrating. How do they expect me to be able to make ADR 180 out without knowing which park to visit each day. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.
So I went to the internet and came across info on a site called Touring Plans. After a small transaction of less than $15, I had projections of what the park hours would be for each day of our trip. Touring Plans was awesome because it also told me the crowd projections for the day. I have to say that was great. For example it told me that on June 8 the overall crowd level will be 5 out of 10. It also told me that there were two special events going on Gay Days at EP and Star Wars Weekend at HS. Then it also gave the crowd level and hours for each park:
Magic Kingdom
Crowd Level: 6 out of 10
Park Hours: 9:00am - 11:00pm
Evening Extra Magic Hours until 1:00am
Epcot
Crowd Level: 4 out of 10
Park Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Crowd Level: 5 out of 10
Park Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Crowd Level: 7 out of 10
Park Hours: 9:00am - 7:00pm
That that info was very, very helpful! Now I could actually apply some strategy to my planning and not just blindly plot days on a spreadsheet.
Thank you Touring Plans. In a future update I will finally reveal my daily plans.
Stay Tuned . . . Will Touring Plans rock my world?
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I can't help but wondering if I know your inlaws since I live in North Central Illinois about an hour south of Chicago. Anyway I am very excited about your trip. Originally we were booked for the same dates. We had to change it though. I am also a teacher, and grew up as a pastor's kid! That would have been funny if we'd ended up on the same flight out. Your trip looks like the plans are falling together nicely!
I can't help but wondering if I know your inlaws since I live in North Central Illinois about an hour south of Chicago. Anyway I am very excited about your trip. Originally we were booked for the same dates. We had to change it though. I am also a teacher, and grew up as a pastor's kid! That would have been funny if we'd ended up on the same flight out. Your trip looks like the plans are falling together nicely!
They live in little town called Marseilles, near Ottawa. Their last name is Brickert. Let me know if you think you know them.
We fly out an June 8, United Airlines non-stop, leaving at about 6:15 am. Does that sound the same as yours.
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Excel all the way!! Except now with MDX, I've given it up. Yes, that's right. No excel file this time.
MDX has my FP+ (and as such, my park for the day), my dinner ressies, my room ressies and well, my family is really happy that they aren't using color coded excel cells to see that its 'free time' or 'nap time' or 'pool time' or 'rope drop at MK time'
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Yep - I have a whole binder to keep all my plans!!!
I think we all end up here with some similarity that we are all type A personalities with major Disneyitis!!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Excel all the way!! Except now with MDX, I've given it up. Yes, that's right. No excel file this time.
MDX has my FP+ (and as such, my park for the day), my dinner ressies, my room ressies and well, my family is really happy that they aren't using color coded excel cells to see that its 'free time' or 'nap time' or 'pool time' or 'rope drop at MK time'
Yes, I have 'free time' in my plans....
What is this "Free Time" you speak of of? LOL
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As I continue planning, with my discovery of the Touring Plans website and my small membership fee, I was well on my way to planning a more productive WDW vacation. I wanted to make sure that I made the very best use of my days, and now I would be able to do that.
Well, I knew that we would have seven, maybe eight days in the park, as I was still working on our return plans. With seven days I knew we could spend at least 1 ½ days in each park. I had already decided to do the Park Hopper tickets, so it would not be an issue to switch parks. On our trip in 2010, we only had five park days and did not PH, but decided we would this time. I do hope it is worth the extra money.
So I approached our planning by adding to my spreadsheet. I made a column listing each of the parks, then a column for each day we would be there. Then using the Touring Plans website, I filled in the expected park hours and crowd levels for each park, then came the decision making.
I did consider crowd levels, but really looked more at the park hours and EMH. We will have no problems getting up and making the morning EMH, so I kept those in mind. I also realized that we would be able to spend some time in MK several nights if we wanted because they would have EMH until late night.
One thing I discovered was that AK was consistently the park with the highest expected crowd levels throughout our trip. Anyway, taking all this information in, this is the plan I have made. Just FYI on the info below - I will list the park we plan to visit, followed by the Touring Plan crowd Level in ( ), then the park hours or notes I made.
Sunday Arrival Expect to be at resort by about 11 am
AK (7) 9-7 We will stay until close
MK (6) EMH until 1 am Will finish night here after dinner
Monday
HS (6) 9-12 - May sleep in and stay until close (12 am EMH)
Tuesday
EP (8) 8 am EMH Arrive for EMH sty until dinner
MK (7) May finish night have EMH until 12 am
Wednesday
AK (7) Make 8 am EMH and stay until dinner
May go to DTD or MK that night, for may relax at resort
Thursday
MK (6) Sleep in then spend whole day here EMH until 12 am
Friday
EP (6) Make rope drop and stay through evening EMH until 11 pm
Saturday
HS (6) Make EMH 8 am rope drop stay little while
MK (6) Spend evening EMH until 11 pm
Sunday Last day
MK (5) Spend morning
EP (5) Spend Evening until have get on Disney ME and leave.
Yes, I do know we are crazy. It is commando style touring at its best. But as it is just the wife and I, we can go at our own pace. And if we are dead by Wednesday, we can alter the plans as needed. I just think it is better to have a plan, than just wing it. Also, keep in mind that we have at least one ADR every day, and plan to take time at each of our meals to enjoy it.
I would love to hear your thoughts on our plan. Dont be afraid to tell me if we are insane. LOL!
Now that I know what park we will be in each day, I can get down to the real business, making the much awaited ADR. I have a few that I am nervous about getting like: California Grill for fireworks, Cinderella Royal Table for breakfast, Ohana for dinner, and of course I want to try for Be Our Guest for dinner.
Stay Tuned . . . Will I get an ADR at BOG?
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Good luck getting your ADRs! 
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