I'm struggling with planning About This Page:

[revral]

My next trip to DW is November/December of next year and I'm really struggling with planning. I'm not for making touring plans the closest I get is to a touring plan is the fastpasses that can be booked in advance and adr's. And after ten trips I'm not about to start doing the touring plan level of plan. In the past that's not been an issue as I was able to use either Tour Guide Mike's or Josh's crowd calendars for the best days for my trip dates a few weeks before my 180 day mark to figure out which park on which day. However, Disney's not putting out it's operating & entertainment schedule that far in advance anymore so Josh is no longer doing crowd calendars and the Tour Guide Mike site went extinct a long time ago. I have the typical least and most crowded days for each park and have been trying to work out a plan based on those. However, I'm not being particularly successful. I'm actually starting to consider doing something I've never really done before and just totally wing it when it comes to the park of the day, fastpasses and adr's. Any advice, suggestions, thoughts, ideas?

[GingerJ]

I like winging it....I'll go to the EMH park at rope drop, with FPs, and then do what seems like fun at the time. I hate having to choose where to eat 6 months in advance--I don't know what I want to eat later today, most of the time! But if you love the planning process, my system probly wouldn't work well for you.

[lovewdw2]

When I plan a trip I don't normally look at a crowd calendar. I am more concerned about what park and where my sit-down dinner will be. I started planning my next trip for next May 2018 and even though I am not buying a park hopper this time, I have planning issues of how many days I want to go to Epcot, which would be a 5 -day park pass.

Maybe this won't help but I have been on www.undercovertourist.com for any crowd calendar.

Secretly I would LOVE to NOT schedule anything and see what happens..LOL Or the 1st bus that comes to the resort, that is the one I go too.... but I am such a baby!

Would love to know what you end up doing!

[notjustamom]

I honestly don't know if I have ever looked at a crowd calendar.! The last few years I've traveled during school breaks which means Easter, Christmas and next week Thanksgiving. I look at it this way - I'm so stoked to be heading to WDW and since I can't control when I go I'll just try and make the best of it.

[DoraDoug]

I have always used touringplans.com for their crowd calendar. I also have their Lines app which other members will update with real time wait times. We don't usually make a lot of ADR's when we go so there was never a need to stay firm to any particular park either. We were always "wing it, mostly" kind of visitors. :wink: Now that fastpasses have to be planned so far in advance, that takes a lot of our spontaneity out of the picture. I definitely plan on using touringplans crowd calendar again for our trip next year just so I have an idea of what parks might be our best option when booking our fastpasses.

[Her Dotness]

I've glanced at crowd calendars beforehand a few times but never found them as accurate or helpful as our years of experience and having ParkHoppers.

Yes, we get the PH almost entirely to be able to make ADRs wherever we wish as some of you know all too well , but it is essential, we feel, for escaping to another park if maneuvering DH's powerchair becomes a hassle.

Since I know you use a scooter, I suspect all your experience may enable you to wing it enjoyably. Sounds like doing that could be a fun means of shaking things up a bit and encouraging you to find some new adventures.

I say make this a potluck/winging it trip.

[revral]

Hmmm. A "potluck/winging it" trip. That actually could work as I always have the ability to park hop and my park of the day is really my park of the morning through lunch as I like leaving the afternoon open for whim following. I know from experience that I can show up at Yake & Yeti at opening without a reservation and at Disney Springs' Rainforest Cafe and TRex restaurants and get a table fairly quickly since they're Landry's restaurants and I'm a member of their Select Club. And I imagine as long as I don't try for the most popular restaurants I could probably score a walk up at openening particularly those that have a bar area you can eat in/at assuming that free dining isn't being offered during my trip. If I end up not being able to get a table someplace there's always quick service although I have come to really enjoy "sit & set" lunches as Dot refers to table service meals. (Love that phrase Dot). I've never relied on fastpasses and only make them now because why wouldn't I since you can book three per day in advance. I have the MDE app on my phone so I could use that the night before or the day of to book fastpasses (if I want) and an adr for lunch or even call dining as I have that number in my phone's address book. I've got ten trips worth of experience and the ability to park hop so I've go a leg or two up on a lot of the other guests and I wouldn't be stuck at a feels crowded park unless I wanted to stay there. Making this a "potluck/winging it" trip might just be the perfect trip to do things like exploring the resorts that I always mean to do but never end up doing. An afternoon spent having afternoon tea and looking at the life size gingerbread house would be delightfully relaxing and fun. I could start a photo series of Christmas trees around the World and combine that with exploring the resorts. Actually, the more I think about it the more I like this idea. I've been wanting to try Boma for breakfast so a morning spent at AKL exploring and having breakfast would be fun, enjoyable and filling. Yeah, I'm definitely seeing how this "potluck/winging it" trip idea could work, be A LOT of fun and really enjoyable and relaxing too.

[Her Dotness]

Yep, "sit & set"** is definitely our preference, mostly because it's so much easier for Drew to dine comfortably. We do some character buffets but usually only 1900 PF and CP because they have more open-access buffets, easier for Drew in his chair, and better food than others, IMO.

DO consider 1900 PF for your trip. We were told by our dinner server that they got a new chef about six months ago. We found the food vastly better on the whole. Some quite creative dishes as well as very traditional American ones like NE clam chowder.

We've found getting a breakfast ADR there the evening before pretty easy in November and even the day after Christmas.

**For those unfamiliar with my word/phrase creations, "sit & set" is merely a reduction of our dining philosophy: We sit, and someone sets food in front of us aka TS.

We are not fans of QS where you have to collect utensils, napkins, drink and schlep it all to a table yourself.

[revral]

Dot, thanks for the 1900 PF suggestion/recommendation. I'll add that to a list. I'd tell you which list but I don't know which list because I don't think I've created whatever list it's going on. I don't mind qs as it has it's place. I particularly like it for dinner at my resort as by then I just want dinner and am typically not in the mood to deal with the hurry up and wait production that's sit & set.

[Her Dotness]

I can understand not wanting to spend all the time most sit & set takes. If I were going solo, I doubt I'd do much TS at all.

OH! Consider Gaspy's (QS) in the GF for the chicken and ham, raspberry aioli with brie sandwich, available starting at 11:00 a.m. Drew said it was fantastic even though we got it to go, and he ate it for lunch on the road when it was only warmish. He doesn't even like raspberries either.

The DIS Unplugged guys reviewed Gaspy's new menu not long ago and raved about it, too.

I hated that this nasty cold was getting me then to the point that I wanted nothing to eat. That sandwich smelled incredible.

Gaspy's is a great option for a late-night bite when doing EMH in the MK. It's a bit of a trek from the monorail station, and with a scooter, you can't take the boat. Too bad, as the dock isn't far at all from Gaspy's outdoor entrance. Anyway, you may know all that, sorry for preaching to the choir.

That sandwich is worth a trip there! Drew just remarked wistfully, "Boy, that was a good sammitch."

[revral]

Adding Gaspy's to the same list as 1900 PF. Honestly, the more I think about this "potluck/winging it" trip idea the more I'm liking it and it. Plus it's getting me excited. This might just be the ultimate challenge: planning without actually planning. If my mom joins me some planning (parks/fastpasses) will have to be done for the dates she joins me for as she's spent a lot less time at DW than I have so definitely get up & go, go, go when she joins me.

[Squigglove]

Honestly, the trips are now designed around the whole "itinerary" thing! Especially if you plan on doing advanced dining reservations - that right there tells you when and where you need to be. Therefore, the dining reservations dictate your time and so you're pretty much forced to decide well in advance which parks you'll attend. I suppose the Park Hopper pass gives more room to roam of course. But the bottom line is the trip revolves around dining reservations and fast passes. Not to mention the extra magic hours.
Makes it hard to "wing" anything. I have a love-hate relationship with it. My first trip to Disney was just that - a trip. A normal, "wing it", wake up and decide where you feel like being trip! Now you are forced to plan out almost every hour of every day. Our last trip (in 2015) was our first trip with the itinerary and it was a nightmare! We absolutely love the dining experience BUT the dictation of time management was horrid. You don't get to factor in such things as needing to sleep in tomorrow or needing to retire early tonight. Because you'll miss out! And you will definitely miss out!! This is where psychology comes in: I suppose it lends itself somewhat to lifestyle - if you are the "get up and go" type then such things as needing to sleep in or being exhausted a few nights may not affect you. On the other hand if you are more lax with your life and time management in general then it is more difficult to experience a lax Disney vacation (unless it is during down time) because a Disney vacation is high energy. Even if you're not rushing you find yourself being rushed! There's a lot to consider.

[revral]

Originally Posted by Squigglove

Honestly, the trips are now designed around the whole "itinerary" thing! Especially if you plan on doing advanced dining reservations - that right there tells you when and where you need to be. Therefore, the dining reservations dictate your time and so you're pretty much forced to decide well in advance which parks you'll attend. I suppose the Park Hopper pass gives more room to roam of course. But the bottom line is the trip revolves around dining reservations and fast passes. Not to mention the extra magic hours.
Makes it hard to "wing" anything. I have a love-hate relationship with it. My first trip to Disney was just that - a trip. A normal, "wing it", wake up and decide where you feel like being trip! Now you are forced to plan out almost every hour of every day. Our last trip (in 2015) was our first trip with the itinerary and it was a nightmare! We absolutely love the dining experience BUT the dictation of time management was horrid. You don't get to factor in such things as needing to sleep in tomorrow or needing to retire early tonight. Because you'll miss out! And you will definitely miss out!! This is where psychology comes in: I suppose it lends itself somewhat to lifestyle - if you are the "get up and go" type then such things as needing to sleep in or being exhausted a few nights may not affect you. On the other hand if you are more lax with your life and time management in general then it is more difficult to experience a lax Disney vacation (unless it is during down time) because a Disney vacation is high energy. Even if you're not rushing you find yourself being rushed! There's a lot to consider.

My "solution" of sorts for this has been to have the majority of my adr's be for lunch. So, I plan the day through lunch and then "wing it" after lunch. Of course, this "solution" isn't going to work now that Disney seems to be unable to get schedules posted far enough in advance.

[Her Dotness]

I don't see as much conflict in planning as others such as Squigglove do.

The fact is that you CAN have a go-on-a-whim trip if your expectations are flexible enough. Some PassPorters don't even book trips more than three months in advance or even less because they prefer flexibility in where they eat and what they do.

Hate ADR and FP scheduling? Don't do either.

There is enough variety at food courts and QS as a result of guests demanding healthy options that anyone can have varied meals these days with no ADRs at all. If you really must eat somewhere requiring ADRs, check on MDE for a last minute ADR. You can also show up just as the restaurant opens or switches to a particular meal and ask if you can be seated. Eat in the lounge which often serves identical dishes to those of TS.

You miss some great interactive experiences by using FPs instead of going through the standby line. We often do standby at HM because there are such fun things to see and do in that line as opposed to FP entry. The standby line at 7DMT has games that we'd never experienced until trying it last trip. Kids could have a grand time there! Heck, I actually enjoyed a couple of the games as much as the ride itself.

The fact of the matter for many PassPorters is that we've done WDW so many times that we can plan a flex trip far more easily than those who have been only a time or two.

All it takes to have a wonderful no-ADRs-no-FPs trip is willingness to alter your expectations. You might find it works much better than you fear if you give it a go.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by lovewdw2

When I plan a trip I don't normally look at a crowd calendar. I am more concerned about what park and where my sit-down dinner will be.

^^^^ This, in so many ways.

Add Park Hopper, and hey: if Park X is too crowded, then just head to a different one.