View Full Version : Trip Planning
Magical Dreams
25-03-2006, 09:10
When do you plan what you are doing whilst in Florida?
This may prove to be useful to first time visitors to Florida and just a bit of fun for those who have been before.
Magical Dreams
25-03-2006, 09:15
We usually start months in advance with a basic outline of what we think we want to do.
Depending on the time of year, and if we expect some special events like Thanks Giving or the like.
We then go through our plans again as soon as the parks publish their schedules for the period we are there!
We leave a few days as rest / shopping days and this also allows flexibility to move the odd day around should the weather change or we discover something else we would like to squeeze in.
Paula D-S
25-03-2006, 10:43
I have an idea months in advance of where we will be going but I actually sit and type it all out the week before we go.
I really do think for my family the holiday needs planning and I make sure everyone sticks to my itenary[msnwink]
it's not so difficult now as our visits are usually between Lowes and Walmarts so don't need to plan ahead now !!!!
LiesaAnna
25-03-2006, 11:10
i buy a diary planner
then go through the many things i think the family would like to do, so altho i dont plan day to day things i do write lists of places i think everyone would like to go to, then look things up again and get ideas of prices and what sort of spending money we're looking at
its great fun!!!!:D
E. Cosgrove
25-03-2006, 11:28
I plan things that need to be booked well in advance.....we booked backstage magic and priority dining for fantasmic back in Feb for when we go in June and I am considering booking for Cirque for our Nov trip very soon.
Everything else we plan when we get there, see what the weather is like and how the mood takes us:)
Cruella DeVilla
25-03-2006, 12:00
I finally decide the night before when we are at the villa what we are doing the next day but I do have a mental list in my head of what I need or want to do that particular trip.
I plan everything months in advance.
I have a basic plan of what and where we are going and then when the parks publish the opening times I make a schedule. The whole family laugh at me but they are greatful in the end for all the research that I do.
Already thinking about what to do when we go in October[msnsmile2]
i plan as soon as we have booked the villa
for me the anticipation and planning are very much a part of the holiday, next march it will be our 2nd visit and i have been gathering a list of places to see and things to do etc;
if anything that really interests me on the forum i will copy it onto my word document thats say's "florida plans" and then it's all there for when i'm ready to finalise things [msnsmile2]
bit of an anorak really[msnembarrased]
Mizzy
Sue and Jere
25-03-2006, 14:43
We plan as soon as we know we are going [msnwink]
We decide the night before when we are at the villa [msnsmile]
Kim
I always have a list of things that we want to see, restaurants to try etc for months before each trip. I book ahead for a few things but usually just a couple of weeks before we travel we sit down and make a rough plan of what we want to do and an idea of what day we will go to each place.
The planning is all part of the fun and looking forward to the holiday - only 2 months, 15 days to go for us and we will be back in Florida again!
freddiehollie
28-03-2006, 02:56
We are going 11th May (two weeks) but we have
already started to plan for Christmas 2006 then
April 2007 (26th for two weeks) I think!![msnsmile2][msnsmile2][msnsmile2]
Ray&Sarah
28-03-2006, 03:15
We don't usually do much in the way of planning, just get up see what the weather forecast is like and then decide.[msnsmile2]
CarolAnn
28-03-2006, 20:40
We struggle to pick anything other than pool, theme park or water park [msnsmile2]
Disney Dreamer
28-03-2006, 22:40
I can remember the very first time we went to Florida, some friends of ours told us to make a plan and this turned out to be the best bit of advice we received. Personally we feel we get so much more out of our precious time there if we know what we intend to do in advance. We always ring ahead to make priority meal reservations for places that we would definately like to eat in and then plan the rest of the trip around this. It has become part of our Florida ritual! We have got loads of holiday plans saved on our computer that we refer back to when organising the next trip!!
chrizzy100
28-03-2006, 23:03
Most of my planning is to do with funiture turning up...bug people coming round...repairs gardening and Home Depot shopping...I don't think I remember what a holiday is.....[msncry][msncry]
jackie greaves
31-03-2006, 18:30
Have to start months in advance so I can order the tickets from this site and get my points added as soon as possible.
Elaine62
01-04-2006, 03:14
Can I ask E Cosgrove what "backstage magic" is?
Plan as far in advance as you can but plan loosly. Don't get stressed if you don't fit it all in!
Newhomebuyer
20-05-2006, 17:04
I always plan at least 2 new places to visit (Deland, Lake Louisa next trip) and 2 new restaurants to try. (I have Texas de Brazil and Villa de Flora ear marked for my next trip).
I also try to plan 1 new special activity (Fireworks cruise next time)I usually decide these as I am leaving on my last visit.
Everything else I plan the night before.
The other thing I do is make a priority seating arrangement for a couple of my Disney favourites when I arrive at the villa on the first day.
Usually Boma's, afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian and one of the character meals if I have any of the younger end of the family with me.
The time of planning and style of planning must vary with the number of times you have been.
If we have first time visitors coming over with us, I plan in meticulous detail because they always say they are only going this once so they want to do as much as possible.
If my husband and I are there on our own we do a lot of chilling out and the occasional road trip when we will stay overnight somewhere.
AshleyLodge
20-05-2006, 21:00
We make plans on all the fun things to do and then find ourselves still enjoying the villa maintenance. At least you feel you have achieved something.
I book a couple of things ahead of time - Like discovery cove and Space Camp for this trip. The rest of the time we just plan the night before after checking the weather :D
Magical Dreams
20-05-2006, 21:33
I must admit our plan this trip went out the window.
We had a few extra things to do to our home so had to change things around a little.
Still did most things but not in the order we wanted.
We did miss one of our Best shows which was Fantasmic, but we have promised ourselves we will do it first thing in November.
Just ran out of time! 2 weeks just is not long enough
We like to take things day by day. Although if we have someone coming along who has not been before we encourage them to make a plan in advance of what they would like to do.
We like to plan a few months in advance the "official itinerary" but we always have some alternatives listed in case of inclement weather or the fact that we are totally exhausted.[msnwink]
WE GO FOR THE NIGHT BEFORE AND OCC. THAT MORN IF THE WEATHER CHANGES. I KNOW EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT BUT WITH SO MANY VARIABLES I REALLY COULDNT PLAN NOW AND SAY 4TH MAY 2007 WE WILL GO TO SEA WORLD??
FAIR ENOUGH IF YOU NEED TO BOOK SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE CRIMBO ETC. BUT WE JUST GO WITH THE FLOW - TIRED/HUNGRY/WET/HOT/COLD/SPECIAL PARADE/GOLF/POOL DAY ETC.
DONT SUPPOSE IT MATTERS THO - JUST BEING IN THE LAND OF THE MOUSE IS THE MAIN THING[msnsmile2]
eclipsed
20-06-2006, 02:22
we normally plan months in advance,everyone makes a 'want to go 'list.We try to fit in as much as possible, then at least everyone gets to do at least a couple of things on their lists.
Thorogoods
22-06-2006, 16:44
We plan months in advance, but allow flexiability the first time we went to Orlando we loved Typhoon Lagoon so much we gave up a rest day to go there again. [msnsmile2][msnsmile2]
Magical Dreams
22-06-2006, 17:03
Our next trip is November at the moment.
We will be there for Thanks Giving and intend doing a Big Dinner to Celebrate it.
Not only that, it will be our Villa Ownership Anniversary too just 2 days before so it will be a special time for us all.
So that is ONE day out of our 18 that is already spoken for.
We are now waiting to see if our Eldest Son's friend is coming with us.
If he is, we want to involve him in the planning too as he as never been before!
We also tend to plan months and months in advance - we even have 'Florida Summits' where everyone in the party brings along, not only their wish list, but also something typically american eg. pop corn,buds, or mississippi mud pie- just to get us all in the mood...we then supp beer and talk about previous trips til sun up! well almost....but often don't get down to the serious business of planning an itinary....so we just have to do it all over again a few months later!
orlandodaze
07-07-2006, 04:26
Trev we would be just like you ,depending on everyones mood and the weather and well some days we just want to be lazy and chill by the pool. Rowan I love your idea Florida Summits sound good .
We start planning for the next trip on the plane on the way home, lol:D!
Magical Dreams
24-10-2006, 22:13
We have a friend of our eldest son coming with us this time so we have had to start planning early!
All done and ready to go!
17 days to go!!
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
LiesaAnna
24-10-2006, 23:28
thats great to hear Andy!!!
maybe we will get to see Daniel in the pictures this time?
dying to see your Thanksgiving photos [msnwink]
caroline
07-02-2007, 20:59
I plan things that we're going to do at the villa - like painting or buying larger items - I also plan special dinners, and anything that needs booking in advance - other than that we take each day as it comes.
orlandochris
08-02-2007, 12:32
We tend to list the things we want to do a few months in advance, but only really plan out what we will do on each day about a week before we leave.
ShirleyCottam
10-02-2007, 19:35
I like to plan which parks we would like to visit, so I can buy my tickets in advance, but then we mainly decide the night before what we are going to do the next day.
harpo123
12-02-2007, 04:09
I plan as soon as we book because
i am a big kid and just cant wait
phil