DD ~ Planning Strategy

Our first topic of 2009
is to share your
DISNEY PLANNING STRATEGY
with us!

How do you plan for your Disney vacations?
Do you just wing it, or do you make detailed plans?
Do you read books? Research website?
Use a travel agent?

Do tell! We want to know!

As for me, I'm a major planner! So, when it comes to planning our Disney vacations (or any vacations, for that matter), I tend to go a little overboard at times. But, to me, half the fun is in the planning. So, here's what we do:

Ever since our very first trip to Walt Disney World, I've depended on the Birnbaum's Guide. Though I have found that this book doesn't really change much from year to year, we still enjoy reading the tips and looking at the pictures. Ian especially took a liking to mine this year; so, in order to keep it looking somewhat neat, I found him his own copy (2006 version) on Bookmooch and he's a very happy camper! I would highly recommend Birnbaum's Disney Guide for Kids - they are really fun books!

On our first trip, I went through the Birnbaum's Guide, park by park, land by land, and made up 3x5 cards with all the things we wanted to do and the best times to do them. I was my family's personal tour guide. We quickly learned that it pays to spend some time planning for a Disney trip. I cannot imagine going to Disney World without a plan.

These days, I also have a whole folder full of bookmarked favorites on my computer - sites I frequent for information and planning tips. Some of them are: Allears.net, Intercot, Mousesavers, Touring Plans, the DIS boards, WDWMagic, and the official Disney site. There are others, but these are the ones I frequent most. The DIS boards is an amazing source of information in and of itself.

I start taking notes, making lists, etc. a long time before each trip. Then, I shave them down, change them around, and rewrite them. We're leaving for Disney in less than 2 weeks now, and I need to get my lists all typed up and put together in a binder to take with us.

I make lists of what parks we want to go to each day and what we most want to see in each park. I've also been known to make lists of what pictures I want to remember to take!

I can't wait to hear about how YOU plan!