The Disneyholic planner

Some people go to Walt Disney World and imagine it as one big amusement park...or four big amusement parks.  They think they can go there and just play it by ear and just ride what they want to ride and eat where they want to eat without any previous planning.

Those of us who are true Disneyholics laugh at those people. 

Disneyholics do research, plan meals, have a schedule...at least SIX MONTHS in advance!  People think we are crazy...but the people that are travelling with us know that we will deliver them as many opportunities as possible to see the things they want to see, ride the things they want to ride and eat the foods they want to eat.

It begins as much as 11 months in advance.  That's the earliest a Disney Vacation Club member can make a reservation at their home resort.  Ours is Saratoga Spings and if we want to travel during peak travel times we WILL call EXACTLY 11 months before we plan to arrive...and have our room booked. 

Four months later we may call again...because seven months before our trip we can book ANY Walt Disney World Resort room and if we know we want to stay someplace else ON DISNEY PROPERTY, we will once again be on that phone EXACTLY 7 months before our trip.  At this point we'll either get the new resort we want or put ourselves on a hold list...and wait oh-so-impatiently, checking the website daily to see if we got our hold list reservation.

One month later...6 months in advance of our trip...we'll be on the computer or on the phone.  We'll have a list of restaurants where we want to eat and we'll be booking our advance dining reservations (ADRs), especially if we want to eat with Chef Mickey or in Cinderella's Castle or at Le Cellier.  These are the big ones and we know you if we don't call 6 months in advance we have almost no chance of scoring a meal at either of these places at a decent time.

The months following...they are the time for changes.  We all suffer from it...just ask any longtime Disneyholic.  We'll check park schedules to find out the opening and closing time for each park on each day.  We'll find out which days we can utilize Extra Magic Hours (or EMHs for those in the know).  We will review crowd trend numbers to see which parks we should avoid on which days and which parks will have  the lowest crowds.  We'll check our dining plans and make a few (hundred?) changes, adding and cancelling reservations as we plan out our days.

Three months before our trip we'll decide if we want to do any extra tours or excursions.  Do we want to plan a special boating cruise for ourselves or for the kids?  Do we want to plan a fishing excursion?  Do we want to do any of the other fun activities (at an extra cost of course) that Disney has to offer? Then we'll be on the phone making those arrangements.

And if the new arrangements mean a cancellation of some dining plans?  Then we start the planning again, we revise our schedule and we make some new ADRs and cancel old ones.

As for me...I'm beyond most of that right now.  I'm feeling pretty comfortable with all of my ADRs, I have the EMH parks memorized, I have booked a few special excursions for some members of our group.  I had to give up some restaurants I really wanted to try...but there will always be another Disney trip in my future. 

Right now I'm quite happy with our new touring plan for June.  Some of those days are a little more hectic than others but there are still plenty of free blocks of time for relaxing at the pool or just relaxing in the room.  I know June is going to be hot and I know our touring plan needs to be a little more agressive than usual because the crowd levels will be some of the highest we've ever seen there.  However I'm happy with the plans and I can relax for now.  I have some of our park passes purchased already, I have a card loaded up with Disney Reward Dollars that we can spend on the trip, I'll purchase an annual pass and my Tables in Wonderland Discount Dining card next month and I've already started putting away some of our travel items. 

While I'm anxious for June to arrive, part of me is okay with it taking it's time because I know once it gets here the trip will be over way too soon.