# How do you plan your WDW trips?



## glypnirsgirl (Jul 13, 2011)

I am trying to figure out the best way to plan our big family vacation. 

Earlier today I sent out an email soliciting opinions about doing the DDP or cooking in or doing a mix of OOP and cooking in. So far, I have 4 votes for DDP (4 of the non-vegetarians who dread having to meal plan with the vegetarians). I have 2 votes for cooking in with only one or two meals eaten out - this is from the vegetarians (my bonus daughter and her new fiance). My brother only knows how to make cereal and sandwiches. The rest of us are fairly accomplished cooks. I am truly torn. At the moment, Ian and I are VEGANS which I cannot imagine how it will impact our cooking or eating out for that matter. So we are the biggest pains in the patootie. 

When it is just Ian and I, we don't do any special stuff (e.g. no fireworks cruises, no Illuminations Dessert party). And we plan everything around our Tour Guide Mike park plans. Our usual goals are to get to the park du jour 45 minutes before rope drop and run to the thrill rides that fill up first. 

I don't particularly want to be a park maniac on this trip. We will have more people with us than ever before. We will have a wider variety of fitness levels. We will have people with us that don't do roller coasters. 

At the same time, I do not want to center this trip around eating out (Ian and I did a 3 day Deluxe Dining Plan trip once and EVERYTHING was about making it to our ADRs - YUCK!). 

If we eat in, we will have to do meal planning if we are all to eat together which is what I would prefer for at least 50% of the time. Ian has told me that he wants to have the freedom to do whatever he wants. Whenever it is just the two of us, that is what we do - whatever Ian wants. But, I don't expect 10 more people to be dictated to by what Ian wants. And besides, one of the most important things that Ian wants is the freedom to do NO advance planning. 

So, do I start with Tour Guide Mike and figure out what parks to go to on which days and then meal plan around that? Do I start with the meal planning? Do we just let chaos reign? Do I do the Grand Gathering planning first then figure out everything else around that? Some other methodology?

My inclination is to let Kevin have the most input because he has never been to any Disney park before. Everyone else, has been at least once. Most of us have been more than 10 times. 

My head is already spinning thinking about HOW to plan!

elaine


----------



## mecllap (Jul 14, 2011)

If you're staying onsite in a DVC, you can now do a "split" with the Dining Plan -- you don't have to have it every day (but I expect everyone has to be on the same plan for the same nights).  Not sure about that at non-DVC resorts.  (and are you talking about the Deluxe Dining Plan, the table service ("standard") plan, or the Quick Service plan?).

Maybe have some days that you have a joint plan, and those who want to participate can, and those who don't can do their own thing.  And have some days "winging it."  Plan some times (early on in the trip) to get some all-group PhotoPass pictures (they will also use your own camera) (this may be the most important thing -- preserving the memories that look like everyone enjoyed it, even tho some get annoyed about something).  

How many days are you all going to be there?  What time of year?

I think there are opportunities to simplify your meal planning and maybe go for "buffet" rather than elaborate cooking.  Put out fixings for salad one night, pasta another, and for sandwiches another, or tacos, etc. and everyone can do put together their own meat/seafood/hardboiled eggs.etc. / with various veggies and sauces/condiments on their own.  Different families can be in charge of one of these on designated nights/lunches. 

I'm not sure how you can convey the need for everyone to have some flexibility and lots of patience with the trip.  

Probably a basic plan would be a good framework, but allow for last minute changes as conditions warrant -- let everyone know that stuff happens, and things might change day to day.  Try to work in at least one thing that is important to each family member.

Relax and have fun!


----------



## vacationhopeful (Jul 14, 2011)

Alcohol - lots of it. Worry more about the "drink of the day" - everything else will just then fall into place.

Drugs are still mostly illegal. So, ban the pills and the wacky weed.

Never hear that Vegan's and Vegetarian's could not drink.  Fruit drinks are healthy.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Jul 14, 2011)

mecllap said:


> ... How many days are you all going to be there?  What time of year?
> 
> I think there are opportunities to simplify your meal planning and maybe go for "buffet" rather than elaborate cooking.  Put out fixings for salad one night, pasta another, and for sandwiches another, or tacos, etc. and everyone can do put together their own meat/seafood/hardboiled eggs.etc. / with various veggies and sauces/condiments on their own.  Different families can be in charge of one of these on designated nights/lunches.
> 
> ...



We will be there for 7 days. we are staying onsite at Old Key West - it is still my favorite resort.

I love the idea of the buffet fixins for salad, pasta, tacos, etc. The great thing about this is that the vegans can have the same food without the meat and cheese. Vegetarians can add hardboiled eggs and ranch dressing, etc.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Jul 14, 2011)

vacationhopeful said:


> Alcohol - lots of it. Worry more about the "drink of the day" - everything else will just then fall into place.
> 
> Drugs are still mostly illegal. So, ban the pills and the wacky weed.
> 
> Never hear that Vegan's and Vegetarian's could not drink.  Fruit drinks are healthy.



This made me laugh!

We have every variety of drinkers in our group: teatotallers, recovered alcoholics, occasional drinkers and serious imbibers.

We might bring along some rum and bourbon for emergencies.

elaine


----------



## vacationhopeful (Jul 14, 2011)

glypnirsgirl said:


> This made me laugh!
> 
> We have every variety of drinkers in our group: teatotallers, recovered alcoholics, occasional drinkers and serious imbibers.
> 
> ...



"Virgin" drinks for some; loaded for the others. You all are going together for the rest and relaxation; not the food. They still delivery PIZZA to the resorts. And Chinese, too. Oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is fend for yourself.

Enjoy your trip and remember why you are planning this. Perfect is not stressfree; sometimes fun is the bumps in the road.


----------



## bnoble (Jul 14, 2011)

> So, do I start with Tour Guide Mike and figure out what parks to go to on which days and then meal plan around that? Do I start with the meal planning? Do we just let chaos reign? Do I do the Grand Gathering planning first then figure out everything else around that? Some other methodology?


I no longer use Tour Guide Mike.  He has let his service fall too far behind the times, for my money.  Try either easywdw.com (a philosophy very similar to Mike's), or touringplans.com (the folks who write the Unofficial Guide.)

But, you should pick your park days first, and *then* pick dining so that you are eating where you plan to be.  As for what dining when, start by scheduling the few "must-dos" and work things around that.


----------



## logan115 (Jul 15, 2011)

vacationhopeful said:


> "Virgin" drinks for some; loaded for the others. You all are going together for the rest and relaxation; not the food. They still delivery PIZZA to the resorts. And Chinese, too. Oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch is fend for yourself.
> 
> Enjoy your trip and remember why you are planning this. Perfect is not stressfree; sometimes fun is the bumps in the road.



Just make sure that if you get any fliers under your door for pizza that you DON'T order there as it appears that many folks have been scammed by giving their CC information over the phone.

See this thread http://www.mouseowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55509

Agree with Brian, figure out which parks you'll be at on certain days and then book reservations accordingly.  I've used UG a few times, mainly for the crowd calendar and it's worked out well.  Then again we go in early May so not exactly the busiest time.  Well worth the $15-$20.  We don't really use the actual touring plans as we've been to WDW enough to know what to hit early, and besides, with two kids (7 & 2) our plans change all the time.

Chris


----------



## Twinkstarr (Jul 15, 2011)

bnoble said:


> I no longer use Tour Guide Mike.  He has let his service fall too far behind the times, for my money.  Try either easywdw.com (a philosophy very similar to Mike's), or touringplans.com (the folks who write the Unofficial Guide.)
> 
> But, you should pick your park days first, and *then* pick dining so that you are eating where you plan to be.  As for what dining when, start by scheduling the few "must-dos" and work things around that.



We do the same, pick our park dates then plan the ADR's if we book any close to where we will be. 

It boggles my mind at some of the park/resort ADR combos that I see on the DIS boards. And these are not 1st time visitors either.


----------



## DavidnJudy (Jul 15, 2011)

*DDP Cost*

I would also consider the COST of the DDP compare to how much you eat.  There are plenty of threads on the disboard about this and some calculations in different places.

Basically you need to eat alot to get your money's worth, and some people do on vacation.  But if you feel like you aren't going to eat that much, then buying on your own might work better.  Check it out.  You can get the prices off the menus posted on line and add it up to see if you will save money / break even / lose money on DDP.

We don't like to be tied to a DDP, but some people say it is freeing not having to use money, to each their own.

I read one blog where someone save about 27 dollars for the whole week, I look at what they ate, and they had to stuff themselves.


----------



## elaine (Jul 15, 2011)

what we do: no DDP, but plan 1-2 restaurant meals (Chefs de France or Chef Mickey's buffett dinner, Ohana's, etc.) for everyone to attend for the week--the Grande meals. Then, 2 nights of grilling out/cooking at OKW with everyone eating there--say 6-8pm---or (in advance) getting a "pass" to stop by (say at 7:30) and eat leftovers later b/c they are doing something else earlier--those who want to hang out can play cards, etc. afterwards. 
The other nights, we let everyone wing it--pizza, grill out again with smaller group, etc. with option of stopping over for drinks/snacks at our OKW "base camp" at 5-7--with us in attendance or sometimes not. That way, you have some agreed "Family" time and lots of relaced time and no one feels like they "had" to be attached at the hip the whole trip. Everyone will remember 1-2 fun meals. Have fun! Elaine


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Jul 15, 2011)

What great advice! I am so glad that I asked.

I have taken to heart the advice to not try to be perfect. I believe that we will all enjoy our trip much more if I can just relax about it. 

I priced out the menus versus the DDP and found that, for the way that we eat, it is not cost effective. None of us eat dessert every day. If you don't eat dessert, you lose money on the DDP because you are paying for something that you would not otherwise order. So, the DDP is out.

My son, who remembers the first few holidays as a blended family, is the most stressed about us trying to cook. My bonus kids (and for that matter, my husband) are not used to sitting down at a table to eat. In their family, everyone just grazes on their own. In my family, we have always had family meals - even when it was just Jordan and I. 

Already, I have let everyone decide who they want to be with - and the groups are mixed as to grazers and gatherers. I have talked to my bonus kids about this and they both are happy to "gather" rather then graze for the week. My husband is the one hold out. And we are just going to leave him alone and let him join us if he wants to do so. 

One of the things that I want to avoid is becoming responsible for the cost of the food or all of the cooking. For years, I have always provided the beds and paid for the kids' food. My sister and brother and their partners have always contributed to food. Now, everyone is grown and everyone is employed so I don't want to pay for the food for the "kids." They have each acknowledged that they understand that they will be paying for their own food. 

I am going to suggest that we do the following:

Hamburgers/veggie burgers at a cookout, lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayonnaise, macaroni salad or potato salad from the deli, watermelon;
Pasta bar with marinara sauce and Italian sausage and meatless sausage and salad;
Crystal Palace buffet on one of the Magic Kingdom days (it is one of the most vegetarian friendly restaurants in WDW;
taco bar with meat and meatless crumbles and black beans and "fixins"
bring your own "meat" cookout - this time with baked potatoes and steamed vegetables provided;
eat out or on our own;
last day will be leftovers - omelets, french toast, stir frys, sandwiches to use up what we haven't gotten to;

I may look into some of the large costco frozen meals like lasagna or something similar to substitute for one of the meals above.

We will stock up on cereal, eggs, bread, milk and soy milk, bags of salad, cold cuts, tomatoes, carrots, onions, green and red peppers, spinach, broccoli, pea pods and fruit so that we can each have breakfast and lunch without much effort. I may make tuna salad and egg salad, also. 

Laura has suggested that we make the sandwiches in a assembly line - which I think is a great idea. 

What do you think?

elaine


----------



## DavidnJudy (Jul 15, 2011)

glypnirsgirl said:


> Crystal Palace buffet on one of the Magic Kingdom days



Great choice - If I could only go to one restaurant in WDW this would be it. Others may disagree but this our family's favorite.  The fish there is awesome! (I am thinking your vegetarians eat fish? maybe not)  The selection is great and the character interaction.  Grab a reservation. Even with a reservation you may have to wait 15 minutes for your table to ready (that happens to us.)

Have a great time!  I agree on DDP whenever we price it, we won't eat our money's worth. We don't like to have big deserts and then ride Splash mountain or walk around the park.


----------



## logan115 (Jul 15, 2011)

DavidnJudy said:


> Grab a reservation. Even with a reservation you may have to wait 15 minutes for your table to ready (that happens to us.)



No kidding, that place fills up and I have not heard many good stories about people being able to walk up and get in (without waiting several hours)

The DDP seems to be a great deal for the 3-9 year olds (like $10/day or something) but at $40+ for adults there are way better options - especially if you have a car.  

Our last trip we went without the DDP because we didnt want to be tied to a bunch of reservations.  We probably paid $100-$200 more over the course of the week than had we been on the dining plan, but well worth it for the freedom of being able to order and eat what we wanted.  We wanted a low key relaxed trip and that's what we had.  Our two expensive meals (Jiko and Chef Mickey's) would've benefited from being on the DDP, but we ate a lot of quick serve meals or in the room so it was nice with 2 little kids to not have to have a sit down meal everyday.

Chris


----------



## sfwilshire (Jul 16, 2011)

glypnirsgirl said:


> My bonus kids (and for that matter, my husband) are not used to sitting down at a table to eat. In their family, everyone just grazes on their own.



That pretty well describes our typical timeshare eating. We might plan lunch in a restaurant, but leftovers and other edibles are always in the fridge. No two family members ever seem to want to eat at the same time. As long as the fridge is well stocked and there is a microwave, no problem.

Sheila


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Jul 18, 2011)

Crystal Palace is one of two "must do" restaurants every trip. We love the buffet because of how well everyone, regardless of their food preferences, can eat. 

The other must do is Kona Cafe for breakfast. We bring a bottle of coconut syrup with us and we all order Tonga Toast. 

Ian decided that he wants to rent a small car for grocery shopping this trip. The local "wegoshop" franchise has changed hands and we don't want to be stranded without the things that we need. I figure we will be spending about $1000 on groceries, so the service charge and tip would pay for the rental car (that was a shocking discovery).

Thank you for your help. The trip is coming together nicely. 

elaine


----------



## ciscogizmo1 (Aug 7, 2011)

I use tourguide mike as well and I plan my park days and then, plan my meals.  Now our family doesn't have any eating restrictions like yours so, our planning is pretty straight forward.  I love to cook on vacation as I feel it is less stressful than cooking at home (or maybe at home it feels like a chore).  Anyways, we own several timeshares (several non-disney resorts) and one way to afford our vacations is to have meals in.  We travel about 4 weeks a year and if we ate every meal out we'd be broke.  I think some of your planning may depend on the time of year you plan on visiting.  We just went this last June/July and the parks were very busy. I was surprised how long it took us to get from one part of the park to the other part or even just back to the room.  We were staying at Bay Lake Towers and the easiest park was Magic Kingdom but going to Epcot even though we were on a monorail resort took some time.  So, I'd make sure you plan you meals around how much time you want to spending traveling back to your room and making a meal.  The frozen Lagnasa from Costco takes a while to cook.  YOu have to heat the oven up and then, cook for hour at least.   So, sometimes I make the meals ahead of time and we just come back to the room and reheat.  I find this easier to do at Disney because one they don't have gas BBQs where you can easily grill something that has been marinating all day.   And, second the travel time can eat up more time than just doing a sitdown meal in the park.  I never figured out why people say sitdown meals take a long time.  I've never had that issue.  Most of our meals we were in and out in of the restaurant usually in hour or 1 1/4 hour.  Anyways, good luck on your trip...


----------



## glypnirsgirl (May 20, 2012)

Just got back from our family trip. 

I did simple cooking: tacos, hamburgers, beans and cornbread, spaghetti. We had cold cereal for breakfast. I used the eggs for egg salad and tuna salad. 

I was able to not stress about the cooking. I just did not worry about perfection. 

I only went to the parks 4 days. I never got to a water park. 

I just enjoyed relaxing and visiting with my family. 

elaine


----------



## QueenDoOver (Jun 8, 2012)

That is great to hear!  I am going in August with 11 of us.  We have more than one unit in the course of the 2 weeks so we decided to do a version of the dining plan.  We will still have about 5 meals that we will prepare in the units and it is so hard to get that many people on board with a plan.  But the one thing I am going to remember is to relax and enjoy it and not stress out about it.  Glad you had fun.


----------

