Did you ever get so frustrated planning?
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| Mon, 06-19-2006 - 9:17pm |
Do/did you ever get so frustrated (not sure if that's the right word) planning that you just don't want to plan anymore, and you don't even really want to go?
I'm trying to get a tentative plan together for our trip next May so when it comes time to make ADRs, I'll know what I'm doing. I would like to get it at least roughly worked out before too long, because when DS5 starts kindergarten in August, I won't have much time to mess with it. I don't need or want a step by step, do everything in this order plan, just what parks on what days and where to eat for what meal. DH isn't helping any, he wants to eat at several new places, but "don't forget our favorites, we have to eat here and here and here, but I still want to try....". We will arrive the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and that whole weekend is throwing me off, because I can't imagine that we'll go to a park at all because of the crowds. That is 3 days basically wasted, and we don't normally do one non-park day on a trip, let alone 3. I'm afraid that we can't fit everything in that we want to do, that the trip is going to be terrible and it's just really getting to me!
I need a new hobby! DH is only home one evening/night a week due to classes, clinicals, and work, and my kids go to bed at 7:30. That leaves a lot of free time, and since there's not much on tv except crap (and WDW specials, lol, that don't help any), I find myself here at the good old computer thinking about my trip.
We've established that I'm crazy, but am I alone?????

{{HUGS}}..I can't say that I ever get tired of planning, but if I had to do it the way many of you do it, I think I would get frustrated too. Not that there's anything wrong with it..lol.
What I mean is that we don't plan our days out until we are there. I will check out the EMH days to keep that in consideration, but even that doesn't control our plans. (I'm usually AVOIDING them because we're not usually on-site and Mike & Aly like to sleep in anyway.) Also, we rarely ever do sit-down restaurants at Disney (we've only done 2 in 8 trips) for various reasons: 1) we're cheap and always on a budget, 2) we don't like to waste park time at a restaurant, we'd rather eat & go, and 3) even when we've been in December, it's often been hot, and I don't like to eat a lot when I'm hot..I'd rather do sandwiches, salads, fruits, not full-course meals that cost a fortune, so we like to hit places like Cosmic Ray's which has awesome food. That said, I really would like to do LTT dinner and WCC (probably for breakfast) on a future trip.
But, I definitely understand your plight. Try taking a break until it can be more enjoyable for you to plan your trip. Help others plan theirs...lol.
Hang in there!
Alysha
I'm no expert, this is our 3rd trip, but they've changed everything on me....EMH is now some mornings and some evenings, it doesn't seem to be consistent, etc.....I'm getting started again!
One thing I can definitely recommend is getting the park hopper if you can at all. We have always had it, and there was one day on our last trip that I was never so thankful....we went to breakfast at Chef Mickey's, then on to the Magic Kingdom. Mistake! It was wall to wall people for some reason (gee, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, at 10:30 am, maybe??? lol) and we were only there about 45 minutes, but it was just too packed to hardly move, let alone do much. So, we hopped over to Epcot where there weren't a bazillion other people, and it was much better!
Stick around here, we'll be glad to help you! I can relate to the clinicals, my DH is just finishing up his paramedic classes and they had a ton of clinicals as well. The class was only 9 months, and he had 120 ER hours, 30 hours in ICU, 30 in CCU, 20 on Peds, 30 hours in the OR, 10 on the psych unit (he hated that one!), 30 in OB with 2 deliveries and observing at least on c-section, 200 IV starts and I forget how many blood draws, several intubations plus 5 hours of class 3 nights a week, and did I mention the 100 squad runs that could NOT be done while he was working/getting paid???? AND he works full time midnight shift as a 911 dispatcher, plus the part-time EMT in addition to clinicals. Yep, been there and almost done with that!
I've gotten wwaaayyy off topic, but thanks for the reply so I know I'm not nuts!
~Steph
Thanks Alysha. I am really thinking about putting the notebook in a drawer and leaving it there for at least a week and see if it helps any. We've had two really great trips, and I think that's hanging over....will this one be as good? Stay tuned to find out, lol. Help someone else sounds like a great idea, I don't get tired of that!
Steph
bigbabyblues, you are definitely not alone! Our trip is in less than a month, and I'm still diddling with the hotel reservations and ADRs.
Alysha, I have a *huge* hug for you. I am so happy to hear that your family doesn't do a lot of sit-down meals; I thought we were alone there and was wondering if there was something wrong with us. We have a few ADRs, butI don't think my family will do well doing one every day. We have them for Hoop-Dee-Doo, which I think they'll like, and Coral Reef, because my in-laws wanted to go there. But other than that, I think flexibility will suit us better...I have a few more ADRs, too, in case we want them, but I can totally see us cancelling them that day.
I'm also kind of muddled about parades. Everyone says they're spectacular and should not be missed....but do you really have to get to the MK parade 1.5-2 hours ahead of time to get a good spot? I guess that's a curbside spot...what happens if you don't do that...are there still spots where you (and your short kids!) can see, even though you're not in front? A half hour wait is doable for us, but barely (we have an antsy 2-yo who will love the parade, but not the wait).
Chris
What time of the year are you going?
In the off season, we've never waited more than a half hour and were always one of the first to stake out our spots in Liberty Square for the afternoon parade at MK. I think we waited a little longer at MGM, and were not one of the first, but we were also on the main stretch to get out of the park (which may be the case with Main St at MK, too). For the night parade, it seems that more people wait for longer times than for the afternoon parade, but by that time, many people are tired, too.
For the most part, the little ones will be allowed to stand up front, but that's all due to kindness of those around you.
I'm sure we're of the few with dining, but I just can't see spending $60 or so to be IN the park, then waste an hour of it eating, not to mention the more money and the little that will actually be eaten. We did do the castle breakfast several years ago and even though it was breakfast, we didn't have to eat again until 7pm! I'm a 5pm supper person at home...lol. And the other time we did sit-down, it was Rainforest Cafe' and it was the trip of the downpours, so we really didn't have anything else to do (we didn't waste park passes that day). Now, if I were to get free dining, that'd be a whole different ball game, but I don't even feel it's worth paying for the dining option even though it is an excellent deal.
Alysha