ok, beginning to obsess here...
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| Mon, 06-25-2007 - 11:16pm |
Maybe because DH actually said he wanted me to have the itinerary all planned out (in the order of the rides) 'so we won't be standing there trying to figure out where to go next',I've started re-doing and re-re-doing our "MK Plan of Attack" in my head and on paper, and another paper, and another...you get the idea! and I'm driving myself crrrrazy!
I think MK is the hardest park to plan for because:
(1) Well, the other parks are just easier for me to plan! For example, Epcot's distances make it a lot less tempting to "jump around", which I am much more tempted to do at MK (in order to minimize waiting in loooong lines at the more popular attractions at each park, since I guess we can't get FP for ALL of them!) Then at MGM you pretty much have to go by the times of the shows (although I'm sure I'll obsess with that one next, since it's on our second day of the trip...and next will be AK...)
(2) We'll be at MK on our first full day at WDW, so I want it to be perrrrfect!
(3) Even though we will have a second day there (well, most of the day anyway, since we will be leaving by the start of the P&PP) later in the trip (on our last full day, as a matter of fact), I want to leave that last day more as a day for repeating favorites, shopping at the stores, relaxing and smelling the roses, etc. I figure, we will have a lot more energy for things on the first, than on the last day! However this means I still want to try and fit in most of our "musts"* on that first day. But there are sooo many ways of attempting this! What to do!)
*The only exception to this so far, the way I'm looking at it, are: Mickey's Philharmagic and The Laugh Floor. In both cases, I've heard that they're the best shows of their categories (that is, compared to the other 3-D shows and to Turtle Talk with Crush, respectively) and so we should see the other ones first to enjoy them more (so they won't pale in comparison to these, so to speak). Would you savvy ladies agree to this reasoning?
While I can see both sides of this particular argument, I actually appreciate the justification to leave two 'musts' out of the first day itinerary....just wish I could do that with more of them! But, alas, other than for a FEW things deemed too babyish and/or girlish by DS (i.e. Dumbo, Ariel's Grotto...actually can't think of anything else, really!) we're attempting to do EVERYTHING available at MK! Tom Sawyer Island? Can't leave that out, we read the book and DS can't wait to go exploring the fort and the caves and maybe even find the paintbrushes...ToonTown? Well of course we have to go ride Goofy's barnstormer, preferably before any of the other coasters, as a warm-up...Splash? Why yes, preferably in the middle of the day so we will both be ready for a cooling soak and have plenty of time to dry up in the afternoon sun before heading into an air conditioned show or dinner...Are you beginning to see what I mean??
I know, I know...by not leaving anything out, we're setting up ourselves for failure...so that's why I need your help!! Not with what to eliminate completely from our plans...but what to leave out, which at the same time won't be a let down if we do end up doing them at the end of our trip. Does that make any sense?
For example, DS really wants to ride the Indy cars...I've heard that the lines there get REALLY long, because it's slow loading/unloading...and there's no FP. But I also know that once he's done it, he's not going to be that impressed (as compared to other rides), so following that reasoning I'm planning that close to first in the itinerary, so as to both avoid the long wait but also build the excitement to other rides (like Space Mountain, which we're just going to pick up a FP on the way to the Indy track, to ride later0 like right before our early lunch)...make sense?? Sounds like a good start...(doesn't it? LOL I need encouragement!)...but, that's all I have!! It gets a LOT more complicated when I look at a map and start wondering, should we turn right here (and head into ToonTown) or left (and enter Fantasyland)? Should I let him ride the Teacups right after Indy, since it's right there, or insist that we march past that in order to get to Pooh before the lines grow (i know there's FP available, but at that time we won't be able to get another one for a while if we just got the ones for Space Mtn!) and come back to Teacups later...and if so...come back when? Anytime later it's just going to be more crowded! Arhhhh!
Another thing is, I KNOW i don't NEED to plan in this much detail...and that even if I do I should remain flexible for things to go differently when we're actually there...but like I said, it's all DH's fault for actually encouraging me! (Which I did NOT expect from him, since he's always making fun about what a Disneyhead I've been since we agreed on this trip...) So it's all his fault! :)

Sorry I shouldn't laugh since I am almost as bad!
I think you've made a good start in deciding what rides you "must" do and picking a starting point. YOu will need to build in some flexibility though - so that no-one gets too crabby when things don't go exactly as planned.
Did you know you can get a free personalised map from the Disney web page? it's actually just a park map(one for each park) but you can look at it - see where all the rides are, mark your "musts" on it and look to see what makes a sensible walking pattern, with some space for variables like "if this line is way too long we can go here" kind of thing.
I tried to make some for our September trip the otehr day but they don't deliver to Canadian addresses bummer!
Carole
Carole
Ok.
"Almost", eh, Carole? :)
Thanks for the reminder about customized maps...I'd heard about 'em a long time ago but thought I'd wait until it was closer then forgot...been working with the Passporter ones and pencil and paper...i guess it's time to do them! (Too bad they don't send them to Canadian addresses).
So what do you mean you don't have a wealth of tips for me other than to relax? :P
Phewww!
Oohh M'Shel you've given me lots to think about - thanks for the long post (almost as long as mine!) :)
Let me see: We'll be going in August (I know, yikes) and even though DS is 9 he's never been (well, one to Disneyland when he was 3 but he doesn't remember much at all). He's my foster son and in fact moved out (back with biomom) this week...so probably won't be going back for a long long time, either.
It's NOT a EMH morning and we'll be doing CP for breakfast at 8:05 so we are definitely planning for rope drop. I think I'll take your advice and goto Buzz first after grabbing FPs for Space Mountain, then do Indy. I'm reluctant to go straight from a filling buffet breakfast to SM, you know!!
OK, now will you talk me into skipping Fantasyland...and leaving ToonTown for last? Our rationale was doing Barnstormer before the other "mountains" made sense as a build up (to allow us to enjoy Barnstormer without dismissing it as babyish in comparison). Also I'm sure both DS and DH will want to do at least one of the houses...they both like the cutesy stuff even more than I do! (I'm the one pushing for it's a small world, though)...Will the houses take long, you think?? More so if we go near opening at 10, or in the evening?? That could be our deciding factor...although I do remember once arriving at Toon Town by railroad and liking that better than the walk from Fantasyland, so I'd consider for example going there after Frontierland (instead of just going to Adventureland straight from Frontierland).
OK, you said get a FP for BTMRR before TSI - that makes a lot of sense! I remember going to WDW once as a young teen with my parents before the existence of FPs...and melting in line for BTMRR for over an hour (!!)
As for Adventureland, we may be in for a longer stretch there than uother families: unfortunately DS won't want to skip Aladdin - he wants to try and get "spat on" by the camel (eww), plus we "have to" climb through the treehouse after watching the Swiss family movie...and the Jungle Cruise is one of DH's nostalgic favorites (from when he lived in California as a kid)...add the tiki birds (one of my favorites, even after that unfortunate change in "management") and Pirates (because we "have to" as well!) and there's not a single square inch of Adventureland that will get skipped by us! (including the Dole Whip stand, you betcha! Heard too much about them to skip them!)
For better or worse (yeah right, who am I kidding!) HH will be closed when we're there :( So that just leaves Splash and BTMMRR to do at Frontierland (well, and TSI), since we plan on skipping Country Bears and the arcade...Hall of Presidents is a maybe (DH hears it's a good place for a siesta ROFLOL)
See, what I'd really LIKE to do is just one land at a time...take in the atmosphere, go with the flow...I don't think that's practical though, we'll just end up tired of standing in lines all day having done maybe 3 lands - is that accurate? Or does anyone else do it this way and like it? Rushing around the park especially on first arrival just seems to take away from the magic for me...opinions please??
Thanks again for all the tips and if you have more specific ones for little boys this age, by all means bring'em on! :)
Heh, thanks Shay.
I realize my posts actually sound more "breathless" than I feel. I'll be fine...it's actually kinda of fun to be in "obsession mode"...FOR A BIT! But like you all said, I do realize this is just mostly for fun and I have no real expectations of things actually going the way (well, one of the 101 ways, LOL) I thought of...
DH and I are both (as opposed to what we sound like! LOL) very capable of enjoying ourselves while playing it by ear, and I know DS will be on cloud 9...so don't worry about me! But do bring on the tips!! :)
OK-this is coming from an obsessive planner........DON'T plan the order of rides!!!!!!!!!
Sorry - I am fresh out LOL!
Carole
Carole
First things first.