Best way to enjoy a WDW vacation

[Dale Compton]

The wife and I have a great plan every time to enjoy our trips. If what we have planed or think about doing in any way seems like a rush we stop and have an adult beverage and move to what was next on the agenda. The idea is to never be in a rush on vacation and enjoy ourselves as much as possible ( ok so adult beverages help a little). How does everyone else do it?

 

[Wild4Walt]

When I traveled with my mom, we were both planners so there was a schedule ( although somewhat loose ). My last trip I did with my DH we played it much more by ear. I only planned a few dining times and found it much more relaxing.

 

[loves to dive]

My son and I just don't plan. No ADRs until day of or the night before at the earliest. FPs are usually the morning of while on the bus on the way to the park. We don't mind standing in line if we really want to ride a ride, if we don't want to stand in line we just move on. Our trips are less ride centric and more about just enjoying the place.

 

[ShadeDK]

There's no "best" way - just the ways that work better for each person. Regardless of where I go (WDW or anywhere), my preference is to pick a handful of things that I really want to do on that trip, loosely plan them, and make sure to leave a day or two of completely unstructured time to go wherever my interests take me. I'd rather completely enjoy doing some things than half enjoy doing everything. My best vacation experiences have almost always come from things I didn't plan and surprised me.

 

[NH-to-FL]

When DW and I were making our 6 - 10 day vacation trips I would make plans for the mornings and then the rest of the day would be whatever we wanted to do. In the beginning when the trips were shorter most every morning was planned. Since we stayed on site at the BWI those plans usually took advantage of morning EMH. We would hit our favorite attraction at rope drop and then work our way through the rest of the attractions. About every other trip we would plan a morning at SeaWorld. Afternoons were to relax. Evenings were frequently spent wondering over to Epcot and at the World Showcase.

As the years went by and the trips got a bit longer there was less planning. I would plan a couple of rope drop mornings to our most favorite parks and attractions and the rest happened as we felt like it. We typically fell into an every other morning activity. Less rush, more vacation.

 

[laudawso]

We try not to plan too much- right now we only have a few ADRs for our weeklong trip in Sept and at least 2 will be canceled (just haven't decided which). We do book all of our fastpasses in advance, but we book them in the mornings so we can leave our afternoons/evenings open for whatever we feel like doing the rest of the day. I'm going to have to run with the adult beverage idea though!

 

[com_op_2000]

Is doesn't mater the length of the trip we schedule our days as:
Two days at the parks, take a day off, two days at the parks, take a day off, etc.

 

[raddisneyfan]

I could never be a robo-type, rope drop, get everything in on every trip type traveler. I always like to plan out all the details way in advance and then be really flexible when I get there. I constantly change ADRs, FP+, cancel, make new when I'm there. I've even paid the $10 to not go to an ADR at the last moment--that said, I've learned to call and cancel now rather than do it on the app and the person on the phone almost always waives the fee--just lucky I guess. My biggest worries about trips are the right flight at the right time and the hotel. I'm not really a foodie so that's never really the focus of any of my plans. I make ADRs in advance just in case, but, like I said, I'm always flexible. Most of my trips I've made so that everything is cancellable up to the very last minute--I'm very fickle I guess. Vacation is my time--do what I want when I want.