Planning and husband

So, I am laughing so hard right now because my husband is standing in front of me with the most perplexed look on his face. I am trying my best to explain things to him about how things work with this WDW/Universal planning, and he is accusing me (in a humorous way) and saying “NOBODY DOES THIS”.!!! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: NOBODY looks at where to eat, and when or what to ride. NOBODY could possibly spend as many hours a week doing this. I tease him by trying to have conversations with him using 'Disney Abbreviations". He stares at me like I’ve joined a cult of some sort. :smile: Coming from Australia, we only really have one chance to get it right.

In between laughing so hard, (because I have no words to explain it all to him simply) I attempt to get to the computer to show him that there is in fact other humans like me who are devoting hours upon hours to research and personalise and prepare their plans.

It is a whole new world that opened up to me when I got my subscription recently. I really needed this, because I was becoming all too aware via all the research I was doing, that this holiday is like no other. Really, Really… like no other.

Therefore, I am so grateful to have 6 month to continue tweaking details, and I know it will be so worthwhile by the time our trip comes in late September. I also know that my hubby and 2 daughters will never know the difference, they will never know what it ‘could’ have been like if I didn’t plan. This doesn’t matter to me as much, it is the time spent as a family, creating amazing memories and seeing their smiling faces that matters. I’m quite astounded at how much time planning “the trip” actually takes… but then again, it is all my personal planning. Other people might not spend as much time doing this - it has kind of turned into a hobby. :smile: I am aware that I must use it as a ‘guide’ and not as a strict timetable as such. I think they are all scared off by looking at the times written on the touring plans. They cannot believe that it says I will arrive at Space Mountain at 9.17am etc. It is hard to explain to them how the plans work, and that they won’t be told when to toilet themselves etc. !!! I think they think I’ve gone crazy.

I shall continue what I am doing, and they will continue to watch me do it. But, I know that they all don’t quite GET IT.

I would just like to give everyone who contributes their thoughts, opinions and answering to all the questions a huge THANK YOU, as it makes me feel a lot less alone in organising the most amazing trip of our lives. Its very special.

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How exciting! You’re going to have a great trip. My husband thought I was being crazy and obsessive too (not unusual for me) until the trip was really happening. The moment on our second Disney day when he said how glad he was that we had a plan, knew where we were going, and seemed to be ahead of the crowds was AMAZING. Yours will probably come to the same realization, probably when you walk past an attraction you had done earlier with a very short wait but that he can see now has a 90 minute posted wait time.

Have all the fun! And thanks for posting. We have a few Aussies here, so just ask if you need any advice.

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I hope someday one of your children grows up and “understands”. My DS23 understands. He allows me to talk to him about every single detail and when we are in the world he has always told me that he does not do the planning because he "trusts that it will be perfect ".

Tell your husband that there are lots of us and if he does not appreciate everything you are doing you will bring him to touring plans liner meets :wink:

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I had subscribed to touring plans for years before I stumbled into chat. When I started reading, I told both my husband and my brother that I had “found my people.” Then I lurked for several more years until I joined the conversation.

This has been my hobby for a couple of decades at this point. It just never gets old! Welcome to the lunacy! I like you because you like it here!

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:slight_smile: My husband feels the same way! I had spent many months planning our first trip a couple years ago, and he thought I was nuts for doing it. He and our kids finally appreciated it when we got there, and we did not waste time standing there asking what to do next or waiting in ridiculously long lines. I also left time in the plan to re-ride things the kids wanted to do, or stop and see something that wasn’t in our itinerary. We ended up having a wonderful first trip! They are still making fun of me for all of the planning I am doing for our trip in September, but they now appreciate why I am doing it. :slight_smile:

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That is so great to hear SallyEppcot. Hubby doesn’t really like to look at or hear too much about our travel details. He says he trusts me to organise it all, and that he is wanting things to be a surprise when we get there.
I understand that some people like it that way, and that is fine. I also know that I can get a little carried away with details… I have been looking at google images of menu items at different quick service restaurants etc. This is because I am trying to find places to eat that suit all of us. I do not want to spend time wandering around a huge theme park trying to hunt down a great place to eat. ! :slight_smile: I’d just rather know beforehand, and pop it into the touring plan… I think my family think that by the time we get to the Dole Whip Cart, I will have it planned in my iPhone app that we must all eat a Dole Whip whether they want it or not. hahahah… I just keep laughing cause they don’t get the method of my madness. :slight_smile:

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I have 'found my people" This is home! :slight_smile:
I am somewhat concerned about how to continue my life when its all over :slight_smile: Is there a Disney Rehab place at all that I could add at the end of my touring plan. :slight_smile:

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You really should make everyone eat the dole whip. That line can get crazy long and a return trip could really bust a plan. :wink:

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That’s exactly the way I plan. I am much more flexible if I have options in mind, and I really dislike that moment when everyone is standing around, hot and tired, trying to decide what to do.

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When we first married my husband thought it was bizarre behavior to research what dining options, etc. would be near a location. 11 years later he brags on it every chance he gets!

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This is our first trip as well. I’ve been to WDW a couple times before when I was younger, but my husband has never been. I was trying to go over everything with him and was asking what rides he was interested in going on. He said “Why can’t we just decide when we get there?” I told him that he’s already said he doesn’t want to wait in really long lines, so how is he picturing this whole thing going if we just “show up”. Husbands (well, some) just don’t understand. :wink:

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A PERSON HAS TO PLAN well in advance. Starting at 6 months in.
When you arrive at WDW your husband will quickly see who the planners are and who are not!!!
As you and your family just walk into rides/restaurants with little or no wait and pass the miserable families waiting in LONG lines with screaming kids, you will appreciate all the hours you spent on planning.
Does your husband like the idea of waiting 1 to 2 hours to get on Seven dwarfs mine train, or waiting 5 minutes. (no need to answer this)
Finally, (others will agree) This site and “The Unofficial Guide” book is one of the best tools to start your planning with.
YES there are many many of us planners out there. WE LOVE DISNEY

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Just this morning my husband, completely out of the blue, said, “trips to WDW have brought our family closer, but if it hasn’t been planned for, it could just as easily tear a family apart.” Sooooo true!!!

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I love this thread! I am constantly having to justify my planning to other people who think it’s ridiculous. And, now that our trip is over, I’m still here reading and researching for fun and friends and family thinks I’m crazy. Oh well!

My family did get to see what it’s like without a plan because during our trip over winter break on one of our days at MK they didn’t want to get up for RD or follow the TP that I had meticulously prepared. By the time we got there (on a CL 10 Christmastime day) lines were hours long and the park was packed. We couldn’t even see our own feet while we were walking. I used Lines to get us to attractions with the shortest wait times, and based on suggestions from the folks on chat, we changed our focus from major attractions to lesser rides and shows and people watching, etc… That helped a bit, but even so, it was not our best day. My family complained all day long, and it took every ounce of control for me not to tell them “I told you so.” We managed to stay for about 6 hours, and at the end of the day we left feeling stressed, aggravated, and worn out, and I was mad, really mad. We live on the west coast and getting to WDW is not something we can or will be able to do more than a handful of times in my lifetime, so I need to make sure that we maximize our time and our money.

On the bright side, this one day provided the wake up call that the rest of my group needed. I felt vindicated on our second MK day when we were there for RD, saw the Welcome Show, and enjoyed within the first two hours of our visit about the same number of attractions that we managed in our previous MK day. I loved when we were walking down empty walkways and my daughter exclaimed, “This is waaaay better!!” Though my husband would never bring himself to tell me that I was right, I know that’s what he was thinking.

Plan on liners! Plan on.

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DH became a believer in my crazy planning during Spring Break 2014. There was a very large group of people waiting for BOG lunch, and walked right on in with our fastpass. No waiting. No line. He was amazed as these kinds of things seemed to keep “magically” happening.

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Well, and consider this: half the enjoyment of a trip is the simple pleasure of planning. So I don’t kid myself that I really NEED 75% of the time I spend evaluating and considering and imagining and tweaking… but it’s extraordinarily pleasurable to do so. There’s good sociologic research that supports this. Some people knit. Some people play video games. I play around with my Disney trip planner. :slight_smile:

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This is so funny! My DH had NO interest in my planning. He, too, thought I was nuts with all my planning, but he saw how happy it made me to plan and really only gave me joking grief about it. I had my DSs 4, 7 and 10 give me their input and partially help with the planning.

While the whole family thought I was completely overly obsessive while I was planning, they instantly saw the benefit on day one of our trip. I had made TPs for every day, and we optimized them when we were in the park. When we waited less than 15 minutes every single time, while we walked past rides with huge lines, when we easily signed up for the perfect JTA timeslot, they saw how worthwhile the planning was. After every attraction, they turned to me and asked where next? There was no debating about where to go, no trying to make decisions on the fly. Everyone’s interests and desires had already been taken into account months before. Everything followed smoothly, no one fought, and the trip was a dream.

I would be willing to bet that your family will realize very quickly how beneficial all your hard work is to all of them. I’m sure you will have an amazing trip! :smile:

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@mossmacl totally agree. And sometimes I’ll play with a fantasy trip plan just because I want to.

For me the perfect balance of planning a trip is when my guy steps back because he trusts that I know what I’m doing – but still cares and will answer my questions when I want his opinion. My HS dinner plan went from signature dining to counter service then maybe a drink in the lounge because I gave him options and he’d rather eat Dark Side chix and waffles and get to ride Star Tours again than spend 120 min on a TS ressie.

And right there you can see the sickness of WDW planning because who else gives all times in minutes. :slight_smile:

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The Disney rehab is right here! Best way to get over re-entry blues is to answer other people’s questions in the forums :slight_smile: :slight_smile: (in my opinion, anyhow)

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Years ago I spent a lot of time planning and researching. My dh thought I was nuts. That is until we went to the parks and had little wait times on rides. They had the old paper fast pass system. We got very good at grabbing passes for whay was wanted. Has a designated runner while the rest of us would go and wIt at the start of the next ride. He appreciated my knowledge.

Now when we go, we are just a couple the teenagers, you give them an inch, they swim all over you, do not want to hang out with mom and dad. We do not make any plans. But i keep on top of the news here and know what to do when.

Also this helps me get my fix.

Also as to menues this site, Disney as well as some others post current menus of everything. Table service, counter service and even some of the food carts.

Now when we walk the streets of disney I start spouting off about hidden tidbits. I have picked up a few detail books through the years. I just love Disney. And any friend I talk to I get upset when they have the mindset oh I will just show up. I start talking of all of the planning and they are like ok i will have you plan it. I say ok I will.

So yeah bottom line. The unbelievers will see aftwr a few hours or a day why all tou hard work has payed off.

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