Oooh, my husband and I loved The Imagineering Story and pretty much binge watched all the episodes when we first got Disney+ If you enjoyed it, then definitely check out the other documentaries on the service, too. 
I think (over)planning and researching a trip is part of the fun for me, so I think I’ll probably always do that, but, when the time comes, I’m just as likely to throw my plans out the window as I am to use them. I don’t think we used even a quarter of the plans I made for our family trip in September last year (our first), but it was an amazing trip anyway. That said, I’m definitely planning differently (I’d say with less stress) for this next trip than last time, just because I better understand what to expect.
I hope you have lots of fun researching your next trip. I think a longer, less-packed, yet more full, trip sounds absolutely perfect. 
I can hear the excitement back in this post! Enjoy your research!
You’re dead to me.
But seriously…
So glad to see you on here again. I’ve likewise sort of backed out a bit due to Disney Depression, but I was still casually checking the forums. And I noticed you were absent. I’m sure I’m not the only one that missed your “voice” here. Good luck planning your epic 2-week trip. If you’re like me, which I think you are in many ways, I’m sure it will slowly, inevitably build into a monstrosity of planning. That is what happened to my now-probably-dead “Goldilocks” trip. I was trying to make it “just right”, but it ended up being over-the-top just like my first two trips. I’m sure once DW sees it she will cut out half of the ADRs, lengthen the mid-day breaks and try to talk me out of the rope-dropping and nighttime spectaculars. This has got me thinking about another solo trip in 2021. 
This. So much.
Spreadsheets have their place…even in the “let’s see what happens” touring days. (I can’t let them go!). 
I have found that a 15 day trip is perfect for me. This includes many half-days at parks, sleep-ins, resorts days, and even a two day adventure where we slum it at Uni. The resorts have so much interesting details that never truly get appreciated until you slow down. (Yehaa Bob!!!)
As for winging it in the parks, my A-type personality will not allow me to let go. I still put it in the spreadsheet as a block of time for “whatever comes my way”. At a minimum, I still put in the FPP at strategic points in the day, but there are not packed tightly together for RD and are not changed the moment I scan into the previous FPP. They are also not seen as a gateway to my 15th FPP for the day. There are large gaps between them to mosey along and see what the day brings. We some times also get a little crazy and take the long way in the stand by queue. There is a reason they are themed so well! Last trip we even spent a half day reading painted windows…fascinating stuff.
Splitting between multiple resorts is also exciting, but can be dangerous if you hop too much.
I love the idea you propose…but as @NoBellePrizeWinner hinted…a spreadsheet will ease the worried mind even if the only thing on the day is: wake, find some breakfast, go where the wind takes me… 
Great idea!
There’s a lot in this post that resonates with me too. It’s easy to get into the perpetual spinning plate routine of getting that ADR, getting that FP, following the herd for EMM or Rope Drop or a good spot for the parade/fireworks (although, truth be told, my wife has converted me into not being that bothered about the fireworks…they’re just very well choreographed fireworks.)
There’s just a lot more to SEE and feel. I, too, get nostalgic as many of us do, in apprectiation of the imagineering and folklore that goes into everything we feel at the parks. The FOMO is pretty real though, if I didn’t have x to obtain, I’d want to do y, which leaves no room for z…multiply that by every hour and it’s a feeling we all can nod in sympathy with.
As someone who’s had to shift their holiday from May to September, I’m darn well going to “appreciate” this next stay more than ever before. I’ve always cherished my um…7 or 8 visits prior to this one but the next one (now at Caribbean Beach) will likely make me shed a tear or two.
As someone still planning the first trip, I wonder if this might be a reason to NOT get the dining plan, since ADR’s institute structure.
I am on the fence about getting it for part of our split stay.
I think you are spot on. We did the dining plan once, and it felt like all we were doing was hopping from one meal to the next and stressing on how to use up all those extra snack credits.
We went for coffee and pastries every morning and that took care of the snack credits.
I think the DDP requires more of this than paying out of pocket! DDP requires a lot of planning and tracking to fully utilize/maximize credits.
I am a planner, the one with lists and spreadsheets. Even for me, our December 2019 trip was a bit much for planning, ADR (we didn’t even have DDP, FPP, and filling the time slots). It was our first anything Disney trip in more than 7 years. So, it was bewildering to start but Touring Plans Chat and Forum helped a lot!
It would have sure been nice to get up whenever each day of the trip, do whatever and whenever, and eat whatever and whenever. We would stop and enjoy the moments. But if the WDW days weren’t scheduled ahead, we were going to spend too much time waiting around and feel like all we did on our trip was wait in line. Maybe if we could go to Disney more often, we could just enjoy more moments.
How exciting!!!
We’ve been to WDW twice, 2012 and 2019. Both times, I have looked longingly at the dining plans but declined. We would always worry about getting our money’s worth and feel the need to eat all the food, even when we aren’t hungry.
If you drink alcohol and do character meals most days of your dining plan, you don’t have to work to get your money’s worth. Do you feel like you don’t have to get your money’s worth? If I fall in either or both of these categories, I would get the dining plan for a part of my split stay. And I would still have until midnight to use up my credits…
But it does force structure. “I gotta get to my ADR.!” can be stressful and not allow spontaneity or to spend more time at certain places.
When I go alone, I half-plan. I pick the three rides I would be most upset about missing for my advance FPPs. I then plan an RD strategy around them. The rest of the day is governed by what attractions I still want to see and what 4th or 5th FPPs I can snag. Disney dining for me is as much a part of the vacation as are the rides, so I have a TS (or signature) dinner every day, and a TS lunch on most days. I don’t like big breakfasts, so that’s usually just a pastry and coffee.
My trips are typically 5 park days at the most, so that gives me basically one day per park with a 5th day for revisiting. If I was one of those people who could afford 10-14 day trips, I’m sure a lot of them would be unplanned.
My husband is very adverse to working his eating around a “deal”. I promised he could order whatever he wanted, just leave it up to me to interface with the server on settling up method.
After I’d planned most of our meal locations, I looked at menus and was able to guess roughly what our family of 6 would order (if there’s steak, they are probably ordering it). And I knew they’d love stopping at a bakery each day for a round of coffee/frappes and a few pastries to split. Plus ice cream stops. It was clear we’d save money on the DDP.
I’d make suggestions at meals, but really did let everyone have what they wanted. We did several TS family style where we’d order 3-4 entrees and leave in middle of table. Sometimes we’d order an extra favorite. I knew we were likely to be short a couple TS credits at the end, so if someone wanted a cheaper entree, we paid for those along the way. Servers were happy to oblige.
For snacks, we paid for anything <$3.50 for the first half the trip to make sure we got our moneys worth on the snack credits.
We ended up leaving 1 QS credit on the table, and only because they wouldn’t split it into snack credits for us. We definitely came out ahead without feeling we had to eat differently to get our money’s worth.
Our kids enjoy dining and are pretty adventurous eaters though.
I haven’t done the math, but I think that an off-site, no ADRs, mostly QS 14 days trips would end up being cheaper than 5 days onsite with mostly TS. Of course, time also has a cost.
One of our best Disney trips ever was at the end of February. We didn’t step foot in a park all week! We toured almost every resort, did several different restaurants and took every single mode of free transportation on property. This included ALL of the different boats which was great. We saw several of the different firework shows from various locations outside of the parks. It was a totally different experience than we have ever had.
Also, all of the family likes to pin trade so this gave us tons of time to trade pins and just relax. The next time we go to Disney World, we may have to do the same No Park Plan.
Glad it worked for you!
DDP is such a personal thing. At the end of our 2019 trip, I added up all the receipts and we still came out way ahead without DDP. We still ate whatever we wanted.
@sanstitre_has_left_the_building
I hope you do get to DisneyLAND someday! I think you will find the planning and execution is much more relaxed than Disney World which enables you stop and smell the roses a little bit more. Cheers!
@sanstitre_has_left_the_building I’ve never done any of the extras or add-ons and have been perfectly happy with all my trips. Sometimes I think being on here makes us feel the pressure to do it all, see it all, eat it all, do all the extras or we’ve wasted our money and our time and our trip will suck if we don’t. We don’t uber to the parks so that we can be first in line. I’m fine relaxing and letting Disney do the driving. The only time we used uber ever was on December 16, DHS day, to get a boarding pass since they were tap in and get immediately then. I do plan ADRs and do the dining plan (gasp!) so we can order what we want and don’t have to worry about it even if it doesn’t save us money (even though it usually does). We’ve stayed at Pop every trip since we are rarely in the room. We have done split stays with a few days at WL when we were doing MK on those days and had no park days. Otherwise, we sleep in a room and that’s it. A bed is a bed. I make a TP with our FPs and only plan until about 1:00. After that, we just see what FPs are available or do whatever we decide we want to–unplanned. With no planned activities we can see all the things that many might miss because we don’t feel like we are missing something else that is “on the plan”. Planning nothing gives us permission to take it easy and smell the roses, or watch the ducks, or lizards, or drink a beer, get a snack, and just people watch. Whatever happens, happens. Since its not on the plan, its a bonus. Our Dec 14-20 trip was the first Christmas trip after several other trips at other times of the year. We roughly planned and had lots of no plans and just did what felt right. It was great and we saw and did things that we never would have, had we had a plan.
The imagineering story was the first thing I watched on Disney+ when I got it last week. Now making my way through all the other documentaries! Really enjoying them.
The story behind everything is what makes it extra special for me. Everything is there for a reason, and there’s so much more to discover that you might not initially see. That’s what I love about the Disney parks. We’ve been to DLP a few times and WDW once. I’m so pleased we did take time at WDW to just absorb. The Keys the the Kingdom tour adds to it because it gives you explanations and insights which opens a new world to you in the parks.
If this has kindled an interest in the back stories then there are a couple of books that I’ve really enjoyed by Bob Thomas - “Walt an American Original” and “Building a Company”. I perhaps especially enjoyed Building a Company because it gives the story fromRoy’s side. Although lots of cross over between the books obviously. These are more about their lives but it’s so interesting to see how they made something so huge starting from nothing.
And yes, I would love to go to Disneyland. I would also like to go and sit on a bench next to the carousel in Griffith Park and just contemplate what it must have been like to have had such big ideas and then see them through.