I hate to ask this, I really do - but did you buy the photopass memory maker? The pictures on the rides are priceless.
Who are you flying with ? Do you subscribe to any flight Apps like EF (Expert Flyer) ? Iām a AVGEEK sonI understand the ācontrolā thing 
A WDW vacation can be relaxing IF you plan it that way. I think that will/can only happen for me after I have been many, many times because at this point, I still want to cram so much in! As someone else mentioned, itās an experience and an amazing one at that, but I feel like I need a vacation when I get home!!!
As my dad always saidā¦ Disney is the most stressful fun time u will ever have. Itās def no beach vacation but once u r there in the midst itās fantastic!
I also usually go through a weird āam I not actually excited?ā feeling starting about a month or two before and lasting right up until the week before. I attribute it to the fact that Iāve been thinking about WDW so much that I liken it to day dreaming. Then, when we get just a few days away and Iām off work for it and weāre packed, I turn into a kid on Christmas Eve and I canāt sleep.
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Iām starting to sweat now because I donāt think Iāve been organised enough after reading this!! I actually started planning other parts of our trip because I thought I was addicted to tweaking touring plans and getting annoyed with the Optimizer (it often has things in a weird order, imo.) Iād better go and print some plans out.
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iām not expecting or going for a big surprise. of course it would be great if there was a huge joyful freakout and I was able to video it, but iām not counting on it. iām more excited to see their faces when both sets of grandparents show up at different times during the trip, and we get to share this experience together.
I have it all planned out in Excel. Itās also printed and in sheet protectors in a three ring binder. I have a separate sheet specific to MVMCP - along with a print out of last yearās guide for the party. Iāve printed my touring plans for the book too. I may have gone a little overboard. Itās my first trip during the holidays. 
Iāll be curious how that goes. Iāll be there for it in 2018
You are not the only one!! I even have a power point presentation for my mother-in-law explaining all the options. 
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Hahahahahaha, thatās incredible! I have GOT To steal that idea with my guys! I could include all the YouTube links to the TP ride overviews and whatnot 
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Ha! I gave my husband and kids a printed survey with a list of attractions and meet & greets where they could check āYes,ā āNo,ā or āDonāt Care.ā A few times they asked what something was if they didnāt recognize the name, but weāve been enough times that I didnāt have to put pictures in there.
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I am definitely going to have to use this for our next trip!
ProfMatt- Donāt think lack of excitement will equate to lack of enjoyment! As another spreadsheet lover, planner, and analytical person, I just usually donāt get giddy with excitement in general. In fact, since we did our trip right when school let out for the summer, I was more stressed than anything leading up to it. There was too much I was trying to catch up on at work prior to leaving, end-of-school year activities, sports tournaments, etc. that I didnāt pack anything until the night before we left. However, once we were on the road and actually in WDW, all that planning paid off. Things went smoothly, and when we had to change things up, I was knowledgeable enough to be able to easily pivot. And even though when I was most excited was the night I actually booked the trip, I still enjoyed myself immensely while there, and was ready to book again while we were still on the road home.
The unsolicited advice Iād give is to try not to let your plans stress you while youāre in the parks. We were there during some very high crowd levels, and I felt the need to keep moving on to the next ride so lines wouldnāt get longer and mess up my plans but it sounds like youāre going soon, and so you will definitely have a lot fewer people to contend with!
Iāve not been to Universal, so I donāt have personal experience, but it sounds like you have planned it, just in a different way. WDW took brainpower, UOR took money. Either way, Iām sure it will translate to a smooth, fun experience. Once youāre on your plane, relax and enjoy all your hard work!!
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