Hi there Mouseketeers,
We're back with another quick Tips & Tricks post!
I am currently finalizing the planning of my family's Walt Disney World vacation. Growing up we made the trip down to the World pretty regularly; the one caveat...my mom always did the planning (what a saint). This year, we are traveling down because my sister will be playing in a tournament at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. My mom is focusing on making sure everything is together on that end, and I have the task of planning our days in the park (with the help of my brother).
When I mentioned that I was making a Google Sheet I'd be sharing with everyone in the party, my family had a chuckle at my expense; however, once I shared it with each of them during or after the planning, even they had to admit it put everyone on the same page (and fit in everything we wanted to do)!
On our upcoming trip, we are spending each day split between the parks and the games. Not everyone in our party will be able to make it into the parks all the time. We still booked everyone on every Fastpass. This way, whoever can make it will be included, no matter the time. ✍ A good tip for those using this schedule to plan a trip around a tournament.
Now, before I attach the schedules and release you to your planning—not that you can't just scroll down—I will quickly explain the set-up of the sheet. ✍ You can also click in the top right corner of many of the cells on the Blank Disney Schedule for more information.
At the top of the schedule, you will see a space for dates. Under that, you will find cells with days of the week and Extra Magic Hours. Next, you will see a Key and space for Notes. Each day is broken down by thirty-minute increments, this way Fastpasses can be listed within a reasonable amount of time from when they actually start. Fastpasses are listed in bold.
If you take a look at my filled-in schedule, I have highlighted parks in chunks. This way I will know at a glance which parks we will be hopping between each day. I was also able to make sure we hit each park at least once while scheduling. I also marked out when we would be at ball games. This is something you can alter on the blank schedule to fit your needs.
All that said, here you go...
Final recommendations:
- Before doing anything, get a Sticky Note (whether real or virtual) and list each park. Beside each park list your "must-dos." When planning, make sure that those are the things you try and snag a Fastpass for, sprint to at rope-drop or hit during Extra Magic Hours.
- If you're staying on Disney property, immediately fill in Extra Magic Hours so you have an idea of where you want to start each day. If you purchased Park Hopper passes, you will be able to decide if you want to stay in that park all day or if you want to go somewhere else later in the day with better Fastpass options.
- Have a tab pulled up with My Disney Experience's Fastpass page. If you have a planning partner, have them do so as well. ✍ Check out each park, each day, and decide which park has the best Fastpasses available, when. This is especially important if you only have half a day in the parks and need to maximize your time or if you are booking your Fastpasses later in the game.
- Fill out your schedule as you go. This way you will know what parks and rides you've already "done" or want to schedule for a second (or third, or fourth time...looking at you Space Mountain).
- Don't forget to leave room for free time! You'll never regret time spent grabbing a snack, people watching, standing in a line for a ride you didn't plan on trying or exploring your resort.
- ✍ Once you've finalized your schedule, save it as a PDF, screenshot it and make it your phone's lock screen photo. While in the park you'll be able to press a button and have instant access!
Happy planning and safe travels! If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out via the comments.
📍 Walt Disney World, Florida
