Over Planners Annonamous

[erinfarber]

I absolutely love all the wonderful advice. So many issues I never thought of. Thank you all

[rubberbootbunny]

Originally Posted by kimb96

I'm cracking up reading this! You all would be horrified to travel with me. I lived in thailand for 3 years and we traveled all over southeast asia during that time. I land in a new country with no idea how to even to get to our hotel. No plan at all.

That being said, I actually opened this thread to get ideas to be more organized about our cruise which is Aug 5. Yes, less than 3 weeks to go. To boot I have a kitchen remodel going on that is set to finish just days before we leave. My house is in shambles. I don't have rental car set up yet for returning to MCO. I've been working on lists as I have been reading. It's not too late to pull off a semi organized vacation, right?

Yes you probably can still pull it off
if I were in your shoes the first thing I would do is write a packing list with column for washed and pack anything you aren't going to wear before the trip that is clean(having lived in a reno zone I get how crazy your life can be right now)

next I would probably grab a big box,/ Rubbermaid tote and start pitching stuff in it (things you want to take on the boat)

here is my #1 dirty secret procrastinator over-planner trick

don't worry about the laundry just put the clothes you want to take in the box after you wear them, then the night or two before the trip go to the Laundromat LATE. 2 hrs before they close and do all of the laundry in one fell swoop (at that time of night you can often run 20 loads at one time!!) bring the empty suitcases and fold and pack at the same time - the big tables many have are great for this.

and at this point about the car rental, I might be tempted to wait another two weeks and see if that helps the price, then call every day untill the day before you head out I did that one time and I ended up getting a GREAT price on the rental that way

good luck

[r2d2jsh]

DH started laughing when I told him about this thread...he is always making fun of me for my planning...

...we are cruising out of Galveston in September and I've started a spreadsheet of recommended foods/foods to avoid for each menu. I figure having an idea of what I'm going to order in advance will make it easier for me to focus on getting my DD, 5, and DS, 3, to decide what they want.

[rubberbootbunny]

Hi my name is RBB and it has been 65 hours since I last looked at my packing list

(My DH bet me a massage on the boat that I couldn't go 7 days with out looking at it)

I think I am going in to withdral

103 hours left!

[chateau]

Originally Posted by rubberbootbunny

don't worry about the laundry just put the clothes you want to take in the box after you wear them, then the night or two before the trip go to the Laundromat LATE. 2 hrs before they close and do all of the laundry in one fell swoop (at that time of night you can often run 20 loads at one time!!) bring the empty suitcases and fold and pack at the same time - the big tables many have are great for this.

This is a GREAT idea... see you in the laundry room! (why in the world does the "laundry" smilie come and go on the smilies list?!?! Just when I have use for it!)

Originally Posted by rubberbootbunny

Hi my name is RBB and it has been 65 hours since I last looked at my packing list. (My DH bet me a massage on the boat that I couldn't go 7 days with out looking at it) I think I am going in to withdral 103 hours left!

FUNNY!!

[disneybeachprincess]

for the 2014 itineraries!!!

[toy]

I am not as organized with everything else in my life. My house is in disarray the majority of the time. I fly by the seat of my pants on a daily basis. This isn't because I want to it is just who I am.

BUT, when it comes to a Disney trip I am the one others come to for help. Our trips are planned out all the way down to what we will be eating. I make lists a year in advance. These lists can be found on all computers, iPads, and my notebook. I start putting special trip items in an empty suitcase so they won't get lost or forgotten. There is a folder with info in it from our first trip to Disney as a family. I'm about to laminate it because it is about to fall apart. I don't have a count down chart within view of my children because they would all obsess over the trip. My husband thinks one person obsessing in our house is enough. I will do laundry on vacation because I have kids who make messes and I don't want those stains to set in or smell. We use our timeshare because I can make light meals and fun snacks to take with us to the pool or park. Yep, if I wanna go to Disney I have to be able to afford it and not give the Mouse all of my husband's hard earned money. I read these boards every free moment I get. I set up a Facebook page for the 30 friends and family who are going on the cruise with us in October so I can provide weekly (sometimes daily) tips for them. I have a secret stash of FE supplies hidden in different places all around my house so the kids won't figure out they are going on a surprise cruise in October. I am counting the days down until school starts not because I'm ready for them to go back to school but because I want to start packing and making FE gifts without them seeing me. I have a timeline set up for completion of each project.

When the big day arrives my hubby sits happily behind the wheel knowing his wife has taken care of everything and he just has to get us there and buy me something pretty.

[rubberbootbunny]

Originally Posted by toy

I have a secret stash of FE supplies hidden in different places all around my house so the kids won't figure out they are going on a surprise cruise ... I am counting the days down until school starts not because I'm ready for them to go back to school but because I want to start packing and making FE gifts without them seeing me.

Me Too!

[chateau]

Originally Posted by toy

I have a secret stash of FE supplies hidden in different places all around my house so the kids won't figure out they are going on a surprise cruise in October. I am counting the days down until school starts not because I'm ready for them to go back to school but because I want to start packing and making FE gifts without them seeing me.

Learned our lesson with setting up FB contact with fellow cruisers... make the site "private" so that the kids can't see a cruise is coming up. That way no one can see you are corresponding with Disney (Ship) (Date) fellow FB/DISers. We knew people also keeping a secret, but the kids saw the parents post on the FB page set up for their cruise. BOO!

[rubberbootbunny]

Originally Posted by chateau

Learned our lesson with setting up FB contact with fellow cruisers... make the site "private" so that the kids can't see a cruise is coming up. That way no one can see you are corresponding with Disney (Ship) (Date) fellow FB/DISers. We knew people also keeping a secret, but the kids saw the parents post on the FB page set up for their cruise. BOO!

Thanks for the tip! I covered mine by telling her the trip is still a maybe - NEXT year!

[DisneyMom70]

Love this thread.

We just got back from our first trip to WDW and then a Disney Cruise. My H made fun of me for all my planning, but he had to concede it was the best vacation ever.

I did have multiple lists, but the most detailed were the carry on lists for each leg of our trip for each person. We needed different things on the plane (red eye) to WDW, and then from WDW to DCL, and then the two flights home where the kids would be awake.

We also made a huge effort to have a clean house (clean sheets) to come home to, and boy was that so worth the effort.

[Purdue Mouse]

Originally Posted by rubberbootbunny

Hi my name is RBB and it has been 65 hours since I last looked at my packing list

(My DH bet me a massage on the boat that I couldn't go 7 days with out looking at it)

I think I am going in to withdral

103 hours left!

INTERVENTION!!!!!!!

[rubberbootbunny]

Originally Posted by Purdue Mouse

INTERVENTION!!!!!!!

purdue mouse every time I read one of your posts here I

Thanks for the chuckle

still laughing...

[Coconut8473]

I love this thread! I'm a chronic over-planner for all of our trips, including our annual WDW vacations. Now we're leaving in 9 days (!) on our first ever cruise (DCL or otherwise), and I've been prepping for months! One thing that I have been a little lax on is officially putting together my trip binder (like I'm sure many of you do, I always have a binder/folder with all essential trip documents, itineraries, reservation times, packing lists, etc.).

As I'm gathering everything together now, any tips on what else to include in a DCL cruise binder? I want to preserve all of the Navigators and other documents as well - will they fit in standard-sized binder sleeves?

TIA!

[rubberbootbunny]

Still have not touched my list - and it is killing me! but I will get that massage yet.
the big problem is I have bought all this stuff I needed but my to do list is in the same spreadsheet file as the packing list so I can't cross anything off and I can't remember what else I still have to pick up arrrgh!