is it just because I'm a control freak or????

I think that's totally normal!

I would pick one thing that you really think they're lacking in (for me it would be the importance of ADRs) and focus on that. Let them know that you really wish someone had told you before you went, and that you don't wan them to miss out of X because they didn't know. Give them some great resources and let them have at! A few days/weeks later you can open up another conversation and see if they looked into the suggestions. The trick is gently guiding them through the information that they need without sounding pushy.

I do know how you feel. I always want to jump in when friends or family are planning a trip. But, while I know I can plan our perfect trip I am not so sure I could plan one for someone else. Just look at all of us on this board. We all like and dislike different things. We all like to stay different places and we even like to tour differently. I think it would be so hard to plan a trip for someone else.

I think that has to be normal....every time I hear someone is going to Disney I want to hear all the details and then I want to add things, take away things...PLAN THE WHOLE THING!

Sometimes I think a lot of the fun is the planning!

I just had this happen to me a couple of weeks ago...it was two of my friends headed to Universal, but I felt the same way. One of them booked the trip way in advance and never asked me for any advice. Once I found out what they were doing, I was almost disappointed that they didn't know they could've asked me and I could've told them everything I know. They ended up spending way too much on tickets & hotel and they spent the entire four days in Orlando calling/texting me asking what they should do next just to avoid sitting in the hotel room.

One of my co-workers is going with his family in December. He asked for some tips and advice. He's been there before but it's been several years. I'm up to six pages.

Just a tip or two, thats about right JoAnn!

I'm the same way and always give my two cents when I know people that are going. I still don't see how people do it on there first trip there... I feel bad for them because I feel like they miss out on so much.

I've been trying not to enter this thread, but I can't help myself. We really need a 12 step program.

I feel the exactly the same about wanting to help people get the most out of their trip. Then I get frustrated when they don't plan their trip the way I do. Then I get worried that they will follow my advice and something will go horribly wrong and they'll hate WDW forever.

There are the folks who know I been to WDW a ton of times and come to me with questions, but they don't want to hear the "long answer". They want "Do this, then do that, etc". Forget about telling them to look under the welcome mat at Muppet Vision 3D. All they want to know is that it is 175 paces on a heading of 35 degrees magnetic from the Rose and Crown to Mouse Gears, where the cool Mickey ears are on the left near the door. I'd rather just point them to Barnes and Nobel and tell them to buy all the WDW books, read them, and load up the I-phone apps.

I go crazy when I see people planning their WDW stay down to the minute because it's not my touring style. I want to be the fly on the wall during that overly planned first day when a little glitch happens. You just know that there will be complete chaos as the plan flies out the window of the broken down bus. Of course, I want to magically appear and rescue their whole vacation.

Having 3 ADR's each day is just not my style, but the ones who really push my frustration to the limit are the ones who don't plan or research at all. They think WDW is just the MK and when they find out there's 3 more parks and all the other stuff, they panic. Or they think WDW should be simple like the Sandals Resort they went to last year. Just read the brochure and you know everything you need to know.

A guy I work with is flying down to WDW today with 15 of his closest relatives. He's been really good about asking questions and taking my answers back to the "planning committee". (I did a trip like this in 2001 with 20 of my late wife's closest relatives.) Anyway, they've actually taken my advice on where to stay, now I sit here biting my fingernails and hoping they have a good time as if I am totally responsible for Fort Wilderness. Talk about performance anxiety.

FYI " the "planning committee" has adopted a modified version of the minute-to-minute D-Day Invasion plans. God help them if the boat from FW to the MK is 5 minutes late tomorrow morning.

My mother used to plan everything to the minute. I just can't do it that way.

This year however, the universe keep tossing me curve balls and I'm discovering that there's more than one way to tour and plan that works! Who would have known.

I often get calls from family and friends for help on planning their trips to Disney. I love offering advice and providing tips but there is a fine line to be walked....I'm always worried I'll overwhelm them!

I feel the same way! I understand that everyone does things differently and my way might not be the best way for someone else. But it drives me crazy when someone makes a big deal out of something and you *know* it's not that difficult.

I had a friend who was planning their first trip to WDW with kids back in 2010. She asked me tons of questions since she knew I was an expert I went through the usual stuff, ADR's, resorts, PH, naps, great restaurants ..... and the most important YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL IN ONE TRIP She was so dead set on the Contemp, not because she liked it or anything, but because it was on the monorail, and how could they possible stay anywhere that wasn't on the monorail with 2 kids, because it is Too difficult to get around with 2 kids I just wanted to scream!!!! Are you kidding me?!? That's why you want to stay there? I don't have kids, but even if it was my first trip, I'm pretty sure I could handle kids and getting around. This statement absolutely drives me crazy. My cousin even said it too. She had to stay at the Poly because it was on the monorail and just easier with the kids. In both cases the kids were old enough to not make it that difficult.... friends kids were 4 and 6 and cousins twins were 6. Eventually, my friend ended up picking the YC, because she wanted the cool pool! I was able to convince her that it's really easy to get around. I also expressed how much time she needed to allow on the buses to make ADR's and such. She didn't really listen to that advice either. While she did admit that getting around wasn't that difficult, she has decided next time they will stay at the Poly. She would go on and on about Character Dining. So in Nov. I asked her what restaurants she had picked? She hadn't pick any yet. They were going in 3 weeks. I told her she probably wouldn't get her character dining then. She had to completely change all her dining plans because she couldn't get any that she wanted and in return had to change which parks she was visiting because she refused to get the PH.

I have learned to just suggest stuff and people are going to do what they want, even if *you have been there/done that and know better* Sometimes people just have to learn the hard way. My friend and the PH is one example. I tried to tell her to get PH. It would make it easier and wasn't that much more. She is so decided that they couldn't POSSIBLY do more than 1 park in a day. *SIGH,TSK, TSK* And in Aug, when we went and stayed at the cabins....my cousin (diff cousin) had a fam of 6. I tried to tell her that the DDP was plenty of food. She insisted that her family *was a 3 meal a day* family. So she went grocery shopping and bought soooo much food, that *you guessed it* got pitched at the end of the trip because DDP was so filling, they didn't need or want the extra food.

I'm the exact same way, but for DLR. I have often joked with my husband (and not-so-jokingly) that I should open some sort of planning agency for Disney-goers.

I find helping others plan Disney visits is an addiction (a good one... I think),
Dreams

Hey DD I just may take you up on that, I will be at DLR from 2 JAN till 14 Jan.of 2013 and since I have never been I do not know anything about rest., attractions except for the little I have read about it, I THINK 6 days in the parks and the rest lounging and also going San Diego Zoo and guided tours of LA etc. what do you think of the plans. Also The rose parade part is set and so is the train trip. Feel free to PM me not to hijack any threads.
PS 6 park days because I am OLD & SLOW.

I'm exactly the same way. I've only been once since I've been the one planning the vacations (IE an adult) plus the planning of my upcoming 2 trips, but I want to share my experiance with anyone and everyone going to WDW!! So much so that I've honestly thought about looking into doing something with a WDW travel agent. I honestly LOVE the planning process and LOVE the idea of being able to help people take such an amazing vacation!

I've also thought that it had something to do with me being a conrol freak, but I also think it has a lot to do with the fact that we've "Been there, done that" and at least realize what an under-taking a WDW vacation really is. It's not really a fly-by-your-seat vacation and it requires a little effort to make it enjoyable without being overwhelming. I'm gonna stop myself because I can tell I'm going to start rambling.

So you're definitely NOT alone!!!

You already know this from all of the responses, but you definitely aren't alone! I always want to hear about the plans, especially of first timers, usually to help them pare down their wish list a bit. People are so prone to overschedule, and they end up exhausted and miserable. It's especially bad if they're taking kids. So I say - find creative ways to share your knowledge, and share away!