Trip Planner

Comprehensive Disneyland planning from preferences to departure.

Available Resources

Reference these resources when planning:

• Web URLs: resources/web-urls.md

  • Disney tips database and insider recommendations

• YouTube Videos: resources/youtube-videos.md

  • Disney videos with tips

Quick Start

Before planning, read these files in order:

1. trip-details.md - Party composition, preferences, constraints
2. trip-decisions.md - Strategic choices already made
3. trip-tracker.md - What's been planned, what's missing
4. Research findings in ../../research/

After planning:

• Document new decisions in trip-decisions.md
• Update completion status in trip-tracker.md
• Reference planning outputs in detailed tracking files

Planning Phases

Planning Progress:
- [ ] Phase 1: Build party profile
- [ ] Phase 2: Create budget plan
- [ ] Phase 3: Generate itineraries
- [ ] Phase 4: Pre-trip preparation

Phase 1: Party Profile

Gather essential context:

• Party composition (ages, relationships)
• Height requirements check for each child
• Thrill tolerance levels
• Character interests by person
• Dietary restrictions and preferences
• Energy levels and pacing needs
• Must-do vs nice-to-have ranking

Phase 2: Budget Planning

Framework:

1. Confirm total budget
2. Identify fixed costs (tickets, hotel)
3. Allocate remaining by category
4. Calculate daily spending limits
5. Identify splurge vs save decisions
6. Set emergency buffer

Budget Categories:

• Food (quick service vs table service)
• Lightning Lane passes
• Souvenirs
• PhotoPass/photos
• Parking (if not at Disney hotel)
• Snacks and treats

Output: Budget tracker with daily limits

Phase 3: Itinerary Generation

Planning principles:

• Start with must-do experiences
• Layer in research recommendations
• Account for party energy patterns
• Build in flexibility and buffer time
• Balance different interests
• Respect budget constraints

Hour-by-hour schedules include:

• Meal reservations strategically placed
• Rest time for young children
• Lightning Lane booking strategy
• Show and parade timing
• Fireworks viewing plan
• Weather/closure backup plans

Output format:

# Day X: [Theme]

## At a Glance
- Park hours: X
- Crowd level: X/10
- Weather: X
- Focus: [Day's priority]

## Schedule

| Time | Activity | Notes |
|------|----------|-------|
| 7:00am | Leave hotel | |
| 7:30am | Security/gates | |

## Backup Plans
- If [X] has long wait: do [Y]

## Dining
- Breakfast: [Plan]
- Lunch: [Plan]
- Dinner: [Plan]

Phase 4: Pre-Trip Preparation

Packing list:

• Comfortable walking shoes (broken in)
• Sunscreen
• Refillable water bottles
• Portable phone chargers
• Small backpack or bag
• Autograph book (if meeting characters)
• Glow sticks for night (cheap alternative to light-up toys)
• Layers for morning/evening
• Ponchos (if rain expected)

Countdown checklist:

30 days: Book dining reservations, confirm hotel

7 days: Download Disneyland app, link tickets, check weather

3 days: Pack bags, charge devices, prep kids on plan

Day before: Confirm reservations, review Day 1 plan, early bedtime

Integration with Other Skills

Inputs from trip-research: Crowd predictions, weather patterns, booking windows, budget benchmarks

Outputs to trip-helper: Daily quick-reference, budget tracker, reservations list, backup plans

Success Criteria

• Complete party profile captured
• Realistic budget with tracking
• Detailed itineraries balancing priorities
• Packing list complete
• Plans flexible enough to adapt

Trip Tracker Updates

After completing planning, you MUST update trip-tracker.md:

1. Check boxes for completed planning deliverables:

   • Day 1 itinerary → plans/itineraries/day-1.md
   • Day 2 itinerary → plans/itineraries/day-2.md
   • Quick reference guides → plans/guides/*.md
   • Budget allocation → plans/budget/budget-allocation.md
   • Packing lists → plans/packing/*.md
   • Reservations tracker → plans/reservations/reservations.md

2. Update the Planning section status:

   • If all planning files created: Planning ✅ Complete
   • If some files created: Planning ⏳ In Progress
   • If no files created: Planning ❌ Not Started

3. Update Phase 1 progress percentage based on completed items

4. Check if ALL Phase 1 deliverables complete:

   • If yes: Update Trip Status phase to "Ready"

5. Add entry to Recent Activity log:

   - YYYY-MM-DD: Completed planning phase (or specific planning items)
   

6. Update pending actions to reflect next steps (e.g., "Book dining reservations")

See trip-tracker-rules.md for complete update specification.