I’ve been to Austria, Thailand, Honduras, Mexico, New York, Puerto Rico, the Grand Canyon, Disneyland, Disney World and have trips planned to France and the Dominican Republic within the next 6 months.
And I’ve only used a binder for 1 destination: Disney World.
The volumes and volumes of info to learn and keep track of make it difficult to plan a trip without some kind of organization system.
Today, I’m showing you my binder plus providing you lots of downloads to help you put together your own planning binder.
Let’s get started…
The binder
The binder I use is something I designed myself…
It’s something I use a lot and will have for many years so I figured I might as well create something I’m irrationally obsessed with I love.
I also designed 8 tabs…
The 8 tabs are labeled:
- General Info
- Hotel
- Dining
- Magic Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Hollywood Studios
- Animal Kingdom
- Everything Else
The downside is that because I designed it all – outside, inside, tabs, pockets – it was kinda pricey.
Send an email to JKuligowski@ThePaperWorker.com and she’ll coordinate it for you.
For a more affordable option, Disney’s Zazzle store has hundreds of cute binders that can even be personalized.
You can see some of the designs in the gallery below…
Note: If items are purchased by clicking on one of the Zazzle links above, Zazzle will send me a referral fee.
Of course, you can pick up a binder wherever office supplies are sold and make your own cover for an inexpensive way to create a personalized binder.
- Avery brand binder cover templates
- Microsoft Office binder templates
- ClearVue brand binder templates
Now let’s take a look at what goes into each section…
General Info section
In the general info section, I include a map of Walt Disney World as a whole, our trip itinerary, a calendar of the year so I can jot down dates that I need to remember (like making ADRs 180 days in advance) and a chart of which parks are best on each day of our trip.
I also like to include a list of which parks are best and worst for each day of our trip. Although the trip plan should mostly be decided beforehand, it’s nice to stay flexible and make changes as needed (plus, I like to let the kids choose what we do on the last day so that’s a helpful chart to have as a reference).
General Info Downloads
Park Hours:
Hotel section
In the hotel section of my binder, I put a map of our hotel and things specific to the area (walking paths, viewing locations, etc.).
You may also want to include a general page that includes contact info for your hotel. You can find the address and phone number info here.
Hotel downloads
General:
Deluxe Resorts:
Moderate Resorts:
Value Resorts:
Ft. Wilderness Campground:
Dining section
After deciding where we want to eat, I print off menus to store in this section so my family has an idea what to expect at each meal.
I also keep a 1 page worksheet that summarizes all of our dining locations and includes our ADR numbers.
For people using the Disney Dining Plan, having a worksheet to keep track of how your credits are being spent is a good idea too.
Dining Downloads
Dining Plan spreadsheets:
Magic Kingdom section
In the Magic Kingdom section, I keep a park map, touring plans, parade route, fireworks viewing locations and the entertainment schedule.
I also like to keep a list of recommended Quick Service dining locations so I know where to head when it’s time to eat.
Magic Kingdom Downloads
EPCOT section
For EPCOT, I like to have a park map, touring plans, Illuminations viewing options, the entertainment schedule and info on the location of the International Gateway (for people staying in a Boardwalk-area resort as we are on our next trip).
There are a lot of souvenir options available at EPCOT so that might be info you also include in this section.
EPCOT Downloads
Hollywood Studios section
Not only do I like having a park map, parade route map and touring plans for Hollywood Studios but I especially need the entertainment schedule since there are so many shows in this park.
Want the secrets to scoring high on Toy Story Mania? Grab tips from here and put those in your binder too.
Hollywood Studios Downloads
Animal Kingdom section
As with the other parks, I include a park map, parade route map, touring plans and entertainment schedule in the Animal Kingdom section.
The entertainment schedule is particularly important here since there are a lot of great things worth seeing.
Animal Kingdom downloads
Everything Else section
This section includes all of the other miscellaneous stuff that doesn’t get its own section: water parks, Downtown Disney, DisneyQuest, pressed coin info, packing lists, etc.
Also included below are a map of PhotoPass photographers and character lists. I’ll be adding to the list as I come across more helpful info.
Everything Else Downloads
What about you?
Do you have other info you include?
Do you have a question on where to find info you’d like to put in your binder?
Leave your comment below and let me know.
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{ 47 comments (add yours) }
Where did you custom design such a wonderful binder and dividers!!! I am in need of an upgrade and I think this would be a perfect birthday gift for myself (we go around my birthday in early December every year!)
Hi, Kristin -
I ordered both from ThePaperWorker.com. It’s a lot of fun to design it exactly how you want but kinda pricey (to design outside, inside, include pockets and index tabs, it was around $90).
Hope that helps!
Fantastic! Thank you!!
Yep! We found ya!
LOL… and let me tell you this is one of the best designs we’ve seen… Yeah, at ThePaperWorker, it’s very much about quantity discounts and we’re the only one that let’s you customize the whole thing across the board and order just 1 … Once you step up the quantity, the price shoots to the ground on savings vs. any other site like Zazzle (where you can’t actually order just 1 custom binder, folder, etc.) :: Shannon — you did a great job with the system and it came out great! – your friends dig it, and so do we… Sure — Let’s have a conversation and see what we can do for you guys! just drop me an email…
Thanks, Mike!
Did you save your work on this website? I looked at this website with the intentions of replicating your binder cover but holy cow! is this a complicated site! Too many choices! I was hoping that you could give me the directions or send me a link to the premade binder.
I absolutely LOVE this binder. Your work is amazing! We are going on vacation with my cousin and her husband in April and their 3 kiddos. I wanted to have something all prepared to review with them to organize our trip and your binder is awesome!
Thank you!
Karen
Shannon – just wondering where you would include your flight info – just booked our flights today!
I was thinking of putting it in general info, but it would kind of fit in Everything Else, along with the airport map? I guess it really does not matter, but looking to stay as organized as possible. Next step, booking our resort, probably in the next couple of weeks! 
The binder is starting to fill up! 
Yea for flights being booked! I’d put that info in the General Info section personally, but obviously you can arrange it however it makes sense for you.
I too am curious if there is a way for us to access your design on ThePaperWorker.com. I love the binder & the index tabs as well…but I’m a little overwhelmed by trying to design them on my own. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
In order to resell designs, I’d have to pay a couple hundred dollars to be in their partner program.
I noticed that the company just pinned the image from this site today and I asked them if they could do something so I didn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars. I’ll let you know if they figure something out for me to do that.
It would seem like the Paper Worker would WANT to sell this design. I personally would never “Wing it” on that kind of an investment…
I think I just died and went to Disney heaven. What a
lovely binder and a great idea to keep everything organised. I
create an itenerary binder for each of my trips but never something
like this printed (as I have it all in iBooks on my ipad) but this
is lovely to keep. I’m currently planning my 3 week trip for
sept/oct 2013 and finding all these fab websites such as yours to
help.
Glad you like the site! I’m a gadget freak, but there’s something about having it printed and organized in front of me that makes me happy (especially if a cute binder is involved
).
Me too! I love being able to see it and flip through the pages, haha! I had our honeymoon organized into a binder…not a super cute one, but a binder. It helped a lot, but so many people looked at me like I was odd. Not sure why! But this was Germany so who knows, lol. Better safe than sorry, and organized is definitely safe!
I am so happy I found this though, I was already typing up things to print out but this makes it so much easier! Especially maps and schedules. Thanks!!
Just wanted to say that, on the topic of the Toy Story
Midway Mania game, there is a tip that I know. In Sept. 2012, my
dad and I found out that when you’re on the final round with the
two targets, you get more points alot faster if you both shoot at
the same target.
Good to know! I’l give it a try in a couple weeks.
I found the pin on Pinterest and also commented. I would LOVE to have a binder like this but am not sure I could do such a wonderful job if I designed it myself. Please let us know if they make the exception!
Also VERY interested in purchasing this binder, please keep us updated on the design status : )
Hey Guys! If you are interested in ordering Shannon’s
binder – email Jen @ JKuligowski@ThePaperWorker.com and she will
make the ordering process very easy for you!!! Shannon, you should
also have an email from Jen- get in touch with us if you have any
questions or comments!!
Shannon,
What a pretty binder….just curious — is this a mini binder or is it a regular size binder that holds 8 1/2 x 11 sheets?
It’s a large binder – nearly 12 x 12.
Shannon! This binder is FABULOUS!! Thank you for sharing
your great ideas & your wonderful downloads!
I am making one thanks to this awesome idea!! I made dividers, similar to yours, but in princess colors since we are planning the trip around my 5 year old DD and her LOVE for all things Disney Princess. I’ve been working on it for at least 3 weeks and I have lots more to do, but you are AMAZING – for making this, sharing this, and encouraging others to do so as well! Thanks a million!!
You’re welcome, Sharla! I assume you’ve seen my trip plan for princesses? http://wdwprepschool.com/a-princess-themed-disney-world-trip-plan/
Yes! I saw that post – thank you! I also just created my own autograph book for our trip, if you’d like to check it out I posted it here: http://www.itsamueggelife.com/2013/04/disney-custom-autograph-books.html
Your blog has given me SO much inspiration! Thank you a million.
Did you design your binder as a “binder” or as a “scrapbook” in order to get the 12×12 size? What do you find as a benefit of having a larger sized binder?
It’s a binder, not a scrapbook (I got it from an office supply place). I like the larger binder to fit all of the various info that I have. Many people have smaller binders and that seems to work for them.
Sorry, I just realized that The Paper Worker does sell 12×12 scrapbooks now. Mine was called a Casemade Binder.
This is AMAZING!!! I am completely overwhelmed, but I hope the more I look at your site and study some of the things, I will understand a little better. Trying to plan our first Disney trip this summer
I see that you have updated most of the stuff for 2013…do you know where can i find park hours for 2013?
Thank you!
All of the park hours are listed above in the General Info section. Park hours appear at those links before they appear on Disney’s main site.
This is awesome! One question – the dining plan calculator
worksheet is password protected, so I can’t edit it. Any chance you
know the password?
Which one? None of them seem to be for me.
Hi Shannon!
I have been surfing your website for days now planning our upcoming trip in April. I LOVE your binder layout and you make it all so easy to recreate! I was just wondering where you have your printing done for some of the items (i.e. maps) that have a lot of color and detail. Thanks for all of your hard work on this site, it has been incredibly helpful.
When does all the info for 2014 come out?
I am also curious as to when the info for 2014 will come out. We are planning ur trip for January (althogh the kids think we are planning for 4 years from now! hehe!)
Called WDW, 2014 prices will be released June 1, 2013.
I LOVE this! I too, bring a binder full of info on our trips but yours is awesome!!! I can’t wait to get started on a new one!
Hi, like your site.
I noticed you linked my SOTMK PDF checklist. Can you please change the link you used to http://thewdwplanner.com/phcdownload/download.php?id=3 This will ensure that when I update the file the link will continue to work.
Also, giving me some credit by adding a link to my site next to it would be great.
Thanks a bunch,
Mike
http://www.thewdwplanner.com
Hi, Mike -
Thanks for stopping by. The link has been updated.
Thanks so much for all of this info! I’m making my binder this week!
Hi Shannon! When I saw your binder, I HAD to have it. It was like Christmas when I came across it! Thank you SOOO much for being so detailed with it and all of the links!
Just one question. I’m personalizing it, and am wondering about your tabs. Is the print on all of them white? Or is the yellow one in black? Ex….I can tell on your ‘General Info’ tab that the folder is red, but where it says “General Info”, that’s done in white font. I’m just wondering about the yellow tabs. I just wonder if the white would show up well on them? Thanks!
I was thinking you could add a section about the rv parks or something because we are rving there!
I just sent an email to Jen, can’t wait to hear back. I have a generic binder with tabs I made up, but this just fulfills my obsession! Thanks!!!
Still haven’t heard back from the company. Do you have any other contact info?
Sorry, I don’t have any other info.
Hey Shannon,
Jen got back to me today!! YEAH!! I just ordered my planner and will be able to use it for our upcoming trip in July! Thanks again for your design it is super awesome!!!
Jenn
Shannon… OMG!! You have totally put my Disney planning obsession to shame. I’ve just been waiting for the summer 2014 reservations to open up so that we can book our trip and I think that I must have a planning binder. Thank you for all of the fab ideas… love it!