Trip research

Trip Research

Gather and synthesize information for Disneyland trip planning.

Required Resources

IMPORTANT: Before starting research, review these resource files:

• Web URLs: resources/web-urls.md

  • Disney tips database (filter for "park": "disneyland")
  • Insider recommendations and strategies
  • Pre-vetted web resources

• YouTube Videos: resources/youtube-videos.md

  • Curated list of helpful planning videos
  • Transcript extraction instructions
  • Recommended channels and topics

These resources provide pre-vetted, high-quality information sources for research.

Quick Start

1. Read trip context files:
   • trip-details.md - Core trip facts and constraints
   • trip-decisions.md - Existing strategic choices
   • trip-tracker.md - Current research status and gaps
2. Review required resources in resources/
3. Extract research questions from trip-tracker.md
4. Extract YouTube transcripts for video content
5. Access Disney tips database
6. Execute web searches with focused keywords
7. Cross-reference sources for accuracy
8. Generate actionable summary
9. Update trip-tracker.md with research completion status

Research Topics

• Best rides for kids
• Crowd calendar interpretation
• Lightning Lane analysis
• Dining reservation timing
• Character meet-and-greet schedules
• Ride wait time patterns
• Height requirements and rider switch
• Seasonal events and entertainment
• Weather patterns
• Budget optimization

Research Workflow

Phase 1: Information Gathering

• HIGH PRIORITY: Extract YouTube video transcripts (see below)
• HIGH PRIORITY: Use Diseny tips database
• MID PRIORITY: Search for Reddit threads and parse HTML for insights
• LOW PRIORITY: Use web_search for blog posts, articles, official sites
• Look for recent data (within 6 months)

Phase 2: Source Analysis

• Evaluate credibility (official > expert blogs > forums)
• Cross-reference conflicting information
• Note booking deadlines and time-sensitive actions
• Identify research gaps

Phase 3: Synthesis

• Organize findings by category
• Create priority tiers based on party preferences
• Highlight budget considerations
• Note seasonal/timing factors
• Generate recommendation summary

YouTube Transcript Extraction

Use the summarize CLI to extract transcripts from YouTube videos:

# Basic transcript extraction
npx -y @steipete/summarize "https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID" --youtube auto --extract

# With markdown formatting
npx -y @steipete/summarize "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --extract --format md

Output Format

# [Topic] Research Summary

## Quick Takeaways
- Key insight with source
- Key insight with source
- Key insight with source

## Key Findings
[Details organized by category]

## Priority Recommendations
1. High priority (with deadline)
2. Medium priority
3. Nice to have

## Budget Considerations
- Cost breakdown for key decisions
- Money-saving tips

## Sources
- Source 1 [URL]
- Source 2 [URL]
- YouTube: Video Title [URL]

Best Practices

• Prioritize official Disney sources for reservations, hours, pricing
• Use Reddit/forums for insider tips and real experiences
• Use YouTube transcripts for detailed walkthroughs and recent trip reports
• Cross-reference crowd predictions from multiple sources
• Note when information might be outdated
• Consider party-specific factors (ages, heights, interests)
• Flag areas requiring real-time verification during trip

Trip Tracker Updates

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

1. Check boxes for completed research deliverables:

   • Best rides for kids → research/rides-for-kids.md
   • Crowd calendar analysis → research/crowd-levels.md
   • Weather forecast → research/weather-forecast.md
   • Dining options research → research/dining-options.md
   • Character meet schedules → research/character-meets.md
   • Tips resources → research/amadad-disney-tips.md
   • Youtube Videos resources → research/youtube-video-tips.md

2. Update the Research section status:

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

3. Update Phase 1 progress percentage based on completed items

4. Add entry to Recent Activity log:

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

5. Update pending actions to reflect next steps (e.g., "Run trip-planner skill")

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