Frustrated With Using Personalized Touring Plans - Please Help

[GreenCntryGirl]

No, not hopeful, but truthful. Thanks!

I am a little frustrated that I bought it right now. I was not going to, haven't used touring plans before. But since they added the personalized plans I ended up finally having a moment of weakness and buying it.

I frustrated also with how I have to choose a restaurant to eat at and then when I have touring plans make a plan it has me running all over Epcot. For example touring Mexico, then eating at Sunshine Seasons, then touring Norway.
I guess I'm expecting too much with these and should just let it go, huh?

One more question. Those of you have used touring plans at least once and also gone without using plans, what do you prefer now? Thanks

I've used them and not used them. Not using them was a train wreck for us.

 

[Kari-B]

More great replies, thanks!

 

[elyse43230]

I used personalized touring plans in my June 2012 trip and I will ALWAYS use them! Yes, it had me riding Soarin twice in row, but that's the OPTIMAL way to do it, hence why the "Optimize" button is actually working if it makes it that way. However, you can put them anywhere you want. It's wonderful!

Also, they highly recommend that you don't put the Fastpass on the plan and let the system automatically tell you which ones need Fastpasses and which ones don't.

This system, to me, can be brilliant if you let it. I mean, telling it you have a Chef de France restaurant at 7pm, it will work the system so you are around France by 7pm.

If you want to avoid the trap of criss crossing the parks and wearing yourself out, I highly recommend these!

 

[smellyia]

I really like the EasyWDW site, too, but I don't see any touring plans on that site. Can someone point me in the right direction?

This is the downside. It isn't as easy as plugging stuff into a program like TP. That post I linked has Josh's ideal mornings at the parks. Previous blog posts have a plethora of tips that does take some reading but are invaluable. On the forums go toTheme park touring strategies and there are tons of posts of people who post what they want to do and the vets give them recs.

http://www.easywdw.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?8-Theme-Park-Touring-and-Strategy

Simple "rules" are for example:
-Be there prior to RD
-go to rec parks
-if you use morning EMH leave by late morning/early afternoon when crowds fill up and hop to a rec park
-MK: priorities at RD are ETwB, Merida, Tink, Space, PP
Epcot: Soarin' TT
DHS: TSM
AK: KS, EE
**basically the thought is to go thru the big ticket rides and get FPs for those early so that by midday you've hit everything that has potentially long afternoon waits and then you can spend time later touring leisurely.

Rec parks are listed by month on the right side and he gives great reasonings.

 

[Mainebound]

This is the downside. It isn't as easy as plugging stuff into a program like TP. That post I linked has Josh's ideal mornings at the parks. Previous blog posts have a plethora of tips that does take some reading but are invaluable. On the forums go toTheme park touring strategies and there are tons of posts of people who post what they want to do and the vets give them recs.

http://www.easywdw.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?8-Theme-Park-Touring-and-Strategy

Simple "rules" are for example:
-Be there prior to RD
-go to rec parks
-if you use morning EMH leave by late morning/early afternoon when crowds fill up and hop to a rec park
-MK: priorities at RD are ETwB, Merida, Tink, Space, PP
Epcot: Soarin' TT
DHS: TSM
AK: KS, EE
**basically the thought is to go thru the big ticket rides and get FPs for those early so that by midday you've hit everything that has potentially long afternoon waits and then you can spend time later touring leisurely.

Rec parks are listed by month on the right side and he gives great reasonings.

thanks!

 

[jewel71]

I'm currently trying to figure out the Personalized Touring Plans for our April trip, and to say I'm frustrated is an understatement.

For example, according to what I've read, we should plan to get in line for the Festival of the Lion King and Nemo shows at least 20-30 minutes before the show time. Every single time I have tried out the personalized touring plans, it has us arriving 10-15 minutes before showtime, which I know will NOT work if we expect to be seated. Not sure how to fix this.

 

[gtpoohbear]

I LOVE doing the Personalized TP, bu agree like many others that the Optimize button just messes everything up. Evaluate is extremely useful though. I just use that and move things around to "optimize" it myself.

My only issue so far is that for a few things (shows mostly) it is showing different times that what the actual WDW website lists. It looks like they may have changed them recently and TP hasn't picked up on it yet. So now I find myself not trusting it for anything that has certain times (as opposed to being continuous)

I also wish it would let you manually edit the amount of time for some things. Like I know from previous experience that we won't really spend 30 minutes at the Boneyard, but it makes it look like on the plan that we will miss the Parade, and every time I see that and forget why, I panic and think, What have I DONE???

 

[jewel71]

My only issue so far is that for a few things (shows mostly) it is showing different times that what the actual WDW website lists. It looks like they may have changed them recently and TP hasn't picked up on it yet. So now I find myself not trusting it for anything that has certain times (as opposed to being continuous)

Now, see, as someone trying to plan a first ever trip, this is beyond frustrating! I just checked the times for the shows at Animal Kingdom, and they are wrong on the touringplans website! How in the world am I supposed to come up with a plan when the plans they offer are so frustrating and I don't feel comfortable enough with coming up with one on my own?

 

[gtpoohbear]

Now, see, as someone trying to plan a first ever trip, this is beyond frustrating! I just checked the times for the shows at Animal Kingdom, and they are wrong on the touringplans website! How in the world am I supposed to come up with a plan when the plans they offer are so frustrating and I don't feel comfortable enough with coming up with one on my own?

I know!! It's very frustrating. And honestly, I can't say for sure that it's TP who is wrong. With all the changes to the WDW website, it's possible their info is messed up instead. But that's what I'm tentatively planning around, anyway. I also wondered if some of the schedules are seasonal and TP is predicting what they will change to in the future, but the calendar on the WDW site is showing them at the current times for the next several months. A major headache for us planners, especially when you are trying to time ADRs to make sure you can get to certain shows.

 

[GrtWtNorth]

The touring plans optimize feature works best when you are in the parks and "stuff happens". My Disney travel buddy is four years old -- stuff happens a lot. The ability to instantly optimize a plan, taking into account your location in the park, is invaluable, especially on busy days.

My only grief with the system is how it organizes the Animal Kingdom attractions at Rafiki's Planet Watch. But it isn't frustrating enough to make me switch to another system. And if you turn off the images, TouringPlans loads faster than anything else.