TouringPlans.com subscription: Worth it?

[kathy884]

How do you all use it the most? Do you plan your schedule based on "best parks" or do you just use the touring plan recommendations?

I just got access and can't help but look at EVERYTHING!

Since I stay offsite, just do two Disney park days, and don't get hoppers, I make sure to go on a day when the park does not have morning extra magic hours. Sometimes the park I pick is recommended and sometimes it's neutral. It's almost never the park to avoid. We love Sea World, so my planning involves doing Sea World as our first park and doing Sea World with the second day free as our last park. Then I scehdule two Disney Park days in usually trying to fit in two down days in between busy park days and making sure those aren't on morning EMH days which are typically Unofficial Guide park to avoid days. I let my son pick which two Disney parks he wants to do, and usually he'll pick the ones we haven't been to as recently, but not always.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I found it incredibly useful, and since the subscription was for a full year, I'm now using it to plan our 2nd trip. When the 180 day mark came, I didn't want to make my reservation for the Crystal Palace breakfast on a day when MK would be at a 9 or 10 so using the site was good for deciding which park to do on which days and therefore really helped with the ADR process.

I also love how you can use the map of the park to make a plan with as much or as little detail as you like. Gives fast pass locations as well so you can plan with as much detail as "get off (insert ride), get fast pass for (insert ride)." Helps prevent a person, especially a person who has never been (like we hadn't last year) from planning to do two things in succession that are on opposite sides of the park or just not convenient to each other. I didn't have the right phone last year, but am excited about using the line app for the next trip.

 

[rob4059]

its certainly not slick or hi-tech. But the info is incredibly useful. I'd re-up again.

 

[MamaGrizzly]

What is the book that everyone is talking about? And how does it give you a discounted price on touringplans subscription?

 

[HubbDave]

What is the book that everyone is talking about? And how does it give you a discounted price on touringplans subscription?

Unofficial Guide is the book

Their associated podcasts give discounts depending on the month

Lines is a good app

 

[momof2n2]

I've always thought so. Yet, I currently doubt they will be able to shed much light on my biggest area of concern, FP+ at this point. Well, the book for 2014 may not - but perhaps the website/app will.

 

[vleeth]

Outside of using the phone applications, isn't touring plans going to be not as useful when doing ADR's? I only use my phone for calls as I don't have or want a data plan. Just curious as I will be in WDW 12/20-12/27 and plan to use RD at many of the parks.

You can personalize your touring plan on the website (if you join.) So once you know what time you are eating, you can put that into your plan.

 

[nkereina]

We used to subscribe to Touring Plans solely for the Lines app. It used to be the only app that contained fast pass information, in addition to current stand by wait times. However, Josh at EasyWDW created a site with current wait times AND fast pass info. It's not an app, but he specifically formatted the site to be simple for quick and easy loading on smartphones. You can easily bookmark it on the browser on your phone, or if you have an iPhone, create a link to it on your home screen. No reason for us to subscribe to anything anymore.

 

[*~PrincessBelle~*]

easywdw.com... Its free and in my experience more helpful and accurate. To each his own though...

 

[ghtx]

Yes, it's worth it.

It's basically free. ($10.95? C'mon, get real.)

 

[juncker]

Yes, best app for the parks on my Iphone. Their Wait Times are the most accurate of anything I've seen. If it saves me 60 minutes in line during my vacation, it's worth more than $10.

Their website is nice, but I love the mobile app for wait times. My subscription has expired, but I'll renew once we schedule our next trip.

 

[2Tiggies]

I haven't read all the comments on this thread, but I highly recommend Touringplans. Best app for crowds by far and you get so much more than just a crowd calendar and touring plans with the sub. I've been using it since 2008 and would never let my subscription expire. It is so inexpensive for what it is and great value for money IMO

 

[lillygator]

mousesavers offers 20% off.

 

[chiburple]

Here's one vote for no. I love touringplans! However you can get the basic subscription for free here: http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/join/basic

I'm not sure if that was true at the time the OP first posted (which I know was a while ago), but just thought I'd add that here now in case anyone comes across this thread (like I did )

 

[ShayBells]

I think 10$ is worth it to find out. I did it. I liked it. It was fun to use. I did the personalized grouping plans. Used my own plans to evaluate my time. We never follow plans. Things always get in the way. But to me planning is fun so the 10$ was worth it to me even if I didn't follow it during the trip. It helped a lot to rework attractions.

I vote do it I mean it's only 10$. Totally worth it.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[ghtx]

Here's one vote for no. I love touringplans! However you can get the basic subscription for free here: http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/join/basic

I'm not sure if that was true at the time the OP first posted (which I know was a while ago), but just thought I'd add that here now in case anyone comes across this thread (like I did )

That's a good point. With the basic (free) subscription you can make personalized touring plans. But to access the pre-made plans, the crowd calendar, of the queue wait times, you have to have a paid subscription.

 

[kathy884]

Touring plans is great in so many ways. We just did a mini Orlando trip, and had only 3/4ths of day at Disney with a one day park hopper. And I fell in love with touring plans again (used it in an entirely different way than I have in the past.) We had opening till about 1 for things to do at the MK , late afternoon at the Titanic attraction on I-drive, and just 6:30 p.m. to 9 at Epcot. DS (18) and I used the customized optimization plan to figure out what attractions we could get in and a touring strategy, and it worked great. With this we knew it was very reasonable to do seven things at the MK and we picked out favorites, had touring plans optimize the order and give us projected times. Their estimates and the time it actually look us yesterday was practically spot on. We took 15 minutes longer than the projection. Then over to Epcot, we knew in advance that we'd have to wait a really long time, so were totally prepared for the 56 minute long wait projected for Soaring. The actual wait time was 60 minutes, and then with people getting ready to see illuminations it was walk on for two rides on Test Track. It helped us know what to expect, make reasonable choices, and make our day Magical.

 

[chiburple]

That's a good point. With the basic (free) subscription you can make personalized touring plans. But to access the pre-made plans, the crowd calendar, of the queue wait times, you have to have a paid subscription.