Anyone used the Unofficial Guide's Touring Plans

[southernbelle_amy]

Did anyone use these touring plans? Did it work for you? And we are going Nov. 29-Dec.6th, so I am hoping it isn't that crowded anyway. Thanks

 

[YorkieMommyKandis]

We are going November 27 - December 3 and I am also hoping it won't be so crowded that we have to really worry about the plans. I have never used them before so I was wondering as well. I would prefer to just stroll and do things as we see them, but if it is crowded I would rather stick to a plan than get caught in a mess.

 

[bgdiznee]

We used it one time for AK in mid June. Worked like a charm! Got through all the major attractions with very little waiting and out of the park when the crowds and heat were starting to build. It was not hard to follow. If you had only one day in AK you would miss a lot of the lesser attractions, animal trails and such. So it works best to use one day for the rides then come back for a half day and just stroll.

 

[johnvree]

While I love the UG, I question a lot of the recommendations in the touring plans. Maybe they are geared for the heaviest attendance days and, since we never go during these times, I am unfamiliar with traffic patterns then. I would use them as rough guides but not be afraid to detour from them.

 

[ajcolorado]

We've used nothing, the Unofficial Guide, www.tourguidemike.com, www.buildabettermousetrip.com, and Birnbaum. We've gone during low and high seasons.

Nothing - I will never, never, ever do this again - even in low season. You just waste too much time with indecision, especially if you are unfamiliar with the parks.

The Unofficial Guide - the book is very thick but very good. The touring plans are rigorous but work well. Don't buy a used copy unless it is recent - there have been new rides etc. and the information needs to be up-to-date to be helpful.

Tour Guide Mike - seems like our day at the park was more vacation-like and we got onto rides and attractions with a minimal wait. The site is a little overwhelming at first but the people on the forums are very nice.

Build A Better Mouse Trip - most expensive option but the easiest by far. You deal with a real person who does your plans for you and will even make your dining reservations. They even called us at our resort to warn us that our planned water park day was going to be chilly and to offer an alternative plan.

I found Birnbaum to be an easy read that gives a great overview but the information is not specific enough for busy times.

I've never used passporter but a friend has and the maps in it looked beautiful. I looked at a DK guide at the bookstore and the pictures were lovely but the advice was horrible.

 

[qman]

We've gone during a moderately busy time of the year (the week of Vet's Day/Jersey week) in 2003 & 2005. We've never used a touring plan but have followed the advise given by the Unofficial Guide:

- Plan ahead and identifiy the popular attractions you want.
- Arrive at the park early.
- Use fastpasses when necessary.

Bottom line, don't show up late morning/early afternoon and ramdomly move about the park. Be early with a good plan and you should be all set.

 

[southernbelle_amy]

I am not sure what we will do, and really don't know if 5 other adults will follow my lead, although they have no concern for planning.

 

[Caltha]

I have been wondering this same question myself. We are going in January 7-17, should I have a touring plan for my family of five. 2 Adults 3 kids 14 ,12, 9.
We have never been before, but I don't want to ruin the experience by making everyone stick to a plan all day. I can imagine the minute we walk into a park the kids will want to ride the first thing they see. I don't want to be spending all day saying NO!!, we will come back to that later when its on the "plan", so to speak. What shall I do??

 

[Quacktatty]

I'm a total planner by nature so I love the Unofficial Guide touring plans. I usually take some time prior to my trip to devise my own personal plan based on the UG plans recommendations. I also never visit during busy season (Last trip was Oct '03 and the longest I waited in line was 15 minutes for the train after Wishes)

I would recommend customizing the plan to suit your tastes - it does exclude some of the more minor attractions that I enjoy, Tomorrowland Speedway, Teacups, etc. You won't need to follow it to a T for off season visits, but if you do, it will still save you a bunch of time waiting in lines!!

 

[ajcolorado]

In my opinion, the more adults - the more you need a plan. We went to Disneyland with in-laws and my sister-in-laws family and I cannot begin to tell you how much time was wasted at the end of every ride or attraction with this same conversation:

"What would you like to do?" "I'm easy, what would you like to do?"

It was horrible.

We took the same crew to WDW and gave everyone a printed copy of the touring plan. We said, "You're free to go wherever you wish but this is the schedule we plan to follow." We were together for some things - seperate for other things. It went much, much better than the Disneyland trip.

 

[ajcolorado]

I have been wondering this same question myself. We are going in January 7-17, should I have a touring plan for my family of five. 2 Adults 3 kids 14 ,12, 9.
We have never been before, but I don't want to ruin the experience by making everyone stick to a plan all day. I can imagine the minute we walk into a park the kids will want to ride the first thing they see. I don't want to be spending all day saying NO!!, we will come back to that later when its on the "plan", so to speak. What shall I do??

Caltha,

You have probably guessed that I am in favor of having a plan. It is a distinct advantage if you have never been to Disney World before because the parks are just so overwhelming. You are going at a low season so it isn't as big a deal. Here's what we tell our kids -

We have a sheet with the name and a brief description of every attraction followed by a blank space. Send a PM w/ your email address and I'll be happy to send it to you if I can remember where I saved it. You can do the same thing in the margin of your book, right next to the attraction description. We sit down with the kids and use three symbols - a smiley face, flat face, and a frown face (it is very scientific). The kids rate the importance of each attraction to them. We tell the kids, "We will make sure you get to do everything that is a priority to you and most of the things that you are at least interested in. We're going to have to follow a bit of a plan because we want to make sure we cover everyone's priorities. By the way - we rate these for ourselves too. We believe that the parents are part of the family on the family vacation. My kids have always done just fine with this system. We have gotten off a ride and gotten right back on - which you'll be able to do in January.

We also have a "civil code" that we use on the trip that encourages the family to avoid torturing one another:

Civil Code 1: You are not responsible for anyone else having a good time – anyone who can’t have fun at Disneyworld should seek professional help. However, you may not do things that actively interfere with another person’s positive experience. This even applies to people we do not know. Examples:
1. Being loud as you walk past other hotel rooms or excessive thumping around if we are not on the ground floor.
2. Making anyone feel stupid for liking “It’s a Small World” or any other attraction.
3. Being rowdy or obnoxious on rides or in lines.

Civil Code 2: We will be spending a lot of time together. We will share small spaces, get tired, and get hot. This is a potential breeding ground for hurt feelings. Please be careful in your teasing. The comment that is taken in fun at home might be taken seriously by a hot, tired, hungry person.

Civil Code 3: Please be responsible for your own belongings. Only take as much into the parks as you are comfortable carrying all day. Our hotel rooms are not large – please be sensitive to your roommates’ comfort and do not spread your belongings everywhere.