Discrepancy between Tour Mike and Tour Plans Crowd Level..What is right???

[hedgehog2owl]

TGM hasn't steered me wrong. I've sworn off TP after last May's fiasco. Their much ado about nothing created a lot of unnecessary stress. JMO-- YMMV.

um, can you expand on this?

 

[TummyGummi]

As long as I'm not shoulder to shoulder with people, I consider it a 6. That's what I'm planning on.

See you there!!

so what does a "6" mean on the sharadoc scale? the numbers for touringplans.com mean things. it is not that it feels like a "6"; it means that peak wait time for major attractions will be 60 minutes at mid day. Arbitrary use of feelings are difficult to convey from person to person. That would be the reason there is a commonly accepted standard for the meter, the gram, the foot, etc. touringplans is using terms that everyone can quantify.

 

[eeyoreland]

Well, they're BOTH still wrong for 2/8 & 2/9 and have been for a month now. DHS Evening EMH was moved from the 8th to the 9th, but neither has been updated to show this. Very annoying to actually pay for something and know more than they know

I would like people to weigh in on this one. Is the 9th the right day for EMH at DHS??? Touring Plans lists DHS as the best park to visit on the 9th, but if there are EMH, wouldn't we want to avoid it?

 

[sharadoc]

so what does a "6" mean on the sharadoc scale? the numbers for touringplans.com mean things. it is not that it feels like a "6"; it means that peak wait time for major attractions will be 60 minutes at mid day. Arbitrary use of feelings are difficult to convey from person to person. That would be the reason there is a commonly accepted standard for the meter, the gram, the foot, etc. touringplans is using terms that everyone can quantify.

That's right - that's why I said I consider it a 6. My opinion only. I don't use any of the services so I have no opinion on which one is right or wrong.

 

[linskypens]

Ive used both, and I can tell you that TGM is the way to go! Used them the last two trips, and he has been on the money both times!
If you read why he has picked the park, the reasoning will either cause you to believe, or you may think he is off the mark. Up to you to read what he says, and then make your own choice, but he has never steered me wrong, and the what parks what days is why I spend the money in the first place

 

[vicki_c]

Well, they're BOTH still wrong for 2/8 & 2/9 and have been for a month now. DHS Evening EMH was moved from the 8th to the 9th, but neither has been updated to show this. Very annoying to actually pay for something and know more than they know

I would like people to weigh in on this one. Is the 9th the right day for EMH at DHS??? Touring Plans lists DHS as the best park to visit on the 9th, but if there are EMH, wouldn't we want to avoid it?

I checked after that other post and yes, TGM and wdwinfo.com both show EMH PM at DHS on the 8th. Assume touringplans does too as that's what the PP said. Only the WDW site shows it on the 9th at this point. So I'm going with recently changed (although PP said a month? that seems weird) or else it is possible that the Disney site has a problem - not like that's never happened before. I think wdwinfo is pretty good at changing things as they change, and I don't think TGM does a bad job either- he just changed advice for January a few weeks ago when Disney changed some things.

Hours / EMHs are just notoriously unreliable on any site, including Disney's, in my opinion. Maybe someone could check the travel agent .pdf listing - I don't have a link to it handy. Or the UK Disney site.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

I was wondering why Touring Plans recommends the MK for Mondays. I've always seen that as a bad day for the MK b/c everyone goes there at the beginning of their vacation.

I think it is because The Magic Kingdom has Evening Extra Magic Hours on Sunday nights. Attending ANY park the morning after an EEMH is a "plus". Also like mentioned, most people DO start their WDW vacations at the MK meaning Saturdays AND Sundays will be crowded. Also, the MK gets crowded later in the week because people visit the MK for a second time in their vacation.

These are just my opinions and observations on the Crowd Calendars.

Jennifer

 

[kmk1180]

Since nobody of us can be at two different places at the same time there isn't anyway to say which is better.

And that is the only truth you can count on.
Unless there's a major event at one of the parks, Neither can which park will be busiest that day or not thus can't say which is best to visit.

I always use the idea...It's my vacation, not a schedule...I'll plan on doing what's fun for me.

I do find this whole debate hilarious.
Anyone else notice to OP's Id was 1sttimer?
If their id is true and this is their first time it won't matter which they follow because they'll have nothing to compare it to.

 

[eeyoreland]

I checked after that other post and yes, TGM and wdwinfo.com both show EMH PM at DHS on the 8th. Assume touringplans does too as that's what the PP said. Only the WDW site shows it on the 9th at this point. So I'm going with recently changed (although PP said a month? that seems weird) or else it is possible that the Disney site has a problem - not like that's never happened before. I think wdwinfo is pretty good at changing things as they change, and I don't think TGM does a bad job either- he just changed advice for January a few weeks ago when Disney changed some things.

Hours / EMHs are just notoriously unreliable on any site, including Disney's, in my opinion. Maybe someone could check the travel agent .pdf listing - I don't have a link to it handy. Or the UK Disney site.

I was ready to call the WDW website wrong, but then I discovered allears has it listed as the 9th also

 

[PurpleTurtle]

Only the WDW site shows it on the 9th at this point. So I'm going with recently changed (although PP said a month? that seems weird)

Hi there - Here's my original post about this from 12/14:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2350695

Feb. 9th is my 40th b-day, so that's why I care about this so much

The travel agent calendar for Feb. still says evening EMH at DHS on the 9th. The current one is dated 12/29, but the last one was dated 12/11 and had it on the 9th, as well.

February travel agent calendar

So, yes, it's been at least since 12/11 that DHS has an EMH on 2/9, not 2/8. Only allears seems to have picked up on it so far. I guess I'll know for sure on 2/7 when the show guides come out for the week!

 

[KJ and Crew]

Obviously, if you're using TGM and Touring Plans, and are a DISer, you're a smart Disney-goer. So eenie meenie mighty moe it and go with one. If you're educated enough to be asking about it, I doubt using the "wrong" one will make much of an impact in your enjoyment that day.

I think this is the best advice we've heard yet!

We just got back from WDW the week between Christmas and New Year's: 80,000 people in the MK!! We followed TGM and we did more rides than I ever dreamed possible! If THAT week is doable, I'm sure you will be fine!!

HAve a magical trip!!

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

That's why I hate using UG. They don't give you any reasoning behind their best parks like Mike does.

courtesy of http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=14
Data we use to determine the best days for each park include:

Actual wait time statistics gathered in the parks
Our own counting of guests in Disney's parks
Disney's Extra Magic Hours schedule
Special events calendars
U.S. legal holidays
Outside sources (e.g., the U.S. Department of Transportation, Consumer Reports, etc.)

Some of these data, such as historical park hours, Disney's Extra Magic Hours schedule, and U.S. legal holidays, are widely available on the Internet. Other data, such as public school schedules, are available, but not from a single source (we had to look up each school's calendar individually). The more detailed data, including hotel occupancy rates and government statistics, require not only access, but fairly sophisticated analysis. And some data, such as wait times, we had to get ourselves.

I was wondering why Touring Plans recommends the MK for Mondays. I've always seen that as a bad day for the MK b/c everyone goes there at the beginning of their vacation.

Avoid MK on Mondays tip went out of the rotation several years ago (b/c it was not really good advice), now you pretty much only find that kind of advice in questionable guidebooks or official ones, like Birnbaums.

FWIW we use Touring plans and have always had great success w/ the crowd calendar being accurate and the Best Days/Worst Days have always been spot on. We even did out own experiments last trip to test the recomendations and have decided to exclusively use thier recommendations from now on out.

 

[robinbutterfly]

I think I am going to get TGM

I am nervous now. Did you get TGM? Did you change your plans after looking at TGM?

 

[danceintherain]

I really wouldn't worry about it that much. I understand that sometimes it's tempting to really want to be at the BEST park for that day, but none of the Tour Guide sites actually KNOW which park is going to be the best that day. Yes, they can predict crowd levels based on past data, but you could show up and find out that their predictions were wrong.

Basically if you go by the rest of their advice, such as arrive at Rope Drop, no matter which park you choose you'll have a little bit of time that is virtually guest free.

On the Unofficial Guide's website, my absolute favorite things are the Cheat Sheets. (I haven't tried TGM, but he may have a similar thing) That way if I get off my plan for the day, or choose not to use one, I can look at a piece of paper that tells me if its worth the effort to walk over to a certain attraction. If it has a giant X through it, then I know I'll do better to wait until later.