DLR in a Day - mistakes

[stindall]

I LOVE RideMax! I've subscribed to both TP and RM, and RM is hands down the better service. It's a lot more user friendly, and I feel like it produces much better plans. Like you, I found TP messy and sometimes confusing, and I'm a computer guy. We use RM every time we go to the parks, absolutely would not leave home without it, and quite honestly, it adds the fun of planning.

I do understanding not wanting to hold yourself to a time schedule, down the minute, which is exactly what RM does, but I've had plenty of magic with the family while using RM. We have young kids, so we try to minimize line time, and RM does that for us. It also groups attractions together, so we don't spend time crossing back and forth across the park, and the FP management in RM is unbeatable. Geez, sounds like I work for them... I don't, I just love it! I promise you'll be converted if you try it out and stick to your schedule! I'd be happy to send you over some of our past itineraries if you'd like to see what it look like.

Let me ask you this, would I be able to make a plan for both DCA and DL at once? The way touring plans "lets" you do it is kind of weird and confusing. This is good to hear, maybe I'll cancel the Touring Plans when I get home today. I'm a planner kind of person, I like having a schedule. In fact memorizing a map is easier for me if I have an itinerary. I totally understand not wanting one, but for someone who has never been and wants to hit most/all the things WDW (somewhere I've been 10+ times) doesn't have, I personally feel like one is necessary.

 

[DisneyDreamer1229]

In order to get plans for both parks in a single day, you would have to enter in a stop time at your first park, and then create a second schedule with the next park and set the start time near where you ended the first. We have used RM before, I can't say we follow it 100% of the time, but it gives us a good idea of how we want to plan our day.

 

[rizzle64]

Let me ask you this, would I be able to make a plan for both DCA and DL at once? The way touring plans "lets" you do it is kind of weird and confusing. This is good to hear, maybe I'll cancel the Touring Plans when I get home today. I'm a planner kind of person, I like having a schedule. In fact memorizing a map is easier for me if I have an itinerary. I totally understand not wanting one, but for someone who has never been and wants to hit most/all the things WDW (somewhere I've been 10+ times) doesn't have, I personally feel like one is necessary.

I had both TP and RM a few years ago and tried and tried to get TP to give me a decent itinerary and I couldn't, I ended up not using at all, so if I were you I’d cancel and get RM.

Do you mean plans for DCA and DL in the same day for park hopping, or just a plan for each on their own days? Either way you can do both. RM allows you to create as many itineraries as you want to either park. I’ve put together 10 different itineraries for each park on a given day to see which one I like best and fits our needs best.

It takes a tad more work to park hop, but I do it each time we go. I used it last September and at that time, RM did not have a specific park hop feature, but I know they mention working on one. Anyway, if they have not released a park hopping feature yet, you simply create an itinerary and then add a break for the time you park hop. For example, create a plan for DL for the day, then stick a ‘Break’ in there from say 11:00am – 4:00pm, it will give you an itinerary with that large break and schedule the attractions you want to do around that break. Then create another itinerary for DCA with a start time of 11:00am ending at 4:00pm, and viola, you have a park hop. Sounds complicated, but once you get in there you’ll find it’s really easy.

I’m a planner as well, and I love to tweak my plan around quite a bit, I enjoy it. RM will give an itinerary, then let you edit that same itinerary, so if there’s something small you don’t like about it, you edit and make the change(s) without have to create a whole new one. Does that make sense? RM also gives you useful tips about many of the rides and attractions.

 

[cmpeter]

I am a huge Ride Max fan. Haven't tried TP at DL because I had previously read on here that TP wasn't as accurate for DL.

RM will not incorporate MM, so we plan that ourselves. Then starting at rope drop I plan out the rest of our morning with Ride Max. I schedule a late lunch and sometimes continue using RM into the afternoon/evening and sometimes leave those open. Sort of depends on how many days we are in the parks and how busy things are. But, for a 1 day trip, I would definitely use RM.

 

[bswift]

Traveling from such a far distance, is it plausible at all for you to be able to visit Anaheim for a longer period of time? Just make up an excuse to your family and HR department. Like a delayed flight due to weather conditions. Those Santa Ana winds can be horrendous! I am more than happy to provide additional excuses to you.

Unfortunately my 2 days at DL are an extra treat that I can't really afford as it is I am spending 5 days at WDW though so I will be getting my fill of Disney magic either way

 

[Chiomaca]

Unfortunately my 2 days at DL are an extra treat that I can't really afford as it is I am spending 5 days at WDW though so I will be getting my fill of Disney magic either way

In that case, I'd focus first on the stuff you can't do at DWD or that are quite different - Carsland, Space Mountain, Pirates, Mr. Toad, World of Color. Paring the list down will ease up on the time pressure. I'm not much of an advance planner, which works against me for WDW but is fine at DLR. A Park Hopper and a good wait time app on your smartphone makes it even easier since you can go back and forth whenever you feel like it. We'll often start our day at DCA (RSR and TSMM), grab lunch in Downtown Disney, spend the afternoon at DLR, dinner and pool time at the hotel, then back to one of the parks for WOC or fireworks.

 

[stindall]

I had both TP and RM a few years ago and tried and tried to get TP to give me a decent itinerary and I couldn't, I ended up not using at all, so if I were you I’d cancel and get RM.

Do you mean plans for DCA and DL in the same day for park hopping, or just a plan for each on their own days? Either way you can do both. RM allows you to create as many itineraries as you want to either park. I’ve put together 10 different itineraries for each park on a given day to see which one I like best and fits our needs best.

It takes a tad more work to park hop, but I do it each time we go. I used it last September and at that time, RM did not have a specific park hop feature, but I know they mention working on one. Anyway, if they have not released a park hopping feature yet, you simply create an itinerary and then add a break for the time you park hop. For example, create a plan for DL for the day, then stick a ‘Break’ in there from say 11:00am – 4:00pm, it will give you an itinerary with that large break and schedule the attractions you want to do around that break. Then create another itinerary for DCA with a start time of 11:00am ending at 4:00pm, and viola, you have a park hop. Sounds complicated, but once you get in there you’ll find it’s really easy.

I’m a planner as well, and I love to tweak my plan around quite a bit, I enjoy it. RM will give an itinerary, then let you edit that same itinerary, so if there’s something small you don’t like about it, you edit and make the change(s) without have to create a whole new one. Does that make sense? RM also gives you useful tips about many of the rides and attractions.

Yes that's exactly what I meant. We're willing to make it work with hopping as we are not really the take a vacation to just relax and lay around type! Thanks for your help though, I did indeed send an email to cancel my touring plans subscription this morning.