Does anyone not use a Touring Plan?

[tophatgirl]

I don't know....maybe it is just me? I LOVE to plan and research but the thought of doing a touring PLAN is just beyond any desire for me. We have ADR's for a few nights, planning to quick service a bunch, so that will dictate what park we are in.

We are traveling with our DD5 and really want to be able to lead by what she is interested in at the time. We of course want to see the big attractions and will pick up FP along the way.

This is our second family trip to Disney and this worked pretty well for us before.

Am I crazy or part of the "norm"?

 

[ptted]

I plan and research my trips (even being a local florida resident), but I don't use a touring plan.

 

[NemoLeo]

I definitely plan and research any trip, but don't have a tour plan.

 

[StitchSpawn]

If I'm going by myself, I don't because I know what I'm doing. I only make one for family so they understand why certain choices are better than others. Like if Epcot is not recommended that day, I would suggest we go another day. I don't need it for me, and mine are more like "guides" than touring plans. You have to be flexible.

 

[janabananas]

I am another "researcher and planner" but I don't have an actual touring plan. I like having a structure (what park, what day & an ADR for dinner), but otherwise whatever happens, happens.

I don't think you are crazy at all. I hope you enjoy your "non-tour planned" vacation!

 

[DisneySarah80]

This will be our 3rd trip with our DDs, and our first that I will be doing a touring plan for us. I'm suprised - I thought I would enjoy making it, but its not a fun thing for me. I'm going to do it, and I will bring it with us. We will attempt to follow it, but if we don't, then we don't.

Personally, I think its best to over-plan, and then just go with the flow with you get there!

 

[humboldthny]

We don't use a touring plan - we do try to make sure our ADR's make sense with the parks we plan on visiting for the day, but as for our time inside the parks it's pretty much us wandering around doing whatever we feel like doing at the moment (and using up our FP).

 

[tophatgirl]

I am another "researcher and planner" but I don't have an actual touring plan. I like having a structure (what park, what day & an ADR for dinner), but otherwise whatever happens, happens.

I don't think you are crazy at all. I hope you enjoy your "non-tour planned" vacation!

I like structure too, and totally agree with you! I know what shows/rides are definites, but the when during that day/park is always negotiable.

 

[tony609]

I am another "researcher and planner" but I don't have an actual touring plan. I like having a structure (what park, what day & an ADR for dinner), but otherwise whatever happens, happens.

I don't think you are crazy at all. I hope you enjoy your "non-tour planned" vacation!

Same here.

 

[minnie mum]

If it was just me, I probably wouldn't bother with one. Been enough times to know which headliners I will try to do in the morning. But DH, Lord love him, is so easily SQUIRRELL distracted, that I have a hard time getting him past one attraction in order to see another one first. If we have a written touring plan, though, he's happy to follow it. Go figure. But usually in the afternoon, if the crowds aren't bad, I put the plan away and let him off the leash.

 

[CajunMomof3]

I love the planning- it is like the ultimate puzzle for me. That being said, we don't use a touring plan. We plan which park and make our ADRs and then go with flow. I have never tried a touring plan, but I imagine that DSs would make it pretty hard to stick to!

 

[ANgua85]

I plan but I dont use a touring plan. I rarely do ADRs. I dont want to go with a preset "this park this day" calendar. Its my vacation, for goodness sake!

And what do you know- I survive I eat- I know every one is shocked. But one can eat in the parks without an ADR. Most importantly, I eat places I would not have expected and discover new favorite things. Live a little!

Less than a month to my next trip! Taking my adult DD with me woohoo!

 

[cmkling]

The most I ever plan is which parks we are going to any given day, which is typically dictated by EMH. Well, I did have one ADR but that's just because I wanted to do a character meal.

 

[sammielynn]

Another planner that does not have a touring plan. I know which park, and if we do a sitdown meal I have a ADR. We do have a list of things we want to do but we don't have an order in which to see them.

 

[Christinarella]

We don't do a touring plan. We go to the parks with a "high priority" list, and hit those things first, then work everything else around that. Touring this way, we've always been able to do everything we want to do, and then some.

 

[JenSop]

I don't use a touring plan, but I've been going to Disney for 26 years. I know which rides to do when and how to work it.

I know that if I want to do TSM, I have to get my FP first thing. I know if I want to ride Space Mountain with hardly a wait that I have to get my FP early. Same for Soarin'. I also know that I can ride Pirates over and over later at night. Same with Splash. I know when the animals are most active on the Safari and that the single rider lines in Test Track and EE are totally worth doing.

When I have clients or friends going, I make the touring plans FOR them, though.

 

[mommyrosa2]

Another planner here without a touring plan. We too have our ADRs scheduled (all dinners), plan our park days around EMH but don't have a plan of attack when it comes to rides - we pretty much do whatever. We also plan quite a bit of "open" time during the week to have the freedom of "going with the flow". CS (normally for lunches) depends on where we are and we everyone feels like eating that particular day. I find that planning but not overdoing it really works for our family

 

[EastonCat]

I make touring plans with my kids and then "lose" them. We tour without too much set in stone unless we have planned a hard ticket party or a candlelight processional package.

The planning is like stealing a little vacation into the every day. Vacation, though, is for not having to live by the clock.

 

[Mrs K]

We used a touring plan once, and my kids hated me by the 3rd day. Like most of us, I'm a planner and a bit of a control freak, but don't use a touring plan. We try to decide what park we will visit each day and then see how things go. We always have our must ride attractions, and work around them. We always get park hoppers and if one park is crazy, we just change plans and try another park.

 

[KristiKat]

I love being organized and having a plan but not at Disney. I don't do a touring plan. We just go with what we feel and what the kids feel for the day. If we have reservations we worked around it but other than that no touring plan.