Does anyone not use a Touring Plan?

[petals]

The only thing I look at when planning is park hours and I go to parks that are open the longest! other than that we just go where we feel like on the day

 

[21hearts]

We don't use a touring plan. We pick what park we want to go to on what day & have our ADRs but that's it. Then we get to the park and just do what we want.

 

[kathy884]

I love love love the touring plans. And there are several reasons I'm sold on these. (I've done it both ways, but now always use a touring plan.)

Reason 1) We usually have 10-12 people in our party // Having a basic plan that we all agree on ahead of time prevents all the wasted time deciding what we do next / a real challenge with a large group. A plan just gets on with things. People can differ from the plan / go off on their own, but everyone is so excited to be together that that rarely happens with our family. / A set agreed upon ahead of time plan for a large group is so wonderful / so mindless. I print out 12 copies -- one for everyone and we have a blast. (Not so necessary for a small group) // My whole extended family things the plans are just fabulous.

Reason 2) We usually go every year, but only do one Disney park per year that's usually the one we haven't been to recently because we like them all. That means that it's been four years since we've been to the park, so we want to do all the major highlights -- The adult highlights plan (We just have adults and teens) is just so close to what we'd plan on our own anyway. There are typically a few things we drop that no one cares for. The only addition we always make is at DHS -- For some reason the plans never include the animation class -- a favorite of our whole group. (If you're not interested in doing all the major highlights makes more sense to do your own thing)

Reason 3) We are always there at busy times (crowd levels 8-10) -- Christmas or popular spring break weeks. // Despite having 22 visits to Orlando under my belt, my experimentation with getting there at rope drop and doing my own thing vs. using the plan on similar crowd level days proved to me that the Unofficial Guide order was far superior to my own order for the same things (major highlights) in terms of reducing time standing in line. (If you go at less busy times lines aren't really that much of an issue.)

I can certainly see that these wouldn't make sense for
everyone, but for me they greatly improve the fun that I have and my extended family has at a Disney park.

 

[Bilierka]

I have gone in July at the height of the tourist season several times and I have never used an official touring plan. I read, I research, I make a plan that fits my needs......I use PF, no sticking to a set plan like its a blueprint for D-Day
, and I have never waitied more then 30 minutes for any ride.....

I know they work.....it's just too much work for me, plus I am going in late October this time so I do not really need an attack plan....

 

[disneychic2]

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.

let him off the leash....

No touring plans for me, but I do see a value in them for people who go during the busiest times of the year.

 

[mlnbabies]

We have been 3 times before (2003,2006 and 2008) and have done MK all 3 trips and one day at AK in 2006. I never knew about plans or crowd levels back then. I do remember that in 2008, we couldn't get into the Plaza because we didn't have a ressie and it should've been booked 6 months prior.

We are going from Dec. 3-10 and my parents will be there from the 6-10. We will hit all 4 parks to see all of the decorations and the holiday events with MVMCP on one night. I have planned what park what day with ADR's for 3 of the parks. I know that we need to FP's and then we will just enjoy the day without a plan.

Since we haven't been to 2 of the parks, I need make a list of the things that we do want to do. I don't want to feel rushed in the parks so if we don't see everything, that will be reason to go back again. We will have to go see the new Fantasyland.

I also did plan some time to see the resorts all decked out. It'll be great and I can't wait to go.