Does using Touring Plans make sense?

[Zandy]

My family of 4 (mom, dad, kids 22 / 18) are visiting the park for 2 days: DL on Thursday 10/28 and DCA Friday 10/29. The last time we were at DL was 1 day in 2017, and as for DCA, well, I can’t remember but it was pre-Cars land. We have single park tickets.
Every time we’ve gone to any Disney park in the past, we have religiously followed plans from The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland / touringplans.com. I have made everyone get up at o-dark-thirty and get in line 90 minutes before opening time, etc. We’ve always had good results (in terms of minimizing line wait times) doing this.
My question is, does it make sense to do this in the current state of affairs? I checked out the most current Unofficial Guide at the library and it wasn’t current enough to have info about Virtual Queues, etc. I can pay on the website to get a touring plan, but does anyone know if it’s up to date?
I’ve read all about signing up for VQs so I feel like I have a handle on that. We also don’t care about parades, fireworks, etc.
I would appreciate any advice/strategies about minimizing wait times, whether that involves paying for a touring plan or not.
Thanks in advance!

 

[gelatoni fan]

I don't think any of these services would be very accurate for Disneyland right now. Years ago, guides were a bit more accurate but things are a lot less predictable now. For example, you're going to Disneyland on an Oogie Boogie Bash night so there will likely be an increase in wait times at 6PM when guests get kicked out of DCA. Disney seems to be posting inaccurate wait times more often now which further messes up data for these services.

Assuming all you care about are rides (not characters), you'll basically need a rope drop plan and then some general idea of the rest of the day. If you want to do Fantasyland, a typical strategy is to be at the front of the rush for Peter Pan and then hit Alice in Wonderland then Snow White's Enchanted Wish. At DCA, Radiator Springs Racers will be the thing to rush for unless you want to split up and do it using single rider later instead. Guardians of the Galaxy would probably be the next priority because it closes at 2PM and a Halloween version of the ride comes on at 3PM. If you want to do the Halloween version, it would best to either be there at 2:45ish waiting for the line to reopen or wait an hour or two for the initial spike in wait time to subside.

Fantasyland and Toontown close up to an hour before fireworks and while Fantasyland reopens later at night, Toontown does not. Toontown also opens an hour after park opening so plan accordingly if you want to visit these lands. Given that it will likely take you longer than a frequent visitor to navigate the park, you should probably do Smugglers Run right after Rise of the Resistance to avoid extra walking. Even though shows may not be your thing, note the times for "A Musical Celebration of Coco" because during that time, CMs may block off the area in the back right section of the DCA between Goofy's Sky School and Jumpin Jellyfish forcing you to walk all the way around the other direction.

If you don't mind splitting up, make use of Single Rider as much as possible. It is particularly powerful for Radiator Springs Racers if you don't manage to get on at rope drop. The Single Rider lines may not always be open but they exist at Incredicoaster, Grizzly River Run and Goofy's Sky School. At Disneyland, they may be available at Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain and Star Tours. Even though Smugglers Run has Single Rider I do not recommend using it because you will almost always be assigned as Engineer which is the least fun position for first time riders.

You can check wait times in the app but note that they are not always that accurate. But strike a balance between cutting down waits and minimizing walking. Remember that walking takes time too and if you're not used to the amount of walking (20K steps per day for a typical guest), your legs will not appreciate it.

 

[DLgal]

Nah. The best plan is to either go first thing in the morning and then just do rides based on whatever appeals and has the lowest wait time, and also what works around your mobile order or dining reservations OR show up around noon and plan to stay to closing, taking advantage of the dip in wait times in late afternoon/early evening as the families with younger kids head out after a long morning and afternoon to grab dinner and head home.

 

[Wesley815]

Another "no" vote here for touring plans.

Especially since you'll be going (I assume) prior to launch of Genie+/Lightning Lane.... others have posted excellent tips, just take your time and spread rides out throughout day. A lot of random characters pop up around Town Square and hub area too, so it's worth it to keep an eye out traveling back and forth between those areas across lands.

Trying to over plan your day without Fast Pass or specific dining times can actually make things worse. Now's the best time to relax and have fun!!

 

[Zandy]

Thanks for the advice,everyone!

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I have made everyone get up at o-dark-thirty and get in line 90 minutes before opening time,

Okay, that's like 99% so you are already winning. And I will be laughing for awhile over "o-dark thirty."

Just to note I haven't seen a current plan that takes into account the current no-show, no fast-pass situation,etc. I tried to find the 2021 Disneyland Unofficial Guide for my September trip so I could use the plan in the back of the book. It's like there never was a 2021 book (because of the closures?) or they did a small printing. And the 2022 book isn't coming out till December so anything out there is out of date.

I am normally a fan of the back of the book plans, I think they keep you moving and avoid indecision. I will try them again in the future but for now the o-dark-thirty plan is the best bet.

 

[Zandy]

I don't think any of these services would be very accurate for Disneyland right now. Years ago, guides were a bit more accurate but things are a lot less predictable now. For example, you're going to Disneyland on an Oogie Boogie Bash night so there will likely be an increase in wait times at 6PM when guests get kicked out of DCA. Disney seems to be posting inaccurate wait times more often now which further messes up data for these services.

Assuming all you care about are rides (not characters), you'll basically need a rope drop plan and then some general idea of the rest of the day. If you want to do Fantasyland, a typical strategy is to be at the front of the rush for Peter Pan and then hit Alice in Wonderland then Snow White's Enchanted Wish. At DCA, Radiator Springs Racers will be the thing to rush for unless you want to split up and do it using single rider later instead. Guardians of the Galaxy would probably be the next priority because it closes at 2PM and a Halloween version of the ride comes on at 3PM. If you want to do the Halloween version, it would best to either be there at 2:45ish waiting for the line to reopen or wait an hour or two for the initial spike in wait time to subside.

Fantasyland and Toontown close up to an hour before fireworks and while Fantasyland reopens later at night, Toontown does not. Toontown also opens an hour after park opening so plan accordingly if you want to visit these lands. Given that it will likely take you longer than a frequent visitor to navigate the park, you should probably do Smugglers Run right after Rise of the Resistance to avoid extra walking. Even though shows may not be your thing, note the times for "A Musical Celebration of Coco" because during that time, CMs may block off the area in the back right section of the DCA between Goofy's Sky School and Jumpin Jellyfish forcing you to walk all the way around the other direction.

If you don't mind splitting up, make use of Single Rider as much as possible. It is particularly powerful for Radiator Springs Racers if you don't manage to get on at rope drop. The Single Rider lines may not always be open but they exist at Incredicoaster, Grizzly River Run and Goofy's Sky School. At Disneyland, they may be available at Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain and Star Tours. Even though Smugglers Run has Single Rider I do not recommend using it because you will almost always be assigned as Engineer which is the least fun position for first time riders.

You can check wait times in the app but note that they are not always that accurate. But strike a balance between cutting down waits and minimizing walking. Remember that walking takes time too and if you're not used to the amount of walking (20K steps per day for a typical guest), your legs will not appreciate it.

While Fantasyland is awesome, I think the priority for our group is going to be bagging as many of the bigger name rides as we can with as little waiting as possible. In light of this, would it make sense for us to head for Indy/Pirates/ HM/Splash at rope drop, or Space Mountain/Star Tours first?

 

[gelatoni fan]

While Fantasyland is awesome, I think the priority for our group is going to be bagging as many of the bigger name rides as we can with as little waiting as possible. In light of this, would it make sense for us to head for Indy/Pirates/ HM/Splash at rope drop, or Space Mountain/Star Tours first?

I personally would prefer to do Indy, HM, and Splash coming back to Pirates later rather than take up early morning time with a long ride on Pirates. You can usually find reasonable waits for Pirates later on in the day. I prefer Space Mountain with a longer wait or at night when my eyes can adjust to the dark and see the stars better.

If you get a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group less than 20, go to the Indy side. Assuming no issues with the ride, you'd be called for Rise one hour after park opening so going Indy > HM > Splash > Smugglers Run (if not called for Rise yet, otherwise after Rise) > Rise would save a lot of walking. If you have a boarding group that will get called later and you just want as short of a wait on Space Mountain as possible, then do Space Mountain and then Star Tours. After that, I'd probably do Matterhorn and check the wait time for Indy assuming you skip Autopia.

 

[Epicnemesis]

I use touring plans all the times for their expected wait times which I find to be more accurate than the official app. Other than that I pay not attention to guides.

If you try to bend Disneyland to your will you aregoing to have a bad time. Schedules don’t work there and you often miss out on some magic if you try to adhere to one. Sometimes taking 10 minutes to check out mama duck and her ducklings is time better spent than being on a ride.

 

[GeneralTso]

I don't think it's worth it right now.
I used to pay for the ap and it used to be quite accurate. We used it for wait times, never used the actual daily plan.

Things are changing so quickly there. You have to just bob and weave, assess the situation while you're there. All this pre-planning and trying to figure out what to do a. month from now isn't working. Let alone pay for a plan that may not even be helpful.

 

[KTownRaider]

I use touring plans all the times for their expected wait times which I find to be more accurate than the official app. Other than that I pay not attention to guides.

In total agreement with this statement. As a new user this year, I've personally found the TP DLR Lines app wait times to be more accurate that those posted on the DL app. There are occasional times when a more popular attraction (haunted mansion, matterhorn, Indy) have showed up to ~20 minutes less on the TP app vs the DL app- and mostly proven to be true in my limited experience. From that perspective, TP has helped me get more out of my park day since I previously would have been a hard pass on anything that showed >50 min on the DL app.

 

[Zandy]

[“If you get a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group less than 20”
I’m not sure what this means. Less than 20 what? Minutes? Minutes from/to what? I feel like I understand when and how to use the app to get a boarding group but I guess I don’t understand what it looks like when I get one.

 

[DLgal]

[“If you get a Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group less than 20”
I’m not sure what this means. Less than 20 what? Minutes? Minutes from/to what? I feel like I understand when and how to use the app to get a boarding group but I guess I don’t understand what it looks like when I get one.

A number under 20 means your group will be called within the first hour. The Boarding Groups are numbered. They go up to around #250. They call them on batches of around 10. So, the first groups called will be 1-10, then 11-20, and so on.

 

[OlliePop27]

If wanting to rope drop FL, is general consensus (skipping Peter Pan) still Alice, Snow White, Mr. Toad, Pinocchio? This is what used to work successfully for me in the olden days.

Would it then make sense to do Storybook Land or something else?

I should note that thrill rides are not a high priority in this scenario, so no need to rush to Space, Matterhorn, etc.

 

[twitch]

Nope. Build your own plan. I don’t think any of the subscription plans have had time to collect the sort of data needed to build plans.

Most important elements:
- willingness to get up early, pace yourself, stay late
- low expectations
- a good attitude that lets you go with the flow

I’m not sure that predicting crowd flow is particularly easy right now. Instead of a tick-tock blow-by-blow plan, I‘d develop a more general list of objectives…

I’d sit down with your family and give everyone a chance to name ONE major attraction and TWO minor attractions for each day/park. Have everyone create their list in isolation so that they don’t coordinate with each other. From that, compile a master list. Just because two people said “RSR” doesn’t mean you ride it twice… it means two people are happy because they get to do the thing they most wanted.

From your list, figure out how to whittle it to about 12-15 “must-do” attractions. (Add RotR and WS as options if you get boarding groups… but don’t include them on your list of “must do“attractions.) Once everyone sees the list, they get to nominate ONE more “if we have time” attraction… understanding that you might not get to them if there’s not enough time or the lines are too long.

Then… just go for it! Alternate between long lines and short lines so that you can manage stamina throughout the day. If you get a boarding group for RotR or WS, interrupt the rest of your plan for that. Make sure everyone understands that you’ll do your best to fit all the rides in… and that everyone should get at least one of their chosen attractions in.

Bring snacks and water bottles, be flexible, keep an eye on the app/wait times, and figure out how to take breaks. Plan to wait in 30-45 minute lines most of the day.

Obviously, if G+ is available and you decide to use it, you can likely fit more in. I think the key right now is flexibility and a list of priorities.

Most of all… Have a great trip.

 

[DLgal]

If wanting to rope drop FL, is general consensus (skipping Peter Pan) still Alice, Snow White, Mr. Toad, Pinocchio? This is what used to work successfully for me in the olden days.

Would it then make sense to do Storybook Land or something else?

I should note that thrill rides are not a high priority in this scenario, so no need to rush to Space, Matterhorn, etc.

I find FL absolutely bonkers nuts in the mornings. I love being there after 4pm. Practically everything has a wait under 20 minutes.

 

[Leofoenget]

My family of 4 (mom, dad, kids 22 / 18) are visiting the park for 2 days: DL on Thursday 10/28 and DCA Friday 10/29. The last time we were at DL was 1 day in 2017, and as for DCA, well, I can’t remember but it was pre-Cars land. We have single park tickets.
Every time we’ve gone to any Disney park in the past, we have religiously followed plans from The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland / touringplans.com. I have made everyone get up at o-dark-thirty and get in line 90 minutes before opening time, etc. We’ve always had good results (in terms of minimizing line wait times) doing this.
My question is, does it make sense to do this in the current state of affairs? I checked out the most current Unofficial Guide at the library and it wasn’t current enough to have info about Virtual Queues, etc. I can pay on the website to get a touring plan, but does anyone know if it’s up to date?
I’ve read all about signing up for VQs so I feel like I have a handle on that. We also don’t care about parades, fireworks, etc.
I would appreciate any advice/strategies about minimizing wait times, whether that involves paying for a touring plan or not.
Thanks in advance!

For what it's worth, I watched a Youtube video challenge Disney Genie vs Touring Plans who got more done (this was WDW of course) Touring plans won. Personally I would give it a try what have you got to lose?

 

[gelatoni fan]

If wanting to rope drop FL, is general consensus (skipping Peter Pan) still Alice, Snow White, Mr. Toad, Pinocchio? This is what used to work successfully for me in the olden days.

Would it then make sense to do Storybook Land or something else?

I should note that thrill rides are not a high priority in this scenario, so no need to rush to Space, Matterhorn, etc.

I would probably do Alice > Mr. Toad > Dumbo > Casey Jr. > Pinocchio > Snow White (maybe swap Snow White and Pinocchio). Doing Snow White as a second ride after Alice means you'll be walking further and have a chance of hitting it when it is at its rope drop peak. Sometimes, Snow White peaks from rope droppers who see that Peter Pan is too long and then dips right after so if I'm rope dropping Alice, I would prefer to hit Snow White closer to 40 minutes after park opening to try to catch that dip. I do not recommend Storybook Land until the end of the first hour because the CMs are often still testing boats in the first hour of park open so if you don't immediately walk on to a boat, you may end up waiting 10 minutes for a CM to finish a test lap.