First time preliminary questions!

[MollieW]

Hello everyone! I'm going to Disney for the first time ever with my family during Christmas! I made a super long list of questions and looked through the threads to see if I could answer them. You guys are good!!! I pretty much got everything answered, except for three!

1. Should I use a daily crowd calendar? Is it actually possible to figure out which days will be more or less crowded a year in advance? I'm only asking because I've found eight that claim to be correct, but all have different information.

2. Any suggestions for a Disney planner? Etsy has many Disney World printable planners and I don't know if it's worth purchasing one. I don't know if it will help me or hurt me.

3. I've got very specific motion sickness that my daughter inherited that makes it nearly impossible for us to enjoy rides that go around in circles, very large drops, or giant screens in our face. It's weird, I know. But based on that, what rides should we avoid?

Thanks in advance!

 

[loves to dive]

You are going to get different opinions about the crowd calendars so here is mine. I don't use them, never have. They are an educated guess based on last years numbers, so many factors could come into play it's just impossible to get it right. Many swear by them though, I'm just not that regimented in my vacation.

Again not regimented in my vacation plans so a planner is out for me, maybe others can help with that.

Large drops - Tower of Terror at HS is a drop ride. Spash Mountain at MK is a roller coaster but does have a drop at the end, you might want to watch some Youtube videos on that one. Can't think of any other drops. Giant screens - I avoid Star Tours at HS, it's a virtual type ride so there is a screen, makes me sick. I also avoid Mission Space in Epcot, same reason. Soarin at Epcot is a virtual ride flying over (parts unknown right now it's in rehab) so might make you sick, there may be Youtube videos on that out there. Circles - I'm guessing the teacups at MK would be out since it is a spin ride, dumbo kind of goes around in a circle and so does Aladdin (they are kiddie rides) of course the carasel goes around in a circle. All are available on Youtube for you to judge.

My one piece of advice would be not to overplan, things happen and if you have your day planned down to potty break at 1:02 you might be setting yourself up for some disappointment.

 

[strat68]

I use crowd calendars to pick days but do not do a touring plan. I will start looking at them in May for our November trip. The most important plan to avoid lines is get to the parks before they open. It always beats a touring plan. You can get a lot done in the first 2-3 hours. If you are going over the actual Christmas holiday then I can't stress enough about getting there early.

As the PPS said, don't over plan it. Their rides to avoid was pretty good. youtube is a good source of info.

 

[tentaguasu]

As for crowd calendars, a couple of comments. First, you can absolutely understand general patterns. I can tell you right now that in 2032 Walt Disney World will be packed during spring break. There are very predictable patterns that are accurate regarding time frames down to about a week, or even down to the day in some circumstances.

Now, within anyone of those specific time frames It gets a little more dicey.

On a day to day basis, actual crowds are going to depend on things like extra magic hours, the park hours, and other things that are fairly predictable, but may change between now and then.

So if I were you, I would be very attentive to the general crowd levels to identify the week that you wanted to travel. For instance the week before Christmas or the first week of January are probably going to be very different and predictably so.

I wouldn't worry about day to day planning yet. You could certainly map out how the day will work it any given Park, but leave open whether that day at Magic Kingdom will be the first last or middle day of your trip.

Once you get much closer, and things like shows and park hours are better known, then you can use crowd calendars to make some estimates. Even then, completely unknowable things like whether it rains or a ride breaks down can swing things substantially day to day.

Honestly, based on my limited experience, I would say that once you've nailed down the time of year you're going, having a good touring plan is way more important then the minor differences park to park. And for everyone who will tell you to avoid extra magic hours parks like the plague, there'll be someone else who will tell you that's fine.

In case you're not familiar with touring plans, those are strategies for how to move through each park once you get there.

Just as an example, you can pretty predictably know that it doesn't make a lot of sense to go to Pirates of the Caribbean at 10 AM, when the line will probably be fairly long, when experience shows that it is almost always going to be a very short wait much later in the day.

Understanding those dynamics make a big difference in terms of getting a lot done and not waiting in lines.

I think I'm pretty comfortable saying the two big hitters in this area are Josh at easywdw and touringplans.com.

Josh has detailed and thoughtful crowd calendars months in advance. He's also a good one to read just to kind of understand how to approach the parks. I think knowing how and why certain things work can be more important than a really detailed plan, that way as things change you can make fairly good guesses about what to do. Josh is good for that.

Touring plans.com is also a fantastic resource. They've got lots of free resources, but they're paid planner for about $12 is a total no-brainer. I'm about as big a cheapskate as they come, and I feel it was money well spent. They are dashboard helps you look at Crowd calendars, crowd levels, specific ride time wait estimates throughout the day, everything you can imagine. And on top of that, an app for dynamical planning while in the park.

I'm top of that they have an automated system that will let you import where you want to go and give you an estimated best tour plans that you can then adjust.

Those two resources should be more than enough to help you successfully plan your trip.

Off the top of my head, avoid mission space, start wars, Tower of terror, soarin, splash Mountain, pretty much any of the coasters... Touring plans.com ride descriptions will also be helpful for figuring that out.

 

[Alesia]

Use the crowd calendar at easywdw.com - it has never steered me wrong. and yes, it's absolutely possible to predict crowds.

Since you're going during the busiest time of the year, I really recommend having a good touring plan. Start with the cheat sheets at easywdw.com

 

[tentaguasu]

As for crowd calendars, a couple of comments. First, you can absolutely understand general patterns. I can tell you right now that in 2032 Walt Disney World will be packed during spring break. There are very predictable patterns that are accurate regarding time frames down to about a week, or even down to the day in some circumstances.

Now, within anyone of those specific time frames It gets a little more dicey.

On a day to day basis, actual crowds are going to depend on things like extra magic hours, the park hours, and other things that are fairly predictable, but may change between now and then.

So if I were you, I would be very attentive to the general crowd levels to identify the week that you wanted to travel. For instance the week before Christmas or the first week of January are probably going to be very different and predictably so.

I wouldn't worry about day to day planning yet. You could certainly map out how the day will work it any given Park, but leave open whether that day at Magic Kingdom will be the first last or middle day of your trip.

Once you get much closer, and things like shows and park hours are better known, then you can use crowd calendars to make some estimates. Even then, completely unknowable things like whether it rains or a ride breaks down can swing things substantially day to day.

Honestly, based on my limited experience, I would say that once you've nailed down the time of year you're going, having a good touring plan is way more important then the minor differences park to park. And for everyone who will tell you to avoid extra magic hours parks like the plague, there'll be someone else who will tell you that's fine.

In case you're not familiar with touring plans, those are strategies for how to move through each park once you get there.

Just as an example, you can pretty predictably know that it doesn't make a lot of sense to go to Pirates of the Caribbean at 10 AM, when the line will probably be fairly long, when experience shows that it is almost always going to be a very short wait much later in the day.

Understanding those dynamics make a big difference in terms of getting a lot done and not waiting in lines.

I think I'm pretty comfortable saying the two big hitters in this area are Josh at easywdw and touringplans.com.

Josh has detailed and thoughtful crowd calendars months in advance. He's also a good one to read just to kind of understand how to approach the parks. I think knowing how and why certain things work can be more important than a really detailed plan, that way as things change you can make fairly good guesses about what to do. Josh is good for that.

Touring plans.com is also a fantastic resource. They've got lots of free resources, but they're paid planner for about $12 is a total no-brainer. I'm about as big a cheapskate as they come, and I feel it was money well spent. They are dashboard helps you look at Crowd calendars, crowd levels, specific ride time wait estimates throughout the day, everything you can imagine. And on top of that, an app for dynamical planning while in the park.

I'm top of that they have an automated system that will let you import where you want to go and give you an estimated best tour plans that you can then adjust.

Those two resources should be more than enough to help you successfully plan your trip.

Off the top of my head, avoid mission space, start wars, Tower of terror, soarin, splash Mountain, pretty much any of the coasters... Touring plans.com ride descriptions will also be helpful for figuring that out.

Also, as you see, we don't even agree in touring plans!

I do not like turning my day into an ultra regimented death march from attraction to attraction... But I emphatically believe in at least a basic touring plan.

I can only go once every four or five years, and understanding crowd dynamics has saved me hours and hours.

 

[Alesia]

Also, as you see, we don't even agree in touring plans!

I do not like turning my day into an ultra regimented death march from attraction to attraction... But I emphatically believe in at least a basic touring plan.

I can only go once every four or five years, and understanding crowd dynamics has saved me hours and hours.

FWIW, a touring plan doesn't have to be a "death march." It's just a way of minimizing wait times and avoiding the whole "what do you want to do next?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" nonsense. Having a plan doesn't mean that you can never deviate from it.

 

[pa. dad]

From reading and posting on another thread recently, I can definitely say that there is a wide difference of opinion on what rides give people motion sickness and which rides do not. It seems that the rides that affect one person are fine for another but other rides affect them that are okay for others.
Some posters suggested that a trip to the doctors or pharmacist might be helpful before a trip so that you can enjoy more rides. I think it would be very rare if someone got motion sickness from ALL the rides that they post a motion sickness warning for. I'd do Splash Mt defintely- its just the one big drop and 3 little ones. The only way to know for sure is to try something once.
For me- I got some motion sickness sometimes and The Tower of terror is out (I did try it once though) and the HPotter ride over at Islands is difficult for me also. They used to have a ride at Epcot called Body wars that just brutal for me. And the Teacups can get me if one of my sons spins it constantly. Other than that, I'm mostly okay one everything else but others do report trouble with other rides and being fine on the things that are harder for me. But I would encourage you not to cross off half of the rides because they MAY get you sick- many may not.

 

[tracylynnhare]

I can't even walk around the parks without getting motion sick just from all the... well MOTION...lol. I take a non drowsy dramamine, one a day. Helps with all that! Plus, I am able to ride just about anything...just...about! hahah. I will never ride ToT again... and I can do teacups if I don't have a maniac handling the wheel

I make sure we have at least somewhat of a "we know what we want to ride" and we know if we are going left around the park or right... or my family would zig zag us around like lost rats in a Mouse House... yep, I did that, lol. But I don't dictate down to the last minute, we have to have some spontaneity, right??

 

[Parker Clan]

I'd say avoid Soarin, if the large screen bothers you. And definitely ToT.
In our 5 years we've never glanced at a crowd calendar, but we only go in August. If you're going at Xmas sounds like from what other posters are saying it's worth a glance. We use excel for our planning.. Make a spreadsheet with Parks, FP, ADR'S etc

 

[Disneymom1126]

I agree with having a touring plan, but then always being flexible to change it when you're there. Especially on our first trip when we didn't know what we liked/didn't like, wanted to meet lots of characters, and didn't know our way around the parks I know it helped us a ton! I still plan the "direction" we will head around the parks, the time I'm aiming for selecting for our fastpasses, and where we will eat lunch based on where we will likely be around lunch time. It saves us time (and foot pain) from walking back and forth across the parks multiple times. We typically pick a place to start and then head in a big circle. At HS for example, we may rope drop and go to Tower of Terror first then go in a circle counter-clockwise around the park and hit the various attractions and rides, and plan a fastpass for late in the day to do Tower of Terror again (DD's favorite ride) once we've circled around the park right before having dinner at Fairfax Fare then heading to Fantasmic (also on that side of the park). If you want to see an example of this, check out my pre-trip report (linked in my signature below) -- it has our current plans for our October trip. Again - we may not follow these exactly, but I guarantee by following the general direction we will avoid lines and added unnecessary walking!

 

[MollieW]

Thanks guys!! I've already got so much planned just from the info on this thread. Signing up for these forums were probably the best choice I made for my trip!

 

[redsbe]

I use crowd calendars advice on preferred park and which to avoid, including skipping EMH parks (and not focusing so much on predicted crowd levels). Once park days are set, book 3 allocated FP+ at 60 day opening with times of mid day. We RD and close both MK and Epcot on those days, HS and AK need not be full day (allows for later start, again mid morning FP+, possible jump back to resort pool in afternoon, return to parks in evening), no park hoppers or ADRs (sit down dining requires time set reservations, and $$$ not worth the value of meal for us).

 

[SeeDisney]

i have read may times that for folks with motion sickness, they seemed to be NOT bothered by Soarin. in other words, soarin is just fine. i'd check out all the youtube videos on the rides in quesion.

 

[Mikie]

i have read may times that for folks with motion sickness, they seemed to be NOT bothered by Soarin. in other words, soarin is just fine. i'd check out all the youtube videos on the rides in quesion.

Ugh, guess people just have to brave it and try. At least if you're a screen problem person you can always close your eyes to avoid the problem! I can't watch IMAX movies or do motion simulator rides (big screen and your seat moves around a bit). That means Soarin, Star Tours, and (embarrassingly) the swooping scenes in the Canada movie make me motion sick!

 

[tlmadden73]

Welcome.

If its your FIRST time .. I'd say don't worry about crowd calendars and planners. The best way to plan for a Disney Vacation is to experience it yourself and plan it yourself NEXT time. Don't over plan and enjoy your vacation. Just go in with expectations that you CANNOT do it all (even if you plan it out).

You can use easywdw for crowd calendars, but my opinion is you simply cannot predict crowds .. the only people that can is Disney that knows exactly how many hotels are sold, and how many Fast Passes are reserved for a particular day, but since they don't share that information it just feels like a crap shoot to me. People can change plans .. locals can just show up, Disney can throw a special event that day ... there are just things you cannot predict. Don't stress about it.

As for planning? This your first time .. experience the park how YOU want (and if that means wandering aimlessly and just seeing all the magical sites and just seeing a ride and saying "let's try that out" .. that's fine). Don't get sucked in how someone else says you should efficiently experience the park ... everyone is different.

If your goal is to get on as many rides as possible .. sure maybe try and plan it out .. but if your goal is to experience the Magic and enjoy what WDW has to offer (besides rides), then just sketch out a "general" plan .. (We are going to start in Tomorrowland .. then move to Fantasyland .. then go to Frontierland in the afternoon .. etc. ... or heck .. just say .. let's go THAT way.

Plan your Fast Passes for rides YOU find interesting (even though planners may say that it isn't "worth" getting a FP for) ... and loosely schedule your day around that.

Just don't make the following mistakes (what I consider mistakes):
1) Don't plan Fast Passes that are close together in time, but FAR apart from each other in the park.
2) Don't plan all your fast passes for later in the afternoon or evening (you want to do them all morning to mid day so you are free (and flexible) to get a 4th, 5th, or 6th Fast Pass once your first three are done)
3) Don't use fast passes on shows unless it is a "must see" .. just show up early enough and wait in line to get in. Use Fast Passes to skip those 30+ minute lines.
4) Don't overbook ADRs ... like 1 a day .. MAX. Too many ADRs plus Fast Passes will make it feel like you are just rushing from one reservation to the next and you are constantly looking at your watch. Slow down and enjoy your time .. allow time to "stop and smell the roses".


As for rides?
AVOID AT ALL COSTS:
Mission Space (spinning (centrifuge))
Tea Cups (spinning)
Tower of Terror (big drop)
Splash Mountain (big drop)

POTENTIALLY AVOIDBut I think you'd be fine)
Soaring (screen motion)
Star Tours (screen motion)

 

[MollieW]

So in terms of planning, I guess what everyone is saying is the less planning the better?? I just feel like a have to keep a running tab of everything I'm going to do, but I won't bother if it really isn't worth it. So far I have a list of rides to reserve passes for, and a list of rides to go on in general. Should the park touring stop there? I feel like I should plan for shows and other activities.

 

[Mikie]

So in terms of planning, I guess what everyone is saying is the less planning the better?? I just feel like a have to keep a running tab of everything I'm going to do, but I won't bother if it really isn't worth it. So far I have a list of rides to reserve passes for, and a list of rides to go on in general. Should the park touring stop there? I feel like I should plan for shows and other activities.

It's a bit of a tightrope walk. .. I like to equate my "planning" to "research". Looking up tips, knowing what shows are available and generally when, knowing a bit about what rides I will or won't want to ride, familiarizing myself with the layout of the park all contribute to a smoother day.

However, some folks literally plan out their day step by step - every single ride listed in order maybe with expected times, meal and snack times. That is probably too hard to do successfully for a first-timer. And for experts and newbies alike, it is incredibly frustrating if you try to do that and a show time or park hours change on you!

Personally, I think having a physical or mental list of "must-do" and "like to do" attractions paired with pre-selected fastpasses, a dining reservation if you like those and a general idea of the order in which you'll progress through the park is a great setup. Some folks would call even that over-planned for a vacation whereas some people would consider it minimal planning. All depends on your perspective.

I really think anyone who goes to WDW with NO plan at all is more likely to be disappointed with results than someone who has a plan but maybe decides to scrap it at some point.

 

[mshanson3121]

Hello everyone! I'm going to Disney for the first time ever with my family during Christmas! I made a super long list of questions and looked through the threads to see if I could answer them. You guys are good!!! I pretty much got everything answered, except for three!

1. Should I use a daily crowd calendar? Is it actually possible to figure out which days will be more or less crowded a year in advance? I'm only asking because I've found eight that claim to be correct, but all have different information.

2. Any suggestions for a Disney planner? Etsy has many Disney World printable planners and I don't know if it's worth purchasing one. I don't know if it will help me or hurt me.

3. I've got very specific motion sickness that my daughter inherited that makes it nearly impossible for us to enjoy rides that go around in circles, very large drops, or giant screens in our face. It's weird, I know. But based on that, what rides should we avoid?

Thanks in advance!

Well... I'll say you're brave to make your first time ever trip during Christmas. You need to prepare yourself that it's going to be insanely busy, insanely crowded (shoulder to shoulder) and, you won't get a lot done. That said, it's probably the most beautiful and magical time to visit, and I would love to do it someday. I especially want to see the Candlelight Processional!

1. If you're actually going the week of Christmas (basically the last 10 days of December), quite honestly, the crowd calendars will likely be useless. Every park is going to be insanely busy. That said, are you going to be staying on site? Where the crowd calendars WILL come in handy, is helping you choose parks with Extra Magic Hours. During Christmas, I would definitely make the most of EMH. So, I would plan around that some.

2. Avoid the planners. It's going to be near impossible to plan an itinerary at Christmas, because there'll be many variables with the crowds etc... Plan your 3 Fast Passes each day, your meals, make a note of any parade/show times you want to see, and then the rest I would plan on winging it. A lot of your time will probably be spent walking and sight seeing - you don't need a plan to "stop and enjoy the roses" so to speak. There's so much to SEE at Disney. Allow yourself time for that. You don't need to pay for a planner for that: a mere list created on Word will suffice. Ex:

8:30 Crystal Palace ADR
10:00 FP+
11:00 FP+
12:00 Lunch
1:30 FP+
3:00 Festival of Fantasy Parade

3. Google "Walt Disney World Cognitive Guide". It's a guide they put out for guests with cognitive disorders (such as ASD), it lists every ride in all parks, and what they're like (loud, scary, dark, bumpy, spins etc). That may help you get an idea on what to avoid. Off the top of my head: At MK: Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, Magic Carpets, any of the roller coasters (especially Splash Mountain), Monsters Inc. Laughfloor. At EP: Mission Space, Soarin' At AK: Kali might be iffy, but it's not a "huge" drop, Everest, Tough to be a Bug, at HS: Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Rollercoaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, Little Mermaid

 

[Mainemama]

Your motion sickness sounds just like me. I avoid teacups, Star Tours, Expedition Everest (there is a backwards section that makes me sick), Tower of Terror. I have not tried Primeval Whirl or Mission Space, but have avoided. Soaring was fine for me. I am also okay with all other roller coasters and Splash, but I wear motion bands and try not to do two back to back. The circular rides (Dumbo, etc.) are no different than a carousel for me. I can do them if I "spot", like a dance pirouette move! I don't think they feel spinny, like teacups.