Help me understand Touring Plans

[Mrs. Bob Loblaw]

For one day of my upcoming trip, touring plans has the parks listed as follows:

Animal Kingdom – 5.1 - Neutral Park
DHS – 1.0 - Neutral Park
Epcot – 4.4 - Best Park
Magic Kingdom – 5.1 - Park to Avoid

If DHS is the least busy, why is it a neutral park and not a best park? Also, if MK and AK are both a 5.1, why is one to be avoided and one neutral? I'm confused about their reasoning, especially on why DHS isn't a best park for the day.

 

[havoc315]

I am guessing DHS doesn't have Fantasmic that day or the hours are shorter that day, or something like that. The park recommendations are not primarily based on the crowds. They are based on being able to efficiently complete a touring plan.
Park hours, special events and EMH are all factors considered, along with the crowds. Plus, each number is only relative to the same park. A 5 at MK may be far more crowded than a 7 at AK.

 

[vicki_c]

I think this has been asked about every 3 days lately! I answered in a thread on this yesterday, I think - I recommend you read Touring Plans explanation on their website of what the park recommendations & crowd #s mean - as the PP said, there is more than goes into picking the best or worst park than those #s - things like EMHs, entertainment options, park hours, etc.

 

[wcpamotm]

Bear in mind also that those numbers represent percentiles and are only applicable to that park. For example, a 5.0 represents an absolutely average day for the park that it rates. But a 5.0 at MK will feel busier than a 5.0 at Epcot, because in general, MK is busier than Epcot.