How Do YOU Tour The Parks???

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

Good evening fellow Dis'ers. I was sitting down plotting our way thru the parks with my maps, I was wondering how everyone tour the parks? I joined Tourguidemike.com and he just jumps all over the place. Now I have never been to WDW so I don't know if I'm just thinking the wrong way. But do yall ride all of the rides in one section then go to another section of the park? I'm just curious to see if I really should go with tourguidemikes.com plans?

Thanks for any advice yall can give me.

 

[grinningghost]

I don't jump all over. I have MS and it would be way too exhausting. I tour in order. I do everything in a land before moving on - unless I have a Fastpass and need to come back later.

I just don't have the stamina to do the cross-park thing anymore.

 

[jann1033]

i fatigue easily and would drop if i hopscotched all over so we take advantage of morning emh, do the big things then and then just work our way around the park from where we leave off...like usually we do space mt and buzz a few times then go to fronteirland and do the mts there( sometimes a few times) then if we have time fantasy land and by that time things are picking up so we do what ever we want to in the land we are in then move to the next one. we don't do everything since we've gone before but by afternoon we just kind of do stuff that doesn't have a wait or shop or eat or what ever...we also always go off season so no lines.

hey grinninghost i have a neuro disorder too( back and forth from cfs to ms, depending on which dr sees me when i'm a mess ) so maybe we should call this the neuro style of touring. take care!

 

[mygr8kdz]

I recently toured TGM-style and wouldn't dream of any other plan after the success we had!
Many WDW vets on our family reunion and none of us could believe how much we got done and how little we waited.

 

[KathyRN137]

Hi, twobabies!

We try to visit WDW during the less busy times of the year so that we can tour at a more leisurely pace. If you are going for the first time with "2 babies", though, you can kiss any plans of step-by-step touring goodbye!

I plan which general area of the park that we will begin with and hit the "must-see" attractions and get fastpasses first. We talk about the attractions ahead of time so we get a picture of what we would like to do. You really have to be flexible, though. At any given time, an attraction could be down, or you will be walking past some characters and they will stop your kids right in their tracks!

It also makes a difference if you are utilizing EMHs; only certain attractions are available during those times. Make sure not to underestimate the # of rest and potty breaks you will need to take! The parks are quite spread out and it is impossible to do it all, so once you embrace that concept, you will be much happier!

Here is a page from my itinerary for our upcoming trip. I do it in outline form, we really decide upon the order of individual attractions based upon show times and how we feel.

7:45-8:00am Arrive at ANIMAL KINGDOM (early EMH=8:00-9:00am)
--ASIA--
-Get FP for (or ride)Expedition Everest
-Kilimanjaro Safaris
-Ride EE if FP needed
-Get FP for (or ride) Kali River Rapids
-Maharajah Jungle Trek
--DINOLAND--
-Get FP for (or ride) Dinosaur
-Primeval Whirl
-TriceraTop Spin
-Ride Dinosaur if FP needed
-Play in the Boneyard (time permitting)

LUNCH: Restaurantosaurus (CS)

Back to resort for rest/swim

4:00-5:00pm Arrive at MGM (evening EMHs=7:00-10:00pm)
--ECHO LAKE AREA--
-catch last showing of Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
-Star Tours (if time before dinner)

DINNER: 5:40pm arrive for 5:55pm ADR at 50's PT Cafe (TS)

--STREETS OF AMERICA--
-Muppet Vision 3D
-See any Toy Story characters at Al's Toy Barn
--MICKEY AVENUE--
-Great Movie Ride
-Voyage of the Little Mermaid
-Rock'n'Roller Coaster (if line not too long)

9:00-9:30pm Head for the bus stop to avoid park-closing crowd

Don't make yourself too with your itinerary. Just outline a general plan and go with the flow!

 

[DaddyBrady]

I don't know Tour Guide Mike, but have used the Unofficial Guide Touring Plans in both WDW and DL, which sound pretty similar. I am an absolute Touring Plan zealot -- can't imagine doing it another way.

There are tradeoffs. You bounce back and forth among sections of the park, which definitely means a lot of walking. But, you'll also spend less time in lines and more time on rides and in attractions. What do you want to do? If it's maximize ride time, then use a touring plan. If you want to soak up the ambience, then it doesn't matter as much.

I think of it this way: most people going to the park do what you describe, and typically they start on the right (Tomorrowland) and work their way around. So the bulk of the crowd seems to flow together through the park.

If you're going to work yourself through the park that way, at least go left when you start. We enjoyed Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates in less than two hours (on Thanksgiving Day), never stood in a line, and then had plenty of time to enjoy the park.

 

[scoolover]

I don't know Tour Guide Mike, but have used the Unofficial Guide Touring Plans in both WDW and DL, which sound pretty similar. I am an absolute Touring Plan zealot -- can't imagine doing it another way.

There are tradeoffs. You bounce back and forth among sections of the park, which definitely means a lot of walking. But, you'll also spend less time in lines and more time on rides and in attractions. What do you want to do? If it's maximize ride time, then use a touring plan. If you want to soak up the ambience, then it doesn't matter as much.

I think of it this way: most people going to the park do what you describe, and typically they start on the right (Tomorrowland) and work their way around. So the bulk of the crowd seems to flow together through the park.

If you're going to work yourself through the park that way, at least go left when you start. We enjoyed Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates in less than two hours (on Thanksgiving Day), never stood in a line, and then had plenty of time to enjoy the park.

I agree totally about that. I have finished the left side of the park by 10:00 am and have pictures of us standing all alone in frontierland. I also have had the good fortune with going and there is nothing that can't "wait" until next time. If it is busy I will skip it.