How to Read Crowd Calendars?

[CodeGoddess]

I have a few crowd calendars I am looking at for February:

• Easy WDW
• WDW Prep School
• Undercover Tourist
• Kenny the Pirate
• Touring Plans

What I can't seem to figure out is how to really quantify what they are saying to cross reference them.

For example the undercover tourist one has both a color and number for the day for all parks but a different color only for each park. While others like touring plan use two numbers, one for the overall and one for the park. Any tips for how to read these in respect to each other?

 

[Robo]

Have a great trip!

 

[Alesia]

Just pick one - don't try to compare them to one another. They're all different.

I find that easywdw works best for us.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I have a few crowd calendars I am looking at for February:

• Easy WDW
• WDW Prep School
• Undercover Tourist
• Kenny the Pirate
• Touring Plans

What I can't seem to figure out is how to really quantify what they are saying to cross reference them.

For example the undercover tourist one has both a color and number for the day for all parks but a different color only for each park. While others like touring plan use two numbers, one for the overall and one for the park. Any tips for how to read these in respect to each other?

I don't think you'll be able to, because they all have their own sets of data and algorithms.

From my experience, crowd calendars have their place but having at least a basic plan is more useful to avoid waits. YMMV.

 

[Mikie]

I don't think you'll be able to, because they all have their own sets of data and algorithms.

From my experience, crowd calendars have their place but having at least a basic plan is more useful to avoid waits. YMMV.

I agree. Even Touring Plans, who of course publishes their own calendar, states that a plan is more crucial than the selection of the "best" park. That said, I do use the calendars when I can (all else being equal, why not at least try to be in the least crowded park?) Because they all make their predictions differently and they're all just very educated guesses anyway, they won't all match. I prefer to use both Touring Plans and EasyWDW and read the explanations about *why* certain parks sure recommended or not to help me.

On the three trips when I used calendars most faithfully, I found TP and Easy much more accurate than undercover and prep school. I didn't know Kenny did one.

 

[Moonwolf]

I personally don't use crowd calenders to plan trips but to get an idea of how things will be at the places I plan. That's why I prefer to use EasyWDW's calenders because they offer an explanation for their recommendations. Also if you check the cheat sheets on EasyWDW they show average ride wait times at each park for different crowd levels so you can get a better grasp on what they consider a 3 versus an 8 day for example and how waits differ between the two.