Park Apps: Which ones and How do you utilize them?

[DISfirstTimer]

Our First Disney Vacation is 19 days out! I've downloaded the WDW App and the Touring Plans app. Are there other apps you would recommend? How do you utilize these Apps in the parks? I don't want to be glued to my phone during our trip or feel too structured but I'd like to avoid wait times and accomplish all our must dos. Do you routinely refresh your touring plan throughout the day, follow the original version, throw it out the window when you get there?!?! Any feedback would be great!

 

[solfan68]

We're headed back to the World for the first time since Magic Bands and Fast Pass+ went live. At this point the Disney World app as well as the Touring Plans Lines app. I must say that the WDW app has been fun seeing things fill in, such as dining and the one tour that we have added. Nice to have everything gathered in one place. Be really cool once we hit our FP window. Again, hoping that the Lines app will be able to offer us some insights regarding the best use of our time.

 

[Klayfish]

Without the MDE app, we'd be lost. We utilize it extensively. We don't use TouringPlans, except for the crowd sourced wait time inputs...beyond that, personally I feel their crowd calendars and plans to tell you what you should ride and when are silly. However, as I said, the crowd reported "actual" wait times can be helpful, because MDE posted wait times aren't always right...they're usually higher than actual wait time.

I know what you mean about not wanting to be glued to the phone, but we find MDE essential in allowing us to never stand in a line more than 20 minutes long. Mostly, we use it to alter and make new FP+ plans. We also use it to check wait times. We're very much "wing it" people, we have almost no set structure to our plans...at all. We just go with the flow. So we check MDE a lot to see posted wait times, and then dig for new FP+ that we can use. It's extremely helpful. We get a lot of things accomplished in a short time, using MDE (and the occasional TouringPlan check to see what their posted wait time is).