Should I use touring plans?

[AMD3]

Here's the breakdown. Me and DH, DS 10, DD5, and DS will be 8 mon. We are going May 3-10 and staying at Bonnet Creek. Plan to go to all 4 WDW parks and Typhoon Lagoon and last day go back to fav park. We will probably go back to the room to rest on the days we go to MK and Epcot. I am just wondering if I really need to stick to a touring plan this time of year. I don't think DH is going to agree we need to zig zag through the park and with LO I really want it to be a relaxed trip, if possible, and not worry about rushing from one side of the park to the other. On the other hand, I want me older kids to enjoy their time and not have to wait in lines all day. I know we should get fastpasses for some rides. TIA

 

[disneymd33]

I personally NEVER use touring plans. I always feel like it's a vacation and trying to stick to a plan kinda ruins the fun. It feels more relaxing for me if I just wander through at my own pace. The time that you are going, I don't believe it's that crowded because most schools are still in session. When I see a ride that's open, I go on it. If it's crowded, I come back a little later and do it. It's very, stop and smell the roses, approach that I find very relaxing. Enjoy your trip!

 

[WillCAD]

I also never use touring plans, because I know the WDW parks so well that I don't need them.

But the whole purpose of a touring plan is to avoid rushing "from one side of the park to the other"; by having a plan, you go to various attractions in a logical order that minimizes walking time and (hopefully) line time, while maximizing the number of attractions you see in a day.

Good touring plans take crowd levels and behavior into account, and give you a route and timetable to avoid the heaviest crowds at the various attractions and restaurants.

A touring plan which has the terms "hurry" or "as fast as you can" or "run" in it is not a good touring plan. A touring plan that breaks your day down in blocks any smaller than an hour is a micro-managed plan that will not work. And a touring plan that has you crossing more than one land at a time to go from attraction to attraction is a horribly inneficient plan - you might as well have no plan at all in that case.

I recommend that you try one of the many pre-made touring plans available for free on the net. There are many different types, for different touring styles and attitudes; take one of the pre-made plans, read through it, customize it to your needs, and take it with you.

Obviously, stuff happens every day that may void part of your touring plan, so you will need to remain flexible and be able to alter your plan in situ to adapt to changing crowd, weather, or rehab conditions. And if the crowd levels are low enough during your trip, you can abandon the plan altogether and just fly by the seat of your pants.

But having a plan and not needing it is way better than needing it and not having one.

 

[bord1niowa]

The only real plan we use is using the unofficial guide that has the ability to get the best and worst days to visit which parks. In the unofficial it's online now when you buy the book. They ask you a question about what is the first word someplace in the book to verify that you have the actual book. This one thing was all we needed to make the trip enjoyable with little to no waiting. Like other people said, it's a vacation, why stress about schedules? I do enough of that the rest of the year.

 

[disney[xo]sweetie]

i would suggest that you dont use a touring plan.
just enjoy your experience. smell the flowers, stop and get some ice cream and talk. not everything has to be about the rides!
just have fun with your family no matter what you end up doing!
you'll have a magical time!

 

[pfalcioni]

It really depends on what your goals are. What do you really want from this vacation?

Rides?

Parades, shows, fireworks?

Overall relaxation with some good food?

Of course, we all want a little of each of these things, but focus on what will make your group the happiest.

If it's rides, then yes, get Tour Guide Mike or Ultimate Guide and make a plan.

If it's parades and shows, then work your day so you arrive to these events early enough to get a good seat. Without a good location, you will NOT enjoy the event. On slow days, this means getting there 1/2 early, on busy days, 1 hour.

If overall relaxation and good food are your goals, make sure you plan enough time at the hotel pool, and make advanced dining reservations at places you think the family will enjoy.

Our family found out that by defining what we really wanted in a vacation, then planning to meet these goals, we ended up much happier with the results.

The thing is, no matter what you decide, you'll still have to do some planning to optimize your enjoyment.

I've heard tons of folks say, 'I was amazed at the crowds, I didn't know how big a place it was, I didn't plan for any of it, I was disappointed'.

I don't think I've ever heard as many people say 'I spent to much time researching and planning'. Although many folks have made too-ambitious plans, and have modified after they got there!

 

[Disney1976]

I think one of the benefits to using a touring plan, even during times when it's not super crowded, is that it gives you the ability to plan your day without everything seeming so overwhelming (this is especially true in large parks like Epcot or AK) and maximize the time you DO spend in the parks. Just because you use a touring plan doesn't mean you have to make mad dashes from attraction to attraction, or do everything on the list. As any Disney veteran will tell you, it's impossible to do everything on your first trip. Heck, it's impossible to do everything in 10 trips!

I say use a touring plan to get a general idea of the parks, of the types of shows and parades and fireworks there are (and where you should view them and when you should plan on getting there) and to decide what attractions you want to experience and which ones you'd rather skip. You'll also learn which attractions are good for getting FP for, and what parks to go to on what days, especially if you are planning on staying on property and taking advantage of EMH. Personally, I like the UG, but I've never used Tour Guide Mike. And now as a local, I've been to the parks so many times, I don't really feel I need a guide.

IMO, the WORST thing you can do is come to Disney not having done any research or some planning, and those are the people who come on the boards later on to complain that the lines were bad, they didn't see what they wanted, they couldn't eat where they wanted, they missed the fireworks, etc.

Have a great time!

 

[pfalcioni]

I think one of the benefits to using a touring plan, even during times when it's not super crowded, is that it gives you the ability to plan your day without everything seeming so overwhelming (this is especially true in large parks like Epcot or AK) and maximize the time you DO spend in the parks.

I absolutely agree.

One thing I forgot to add also - is that when we talk about 'not a busy time' at DW, we're still talking about the number one vacation destination in the world. So, 'not busy' is relative.

We went at what should be the absolute slowest time of the year, and we were floored by just how many thousands and thousands of people were there with us - and that was just at the hotel!

 

[MACfamily4]

I wouldn't think about hitting the parks without some sort of a plan. My family of 4 (me, DH, DD11, DS8) spent the week of July 4th at Disney last year - by all accounts, the busiest week of the year. We were very well planned and had a solid idea of how we were going to move through each park each day. We didn't stand in a single line, NOT ONE, for more than 13 minutes the entire time we were in the four main parks. NOT ONE TIME! I know, you're thinking, "No way, that's impossible for July 4th week" It absolutely is possible, but you have to do it with a very well thought-out, well-executed plan. I know that sounds a little commando to many, but our goal was to enjoy everything there was to do - not stand in lines. If you get to do Disney frequently (as many here on the boards do), wandering through the parks at a leisurely pace makes much more sense. We don't have that luxury (we're shooting for once every 3 years) so we had to make the most of the time and money we had invested in our trip. Having said that, our plan did NOT include running from place to place; we had plenty of "down-time" to get ice cream, people-watch, get autographs, and we were flexible based on situations that came up on the spur of the moment. It worked for our family and it was a fantastic trip. My advice is to get as much information as you can ahead of time and then decide what will work for your family and your goals for this trip. Regardless of how you tour, I wish you a magical time!

 

[tmonferdini]

I completely agree with MACfamily4. We have relatives that are occassionally in FL and about every 2 years, we go down for a visit and manage to take 2-3 days for Disney. In April, during spring break, we did MK, MGM & TL. We were completely beat that we did 3 parks back-to-back, but my DH told me around 11:00 a.m. on MK day, he couldn't believe how well everything worked out & how much we had already done that day -- thanks to all my obsessive planning & scouring the Tour Guide Mike site.

It wasn't something that I felt I HAD to do, but enjoyed the research and it paid off BIG TIME!!! My kids were 12, 8 & 8 and we stuck the twins in a big stroller (they're little) and we just went! It was great.

We decided then that the next time we went to Disney, we were going to do it right, stay on-site (never done that before), get the DDP & do it for 7+ nights. We (mainly DH) also decided we would shoot for 2009. Surprise to me, we are going in June for 10 nights, POR, DDP AND flying!!! Got airfare for Christmas! I am so excited, I can't stop planning.

I've got my ADR's, spread sheets, rough drafts of my touring cards, etc. all done & ready to finalize, print & laminate. WOW! Am I a little crazy, or what???

My point is: do what's right for your family, but for me, it was definately much better for mine to have a plan. We did everything we wanted to and had the best time (until June).
Tracy

 

[eliza61]

I'm not a big fan of touring plans only because the 2 times I did use them, I spent so much time trying to follow the plan that it was not very relaxing for me. It turned out that at the end of the day all I remember is constantly reading a spreadsheet that I made. Last couple of years we did without a plan and you know what, they were the most magical trips we've taken. Now I remember funny times that occured or great things we saw or did. I did purchase TGM once but every thing I found there, I also found on disney sites for free! Now unless we go during a busy season, we rarely even make adr's and yes we are able to eat at TS 2x's a day. Outside of knowing what times the parks open and close I'm a relaxed and leisurely WDW vacationer.