Should we us a Touring Plan????

[sarahandhannahsmom]

We are getting ready for our first family trip to the Magic. I have been doing lots of reading and research. Should we follow a touring plan (like from Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World)?

The book says only about 1 or 2 % of patrons use them and that is why they are effective.

It supposedly helps to shorten your time in line and help avoid bottlenecks.

Need advice from some of you disney veterans.

Thanks.

 

[michygoomy]

I'm not as much of a 'vet' as others here, but I do have some experience with the touring plans.

Last trip I took the Mini-Mickey with me and followed the plans for MK,AK, & MGM at least starting out in the morning. We were staying off-site, so didn't have the advantage of early entry. We were also touring with a large group.

We started out each morning following the plan and after a few hours of it, it started to fall apart. With such a large group, and with small children, it didn't take long for delays and deviations to set it.

However, I really think it gave us the opportunity to see a lot of busy attractions in a short amount of time at least for those few hours we were able to follow it.

At one point, my SIL said she was going to go off on her own with her two DDs. I didn't argue with her--I just thought they wanted to do their own thing. I found out later that she thought she was messing up our plans--and that was never my intention!! She said after she split from us her and her DDs wandered for an hour and didn't go on anything. I think it was working well--follow the plans at first, then start deviating based on what everyone wants or needs to do.

This year we are going during peak season so we plan to at least start each day following them religiously. I've told the family that if we at least attempt to start with some structure, we'll get more done, then we can abandon the touring plan when we feel the need to.

 

[sarahandhannahsmom]

Tell me about the Mini-Mickey? Is that the name of it and where can i get one?

Thanks so much.

Have fun on your upcoming trip.

 

[ashejen]

Last September was the first time DH and I had gone to WDW as adults and our time was limited due to a wedding DH was in. I'm not big for spending lots of unnecessary time in lines (some of the more intricate queue's I don't mind, but others.... ) so I decided on Unofficial (plus, I loved the snarky comments)

We used Unofficial's touring plans (slightly modified to our own tastes - we're not parade / live show type of people). DH was quite the skeptic at first. But, after day 1 at MK, he was convinced: we were there at rope drop and by the time the touring plan got us to crossing back in front of Peter Pan to go to something else, the PP wait was already 45 minutes - on a SLOW day. We were completely convinced.

We're going back this November (to take advantage of the Armed forces salute) and definitely plan to use Unofficial again for guidance.

So, if you haven't been there enough times to know the place like the back of your hand, etc - I highly recommend.

 

[Geoff_M]

We started out each morning following the plan and after a few hours of it, it started to fall apart.

This is why I think that "battle plans" aren't a good idea. They tend to fall apart, particularly when kids are added to the mix. Weather events, ill timed hunger pains, heat, closing times, unexpected crowds, etc. will often throw you off-course.

I think a much better idea is to learn all you can about the parks, attractions, parades, etc. Then sit down and figure out some agreement as to what everyone "wants" to do at WDW. And then figure out how to merger the knowledge about the parks with the desires of your group. You'll also want to include things like: What rides fill up fastest in the mornings, how to use Fast Pass to your advantage, etc. etc. Then devleop a gneral idea of how you want to "do" the park, but I'd avoid trying to generate step-by-step plans. Also, have a plan "A", "B", "C" and "D". If MK gets too crowded around noon, it may be best to "bug out" and go to Epcot for the balance of the day. So what's the "Guide" say to do when you arrive at Epcot at noon?

Before the creation of things like the DISboards, I think the "battle plans" made more sense. But the wealth of experience and near "real-time" intelligence here makes them a lot less important. A lot can change at WDW from the time the "Unofficial Guide" goes to press and when you take your trip.

 

[jimmiej]

Tell me about the Mini-Mickey? Is that the name of it and where can i get one?

Mini-Mickey is a Reader's Digest version of the UG. It's easier to take with you to the parks. The touring plans are included. Check you local bookstore or http://www.amazon.com/

We started out each morning following the plan and after a few hours of it, it started to fall apart. With such a large group, and with small children, it didn't take long for delays and deviations to set it.

Unless everyone in your group buys in, the touring plans are doomed to fail.



Now to the OP, I am a firm believer in the touring plans effectiveness. I've use them at all four parks over the last four trips(group sizes of 7, 2, 4, & 2-our last trip was to DL). My friend still talks about how well the plans worked on our '98 trip. Fastpass has lessened the need for touring plans, but they're still quite helpful, IMO.

That being said, I've learned through experience that once you get to about lunchtime, the plans don't make that much difference. The #1 thing is, arrive early!!! Being one of the first groups in line is at least half the battle, if not more.



For a personalized plan, check this out:

http://www.touringplans.com/

 

[OhMari]

I think planners are good for people and they are helpful for remembering something. I wish I knew more about the resturants in the parks, we ended up eating hotdogs from a vendor once. Once was enough!

Reading the boards and sharing tips are also very useful tools.

 

[Selket]

I've never been able to follow the Unofficial Guide's plans More power to ya if you can do it! This time I am trying the Tour Guide Mike plan (http://www.tourguidemike.com) and I really like his plans/ideas better. I think he gives you more of a well rounded idea of what you should do WHEN so your plan can't fall apart unless you do I can see falling off his plan but being able to know what to do later in the day, etc. as he breaks the day down into morning/evening if you want that rather than full day. If I had to choose between the two I'd definitely pick TGM over the unofficial guide - and normally i'd used the UG as my main planner. TGM give you some very good plans for use with small children and mixed parties so if you want to do Dumbo AND Space Mountain you get an idea of where to go when and if that falls through, what else to do. And if you get derailed, well....you're still at WDW!

Of course time of year you're going can make a difference too. In the off season the touring plans may not matter (off peak times).

 

[michygoomy]

Unless everyone in your group buys in, the touring plans are doomed to fail.

Actually, my point was that it *did* work, for the time we used it, and we got to knock off a lot of the "problem" attractions before we stopped using it in the late morning.

And no, we didn't have complete buy-in from the group, but it didn't take the group learn that I was right. By the time we went to AK, they were sold.

So what's the "Guide" say to do when you arrive at Epcot at noon?

Actually, they have a plan for arriving at Epcot about 1pm. I plan to use it one day, too, although arriving a bit later.

I'm all for having some flexibility to build in individual preference, but I think our use of the touring plans will actually *afford* us that by letting us knock off some of the bigger attractions early.

And one of the plans does have Space Mountain and Dumbo together.

I'll let you all know how my plans work---August 21st. I've retired the MiniMickey and am using the 2003 Unoffical Guide. (Which is worth reading at least for the entertainment value and the research value).

 

[lentesta]

Hi sarahandhannahsmom,

I wrote the computer software the Unofficial Guide uses to create its touring plans. On a busy day in the Magic Kingdom, following the plan can save you up to five hours of standing in line.

When my DW, DD4.5 (also named Hannah) and I went to WDW in March with my sis and her family, we followed the Guide's touring plan closely, but not step by step. That is, we followed the general pattern of the lands shown in the plans, and not necessarily the individual attractions. While this probably resulted in slightly more waiting in line, it provided the flexibility our group needed. That's certainly better than "winging it," especially during the summer months.

If you have specific questions about the plans in the Guide, feel free to send me an e-mail and I'll see what suggestions I can make. If things get complicated, I'll fire up the software and see what it says. How's that for customer service?

Sincerely,

Len Testa
testa@ncat.edu


P.S. Thanks for the link to TouringPlans.com, jimmiej.

 

[katrina1122]

To me the plans are too structured and demanding. If followed them to a tee I'd feel like I wasn't on vacation, but on a trek through the jungle for a neverending quest or something. So instead I always check out a few guides from the library, this year I'll check out one, and I'm trying tourguidemike, and then combine them around things I know I want to do with my group, along with the restaurants we want to hit, based on any priority seatings we may have, parades we want to hit, shows etc. We always log in pool breaks, mini golf time, spa, etc. Its rare we spend the whole day in one park, I'm a big park hopper, mk in the morning, lunch at mgm, epcot for the evening...but these are sort of planned, modified of course if we show up at mk and find ridiculous crowds. We'll just switch and do epcot for the am and come back to the mk in the afternoon, swapping our tour plans for alternate days.
With that said this probably takes a bit of extra pre-planning, but that's the fun of it, and you also have to be prepared to scrap a plan altogether an not worry about it, sometimes the unplanned excursion is the best day of the trip. I've gone with people who can't handle not following 'the plans'. If that's the case you are probably better off not having one to begin with, as things always happen. I also have to say I'm a city planner by profession. I plan, sometimes to a fault. I have lists to remind myself to make lists, lol. I enjoy vacation planning, and wdw provides the ultimate in pre vacation planning, that's why I utilize several touring plans and make my own. But I think that you get the best touring plans that way. Following a pre-made one isn't personalized, it isn't you and your group.

 

[webprinter]

We followed the Unofficial Guide to DisneyWorld and Disneyland and I am a firm believer in it. We added a couple items and subtracted a few. We were able to see and do everything we wanted to at least once. I use it every time we go now. The one and only time we didn't use it, was a disaster!!

 

[Bella2000]

Everyone who travels with me to Disney World says that they are spoiled as I always use UG or some sort of touring plan. This past June I spoiled myself and used Len's customized touring plans - loved it! There were instances where we stuck to the general "flow" of the plan and it is really amazing to see it work. We have had the best trips and I tell everyone to please make some type of plan. The customized plan was also a good exercise to determine likes and dislikes. We had diverse likes due to age and everything worked like a charm.

This week 2 families we know are there, staying on site - one is winging it (- oh well) and the other made plans which they modify based on whim/mood. Guess who sounded happier when we spoke to them yesterday.

 

[normmo]

Use the touring guides! We went in May of 2001 and used the touring plans from the Unofficial Guide and we were able to do all the rides that we wanted and we were only at Disney for five days. The plans are meant to be flexible so we skipped the stuff that didn't interest us (Mickey's Toontown, parades, etc.). We never had huge lines and did our favorites like Buzz and the Haunted Mansion nine times. The next year when we went they has stopped early entry and using the tour plans it took us the day to do a park but again we saw everything that we wanted. When our neighbors went this year they did not use a plan and were unable to see most of the attractions that they wanted like Space mountain. The plans are meant to be flexible and if you go during off season you may not need them but we found them invaluable and I'm using them again this September. Why stand in line, waste alot of time and get frustrated when you can walk onto attractions, have rest breaks and most importantly have FUN!

 

[missypie]

Yes! Use a touring plan! If you follow it religiously, then the slow down time comes later in the day ... when others are in line for 90 minutes, you are having snacks or visiting with characters because you've already hit the big rides. To people who say it is no fun to follow a touring plan, I ask, "How much fun is it to stand in long lines?"

Just be sure to prepare the people (kids esp) in your party for what you are doing. If you are speeding through Main Street to get to the rope, make sure you let the kids know when you will come back and see everything you are speeding past. They will thank you later, believe me!