So I subscribed to Touring Plans . . . Now what?

[caribbeandream]

I decided to start with a half-day park - Animal Kingdom on the last full day of our vacation. So far TP has told me this:

9:11 EE (5 min wait)
Walk through Maharajah Jungle Trek (20 minutes)
9:49 Disney Pals (11 min wait)
10:08 Kilimanjaro Safari (9 min wait)
10:40 for the 11:00 am show of Lion King
11:30-ish Walk through Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (20 minutes)
Leave park for 12:55 pm lunch @ Sanaa (I had to add this as a break)

If I'm reading these wait times correctly then we should rope drop EE and get FP for the character M&G and KS? And for those wondering, on this specific day we are skipping Pandora and Dinoland and may or may not return to AK after lunch.

 

[10CJ]

I think this sounds fine. I would book fast passes for Everest as well and potentially ride it twice.

 

[BigredNole]

I trust touring plan type sites as far as I can throw a 50 ton elephant. EE will have a 0 minute wait at rope drop for almost an hour. I don't like taking such a regimented trip. Can you do everything you have listed in the time you allot, definitely. I think you can probably do more and even less. You may run into seeing animals playing more and spend more time on the treks. Its just too difficult to say what you may or may not run into.

 

[caribbeandream]

I moved things around a bit because TS had me jumping all over the park like a pin ball machine. Nothing on our plan will make our break our trip and we are focusing on the live animal experiences.

 

[Cornish Lad]

Rather than have a piece of software deciding where I should go and when I use the planning software called DIBB. This is basically a sophisticated spreadsheet so I can plan my fast passes for the day and enter the times to suit myself, same with dining reservations and shows etc. So, when the 180 and 60 day windows open up I can use the MDE app to book as planned as I know exactly what basics I am looking for on a daily basis for my whole stay.

 

[caribbeandream]

Rather than have a piece of software deciding where I should go and when I use the planning software called DIBB. This is basically a sophisticated spreadsheet so I can plan my fast passes for the day and enter the times to suit myself, same with dining reservations and shows etc. So, when the 180 and 60 day windows open up I can use the MDE app to book as planned as I know exactly what basics I am looking for on a daily basis for my whole stay.

I'm not leaving all my planning to a computer software but so far I have found it to be a great tool. It's been seven years since I visited WDW so what is "hot" now is not what was hot then. I'm a bit overwhelmed by this new FP system and seeing things in black and white on the computer has helped me make better decisions, even if they are not the ones TP thinks are best.

 

[caribbeandream]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I think I just needed to play around with the TP site to figure out which was the best use of my time (and money). It's actually been really helpful and now I feel much more confident going into next week when I have to make my FP reservations.

 

[DeterminedOne]

If you have a paid subscription then you have access to even more than just the touring software. Something I used several times that I didn't expect to is the chat rooms. Helped me several times in the parks when I needed a quick answer. Their lines app was great also.

 

[DisTXMom]

I like the personalized touring plans- I can reorder things as I like to get top tier attractions in early and not cross cross the park too much. I like how you can see your steps on the map so you can weigh how you feel about the flow. Our touring style is to follow a touring plan in the morning when crowds are lower and to be more spontaneous in the afternoon when it's busier. We have generally accomplished what Touring plans indicated we could do for our amount of time. For us, having a plan is great. We aren't married to it, but it's a good Plan A. Good luck!

 

[Lovetherodent]

I love the personalized plans, and months/weeks out will have several "alternatives" saved for the same park, same day. The key is, once in a park, be flexible. For instance, lightening closed Space Mountain. It opened back up with no line. On that like white on rice, regardless of my plan, which TP's Lines app makes pretty easy to adjust on the fly.

 

[KimBean]

I trust touring plan type sites as far as I can throw a 50 ton elephant. EE will have a 0 minute wait at rope drop for almost an hour. I don't like taking such a regimented trip. Can you do everything you have listed in the time you allot, definitely. I think you can probably do more and even less. You may run into seeing animals playing more and spend more time on the treks. Its just too difficult to say what you may or may not run into.

Agree. I think the good ways to use TP is if you only go every 2-3 years (like I do) then it allows you to know how many things what you can fit in between your 3 FPs and your meals. Then do them how you want to. Obviously riding e rides earlier.

 

[hllb]

The touring plans are very helpful even if you don’t follow them to a tee. The lines app looks awesome too so download that!

 

[OB1]

TP does work. Based on real math statistics, they are usually very close to reality. I think that it is helpful to have a guided plan early in the day to maximize your time. Once it starts getting crowded you can go with the flow since you have done headliners early in the morning while many are sleeping in.

 

[trstno1]

I liked the personalized plans when I used them a few years ago. Plus it's fun imagining your day.

 

[srwarden1928]

I have used Touring Plans since 2008. Their plans work. I have high expectations for what I want to see and do in the parks. Touring plans are a great tool to help me achieve my goals. I truly believe I maximize what I am able to do and see by using this tool.

 

[sharadoc]

I love looking at the room views.

 

[Micca]

I liked the personalized plans when I used them a few years ago. Plus it's fun imagining your day.

We've been to WDW so many times we don't need a plan but I subscribe to TP just because it's so fun to play around with. I've also used the ADR finder a few times with great success.

 

[Lydia S]

Random question...but what do the ' R ' symbols mean on the park maps?

 

[srwarden1928]

restrooms

 

[NYCgrrl]

I made a rough guide before going to TP's site. For our first visit , decided to stick to Asia and Dinoland predominately with a first stop @ Pandora since it's next to the entrance and rope drop FoP. My next AK trip will be dedicated to Africa and Discover Island with another stop at Pandora at the start.
I've found that those colorful map brochures I picked up @ DW were helpful in making my choices. Am missing one to MK and a telephone call to WD sent one through the mail.
We spent close to an hour and a half at the Maharaja Jungle Trek but at least 22 minutes was spent looking for my grand-nephew. Apparently some monkeys enchanted him into not following us when we said it was time to move on but he had the sense of mind to call his mother who in turn called me. Sigh.
I think he needed a monkey/bear/Elmo leash since that was not the only time he went missing....