The trials of making a touring plan...

[Ouida]

LOL I'm doing that tomorrow! I set up a dummy plan for Friday and plan to use the app all day (since crowd levels are supposed to be similar to one of our days in the park) and just mark off stuff periodically and try to add a few rides if the lines seem low. If I have time to get back on DIS this weekend I'll let you know how it goes!

Please do. I've noticed that TP updates their wait times consently. I printed out from their website the anticipated wait times in MK for sep. 28, 29, 30, Oct 1. I printed them all on the 27th. But when I went back today, they again updated today's 28th predictions overnight sometime. They were right on and completely off almost 50\50 from my print out. But was much closer maybe 75% on the over night update. I'll keep checking. But I question if when they say, they were within 5 minutes, how far out was those predictions based on (maybe just hours before rope drop). I'd love to have this answer??

 

[10CJ]

I would put in everything you think you want to do and then optimize. From there I would start moving things around. If you want to Barnstormer first, put that first. From then on only evaluate. I like to have a few steps I have okay with eliminating day of in case we get behind or get out of order.

I practiced with the app before I used for the first time. I would get your day set then make a copy. Practice with the copy.

 

[TinkerPan]

I agree planning a Touring Plan for HS that fits in Jedi Training is challenging, when you can't know for certain what time slot you will be able to get. First know the times of all the shows. (Touring Plans will show these for the date you are going.) I make sure that my Touring Plan that I print out always shows all the showtimes for the attractions I am interested in. This will help you to quickly identify possible alternate attractions and showtimes that will work if you can't get your ideal Jedi Training time.

Then I Identified any JT show times that will absolutely not work (Because of ADRs or FPs), and cross them out, so I don't mistakenly select them.

Remember they want you and your child to check in 20-30 minutes ahead of time, so block out enough time for check-in time as well as the actual Jedi Training. Then select your ideal JT time, and your 2nd and 3rd choice, keeping in mind what attractions can be easily switched (like Muppet 3D) as an alternate time if needed. It is my experience that the early JT times tend to go first. The earlier you get there for sign up the more choices you'll have. So, prepare a touring plan with a scheduled Jedi Training slot, then know what your second and third time slots will be and then switch those planned attractions as needed. Bottom line you'll need to be flexible.

 

[CeruleanMoon]

Please do. I've noticed that TP updates their wait times consently. I printed out from their website the anticipated wait times in MK for sep. 28, 29, 30, Oct 1. I printed them all on the 27th. But when I went back today, they again updated today's 28th predictions overnight sometime. They were right on and completely off almost 50\50 from my print out. But was much closer maybe 75% on the over night update. I'll keep checking. But I question if when they say, they were within 5 minutes, how far out was those predictions based on (maybe just hours before rope drop). I'd love to have this answer??

I was wondering just how often their predictions change. I'm playing around with a TP now at 6 months out, but what will that plan look like on the day of? How drastically will things change? Seems like I'm going to have to check back frequently to be sure.

I agree planning a Touring Plan for HS that fits in Jedi Training is challenging, when you can't know for certain what time slot you will be able to get. First know the times of all the shows. (Touring Plans will show these for the date you are going.) I make sure that my Touring Plan that I print out always shows all the showtimes for the attractions I am interested in. This will help you to quickly identify possible alternate attractions and showtimes that will work if you can't get your ideal Jedi Training time.

Then I Identified any JT show times that will absolutely not work (Because of ADRs or FPs), and cross them out, so I don't mistakenly select them.

Remember they want you and your child to check in 20-30 minutes ahead of time, so block out enough time for check-in time as well as the actual Jedi Training. Then select your ideal JT time, and your 2nd and 3rd choice, keeping in mind what attractions can be easily switched (like Muppet 3D) as an alternate time if needed. It is my experience that the early JT times tend to go first. The earlier you get there for sign up the more choices you'll have. So, prepare a touring plan with a scheduled Jedi Training slot, then know what your second and third time slots will be and then switch those planned attractions as needed. Bottom line you'll need to be flexible.

Thanks, I'll try to do this. I haven't been to HS or Epcot in so many years that I might as well be a first time visitor. That makes it difficult to plan since I don't know what all the attractions are or how long it might take to do them. (Innovations East and West?)

 

[heather13]

I make sure that my Touring Plan that I print out always shows all the showtimes for the attractions I am interested in. This will help you to quickly identify possible alternate attractions and showtimes that will work if you can't get your ideal Jedi Training time.

Then I Identified any JT show times that will absolutely not work (Because of ADRs or FPs), and cross them out, so I don't mistakenly select them.

So, prepare a touring plan with a scheduled Jedi Training slot, then know what your second and third time slots will be and then switch those planned attractions as needed. Bottom line you'll need to be flexible.

This is SOOOO helpful! What a great idea!


I tried a TP from home today, added a last minute lunch and a few last minute rides and the process went fairly well. A few notes:
*I'd suggest playing with a practice TP a day or two before the trip. I wasn't very panicked when I couldn't figure out how to add a step because I wasn't in a huge rush, but at Disney I don't want to be looking at my phone the whole time; I want to add things quickly (it's in the top right corner BTW). Same with dining - didn't notice I needed to insert the duration and it wouldn't accept my addition.
*The Optimize function didn't work perfectly. For instance, I had a free hour before lunch and instead of having me get in line for an after lunch ride with a 30 minute wait, it basically gave me a free hour. Not the worst thing, but I manually had to move the ride up and - viola - gained some extra time after lunch.
*It also wouldn't allow me to keep my preferred show time when I optimized. I'm not sure how that will impact Jedi Training, but I'm going to try again next week and see if I can get it to work better.
*I have no idea why my "done" items are duplicated (two each of the exact same step), but it doesn't seem to impact anything.
*Things like "walking speed" and "wait times vs walking" are only available on the app, so when it optimizes it will take that into consideration. I tried to update using my web browser but it won't work - need a computer.

 

[Kathlita]

As someone explained, you need to evaluate once you have everything in the order you want, then use the times to add FP+. It takes a while. I evaluated my plan over and over, until I had the waiting and the free time down to where I wanted them. My goal was to cut down on walking, while still seeing everything. I printed out the map and went from there. I cut MK and EP in half, since we have two days scheduled in each. It's an awesome program and I hope I can get FP+ scheduled for those times. If not, I'll be starting over!

Look at the map, enter your attractions with the smaller roller coasters first, fill in with attractions you walk by on the way to the next roller coaster, check your times, schedule your fastpasses. Evaluate as needed. I finally gave up on DHS and had to come back to it the next day. Those show-times really threw things off.

 

[takehertothemoon]

The lack of characters in the attraction section makes it so hard to plan in my opinion! Any tips for this? Or am I so blind and they are there?!

 

[StraightToDumbo]

My best tip: Remember you can use late FP's if you fall behind the plan. CM's are very accommodating.

 

[heather13]

The lack of characters in the attraction section makes it so hard to plan in my opinion! Any tips for this? Or am I so blind and they are there?!

Do you mean the lack of specific meet & greets? Some are there, but not all. I remember that snag from the last visit. We ended up with one day in Epcot & MK where we focused on meeting characters. The second day we had a plan to do rides.

 

[SAMMMMMMMMMM]

The lack of characters in the attraction section makes it so hard to plan in my opinion! Any tips for this? Or am I so blind and they are there?!

This is my biggest gripe with TP. If I could add characters into my plans it would be almost perfect but i understand they can't because wait times aren't published for character meets unless they have a FP option. When we have a character we want to do, I usually add a "break" or put it in the notes, like meet pet pan before/after the ride.

 

[takehertothemoon]

Do you mean the lack of specific meet & greets? Some are there, but not all. I remember that snag from the last visit. We ended up with one day in Epcot & MK where we focused on meeting characters. The second day we had a plan to do rides.

This is my biggest gripe with TP. If I could add characters into my plans it would be almost perfect but i understand they can't because wait times aren't published for character meets unless they have a FP option. When we have a character we want to do, I usually add a "break" or put it in the notes, like meet pet pan before/after the ride.

Yes that it what I meant, I was hoping I just couldn't find them! The hardest to plan for is Joy and Sadness at Epcot, I have no idea where to put that in my day. As with the Star Wars characters and StarLord and Baby Groot at Hollywood Studios. I'll put them in as breaks and try and guess the times, thanks for your help!

 

[lovethesun12]

First, I don't use the optimize feature. It has you walking all over the place. I only use evaluate.

I insert the order of the rides I want BY LAND. For example, I'll start with Space, then Buzz, then Speedway. Hit evaluate, then I'll get a sense of how much time it takes. I'll then add fantasyland rides: Teacups, Dumbo, Barnstormer, Mine train, lunch etc, hit evaluate, and get a sense of how much time it takes. Each time I add or change fastpass times so the plan works correctly.

This takes a bit of trial and error, but I feel this method gives me the greatest flexibility in changing a plan on the fly the day of but still having a plan to begin with. As long as I know which land I want to be in at each part of the day, I can fill in the gaps with attractions, and the touring plans maker really gives me a good sense of what I can realistically accomplish in a set amount of time.

I do this as well, and often will do 3-4 plans, one for each land. So my first plan might be 9am-11:am, next one 11:30am-1pm, etc.

 

[lovethesun12]

Not sure if you are a first time visitor to Disney (and touring plans) but I find anything under a 20 min "wait" at Disney doesn't even feel like a wait because you almost spend that much time walking through the line. If their wait time changes from 10 to even 20 min not much different really, not even Disney can be exact with their actual posted times.

I've found touring plans to be really really accurate with times. My trips using them have been so much more enjoyable!

If I am at the park and behind "schedule" I just skip to the next step.

I would make sure to fastpasses all my must do rides though. (Click the box that says force the optimizer to use fastpasses).

In my opinion they are super accurate with all rides in the morning. The afternoon can vary and typically I've found them to be most off with the rides that *require* a FP (or rope drop) like 7 dwarfs, space, splash, big thunder.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I'm only using TP for Universal, because I have no idea what to expect there. Putting that plan together was easy.

I am using Kenny the Pirate's CL for Disney. He added wait times and all the character meets are there, so it's perfect for us.

 

[Ouida]

I did a trial plan today at MK with a crowd level of 6, to see how it would work out. So far TP was off about 5 minutes per ride.

 

[heather13]

Bumping this because I had an epiphany to add Jedi Training into TP and it seems to be working...
I added a dining reservation at Sci-Fi (since that restaurant seems to be the closest) and made it for 30 minutes before the Jedi training of my choice. I made the reservation last 60 minutes - correct me if I'm wrong but that seems like enough time for the full Jedi Training experience from what I've read.

Then optimize and fake Jedi Training stays in place!!

I've done three TPs this way with three different time scenarios, based on when we'd like to schedule training - then if option 1 is gone we can move on two option 2, etc. And worst case I figure I can go into TP and manually change the reservation time and optimize in the park. That way we can keep up with changes and won't have to "evaluate" the plan (which I'd rather not do at DHS since there are so many show times to factor).
It sure is faster than trial and error which was driving me nuts.

 

[Aljo]

Great advice from everyone! I start with "optimize" and then click on evaluate as "optimize never seems to be very practical in my experience, I also check the map on the bottom to see how far apart the rides are and try not to backtrack. I spend a lot of time moving things around, adding the FPs etc. It worked perfectly for me on our last trip (2013) but I will admit I spent a lot of time getting the plan exactly the way I wanted it

 

[CeruleanMoon]

How do you do an Epcot touring plan? I'm not sure I understand how the system calculates the different attractions. For example, I told it I wanted to visit the Land and Journey into Imagination pavilions and it gave me exactly 1 minute "duration" to see the entire Land pavilion! It gave me 2 minutes to see Journey...the building, mind you, not the ride, which is a separate entry. Are these pavilions really that empty now or is there a way to make it give you a more reasonable viewing time? It's also only giving me 10 minutes for each of the country buildings, which seems very short.

 

[lovethesun12]

How do you do an Epcot touring plan? I'm not sure I understand how the system calculates the different attractions. For example, I told it I wanted to visit the Land and Journey into Imagination pavilions and it gave me exactly 1 minute "duration" to see the entire Land pavilion! It gave me 2 minutes to see Journey...the building, mind you, not the ride, which is a separate entry. Are these pavilions really that empty now or is there a way to make it give you a more reasonable viewing time? It's also only giving me 10 minutes for each of the country buildings, which seems very short.

If I think I'll take longer than the plan allots I add in a "break" for the amount of time extra I want.

 

[CeruleanMoon]

If I think I'll take longer than the plan allots I add in a "break" for the amount of time extra I want.

Ok, thank you. I'll try that.