Thoughts on different touring philosophies

[mickeyluv'r]

I'd also say offsite is not a good commando choice at all. Time = money. Sometimes spending a little more = more time to actually vacation.

I'd also say, preplanning vs. spontaneous are two different things.

commando = an opportunistic approach to park touring. Pre-planners can still be commando.

Then, there's still one more category...those who favor nostalgia, and those who favor the new. Some favor riding the newest attraction three time, others would rather ride their old favorite three times. The same vs. different resort every trip? What about food- same or different each trip?

 

[Minniesgal]

Just curious (not knocking your choice) if you don't go to parks what else is there to do in the Orlando area? I guess for me my personal mindset is if I wanted to hang at a resort and take advantage of that, my choice would be on a beach somewhere.

loads, we shop , we want a couple of days at waterparks, time at the resort pools, i want to take a boat out on Bay lake, i want to do an illuminations cruise, we do the mini golf, i go to the Spa, we visit celebration, DTD, Universal.

normally with park tickets everything becomes so rushed and even without commando we spend so much time at the parks we miss all the non park things we want to do. our next trip is only 8 nights with a cruise in the middle and 5 nights at DL before ao if we have park tickets as well i can't see how we fit in just chilling at the resort.

we could do a beach but we live 45 mins from beautiful beaches we spend a lot of Sundays there. when we go away i want something different. and we have DVC so our room is paid. and we love Orlando because thats where we went when the kids were little.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

We are "Resort" travelers everywhere except WDW. WDW doesn't offer the level of luxury that we are used to in this arena, so when at WDW we are whatever we feel like being on a given day. Some days are commando, others are totally relaxed, but never "Resort".

 

[PixieT78]

Our first trip was definitely commando style - no breaks unless we were park hopping although we did have a fair amount of ADRs as well. And we hit the wall on our second last day and had to scrap our evening plans for a very early night.

This last trip was a bit more relaxed but we still rope dropped almost every day. We had originally put in a full rest day but by the time the trip actually rolled around it was gone from the schedule. However due to some spontaneity and great luck with rope dropping, we were able to take some afternoon breaks back at the hotel. This has totally converted me.

If/when we go again, we'll be combining a little of almost everything - rope dropping since we are early risers anyway and to take advantage of the lower crowds in the first couple of hours. Taking breaks late morning to mid or late afternoon for naps (even though we have no kids!) and pool time. Some days we'll schedule an ADR lunch and hit the parks again in the evening and other days we'll just go for an evening ADR and relaxed evening. I think my ultimate trip would be for about 14 days since we live in western Canada so we lose 2 days to traveling. That way we could still have time to see everything we want to but also have tons of relaxation (resort, ADRs, maybe actually going off Disney/Universal property haha) time.

 

[chelseabun76]

I had my commando touring plans set, laminated, color coded ready to go..... But the second we stepped foot in MK, I let my dd take the lead and we played it by ear other than our adr's and fp+'s We even went to MK before Epcot one morning JUST so she could ride BTMR to start her day. lmao!!

 

[Glittercat]

Limited mobility really dampens your get up and go.

Have you tried a scooter or wheelchair to help with this? I know they are not ideal for all, but if your lack of mobility is getting you down, maybe a mobility device would help. I was angry about having to have wheels for the 1st year or so but they gave me back my verve, self confidence, and mobility and I'm really grateful for them now!

I thought we were commando types but I learned how very wrong I was when my brother, my nephews, and my family all went to Disneyland in March! He exemplified commando and our style drove him BATTY! One day we even decided to see the parks separately and we went for a leisurely lunch at California Adventure whilst they hit the roller coaster numerous times as single riders! It was terrific everyone's needs were met then we grouped up and enjoyed the rest of the attractions together!

We've decided to go resort style this time to WDW and I think it will suit our family much better! We like TS or signature dining once or twice a day, eat breakfast in room, and will park hop a lot. We've never seen rope drop and as I'm the only one that wants to I don't foresee that ever happening. lol. This time though the plan is to enjoy the resort and the POOLS!!! Also to come home feeling like we had a vacation instead of our usual half frazzled bleary feeling.

 

[quagmire0]

We follow the Touring Plans and have had great success doing that. I find that if you do get there at rope drop and have a plan early, you'll get done riding most everything you wanted to before lunchtime. Since we have younger kids and stay off site, we head back to the condo for lunch and naps/rest time. Then we head back to the park and sort of play it by ear. It's pretty much a hybrid approach.

Having said that, you have to be adaptable and know when to go with the flow as well. Sometimes the kids want to do something else, or sometimes you'll be walking past a ride and see a ridiculously short wait time. We usually pounce on those. So we have a solid plan, but we know when to improvise.

 

[aVASTGrl]

I agree that, for the resorts alone, Disney doesn't cut it (there are a lot of other vacation destinations where the resorts provide a lot more bang for the buck than a Disney resort, many of which are in far more scenic locations than Orlando). Along those lines, I too, would never go to Disney without park tickets.

But I think when you combine the park experience with the resort (and dining) experience, you can have a vacation experience like no other (especially given the variety of resorts and restaurants).

And, in our case, it's not hard to do it all in the same day. We've been to WDW many times and know what we like (and don't like) as well as touring strategies that enable us to avoid long lines. In addition, our trips are usually at least 8-10 days, which gives us lots of park days. So we can hit a lot of attractions by simply visiting the parks between RD and early afternoon, especially since we don't feel the need to do everything. This allows for lots of resort and dining time, especially since we typically do split stays at deluxe resorts that are close to whatever park we are visiting.

My ideal Disney day is about 50% park time (mostly morning and evening), 30% resort/pool time, and 20% dining time. Obviously, that isn't for everyone but it works for me.

I totally get that. I think if I had an AP and went more than once a year, or took longer trips, my ratios would be pretty close to yours..maybe 60% park time, 20% resort/pool. I would probably spend more time doing some tours over the resort time. I'm doing my first tour this trip, sacrificing some ride time! We'll see how I like it

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I totally get that. I think if I had an AP and went more than once a year, or took longer trips, my ratios would be pretty close to yours..maybe 60% park time, 20% resort/pool. I would probably spend more time doing some tours over the resort time. I'm doing my first tour this trip, sacrificing some ride time! We'll see how I like it

AP room discounts aren't really better than GP discounts any more. Just a few years back, WDW rates were somewhat reasonable. Now they are just plain crazy. The idea of staying onsite just to take in the hotel seems a bit outrageous to me.

Take your pick: JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Omni, Marriott World Center, Caribe Royale. They all have great pools to rival Disney's.

Look at the Omni: Aug 16, a room is $150/night with tax. Golf, spa, 7 restaurants, 15 acres of pools, lazy river, and access to recreation activities such as: scavenger hunts, golf clinics, sushi lessons, smores, arcade, volleyball, basketball, and kids camp.

Meanwhile, Disney wants a whopping $453 w/tax for a basic room at the Poly WHILE the hotel is being refurbished!

The rooms are the same square footage, with comparable in-room amenities. Disney used to have great service, but it has greatly declined.

Add it up, $1050 per week vs. $3171. Seems kind of crazy to me to pay an extra $2000+ to be at WDW if you aren't entering MK.

 

[GoofyinBuffalo]

I'd have to create a new category: INFORMED: plans ahead; looks into daily park crowd levels and chooses the park with lowest level each day. Stays on property (resort type depends on time of year/discounts/preferences of group) to take advantage of EMH. Schedules FP+ in such a way that we hit all the attractions that interest us with minimal to no wait times and at such a pace that we can "stop & smell the roses" and still take an afternoon break back at the resort. Researches peak time/low time of rides to know when to hit attractions during course of day that don't have FP+.Plans TS ADRs at the 180 mark but leaves QS options open on day-of to accommodate moods and needs. Day not so regimented that cannot be "spontaneous" and take a detour in a show, store, meet & greet or grab a beverage & sit on a bench and people watch.

 

[DisneyFive]

OP, I love your categories. I do agree with others that dining and commando really don't have much dependence on one another. For instance, we fall smack in the commando group, but NEED our ADR's by dinner time to cool down and rest and recuperate. We really value our dining time and have ADR's for nice TS meals each day.

We do fall into the category of mod or value for resort because we don't spend that much time there. I couldn't justify the price of a deluxe with our touring style.

Dan

 

[aVASTGrl]

AP room discounts aren't really better than GP discounts any more. Just a few years back, WDW rates were somewhat reasonable. Now they are just plain crazy. The idea of staying onsite just to take in the hotel seems a bit outrageous to me.

Take your pick: JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Omni, Marriott World Center, Caribe Royale. They all have great pools to rival Disney's.

Look at the Omni: Aug 16, a room is $150/night with tax. Golf, spa, 7 restaurants, 15 acres of pools, lazy river, and access to recreation activities such as: scavenger hunts, golf clinics, sushi lessons, smores, arcade, volleyball, basketball, and kids camp.

Meanwhile, Disney wants a whopping $453 w/tax for a basic room at the Poly WHILE the hotel is being refurbished!

The rooms are the same square footage, with comparable in-room amenities. Disney used to have great service, but it has greatly declined.

Add it up, $1050 per week vs. $3171. Seems kind of crazy to me to pay an extra $2000+ to be at WDW if you aren't entering MK.

I meant having an AP in terms of visiting more often, thus not feeling like I have to pack everything in, not hotel savings. I'm the kind of person who will pay more for luxury and stay a shorter amount of time. The only thing keeping me onsite right now is EMH. Once those disappear, I plan on staying exclusively at the Four Seasons, and probably adopting more of a 'Resort' strategy.

 

[BarbieGal457]

I am spontaneous for sure, always have been and I can't see that changing. This trip we were even more lax since for once it was just us two and not a ton of friends who like to go when I do because I am great at planning it (they say). I love the feeling of just going where the wind takes us, and if we don't feel like doing a FP, we just don't. Of course I will cancel ADRs before the penalty charge period if we think we won't make them, and we always honor ones we want to really try, but other than that we just go with the flow!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I'd have to create a new category: INFORMED: plans ahead; looks into daily park crowd levels and chooses the park with lowest level each day. Stays on property (resort type depends on time of year/discounts/preferences of group) to take advantage of EMH. Schedules FP+ in such a way that we hit all the attractions that interest us with minimal to no wait times and at such a pace that we can "stop & smell the roses" and still take an afternoon break back at the resort. Researches peak time/low time of rides to know when to hit attractions during course of day that don't have FP+.Plans TS ADRs at the 180 mark but leaves QS options open on day-of to accommodate moods and needs. Day not so regimented that cannot be "spontaneous" and take a detour in a show, store, meet & greet or grab a beverage & sit on a bench and people watch.

I could go with INFORMED.

I don't need no stinking touring plans to be informed though. I have it all in my head. We know WDW well enough to know which rides are always walk-on, which ones slow after dark, and which ones are only walk-on a short time each day.

I'm also not keen on the word plan. I much prefer the word strategy. We don't plan specific ride order, or timing- we just have an informed strategy.

Funny thing is, our WDW strategy has evolved to the point that we've used it well beyond WDW.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I meant having an AP in terms of visiting more often, thus not feeling like I have to pack everything in, not hotel savings. I'm the kind of person who will pay more for luxury and stay a shorter amount of time. The only thing keeping me onsite right now is EMH. Once those disappear, I plan on staying exclusively at the Four Seasons, and probably adopting more of a 'Resort' strategy.

I understood that, and wasn't really trying to single you out. I was more responding to the idea of the resort approach to WDW, and the value.

We do spend time at (all) the WDW resorts, but it is often purposeful time. Like if we stay at Pop, to me the surcharge for preferred location is one of the best values WDW offers.

Meanwhile, to us, refillable mugs are the biggest scam WDW has going. You're going to charge extra for a cup we wash, and can only use in one sugar-water location? Seriously?

The amount of collective vacation time lost to refillable mugs is almost comical.

 

[margot31]

Thanks for the explanations. Someone posted about going commando but my first thought was no underwear but i said that can't be right...must be a different term for on here about how they do the park thing.

My husband and I are more take time kind of people. We see the things we want to see but our upcoming trip we will go visit the resorts since we are going in Dec and I want to see all the decorations.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Thanks for the explanations. Someone posted about going commando but my first thought was no underwear but i said that can't be right...must be a different term for on here about how they do the park thing.

My husband and I are more take time kind of people. We see the things we want to see but our upcoming trip we will go visit the resorts since we are going in Dec and I want to see all the decorations.

Our running joke is: it isn't a vacation unless somebody comes home limping.
Our other running joke is: those who can't keep up will be left behind.

(though I gotta admit, the second one really keeps the kids from straying!)

Oooh- I think maybe we need to add one more category to this list. Well here goes- personal maintenance needs.

The most popular restroom at US is the one with Moaning Myrtle. That's no accident. Fun theming sets it apart.

I suspect many folks make an effort to visit their favorite restrooms, while others just seek to minimize wait time, and other families have to plan around special needs (of small children, for example).

Truly, the folks in my touring group greatly impact my touring style. It isn't just how fast they walk, overall endurance, or how much the like coasters.

Personal grooming needs have a huge impact on touring. If you've ever been to WDW with someone who prefers 3+hours of personal grooming each day, it's very different from say, a non-bather.

 

[VS85]

My last trip to WDW was complete commando. Up for RD and never took a break in the afternoon except for a meal. It was exhausting and we dropped $$$ on the GF and barely got to enjoy it because we were in the parks all day. It was a great trip! But I came home afterwards and slept for the whole day because I was so tired.

This upcoming trip is definitely resort focused. Staying at GF again, but not going to parks until evening (mostly to avoid the July heat). Made a handful of ADRs for the restaurants we want to try, booked a cabana for our pool time, but haven't made any FP+ and don't intend to. We may hit DTD and go bowling or catch a movie. I am so looking forward to this trip being more of a relaxed vacation, but still with the wonderful Disney theming and service.

 

[aVASTGrl]

I understood that, and wasn't really trying to single you out. I was more responding to the idea of the resort approach to WDW, and the value.

We do spend time at (all) the WDW resorts, but it is often purposeful time. Like if we stay at Pop, to me the surcharge for preferred location is one of the best values WDW offers.

Meanwhile, to us, refillable mugs are the biggest scam WDW has going. You're going to charge extra for a cup we wash, and can only use in one sugar-water location? Seriously?

The amount of collective vacation time lost to refillable mugs is almost comical.

Oh god yes, I don't get the mugs either! How much soda can one person/family drink every day?? And if you use it for water, just bring your own and you can refill it everywhere where there's...water!

Our running joke is: it isn't a vacation unless somebody comes home limping.

On a sidenote, this made me My sister and I went to WDW together back in 2007, and halfway through our week (commando all the way!) she did something funny to her ankle, and had to get it wrapped at First Aid; she literally came home limping

 

[larryz]

Used to be commando. Now, I'm a partisan resistance fighter.