Touring Plans / Itinerary

[squirrel922]

I have a question about Touring Plans and Itineraries. I want to make one for our trip in May and don't have the first clue how to do this. I've seen itineraries of parks to go to and where people are having dinner. Has anyone ever posted a detailed itinerary of the park maybe? Do I need something like that?

We're going with a big group of family but for my family it's just a 5 year old and 3 year old boy.

I want them to be able to see as much as they could. Does anyone plan in parades or fireworks?

Could you send me links to these if there is anything like that out there.

Thank you,
Stacy

 

[lovethattink]

Touring plans should be somewhat flexible just in case a park is particularly crowded or something unforseen throws a kink into your day. The Unofficial guide and Birmbaum's Official guide both have touring plans, but MANY other people follow these plans as well.

 

[jimmiej]

Check the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld or their website:

http://www.touringplans.com

You can get a customized plan from them for a small fee if you want. I think I read recently where they have something new called "cheat sheets" that detail the best times for each attraction. Do a search on that to find out more.

Also, one of our fellow DISers works for them. His name is Len Testa. Send him a private message if you need specific help. He's very friendly.

 

[Mainebound]

We are going next week with our DS3 and DS5 for the 3rd year in a row. By now I have pretty detailed itineraries for each day. Send me a PM and I will send you one if you like.

 

[jlaspoq]

First off, welcome to the DIS! You will get lots of good ideas from these boards. And you will probably get some links in the next few posts.... There are some great resources out there - including the Unofficial Guide, Tour Guide Mike, Passporter, etc. etc. Everyone has their favorites.

Basically, you'll want to learn about what's in each of the parks and resorts. Then you'll want to determine what's most important to your family, especially your kids. Do they like certain characters? Mickey and friends or Pooh and friends... princesses or villains... etc. This will help determine if you want to plan character meals. Do they like thrill rides or not - or are they even tall enough for some rides? Do you want to be able to ride the thrill rides even if they don't? Yes, definitely plan in parades and fireworks - they are a wonderful part of the trip. What I do first is try to figure out approximately which parks I want to go to on which days. This will be determined in part by whether or not you want to use (or can't use if you're offsite) the EMH (Extra Magic Hour) times. You will want to read all about this - it's changed this year. You can find info on this website about it. Also learn about Fastpasses - they're a lifesaver if it's crowded. Most of the restaurants will take PS (Priority Seatings) 90 days in advance, so that's why you see so much about planning meals into the itinerary.

Most people on these boards think planning is half (or more) of the fun of a Disney trip! So you should get lots of good ideas.

Have fun!