Touring Plans park plans

[Mdsleiman]

Has anyone used the Touring Plans park plans? I created my own plans with my current Fasspass selections. I also added my additional rides and then optimized the whole plan. Just checking to see if anyone had any success with the optimized plan with their FP's included.

 

[maryj11]

Has anyone used the Touring Plans park plans? I created my own plans with my current Fasspass selections. I also added my additional rides and then optimized the whole plan. Just checking to see if anyone had any success with the optimized plan with their FP's included.

I have done mine last trip. I had a hard time getting my fastpasses to be added but I did finally get them on there. I cant remember how I did it though. I will go in there and see if I can remember lol.

 

[maryj11]

Well I just tried to add fastpasses to our current trip and it took me several times. I moved them around and could get them on by clicking evaluate. It really makes no sense on why it is so hard to get them to stay on there. Optimize would not save my FP's. I clicked evaluate and they were all on there then I clicked optimize and they stayed on.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I start by optimizing, then massage it to how I want to tour. It's usually moving a few things around so the walk makes more sense.

 

[singingpixie]

Well I just tried to add fastpasses to our currant trip and it took me several times. I moved them around and could get them on by clicking evaluate. It really makes no sense on why it is so hard to get them to stay on there. Optimize would not save my FP's. I clicked evaluate and they were all on there then I clicked optimize and they stayed on.

There's an extra step that wasn't intuitive for me, so maybe that's the issue? After you add them, you have to click "Save Fastpass Changes" before you optimize or evaluate. Maybe you already did that but it caught me a couple times before I realized.

 

[maryj11]

There's an extra step that wasn't intuitive for me, so maybe that's the issue? After you add them, you have to click "Save Fastpass Changes" before you optimize or evaluate. Maybe you already did that but it caught me a couple times before I realized.

Yes I did that. I tried saving one at a time but that didn't seem to work. I then add them all at the same time and that seemed to work after I clicked evaluate. When I clicked save fastpass changes they did not appear until after I clicked evaluate.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I had that happen last night. Then, this morning it was fixed. It might be a glitch in the system.

 

[maryj11]

I had that happen last night. Then, this morning it was fixed. It might be a glitch in the system.

I'm not sure I have had trouble with it every trip, but I eventually get it all set the way I want.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

When you add your fast passes, underneath that is an option for “advanced options.” Click that and a menu will appear. Select “force optimize to use my fast passes.”
Otherwise it doesn’t really pay attention to them as much as it does the other parameters.

My experience with touringplans is that most things take longer than it estimates. I usually have to figure on more of a buffer and dropping a few things to “catch up” as the day goes on. Overall it’s helpful to determine what order I’d like to follow.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

When you add your fast passes, underneath that is an option for “advanced options.” Click that and a menu will appear. Select “force optimize to use my fast passes.”
Otherwise it doesn’t really pay attention to them as much as it does the other parameters.

My experience with touringplans is that most things take longer than it estimates. I usually have to figure on more of a buffer and dropping a few things to “catch up” as the day goes on. Overall it’s helpful to determine what order I’d like to follow.

It will pay attention to your FPs if they fit the expectations of the algorithm. Otherwise you need to use the Force click button to get it to always utilize the fast passes you have.

 

[Hopefully]

Do the Touring Plans Forums answer these questions?

 

[FigmentSpark]

Do the Touring Plans Forums answer these questions?

They definitely do. In case the OP doesn't know about the TP forum, it's at:
https://forum.touringplans.com/c/walt-disney-world/l/latest

 

[ForMyBoys]

My experience with touringplans is that most things take longer than it estimates. I usually have to figure on more of a buffer and dropping a few things to “catch up” as the day goes on. Overall it’s helpful to determine what order I’d like to follow.

Hi! Do you find it doesn't add enough time even if you change the walking speed to slow?

 

[FigmentSpark]

They've always worked out for me, even with extra time. Maybe we all walk faster than I put it at.

Also, things change. People recommend you re-optimize your plan or at least re-evaluate it as you go using the phone app. I don't do that, because I don't need to follow it religiously.

 

[Daisy7425]

I've had terrible luck with touring plans. We traveled to DW 2/4-2/9. Crowds were predicted to be a 4-6. I spent lots and lots and lots of time inputing my plans and having them optimize them. Their plans were WAY off. For instance, they would predict 10 minutes for its a small world early in the morning. Actual wait time: 50 min. This happened over and over. In my experience, it was totally useless and in fact got our hopes up for short wait times and then they were off by huge margins.

 

[msb578]

I've had terrible luck with touring plans. We traveled to DW 2/4-2/9. Crowds were predicted to be a 4-6. I spent lots and lots and lots of time inputing my plans and having them optimize them. Their plans were WAY off. For instance, they would predict 10 minutes for its a small world early in the morning. Actual wait time: 50 min. This happened over and over. In my experience, it was totally useless and in fact got our hopes up for short wait times and then they were off by huge margins.

This is what concerns me about it. I don’t know how much to trust the plan. Did you re-optimize on the day of your visit?

On the other hand, their reservation finder just got me Beaches & Cream on Easter Sunday, so I’m pretty thankful for Touring Plans at the moment.

 

[cakebaker]

This is what concerns me about it. I don’t know how much to trust the plan. Did you re-optimize on the day of your visit?

On the other hand, their reservation finder just got me Beaches & Cream on Easter Sunday, so I’m pretty thankful for Touring Plans at the moment.

I’ve got Beaches and Cream on search right now, about 2 weeks and nothing yet. It did however find a reservation for Artists Point at the exact time I wanted. Love their reservation finder!

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Hi! Do you find it doesn't add enough time even if you change the walking speed to slow?

It gives me enough time to walk, but it doesn’t factor in that you might want a bathroom break or snack break (unless you manually enter those, which is an option). When it says 10 minutes from attraction to attraction at a slow pace with 0 minutes in between, that’s roughly how long it will take, give or take 1-2 minutes. Parking and retrieving a stroller (and strapping then 1 yo into it) takes time. I like to stop and photograph details and things (I’m a photographer). Stopping at a gift shop/ water fountain/ photopass, also not factored in automatically. These little things add up.

My strategy for that is to add extra time to meals as a buffer, try to get things so there’s a few minutes of “free time” in between and always choose the slowest walking pace even if it’s just me and DH (who do not move at the same turtle speed as 3 children), and accept that something along the way is probably going to have to be dropped (and I decide what that will be ahead of time). Depending on the plan TP gives me, I also manually add 10 minute breaks.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I have had pretty good luck with it being mostly accurate. I do re-evaluate the night before or the morning of so they have the latest wait time predictions factored in. We also go in May so haven't had huge swings in crowds (if they predict a 4 and it turns into 9, then yeah, all wait times in plans are going to be useless). I also don't plan for a whole day of following a tp religiously. Our afternoon is typically a list of options (we can go meet Mary Poppins, play Pirates Adventure, or go to Tom Sawyer Island - you guys decide). My family is typically done with my commando style by noon (sometimes before). But that also gets us off the urge to race to keep up with a plan. The other way to do that is, as the pp said, to pick ahead of time what activities are going to get ditched if you're getting behind. I will also over estimate the time it will take to M&G characters (which have to be added as breaks in most cases) to give us more breathing room for the snack and bathroom stops.

 

[ForMyBoys]

I always use TP in the morning to map out a plan. We usually leave the park at 2ish for a break and head back out at 6ish. The night time plans are usually based on which park shows the least ride times or where we can get the best 4th FP. So we don't tour by a plan at night, but I do rely on the Lines app.