Touring Plans? Too much "free" time

[cammianne3]

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but I currently have 22 things to do on our list for Magic Kiingdom this Thursday (includes a dinner reservation in there). For some reason, after optimizing, after visiting the Enchanted Tiki Room at 12:15, it has 287 minutes of "free time" before our dinner reservation at 5:25pm. Why????? If I move stuff around, the minute I "optimize" it just puts that multi-hour break in there.

 

[sponica]

My best guess is that things might be a little wonky while they switch to accounting for LLMP and LLSP. @lentesta would know better though.

 

[Brian Noble]

Rmember that "optimize" means minimizing some combination of wait time and walking time. The afternoon is by far the time when the lines in the park are longest, so moving anything from the morning/evening into that block will have you waiting more time overall.

There are two ways to fix this. One: move the end of your day earlier, and ask it to optimize again, and that will force some things into that window. You will end up having a longer overall "wait time", but you'll have something to do in the afternoon. Two: take a break from the park--for example, this could be a good time to get on one of the boats to the MK-area resorts and hang out in a quiet, calm, air-conditioned space sipping a beverage. That 4.5-hour window is also enough time to get back to your resort and dip in the pool, grab a mid-day shower, etc.

Personally, I would be all over Option Two. I find my days in the park are much much better if I don't try to stay in them all day.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but I currently have 22 things to do on our list for Magic Kiingdom this Thursday (includes a dinner reservation in there). For some reason, after optimizing, after visiting the Enchanted Tiki Room at 12:15, it has 287 minutes of "free time" before our dinner reservation at 5:25pm. Why????? If I move stuff around, the minute I "optimize" it just puts that multi-hour break in there.

Does it have you doing all 22 things you asked it to schedule? If so, it's doing them with the least amount of wait time. If not, that's when you have a complaint.

 

[cammianne3]

Rmember that "optimize" means minimizing some combination of wait time and walking time. The afternoon is by far the time when the lines in the park are longest, so moving anything from the morning/evening into that block will have you waiting more time overall.

There are two ways to fix this. One: move the end of your day earlier, and ask it to optimize again, and that will force some things into that window. You will end up having a longer overall "wait time", but you'll have something to do in the afternoon. Two: take a break from the park--for example, this could be a good time to get on one of the boats to the MK-area resorts and hang out in a quiet, calm, air-conditioned space sipping a beverage. That 4.5-hour window is also enough time to get back to your resort and dip in the pool, grab a mid-day shower, etc.

Personally, I would be all over Option Two. I find my days in the park are much much better if I don't try to stay in them all day.

I've tried moving things up to earlier, but every time I optimize, it moves 'em back until after dinner (our dinner reservations are at 5:25pm).

 

[cammianne3]

Does it have you doing all 22 things you asked it to schedule? If so, it's doing them with the least amount of wait time. If not, that's when you have a complaint.

Yes, it has all of them on there, but it just doesn't make sense to have 287 minutes of doing nothing in the middle of the day (almost five hours from noon on).

 

[Tom_E_D]

Yes, it has all of them on there, but it just doesn't make sense to have 287 minutes of doing nothing in the middle of the day (almost five hours from noon on).

I agree the Touring Plans can produce odd results. I had them make some Touring Plans before my trip last winter, then ignored them all after seeing what was produced. But the computer algorithm is merely producing a plan that does those 22 things with the least amount of wait time in lines. It doesn't have to otherwise make sense as far as the algorithm is concerned.

 

[danceintherain]

If it's putting too much after your dinner reservation, then change your end time to earlier.
If you want to do things in a different order, then you can't optimize.

 

[lentesta]

Rmember that "optimize" means minimizing some combination of wait time and walking time. The afternoon is by far the time when the lines in the park are longest, so moving anything from the morning/evening into that block will have you waiting more time overall.

There are two ways to fix this. One: move the end of your day earlier, and ask it to optimize again, and that will force some things into that window. You will end up having a longer overall "wait time", but you'll have something to do in the afternoon. Two: take a break from the park--for example, this could be a good time to get on one of the boats to the MK-area resorts and hang out in a quiet, calm, air-conditioned space sipping a beverage. That 4.5-hour window is also enough time to get back to your resort and dip in the pool, grab a mid-day shower, etc.

Personally, I would be all over Option Two. I find my days in the park are much much better if I don't try to stay in them all day.

This is almost certainly what's going on. Thanks, @Brian Noble .

We've considered adding an optional checkbox like "Put as much of my free time in the evening as possible even if it means waiting longer in line."

My big concern with that is that doing a couple million plans a year, we'll inevitably end up with questions like "Why are my waits in line so long?" I'm sure there's a compromise. Let me get through the code changes of the next 48 hours and we can chat.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've tried moving things up to earlier

I don't mean moving individual plan elements earlier. I mean telling the plan optimizer that you are leaving the park earlier than closing. That will force it to move things, because it can no longer use the time you "aren't in the park."

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

This is almost certainly what's going on. Thanks, @Brian Noble .

We've considered adding an optional checkbox like "Put as much of my free time in the evening as possible even if it means waiting longer in line."

My big concern with that is that doing a couple million plans a year, we'll inevitably end up with questions like "Why are my waits in line so long?" I'm sure there's a compromise. Let me get through the code changes of the next 48 hours and we can chat.

I, for one, would love this option.

 

[lentesta]

I, for one, would love this option.

Once this new release of MDE with LLMP gets stable*, I'll look at this. I don't think it's difficult. Thank you.

*Oy vey, we should live so long.