Touring Plans

[BLAMBKY]

Ok, now I am really getting serious. I have my tip, after tip, after tip ...... pages ready and now I need to know, do the tour plans really work? What tour plan works best for family with 9 & 12 year olds? We do plan on getting there for rope drop. I have already paid for usage of the plans. Help me get the most bang for my buck, please!

 

[BeckyScott]

Depending on whose touring plan you're using, some of them are specific for "families" etc. Uh, since you've already paid for usage of the plans, I am *assuming* you are getting them from one of two places. The one I've got has, for example, an MK touring plan for boys 8-12, or something like that, which isn't exactly the same as the regular MK plan.

I think they'll be helpful because at the very least it gives you some focus. I'm sure you've been in other situations, other theme parks, where after every ride, everyone does the Huddle around the map and tries to figure out where to go next, or just wanders around looking for the next thing to catch their eye. Wasted time. Having a tour plan, you have a direction.

The other way I think it will really help us, is that I know, and have explained to the kids, that using the plan YES we will get to every ride they want to go on. But if we do it in the order of the plan, the lines will be shorter. So we might pass by something, but we'll come back. Hopefully that will fend off most of the whining.

One thing I did do, was I sat down with a tour book and made a list (just hand-written) of all the attractions at the parks. Then I sat with the kids, explained each thing to them briefly, and got their input. I got some answers I didn't expect. Of course, two boys, they want nothing to do with any Princess, Ariel, Pocahantas girliness no matter what the attraction was about. Buzz Lightyear yes. Stunt cars? You bet. Some other things though... they were iffy on many of the water rides, oldest DS insists he wants to do all the coaster-types, they both really want to do Tower of Terror... I know they might change their minds when they actually see things, but it gives me a clue about what things we might be skipping.

Using that, I have printed out the plans that are for families, or for "boys", and will kind of wing it once we get there.

 

[srwarden1928]

If you mean the UG touring plans, yes, yes, yes. If anything they are too good. One day per park with the plans was plenty during the week before Easter. There are many different plans--you can choose what works for your family. The one day touring plans for adults cover everything in epcot, studios, and AK. Only MK requires some compromise due to ages. IMHO

If I were taking a child in the 5-8 range, I would probably take 2 days for MK, one with the adult plan and one with the dumbo plan. Then one day for each other park using the adult plan and making sure the child interests were covered.

Older than about 8 they probably wouldnt want to do the kiddie things. I personally would not take one younger than 5. (Not that Im trying to tell other families what they should do, thats just what I would do)

 

[SJP]

We did TGM last spring it was amazing! We went to Epcot the first day, at 11 am, we are talking about heading for lunch next and what are we going to do in the World Showcase. The 10-year-old says she wants to ride ALL the rides before we do that. We asked her what she wanted to do, she couldn't think of anything, pulled out her map, there wasn't anything on "her" list that we hadn't already done that morning! She walked around with a big grin through the WS and happily shopped, did shows, etc. because she knew she hadn't missed anything and that we had several fast passes for that afternoon when we were done with the WS and dinner at Coral Reef.

The entire trip was so much easier than when we went the year before with no touring plan. We ended up missing alot, and spent way too much time wandering without a plan, waiting in long lines, or sitting on benches looking at a map, not knowing what to do. I highly recommend going in with a touring plan. Know where you need to be.