Touring plans

[TempleOT]

We are getting ready for our next trip to WDW this May. I remember thinking last year that I wish there was a way to better plan how we tackled touring each park with fast passes, as I felt like we were running across the park over and over agin in order to make our fast passes. So my question is, is there an app that has touring plans that takes into account your fast passes? Thanks!

 

[AzzySpazbourne]

If you subscribe to TouringPlans, they have an app that does that. You can get the app after you sign up/subscribe for the year.

 

[mgentry210]

The touring plans app does now. It's not perfect for walking, but you can reorder your plans to minimize the walking. I like it.

 

[beldred]

I've just subscribed to Touring Plans this month for our upcoming trip. Never used them before. It has some really cool features, but even though I have it checked for "minimize walking" it still has me crisscrossing the parks some. I've manually reordered them so I hit things in order, but I feel a little like I've wasted the money since I could have looked at a map and made a list of the attractions in order myself. Am I doing something incorrectly?

 

[lllGurulll]

I've just subscribed to Touring Plans this month for our upcoming trip. Never used them before. It has some really cool features, but even though I have it checked for "minimize walking" it still has me crisscrossing the parks some. I've manually reordered them so I hit things in order, but I feel a little like I've wasted the money since I could have looked at a map and made a list of the attractions in order myself. Am I doing something incorrectly?

I've had the same problem when I have tried to use their scheduling engine. Either criss cross too much or the order they provide doesn't make any sense to me even after they explain why.

I really get a kick out of when they tell me they threw out one of my fastpasses because it just didn't work for the times they were providing me and "their way" was better. Which I disagreed.

 

[volfan1978]

I agree about the Touringplans "optimizer" needing some common sense injected. But I do like the fact that you can generate a custom plan and then have their system evaluate it as a sanity check to make sure the times actually work. It gives an estimate of the waiting time, ride duration, and walk time for each step--customized for the expected crowd level on the actual day you plan to visit. It helps you make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew if you have hard constraints (like an ADR).

 

[ksinniger]

I agree about the Touringplans "optimizer" needing some common sense injected. But I do like the fact that you can generate a custom plan and then have their system evaluate it as a sanity check to make sure the times actually work. It gives an estimate of the waiting time, ride duration, and walk time for each step--customized for the expected crowd level on the actual day you plan to visit. It helps you make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew if you have hard constraints (like an ADR).

This exactly! I used this feature when we visited in November, and found that we were mostly able to do everything we planned, and when the kids wanted to go off schedule for something, I could let them know exactly what they'd be giving up in order for us to make the non-movable items, like ADRs.

I will only add that I find their wait times at rope drop to be inaccurate (they are rarely as long as touring plans say they will be), and that their walking times are also slightly too long, but we're used to walking at a city pace, I guess, so our easy amble migh tbe a bit faster than average.

 

[asbyrneva]

I will only add that I find their wait times at rope drop to be inaccurate (they are rarely as long as touring plans say they will be), and that their walking times are also slightly too long, but we're used to walking at a city pace, I guess, so our easy amble migh tbe a bit faster than average.[/QUOTE]

I use touring plans as a guide, but not the law. I understand that the crisscross seems weird and I usually call audibles but the theory is to get everything in at the fastest time so the criss cross may take time but you stand in line less and theoretically save time.

Personally we always move a lot quicker than the avg walking time too which means I dont have to schedule every minute and every break. I tend to use it more macro than micro planning.

The number 1 reason I use it is the posted vs expected wait times. We go at super busy times and when there is an anomaly like posted wait time is 40 minutes cause some kid forgot to give the CM the card on the lanyard... expected is way more accurate. lets me look at something and decide whether to get in line.

 

[beldred]

I agree about the Touringplans "optimizer" needing some common sense injected. But I do like the fact that you can generate a custom plan and then have their system evaluate it as a sanity check to make sure the times actually work. It gives an estimate of the waiting time, ride duration, and walk time for each step--customized for the expected crowd level on the actual day you plan to visit. It helps you make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew if you have hard constraints (like an ADR).

VERY TRUE and thank you for pointing that out. I definitely like the way it does display the approximate times for my manually re-ordered plan. Once I have my FP's, I'm sure this will be even more important. But I've already referenced it to see the best way to fit in park sections between meals. Like which lands in MK to do before our lunch at CP. And on another day, how to time things so I'll be near Pecos Bill around lunchtime (I really want to eat there and my DH is of the "eat wherever we happen to be close to" mindset so I'm gonna make it happen that way, LOL).

I feel a bit better about my investment now, and will certainly be using it even more as I hit my 60 day mark.

 

[KathyB 0911]

The Easy WDW and WDW Prep School also have suggested touring plans. I usually will look at both of those and Touring Plans and then use both plus Touring Plans to create my own plan.

 

[jrandall]

I am really liking this planning method. I am going to try to document my outcome after I come back from our trip in May so I can see how well it actually worked.