Touringplans

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I just do not at all understand why they say that. In my opinion, the opposite is true. You need a good plan even more when the crowds are low, or you are going to think you are there when it's all a 10

Here's why
When the crowds are listed as a 4 (as example) you'll find that Disney has reduced CM staffing too. When crowds are an 8, they'll have 4-5 registers open, 2-3 trains on the track of a coaster, 6 boats running on POC, that type of thing (all my figures are for illustration purposes only). But when it's a 4 they have 1 register open, 1 train on the track, 1 or 2 boats on POC. So yeah, you are elbow to elbow with a lot fewer people but without a good plan you could wait in line even longer than someone there with double the crowds.

Trust me when I say a red park at crowd level of 2 will feel like an 8. Crowd numbers mean little, it's all about how it feels and how long you wait on things.

Agreed, also we are going on days of mostly 2-3s. TP lists my longest standby wait for the MK all day to be 7 minutes (Including the Mountains, no Mine Train or A&E). No matter how low of a crowd, that is frankly impossible.

 

[ghtx]

Agreed, also we are going on days of mostly 2-3s. TP lists my longest standby wait for the MK all day to be 7 minutes (Including the Mountains, no Mine Train or A&E). No matter how low of a crowd, that is frankly impossible.

I disagree. I went on a trip a while back that was 2-3 most days, used touring plans, and I didn't wait more than 5-10 minutes for a single ride, with just two exceptions, both of which were because of me deviating from the plan. (I had small kids so no big mountains but we hit PP, TSMM, Pooh, etc.)

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I disagree. I went on a trip a while back that was 2-3 most days, used touring plans, and I didn't wait more than 5-10 minutes for a single ride, with just two exceptions, both of which were because of me deviating from the plan. (I had small kids so no big mountains but we hit PP, TSMM, Pooh, etc.)

That is EXTREMELY rare. Looking at TP for the same day I'll be in MK from 2013, it was a 2 level day and these were some wait times Predicted/Observed:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 22/23
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger 15/15
Jungle Cruise 25/25
Peter Pan's Flight 38/38
Pirates of the Caribbean 7/7
Space Mountain 20/20
Splash Mountain 35/40
The Haunted Mansion 15/15
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 27/28

Only 1 ride under 10, 3 rides under 15, and everything else on this list 20+

 

[Canuckbiggs]

That is EXTREMELY rare. Looking at TP for the same day I'll be in MK from 2013, it was a 2 level day and these were some wait times Predicted/Observed:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 22/23
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger 15/15
Jungle Cruise 25/25
Peter Pan's Flight 38/38
Pirates of the Caribbean 7/7
Space Mountain 20/20
Splash Mountain 35/40
The Haunted Mansion 15/15
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 27/28

Only 1 ride under 10, 3 rides under 15, and everything else on this list 20+

The historical wait times for each attraction is the "average" wait time for that entire day. So, if you hit the headliners first thing in the morning your actual wait will be much much less than listed.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

The historical wait times for each attraction is the "average" wait time for that entire day. So, if you hit the headliners first thing in the morning your actual wait will be much much less than listed.

My response was to someone stating they walked on every ride in the park minus the mountain all day, indicating they were there for more than the hour after rope drop.

 

[Canuckbiggs]

My response was to someone stating they walked on every ride in the park minus the mountain all day, indicating they were there for more than the hour after rope drop.

Understood.

And it is possible. If they didn't do the 3 mountains, and hit the other popular attractions in the first hour and half or so (Buzz, Pooh, PP etc).

Also, if a ride has an indicated wait time of 20 mins it is often less - and could feel like 10 mins to the guest.

 

[ghtx]

I disagree. I went on a trip a while back that was 2-3 most days, used touring plans, and I didn't wait more than 5-10 minutes for a single ride, with just two exceptions, both of which were because of me deviating from the plan. (I had small kids so no big mountains but we hit PP, TSMM, Pooh, etc.)

That is EXTREMELY rare.

My response was to someone stating they walked on every ride in the park minus the mountain all day, indicating they were there for more than the hour after rope drop.

Do you mean me? I didn't say that I walked on every ride, but every wait was less than 10 minutes except for a few. This was weekdays in October 2012, with the old FP. We didn't do any roller coasters, but we did do PP, TSMM (twice), Pooh, Dumbo (2 or 3 times), HM, PotC, LM, Soarin, Maelstrom. We did RD every day we were there and took mid-afternoon breaks.

 

[hops&dreams]

Agreed, also we are going on days of mostly 2-3s. TP lists my longest standby wait for the MK all day to be 7 minutes (Including the Mountains, no Mine Train or A&E). No matter how low of a crowd, that is frankly impossible.

I'm with GHTX. I went on low crowd days and literally walked on every single ride. We were holding up queues because we stopped to take pictures in the empty queue lines (Mission Space's Mission to Mars themed queue and Star Wars stuff in Star Tours queue). DH literally took a picture of the "Stroller farms" on our last day because it was the first time we'd seen a group of strollers in stroller parking. It was the ONLY day we waited in a line - and it was 20 mins for standby on BTMRR. Crowds were low, and we didn't do any touring plans, but did heed advice on recommended parks. Maybe that's what made all the difference?

It was a spectacular vacation, and a splendid first trip. Our second trip was great, but the stars didn't all align as for that first trip. But that first trip It gave us enough of a taste of the magic, that we're giving it another go - just entered planning stages for trip #3 this winter!