Using a touring plan in Sept?

[ScrappinGran]

HI everyone! We leave tomorrow and I am doing a zillion last minute things. From what I have been reading here...lines for rides right now @ WDW are small or non-existant. I was going to use a touring plan from the Unofficial Guide...type it up and laminate it to have in my bag. Do I really NEED the touring plan this time of year? We are not doing the realy popular rides like Space Mountain, ToT, etc...as kids are small. We WILL do Splash Mountain...I can do that one for some reason, but not the rollercoaster rides.
Also-should I call and check all my ADRS? Do I need the ADR reservation # on me when we arrive at the restaurant? Thanks...and I have to say-THANK YOU to ALL OF YOU for all I have learned here-from ordering the bottled water from Staples, to the packing list, to Fastpass info (new to me..last went in '97), to MNSSHP (again new to me)..I could go on and on. YOU have helped me be a better prepared Gran. I promise to do a full trip report when I return.

 

[Wigit12]

I wouldn't bother with a touring plan. We were there this time last year. We saw several people standing around reading their guides and it seems like a total waste of time. We never waited for anything. The boards are showing it's the same this year.

Relax and enjoy. Seems like you're as prepared as you need to be. Now have some fun!!

 

[pepe of ohio]

We just came back 8/26-9/4, Wilderness Lodge, and have never used a touring plan in over 38 visits. We do not go in the busy season and have never had any problems with lines or crowds. We've seen people looking at their guides and lists trying to figur where to go and when they encounter a line for the next item on their list, it throws them all in a tizzy. We usually just have a plan on that parks, one park in the am, mid day break, and another park in the pm, we most always have AP's or do buy hopper passes. We travel a park in a circle, never crisscross around to get to something a guide book says. He have a likes, must do's and take them all in stride. When we return to that park on a nother day, we either pick up where we left off or start again in the circle and do what we liked best before moving on to the attractions we haven't done.

If you have done the homework beore arriving and have a basic knowledge of the park and attractions, its easy to navigate around in a circular pattern not missing anything. To beat the lines or crowds, I don't believe anything can predict the way a park is going to be filled. Fast passes can't be beat, if used properly, and time wasted running from a crowded ride to another, if you just took the time eo wait, in Disney the lines go fast, each attraction holds a big group of people. You should have no trouble at the month you picked. Relax, and enjoy the world.

 

[JeanfromBNA]

We went last year at about the same time as you're going, and although we used a touring plan to start, we deviated frequently and didn't have any problems. Probably the best advice, especially for your little ones, is to arrive early. The first one to two hours were line free and very pleasant in temperature. It was still pretty warm in the afternoon last year (mid - high 80's) . Head straight for fantasyland when you arrive at MK. You can ride IASW five times in a row if you want to or hit all of the "story"rides, and go through again .