various INFO websites

[candygirlIRE]

I love this site and so far I feel it's the best for all Disney Info



However, I was wondering if it was worth subscribing to the touringplans.com website??

I am currently reading the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2011 and they suggest it. Anyone a member? Worth the $6.95?

I mean, I know it's only $6.95, but there's nothing worse than feeling like you wasted your money when we are currently saving for our trip!

I like the crowd predictor, do you guys agree that it's accurate?

Any other thoughts, suggestions, or links to other info sites (not forum sites, as I LOVE this one!) ...


Thanks!!

 

[Eeee-va]

I personally wouldn't go for Touringplans.com...but I'm cheap!

What really dissuaded me, at least as far as the crowd predictor goes, was the quote at http://micechat.com/blogs/dateline-...s-takeoff-wilderness-explorers-move-more.html

Last week saw higher crowd levels than anticipated, a possible harbinger of the busy summer to come at Disneyland Resort. Because of this, now more than ever it's a good time to subscribe to TouringPlans.com to let us help you plan your strategy to avoid the crowds!

I read that as "We got our predictions wrong, so buy our product to help you plan."

Actually, Al Lutz's recent report ranked June 13-15 (dates were fuzzy) as some of the busiest days this year (if his numbers at DL are right, then they definitely were!). Yet Touringplans.com predicted 6/10 and say the crowds were actually 8/10? I'm not sure the "actual" rating of 8 is correct, and I don't understand why they didn't predict more than a 6.... It all just doesn't add up to me.

If you have a PC, Ridemax could be fun for you. But it won't help you choose which days to go, and it can be easy to stick TOO closely to the schedule and miss a lot of magic.

 

[Jynxed]

I find not all one site tells you everything you need to know. Opinions vary depending on what site you visit, etc.
It is best to get a bunch of information from a lot of different sites and do what is best for you and your family.
I bought ridemax just to play around with it. I thought $14 was a good deal... In the end I was not crazy about most of the suggestions and I am also not a fan of sticking to a strict schedule.

What I did do was download the mousewaits app for my iPhone and every morning I have been checking wait times at various points in the day. It gives me an idea of what rides build with waits and which ones never really do (or do but not huge). It helps me come up with my own game plan of how to tackle everything. Plus, its fun to daydream

 

[HydroGuy]

I personally wouldn't go for Touringplans.com...but I'm cheap!

What really dissuaded me, at least as far as the crowd predictor goes, was the quote at http://micechat.com/blogs/dateline-...s-takeoff-wilderness-explorers-move-more.html



I read that as "We got our predictions wrong, so buy our product to help you plan."

Actually, Al Lutz's recent report ranked June 13-15 (dates were fuzzy) as some of the busiest days this year (if his numbers at DL are right, then they definitely were!). Yet Touringplans.com predicted 6/10 and say the crowds were actually 8/10? I'm not sure the "actual" rating of 8 is correct, and I don't understand why they didn't predict more than a 6.... It all just doesn't add up to me.

If you have a PC, Ridemax could be fun for you. But it won't help you choose which days to go, and it can be easy to stick TOO closely to the schedule and miss a lot of magic.

Eeee-va I fele the way as you did. I feel like TP is being fast and loose with their numbers. They had June 3 - the opening day for LMAUA and ST listed as a "3" day. I do no think they are paying very close attention to DLR.

Now as for the their Lines iPhone app, that I like and will use heavily on our trip starting tomorrow.

 

[cougarfan84]

Eeee-va I fele the way as you did. I feel like TP is being fast and loose with their numbers. They had June 3 - the opening day for LMAUA and ST listed as a "3" day. I do no think they are paying very close attention to DLR.

Now as for the their Lines iPhone app, that I like and will use heavily on our trip starting tomorrow.

That was an obvious blunder on their part. They do claim that the difference between a "3" and an "8" at DLR isn't very big because outside of the few really busy days (the 9's and 10's) and the few really slow days (the 1's and 2's), DLR's crowd levels are pretty steady. I'm not sure how accurate that statement is, though. Either way, the fact that it was reported these crowds rivaled Christmas/New Year's crowds tells me that they probably should have been in the 9/10 level and not just an "8".


I will say that I have subscribed to the touringplans.com website, and I do find their information helpful (at least worth the $5 I paid for the 1-year subscription). But like you said, they seem to not put in as much effort into the DLR side of their site as they do into the WDW side (though it is VERY slowly getting better).

The one thing that has surprised me, and maybe it is due to lack of data at this point, is that they haven't updated their touring plans to include the new attractions. Their last update to the DL plans was in October, and the last update to the DCA plan was in April - before LMAUA opened.

 

[HydroGuy]

That was an obvious blunder on their part. They do claim that the difference between a "3" and an "8" at DLR isn't very big because outside of the few really busy days (the 9's and 10's) and the few really slow days (the 1's and 2's), DLR's crowd levels are pretty steady. I'm not sure how accurate that statement is, though. Either way, the fact that it was reported these crowds rivaled Christmas/New Year's crowds tells me that they probably should have been in the 9/10 level and not just an "8".

If there is not much difference between a 3 and an 8 then what is the value of this information?

Last July we spent 5 days at DLR and they were some of the lightest crowds I have ever seen in summer. If I look at their historical data for last July it shows those days ranked as "10" days. Sorry. No way. If those days were "10" days then the rating system means nothing to me and I cannot use it for any practical purpose. Those days could not have been more than a 7 or 8 ranked day.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Eeee-va I fele the way as you did. I feel like TP is being fast and loose with their numbers. They had June 3 - the opening day for LMAUA and ST listed as a "3" day. I do no think they are paying very close attention to DLR.

Now as for the their Lines iPhone app, that I like and will use heavily on our trip starting tomorrow.

Have a great trip we will be waiting for your assessment.

Jack