Worth it?

[Swilcox]

Is touringplans.com worth the 13.00 fee for Disney first timers?

 

[ChloesDaddy]

I think it is if you want to test out what you can reasonably fit in a day using the personalized touring plans tool. If you just want access to information on parks, resorts, restaurants, entertainment, etc., then the Unofficial Guide (same people) is a good resource. We've gotten the book and a TP.com subscription for our previous two trips and our upcoming trip in May. I use the touring plans tool on the site to kind of lay out a sequence of attractions and test timing. We never follow it to the minute (that could be miserable), but it gives a good sense of how much you can get done.

 

[Mikie]

That's a tough one. I used it more as I got a little expertise under my belt. If you are a very detailed planner, it can be used to lay out your entire day to minimize waits, walking, or both. I think if that sounds appealing to you, then that info plus crowd predictions, plus info on dining and resorts makes it totally worthwhile. If you're not into such specific planning, i think the sheer volume of info may actually be overwhelming and I'd instead recommend the wonderful free sites easywdw.com and **************.net.

 

[JaimeK]

I like it, but I'm a math nerd and I like the concept. I find it really useful in figuring out how to fit in shows in particular.
As a bonus you get their "Lines" app which looks great. It shows the posted wait times, actual wait times, and FP availability for everything.

 

[rwdavis2]

Why not try it? It's only $13.

 

[abinormal]

For me, absolutely. I'd have paid that just for the Lines app and optimize feature.

 

[wollydoodle]

I look at the Lines app from time to time even when I'm not there (Disney dreaming!) so I guess my answer would have to be "yes!" Lol..

 

[kj2mom]

I think when I subscribed I had a promo code that took a couple of dollars off then when I followed their tickets link I found the Official Ticket Center through touring plans was cheaper than any other places I had researched. So, my answer is yes! Between those reasons and the lines app I found it worth it for us.

 

[NKHarris329]

I'm pretty sure they always have a promo code floating around to knock a few bucks off, so do a quick search for that. As far as is it worth it... I have been having a ton of fun playing around and figuring out what can and cannot be done in a disney day. It has helped me realize what crowd levels will do to a plan, and how much time it takes for the rides/shows.

All the info on Touring Plans can be found somewhere else, but $10-13 is a reasonable investment for the time and energy it saved me from having to research every little thing and deal with disappointment when we can't do every ride and watch every show.

 

[asbyrneva]

I've used it for touring plans but mostly use it for lines app. The times are much closer to actual and it is easy to see when a ride is down or that the wait will drop later in the day. Seems crazy to pay for wait times, I know, but I find Im on that more than wait times on MDE. Plus we go a couple times a year so I think I justify the cost through the number of uses.

I will say I try to "optimize" my plans sometime and then decide that I dont like their suggestions and then ignore it and go with my planning. So probably not getting the best bang for my buck but Lines is worth it to me.

 

[colarey]

They can also fax in a room request if you're staying onsite, so I figured that would help it be "worth it" (though results aren't guaranteed). The lines app is really nice to have and even if you plan your own itinerary, their programs can estimate when you'll get everywhere and a lot more. Not a necessary thing to buy but I do think it's worth it.

 

[pacew]

It is a huge help if you are a planner.

 

[kangamangus]

Yes! I check the lines app just to see what's happening while I look out my winter window counting down the days. Plus I love the planning and details aspect so the website suits me.

 

[mrzrich]

current 20% promo code is: tenacity

 

[kathy884]

I 'm a big fan. I've been using their plans since 1989 and get a subscription every year that I'm going to WDW. My 20 year old and I have so much fun putting touring plans together and tweaking them. // Before I decide on dates, I look at what the waits look like for what I want to do, and for example for March -- Keys to the Kingdom at the MK till 2 and then 10 attractions even with a few FP+ things just didn't look appealing (too many long lines projected), but DS is off of school till the Martin Luther King Holiday - -long Christmas Break and the time between the Disney Marathon and the MLK holiday looked great (I would be OK even without fast passes lol). The plans really helps to level set expectations, see what you can get in in a day. // The phone app is fun too. // I also like the site descriptions of all the rides and the ratings of everything by age. // Also with a large group, a touring plan that the core group will do is worth it's weight in gold vs. way to many people discussing and deciding on the spot what to do next. A few folks instead with everyone's interests in mind come up with a core plan, distribute it to the extended family and say they are welcome to come with us on this for all or part of it and/or do their own thing. And we usually end up with about 10 of us following the plan together.

My testimonial is that I did the MK over Christmas without the plan, arrival 90 minutes before rope drop and all that and the lines and crowds were unbearable -- really got me down.

Same day at the MK a year later with the touring plan and what a difference. I actually had fun during the busy Christmas time even. Still avoid Christmas week if you can.

The Unofficial Guide book is a really fun read too and spot on with great information.

 

[akaDaddy]

For the money, $13 without any discount, this is by far the best money I have ever spent Disney-related. HANDS DOWN!!!

Before the trip, the planning is great for what parks and which times are best. Where I think the real benefit comes from is the fact that you can update your plans in real time while at the park. When we were last at WDW, on more than one occasion we got alerts that a ride was down and we could "optimize" the plan again, on the spot, saving time and frustration.

The line times seemed to be more accurate as well.

 

[IrishNYC]

I found it to be well worth it. I piggybacked on to a friends subscription to plan then bought it for myself when hers ran out. She then piggybacked mine for her next trip.

 

[Canuck16]

I would get it for that price....we used for our trip to help us plan our first WDW trip and found it to be helpful.

 

[starjazz]

I wish they'd offer a lifetime membership.

 

[momof2n2]

I buy the Unofficial Guide every time we go, and I buy the membership to the site at a reduced prices. Do I always get my money's worth... I don't know. But the two pieces are around $20 total to help smooth out a $5000 vacation... so yeah. I do endorse it.