I'm reading the unofficial guide to get my Disney fix for an upcoming trip and I have just finished reading the chapter on there touring plans. The book features quotes from people that used the touring plans and praise them but I'm really curious if anybody has really tried them?

Did they work? Did you change them? Give up?

When we went in '06, I made our touring schedule according to the sections of the park and they worked pretty good but when I was reading the touring plans in the book I felt like we could do more with those plans. Maybe that's how I should feel? lol

Just wondering if anyone has used them...

There are several guides out there, the Unofficial Guide being one that is in the mainstream. Many people use them, with many swearing by them. They do provide some real helpful insight that can cut down on wait times, especially during the busier times of the year. I would even say that if you are going during the holiday seasons or the peak of the summer, failure to have a plan (ie: "lets just go with the flow") will most likely result in frustration.

I have used the Unofficial Guide myself as well as many trips without any guides. I did personally notice that the busier the time of the year, the more useful the guides become. None of them are foolproof, but if you use them along with some additional research and some common sense, you can deduct a really good plan that best suits your families needs.

Being a Disneyland vet,and a WDW virgin, I used the UGTP for tips. I found reading tips here and Micechat WAY more helpful. We went at Christmas and still were able to ride 11 rides before lunch (5 E ticket). The best tips I received to maximize ride times were:

Never be at a EMH park after lunch. (Avoid Epcot on EMH days - not enough rides to handle the volume!)

Use Fastpass whenever possible.

Never stand in a line longer than 20-30mins.

When you are tired LEAVE and go for a rest or swim.

Laugh lots - you are on vacation.

Leave the UGT book at home - it is too heavy to carry.:D

I've used the UG touring plans for two trips. I actually laminated them, punched a hole through the top, and attached the plan for the park of the day to the outside of my backpack. We could easily refer to it that way and it was waterproof. :) On my first trip we used them every day for every park. I really liked having a solid plan of attack (I'm a major planner) and although the pace was fast, we did do almost everything in all 4 major parks.

Looking back, I think the the touring plans were most helpful for the MK. At MGM and AK, it gets a little complicated depending on the number of shows you want to see and the times offered. I had a hard time integrating the touring plans with the show times on the days we went. For Epcot, Future World touring was helpful, but it seems everyone paces through World Showcase differently.

If we only went to a certain park for a half day, we just picked up the touring plan from after lunch or estimated a starting point.

Overall, I think understanding the touring plans and the principles behind them will help you more than following the exact plans. I do think they were really helpful, especially for my first trip when everything was overwhelming, but if you can study them before hand and learn tips here on MP and then apply those while in the park, I think you could do just as well.

Never be at a EMH park after lunch. (Avoid Epcot on EMH days - not enough rides to handle the volume!)



Does this only refer to Morning EMH? I am going in December 6-11 and want to be at MK the one night it is open past 8pm for Evening EMH. Is it going to be packed??

Used UG for many of our DL trips and the first WDW one in May '07. Find them to be spot on-as well as the "best days/best parks" list that's on the website as well.

As a WDW newbie, I wanted the comfort of "go here...go there" type of plan-at least for our first visit. Worked really, really well. Never waited more than 10 minutes for anything-most everything was walk on.

For busier times of year-summer, Christmas-I can definitely see them being of even greater value.

Now, maybe a WDW vet doesn't need that type of plan, but I liked them.

Does this only refer to Morning EMH? I am going in December 6-11 and want to be at MK the one night it is open past 8pm for Evening EMH. Is it going to be packed??

EMH evening at Epcot Center really is ideal for people that want to spend a bit more time in the World Showcase. But honestly I couldn't see why because when I was there in May I had a bit of a time getting to the international gateway to go to Boardwalk because it was too dark. They do not really bring the lights back on fully on the showcase after Illuminations.

IMHO Epcot morning EMH is not a reasonable time to go since like you said the rides are limited during those times. Crowd control that happens at night with the showcase doesn't happen during the morning since the showcase isn't open yet.

Anyway I have the same regards to AK at the evening EMH and I really don't think that it is worth the time. I would rather spend time at Epcot Center or MK during the time. DHS is getting there but still needs some work to get me to stay late. I still haven't seen Fantasmic and maybe this year at Mousefest i will, Who knows.

Well that is my rant for EMH.

Alex

Does this only refer to Morning EMH? I am going in December 6-11 and want to be at MK the one night it is open past 8pm for Evening EMH. Is it going to be packed??

Keep in mind we were there Christmas break/ New Years week. There was an INSANE amount of people. We found everyone loved using EMH so the other parks had less volume. We used EMH in the morning because my kids were young. Now we would use it for evening. Although, I still may not use it at EPCOT because of the liquor factor. After dinner, my son and I were on Nemo. Some lady stumbled onto the ride after visiting the Rose and Crown. She walked right passed us infront of the Nemo story screens. They had to stop the ride and "fish" her out - :rolleyes: The smell of stale ale was powerful. Afterward we walked around World Showcase. Now, keep in mind it was Christmas time and there was a bit of celebrating going on, but I found EPCOT to be less family friendly after dark than the other parks. ( If you know what I mean)

At a less busy time of year, EMH would be a great perk - but even then, the other parks are less crowded ;)

The Unofficial Guide has been a great tool for me personally, there are a lot of tips for all ages. This is especially good when you are traveling with your family with a mixture of ages and another family member who is pregnant.

Our upcoming trip has both of different ages of adults and children...and the guide has presented a lot of great ideas.

The tips are wonderful!!!

Being on here is also a wonderful tool! whoo hoo! :fez:

So, it sounds like I should avoid Epcot and AK for evening EMH but MK should be ok.

Yea I'm thinking about clipping them out and using them for our next trip...

Thanks for the responses!

I have used UG plans at easter and summer and found them brilliant both times. However, with clever use of fast pass I do think you can be more flexible after lunch and also fit in more multiple 'big' attractions. I definately recommend them for mornings. There is no question either that they work best if you get to the parks at least 30 mins before opening and are in that first thrust through the gates. The AK standard plan really works well up until lunch and the MK standard 2 day and Dumbo or Die 2 day plans work particularly well with morning EMH, although the place is a nighmare on EMH mornings after 12pm. I have also toured in a quieter season without any TP's and stood in lots of lines for lots of time.

Overall, I think understanding the touring plans and the principles behind them will help you more than following the exact plans. I do think they were really helpful, especially for my first trip when everything was overwhelming, but if you can study them before hand and learn tips here on MP and then apply those while in the park, I think you could do just as well.
I agree...use the guide and touring plans as just that, a guide. The more knowledge you have the better equipped you'll be to navigate the parks...The more you can learn on these boards the better. Then, you use the combination. For example, the UG says always take Disney transportation to the MK which is a great tip. We usually do that. However, one time we drove and when we were leaving and experiencing huge crowds to board the monorail to get back to our car, we remembered a tip on the message boards to take the resort monorail instead of the express which had a small line and got us back in no time.