You’ve made it to Disney – whoo hoo! Now what? You could wander from ride to ride, wasting lots of time on lines while your children have melt downs. Or you could make a Disney touring plan.
Trust me, you wanna make a plan.
This may sound overwhelming, particularly if you have never been to Disney. But there are resources that make it manageable, and the time you spend formulating your Disney touring plan will save you hours in wait time.
Touring Plans and Tour Guide Mike are excellent online resources for formulating a Disney touring plan for each park. I have personally used Touring Plans for all five of our Disney trips, and Tour Guide Mike comes highly recommended by a trustworthy friend and Disney veteran. I have also visited AllEars.Net, which is another comprehensive site for planning a trip to Disney. While you can get information by just perusing these websites, you need to subscribe to get the touring plans – and it’s worth every penny. Touring Plans is $11.95 for a year subscription, and Tour Guide Mike’s “Automated Vacation Planner” is $21.95. I will talk about Touring Plans because that’s what I know, but Tour Guide Mike has similar resources.
There’s a huge amount of information to take in. Let me simplify:
- After you subscribe, go to the Disney World Crowd Calendar.
- Find the dates of your trip, and note the crowd level and recommended park(s) and the park(s) to avoid for each day.
- Based on this information, determine which park you will visit each day. Pick a recommended park and stay away from parks to avoid if you can help it. (Why avoid certain parks? Because they most likely have extended a.m. or p.m. Magic Hours – which means bigger crowds)
- If you are going to park hop, note the opening and closing times of each park as well. If Animal Kingdom closes at 5 pm in February, that park isn’t a good choice to hop to later in the day.
Even more important than the crowds is your Disney touring plan.
- Go to the Disney World Crowd Calendar, and choose from the many options based on your family’s ages and needs.
- Never been to Disney? Each attraction is described so you can determine whether it’s one you want to experience.
- A Disney veteran? Use the touring plan app: choose your attractions, character greetings, meals, breaks, and parades and voila! A plan is created just for you.
There are so many other resources to explore on Touring Plans – dining options, hotels, attractions – it’s a planner’s paradise! But the beauty of the website is that the plan is already made – you just have to pick one and print it out.
So you may be thinking, “I’ll just wing it when we get there.” Big. Mistake. These plans are formulated so that you move through the parks in a specific order, visiting attractions when they are least crowded. Using the Fast Pass option and seeing super popular attractions first are two ways these plans help you do the most with the least amount of wait time. And waiting in line means bored kids……and kids that will kill time by taking pictures of our teeth.
If your head is spinning, relax. Peruse Touring Plans or Tour Guide Mike at your own pace, and you will quickly get a handle on planning your days in Disney.
To Do List:
√ Do your internet research using referenced websites, Disney’s site, and any others – there are oodles of great ones!
√ Determine which ticket plan works for you and purchase them if budget allows.
√ Book your hotel or rental property
√ Book your hotel or rental property
√Make a plan for visiting the parks
NEXT: Some random things we’ve learned along the way, and how we ended up in a Disney parade!
Terumi says
Oh! I’ve been wanting to re-visit Disney. I LOVE that giant mouse-shaped rice krispy square!
Dana says
It’s fabulous, isn’t it? And believe it or not, I didn’t even buy it – went for the chocolate instead. Thanks for visiting!
Jessica says
Great tips and a wonderful summary of getting the best out of a plan at Disney! Thanks for linking up today!
Dana says
My pleasure – thanks for hosting!
Cathy says
We love DIsneyland! My family has been so many times that we like to take pictures of things around the park with our cell phones, text them to each other and see if that person can figure out where the object is! Great post!
Happy SITSharefest!
Cathy
http://apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/
Dana says
That’s a great idea, Cathy! I don’t think we are that familiar with Disney World, but I’m sure we could adapt the idea somewhere else, too. Thanks for visiting!
Amber says
We are going to Disney World in June. I already know it’s going to be packed :/
Dana says
Yes, it will – and that’s even more reason to know what you’re doing so you don’t waste your day waiting in line. Good luck!
Andrea says
I think that I’m a little exhausted after reading this! Lol. My daughter would wear me out at Disney! She’ll only be 3 this year so I think I’ll wait until 4 or 5 before we make that voyage. What do you think is the best age for Disney? Visit http://www.be-quoted.com to enter you kids in our first GIVEAWAY!!! Visiting from SITS.
Dana says
I think five is a great age for a first visit – that’s how old my daughter was. Each time we’ve gone the experience has been different – even at 14 she still wants to go back. Thanks for visiting Andrea!