Ridemax vs Touring Plans.com Question!!

[gracie1]

I subscribed to both Ridemax and Touringplans.com and now I am confused! :shrug: Neither of the schedules match up and I'm just wondering which one to go with in the end. Ridemax seemed to work okay for Magic Kingdom, but seemed off on HS. It had us waiting until the night to do TOT and Voyage of the Little Mermaid...whereas TP says to do them both first thing in the morning (after toy story mania). Which one is better to follow???

 

[stphnbogert]

I personally wouldn't follow either one....

I just do research, like don't go to HS on ESPN Weekend or Star Wars Weekend.

I try to stay away from Epcot, HS and MK around Christmas and after Thanksgiving.

You can just ask on here if your vacation is going to be crowded. It's better to hear from a group of people their opinions then relying on a source you may not know is right.

 

[SpoonOfSugar]

I personally wouldn't follow either one....

I just do research, like don't go to HS on ESPN Weekend or Star Wars Weekend.

I try to stay away from Epcot, HS and MK around Christmas and after Thanksgiving.

You can just ask on here if your vacation is going to be crowded. It's better to hear from a group of people their opinions then relying on a source you may not know is right.

I agree with this

However, when I go, I do TSMM, and if both ToT and RnR have long lines, I fastpass one and then go wait in the other. Then we just cycle the shows.

 

[gracie1]

We are going May 7-14th. I think the crowds will be moderate (this is our first trip, we aren't sure what to expect)... and it's a week before Star Wars weekend, so we will miss that.

 

[stphnbogert]

We are going May 7-14th. I think the crowds will be moderate (this is our first trip, we aren't sure what to expect)... and it's a week before Star Wars weekend, so we will miss that.

Yeah crowds will be moderate. What my plans for TSMM is I get there when the park opens and I immediatley get a fastpass for it. Go ride Backlot Tour (which when you get off the ride you'll time to go back will be close)

For Magic Kingdom I always start on the left (with adventureland first) because many people start at fantasyland. by the time you get over to fantasyland the majority is at adventureland.

for epcot...i always split it in two days. one day for world showcase and the other for future world.

and animal kingdom...do whatever. hahaha. i dont have a plan for that..

but hope you have an amazing time in may. be sure to let us know how your vacation goes or else we'll ban you from the forum :ROFLOL:just kidding. lol.

 

[gracie1]

Yeah crowds will be moderate. What my plans for TSMM is I get there when the park opens and I immediatley get a fastpass for it. Go ride Backlot Tour (which when you get off the ride you'll time to go back will be close)

For Magic Kingdom I always start on the left (with adventureland first) because many people start at fantasyland. by the time you get over to fantasyland the majority is at adventureland.

for epcot...i always split it in two days. one day for world showcase and the other for future world.

and animal kingdom...do whatever. hahaha. i dont have a plan for that..

but hope you have an amazing time in may. be sure to let us know how your vacation goes or else we'll ban you from the forum :ROFLOL:just kidding. lol.

Quick question regarding fastpasses. Let's say you get a fp and it says to return at 1:00. Does this mean we have to be there right at 1:00 or can we wait till later if we are at lunch or on a different ride?

 

[dreamfinder]

Any touring plan is just that, a plan. Most will even tell you that there are parts you can modify.

I don't recall seeing long waits for TLM at night recently. And some people prefer to ride ToT at night for the experience.

So take then with a grain of salt. No one can really know what will be the best plan for a day. They can just approximate based off of known times. But if a ride is closed, or a tour group gets in front of you, stuff like that can throw a plan completely into disarray.

 

[lilclerk]

Quick question regarding fastpasses. Let's say you get a fp and it says to return at 1:00. Does this mean we have to be there right at 1:00 or can we wait till later if we are at lunch or on a different ride?

Your quoted return time is a 1 hour window (so 1:00 - 2:00 in that case) but you can usually return later. The only times I've heard of them refusing late FPs are at Soarin' and TSMM where the lines get insanely long.
You can't return before your FP window starts, though.

 

[gracie1]

Your quoted return time is a 1 hour window (so 1:00 - 2:00 in that case) but you can usually return later. The only times I've heard of them refusing late FPs are at Soarin' and TSMM where the lines get insanely long.
You can't return before your FP window starts, though.

Thanks for all the info!!

 

[RSoxNo1]

Your quoted return time is a 1 hour window (so 1:00 - 2:00 in that case) but you can usually return later. The only times I've heard of them refusing late FPs are at Soarin' and TSMM where the lines get insanely long.
You can't return before your FP window starts, though.

They've stopped refusing late FPs at Soarin' and TSMM as well. It is actually a policy to allow late returns for Fastpasses. The only time you would be refused is if the attraction itself is down.

 

[Testtrack321]

I subscribed to both Ridemax and Touringplans.com and now I am confused! :shrug: Neither of the schedules match up and I'm just wondering which one to go with in the end. Ridemax seemed to work okay for Magic Kingdom, but seemed off on HS. It had us waiting until the night to do TOT and Voyage of the Little Mermaid...whereas TP says to do them both first thing in the morning (after toy story mania). Which one is better to follow???

TouringPlans is worth it for the lines mobile website and crowd calendar. Great if you have a smartphone.

If there was one to follow I'd do Touring Plans. Both use software, but Touring Plans also seems to use hundreds of hours of historical data collection, Six Sigma quality techniques to limit waiting, and is the online home for the Unofficial Guide, which is THE book for Disney.

For those saying you don't need a touring plan, I totally disagree. If you've been to the parks enough to know the ebb and flow of crowds then they are handy to see if a new attraction comes out, but you generally know what to do at what times of the day. But for those who go infrequently or are new visitors they are indispensable.

Plus, using some data, it can show that common knowledge or pet theories are usually always wrong...

For Magic Kingdom I always start on the left (with adventureland first) because many people start at fantasyland. by the time you get over to fantasyland the majority is at adventureland.

and animal kingdom...do whatever. hahaha. i dont have a plan for that..

So for Magic Kingdom you start in the morning in a part of the park that rarely sees any lines all day? A quick look at an Unofficial Guide plan, based on data, shows that Space Mountain and Buzz should be experienced first, followed by a short stop in Fantasyland for Pooh, on to HM and then a Fastpass for Splash and riding Big Thunder.

And you do need a plan at AK if you want to watch several of their shows to fit them all in the schedule...

 

[stphnbogert]

So for Magic Kingdom you start in the morning in a part of the park that rarely sees any lines all day? A quick look at an Unofficial Guide plan, based on data, shows that Space Mountain and Buzz should be experienced first, followed by a short stop in Fantasyland for Pooh, on to HM and then a Fastpass for Splash and riding Big Thunder.

And you do need a plan at AK if you want to watch several of their shows to fit them all in the schedule...

It has nothing to do with the lines with Magic Kingdom. It has to do with crowds. Most people when they enter the park go to the right. Anyone can give an Unofficial Guide Plan. I was stating my own plan when I got to the parks.

And for Animal Kingdom I don't have a plan because I haven't been to the park enough to have a plan for it.

Again it was all my opinion and what I do at the park. It wasn't a YOU MUST DO IT THIS WAY. I was sharing on a forum. :wave:

 

[lilclerk]

They've stopped refusing late FPs at Soarin' and TSMM as well. It is actually a policy to allow late returns for Fastpasses. The only time you would be refused is if the attraction itself is down.

Good to know! :wave:

 

[Vacationeer]

Almost 10 years later... Anybody with recent experience to cast a verdict?

haha, funny reading how TSMM was the big deal back then