We are heading to WDW from Nov 5-11 this year (we’re FROM NJ so no worries there). I am assuming the crowd predictions are incorrect (much lower than as likely) currently, based on what I am reading on here and online, and will go up significantly. How worried should I be that everything I plan will be moot because of crowds?
I know that it is early, but I am a planner and like to have a vague idea what I am doing before the time comes.
I am nervous! Will having a touring plan really help us navigate a 9 or 10 crowd? It’s my 5 y.o.'s first (and possibly only) trip to WDW, and I don’t want to be nervous about her wanting to go wait for Cinderella, missing a slot on the Touring Plan, and then being completely thrown off the rest of the day. Is that what happens? Do I have to follow the entire TP in order for it to be successful, or can I skip something? Help please!
I wouldn’t expect early November to be crowded - it’s usually a good time to go. While the parks are busier now in general than a few years ago, it won’t be a 9 then - I’d trust the Crowd Calendar to be close at least.
I usually view the Touring Plans as a guide rather than a rigid “YOU MUST DO THIS NOW!” type doctrine. Skipping something should be no issue as the rest of the plan will still be valid. Delaying might be a bigger issue as arriving late to attractions could change the expected wait times. If you have a smart phone you can monitor things via the Lines App pretty well and adjust as needed though. We will often scan wait times on the app and adjust dynamically to catch things with a short wait.
Be flexible and have fun - don’t feel so tied to your plan that all you do is rush and never enjoy the Magic…
I would not stress out about this week at all. I don’t think that your CLs will change dramatically from where they are now. We have gone during this week twice and I think it is one of the more ideal times to go. We have gotten both Halloween and Christmas in one week!
Two pieces of advice for your questions. First, if something makes you deviate from your Touring Plan, just skip the next item(s) and continue. Your goal would be to be hitting the next consecutive steps at roughly the same time of day as originally planned. You can always re-optimize in the park using the app and it will re-order your steps, but I don’t usually use the app in the park or adhere that closely to the TP. The good news with a 5 year old who is on her first trip is that she doesn’t know what she is missing! If you can’t get to everything, just hype up the things that are on your list and move on. By putting more of the characters indoors I think they have helped with this.
If you are going to be nervous about your Touring Plan going awry, plan some loose backups. If there is something that is a MUST DO on your list or your daughters, plan a few “attempts.” For instance, plan rope drop but get a backup FP+ or plan to rope drop over the course of 2 days just in case. Also realize that there are definitely going to be plenty of things you can’t do even on the once in a lifetime trip. But it will be fantastic regardless.