Okay folks! I’ve put off this organizational part of my vacation and the nitty gritty details long enough! We leave in 6 days and I haven’t created a full list of TPs yet, though I’ve done an AK and HS tentative plan. I get so bogged down in the tweaking and manipulating of this part I can get burnout real fast! For our 1-day trip to MK, I used the continual FPP method and kept optimizing our plan, but in the end, felt like I was tied to my phone all day rather than being “present” in the moments with my family. Of course, we were there on a CL 8 for one day only. According to TP, we’re going to be traveling during one of the most “Sweet-spot” times to tour I think with both CLs and EEMH and will be there for 11 nights/10 days, so I’m not too worried about it, but how would YOU set up your touring plans if it was you? The EEMH are what’s throwing me off most as it relates to creating our TPs as traditionally we’re a breakfast-on-the-go grabbing, EMH park avoiding, RD, leave-in-the-middle-of-the-day-for-a-break touring family, and park hop to whatever we feel like in the evening and catch the evening shows/fireworks.
Here are some stats:
DH, myself, DD (will turn 8 on 10/31)
Travel dates 10/23-11/2
Will be utilizing the DAS pass for DD
Arrival late afternoon on 10/23 to POR and plan to just hang out and tour the resort
10/24 - AK; ADR: Tuskerhouse ROL @ 10:30 FPP: NRJ-8:10, EE-9:15, KS-10:30
10/25 - HS; ADR: H&V Fantasmic @ 10:00, OC @ 12:10 FPP: ToT-9:00, ST-10:40, ?
10/26 - MK; ADR: BOG @ 11:30 FPP: PPF-8:15, ETwB-9:20, SDMT-10:30
10/27 - hotel/EP evening; ADR: Boma @ 10:00 FPP: SE-4:05, MS-5:05, FEA-6:05
10/28 - AK; ADR: none FPP: FoP-8:00, KS-9:15, EE-10:25
10/29 - EP; ADR: Chefs de France @ 12:00 FPP: SAW-9:00, SE-10:05, ?
10/30 - flexible; ADR: currently BOG @ 11:30, but that is also flexible & Boatwright’s @ 5:00
10/31 - MK & MNSSHP; ADR: CRT @ 10:00 FPP: BTMR-8:10, SpM-9:15, PotC-10:20
11/1 - HS; ADR: 50’s PT FPP: SDD-9:40, ?, ?
We’ve got plenty of time to tour. Maybe I’m over-thinking it. But I would like some assemblance of a plan for each day. I mean, I AM a TP-er (inventing that word, I think) after all!
I’ve stopped doing nonstop FPP searches just for this reason. I caught myself on JC last trip, one of my Top 3 favs, scrolling through my phone and later ignoring my family completely in queues. I’ll still look for my 4th+ FPP but not constantly trying to modify. If I see a FPP for my next ride as I enter / exit a queue - Great! Otherwise, I’m just going to follow my plan and be in the moment with my family.
Overall, your outline seems fine. It doesn’t seem like you are trying to do multiple TS / ADRs each day. You have to most / all of your FPP before your mid-day break.
I’d have to see a fully developed / published TP to have a better idea. Just make sure you don’t make your TP “too perfect” and not give yourself a 10 - 15 minute break every 90 minutes - 2 hours. This time will give you a cushion in case you get behind or someone needs a long pee / water break.
I hear ya about being tied to phone! I promised DH that I would not be tied to my phone for Disney stuff if he promised not to answer a bunch of work calls
Plans look great to me. Personally I prefer to make my first FP+ for the 9:15 to 10:15 hour because the lines are so short for most rides from opening until 10 am’ish, but I realize that delays the time you can start looking for your 4th FP. Just different approaches.
I told my boss last time I went and will for this upcoming trip: If you want me, you better know where stuff is. If you call, I may be able to answer but probably not, because I’m not going to answer the phone while I am on the Rock’n Rollercoaster. He gets the point.
That was my whole point to my boss. If it’s so important that they need me right then, then it should have been important enough for them to prepare for me to be gone.
Yes, I’m experimenting with not having a TS once everyday this time around. Before we’ve always done the DDP and just always gone that route. This time we’re paying OOP. With it being F&W and “all things pumpkin” this time around, we’re opening ourselves up to more counter service and snacks than we’ve done before. I’m really looking forward to “foodie-ing” my way around the parks!
As for creating touring plans, would you just divide the parks in half and do one half on day 1 of that park and the other half on day 2? If we’re rope dropping is there as much need to have those coveted FPPs? Should I use the FPPs for other things and use the EEMH for the coveted rides or vice-versa? Or just use those FPPs for multiple trips on the ride?
I’m going to recommend a blog I enjoy. They have gone to EEMH at all the parks just about everyday it has been offered. You’ll see that if you are truly willing to commit to getting up and being at the parks at the start of EEMH you can do most of each park before lunch. Basically, the crowds just aren’t getting up at 5am to take advantage of the 6am / 7am openings.
Also, going for a full 10 days really allows you do to most everything. As long as you have a good TP you’ll be ahead of 90% of park guests who are just wandering around asking, “What do you want to do next?”
Thanks for the reference! That’s precisely what I thought, which is why I wasn’t too worried about a super detailed touring plan. We like to generally do most things and we planned to rope drop on days we haven’t scheduled as rest/flex days. We like to gir the parks hard in the morning and saunter in the evenings. I figured I’d plug in all the things we’d like to do for that day, optimize our plan as we go, and “just keep swimming”. I really do think we’re going to have spectacular touring… hopeful, anyway! Thanks again!
We leave in 6 days and I haven’t created a full list of TPs yet, though I’ve done an AK and HS tentative plan. I get so bogged down in the tweaking and manipulating of this part I can get burnout real fast! For our 1-day trip to MK, I used the continual FPP method and kept optimizing our plan, but in the end, felt like I was tied to my phone all day rather than being “present” in the moments with my family. Of course, we were there on a CL 8 for one day only. According to TP, we’re going to be traveling during one of the most “Sweet-spot” times to tour I think with both CLs and EEMH and will be there for 11 nights/10 days, so I’m not too worried about it, but how would YOU set up your touring plans if it was you? The EEMH are what’s throwing me off most as it relates to creating our TPs as traditionally we’re a breakfast-on-the-go grabbing, EMH park avoiding, RD, leave-in-the-middle-of-the-day-for-a-break touring family, and park hop to whatever we feel like in the evening and catch the evening shows/fireworks.
