Yet another Disney thread: HOW do I plan my days?

[SproutMamaK]

Okay, a couple specifics.

We're going on a two week trip. We have 8 day passes, including Park Hopper and waterpark. The first week (Tuesday - Tuesday) we'll be with my extended family. My extended family, for goodness knows what reason, does NOT want to plan ahead much. I think they want the flexibility of deciding whether to stay at the house, explore Orlando, or go to the parks every day. (The rest of the family only have 3 day passes.) I can come up with a rough plan for exploring each of the main parks with them, but I can't book any Fastpasses since they won't commit to dates. This is going to be in the first week of November, so I'm hoping the parks will be slow enough that the lines aren't TOO huge.

 

The second week (Wednesday - Wednesday), it's just me, DH, and the kids. I'd like to plan ahead of time, including FastPasses. Since we're staying off-site, we can only book 30 days in advance, so we'll likely have problems getting the more popular rides anyway. (The only one we'd really care about is the mine cart, the boys don't care much about Frozen.)

So, with all that info... I keep hearing that Disney goes SO much smoother if you plan it out. How, exactly, do you plan it out? Do I get a map of the parks and plan which rides we'll be going on at approximately what times, where we stop for lunch, in accordance to where we were are in the park, etc? How do you plan effectively if you don't know how long the wait times will be? Is there something else I should be doing to plan? Any help is appreciated! I feel like I have to pick up the slack for the rest of the family on this, since they don't quite seem to get how crazy it may be. (They went when I was 3 and my parents are expecting things to be pretty much the same. Uh... I don't think it's quite the same anymore! lol) Also, any suggestions to make long wait times easier for the kids? I was thinking of packing them bags or backpacks with stuff they could do while waiting so they don't go stir-crazy. Is it possible for one parent to hold a spot in line for the whole family so they can run around playing the interactive games while one of us goes with them and one waits? Are there any other options to help with lines?

Any helpful info is appreciated!

[TrulySusan]

There are forums that will help you so much. My favorites are disboards, easywdw, and mousears. Oh, and you are right and your family is wrong regarding planning ahead (in case you needed to hear that😛). These websites have crowd levels for each day, menus, and strategies to help you out.

[DawnM]

Okay, a couple specifics.

 

We're going on a two week trip. We have 8 day passes, including Park Hopper and waterpark. The first week (Tuesday - Tuesday) we'll be with my extended family. My extended family, for goodness knows what reason, does NOT want to plan ahead much. I think they want the flexibility of deciding whether to stay at the house, explore Orlando, or go to the parks every day. (The rest of the family only have 3 day passes.) I can come up with a rough plan for exploring each of the main parks with them, but I can't book any Fastpasses since they won't commit to dates. This is going to be in the first week of November, so I'm hoping the parks will be slow enough that the lines aren't TOO huge.

 

The second week (Wednesday - Wednesday), it's just me, DH, and the kids. I'd like to plan ahead of time, including FastPasses. Since we're staying off-site, we can only book 30 days in advance, so we'll likely have problems getting the more popular rides anyway. (The only one we'd really care about is the mine cart, the boys don't care much about Frozen.)

 

So, with all that info... I keep hearing that Disney goes SO much smoother if you plan it out. How, exactly, do you plan it out? Do I get a map of the parks and plan which rides we'll be going on at approximately what times, where we stop for lunch, in accordance to where we were are in the park, etc? How do you plan effectively if you don't know how long the wait times will be? Is there something else I should be doing to plan? Any help is appreciated! I feel like I have to pick up the slack for the rest of the family on this, since they don't quite seem to get how crazy it may be. (They went when I was 3 and my parents are expecting things to be pretty much the same. Uh... I don't think it's quite the same anymore! lol) Also, any suggestions to make long wait times easier for the kids? I was thinking of packing them bags or backpacks with stuff they could do while waiting so they don't go stir-crazy. Is it possible for one parent to hold a spot in line for the whole family so they can run around playing the interactive games while one of us goes with them and one waits? Are there any other options to help with lines?

 

Any helpful info is appreciated!

 

Will you have access to your own vehicle?  I think you need to go ahead and make your plans.  If they only have 3 day passes, they can either join you in those parks or you can do your Fast Passes and then meet up with them.

 

It is a huge mistake not to plan.  Huge.

 

How old are your kids?

 

The Mine Train CAN be gotten on quickly if you get to the park at rope drop and go straight back and go on that first.  Anything beyond that will be an issue, even in November, unless you mind waiting 90 minutes for a 2 minute ride.

 

I would still plan your fast passes.

 

Now that my kids are older, we use the single rider option for rides that offer it.  It really helps.

 

Early November will be better than normal, but still not empty, the days of empty parks are over.  

 

In fact, last year we went in late October and couldn't even eat at Be Our Guest because they didn't allow waiting in line,.  You either had a fast pass or you didn't go.  

[SproutMamaK]

The Mine Train CAN be gotten on quickly if you get to the park at rope drop and go straight back and go on that first.  Anything beyond that will be an issue, even in November, unless you mind waiting 90 minutes for a 2 minute ride.

 

I would still plan your fast passes.

 

Now that my kids are older, we use the single rider option for rides that offer it.  It really helps.

Excellent, thank you for this. Hopefully if I can't convince them to do FastPasses, I can at least get them out the door to try this for the more popular rides and then they can try their luck with the rest of them.

 

Is there a list anywhere of rides that have a single rider option?

 

My kids are 12, 11, 8, 2, and (will be) just under a year. It's a pretty big range as far as ride planning goes, which makes things tricky; waiting in line for 2 hours with a 2 year old who won't even get to go on the ride does NOT a good time make.

 

 

[Katy]

I don't recommend much planning.  Look at everything you definitely want to do, and maybe have a list of what at each park, as well as special events (if you want to be in this restaurant at a certain time, or this place to watch fireworks, etc), but generally the lines and which park to be in on which day depend a lot on the weather.  You can plan for magic kingdom to take a couple hours and then discover some of your littles LOVE "It's a Small World After All," and you'll want to humor them because it makes them happy, even though the song and the stupid puppets make you want to gouge your ears and eyes out.  Also, you can plan on each line taking hours, hit a rainy day, and have each line take less than 10 minutes.  You can't plan for that sort of thing.

[PeachyDoodle]

I am a planner. There, I said it.

 

I big puffy-heart LOVED Touring Plans! You can put in the date you'll be in the park, attractions you want to see, whether you want to minimize walking or wait time, any FastPasses you've booked, and it spits out a full plan for seeing the park. Or you can use one of their pre-planned tours. They use their data for average crowds and wait times for your dates to calculate the wait and walk times. You can easily build in breaks, etc. You can access it from your smartphone using their app while you're in the park and it will automatically update wait times based on current data. I found it to be incredibly accurate. You can even adjust your plan while you're in the park, if you want.

 

I think it's around $12 for a year's access. TOTALLY worth it.

[Jan in SC]

I don't recommend much planning. Look at everything you definitely want to do, and maybe have a list of what at each park, as well as special events (if you want to be in this restaurant at a certain time, or this place to watch fireworks, etc), but generally the lines and which park to be in on which day depend a lot on the weather. You can plan for magic kingdom to take a couple hours and then discover some of your littles LOVE "It's a Small World After All," and you'll want to humor them because it makes them happy, even though the song and the stupid puppets make you want to gouge your ears and eyes out. Also, you can plan on each line taking hours, hit a rainy day, and have each line take less than 10 minutes. You can't plan for that sort of thing.

I don't know how recently you've been, but even It's A Small World has a fast pass now and can take forever on a not busy day.

 

The Fastpass plus system has changed everything. We went in May, during a very slow time, and waited almost two hours for the Seven Dwarfs ride. No sit down restaurants were taking walk ins, except the Rainforest Cafe and Liberty Tree Tavern. You will be a lot happier if you can plan a few things.

[MeghansMom]

I am a planner. Heck, I dare say I sometimes enjoy the planning more than the trip to anywhere.

 

You really must plan to do Disney, even if just a little to ride the best rides and eat at table services.

 

We don't even park hop. We are at a park for that day and that is it. 

 

We use disboards but be careful, they can be rabid. Seriously.

We also use allears.net. It is great for up-to-date menus and tips.

 

 

Have fun!!! 

[theelfqueen]

I'm a touringplans.com girl, all the way.

If you buy the Unofficial Guide book you get a discount :)

There's also some discount codes out there -- usually one from wdwtoday podcast.

 

 

And yes -- Rope Drop is the best strategy.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2016 by theelfqueen

[kroe1]

I have been at Disney a total of 7 days out of the past 13. We never plan anything including dining. We just show up and do what we feel like doing at that moment in time. If there is a really long line, we just come back later. In early November, you should be fine.

 

So, yesterday with no fast passes and no reservations we ate at Brown Derby with a 10 minute wait. We ate dinner at Morimoto's with a 15 minute wait. We walked on Tower of Terror with a 0 minute wait.

 

Planning or not depends on how much stress you want on your vacation. If you want to be looking at your phone constantly to check times, to be stressing if you can make it across the park in time for your fast pass, or to be rushing through a meal so you can run and see a show, then by all means, plan your vacation. If you just want to see what you get to and not run across the parks like a banshee woman, then do not plan. Just take an IPad or Nintendo 3S so you can stay busy in a line whether you plan or not.

 

After going to Disney over 100 times, realizing I still haven't seen everything and never will, I see the downfall of trying to visit when everything is planned out.

 

Having said that, going to a park with a gazillion people who cannot make up their mind what to do next is even more stressful and wastes lots of time. I recommend if no one plans, at least one person take the lead and move the group along to each attraction through the day. No dawdling and no discussion about what comes next. Just follow the leader.

[whitestavern]

Planning is important. Go to easywdw. He will tell you which park to go to on any given day. Then simply read through his "cheat sheets." They tell you what order to do the rides in, and which ones to get Fastpasses for. It doesn't get easier than that. Best of all, it's FREE :)

 

November calendar: http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/november-2016-preliminary-crowd-calendar/

 

Cheat sheets: http://www.easywdw.com/easy/cheat-sheets/disney-world-cheat-sheets-maps-touring-plans-and-wait-times-4/

 

 

[DawnM]

Excellent, thank you for this. Hopefully if I can't convince them to do FastPasses, I can at least get them out the door to try this for the more popular rides and then they can try their luck with the rest of them.

 

Is there a list anywhere of rides that have a single rider option?

 

My kids are 12, 11, 8, 2, and (will be) just under a year. It's a pretty big range as far as ride planning goes, which makes things tricky; waiting in line for 2 hours with a 2 year old who won't even get to go on the ride does NOT a good time make.

 

You can do the single rider line at age 7 and up.  They will ask if your 8 year old looks younger, but the age for single rider is 7.

 

It came in really handy when my middle and youngest wanted to do Expedition Everest about 10 times, and I did too!  So, we rode and rode, and rode, but it was single rider line.  You don't ride together, you fill in when another party has an odd number.  My kids didn't care.  They just wanted to ride.

 

You can look online and see which rides have single rider.

 

Off hand, I can think of:

 

Expedition Everest

Rockin' Roller Coaster

Test Track

 

That may be it, I am not sure.

 

And do you know about parent swap?  It is when you have a child too young to ride and you both want to go on it.  One of you waits in line with the group, gets a ticket for the other, and rides, then the ticket for the 2nd parent is essentially a fast pass and let's the waiting parent on quickly as if you have already waited in line.

[Just Kate]

I am a planner. There, I said it.

 

I big puffy-heart LOVED Touring Plans! You can put in the date you'll be in the park, attractions you want to see, whether you want to minimize walking or wait time, any FastPasses you've booked, and it spits out a full plan for seeing the park. Or you can use one of their pre-planned tours. They use their data for average crowds and wait times for your dates to calculate the wait and walk times. You can easily build in breaks, etc. You can access it from your smartphone using their app while you're in the park and it will automatically update wait times based on current data. I found it to be incredibly accurate. You can even adjust your plan while you're in the park, if you want.

 

I think it's around $12 for a year's access. TOTALLY worth it.

Yes...touring plans!!! My mom, dd, and I want to WDW last year and had no idea what we were doing. I read lots of online forums and used touring plans to plan our days. My mom was in amazement - WDW in June and the longest line we waited in was 15 minute!!!

[StaceyinLA]

I do free Disney travel planning, and I can tell you, it is SO much better when you plan!! I have a couple specific tips for you, especially staying off-site;

 

Look at crowd predictions and do NOT pick a park that has morning extra magic hours.

 

ALWAYS be at the park 20-30 minutes before it opens.

 

Definitely get your fast passes!!

 

When are y'all going? I might be able to help you pick parks and make some plans if you'd like to message me.

[OnMyOwn]

I am a planner. There, I said it.

 

I big puffy-heart LOVED Touring Plans! You can put in the date you'll be in the park, attractions you want to see, whether you want to minimize walking or wait time, any FastPasses you've booked, and it spits out a full plan for seeing the park. Or you can use one of their pre-planned tours. They use their data for average crowds and wait times for your dates to calculate the wait and walk times. You can easily build in breaks, etc. You can access it from your smartphone using their app while you're in the park and it will automatically update wait times based on current data. I found it to be incredibly accurate. You can even adjust your plan while you're in the park, if you want.

 

I think it's around $12 for a year's access. TOTALLY worth it.

This is what I always use. I start by looking at the crowd calendars. I make sure to pick the lowest crowd days for each park during the time that we will be there. Then, I make reservations at a sit down restaurant in each park at about 1:00, which is about when we need a break. I print out touring plans for each park and we generally follow them until lunchtime. At that point, we've done so much, we usually just wing it in the afternoon. I do generally only plan to go to Disney when the crowds are lower though. I'm not sure how well winging it in the afternoon would work if you will be there when the crowds are high.

 

Doing this minimal amount of planning has completely changed my feelings about Disney. Prior to doing the planning, I hated it and felt like it was a complete rip off. We had gone a few times with family and my kids got to get on 5 rides all day and we spent the rest of the day in line. Not fun.

[magnificent_baby]

We didn't plan very much when we went in June because Dd performed with her dance studio at the Magic Kingdom and we were at the mercy of her practice/performance schedule. We still had tons of fun. DH did make reservations several weeks ahead for breakfast at the Grand Floridian and a German restaurant at Epcot; very glad he planned that so at least we got a few sit down meals while we were there. We meandered the parks and rode rides that with somewhat short lines as we walked by and scheduled our fast passes the night before or the same day. I just had the mindset that we will have to come back again someday and catch the rides we didn't this time around. The only disappointment was not being able to ride Soarin at Epcot but that is minor compared to all the fun we had on the trip. 

 

When we were there, the best time for rides was during the fireworks/castle light display/electrical parade (that is amazing to see but we saw it the night before). The lines were fairly short at that time. 

[PinkTulip]

Touringplans.com for sure. For an opposite viewpoint from above, having a plan actually makes it less stressful for me. I know that throughout the course of the trip, we will be able to see everything and do everything that we want while we're there. I'm never frantically checking my watch, or rushing through meals, I just don't have to make the decision of what to do next - I just follow the plan. We like to go for several days, and build a lot of rest time into the schedule. This enables us go back to the hotel for a nap, wander through the shops, or just sit on a bench with a treat and take it all in.

[monstermama]

All the rumor sites are saying that summer attendance is lower than expected, so maybe that will continue into the fall.  Definitely look into child swap if there are rides that you and the older kids want to ride but the little ones can't.  I'm more familiar with DL, but I believe Disney World also has baby care stations.  They have a quiet place to nurse, diaper changing areas, and little potties meant for kids who are potty training.

 

I also noticed that your kids have autism.  Disney has a Disabilities Access Service card (DAS) that can help if your kids would have problems waiting in line.  You basically get a return time for the attraction (which is equal to about how long they anticipate you'd wait in the normal line) but you're able to walk around the parks while waiting.

 

I wouldn't call aimlessly wandering around a hot and possibly crowded theme park my idea of quality family time ;)  I'd probably try to schedule one big dinner for everyone at one of the restaurants (possibly a hotel one, so no park admission would be required), plan on spending 2-3 days with them at the vacation home just relaxing and chatting (though not sure how that'd work with little ones), and then make fast passes for my family for the rest of the trip.  Will you have your own transportation?

[DawnM]

All the rumor sites are saying that summer attendance is lower than expected, so maybe that will continue into the fall.  Definitely look into child swap if there are rides that you and the older kids want to ride but the little ones can't.  I'm more familiar with DL, but I believe Disney World also has baby care stations.  They have a quiet place to nurse, diaper changing areas, and little potties meant for kids who are potty training.

 

I also noticed that your kids have autism.  Disney has a Disabilities Access Service card (DAS) that can help if your kids would have problems waiting in line.  You basically get a return time for the attraction (which is equal to about how long they anticipate you'd wait in the normal line) but you're able to walk around the parks while waiting.

 

I wouldn't call aimlessly wandering around a hot and possibly crowded theme park my idea of quality family time ;)  I'd probably try to schedule one big dinner for everyone at one of the restaurants (possibly a hotel one, so no park admission would be required), plan on spending 2-3 days with them at the vacation home just relaxing and chatting (though not sure how that'd work with little ones), and then make fast passes for my family for the rest of the trip.  Will you have your own transportation?

 

I missed that.  I can tell you that Disney has cracked down on this service because people were abusing it, so they may require some sort of proof, I would call and ask.

 

 

[Sdel]

You should plan on utilizing ride swap. The older kids can ride twice or you can collect them for planning purposes or for your extended family to use (they are good til the end of the month). Also, for MK, if you rope drop and head straight back to Splash and Thunder you can walk right on and save your fast passes for Space, Mine Train and Peter Pan. Peter Pan always has a ridiculously long line (150 - 270 min wait) and everyone can ride.

[Lanny]

Buy this book, immediately. It is "the" bible for WDW.  "The Unofficial Guide  Walt Disney World 2017". We have the 2016 edition, which came out during August 2015, and we took it with us when we went up to Orlando during April 2016. It is usually available in August of each year.  STUDY the book. Each day one is in WDW or UO is very expensive. If you study, you will see more of the things you would like to see, in the time you have available.  Thank God, the book also has information about Universal Orlando.  I didn't know, until shortly before our trip to the USA, that UO was the primary destination for DD.  We had 5 days in the parks. One day in UO and 4 days in WDW. We regret that we did not spend 2 days in UO and 3 days in WDW.  I don't think one can stand in a line and then have others join them.  Some attractions have "Single Rider" lines.  I remember one thing DD and I wanted to go on had a long wait time shown for the regular (not FastPass) line. The Waiting Time for "Single Riders" was about 5 minutes.  DD and I went in the "Single Riders" line and when it was our turn, they told us they would need to split us up. I told them, "fine, split us up". We saved about 45 minutes of standing in line for that attraction by doing that.  Use the FastPass Kiosk immediately after entering a park.  Use the restroom, before getting in a long line.  On one WDW attraction (one of the coasters) DD and I were seated in the ride, ready to go, and they shut the ride down, so they could start up the other coaster, which they hadn't started earlier that morning. We were delayed approximately 10 or 15 minutes while they did that. Another reason to use the restroom before getting into long lines.  

[Lanny]

Follow on: We were in Orlando from April 24 to May 1st.  That is regular season. The WDW and UO parks we were in were *not* empty. There were a lot of people in the parks.  I told my wife and DD, "imagine how many people will be here Memorial Day weekend or on the 4th of July".  You are lucky you are going in off peak season...   

[SproutMamaK]

Yes, my boys do have autism. My concern with disability passes is... does it apply for everyone? If my older two boys get passes for a particular time, does my younger boy have to wait in line while the older two are going around the rest of the park? Or does a disability pass apply to the whole group? Proving their autism shouldn't be an issue; we're got forms and certificates, etc, coming out of our ears. :p Plus, if they have to wait to talk to someone to "prove" it, it'll become fairly obvious. ;) I'm not too worried about the boys getting bored if they can walk around while they wait; they would LOVE the interactive games in the various parks, and they're the types to just watch and take it all in, as long as the scenery changes.

Touringplans and easywdw sound great! I think I'll use a combo of those; use particular parks on the days recommended by easywdw and the general order to rides, and then use touringplans to help us plan out things in more details. Of course, if we get a disability pass that may change our plans significantly.

 

Re: parent swap with kids that are too young to ride... do you need to sign up for that? Or is it just that they see you in line with young kids and let you trade off?

Stacey, I may PM you in a few days. I'm going to sort through all the websites and plans and try to wrap my head around all the info and then I'll get in touch when I have a clue what I'm talking about, lol. Right now I feel like I don't even now what questions to ask, there's just SO. MUCH. INFO.

Edited August 10, 2016 by SproutMamaK

[DawnM]

I am not sure you qualify.  They were cracking down on a lot of things, and I was reading last year they were confining the pass to those with physical disabilities.  I know I have seen many kids with Down's and such waiting in lines.   But I will see what I can find.  
 

 

Here is how to use Parent Swap:

 

What Is Rider Switch and How Does It Work?

If Guests in your party can’t or don’t want to board an attraction, you don’t have to miss out! 

If a child does not meet the height requirement or a Guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, no problem! With Rider Switch, one adult can wait with the non-rider (or riders) while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can supervise the non-riding Guests, and the waiting adult can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

Rider Switch is available at select attractions at all 4 Walt Disney World Resort theme parks.

To Use Rider Switch:

1. First check with a Cast member to see if Rider Switch is offered at the attraction in question.

2. Once at the attraction, approach the greeting Cast Member with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guests who are not riding will be given a Ride Switch pass and asked to wait in a designated area (usually outside of the attraction). This group is “Party 2.â€

3. The other party members (“Party 1â€) ride the attraction.

4. After riding the attraction, Party 1 locates Party 2 and gives the Rider Switch pass to the adult member who will be riding. Party 1 takes over supervision of the non-riding children or Guests.

5. Party 2 enters and boards the attraction without having to wait in the regular queue a second time. The Rider Switch Pass must be presented to a Cast Member at this time.

If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring one other Guest back to ride the attraction with him or her. Please note that only 2 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by DawnM

[DawnM]

Ok, here is the latest on Cognitive Disabilities.  It doesn't look like they offer going to the front of the line.

 

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/cognitive-disabilities-services/

[Sdel]

 

 

If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring one other Guest back to ride the attraction with him or her. Please note that only 2 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass.

 

 

 

 

It's three.  Any three people may use the ride swap ticket to return to the line.  It doesn't have to be immediately, as they don't expire until the end of the month.  

 

OP, if you feel up to it, something we like to do is save all our ride swaps up til the last day of the trip and then hit all the parks and ride all the major rides in one day.  It takes quite a bit of planning and hustle, but we really enjoy it while it lasts.  Our record is like 27 rides in one day.

 

Stefanie 

[DawnM]

It's three.  Any three people may use the ride swap ticket to return to the line.  It doesn't have to be immediately, as they don't expire until the end of the month.  

 

OP, if you feel up to it, something we like to do is save all our ride swaps up til the last day of the trip and then hit all the parks and ride all the major rides in one day.  It takes quite a bit of planning and hustle, but we really enjoy it while it lasts.  Our record is like 27 rides in one day.

 

Stefanie 

 

I just took that straight copied and pasted from the website.

[momee]

We went this January and it was TOTALLY an unexpected trip.  I planned three hotels, all of our parks and some food the night before we left.  I did touringplans to guide me through the park - and we used our smart phones quite a bit to tell us what rides had big lines.

 

You know, for all the stress of learning touringplans and the WDW app = we walked right up to the princess castle, dd got a makeover and a dress for $60.  I didn't know there was a huge demand on that kind of thing until after we finished the bippity boppity experience.

 

We were there during a marathon week and supposedly the parks were full - the app said it was supposed to be like a 6 and ended up being one of their highest crowds of the holiday season.  We saw princesses, stayed for all the shows and had one of the most magical days of our lives.

 

All that to say - plans, schmans.  The day will be what it will be - do what you can and let the rest go.

Enjoy it :) sounds like an absolutely awesome memory making event in your family's life.

 

I so wish I had family to spend time with (planned or unplanned) we have immediate family but my parents - well, they pretty much suck at the whole grandparent thing so blessings to you guys!!!

Edited August 10, 2016 by momee

[SproutMamaK]

Does anyone know if there's a Universal equivalent to touringplans? It looks like that's Disney only... we're only spending 3 days at Universal compared to 8 at Disney, but I'd love anything that can help us out there as well.

Edited August 11, 2016 by SproutMamaK

[mlktwins]

Does anyone know if there's a Universal equivalent to touringplans? It looks like that's Disney only... we're only spending 3 days at Universal compared to 8 at Disney, but I'd love anything that can help us out there as well.

I know you can get touringplans for Universal. It is around $7. I just purchased it along with the Disney World one. My library also has some Disney guide books that include Universal. Look for the 2016 one if they have it.

[whitestavern]

Does anyone know if there's a Universal equivalent to touringplans? It looks like that's Disney only... we're only spending 3 days at Universal compared to 8 at Disney, but I'd love anything that can help us out there as well.

 

orlandoinformer.com is the site I hear about the most.

[monstermama]

Yes, my boys do have autism. My concern with disability passes is... does it apply for everyone? If my older two boys get passes for a particular time, does my younger boy have to wait in line while the older two are going around the rest of the park? Or does a disability pass apply to the whole group? Proving their autism shouldn't be an issue; we're got forms and certificates, etc, coming out of our ears. :p Plus, if they have to wait to talk to someone to "prove" it, it'll become fairly obvious. ;) I'm not too worried about the boys getting bored if they can walk around while they wait; they would LOVE the interactive games in the various parks, and they're the types to just watch and take it all in, as long as the scenery changes.

 

Touringplans and easywdw sound great! I think I'll use a combo of those; use particular parks on the days recommended by easywdw and the general order to rides, and then use touringplans to help us plan out things in more details. Of course, if we get a disability pass that may change our plans significantly.

 

Re: parent swap with kids that are too young to ride... do you need to sign up for that? Or is it just that they see you in line with young kids and let you trade off?

 

Stacey, I may PM you in a few days. I'm going to sort through all the websites and plans and try to wrap my head around all the info and then I'll get in touch when I have a clue what I'm talking about, lol. Right now I feel like I don't even now what questions to ask, there's just SO. MUCH. INFO.

 

They won't ask you to prove proof - the people manning guest relations are not doctors and will usually refuse to read doctor's notes.  What they're interested in is the accommodation you're looking for.  Previous posters are correct - there's no more front-of-the-line access, and they've seriously cut down on providing DAS for mobility issues (which was how people were gaming the system before).  At WDW, I believe, they will give you a return time for your party (about equal to the current ride's standby line wait) on your magic band or linked to your park tickets.  I don't know what the party size limit is, possibly 8?  The person with the DAS must be present when you return to the ride.  So if the current wait time is 40 minutes, they'll tell you to come back in 40 minutes.  You're still waiting, just not in the line.  Different coasts, but I was able to get a DAS for DS (that we didn't end up using, lol, we just used FP or didn't ride things that had queues that wouldn't work or had too long of a wait) at DL by describing why he needed an alternate waiting area.  

 

Child swap - go to the entrance of the ride with all members of your party and indicate the kids that are too small to ride.  Depending on the ride, they'll give you a swap pass there or have you ask the cast member right before loading for one.  This only works for rides with height restrictions, and I believe they also have to have FP as well.  I'm not sure how this works for WDW with the prescheduled fast passes, but at Disneyland, what we did last time (DH, DS, DD, and I) was pull FPs for DH and DS, have them ride and get a FP, and then DS and I would ride using the rider swap pass.  This enabled me to get a FP at the same time for a different ride that only DH and I would want to ride.

 

For planning what you want - can you print out maps or show them online the maps and ask what they think they'd be interested in riding?  The "usual" parenting advice I hear is to have each kid pick out 1-2 favorite rides, and then try to make sure to schedule those in during your trip.  For my DS, that means we get FPs for Star Tours as often as possible :) Depending on how you feel about "surprises" and how your kids do with them, you could even watch ride-through videos on youtube with them so that they know what to expect.

[Riverland]

Does anyone know if there's a Universal equivalent to touringplans? It looks like that's Disney only... we're only spending 3 days at Universal compared to 8 at Disney, but I'd love anything that can help us out there as well.

 

If you stay at the Portofino, Hard Rock or Royal Pacific hotel, your room key acts as your fast pass for your entire stay. Each room occupant gets their own key/pass. It is for unlimited access to the fast pass lines. No reservations needed. Just walk up to the ride and get in the fast pass line.

 

It is so, so easy. 

 

https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Hotel-Guest-Benefits.aspx

[SproutMamaK]

They won't ask you to prove proof - the people manning guest relations are not doctors and will usually refuse to read doctor's notes.  What they're interested in is the accommodation you're looking for.  Previous posters are correct - there's no more front-of-the-line access, and they've seriously cut down on providing DAS for mobility issues (which was how people were gaming the system before).  At WDW, I believe, they will give you a return time for your party (about equal to the current ride's standby line wait) on your magic band or linked to your park tickets.  I don't know what the party size limit is, possibly 8?  The person with the DAS must be present when you return to the ride.  So if the current wait time is 40 minutes, they'll tell you to come back in 40 minutes.  You're still waiting, just not in the line.  Different coasts, but I was able to get a DAS for DS (that we didn't end up using, lol, we just used FP or didn't ride things that had queues that wouldn't work or had too long of a wait) at DL by describing why he needed an alternate waiting area.  

 

Child swap - go to the entrance of the ride with all members of your party and indicate the kids that are too small to ride.  Depending on the ride, they'll give you a swap pass there or have you ask the cast member right before loading for one.  This only works for rides with height restrictions, and I believe they also have to have FP as well.  I'm not sure how this works for WDW with the prescheduled fast passes, but at Disneyland, what we did last time (DH, DS, DD, and I) was pull FPs for DH and DS, have them ride and get a FP, and then DS and I would ride using the rider swap pass.  This enabled me to get a FP at the same time for a different ride that only DH and I would want to ride.

 

For planning what you want - can you print out maps or show them online the maps and ask what they think they'd be interested in riding?  The "usual" parenting advice I hear is to have each kid pick out 1-2 favorite rides, and then try to make sure to schedule those in during your trip.  For my DS, that means we get FPs for Star Tours as often as possible :) Depending on how you feel about "surprises" and how your kids do with them, you could even watch ride-through videos on youtube with them so that they know what to expect.

TY for the advice! I'll bring copies of their paperwork just in case, but hopefully they won't be needed. I wonder how DAS and rideswap work with each other; coming back at a later time AND changing parents over? Hopefully that wouldn't cause any issues.

 

As for planning specific things based on what the kids want... not really a possibility, the trip is a total surprise for them. They won't find out where we're going until the realize the plane is headed to Orlando! But we've been to amusement parks with them before and have a good idea of what they'll be interested (and uninterested) in.