disneyland_is_magic
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
This topic has been hashed out to death but wanted to get some feedback from those using it very recently. I have two previous experiences with it, one very good and one very bad. I am kicking around the idea of trying it again after swearing I never would. Let me give you my two examples, obviously ALOT goes into the success or failure of a trip, more then one decision or what can fit in one post so I acknowledge that off the bat.
First Time: Purchased the book about 3 years ago, read it cover to cover 3 times in preparation and used the plans from the book for adults. We stayed at a Good Neighbor hotel, used the ART, with one day in each park. Arrived for rope drop at DCA, was allowed in early to stand in line for RSR FP. Day went perfectly, we followed the plan exactly despite reluctance about some attractions, finished the plan early and wandered while waiting for WOC. As we were getting ready to load a ride, we'd consult the plan and be ready to go as soon as we unloaded. The day at Disneyland was the same with several short waits for attractions, we were able to time shows, parades, fireworks right into the plan as it said we would. The trip was aided by two things, a slight misty rain that I am sure discouraged locals and a kind CM who told us quietly that besides WOC and RSR there were two other FP machines that were "offline" so we were able to hold extra FPs a couple of times. In the two days, we were never rushed, we wasted little time and saw MANY things that were highlights that we did only because the plan said to. It surprised us over and over. It was the most magical trip I have ever had at Disneyland in my lifetime.
Second Trip: Traveled same week of the year two years later. Reread the new book, purchased the online Touring plan subscription and did a personalized plan. Stayed at Good Neighbor hotel and parked at Disneyland. This time bought hoppers and did two and half days. While working on the touring plan and calculating different options, it would do things that ALARM me (like suggest we run at rope drop to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln) but I brushed it off. I printed off our plan and map two days before travel. We arrived 1 hour BEFORE magic morning at the garage, second car there and ate breakfast in the car, found they were very slow to open, slow to load the tram and the park was open before we arrived at the gate. First ride we headed to was being refurbished (why wasn't that in the software?) so we skipped that and hit the next on our plan, Space Mountain. This was during HyperSpace and so the 15 minute wait was closer to 40, partly because of our detour via Fantasyland. By the time we finished, magic morning was over, crowds were spilling into the park, we were beary eyed and tired, been up for hours and had hit one ride. We followed the plan the rest of the trip to mediocre success finding inaccurate wait times several times and missed the 60th anniversary fireworks. Overall, we never got back on the right foot and the trip ended being okay. I logged on to my account months later to see a notice about Fantasmic FP(which had been down for Star Wars Land for MONTHS by then) rolled my eyes they had gotten that sloppy and reswore I would never, ever again.
The other trips I have made my own touring plans using common sense and a map or traveled entirely without one to varying degrees of success. Despite my last experience, I do acknowledge the first experience was the best trip I had ever had to DL in my lifetime and it was LARGELY due to following the plan.
So here I sit, reconsidering it again. Tell me what you guys are seeing and experiences, especially with the post 60th state of Disney. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
First Time: Purchased the book about 3 years ago, read it cover to cover 3 times in preparation and used the plans from the book for adults. We stayed at a Good Neighbor hotel, used the ART, with one day in each park. Arrived for rope drop at DCA, was allowed in early to stand in line for RSR FP. Day went perfectly, we followed the plan exactly despite reluctance about some attractions, finished the plan early and wandered while waiting for WOC. As we were getting ready to load a ride, we'd consult the plan and be ready to go as soon as we unloaded. The day at Disneyland was the same with several short waits for attractions, we were able to time shows, parades, fireworks right into the plan as it said we would. The trip was aided by two things, a slight misty rain that I am sure discouraged locals and a kind CM who told us quietly that besides WOC and RSR there were two other FP machines that were "offline" so we were able to hold extra FPs a couple of times. In the two days, we were never rushed, we wasted little time and saw MANY things that were highlights that we did only because the plan said to. It surprised us over and over. It was the most magical trip I have ever had at Disneyland in my lifetime.
Second Trip: Traveled same week of the year two years later. Reread the new book, purchased the online Touring plan subscription and did a personalized plan. Stayed at Good Neighbor hotel and parked at Disneyland. This time bought hoppers and did two and half days. While working on the touring plan and calculating different options, it would do things that ALARM me (like suggest we run at rope drop to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln) but I brushed it off. I printed off our plan and map two days before travel. We arrived 1 hour BEFORE magic morning at the garage, second car there and ate breakfast in the car, found they were very slow to open, slow to load the tram and the park was open before we arrived at the gate. First ride we headed to was being refurbished (why wasn't that in the software?) so we skipped that and hit the next on our plan, Space Mountain. This was during HyperSpace and so the 15 minute wait was closer to 40, partly because of our detour via Fantasyland. By the time we finished, magic morning was over, crowds were spilling into the park, we were beary eyed and tired, been up for hours and had hit one ride. We followed the plan the rest of the trip to mediocre success finding inaccurate wait times several times and missed the 60th anniversary fireworks. Overall, we never got back on the right foot and the trip ended being okay. I logged on to my account months later to see a notice about Fantasmic FP(which had been down for Star Wars Land for MONTHS by then) rolled my eyes they had gotten that sloppy and reswore I would never, ever again.
The other trips I have made my own touring plans using common sense and a map or traveled entirely without one to varying degrees of success. Despite my last experience, I do acknowledge the first experience was the best trip I had ever had to DL in my lifetime and it was LARGELY due to following the plan.
So here I sit, reconsidering it again. Tell me what you guys are seeing and experiences, especially with the post 60th state of Disney. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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