We don't plan other than reserving a hotel room. We do everything else the day of, book FPs on MDE and make ADRs on MDE.
So how does Touring plans work. I know it's a subscription service and it does a whole lot like crowd calendars, you can input alerts for reservations, etc. But for making itineraries do you just input what you want to do and it helps you put it in a logical order? Like based on where it is in the park? I have been peeping at it and I am interested. We are going in December so there are things we want to do like Christmas tree trail, and the storytellers at Epcot, can you input that kind of random stuff too into your itinerary?
I am not sure about the Christmas Tree trail, but yes you can select certain shows/events that you want to attend as well as rides you want to hit. There is also a place to input your 3 fastpasses, any dining plans and breaks you want to take. You also enter the times you will be in the park, and how fast/slow you will be walking or the pace you want to keep up. You can choose to minimize wait times, or minimize walking. Once all those variables are in, TP will generate an "optimized" plan of attack for you.
I did a LOT of playing around with touring plans in the system on our last big family trip - I didn't end up using them once we got there, but it gave me a really good sense of how to approach our days, where things were located (how far apart things were) and good times to hit certain attractions. There are definitely some who use it as a strict itinerary too, for me it became a learning tool that allowed me to "wing it" a bit more once we were actually there
It took me a while to bite the bullet on paying for Touringplans, but I've been very glad I did. It's still not my one-and-only plan repository (that would be a bunch of stream-of-consciousness notes on my phone plus various Google spreadsheets), but it's a powerful tool in the arsenal. One perk I recently discovered is the Reservation Finder--put in your dream ADR and it will check for it regularly and text you if it comes open.So how does Touring plans work. I know it's a subscription service and it does a whole lot like crowd calendars, you can input alerts for reservations, etc. But for making itineraries do you just input what you want to do and it helps you put it in a logical order? Like based on where it is in the park? I have been peeping at it and I am interested. We are going in December so there are things we want to do like Christmas tree trail, and the storytellers at Epcot, can you input that kind of random stuff too into your itinerary?
To plan the whole trip I made an Excel sheet that includes calendar, daily schedule and notes (Park times, ADRs, FPs, places to snack - colored coded to highlight the one that has Starbucks). This one I polish as I go.
Then I've a single sheet PDF with the daily info about the park, the ADRs with time & menus, the FP+ & all the other attractions/rides. This one goes in my backpack with the daily ADR confirmations prints & park map.
Finally I also use the WDW Vacation Checklist and the Packing List (both I've modified according to what I need).
Ok, I just have to say that I have found people whom I love on this thread!!!! Planners like me! LOL!
I love an excel spreadsheet for just about any vacation but definitely for Disney.
Also, here's another vote for Touring Plans. LOVED using it for a trip at the end of July a few years ago and plan to use it for the one this year. I definitely thought it was worth it!
My husband was laughing at me - we don't even have our ADRs yet and I've already got a couple of Touring Plans scenarios created for our August trip It just helps me get into the headspace of where to go at what times, so that by the time we arrive onsite I can be a bit more relaxed about our schedule!