Help with ticket options

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

DO you guys follow the Undercover tourist crowd calendar in order to go to the parks with the least traffic each day? Do you find it accurate?

I used Touring plans crowd calendar, not undercover tourist, but Touring Plans was very helpful. I just looked up the best park to go to for that day and we'd head there. However we got an AP this year so we did alot of park hopping.

[Lou... 3,118]

Do you guys follow the Undercover tourist crowd calendar in order to go to the parks with the least traffic each day?

I never use a crowd level calendar for specific days, however I do when checking crowd levels for a month or half month.

I'm skeptical about the accuracy when it comes to specific non holiday days. It doesn't hurt to check them all and take an average, but I'm not sure if it helps.

The way they are calculated is why I'm skeptical. They are arrived at by looking at historical attendance, but as Disney never releases attendance figures, where does the info come from? Also, if they were accurate, wouldn't they all show the same crowd levels. Why the differences?

Do you find it accurate?

Here's my crowd level system, it's very accurate, but the down side is that you have to go to the park, not inside the park, in order to use it.

At MK, go to TTC and count how many ferries are in use.

1 ferry, it's slower day, 2 ferries, and average day, 3 ferries, go elsewhere.

At the other parks count how may trams are in service.

2, slow day, 4 not bad, 8 rethink your decision.

I know, you're thinking that it's a ridiculous, unusable system and it is, but it's more accurate than the crowd level calendars as no one knows better what kind of a day it's going to be than Disney.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I never use a crowd level calendar for specific days, however I do when checking crowd levels for a month or half month.

I'm skeptical about the accuracy when it comes to specific non holiday days. It doesn't hurt to check them all and take an average, but I'm not sure if it helps.

The way they are calculated is why I'm skeptical. They are arrived at by looking at historical attendance, but as Disney never releases attendance figures, where does the info come from? Also, if they were accurate, wouldn't they all show the same crowd levels. Why the differences?

Here's my crowd level system, it's very accurate, but the down side is that you have to go to the park, not inside the park, in order to use it.

At MK, go to TTC and count how many ferries are in use.

1 ferry, it's slower day, 2 ferries, and average day, 3 ferries, go elsewhere.

At the other parks count how may trams are in service.

2, slow day, 4 not bad, 8 rethink your decision.

I know, you're thinking that it's a ridiculous, unusable system and it is, but it's more accurate than the crowd level calendars as no one knows better what kind of a day it's going to be than Disney.

:raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry: :raspberry:

[CakeHenn 4]

Your system makes sense to me Lou! I just have to figure out what TTC means

[Lou... 3,118]

Your system makes sense to me Lou! I just have to figure out what TTC means

Oh that's right, you've never been to WDW.

TTC stands for "Transportation and Ticket Center".

BTW, it's not the "Ticket and Transportation Center" and if anyone giving you advice calls it that, walk away, they're novices.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

We don't use any of the crowd calendar predictors to decide when to go, as we pretty much already know when we're going.

However we do use Touring Plans "Lines" mobile app while we're there. We don't really use it for the crowd prediction numbers as much as we use it to check wait times and determine how to make our way around the parks and avoid a lot of backtracking. We've found their wait times to be really accurate - sometimes more accurate than the posted times. The other thing I like it for is if we're deciding where to eat and we want to take a peek at the menus before we head somewhere.

That Lines app is free when you sign up for a subscription to Touring Plans, but Disney has their own mobile app now that also includes wait times. I haven't used it yet, but I've heard some good feedback.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Oh and along the lines of Lou's low tech crowd predictor, in general if it's a holiday or school vacation for much of the country, it WILL be busy.

Christmas-New Year's week is THE busiest week of the year hands down. Capacity closures at the parks are not uncommon, especially Magic Kingdom. If you dig back through some of the recent trip reports, you'll see the insanity. There were attraction times that hit 3 and 4 hours a lot that week.

Easter/Spring Break is a close 2nd.

July 4th tends to also be super crowded, especially if it falls around a weekend.

Thanksgiving is quite busy, but not completely crazy.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Oh that's right, you've never been to WDW.

TTC stands for "Transportation and Ticket Center".

BTW, it's not the "Ticket and Transportation Center" and if anyone giving you advice calls it that, walk away, they're novices.

Hmmmm.

Doesn't that sign say Ticket and Transportation Center? :

TCD

[Judy in Texas 150]

This should have been posted on your other thread.

Go to the WDW website and order the vacation planning DVD. Lots of good general Parks information.

Http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/planning-DVD/

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Hmmmm.

Doesn't that sign say Ticket and Transportation Center? :

TCD

You just stole one of Lou's up arrows... :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:

[HillBillyWhisperer 20]

Oh that's right, you've never been to WDW.

TTC stands for "Transportation and Ticket Center".

BTW, it's not the "Ticket and Transportation Center" and if anyone giving you advice calls it that, walk away, they're novices.

Well, I perfer the CTT...Center for Tickets and Transportation but I can never find it.

[CakeHenn 4]

Since my wife is a School nurse the only time we could really do this trip and have the 11 or 12 days in order to go would be June/July and the beginning of Aug. I would think we would have better luck late July early August as many people seem to plan their summer vacations in June. This has also been my experience with RV resorts and state parks where June and July are hard to get spots.

[.....Gary 85]

Hmmmm.

Doesn't that sign say Ticket and Transportation Center? :

TCD

Lou's right; Disney's wrong!!

How's that for suck'n up bus driver guy???

[Lou... 3,118]

Lou's right; Disney's wrong!

In that particular case, Disney is wrong.

How's that for suck'n up bus driver guy?

You're coming along nicely.

[PrincessNana 15]

4th of Juy is so much fun at the Fort. We go every year at this time (we don't go to any parks on the 4th) and its a great time to go. The golf cart parade, the fireworks, the fiends......plan your trip around the 4th of July if you can.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

In case it hasn't been suggested yet, a good book to look through is the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. There is also an Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids. I am able to get both at my local library. That helped me a great deal with planning my strategy for in the park. I also enjoyed just reading the book for ideas and because I love to plan and plan and plan. LOL

Hope you have a great trip and get lots of great ideas from FF.net!

[Lou... 3,118]

That's better.

[Lou... 3,118]

I'm of the, do lot's of research, but very little planning, mentality. Know what's available, when, and where, or how to find out, but other than restaurant reservations, just go with the flow. Have a general idea and list the must do things, but wing it from there. Whatever you miss, you can do on your next trip.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I'm of the, do lot's of research, but very little planning, mentality. Know what's available, when, and where, or how to find out, but other than restaurant reservations, just go with the flow. Have a general idea and list the must do things, but wing it from there. Whatever you miss, you can do on your next trip.

This is pretty much our exact planning philosophy when it comes to Disney. Scary that we agree on something.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'm of the, do lot's of research, but very little planning, mentality. Know what's available, when, and where, or how to find out, but other than restaurant reservations, just go with the flow. Have a general idea and list the must do things, but wing it from there. Whatever you miss, you can do on your next trip.

That's actually what our trips have evolved into. I used to have spreadsheets and schedules and every day planned out.

Now I just look at park hours and time of year and we wing it. We do use the mobile app when it comes to rides and attractions - but mostly for information and to avoid a lot of backtracking or long lines.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I will add that if you're on the DDP or want to be sure to eat at certain locations, you really need to make those ADRs as quickly as possible, and that may dictate that you do more planning than if you can be completely flexible about where/when you eat.

Also if you don't know if/when you'll be back to WDW, at least coming up with a list of "must dos" and a plan for getting them done would be good.

[Lou... 3,118]

Scary that we agree on something.

I've heard that before, mostly from my wife, but I'm taking that as a compliment

I used to have spreadsheets and schedules and every day planned out.

I was skeptical that people actually made spreadsheets to plan their trips to WDW, but when I actually saw one, I just had to shake my head.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I guess you've never seen the one I put together in a format that folded into a little booklet so I can tuck it in my pocket.

[Lou... 3,118]

I guess you've never seen the one I put together in a format that folded into a little booklet so I can tuck it in my pocket.

Was that just before you went into WDW intervention counseling?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Nope, it was before we decided to spend 3 weeks there every year. :mh1: