❓ Do you need a touring plan?
Ask yourself these 7 questions
Should you have a theme park touring plan?
Hi everyone,
If you’ve been watching my live Facebook chats you’ll know that I have a very cool trip coming up: a day at Disneyland Paris!
We’ve now spent a couple of hours discussing it (check out the conversations here). And even though I won’t be there until September, I’ve already created a very detailed touring plan - thanks in large part to help and inspiration from our Facebook Live community.
Why am I creating a touring plan four months before my visit? Because I have never been there before, I have only 9 hours in the parks, and there are specific attractions I absolutely must-see. I need to have a road map.
Will you be bumping into similar challenges on your trip? Even though it seems like a lot of work up front, I guarantee you’ll have a much better experience if you plan ahead.
A touring plan can be as simple as a list of must-see attractions, or it can be a minute-by-minute spreadsheet. Next time we’ll talk about how to create a plan, but today let’s find out if you really need one.
Ask yourself these questions
How much time do you have?
The shorter your visit, the more you need a plan. I have literally nine hours to explore two theme parks in Paris. There’s no time to wonder what to do next.
If this is your stay at the following destinations, you need a touring plan:
Disneyland/California Adventure - 2 days or less
Universal Orlando - 2 days or less
Disney World - 1 day or less at each park
Is this your first visit?
If yes, then you need a touring plan. You’ll want to take a look at park maps in advance and figure out your top priorities, even if you have extra time to explore.
For park maps, and a sense of how far apart things are, check out my theme park distance posts:
How crowded will it be?
The busier it is, the more prepared you should be. By experiencing the park with intention, you’ll avoid long lines and a lot of stress.
Not sure how crowded it will be? One indicator is the price of your tickets compared to other dates.
Learn more about ticket pricing on my website here:
Is there something you absolutely must do?
Don’t fool around. Plan your day around that thing you flew all the way across the country for.
Are you going with anyone else?
The planning stage is the best time to negotiate what you’ll be doing with your travel partners. Don’t wait until you get there.
Need to bring them up to speed? Share this newsletter with them! 😉👍🙏
Will you have skip-the-line access?
Especially if you have an Unlimited Universal Express Pass, you can do a lot less planning. If you’ll be at Disney, using Genie+, you’ll still want to have an idea of which attractions are your top picks.
Learn more about Disney and Universal’s line-skipping tools here:
Is early entry available to you?
Paradoxically, even though early entry gives you extra park time, you’ll need a plan to fully take advantage of this benefit. With only 30 or 60 minutes head-start, your options will be limited. Be sure to know where you want to go - before the rope drops.
Early entry was the topic of my last newsletter. Check that out here:
Next time: how to make your touring plan
In the next newsletter, I’ll be diving into some tips to help you create your own touring plan. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.
What questions do you have for me?
Leave a note in the comments. And thanks for reading!
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