[Question] TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

[bee1000]

Friday will be my first DL visit with a smartphone and I've been looking at the various line-wait apps. I like the one by TouringPlans, but have a question for those of you who have used it:

Are their Fastpass return-time predictions accurate?

For instance, right now it's 2:15 on Monday afternoon and it's showing HM Holiday Fastpasses as 2:30, Indy as 3:10, Space Mountain at 4:50. Those are the return times it expects you to get if you get a FP right now. Based on past trips those seem really optimistic! The 4:50 times for Space Mountain is expected (it's up to 5:25 now, actually), but the others seem too short.

If I really grabbed a FP for HMH at 2:15 would it already be valid at 2:30?

You don't really need to have used the app before to help, just have recent experience with FP return times.

Also, they're still not enforcing FP return times, right?

Thanks for helping me prepare to conquer to Holiday Hordes!

[cruise]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

As far as the HM example above goes, it would be impossible for 2:30 fastpasses to be available at 2:15 (as the return window automatically tracks at least 45 minutes in front of the current time), so that is incorrect.

However, I use Touring Plans and generally find the return times data very very accurate. It is almost always within 20-30 minutes of the actual return time. So it is very helpful if you're wondering whether you should dash across the park to grab a fastpass. Moreover, I have used other wait times apps and this is always the most accurate, especially compared to other apps that rely fully on user data.

[DrFink]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Don't even pay attention to the FP times. They don't enforce the return times anyway.

[bee1000]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

As far as the HM example above goes, it would be impossible for 2:30 fastpasses to be available at 2:15 (as the return window automatically tracks at least 45 minutes in front of the current time), so that is incorrect.

However, I use Touring Plans and generally find the return times data very very accurate. It is almost always within 20-30 minutes of the actual return time. So it is very helpful if you're wondering whether you should dash across the park to grab a fastpass. Moreover, I have used other wait times apps and this is always the most accurate, especially compared to other apps that rely fully on user data.

Thanks - I'm looking forward to taking on the crowds with an app to help navigate! Their current predictions for Friday are basically that most rides will be 25-35 minutes all day and some E-Tickets will be 45 (seems a little optimistic, actually). No surprises, but I expect it to help a great deal with the inevitable "Where do you want to go next?" discussions.

Don't even pay attention to the FP times. They don't enforce the return times anyway.

Right, but having an idea of the return time is that the sooner the Fastpass for Ride A is valid, the sooner I can get a FP for Ride B. It's helpful for planning more than one move at a time.

[RemainSeatedPlz87]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Don't even pay attention to the FP times. They don't enforce the return times anyway.

while this is true you still should pay attention...because that way you can plan when you will be able to grab your next fp there fore utilizing the system better

[Ryan120420]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Just call:

714 520 7090

Gives you all the wait times and FP return times to any attraction at the resort.


OR

Download the Disneyland, Disney Mobile Magic app.



Both get info right from the source and are accurate. No need to waste money on touring plans.

[RemainSeatedPlz87]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Just call:

714 520 7090

Gives you all the wait times and FP return times to any attraction at the resort.


OR

Download the Disneyland, Disney Mobile Magic app.



Both get info right from the source and are accurate. No need to waste money on touring plans.

this. plus otto hums and sings and is just plain awesome!

[bee1000]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Just call:

714 520 7090

Gives you all the wait times and FP return times to any attraction at the resort.

OR

Download the Disneyland, Disney Mobile Magic app.

Both get info right from the source and are accurate. No need to waste money on touring plans.

My understanding is that those sources simply report the wait times posted at each attraction, which are not necessarily accurate. The TouringPlans app reports those same times, plus an estimate of what it expects the actual wait time to be and times reported by people currently in the park. The official options probably are more useful than apps that rely on users to report wait times, but TouringPlans tries to go further.

We've all experienced times at Disneyland where a ride's posted wait time is clearly longer or shorter than the actual wait (Pirates and Big Thunder are 2 that I notice fairly often because from the entrance to their queues you get a good idea of how long the wait is compared to what's on the board) and TouringPlans attempts to address that. I'm willing to gamble 99 of my hard-earned cents to find out!

[bee1000]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Update: The app performed very well at Disneyland yesterday with estimated waits that were in the ballpark consistently.

Being a busy holiday visit, you could count on the lines being around the same length most of the day, but the app still was helpful because of its estimated wait times. DL's estimates always were longer than the Touringplans estimates and if we went by DL's times we probably would have skipped a few attractions for not wanting to wait that long. There's a big psychological difference for me between a 45-minute wait and 30 minutes!

Adding the official Mobile Magic app was helpful, too, for confirming reported ride closures/reopenings and FP availability.

[Chesire]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

I've only used Mobile Magic for character greeting times, the wait times are so vague on that app that it's almost useless. TouringPlans definitely has the most accurate times.

[jbean]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Thanks for the update bee1000!

[Ryan120420]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

I've only used Mobile Magic for character greeting times, the wait times are so vague on that app that it's almost useless. TouringPlans definitely has the most accurate times.

You have to be at the Disneyland Resort to get detailed wait times:





Current wait times, nothing vague about it.

[lighttragic]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

Touring Apps is a great app, I love how it has actual and expected and throughout my experience of using this past year. Its fairly spot on. The only thing I look at for Fastpasses is to see when its left not when the return times are.

[TouringPlans]

Re: TouringPlans "Lines" App - Accuracy of Fastpass-return times?

My understanding is that those sources simply report the wait times posted at each attraction, which are not necessarily accurate. The TouringPlans app reports those same times, plus an estimate of what it expects the actual wait time to be and times reported by people currently in the park. The official options probably are more useful than apps that rely on users to report wait times, but TouringPlans tries to go further.

We've all experienced times at Disneyland where a ride's posted wait time is clearly longer or shorter than the actual wait (Pirates and Big Thunder are 2 that I notice fairly often because from the entrance to their queues you get a good idea of how long the wait is compared to what's on the board) and TouringPlans attempts to address that. I'm willing to gamble 99 of my hard-earned cents to find out!

This is correct. We actually strive to be more accurate than Disney. As I'm sure those who have used our app and Mobile Magic or the new "My Disney Experience" app for Walt Disney World will tell you, we usually succeed at this.

We also have no vested interest in manipulating the wait times we report in any way. Disney can use wait time numbers as a means of crowd control.

Glad you liked our service. If anyone else has questions, feel free to post them--I'll answer what I can!

-Tom