8. Len Testa on His Background and Touring Plans.com

The Train Station at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

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Planning a vacation to Walt Disney World is so complex, even for frequent guests. When you consider FastPass Plus, ADRs, and larger crowds, building the right strategy is a necessity. The last thing we want is to spend our trip waiting in long lines instead of riding our favorite attractions. An essential resource is Touring Plans.com, which gives you the tools to make the right choices when navigating the Walt Disney World parks. It can’t make the hordes of people disappear, but it gives you important guidance to avoid following the herd.

Len Testa of Touring Plans.com — Photo by Len Testa

This episode’s guest is Len Testa, president of Touring Plans and the mind behind the trip-planning software. I’ve followed Len’s work all the way back to the start of the original WDW Today podcast in 2005. His computer science background and extensive research give him a unique perspective on the parks. Len’s also the co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and the host of The Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish Podcast with Jim Hill. Walt Disney World is a massive operation that keeps getting more complicated, and there’s a lot more involved with planning than just attractions.

Our conversation digs into Len’s background and the origins of his Disney fandom in family trips to Orlando. We discuss the early days of Touring Plans and its evolution into such a popular resource. Len and I cover future FastPass Plus possibilities and how Disney is trying to shift its Disneyland visitors away from annual passholders. It was a thrill to connect with a true insider on Disney and theme parks in general.