Coordinating Dining Plans with Park Schedules & Xmas Party?? No Hopper.

[bcbg11]

Does anyone know when the park schedules come out for December so I can coordinate my dining reservations with which days we should be in which parks?

Right now, we are going based on the predictions for crowd levels rather than based on Extra Magic Hours to decide which days for which parks, so I don’t know if it will really matter. I’m just trying to get our schedule in order so I can make reservations for the right days to go with the parks we will be attending.

My first available day to make dining reservations with our dining plan will be June 4th for the first day of our visit being December 1st. We are NOT getting a hopper since we have toddlers and feel this may be too stressful for them so would rather just take one park at a time. We also plan to do the Mickey’s Merry Christmas Party. I’m thinking we will go to that on the day we are doing Animal Kingdom to get some more time out of Magic Kingdom. Thinking that will be the favorite with a 5 and 2.5 year old. Does that sound right? I’ve been told AK isn’t an all day park by many people. I think the Merry Christmas Party reservations may be available to make tomorrow. Excited to make them, or am I jumping on that too soon?

Any help or insight I appreciate! A first timer here!

 

[ses1230]

December hours should be out on the TA calendar in about three weeks. They are usually updated before the Disney website, so check them first. Here is the link, it is still 2012. When 2013 hours are released it will update.

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/S.../pdf/ParkHours/WDW_Operating_Calendar_dec.pdf

 

[bcbg11]

Thank you so much! I was hoping the park schedule would be out before I had to do dining reservations in case I need to shift anything around on the agenda!

 

[Melanie B]

From what I understand you will need park tickets as well as event tickets to attend. If you don't have park hopper I'm not sure going to another park that day will work.

Please let me know if I'm mistaken as we're trying to plan as well

 

[bcbg11]

Melanie,

I've heard that you have to eat in the park that you visit that day. The only other option for restaurants would be downtown Disney or your hotel without the hopper is what I understand.

However, you can be in another park in the morning if you are going to Mickey's Christmas Party and then enter MK with your Christmas Party ticket at 4 p.m. (That's what my AAA travel agent told us).

Hope this helps!

 

[Melanie B]

Oh that's good to know. Thanks for the info. We haven't gone to any of the parties yet so we were planning to try this year.

I would say for sure you can get through AK in 1 day especially with toddlers. Personally I would avoid parks with EMH as they are the busiest.

 

[bcbg11]

Good to know! I figure the regular hours will be all our little one can take. She'll be 2 and a half on this trip and our son will be 5. He's a night owl and would probably make it, but she won't! We plan to make 2 late nights with the party and I want to do the Candlelight Processional. Other than that, we'll be good. Can't wait for the park schedule to come out!

 

[Iadoreeeyore]

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a wonderful event. The tickets do say that it begins at 7pm but they start letting guests in with those tickets at 4pm. Since it is a seperate ticket and a seperate price you might want to consider saving your Disney park passes for other days and maybe do Downtown Disney that day or have a resort day so the kiddos are rested for the night's festivities. That is what we did with our toddler

Have a Magical Time!!!

 

[ses1230]

From what I understand you will need park tickets as well as event tickets to attend. If you don't have park hopper I'm not sure going to another park that day will work.

Please let me know if I'm mistaken as we're trying to plan as well

For admission to the party (starting at 4pm) you need only a party ticket. You do not need to use a day from your MYW ticket unless you plan to enter MK before 4pm.

You can also go to another park that day and still enter MK with just your party ticket starting at 4pm. Going to AK for a little while and going back to the resort for a nap is a good plan with a little one.

Melanie,

I've heard that you have to eat in the park that you visit that day. The only other option for restaurants would be downtown Disney or your hotel without the hopper is what I understand.

However, you can be in another park in the morning if you are going to Mickey's Christmas Party and then enter MK with your Christmas Party ticket at 4 p.m. (That's what my AAA travel agent told us).

Hope this helps!

What do you mean you have to eat in the park you visit? Maybe we can clarify for you if you explaina little more.

I have gone to a hard ticket party for years now and you have always been allowed to enter at 4pm. This info is not published anywhere and even if you call they will tell you 7pm. Disney can always change the rules, but I can't see that happening. The gate at MK would be insane with 10s of thousand of party goers trying to enter and parkgoers trying to exit.