How do you decide which park for which day?

[Caboosey]

I'm planning my first "real" Disney vacation - I went to the Magic Kingdom for two day-trips while I was in college, but now I am planning a four-parks in four-days trip for my graduation from Grad School. I wish I had a little more time, but my mom is taking me, and she thought four days would be enough. (Silly, right?) We also opted not to get Park Hopper tickets, which makes me a little worried - but I'm not the one paying for the trip!

How do you choose which park to visit on each day? We are staying in a Disney resort, so EMH are an option for us - but I heard sometimes, the park that is hosting EMH is very very crowded, so it's best to stay away from that one. We're more likely to attend late-night EMH than early morning hours!

We'll be there May 20, 21, 22, and 23. HELP!?!?!?

 

[karenklo]

I use Tour Guide Mike who posts which parks are better at certain days and times. It's only $25 bucks or so, but a wealth of info!

 

[Hootch]

discussion has proponents on both sides. My personal experience is that for MK and DAK the morning EMHs are very crowded. This past summer I found that Fantasyland - I have a four year old daughter - was more crowded a half hour into EMH than an hour after opening on a non EMH day. My son and I toured DAK on a non EMH day and found lines to be pretty short everywhere other than EE which we did not ride.

My experience at Epcot was very different. I really liked the morning EMHs. I could usually get Test Track, Mission Space and a fastpass for Soarin before the park opened. My one experience for a nighttime EMH was bad. Even in the rain the park was crowded. Soarin' had a listed 150 minute wait and the line snaked across the lobby area of the building. Mission Space and Test Track were well over an hour and fastpasses for all three were gone. Maelstrom even had a 45 minute wait.

Typically MK evening EMHs are crowded at first and this out quickly toward the end (again according to my experience). Usually when we are there the evening EMHs run until 2:00 AM. A little late for the aforementioned kids.

 

[The Lion King]

I wish I had known about TGM before I made my ADRs. I think I may have scheduled the days differently than I did, but I'll know for the next trip.

 

[helenk]

I generally like the morning EMHs but I always have park hoppers. I go to the early EMH park and then eat lunch in that park and generally leave and take a break.
I then go to another park for the evening, but I avoid the evening EMH park. I have been known to visit the late night park as my third park of the day, I will do this with the MK or Epcot when they are open until midnight. Generally I'll go around 10:00 or so and check it out.
You can upgrade your tickets when you get to WDW, and with your short visit I would recommend the park hoppers as it will give you more options.

 

[baileybelle]

We're doing evening EMH's on our upcoming trip. We don't have parkhoppers either. This is what I would do in your situation:

May 20, Tuesday: EPCOT, evening EMH, park open till 12 midnight. Illuminations 9pm.

May 21, Wed.: HS, evening EMH, park open till 1am, Fantasmic at 9pm and 10:30pm.

May 22, Thurs.: AK, No EMH, park open till 7pm. Spend the rest of the night at DTD.

May 23, Friday: MK, evening EMH, park open till 2am. Spectromagic at 9pm and 11pm. Wishes at 10pm.

Have a great time!!!

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

We tend to go to the park that has Evening EMHs. We like to spend as much time as possible in the parks and we don't get hoppers either and it has never been a problem for us.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Past few years I have used TGM. In my planner, I list his best and worst for the day/night. I usually will go with his best and stay clear of his worst. It has always worked superbly, no crowds. Basically staying clear of EMH, either going before or after a park will have or has had an EMH. Without crowds, the very early and very late hours are not needed and is more relaxing of a vacation. Some other things come into play. Here is his link http://www.tourguidemike.com/index.asp?promoCode=AG9MF-AQ#TGM-home give him a try, guaranteed satisfied or money back.

 

[GGOOFY1]

We don't usually do the EMH for the morning, just the evening. For an early start, pick a park without EMH in the morning and head there for the regular open. The crowds will be less in those park early, but will pick up later in day, when people start park hopping.

 

[DLBDS]

TGM is how I plan all of my trips. He sponsors this forum.... Click the link above (top of this page) and get $3 off and it'll end up costing you only $18.95. It's totally worth it.

 

[momto2inKC]

I go where Tourguide Mike tells me to He's never steered us in the wrong direction!

 

[RllngRckBrw]

I base mine around Early EMH. I am an early riser anyway, so getting up at 6 am on vacation is almost like sleeping in anyway. I have haerd that the business is more of an evening EMH problem, but if you get there for rope drop in the EMH you can accomplish so much more before people get out of bed. We will be doing EMH every day except for 2 since we could not get the dinner resssie at Chef Mickeys.

 

[fatty4iz]

We also use Tour Guide Mike and has always worked great for us.

 

[madfelice]

I told the travel agent which restaurants we wanted to eat at and let her go from there. The only one I specified was for a Star Wars weekend.
The starting point was the days that we could get Cinderella reservations!

 

[Caboosey]

Thanks for your input everyone! I'm so excited about my trip!

 

[solgent]

Since you are doing 1 park per day, I'd think about other things in addition to the EMH/crowds issue.

I'd decide what park I wanted to be at on my last night & go there no matter what TGM or anyone else says.

I'd also put AK on day 2 or 3 because it closes earlier and that will give you a little break. Figuring that on the first and last day I'd want to go ALL day long.