Is your MK strategy the best.... prove it!

[CourtneyO]

Hi All,

I am the quintessential newbie. I've been to WDW a couple of times between 10-15 years ago and I did none of the planning.

We (me, dh and 3 yo DD) are going on a 4 day Disney cruise in a month. I have decided at the very last minute to go to MK on disembarkment day and stay one night on Disney property.

I've read a little on these boards and on Disney's website, but am very overwhelmed. Perhaps you could share your strategy (where you would stay, how to approach MK in such a short time frame)!?!

Thanks so much in advance!

Courtney

 

[jade1]

Stay at BLT and walk-about 7 minutes.

 

[*QueenB*]

Fantasyland first, especially Dumbo. How long are you planning to stay at MK?

 

[CourtneyO]

Sorry, but what's BLT?

We are planning on being at the MK just for one day from 10 or 11am to 11pm. I realize we may need a break in between.

 

[chiamarie]

BLT= Bay Lake Towers; it's the Disney Vacation Club Resort that they added right next to the Contemporary Resort a few years ago. It is also the closest resort to the MK. As the other poster said, it's roughly a 7 minute walk to the turn styles of MK.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

do you want counter service or a sit-down table service for any of your meals?
is your son tall enough (and willing) to go on the bigger rides-and if not do you and your DH still want to ride them?
do you want to see characters-and if so which ones?
do you have a car?
do you need to go back to the room to nap or will he nap in a stroller?

To plan a day for someone is doable (and fun-I love helping my friend's plan) but some background is helpful to make a usable plan

 

[CourtneyO]

Well... for meals, we will have breakfast on the ship before we depart, likely pick up QSM/Snacks during the day and I do have a late ADR at Narcoossee's at 9:10, as we are hoping to watch Wishes from there.

We are going for my daughter. She is above the 40" height requirement for some rides, but are only wanting to ride what she is comfortable with. It is unlikely that my husband and I will ride something she is not interested in.

I don't anticipate having a car, but if that would be a better strategy we could get one.

Characters are not my first priority, as we hope to see many on the ship.

Unsure about naps. Some days she takes one, other's she doesn't. She is a goer like us and stays up fairly late for a 3 year old, but I just don't want to over do it.

Thanks for the help so far! It's very appreciated!

 

[Matty_Disfan]

** I just re-read your post, my amazing plan won't work for you. Nonetheless I am going to let it stay, untouched, for future searchers to gaze upon.**

Get there 20 min prior to park opening.

Hit Dumbo, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and then go get a FP for Splash and Ride BTMRR. Laugh at the parents pulling their children into Fantasyland as the lines are forming. Share the joke with your children and explain that planning for kids : love.

Go ride POTC and then your window for Splash should be open to use your FP. Ride Splash and then hit Haunted Mansion.

Head to Tomorrowland and grab a FP for Space Mountain. Ride Buzz Lightyear and do Stitch or the TTA (lol.... but seriously, ride the TTA). If your FP is ready for Space then use it. If not then keep it for later (can be used after the window expires).

Go back to Fantasyland and ride Small World and then do Philharmagic.

Get some lunch at Columbia Harbour House.

Ride Jungle Cruise or FP it if necessary. Run-up the Treehouse and nap at Tiki (now that it is going back to the old version should be a lovely place to snooze) and kill some buzzards and the Shootin' Gallery. grab another FP for Splash or BTMRR (depending on which you liked best) for use later in the evening (remember they do not expire).

Go watch the Country Bears and head over to Tom Sawyer. Walk the barrel bridge. Reminisce about Mike Fink and his delightful keel boats. Get angry at change. shake off the "angries" and re-affirm your love of the magic. Catch a ferry back to the masses.

Catch the afternoon parade in Frontierland and 'Celebrate your dream come true' of being so awesome at Magic Kingdom!

Flee the park for dinner time. Return 3 hours later and giggle at parents pulling their tired and angry children back to their resorts. Reinforce your children with the knowledge that you love them too much to try and feed them dinner at MK.

Use your remaining FPs, then wander... let your kids guide you. Let yourself guide you. Doesn't matter, you nailed all the biggies and this is just the bonus round!!

Heck hit the Laugh Floor if you want to... IT DOESN'T MATTER!

n.b. At night ride Jungle Cruise, BTMRR, Splash and TTA if possible. All much better at night.

 

[CDNCA]

Everybody's best plan is already out the window as it will always start with "be there at rope drop". That being said, you need to come up with a perfect plan for your family.

First you must realize that with your limited time there, you will not do everything in the park.

I assume your transfer from the port will take you to your chosen Hotel. With your late night dinner resevation, you might want to consider staying at a resort on the monorail so you do not have to go back to MK and line up for a bus after dinner. Otherwise, it will not matter what resort you are at as you will have the same effort and travel time at the end of the night.

Decide what is most important to do and plan to get that done.

What rides/characters are your daughter interested in or familiar with. This should be your focus.

The day of the week and date of your visit will also affect your plans as parade and firework times can varry as will crowds.

If she likes toy story - do Buzz Lightyear's Ride
If she likes peter pan - get fast passes ASAP for this one to ride later.

Once you decide what rides are most important, figure out a way to get a fastpass for the most important one as soon as you are in the area. It's a small world will likely be a big hit with a three year old and is a great way to burn time waiting for your fastpass window to open up. Always get another fastpass before using the one in your hand to ensure maximum ride coverage. This may involve one parent scooting over to the other ride to get them and meeting up before you ride. Pooh has a great interactive que that will entertain you and your daughter in the regular standby line.

 

[delmar411]

** I just re-read your post, my amazing plan won't work for you. Nonetheless I am going to let it stay, untouched, for future searchers to gaze upon.**

Get there 20 min prior to park opening.

Hit Dumbo, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and then go get a FP for Splash and Ride BTMRR. Laugh at the parents pulling their children into Fantasyland as the lines are forming. Share the joke with your children and explain that planning for kids : love.

Go ride POTC and then your window for Splash should be open to use your FP. Ride Splash and then hit Haunted Mansion.

Head to Tomorrowland and grab a FP for Space Mountain. Ride Buzz Lightyear and do Stitch or the TTA (lol.... but seriously, ride the TTA). If your FP is ready for Space then use it. If not then keep it for later (can be used after the window expires).

Go back to Fantasyland and ride Small World and then do Philharmagic.

Get some lunch at Columbia Harbour House.

Ride Jungle Cruise or FP it if necessary. Run-up the Treehouse and nap at Tiki (now that it is going back to the old version should be a lovely place to snooze) and kill some buzzards and the Shootin' Gallery. grab another FP for Splash or BTMRR (depending on which you liked best) for use later in the evening (remember they do not expire).

Go watch the Country Bears and head over to Tom Sawyer. Walk the barrel bridge. Reminisce about Mike Fink and his delightful keel boats. Get angry at change. shake off the "angries" and re-affirm your love of the magic. Catch a ferry back to the masses.

Catch the afternoon parade in Frontierland and 'Celebrate your dream come true' of being so awesome at Magic Kingdom!

Flee the park for dinner time. Return 3 hours later and giggle at parents pulling their tired and angry children back to their resorts. Reinforce your children with the knowledge that you love them too much to try and feed them dinner at MK.

Use your remaining FPs, then wander... let your kids guide you. Let yourself guide you. Doesn't matter, you nailed all the biggies and this is just the bonus round!!

Heck hit the Laugh Floor if you want to... IT DOESN'T MATTER!

n.b. At night ride Jungle Cruise, BTMRR, Splash and TTA if possible. All much better at night.

I'd have given you 2 thumbs up if you hadn't forgotten the tea cups, aladdin, astro orbiter, speedway, a train ride around the park, the COP and the carousel.

 

[Matty_Disfan]

I'd have given you 2 thumbs up if you hadn't forgotten the tea cups, aladdin, astro orbiter, speedway, a train ride around the park, the COP and the carousel.

Lol, thanks!

I think those would fall under the 'wander' part of the plan as in not necessary but can fill time.... well not the train ride, yeah good point. There is no MK without a ride on a real steam train... back to the drawing board....

 

[KCSherri]

Lol, thanks!

I think those would fall under the 'wander' part of the plan as in not necessary but can fill time.... well not the train ride, yeah good point. There is no MK without a ride on a real steam train... back to the drawing board....

Hee. Loved that plan.

EXCEPT...I didn't see a Dole Whip on there. Ack!

How can you have a day in the MK without downing a Dole??!!

 

[sharonabe]

With your 9:10 ADR at Narcosses, I don't see you getting back to MK that night.

Like the other PPs, I think staying at an MK resort is your best bet for optimum time at MK. Contemporary is the closest and the only one in walking distance (but you also have the monorail). Polynesian and Grand Floridian are also on the monorail and a quick trip ove to MK. Wilderness Lodge is close, but it does mean a bus or boat ride (not as quick as the monorail).

As for a park plan, you need to do some research with DD to see what she wants to do. The Birnbaum book for kids is a good one (and can likely be found at your local library), or allearsnet.com has a good list and description of all the rides at MK. Once you know what is important to her, you will have an easier time in preparing a plan.

 

[amypetecar]

** I just re-read your post, my amazing plan won't work for you. Nonetheless I am going to let it stay, untouched, for future searchers to gaze upon.**

Get there 20 min prior to park opening.

Hit Dumbo, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and then go get a FP for Splash and Ride BTMRR. Laugh at the parents pulling their children into Fantasyland as the lines are forming. Share the joke with your children and explain that planning for kids : love.

Go ride POTC and then your window for Splash should be open to use your FP. Ride Splash and then hit Haunted Mansion.

Head to Tomorrowland and grab a FP for Space Mountain. Ride Buzz Lightyear and do Stitch or the TTA (lol.... but seriously, ride the TTA). If your FP is ready for Space then use it. If not then keep it for later (can be used after the window expires).

Go back to Fantasyland and ride Small World and then do Philharmagic.

Get some lunch at Columbia Harbour House.

Ride Jungle Cruise or FP it if necessary. Run-up the Treehouse and nap at Tiki (now that it is going back to the old version should be a lovely place to snooze) and kill some buzzards and the Shootin' Gallery. grab another FP for Splash or BTMRR (depending on which you liked best) for use later in the evening (remember they do not expire).

Go watch the Country Bears and head over to Tom Sawyer. Walk the barrel bridge. Reminisce about Mike Fink and his delightful keel boats. Get angry at change. shake off the "angries" and re-affirm your love of the magic. Catch a ferry back to the masses.

Catch the afternoon parade in Frontierland and 'Celebrate your dream come true' of being so awesome at Magic Kingdom!

Flee the park for dinner time. Return 3 hours later and giggle at parents pulling their tired and angry children back to their resorts. Reinforce your children with the knowledge that you love them too much to try and feed them dinner at MK.

Use your remaining FPs, then wander... let your kids guide you. Let yourself guide you. Doesn't matter, you nailed all the biggies and this is just the bonus round!!

Heck hit the Laugh Floor if you want to... IT DOESN'T MATTER!

n.b. At night ride Jungle Cruise, BTMRR, Splash and TTA if possible. All much better at night.

You made me laugh very loudly..... great plan, but even better satire.... "I love you too much to have dinner in MK" hilarious..... and GOD I miss those keel boats!

 

[amypetecar]

Here's the short version:

If you're arriving at 11am, focus on getting Fastpasses early, perhaps Peter pan or Pooh to start(they'll run out first), and then for the mountains and buzz later.

If you're worried about time skip the sit-down ADR. It will suck up 2 hours at least. Plus, 9pm to 11pm will be the best time to hit Fantasyland since you can't be there at rope drop.

Finally, if you have any kind of a smart phone that can run apps, use Lines or 1 of 100 other disney wait time apps. that way you can find attractions with reasonable waits throughout the day instead of trying to figure out an ideal touring plan arriving at 11am.

 

[lllGurulll]

** I just re-read your post, my amazing plan won't work for you. Nonetheless I am going to let it stay, untouched, for future searchers to gaze upon.**

Get there 20 min prior to park opening.

Hit Dumbo, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and then go get a FP for Splash and Ride BTMRR. Laugh at the parents pulling their children into Fantasyland as the lines are forming. Share the joke with your children and explain that planning for kids : love.

Go ride POTC and then your window for Splash should be open to use your FP. Ride Splash and then hit Haunted Mansion.

Head to Tomorrowland and grab a FP for Space Mountain. Ride Buzz Lightyear and do Stitch or the TTA (lol.... but seriously, ride the TTA). If your FP is ready for Space then use it. If not then keep it for later (can be used after the window expires).

Go back to Fantasyland and ride Small World and then do Philharmagic.

Get some lunch at Columbia Harbour House.

Ride Jungle Cruise or FP it if necessary. Run-up the Treehouse and nap at Tiki (now that it is going back to the old version should be a lovely place to snooze) and kill some buzzards and the Shootin' Gallery. grab another FP for Splash or BTMRR (depending on which you liked best) for use later in the evening (remember they do not expire).

Go watch the Country Bears and head over to Tom Sawyer. Walk the barrel bridge. Reminisce about Mike Fink and his delightful keel boats. Get angry at change. shake off the "angries" and re-affirm your love of the magic. Catch a ferry back to the masses.

Catch the afternoon parade in Frontierland and 'Celebrate your dream come true' of being so awesome at Magic Kingdom!

Flee the park for dinner time. Return 3 hours later and giggle at parents pulling their tired and angry children back to their resorts. Reinforce your children with the knowledge that you love them too much to try and feed them dinner at MK.

Use your remaining FPs, then wander... let your kids guide you. Let yourself guide you. Doesn't matter, you nailed all the biggies and this is just the bonus round!!

Heck hit the Laugh Floor if you want to... IT DOESN'T MATTER!

n.b. At night ride Jungle Cruise, BTMRR, Splash and TTA if possible. All much better at night.

That is one hell of a plan. I like it better than my own actually (for doing the park in one day anyway). I would be curious to see your plans for the other 3 parks. Especially DHS after STv2 opens.

 

[Matty_Disfan]

That is one hell of a plan. I like it better than my own actually (for doing the park in one day anyway). I would be curious to see your plans for the other 3 parks. Especially DHS after STv2 opens.

IF ST v. 2 opens.....

That's going to be a game-changer for sure, obviously for the first 6-9 months the new ST will eclipse TSM and provide some relief. Both are prone to multiple trips per day so they will always be busy, but I think it would go:

JTA signup
ST
FP ST for use later
TSM
FP RRC
ToT
RRC (using FP)
Indy
Lunch - (Starring Rolls)
ST (using FP)
FP TSM (only useable after dinner likely)
Muppets
GMR
Pick a Show (Buddy and the Beast, Lights Motors, Disney Junior etc.)
Backlot
Wander
Dinner at 50s Prime
TSM (using FP)
Fantasmic or leave.

That's my best guess. We're there next week so I can only pray for soft openings.....

 

[mjp12831]

If you can schedule a am emh day - do that and get there at rope drop - it pays off in spades - you can get all of Fantasyland (skip Philharmagic until later, do Dumbo and Pan first and second - order for the rest doesnt matter much) done prior to the back of the park opening at 9. On the way to FL, send a runner over to Space to get a FP and meet the group in FL - note that the runner likely will miss Dumbo which is not a big loss for an adult to miss, by the time you head to Splash and Thunder around 9, your Space FP window will likely be open and you can FP Splash and ride Thunder.

At this point, consider Pirates, Aladin, Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion. FP window is likely open again so runner goes back over and FP Splash or Thunder while the group heads over toward Space through Fantasy land and hits Philharmagic.

Rest of the day you use FP and fill in with other stuff. Keep watching those FP windows and get more when available. Last important note is to use meals to kill time in a FP window (have a meal right after getting a FP - this gets your clock for another FP clicking without waiting in lines for other rides).

 

[FamilyDisneyLovers]

IF ST v. 2 opens.....

That's going to be a game-changer for sure, obviously for the first 6-9 months the new ST will eclipse TSM and provide some relief. Both are prone to multiple trips per day so they will always be busy, but I think it would go:

JTA signup
ST
FP ST for use later
TSM
FP RRC
ToT
RRC (using FP)
Indy
Lunch - (Starring Rolls)
ST (using FP)
FP TSM (only useable after dinner likely)
Muppets
GMR
Pick a Show (Buddy and the Beast, Lights Motors, Disney Junior etc.)
Backlot
Wander
Dinner at 50s Prime
TSM (using FP)
Fantasmic or leave.

That's my best guess. We're there next week so I can only pray for soft openings.....

This looks great!!! We will be there the weekend ST opens (not Fri but Sunday) I am going to give it a try. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

 

[lllGurulll]

This looks great!!! We will be there the weekend ST opens (not Fri but Sunday) I am going to give it a try. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Any chance you will be able to report your results by Monday May 23rd? I would love to hear how it worked out.