Last minute planning help

[millie0312]

Hi everyone-
I was hoping for some trip help-
First- does the challenge creek area in DCA close early? Disney's site says no, but I thought last year it did close before the park- any idea of closing time if it is early?

Finally- Can you look at my touring plans and see if I missed any big attractions, rides or must do's. Also any thoughts on order or the plan in general would be appreciated!! I realize we may switch some of it up, skip things, etc, but we do best with a basic plan and a check list of must do's and change as we go through the day with lines, closures, etc. I didn't include our 5th park day as its up in the air with activities planned, so I will not count on anything that day until closer to the date. The times are touring plans "estimates," but I'm not holding my breath on their accuracy lol We will be waiting for EE to start daily, then take an afternoon break, then come back and close the parks.

Day 1- DCA then hop over to DL from 9 pm-12am
1) Toy Story Midway Mania!- 7:11am
2) Toy Story Midway Mania!- 7:28am
3) California Screamin'- 7:48am
4) California Screamin'- 8:02am
5) Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 12:35pm-1:35pm- 8:21am
6) Mater's Junkyard Jamboree- 8:43am
7) Flo's V8 Cafe- 9:00am for 30 minutes- 8:54am
8) ToT FP for Steven- 9:30am
9) Anna & Elsa's Royal Welcome FASTPASS Kiosk- Return Time: 10:25am-10:45am- 9:35am
10) Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!- 9:38am
11) World of Color FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm- 9:56am
12) The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure- 10:00am
13) King Triton's Carousel- 10:14am
14) Anna & Elsa's Royal Welcome- 10:27am
15) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror- 10:50am
16) Operation: Playtime! - featuring the Green Army Men- 11:40am
17) Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular- 12:11pm
18) Soarin' Over California FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 3:10pm-4:10pm- 1:25pm
19) Radiator Springs Racers- Notes: *Child Swap*- 1:32pm
20) Smokejumpers Grill 1:00pm for 30 minutes- 2:06pm
21) Grizzly River Run- 2:39pm
22) Soarin' Over California- Notes: *Child Swap*- 3:14pm
23) Rest at hotel ** Leaving the park-3:42pm
24) The Lucky Fortune Cookery 5:00pm for 30 minutes- 4:45pm
25) Pixar Play Parade- 5:37pm
26) Redwood Creek Challenge Trail-6:12pm
27) For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration- 7:00pm
28) World of Color- 7:50pm- winter dreams (7:45 pm)
Hop to DL after 9 pm DCA closing

Day 2- DL no hopping
1) Space Mountain- Notes: *Child Swap*- 7:05am
2) Alice in Wonderland- 7:43am
3) Matterhorn Bobsleds- Notes: *Child Swap*- 7:58am
4) Dumbo the Flying Elephant- 8:26am
5) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride- 8:40am
6) Casey Jr. Circus Train- 8:53am
7) Pinocchio's Daring Journey- 9:14am
8) Mad Tea Party- 9:24am
9) King Arthur Carrousel- 9:33am
10) Jungle Cruise- 9:45am
11) Indiana Jones Adventure FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm- 10:47am
12) River Belle Terrace 9:00am for 30 minutes- 10:49am
13) Haunted Mansion- 11:36am
14) Pirates of the Caribbean- 10:58am
15) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh- 11:27am
16) Splash Mountain- 11:38am
17) Star Tours FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 4:05pm-5:05pm- 1:10pm
18) Indiana Jones Adventure- Notes: *Child Swap*- 1:16pm
19) Hungry Bear- 1:00pm for 30 minutes- 12:51pm
20) Star Wars Launch Bay- 1:31pm
21) Rest at hotel- ** Leaving the park- 3:24pm
22) Star Tours: The Adventures Continue- Notes: *Child Swap*- 4:24pm
23) Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters- 4:50pm
24) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 6:55pm-7:55pm- 5:15pm
25) Plaza Inn 5:00pm for 30 minutes- 5:20pm
26) Gadget's Go Coaster- 5:58pm
27) Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin- 6:22pm
28) Mickey's house- 6:55pm
29) Minnie's house- 7:18pm
30) Chip 'n Dale Treehouse- 7:47pm
31) Donald's Boat- 8:03pm
32) Goofy's Playhouse- 8:09pm
33) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- Notes: *Child Swap*- 9:24pm
34) Disneyland Forever- 9:08pm
35) Paint the Night- 10:30pm
36) Tarzan's Treehouse- 11:04pm
37) Enchanted Tiki Room- 11:19pm
38) Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters- 11:42pm
39) Storybook Land Canal Boats- 11:59pm
40) it's a small world- 12:31am

Day 3- DCA then hop to DL possibly
1) Toy Story Midway Mania!- 7:11am
2) Toy Story Midway Mania!- 7:33am
3) California Screamin'- 8:00am
4) California Screamin'- 8:14am
5) Mickey's Fun Wheel - Non Swinging- 8:30am
6) Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 4:15pm-5:15pm- 8:57am
7) Mater's Junkyard Jamboree- 9:19am
8) Flo's V8 Cafe- 9:00am- 9:39am
9) Radiator Springs Racers- Notes: *Child Swap*- 9:46am
10) World of Color FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 9:15pm-10:15pm- 10:56am
11) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 11:55am-12:55pm- 11:05am
12) Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies- 11:05am
13) Francis' Ladybug Boogie- 11:17am
14) Flik's Flyers- 11:26am
15) Heimlich's Chew Chew Train- 11:37am
16) Soarin' Over California FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 1:15pm-2:15pm- 11:56am
17) The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror- 12:02pm
18) Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!- 12:46pm
19) Sorcerer's Workshop- 1:10pm
20) Animation Academy- 1:45pm
21) Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS Booth- 2:25pm
22) Soarin' Over California- Notes: *Child Swap*- 2:25pm
23) Grizzly River Run- 2:51pm
24) Smokejumpers Grill- 1:00pm- Notes: go to Hungry Bear?- 3:23pm
25) Wilderness Explorer Ceremony- 4:15pm
26) The Happy Camper- 4:40pm
27) Disney ¡Viva Navidad!- 5:15pm
28) The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure- 5:32pm
29) King Triton's Carousel- 5:53pm
30) Rest at hotel-** Leaving the park- 6:05pm
31) Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting- 6:10pm
32) Pixar Play Parade- 6:19pm
33) Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill 7:00pm- Notes: go to Zocalo/Jolly Holiday?- 6:50pm
34) Diamond Mad T Party- 7:15pm
35) Olaf area- 8:50pm for 30 minutes- ** Staying inside the park-8:40pm
36) World of Color- 9:43pm (Celebrate- 10:15 pm)

Day 4- DL- no hopping
1) Peter Pan's Flight- 7:03am
2) Space Mountain- 7:34am
3) Matterhorn Bobsleds- 7:56am
4) Snow White's Scary Adventures- 8:12am
5) King Arthur Carrousel- 8:22am
6) Mad Tea Party- 8:30am
7) Indiana Jones Adventure FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 9:50am-10:50am- 8:44am
8) Haunted Mansion- 8:48am
9) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh- 9:04am
10) Pirates of the Caribbean- 9:13am
11) Indiana Jones Adventure- 9:42am
12) Space Mountain FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 12:40pm-1:40pm- 10:12am
13) Galactic Grill- 9:00am for 30 minutes- 10:15am
14) Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters- 10:46am
15) Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island- 11:12am
16) Pixie Hollow- 12:07pm
17) Village Haus Restaurant- 1:00pm for 30 minutes- 12:50pm
18) Storytelling at Royal Theatre- 1:30pm
19) The Royal Hall- 2:06pm
20) Mickey and the Magical Map- 4:00pm
21) Rest at hotel- ** Leaving the park- 4:41pm
22) Star Wars Launch Bay- 5:11pm
23) Super Hero HQ- 6:17pm
24) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FASTPASS Booth- Return Time: 9:00pm-10:00pm- 7:09pm
25) River Belle Terrace- 5:00pm for 45 minutes Notes: F! dinner- 7:11pm
26) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- 7:58pm
27) Fantasmic!- 8:36pm
28) Disneyland Forever- 9:30pm
29) it's a small world- 9:50pm
30) Space Mountain- 10:26pm
31) Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage- 11:12pm

Day 5- DCA then hop to DL- TBD

Any thoughts on the basic plan? We plan on being fluid and removing/adding/changing as we see fit in the parks. TIA!

 

[mom2rtk]

Anna and Else have not been using fastpass recently.

 

[Chris9ty]

We always planned to leave the park by a certain time every afternoon- but would get sidetracked by shopping, a street show, bathroom break etc... You didn't leave much time at all for a break.
I get lost in the list- but your little one would love the Disney Jr show in DCA it is floor seating so they can move around and things like bubbles, and confetti drop down.
Child swap takes twice as long to get the rides in for everyone.

 

[ADLFAN]

Hi! Wow those are packed days! I noticed that your breaks got shortened by your touring plans and some of them are only allowing for a half an hour or less like on Day 3, up to an hour maximum. We tried the short break in the afternoon thing on our last trip and next time we go with kids I think I have decided not to bother, and instead try to do either a whole day off in the middle, or a few late start days where we'd miss the morning and a few early evenings, where we'd leave before the night time shows if the kids are worn out. It takes 15 minutes or so from the back of the parks to the hotel, even though we stayed as close as possible at the Tropicana that back and forth took a bit of time each day. When we got to the hotel, the adults were willing and able to rest, but the kids who would have benefited from a rest would not relax in such a short period and were more interested in bouncing around the room asking when we were going back to the parks, or could they get in the pool! In hindsight, I think they would have gotten more rest if we'd made them grab a bench for 10-15 minutes a few times a day. I definitely wouldn't go for a short break where you'd spend half of it walking to and from the hotel and feel stressed about making it back for the next thing on your list. Just not very relaxing, right?!

Your meals are scheduled to be a half hour long, too, and it might take a bit longer, especially if you have to find a bathroom, too.

I see a few attractions that might give you trouble also. If I'm correct, they'll close Tarzan's Treehouse for the fireworks and not Re open it. I suppose I'm not the only one who thinks that would be a fun view! I think ToonTown closes early, too, but I may be wrong. You might want to hit it in the day time for better lit pictures, because the area looks so cartoon-y and cute in the sun.

Otherwise everything looks feasible, just very very busy. And Touring Plans doesn't seem to leave much time for walking through the crowds from one attraction to the next, or waiting in line!

We ditched our plans almost immediately in favor of what the kids saw next that looked awesome! We missed a lot, but I don't know how many days you'd need to experience everything! 10? There are just so many fun things to do!

Have fun planning!

 

[chickapin parterre]

I don't see any days of the week or date of the month, these are important for hitting time marks.

On Day two, exiting alice at 7:47 and both of you finished with Matterhorn by 8:00- not going to happen.

Dumbo is a heavy "first ride in the morning" tradition, I don't see you boarding till 9:20 after leaving Matterhorn.

 

[disneymum58]

If I understand correctly, I noticed you getting RCR fast passes, then an hour later getting a TOT FP. I don't think you can get a new FP until 2 hours have passed?

 

[mom2rtk]

Do you have any rest days or all these days all consecutive? We go go go at Disney, but that schedule makes me want to take a nap.

Based on the park hours showing in your schedule, it looks like you will be there at a fairly busy time. I think the plan is optimistic if that is the case.

 

[BigCheese]

In general I think you'll find that you can get a lot more done in the first two or three hours than you initially planned for, but conversely it will be more difficult to accomplish all you want to in the afternoon (especially if you're going in December).

Are you visiting in December or just after The New Year? (I'm assuming you're visiting before January 11 since you have both F! and Aladdin on your itinerary). Either way, your initial thoughts of using your plan as a guideline and being flexible is a good one. If you're going in January keep in mind HM, Jungle Cruise, and IASW may be closed to remove their holiday overlays. If you're going in December, may I recommend viewing the Christmas Parade. May I also recommend adding a circle trip on the DLRR and one of the boat/ship rides around ROA to your list one last time before they close for the foreseeable future.