Updated: Need help estimating time frame for MK day *AND Epcot*

[GPC0321]

We will be in the MK on Easter Sunday, which is a "recommended" park according to crowd calendars for that day, but I'm sure will still be pretty insane regardless.
It is my understanding that there will be AM EMH at the MK that day too. Keeping this in mind, if we hit the park when it opens for EMH (8am), can anyone give me an approximate guess as to how long it will take us to do all of the following attractions?
1. Peter Pan
2. it's a small world
3. Mickey's Philharmagic
4. Winnie the Pooh
5. People Mover
6. Carousel of Progress
7. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

I'm trying to get a general idea of about what time it MIGHT be when we finish with all of that so I know how to plan the rest of the day. We're three adults who walk at a fairly average pace, and we shouldn't be dilly-dallying in between attractions. Plan to hit them in the order listed above.
Thanks in advance!

**Added Epcot question in post #9** Thanks to any and all who give advice!

 

[5Hfan]

Fast pass Peter Pan, Small World and Pooh?

 

[Alesia]

We will be in the MK on Easter Sunday, which is a "recommended" park according to crowd calendars for that day, but I'm sure will still be pretty insane regardless.
It is my understanding that there will be AM EMH at the MK that day too. Keeping this in mind, if we hit the park when it opens for EMH (8am), can anyone give me an approximate guess as to how long it will take us to do all of the following attractions?
1. Peter Pan
2. it's a small world
3. Mickey's Philharmagic
4. Winnie the Pooh
5. People Mover
6. Carousel of Progress
7. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

I'm trying to get a general idea of about what time it MIGHT be when we finish with all of that so I know how to plan the rest of the day. We're three adults who walk at a fairly average pace, and we shouldn't be dilly-dallying in between attractions. Plan to hit them in the order listed above.
Thanks in advance!

Move Winnie the Pooh to #2 and move Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor to number #5 - you'll save yourself 30 minutes. If you do that, you should be done around 10:00.

Fast pass Peter Pan, Small World and Pooh?

I wouldn't. Save the fastpasses for late morning. Fastpassing Peter Pan means missing the interactive queue, which is better than the actual ride. Winnie the Pooh and it's a small world will have short queues early morning. save the fastpasses for when they count.

 

[GPC0321]

Move Winnie the Pooh to #2 and move Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor to number #5 - you'll save yourself 30 minutes. If you do that, you should be done around 10:00.

Ah, cool! Exactly the advice I was hoping for! I wanted to be finished by 10:45, so hopefully that will work!
Saving FastPasses for Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean later in the day.
Thanks!

 

[hammie59]

I've been to MK on Easter Day and I'm surprised it's listed as a recommended day. Although that was way before fast passes and they filmed the parade live for TV.

 

[GPC0321]

I've been to MK on Easter Day and I'm surprised it's listed as a recommended day. Although that was way before fast passes and they filmed the parade live for TV.

I know. I think it's only "recommended" because under normal circumstances it doesn't have EMH historically on that date (March 27). I don't think the people that have done the crowd predictions have really taken into account the fact that it is slated to have AM EMH that day (that entire week, actually), and that it's Easter and there will be a special Easter pre-parade before FoF.

I'm prepared for it to be complete madness. I'm just hoping we can get a lot done during that AM EMH. We aren't doing the mountains or 7DMT, nor do we want to meet Ana & Elsa (or anyone else!), so hopefully it will only be semi-outrageous at the attractions we do want. LOL! I figure going in with a good plan will help.

I just hope they have the parade run twice like they did last year. My plan is to be at Casey's when they open at 11am (like...waiting outside for them to open the doors) so we can grab lunch and get a good spot at an outdoor table to watch the Easter/FoF parade come by. Then we'll have our FastPasses scheduled for the rest of the afternoon, filling in with "anytime" attractions, and hopefully taking advantage of lowered wait times when the 3pm parade runs. We wind up our day with a 5:30 dinner at BOG and then will try to escape before the fireworks crowds descend.

That's the plan anyway.

 

[5Hfan]

Ah, cool! Exactly the advice I was hoping for! I wanted to be finished by 10:45, so hopefully that will work!
Saving FastPasses for Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean later in the day.
Thanks!

Makes sense...thought you were just wanting to do the attractions you had listed. We had great success during early EMH Christmas Day 2014 you should be good!

 

[GPC0321]

Makes sense...thought you were just wanting to do the attractions you had listed. We had great success during early EMH Christmas Day 2014 you should be good!

Awesome! That's very encouraging to hear!

 

[GPC0321]

I have another question but don't want to keep starting threads.
If we rope drop EPCOT, how early could we possibly get: Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Seas w/ Nemo (and SeaBase, etc.), and Journey into Imagination all done without FastPasses? I'm fine with FastPassing them, especially Spaceship Earth, but wondered if I'd even need to bother as long as we are there at rope drop and do them while everyone else is scrambling for TT and Soarin? Could we get ours done by 11am?

 

[Alesia]

I have another question but don't want to keep starting threads.
If we rope drop EPCOT, how early could we possibly get: Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Seas w/ Nemo (and SeaBase, etc.), and Journey into Imagination all done without FastPasses? I'm fine with FastPassing them, especially Spaceship Earth, but wondered if I'd even need to bother as long as we are there at rope drop and do them while everyone else is scrambling for TT and Soarin? Could we get ours done by 11am?

That shouldn't be a problem.

Keep in mind that you'll need to be at the gates 45 to 60 minutes before the park opens (for all of the parks.)

 

[sharonabe]

Wasn't the early EMH for Easter week at MK at 7 am this year?? OP, you'll definitely be finished by 10:00 if that is the case for next year as well.

 

[havoc315]

I have another question but don't want to keep starting threads.
If we rope drop EPCOT, how early could we possibly get: Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Seas w/ Nemo (and SeaBase, etc.), and Journey into Imagination all done without FastPasses? I'm fine with FastPassing them, especially Spaceship Earth, but wondered if I'd even need to bother as long as we are there at rope drop and do them while everyone else is scrambling for TT and Soarin? Could we get ours done by 11am?

During what type of crowds?

Regardless, you shouldn't have any trouble doing those things in the morning. In moderate morning crowds, none of those attractions should have a wait of more than 10 minutes.

 

[GPC0321]

Wasn't the early EMH for Easter week at MK at 7 am this year?? OP, you'll definitely be finished by 10:00 if that is the case for next year as well.

Current hours of operation for 3/27/16 say MK opens at 9am with AM EMH, so I'm assuming 8am. If it turns out to be 7am, so much the better! The earlier we can get there the more we can get done and the more leisurely our afternoon will be.

 

[GPC0321]

During what type of crowds?

Regardless, you shouldn't have any trouble doing those things in the morning. In moderate morning crowds, none of those attractions should have a wait of more than 10 minutes.

Well, I think Epcot is "recommended" that day (I tried to schedule our days around crowd predictions as best I could), but it's the Monday after Easter, so I'm assuming the crowds will be generally crazy in all parks. I want to try to get our Future World stuff knocked out as early as possible so we can head back to the resort to rest/swim/etc. and then come back in the late afternoon (4:30-5ish) to tour around the World Showcase and wind up at the Rose & Crown for our 7:50pm reservation for dinner and to watch IllumiNations.

I think I'll book FastPasses for Figment, Spaceship Earth, and Nemo, and if we can get to them earlier than our FP+ window and knock them out we will. Is that okay to do? Just blow off FastPasses like that?

 

[havoc315]

Well, I think Epcot is "recommended" that day (I tried to schedule our days around crowd predictions as best I could), but it's the Monday after Easter, so I'm assuming the crowds will be generally crazy in all parks. I want to try to get our Future World stuff knocked out as early as possible so we can head back to the resort to rest/swim/etc. and then come back in the late afternoon (4:30-5ish) to tour around the World Showcase and wind up at the Rose & Crown for our 7:50pm reservation for dinner and to watch IllumiNations.

I think I'll book FastPasses for Figment, Spaceship Earth, and Nemo, and if we can get to them earlier than our FP+ window and knock them out we will. Is that okay to do? Just blow off FastPasses like that?

If you honestly hit rope drop, you won't need FPs for any of those.

Use your FP+ reservations for evening World Showcase activities...
Bet the new Frozen/Norway dark ride will be up and running and crowded. Get the Illuminations viewing area.
Using a FP for Nemo and Figment is a total waste, especially if you're making rope drop.

 

[GPC0321]

If you honestly hit rope drop, you won't need FPs for any of those.

Use your FP+ reservations for evening World Showcase activities...
Bet the new Frozen/Norway dark ride will be up and running and crowded. Get the Illuminations viewing area.
Using a FP for Nemo and Figment is a total waste, especially if you're making rope drop.

Are there any other World Showcase attractions besides Frozen/Norway (if it's open) that require FastPasses? We're going to watch IllumiNations from the Rose & Crown, so that eliminates the need for a FastPass for it.
I know there is no real need for the FastPasses for Nemo and Figment, but we really don't have anything else to use them on. We're not doing Test Track, Soarin' or Mission Space. I'd be willing to save one for Frozen/Norway though, I hadn't even thought about it possibly being ready.
I mean, I can skip doing any FP+ for Epcot, I guess. But if FP+ means the difference in a 10 minute wait or walking directly on...I figured why not?

 

[havoc315]

Are there any other World Showcase attractions besides Frozen/Norway (if it's open) that require FastPasses? We're going to watch IllumiNations from the Rose & Crown, so that eliminates the need for a FastPass for it.
I know there is no real need for the FastPasses for Nemo and Figment, but we really don't have anything else to use them on. We're not doing Test Track, Soarin' or Mission Space. I'd be willing to save one for Frozen/Norway though, I hadn't even thought about it possibly being ready.
I mean, I can skip doing any FP+ for Epcot, I guess. But if FP+ means the difference in a 10 minute wait or walking directly on...I figured why not?

More like the difference between a 3 minute wait and a 2 minute wait.

Seriously... Even in high crowds, those attractions will have nearly no wait before 10:30. Mission Space may have a short wait. So maybe 1 FP+ there will save you a few minutes.

May I ask why you have no interest in Soarin? More than anything else at Disney, I find it the perfect attraction for all ages and activity levels.

Edited: I meant Spaceship Earth may have a short line.

 

[GPC0321]

More like the difference between a 3 minute wait and a 2 minute wait.

Seriously... Even in high crowds, those attractions will have nearly no wait before 10:30. Mission Space may have a short wait. So maybe 1 FP+ there will save you a few minutes.

May I ask why you have no interest in Soarin? More than anything else at Disney, I find it the perfect attraction for all ages and activity levels.

My parents (in their 70's) are going with me, and my mother has severe motion sickness (and a pacemaker, not that I think Soarin' would bother that). She has the hardest time with those simulation rides where you watch a screen and get the "feeling" that you're moving, flying, whatever. Just cannot handle it. I'm trying to plan the trip for her and dad, basically, so I'm only including attracions that they both feel comfortable doing.

I think I'll book the FP+ for the three rides, and maybe that'll mean we don't have to be there an hour before rope drop. Living with the Land will be the one non-FastPass ride for us. If we wind up not needing the FP+ at all for the others, that's cool. If some freakish thing happens and one of them winds up having a longer wait, we'll have "insurance" LOL.

Thanks for the words of wisdom!