***1st Week of December Thread ADR Plans, Park Hours, and dealing with Pop Warner***

[TiggerManiac]

My daughter got a 35 on her ACT but she hasn't cured cancer yet so I don't know where she can get in. Seriously though, the academics are covered but sometimes it's so hard to get them into the right extra-curricular activities so they have a chance to stand out on their applications. She's a junior this year (homeschool) and still doesn't know where she wants to go to school or what she wants to major in (cellular biology is up there, but so are other options like Spanish or math). First we have to get through the PSAT though and see where she scores. I don't think she's interested in the top-tier schools, so that should help her chances.

@Iowamomof4 If she would consider UA for the guaranteed full tuition scholarship, I'll be happy to talk to you about it. If she does well on the PSAT and ends up as a National Merit Scholar, she'll have a guaranteed practically-free ride there as well. UA really, really wants the kids with top stats. She wouldn't even need to worry about extra curriculars as these scholarships are guaranteed just by test scores. The Honors College really values and takes care of the kids. They have so many opportunities. I can assure you, she has guaranteed admittance and full tuition at UA?

I get what you're saying about not having cured cancer, so you can't get in. It's mind-boggling to see the stats of some of the students rejected from Ivy League and similarly ranked schools. It's because at that level, everybody looks pretty much like everybody else, so it's almost a crap shoot.

 

[Iowamomof4]

@Iowamomof4 If she would consider UA for the guaranteed full tuition scholarship, I'll be happy to talk to you about it. If she does well on the PSAT and ends up as a National Merit Scholar, she'll have a guaranteed practically-free ride there as well. UA really, really wants the kids with top stats. She wouldn't even need to worry about extra curriculars as these scholarships are guaranteed just by test scores. The Honors College really values and takes care of the kids. They have so many opportunities. I can assure you, she has guaranteed admittance and full tuition at UA?

I get what you're saying about not having cured cancer, so you can't get in. It's mind-boggling to see the stats of some of the students rejected from Ivy League and similarly ranked schools. It's because at that level, everybody looks pretty much like everybody else, so it's almost a crap shoot.

UA? Is that Alabama?

 

[rasadkowski]

Just leaves you open for the party of 6 ADR that is sure to open up at some point!! So are you open then to H&V with OR without Fantasmic!?

yes, open to both now ugh..it's so hard! you learn so much as you research things you become interested in! It takes me so long to figure out the pros and cons of everything that I miss out on what would have been great! grr....well, everything I can do will be great I guess. That is such a tough motto for me, though.! ...and i'm actually making room for sun, mon, tues or thurs as available options now! I will conquer these adrs!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hey guys.. Asking for your opinion..
I passed on the canceled H&V yesterday for 545 for 4. It was the day I hoped for BUT... The main reason for wanting the dinner was to get into fantasmic. The holiday dine is a major plus!!! But, it was for 4 and I need 6 really.. ( could do 4 if we had to) ..also, without the package I thought 545 was a bit late to get in line for fantasmic.
What do you think? Was I wrong to really plan this hs evening for fantasmic? What's " better" and should really be a bigger priority ? H&V holiday dine or fantasmic?

It is very easy to get a 4th fastpass for Fantasmic. The fp area is huge.

 

[rasadkowski]

I'm sure something will open up @rasadkowski ! Especially when they announce SW fireworks dates! Which date are you looking for again? I'll keep my eyes peeled as well!

thanks for the encouragement @areno79 Isn't it horrible that this is such a major dilemma for me. it's really embarrassing. But, I am just trying to be more open now for really any day or with or without F! The only hesitation to settle for the just dinner option is that we will likely be in MK on a few of the days I'm reserving this HS night for, and I really don't want to pass up on my MK fp in order to just get that guaranteed fp for Fantasmic for later that night. I hope that makes sense! Anyway, 12/4, 12/5, 12/6 or 12/8 are all options for us now.

 

[rasadkowski]

It is very easy to get a 4th fastpass for Fantasmic. The fp area is huge.

ohhh ok!!! well, now I really am kicking myself for not getting that dinner adr!!! But, thank you so much for the info. good to know!

 

[Candycane83]

I want to bring up something for folks attending MVMCP... where would you camp out for the first parade and fireworks? It starts at Frontierland and ends on Main Street right? I was thinking on Main Street but it might be hard to get spots for the fireworks after, would it be better in the hub??

 

[Talby]

Oh yay!! We're doing Sci-Fi for lunch on our HS day, which currently is set as 12/6. I wish they did F! With Sci-Fi!

Right now we have a 6:20 ADR at H&V we'll probably cancel because there's no way we'll make F! in time, even with a FP+. I also have an Ohana dinner at 4:05 and at 8:20 pm that day, so trying to figure out what makes sense. (Opinions welcome!)
We can either leave HS around 3:30 for Poly, eat at Ohana at 4:05 and then come back for F! with FP+, or we can stay at HS, do F!, and then get the bus to Poly for the 8:20 Ohana ADR, then catch the AoA bus from MK back to our room. I'm leaning towards option 2. Thoughts??

(My preference would be to get an H&V F! Dinner for 12/6 and go to Ohana instead on 12/8 for dinner, but no availability has come up yet.)

They so need to add Sci-Fi to the F! options! We are have a Sci-Fi late lunch/early dinner before the SW PAR-TAY!

Of those 3, I like what you've described as your preference best! I agree that option 2 seems a little more appealing given the less back and forth, but a little late for dinner maybe? Such a personal preference and maybe not at all late for you guys! And sometimes you just take what you can get, and it IS vacation so "late" is sort of relative anyway. Less back and forth would matter more to me than time (within reason) though if given a choice...and 8:20 is still within reason considering it IS 'Ohana. So how much help am I?

1. Your preference (lots of time to try to get this!).
2. Option 2.
3. Option 1.

There. There's my attempt at decisive! lol

 

[Iowamomof4]

Okay, I just had a new thought about my plans for 11/29 (EMM? Rope Drop MK? MVMCP?) vs. 12/1 (MVMCP? H&V?) vs. later in my trip.

If crowds will be down at all, it is more likely they'll be smaller during the first week of my trip right after Thanksgiving and then start to build again as we head into Pop Warner week, right? So if we're interested in doing EMM, wouldn't it make more sense to do that when the crowds are higher, like toward the end of our trip? I mean, if ever there was a day we could afford to NOT hit MK at rope drop, it might be that first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. After that, rope drop just becomes more and more important as we move forward. Obviously that's based on past crowd patterns which we've already discussed are somewhat in flux right now. Still, it does give me a reason to go back to considering the party on Tuesday instead of Thursday.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The biggest crowd I ever saw at MK was on the Monday night after Thanksgiving. The parties tend to make the non party crowds huge at night at MK.

 

[Iowamomof4]

The biggest crowd I ever saw at MK was on the Monday night after Thanksgiving. The parties tend to make the non party crowds huge at night at MK.

That is scary and is exactly why I won't be in MK on a non-party day. I'm talking about the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Any thoughts on that one?

 

[pigletgirl]

That is scary and is exactly why I won't be in MK on a non-party day. I'm talking about the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Any thoughts on that one?

That's always a good day to tour MK! People often assume you can't tour MK, because of the party, and that's far from the truth. You can get a lot of it toured then!

Why does family have to be difficult? My head hurts already!

 

[TiggerManiac]

UA? Is that Alabama?

Yes. Obviously they're a big football school, but they have so much more going for them than that. The current Dean is really trying to make the school like a southern public Ivy League level university.

 

[TiggerManiac]

UA? Is that Alabama?

Here's a link to their page with all the scholarship info: http://scholarships.ua.edu

 

[Talby]

I want to bring up something for folks attending MVMCP... where would you camp out for the first parade and fireworks? It starts at Frontierland and ends on Main Street right? I was thinking on Main Street but it might be hard to get spots for the fireworks after, would it be better in the hub??

Does it only snow on Main Street during the parade? I remember how magical that was, but can't remember if it was only on Main Street? Might be a factor in the decision for where to camp out??

 

[pigletgirl]

Just learned that Haunted Mansion is closing for refurbishment in late November! It's my favorite!

ETA: November 28th-December 1st. It'll be open again December 2nd.

That scared me!

 

[Iowamomof4]

Does it only snow on Main Street during the parade? I remember how magical that was, but can't remember if it was only on Main Street? Might be a factor in the decision for where to camp out??

My understanding is the snow is only on Main Street.

 

[Candycane83]

Does it only snow on Main Street during the parade? I remember how magical that was, but can't remember if it was only on Main Street? Might be a factor in the decision for where to camp out??

Yes! I think it's only in Main Street! That is a big draw for being in Main Street then... I wonder how hard will it be to move from main street to the hub for fireworks though. Fireworks look best at the hub I think.

 

[LBlovesM&WDW]

@Talby It's been quite a while since I've been at this time, but it snows on Main Street, not just during the parade.

 

[Wood Nymph]

That is scary and is exactly why I won't be in MK on a non-party day. I'm talking about the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Any thoughts on that one?

We were at WDW on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving but I think we were at Epcot that day, where it was crowded.