3 Parks in 1 Day?!

[Gina Starr]

My hubby and I are somewhat recent Disney addicts. Besides going when we were kids, we went May 2014 with my sister and her family and followed their planning and again by ourselves in May 2015 but it was a short trip and we didn't go to Epcot. So we have a trip planned for January and arrive on the 3rd and our plan is to visit 3 parks on that day. We are driving and our goal is to arrive in Orlando around noon. Tell me if we are crazy or if anyone else has similar plans. Start at Epcot and do Soarin with 1:20 fast pass. This will be the last day Soarin is open before it goes down for refurb and we were really looking forward to trying it. Then hop over to Magic Kingdom for the 3 o'clock Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade which is also the last day for this parade before they go back to Festival of Fantasy. Then hop to Hollywood Studios for the very last night of the Osborne Lights. Anyone have any tips? Should we rely on Disney transportation or would it be better to drive to the parks ourselves? Thanks!

 

[journies_end]

Sorain' will take 20 - 30 even with FP+ (queing up, loading the ride, and the actual ride itself). Form there, it takes roughly 40 - 50 mins to travel from the EP monorail station to the TTC to the MK entrance (and another 10 - 15 mins for bag check and park entry).That will place you at MK at the earliest at 2:30pm, at the latest 2:45pm. It's doable but there are a lot of factors that could get in the way (crowd levels for the most part). If at all possible, try to leave home earlier to book an earlier Soarin' (where are you guys driving from? How long a drive is it?) to give you some more breathing time between Soarin' and the parade.

If leaving earlier is an issue maybe try booking a Soarin' at 4:30pm. That way you can arrive at MK at 12:00 pm to get some time to soak up the holiday decorations, after the 3:00 parade take the monorail to Epcot and enjoy a 4:30 Soarin, then take the ferry from the World Showcase to HS to see the Osborne Lights. That seems a lot less frantic in my opinion.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

That sounds really tight to make the parade at the MK with a 1:20 FP for Soarin'. Any chance of getting an earlier FP? Or like PP's suggestion, a later FP and do Soarin' after the MK parade and before DHS? I would recommend driving yourselves rather than using Disney transportation.

 

[bc7ate9]

We do 3 parks in a day using Disney transportation quite often - like, several days during a trip. It works for us because we are very laidback when it comes to planning. If it's very important to you to make it to specific shows at specific times, you may want to reconsider your plans.

 

[dkrauss]

If this is the "Last Day" of Soar'in for awhile you probably need to factor some extra time for that too! It's a real tough one if you ask me.

Doug

 

[wareagle57]

Form there, it takes roughly 40 - 50 mins to travel from the EP monorail station to the TTC to the MK entrance (and another 10 - 15 mins for bag check and park entry).

Does it really take 40 minutes? Or is that a "better safe that sorry" time estimate? I know if you can't risk missing something, you should give yourself an hour at least between parks. The ride from Epcot to the TTC is about 10 minutes. I don't know how many trains they run but I assume it is at least 2. So even if you just miss one, another should be along within 10 minutes. So 20 minute to the TTC. From the TTC to MK, it's about 5. So 10 minutes assuming you just missed a train. Obviously there are other things that could happen. There could be a line where you don't get on the next train, or a train has to slow down/stop because there is still a train in the next station, ect. But 30 minutes seems like a realistic amount of time between the two parks, and even less if you're lucky.

 

[bc7ate9]

Does it really take 40 minutes? Or is that a "better safe that sorry" time estimate? I know if you can't risk missing something, you should give yourself an hour at least between parks. The ride from Epcot to the TTC is about 10 minutes. I don't know how many trains they run but I assume it is at least 2. So even if you just miss one, another should be along within 10 minutes. So 20 minute to the TTC. From the TTC to MK, it's about 5. So 10 minutes assuming you just missed a train. Obviously there are other things that could happen. There could be a line where you don't get on the next train, or a train has to slow down/stop because there is still a train in the next station, ect. But 30 minutes seems like a realistic amount of time between the two parks, and even less if you're lucky.

On September 25, 2015, we went from MK to Epcot via the Monorail and didn't have to wait at all at the MK or the TTC. It was a very lucky day. Anyway, we got on the Monorail at 9:50 AM and were through bag check and in front of Spaceship Earth at 10:24 AM. We felt like this was best case scenario timing.

 

[hdnwaters]

We do 3 park days often but usually start a little earlier. JMHO......this is what I would do. Go strait to HS and park your car. Catch the bus to MK. Enjoy the parade. Catch Monorail or bus to Epcot. (FP Soarin around 5:30/6) Take bus/boat to HS. When you are finished there, your car is waiting for you! Depending on park hours....you could go back to Epcot or MK! Driving between Epcot and HS is easy. If time is a factor you will want to avoid parking at the TTC.

In Sept we parked at the TTC, it took a good 30 to 40 mins just to get inside the park. We left the car at the TTC and took the bus to AK, left AK and took the bus to HS. I wished so much our car was outside HS!!!! I know it took almost and hour to get back to the TTC. We took first bus we could find that had a monorail stop. It was the Contemporary bus. Then took the monorail back to the TTC.....then the tram....UGH!!!!

 

[DisneyDad2015]

We have a 3 park day planned for our trip in April. DHS and Epcot for most of the day, and then MK with evening EMH to finish out the day.

 

[Gina Starr]

Thanks everyone for your ideas! We have about a 14 hour drive and last time we did 10 hours day before and stopped at a hotel, then did 4 hours the next day, leaving around 8 am. We would like to split driving into two full days which would mean we would arrive Saturday the 2nd and just stay at an offsite hotel and in that case we could do Soarin way earlier in the day. We just aren't sure if it will work for us financially between adding another night of hotel, restaurants, and boarding for our dog. If not, we may just try to leave the hotel Sunday morning a little earlier and push the Soarin fp earlier. Of course three things I really want to do have to end on the same day! Oh well, it will be a fun way to kick off our vacation!

 

[Raenstoirm]

If leaving earlier is an issue maybe try booking a Soarin' at 4:30pm. That way you can arrive at MK at 12:00 pm to get some time to soak up the holiday decorations, after the 3:00 parade take the monorail to Epcot and enjoy a 4:30 Soarin, then take the ferry from the World Showcase to HS to see the Osborne Lights. That seems a lot less frantic in my opinion.

This. Try flipping your day the other direction. I would start at MK. I would assume most kids go back to school on monday so the crowds should be pretty manageable, maybe even light. Back in the day, the first week of the year was a virtual ghost town. Wander MK, catch a few short lined rides and get a good spot for the parade on main st. High tail it out once the parade is over and head to epcot. You will have plenty of time to ride soarin and possibly even use your other 2 fast passes or grab a counter service dinner. Then head over the DHS. The park closes at 8, but the lights should stay on for an hour after closing. Now if you are really adventurous, you will head back to MK once you are done with the lights since it closes at 11, but maybe we are the only crazy ones that do that sort of thing! lol

 

[Gina Starr]

This. Try flipping your day the other direction. I would start at MK. I would assume most kids go back to school on monday so the crowds should be pretty manageable, maybe even light. Back in the day, the first week of the year was a virtual ghost town. Wander MK, catch a few short lined rides and get a good spot for the parade on main st. High tail it out once the parade is over and head to epcot. You will have plenty of time to ride soarin and possibly even use your other 2 fast passes or grab a counter service dinner. Then head over the DHS. The park closes at 8, but the lights should stay on for an hour after closing. Now if you are really adventurous, you will head back to MK once you are done with the lights since it closes at 11, but maybe we are the only crazy ones that do that sort of thing! lol

I really like this idea! I thought we would have to get to Hollywood Studios early to be able to see the lights. I'm sure it's going to be packed with it being the last day ever but it sounds like it may actually be better to go later and close to closing time.

 

[Hootch]

The T&TC can have long waits in the afternoon which is a problem. We are never there around the Holidays. Doesn't parade run from Frontierland to Main St? That adds some cushion if it does.

A cab to the Contemporary or catching a bus at an Epcot resort might be quicker - or maybe not.

I would try it. It's an adventure.