Afternoon MK start strategy

[orca333]

Hi all,

After 8 years, I'm more than excited to get back to WDW! I'm a former Florida resident who had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the parks. Oh how I've missed it! My dh , mom and I are going down from Dec 6-10 and I need your help!

We're flying in early(1030 am) and staying at AKL. We will check in and pick up rental ecv for both my dh and mom. Our plan is to head over to MK to celebrate my birthday. We'll have lunch, ride a bunch of rides, have dinner, watch HPE (I can't wait!!) And stay until park close at 11.

My questions--

Will this be enough time? I don't plan on riding everything. Old favorite and some new things.

Ideally, I'd like to hop over to Kona cafe for a nice dinner but worried it would take too much time. Should we stay in the park?

Any suggestions on where to start since it will be mid day by the time we get in.

Any ideas are welcomed and appreciated.

 

[MischaOz]

Sounds like an awesome day! Nothing better than having a b-day at MK. Just me personally, I think it would be too much to try to leave for dinner. I would maybe have lunch before you get to MK, otherwise you're looking at a late lunch. Are you planning on watching FoF parade? If so, you'll have to factor that into your timing. Regardless, I'd just try to get FP for your favorite 3 rides and do those right away since the crowds will diminish as it gets later in the day.

 

[Hopefully]

Hi all,

After 8 years, I'm more than excited to get back to WDW! I'm a former Florida resident who had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the parks. Oh how I've missed it! My dh , mom and I are going down from Dec 6-10 and I need your help!

We're flying in early(1030 am) and staying at AKL. We will check in and pick up rental ecv for both my dh and mom. Our plan is to head over to MK to celebrate my birthday. We'll have lunch, ride a bunch of rides, have dinner, watch HPE (I can't wait!!) And stay until park close at 11.

My questions--

Will this be enough time? I don't plan on riding everything. Old favorite and some new things.

Ideally, I'd like to hop over to Kona cafe for a nice dinner but worried it would take too much time. Should we stay in the park?

Any suggestions on where to start since it will be mid day by the time we get in.

Any ideas are welcomed and appreciated.

A 10:30 Scheduled arrival at MCO will get you to AKL about noon, or later. Then you have to check in, either go to your room if it is ready or store your Carry on with Bell Services. Then you need to wait for a bus to MK, maybe 20 more minutes, 20-25 minute ride to MK. Then queue for bag check, security, then Tap Styles. At this point you are in the MK 2-2:30 at the earliest. This is all without lunch.
I think you need to rethink your time frames.

 

[maryj11]

I would eat lunch at AKL when you arrive and are all settled in. I would get 3 fastpasses back to back starting at 3:00-4:00. Go back in to MDE to check for the 4th FP after you use those 3. A trick we learned last trip is to keep refreshing the FP's over and over. A bunch of popular rides will pop up sooner or later. You can get about any FP this way. We even got Seven Dwarfs Mine Train about two hours before we rode.
Seven Dwarfs is almost impossible to get a FP for but we got one.
I would find a good spot to watch HEA an hour before it starts. If you could swing it I would book the dessert party Plaza Garden view for your birthday. You will already have a great spot saved right in front of the castle with the dessert party.
After the fireworks are over wait times on rides usually drop so that would be a good time to ride.

 

[orca333]

Thanks for weighing all! I think we're going to stay for dinner in the park (crossing my fingers for BOG). Any thoughts on where to start or just go fp?