AK and HS on same day?

[freshstart19]

Hello,

Our trip is 3 weeks away and I am now plugging our FP times and dining reservation into tour plan software. We're still on the fence on even going to AK. Were there 3 years ago. Want to spend 2 full days at MK. Anyway, basd on the FPs I have and dining reservations as well as Fantasmic, here's what the software came up with. Wish I could get FPS for both parks so I wouldn't need to get to AK at EMH. This will be a long day or we just don't go to AK. DH may not make it to Fantasmic! We will have a car to get to HS from AK.

Animal Kingdom - EMH

No FPs here since going to another park
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain 8:11 only DH
Kilimanjaro Safaris - 8:31
Kali River Rapids - DD12 doesn't want to do may skip
Festival of the Lion King - 10am

Finding Nemo - The Musical 11am
Flights of Wonder - 11:45

Hollywood Studios - what should my other FPs be.

Lunch 1:20 - Mama Melrose for 1st Fantasmic Show

1) Toy Story Midway Mania! Uses your FastPass+ reservation. 3:05pm

2) For the First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration 3:25pm (Have 4:05FP; could change it to match this time or change it)
3) Voyage of the Little Mermaid 3:57pm (Have FP for 12:35 but won't make that from AK

4) Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show 4:22pm

5) Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! 5:05pm On the fence on this show.

6) Fantasmic! 8:15pm

 

[Fizban]

HS is a 2 hour day maybe 3 at best IMO

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for your reply. How long does it take around noon to get from AK to HS?

 

[wisblue]

HS is a 2 hour day maybe 3 at best IMO

Not if you want to have lunch, see a couple of the shows, and use 3 FPs.

To the OP, the Nemo show takes over 30 minutes, so you would have a tough time making it from the 11 AM show to Flights of Wonder at 11:45.

The drive from DAK to DHS is not long, but factoring in getting to your car in the DAK parking lot and getting from your car to the entrance at DHS, you'd better plan on at least an hour in transit.

There is no way you can get from the LM show at 3:57 to LMA at 4:22. What time is the show there? If it's at 4:30, you couldn't see that and get to IJ by 5:00.

If you want to see the LM show, you might try for a FP in the early evening before Fantasmic.

 

[belle1986]

DH and I are planning to split a day between AK and HS too. Starting at AK for EMH and to hopefully beat some of the heat. AK is hands down the hottest place in WDW. We are also planning to hop over to Epcot for dinner because there isn't anything that interests us at HS, then hop back for Fantasmic.

 

[wddub2015]

I think you my have under estimated the times to get to/from attractions/shows, but do agree you can do both AK and HS in a single day. We're going to be doing the same. The walk from Expedition Everest to the Safari in itself would probably take my family 20 minutes, but we also have 2 pairs of little legs. Maybe you would be faster! The Lights, Motor, Action arena takes some time to clear out, so you might be late to the Indiana Jones show if you do decide to see it.

 

[Karin1984]

Just something to keep in mind, at the end of august the weather is of course warm/hot. But think of a back up plan if it has rained all night and it's cooler in the morning. Kali River Rapids may then not be such an attractive ride to do in the morning.

 

[danceintherain]

What are AK's hours during your trip?
If it's open passed 6, then you might try swapping your plan and doing DHS in the morning, then switching to AK in the evening. We did AK in the evening a few years ago, and it worked very well. Most people leave by around 3pm.

 

[Delirium]

HS is a 2 hour day maybe 3 at best IMO

Maybe for you. But, maybe other guests want to watch shows, visit characters, eat, shop, etc. The Great Movie Ride attraction itself takes 45 minutes. if you count waiting in line 5-10 to get on.

It's okay not to like a park or skip attractions because you've done them a billion times. I'm not telling you how to tour Disney. But, when someone comes on this board for advice, don't assume they know or have experenced everything you have. Provide details as to WHY you feel that way so they have something useful to consider.

 

[Delirium]

Rant over.

To the OP. I would be surprised if you could finish Flights of Wonder, walk to the front of AK, travel to HS, get in, and get back to Mama Melrose in the time slot you have.

 

[Fizban]

Rant over.

To the OP. I would be surprised if you could finish Flights of Wonder, walk to the front of AK, travel to HS, get in, and get back to Mama Melrose in the time slot you have.

Maybe for you. But, maybe other guests want to watch shows, visit characters, eat, shop, etc. The Great Movie Ride attraction itself takes 45 minutes. if you count waiting in line 5-10 to get on.

It's okay not to like a park or skip attractions because you've done them a billion times. I'm not telling you how to tour Disney. But, when someone comes on this board for advice, don't assume they know or have experenced everything you have. Provide details as to WHY you feel that way so they have something useful to consider.

I replied with the normal (IMO= which means "In my opinion"). I assume that people want our opinions when they ask for our opinions. If they want more details I can easily list the attractions that are shuttered to support my opinion but again those would be my opinions. IMO they should move the couple restaurants that are worthy and the few attractions that haven't been shuttered to the parking lot and save everyone the cost of going through the gates. I didn't know there was a syllabus required for how to offer an asked-for opinion.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

AK and HS are a perfect day. I think it's a fine plan. Just make sure to do Kilimanjaro first thing. It has a much longer line typically at RP than EE...

 

[Accident]

Your going to be at WDW the same time we are. Animal kingdom is going to be HOT. We always do AK early and leave near noon even if we're not done. The animals are just slower, we're overheated and need to get away.. HS is usually our next stop if we're park hopping. Sometimes we stay around and eat lunch at AK first to cool off, but it depends how miserable we are. There's very few places to hide from the summer heat. Now animal kingdom in december, we do all day.

Next year this will probably change for us once the evening hours start at AK. Should be interesting as there is going to be a switch to nocturnal animals and a night show.

 

[g-dad66]

Agree with PP that it's going to be tough to get from 11:00 Nemo show to 11:45 Flights show.

Also think it will be tough to get from 10:00 Lion King to 11:00 Nemo. You will be in a crush of people trying to get out of the Lion King show, and it's going to be a good 15-minute walk from there to Nemo (from one end of the park to the other).

Also think the Everest-Safari-Kali-Lion King plan should be rearranged. You're walking from the east end of the park to the west end, then back to the east end, then back to the west end again. Agree with PP that Safari line will grow faster than Everest, so would be better to do Safari before Everest.

On the other hand, if you should skip Kali, then you will minimize walking by doing Everest before Safari and Lion King (both of the latter being close together). And since Kali is likely to leave you soaking wet for your next attractions, that might be another reason to skip Kali. (I always enjoy Kali, but we almost always make it our last ride of the day.)

 

[freshstart19]

Thanks for the replies. I've been agonizing planning around my other FPs. Anyway, we've decided to do the Safari first, single rider EE for DH, stop for quick breakfast before Finding Nemo at 11am. We're skipping the Lion King and Flights of Wonder. We'll just walk around before the Nemo show. After this, head over to HS. Thanks for your help.

 

[freshstart19]

New order with a couple of additions: 8am EMH
1) Kilimanjaro Safaris
2) It's Tough to Be a Bug! - find quick breakfast
3) Maharajah Jungle Trek
4) Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain - single rider for DH
5) Finding Nemo - The Musical 11am show

 

[g-dad66]

New order with a couple of additions: 8am EMH
1) Kilimanjaro Safaris
2) It's Tough to Be a Bug! - find quick breakfast
3) Maharajah Jungle Trek
4) Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain - single rider for DH
5) Finding Nemo - The Musical 11am show

You should have plenty of time to do that plan, and doing Single Rider on Everest is an excellent idea.

If it were me, I would pick the Lion King show over the Nemo show. And I'm thinking that getting out of the Nemo show after 11:30 might make it tough to be at Mama Melrose's in DHS by 12:20.

 

[freshstart19]

Oops! My ADR at Mama Melrose's is at 1:20 not 12:20. We saw the Lion King when we were there a few years ago. DD12 wants to see what she hasn't seen yet. I gave her the choice. She's probably going to hate It's Tough to Be a Bug but I wanted to fit a few more things in our morning. Oh, is the Jungle Trek more preferable than the Pangani Forest Expedition Trail?

 

[bbjunkie]

Thanks for the replies. I've been agonizing planning around my other FPs. Anyway, we've decided to do the Safari first, single rider EE for DH, stop for quick breakfast before Finding Nemo at 11am. We're skipping the Lion King and Flights of Wonder. We'll just walk around before the Nemo show. After this, head over to HS. Thanks for your help.

My advice would be to not ship FOTLK. If you are going at rope drop to Safari, you'll be done in enough to time to go to the 10:00am show of FOTLK, that will let out at 10:35. It will not take you 25 minutes to walk to see Finding Nemo; you'll make the 11:00 easily. Both of those shows are worth seeing.

Also, to address the heat issue...yep, it will be hot there, but FOTLK and Nemo are both in (freezing) air-conditioned theaters. You'll be on KS early enough and riding around on the jeep won't feel hot as you'll be shaded.

ETA... Oops...didn't realize it was a EMH morning. You'll have time to do maharajah or others between safari and FOTLK.

 

[jacknsally19]

So if you wanted a recommendation on a 3rd FP at HS - I would recommend Star Tours