AK plan with new 8am open

[MrsTski]

Hello! We will be at AK on Feb 28th, one of the days that just moved to an 8am open. I'm traveling with my husband and our three boys (9, 7 and 4). The 4 year old loves trains so I built in some time on the Wildlife Express I'd really appreciate your thoughts on my plan with this 8am open. It's throwing me off a bit, so any feedback would be great!

***My table didn't paste very well so I added it as an attachment***

8:00 - 8:25am Pandora River Journey
8:35 - 9:00am EE
** Meet Mickey and Minnie if time allows**
9:20- 9:45am Safari with FP 9-10 (22 min long)
9:55am - 10:30am FOTLK Show (10 show)
10:30 - 11:45am Breakfast at Tuskar house with ROL seating
11:55am - 12:50pm FOP w FP & RS (11:25 - 12:25)
1pm - 1:40pm Wildlife Express Train & Cons Station
Grab snack
1:35pm - 2:05pm EE with FP (1-2)
Get 4th FP for Dinosaur (try 3:30 or 6pm)
2:15pm - 2:35pm Tricera Top Spin
2:45 - 3:40pm Nemo Show (3pm)
3:35pm - 4:15pm Dinsosaur w/ 4th FP
Meet Russell
4:45pm - 5:45pm Flame Tree BBQ
Its Tough to Be a Bug
Dinosaur (4th FP?? 6-7)
Get popcorn refill
6:30pm In line for ROL
7:15 - 7:30pm ROL
7:45pm - 8 pm Tree of Life Awakens

 

[sharonabe]

8:00 - 8:25am Pandora River Journey
8:35 - 9:00am EE
** Meet Mickey and Minnie if time allows**
9:20- 9:45am Safari with FP 9-10 (22 min long)
9:55am - 10:30am FOTLK Show (10 show)
10:30 - 11:45am Breakfast at Tuskar house with ROL seating
11:55am - 12:50pm FOP w FP & RS (11:25 - 12:25)
1pm - 1:40pm Wildlife Express Train & Cons Station

Couple of things here that concern me. First, you're doing a lot of walking. Na'vi, EE, and then Safari are like 3 points of a triangle. I think you have enough time to do them, but just know, you're doing A LOT of walking.

Then things break down. There's no way you can do the 10:00 Lion King show and get to a 10:30 ADR at Tusker. The show is right at 30 min and it'll take some time to exit and get over to Tusker. You will be late for that ADR. I think your best bet is to find a different Lion King show to do. You can spend some time on the Gorilla trails before your ADR if you finish with your Safari or just check in early to Tusker. With that FoP FP at 11:25, I'd be checking in early to Tusker. You don't want to rush your meal, and there is EVERY chance you'll not be seated on time. I think you'll be closer to the end of your FP time for FoP and if you're doing rider swap, you won't be at the train at 1:00. SO, are you just planning on taking the train over and back, or did you plan to spend some time over there? That EE FP needs to be moved back. OR just make the 3rd FP for Dinosaur. You could fit Lion King in after Conservation, maybe the 3:00 show, and then continue with the rest of your evening plans.

 

[maryj11]

I would try to fit in more then just the 4th FP. I know if you keep refreshing MDE FP's you can get anything to pop up except maybe FOP, that one would be totally luck.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

We also Rope dropped Na’vi then ran to EE after, both of which we walked right on...by the time we got off Na’vi the FoP line was over 2 hours. Agree with the zFoLK though, too close to your ADR. Sounds like a fun and busy day!

 

[MrsTski]

Thank you for the great feedback! My original plan was to do Na'vi at rope drop and then directly to the Safari FP. It's the 8am open that is making me feel like I need to cram another big attraction in that extra time window. Should I scrap EE after Na'vi and do something closer? The day is going to be a long one! Any other suggestions on how/where to slow down during the day?

 

[10CJ]

I would do Navi at rope drop and the go meet Mickey and Minnie. I would not go all the way over to Everest just to come back for the Safari.

I agree that the 10 Lion King show is not going to work with your ADR.

 

[quest4dl]

The 'too many steps' comment has me re-thinking my plan too. I had planned to rope drop Na'vi, then head to Dinosaur, then EE single rider and then back to Satuli for lunch before my first FP at 11:50 for the safari. How fast does the line build for Na'vi. I could do EE first, then Dinosaur and then Na'vi to save steps but don't want an unduly long wait for Na'vi. I think I have time but the number of steps are a bit of concern for me.

 

[g-dad66]

The 'too many steps' comment has me re-thinking my plan too. I had planned to rope drop Na'vi, then head to Dinosaur, then EE single rider and then back to Satuli for lunch before my first FP at 11:50 for the safari. How fast does the line build for Na'vi. I could do EE first, then Dinosaur and then Na'vi to save steps but don't want an unduly long wait for Na'vi. I think I have time but the number of steps are a bit of concern for me.

The Navi line builds fairly fast. It will certainly be a long wait by the time you get there if you do Everest and Dinosaur first.

You want to do Navi first for sure.

 

[MrsTski]

I'm assuming with an 8am open that everyone will be headed to Pandora first... seems like after that, the other rides that are open are quite far away (EE, Safari, Dinosaur). Is there a suggested touring "order" after Pandora to try and minimize the walking?

 

[PA Disneymania]

You didn't build in any time to see the animals at the park. Unless you frequent a zoo and the animals are no big deal, my kids loved seeing the apes and the tigers and hippos. They may have liked the bats as well, but I didn't enter with them. If you don't want to do both walks, the meerkats and the little gorilla are entertaining on the Gorilla Falls walk outside of the Safari.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm assuming with an 8am open that everyone will be headed to Pandora first... seems like after that, the other rides that are open are quite far away (EE, Safari, Dinosaur). Is there a suggested touring "order" after Pandora to try and minimize the walking?

Choose a direction and go clockwise our counter-clockwise.

Your 10:30 ADR would determine my direction. After Na'vi, I'd do the Safari and explore the trails before breakfast. After breakfast and the FoP FP+, if timing worked out, I'd do Lion King then Rafiki. If it's not near the top of the hour when Lion King starts, just do the reverse. Then head to EE and Nemo and Dinosaur. I wouldn't do a FP for the Safari, but use them for FoP, EE, and Dinosaur. That does mean you probably won't get a 4th FP, because you'll need to make Dinosaur pretty late, maybe even after dinner. We missed Dinosaur on our last trip because it's tucked back in a corner and we just didn't want to walk back to it.

 

[LizzyS]

I'm assuming with an 8am open that everyone will be headed to Pandora first... seems like after that, the other rides that are open are quite far away (EE, Safari, Dinosaur). Is there a suggested touring "order" after Pandora to try and minimize the walking?

Are only certain attractions open with an 8 am opening at AK? If so, until what time? We will be there the very next day after OP and we're total newbs!

 

[sharonabe]

Are only certain attractions open with an 8 am opening at AK? If so, until what time? We will be there the very next day after OP and we're total newbs!

If it's a regular opening, not an EMH, then everything except perhaps the train over to Rafiki's is open at 8:00. Some of the shows also start later.

 

[maryj11]

The 'too many steps' comment has me re-thinking my plan too. I had planned to rope drop Na'vi, then head to Dinosaur, then EE single rider and then back to Satuli for lunch before my first FP at 11:50 for the safari. How fast does the line build for Na'vi. I could do EE first, then Dinosaur and then Na'vi to save steps but don't want an unduly long wait for Na'vi. I think I have time but the number of steps are a bit of concern for me.

We plan to do an 8:00 am morning extra magic hours and plan to go straight to Navi. Lines will grow more at Navi then EE and Dinosaur. From what I have read it wont be no more then 5 or 10 minute wait for Navi. I know I have read they will start letting people ride before 8:00. I think you should be able to get more rides in besides EE, Dinosaur and Navi before lunch. I have read most of the park is dead at opening because everyone goes to FOP, it makes it easy to get in more then you usually would later in the day. So take advantage of the low wait times before you have lunch.