AK rope drop to DHS back to AK - is this doable?

[snowybelle]

So, I'm traveling with some fussy people in a couple weeks. (Husband and sister )

My husband LOVES when the macaws fly overhead at Animal Kingdom opening. It is one of only TWO items on his wish list for our upcoming WDW visit. (The other is Biergarten.)

My sister really wants to see Rivers of Light. She'll only be with us for 2 days of our trip, and she hasn't been to WDW since she was a kid, so we are doing MK 1 day, and AK/DHS the next per her request. (This will be her first time setting foot in AK.)

We need to cram the highlights of AK and DHS into ONE day, and I really want to appease everyone, so this is my plan:

Tuesday, March 21:

Rope Drop AK. See the macaws so DH can have his magical moment.
Hit the big 3 attractions at AK: Everest, Safari, Dino. Hopefully be on our way out of AK by 11ish.

Hop to DHS. FP+ TSMM, ToT and maybe Star Tours in the early afternoon. Try to squeeze RnRC in there too. (FP+ at Noon-ish, 1-ish, 2-ish.)

Hop BACK to AK for a 4:40pm Tiffins reservation which includes ROL dining package. Enjoy AK nighttime atmosphere and see ROL after dinner.


I realize this is all probably doable, but is it a terrible plan?

We will likely use Express busses to park hop, or just take a taxi.


OR... the other option would be to rope drop DHS, then do FP+ at AK later in the day. But we would miss the macaws and AK is, IMO, less pleasant mid-day.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Is it doable? Maybe. But if lines build on those 3 rides at AK (which is very possible), I think you will be hard pressed to get out of AK by 11 am. Is 4:40 pm the latest you can do the ROL dining package? I would try to get the latest time possible for the Tiffins ROL package and, if you can, try to push those DHS FP+ a little later.

 

[snowybelle]

Is it doable? Maybe. But if lines build on those 3 rides at AK (which is very possible), I think you will be hard pressed to get out of AK by 11 am. Is 4:40 pm the latest you can do the ROL dining package? I would try to get the latest time possible for the Tiffins ROL package and, if you can, try to push those DHS FP+ a little later.

Unfortunately 4:40pm is the latest ROL dining package reservation I can find (i've been checking and will continue to check for later reservations).

I've done rope drop at AK several times and never had much wait for those 3 rides in the first 1-2 hours of park opening, but I know that nothing is certain.

Appreciate your input and will try to rearrange those FP+ a bit.

 

[asheleycs]

For three adults? Probably. Remember that getting into AK (through the Oasis) takes a while, especially to get back to Tiffins (or maybe it just seems that way). But if you are taking cabs, that definitely helps. You probably want to do Safari > Everest > Dino in the morning. That's the right direction, and you can always use single rider on Everest. Go in planning to not be disappointed if you miss one. Same with RnRC. Also, try to go bagless, as that bag check line at DHS at 11-12 is going to be terrible.

ETA: I went with just my mother during the Princess Marathon, and I was amazed at what we could get done and how quickly we could get around. I usually have my family of 5, which is so much slower.

 

[snowybelle]

ETA: I went with just my mother during the Princess Marathon, and I was amazed at what we could get done and how quickly we could get around. I usually have my family of 5, which is so much slower.

haha yes. It's definitely easier getting around with adults. I'm know the parks quite well too so I hopefully won't waste time getting lost.

Thanks for your help -- that's a good point about the DHS bag line.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

So, I'm traveling with some fussy people in a couple weeks. (Husband and sister )

My husband LOVES when the macaws fly overhead at Animal Kingdom opening. It is one of only TWO items on his wish list for our upcoming WDW visit. (The other is Biergarten.)

My sister really wants to see Rivers of Light. She'll only be with us for 2 days of our trip, and she hasn't been to WDW since she was a kid, so we are doing MK 1 day, and AK/DHS the next per her request. (This will be her first time setting foot in AK.)

We need to cram the highlights of AK and DHS into ONE day, and I really want to appease everyone, so this is my plan:

Tuesday, March 21:

Rope Drop AK. See the macaws so DH can have his magical moment.
Hit the big 3 attractions at AK: Everest, Safari, Dino. Hopefully be on our way out of AK by 11ish.

Hop to DHS. FP+ TSMM, ToT and maybe Star Tours in the early afternoon. Try to squeeze RnRC in there too. (FP+ at Noon-ish, 1-ish, 2-ish.)

Hop BACK to AK for a 4:40pm Tiffins reservation which includes ROL dining package. Enjoy AK nighttime atmosphere and see ROL after dinner.


I realize this is all probably doable, but is it a terrible plan?

We will likely use Express busses to park hop, or just take a taxi.


OR... the other option would be to rope drop DHS, then do FP+ at AK later in the day. But we would miss the macaws and AK is, IMO, less pleasant mid-day.

I think your plan will work. At least I hope it does because I am doing something very similar on April 11th (Easter Week). I have a pre park opening 8:10 AM ROL breakfast at Tusker House. Then we'll dash to Everest, Safari, Dino, maybe see a show or 2. In the early afternoon (1:00 ish), we'll drive over to DHS and use all our FP there. I don't know our FP times yet because we are staying offsite this trip, so I can't schedule them until March 11th. We plan to ride the headliners, see some shows, have milkshakes and appetizers at 4:30 PM at Sci Fi Dine-in. After a late quick service dinner at either DHS or AK, we'll drive back and get seated for ROL. We'll hop over from Epcot to see Fantasmic at DHS the next night.

I did something similar over Easter Week 2015 on 2 different days - AK at rope drop, DHS, EP for Illuminations one day and EP early afternoon, DHS for Fantasmic another day. I was staying on site that trip and used the regular Disney buses to get from place to place and it still worked fine.

 

[maryj11]

For three adults? Probably. Remember that getting into AK (through the Oasis) takes a while, especially to get back to Tiffins (or maybe it just seems that way). But if you are taking cabs, that definitely helps. You probably want to do Safari > Everest > Dino in the morning. That's the right direction, and you can always use single rider on Everest. Go in planning to not be disappointed if you miss one. Same with RnRC. Also, try to go bagless, as that bag check line at DHS at 11-12 is going to be terrible.

ETA: I went with just my mother during the Princess Marathon, and I was amazed at what we could get done and how quickly we could get around. I usually have my family of 5, which is so much slower.

If they buy the express transportation they wont have to go through bag check but will be dropped off back by the safari ride.

 

[pens4821]

We did Everest a couple times, Dino, that spin ride, then safari and were done aboit 11 when we went (albeit a "slow" time period). We weren't there for rope drop though, and had a 6 year old with us so I think it's doable for sure.

If you're using express transportation it's by safari I think (haven't used it yet) so I'd make that last then you're right there for the bus.

I would do the same with the FP. I would do 12 at TOT and that way when you get off the express bus you could potentially wait in line for rnrc before or after TOT. If you ride right at 12 you'd have until 2 to get to your next one.

I would do your plan and not think twice about it.

 

[tobikaye]

My suggestion at RD at AK, Dino, EE, Safari. The express bus is next to Everest. I have done this route many times at RD, usually with PW added in and it usually only takes about 2 hours.

Using the express bus, you will be let out by RNR and the lines there tend to be longer than TSM lately. If you can switch from TSM to RNR at noonish, that gives you until almost 1ish to get there. Then do TOT right at the start of you FP and you have almost 2 hours to do TSM before the end of your ST FP. TSM has 3 loading areas now so waits tend to be about 40 minutes or less.

If you cannot switch and start with TSM, if you do not have time for RNR before TOT, go straight to TOT at the start of your FP and then straight to RNR after TOT.

If you do not get to your FP for ST until late, you should have time to get to the Express bus and back to AK in time to make your ADR at Tiffins.

The AK am and DHS afternoon is very similar to what my cousin and I did during our trip in January, but TOT went down on us before we could ride. We went from DHS to Epcot though instead of back to AK and I know we did a few things in Epcot with time to make a Cape May ADR at 5:30.

 

[AngelDisney]

Would you consider having lunch at Tusker House if ROL package is available for lunch? You would probably have more time to enjoy DHS and then hop back to AK for dinner and ROL.

 

[davkata]

I think it's very doable. We have done similar more than once staying on site and using Disney buses.