Another Enight Question - should I change our plans to include?

[wannabee princess]

We are only a couple of days away from leaving and I am reading threads about enight and starting to wonder if I should adjust our schedule to do one. I'd like input from you experienced DISers!

So far, the game plan is to arrive in the World around noon on Friday (driving from OH, spending TH night in GA - about 3 hours from Orlando).

Lunch at ESPN (have to visit once for the sports fans in the family), check-in AKL and burn off energy (ds's) at the pool until time to get ready for our 7:15 HDDR reservation.

Then I thought we may either do the "hay"ride or just try to catch the EWP from the beach or if we are still energized head to POR to see Bob Jackson before heading back to AKL for the night.

Saturday (BIRTHDAY!!) we will be at MK at opening and spend the day and night.

Now, however I am thinking and rethinking (what else does a planner do when all the plans are made?!). Should we instead... (and would we have time?)

Arrive around noon head to a park for a few rides before going to hotel to check-in and get ready for the HDDR. After HDDR head to MK and be there for enight?

Would this be a bad way to use a day's hopper? I have an annual pass, but the rest of the family will use hoppers. I'm thinking we would probably be at the parks (outside of enight) for 4-5 hours.

 

[TeresaNJ]

Normally I would say do it, but it seems like this may be a really long day for you, with traveling the day before and getting up early on Friday. How old are your sons? Would they get much out of enight? Do they have good stamina for staying up all day and then doing enight? I know when we do enight we try to sleep in a little on the day of enight, go to a park for a few hours, then go back to the resort to chill out and rest up. I've done enights where I've been exhausted from the day's activities, and didn't enjoy enight like I normally would have.

 

[wannabee princess]

Thanks so much for the quick response! I'm also wondering if the long day would be a good or bad thing.

Answers-
Ds 1 is 12 (turns 13 in Aug), Ds 2 is 9
We have not done enight before - but we have done MVMCP until close and have been at the parks until midnight at peak times when MK was open that late. Edited to add - I usually plan an off day the next day though so not sure how good getting up bright and early to be at MK would be?

The youngest is saying that he does not want to ride either Space or Splash this trip (not sure if that will change - he has loved them/hated them on the same trip before) - otherwise everything is fair game. Dh loves the mountains.

When they have been at sleepovers, they have stayed up til all hours - not sure if this will translate to getting up EARLY after enight though!

I'd hate to spend a day of a pass and then pay for enight only to be miserably tired.

One reason I am considering this so strongly, is that we are only in the World for Fri-Mon am. I hate to miss the other parks soooo badly (only planning MK) - I don't know if I can be there and NOT go to ride TT or ToT or maybe the Safari?! So, I keep thinking maybe I should take advantage of going for a few hours to maybe MGM and then leaving MK on Saturday for a couple of rides at Epcot?

OHHHHHHH! The indecision is driving me batty!

 

[TeresaNJ]

Well, how booked up is your Sunday? Remember, MK will be VERY crowded on Saturday. How about doing enight Friday night, sleep in a little on Saturday, then do Epcot for a few hours, then take the boat from maybe the Beach Club or Boardwalk to MGM. On Sunday you could get up early and do AK for the Safari, and then go to whichever park on Sunday after that you really want to go to?

 

[Doc and Family]

princess,

If your boys are used to the long hours, and like the MK attractions, I would recommend doing the e-ride night. We love them, and our boys love them. Our guys are now 5 and 7, and ask before every trip if we will be doing any e-ride nights when we get to WDW.

We buy tickets for every e-ride night they have when we are there--we love them.

Our $0.02 worth.

Have a Great Trip!!!!