Arrival day. Too much?

[adc]

We arrive around noon on 4/19. My plan was DHS for a few hours and use FP+. Take a ferry into Epcot and have dinner at Chefs de France. Walk through Epcot to the monorail and go to MK for the night.

Too much? This is my parent first trip since 1989. I thought this would be a good way to hit up a slow park, see the Boardwalk area while on the ferry, a good dinner and a quick peek at F&G, and a monorail ride for fireworks.

Thoughts?

 

[alvernon90]

Sounds like you are taking your parents on a forced march. Three parks in less than one day? Holy cow!

 

[drcmk]

We arrive around noon on 4/19. My plan was DHS for a few hours and use FP+. Take a ferry into Epcot and have dinner at Chefs de France. Walk through Epcot to the monorail and go to MK for the night.

It really depends on how many days you have to spend in WDW. If you only have two or three days, maybe you have no choice but to stuff as much as you can into one afternoon. But if you have more time than that, you probably want to do less on "day one." Why not just spend the evening at Epcot, go to bed early and be ready for a full "day two?"

 

[pjhootch]

Unless you are only there for a day, pace yourself. Take it easy enough on the 19th that everyone will be ready to get up early on the 20th and get to the parks early.

 

[siskaren]

I think three parks in one day (especially with starting at noon) sounds like too much. I would either skip DHS or skip MK.

And drcmk, you chose a very tiny font.

 

[scoobydooby]

Yea too much. I'd just stay in Epcot for Illiminations after your dinner

Ps. I am a park stormer but that plan would finish me off.

 

[subtchr]

I'm with the others, especially if your travel that morning involves a flight.

Just stay in Epcot and watch Illuminations, which is an amazing show and will be much more relaxing for your group.

It's a LONG walk from France to the front gates to the Epcot monorail, then you have to switch monorails to get to the MK. By that time after a travel and park day, that would all feel like a death march to me.

 

[awalker1015]

Agree with the others. Seems like a lot to me unless you only have a couple days. You will be exhausted for your first full day.

 

[cakebaker]

I was with you until you got to the MK for the night. That's way too much for me on the first day. HS then Epcot for dinner and Illuminations sounds perfect to me.

 

[Kristina4109]

I would plan on a leisurely lunch at your resort after you check in. Then I'd head to one park. That's just me, though. I'd be worn out and exhausted using the plan you described.

 

[CynBeth]

Definitely be careful on arrival day. We were supposed to arrive in Orlando at 9 am on our last trip in Dec 2013 and about a month before the trip we got an e- mail that our flight had changed so we did not land until 11 am and by the time we got our bags and rental car and drove to the hotel and got to our room and had lunch it was 2 pm. It was a good thing we had not made a lunch ADR. Our plans to spend a half day at DHS did not happen but luckily we had a park hopper option and time set aside later in the week to go back to a park we wanted to spend more time in so we made up that time lost.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Sounds like a lot for an arrival day. If your time there is very short, then I would say go for it! But, if you have some time to spare, perhaps save some for another day. I know on our arrival day (granted we drive) we are wiped and usually just stick around the pool, etc... Totally up to you though! Enjoy your trip!!

 

[GovieMom]

I thought this would be a good way to hit up a slow park

The days of slow parks are over. Besides that, I agree about there being too much on the agenda that first day. Whew!

 

[wdwjeffc37]

Another vote for ending with Illuminations at EPCOT after dinner. I assume that you will have park hopper tickets or annual passes to go from DHS to EPCOT. The trek to the transportation to get to the MK is really far and then getting back to your resort will probably take a long time in the evening. Where are you staying? How will you get to DHS in the first place? Scoring FP+ for TSMM for the afternoon of your arrival would be sweet. Spend some time at the Studios then catch the Friendship boat to EPCOT for your dinner. The boat ride is pretty long with all the stops it makes so it will give you some rest time. After dinner you would probably have a little time to wander around and find a good spot for Illuminations. Sounds like fun.

 

[shystalips]

Too much? Yes

 

[adc]

I knew you guys were going to say that. It sounds so fun! I was able to get good FP for DHS on the 19th.

TSM 1:40
ToT 2:40
Star Tours 3:55

Maybe we will just stay in DHS. It just seems weird to not go to MK on the first day.

Also, if you take monorail from Epcot to MK you get on two different monorails? What is the best way to get to MK from DHS?

 

[StirlingSilver83]

Yes I tend to agree with everyone else and say thats a little too much. I would maybe ditch Magic Kingdom and stay in DHS and Epcot and maybe see Illumintations at night

 

[Newsies]

Also, if you take monorail from Epcot to MK you get on two different monorails? What is the best way to get to MK from DHS?

I think you should just do MK/Epcot or DHS/Epcot. Seems much more doable and relaxed. Have a great trip

 

[GatorMama]

I've never been to MK on our first day.

 

[sharonabe]

You can't get directly from MK to DHS. You'd have to get to another resort and transport from there

I think you should just do MK/Epcot or DHS/Epcot. Seems much more doable and relaxed. Have a great trip

This is NOT true. There IS a direct bus from HS to MK. It's right outside with all the other buses.