Arriving during FoF parade

[KathyNY76]

Hoping for some ideas/advice...

We are going late January. We have 4 full days and will do 1 park/day, but since UT has the buy 4 get the 5th day free tickets, I figured we'd hit MK on arrival day for everyone's favorites via FP+ before heading to 1900 Park Fare for dinner.

We'll be arriving on a Fri - CL 5, not rec'd on easywdw b/c of EMH, but it is what it is. Still, last week of January, so I'm not terribly concerned with the crowd. I think we'll be arriving to the gates right around 3/3:30. Our flight will arrive at 12:30, and I've read that you should plan about 3 hours to get to hotel, check in, and get to the park. However, we won't be on ME but will be renting a car - would that make any difference?

So, the problem with arriving at 3:30? Main St will be packed for FoF and it will be hard to get where we need to go. Our FP+ rides will be BTMRR, HM and 7DMT. I'd love to sneak in a 4th FP+ for Jungle Cruise on the way out as I might not be able to hit it on our full day. My plan was originally to go up to 7DMT first, then move to HM and BTMRR - which would put us in the perfect place to hit JC. However, I'm thinking FoF will foil my plan. Would I be better off hopping the Railroad at the gate, take it to BTMRR, then move on to HM and 7DMT?

Also, could I try for FP 3-4, 4-5, 5-6? Or is the 3-4pm cutting it too close with the 3:30 arrival? Thinking if I can get onto Jungle Cruise by 5:30, we'll have plenty of time to get to a 1900 PF ADR at 6:30/45?

 

[Robo]

arriving at 3:30... Would I be better off hopping the Railroad at the gate, take it to BTMRR, then move on to HM and 7DMT?

Yup.

 

[Robo]

Thinking if I can get onto Jungle Cruise by 5:30, we'll have plenty of time to get to a 1900 PF ADR at 6:30/45?

Safer for 6:45.
Take the shuttle boat to Grand Floridian.

 

[uccats97]

I would take the WDW railroad to Frontierland to avoid the FoF crowds. You don't have to make your FP+ on the hour. You could do a 3:30-4:30. I would do 2 before dinner and one for after dinner. You need to allow an hour to travel for dinner. Even being right next door, you never know how long it will be before the next boat arrives or if the monorail is delayed. It took us over 45 min to travel from MK to the Poly for a 6:30 Ohana reservation. The boat can only fit so many people and filled before we could get on. The monorail was running so slow due to a safety check and then adding another train. You just don't want to cut it close and be late.

 

[baler31]

Renting a car you should arrive at your resort within and hour or hour and a half. Obviously, if you have to clear customs this will be different. The drive takes at most 30 minutes with some traffic.

 

[KathyNY76]

Renting a car you should arrive at your resort within and hour or hour and a half. Obviously, if you have to clear customs this will be different. The drive takes at most 30 minutes with some traffic.

Oh really? Great. No customs and I might be a faster than average driver...

 

[KathyNY76]

Safer for 6:45.
Take the shuttle boat to Grand Floridian.

Yeah, that's what I figured. And if the stars align and I make it early, we can look around GF!

 

[KathyNY76]

I would take the WDW railroad to Frontierland to avoid the FoF crowds. You don't have to make your FP+ on the hour. You could do a 3:30-4:30. I would do 2 before dinner and one for after dinner.

Yes, thanks, I did know the times don't have to be on the hour, just trying to keep them as early as possible so I'm not waiting on the last one to open - especially if I'm trying to squeeze in JC. Also, we want to go back to our resort right after dinner to try to get the kids to bed, so I don't want to go back to MK. That would have made it way easier!