Better plan at Hollywood Studios

KingOPancakes

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 20, 2017
DHS is a half day park for us, but we do want to hit Fantasmic! The rest of our DHS day will be spent in MK hitting the minor things you don't need FP+ for. Any advice which of these plans makes more sense?:

1)
-Rope drop DHS and head right for Rockin Roller Coaster, w/ FP+ (TSM, ToT, ST) later in the AM and lunch at SciFi at 11:30

-Head to MK until 3pm

-Hoopdee-doo for dinner 4pm - 6pm

-Immediately head back to DHS for 8:30 Fantasmic!

or

2)
-Rope drop MK

-Head to DHS around 2pm for FP+ (TSM, ToT, ST) (wait in line for Rockin Roller Coaster)

-Dinner at Sci Fi (or Brown Derby)

-Fantasmic!

Plan 1 is more travel time, but plan 2 we'd have to wait in line for Rockin Roller Coaster and this will be during peak holiday season. Plus, we've never seen Hoopdee-doo.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
I would do plan 1 with one change: skip lunch at Sci-Fi and get a QS lunch at MK. An 11:30 ADR at Sci-Fi could easily mean you don't get to MK until 1:00-1:30 which would almost not be worth the time. Use the money you would have spent at Sci-Fi to use the Minnie Vans back to HS in the evening to save some travel time.
 
For me, less travel is key. RnR has a single rider line that is slower than FP, but faster than normal wait. So, I would go with Plan 2. But if you've never seen Hoop De Doo, that might make me pick 1 instead. Hoop de Doo is a hit for our family. So I guess plan 1 would be best if that's the only day you can hit HS.
 
The thought of doing RnRC standby in the afternoon during peak holiday season freaks me out. I'll bet you would be looking at a 2-hour wait.

I would go with Plan 1.
 


Plan 2 without a doubt. No need to wait in line for RnR, just get a FP+. You can get it same day. Or you could even switch and use the initial FP+ for RnR, ST, ToT, then grab a 4th for TSMM (a bit easier to get than RnR). RnR is my favorite ride in all WDW...I haven't done the standby queue in years, even on holidays. Always get a FP+
 
Thanks for all of the great answers!

I think we'll probably go with plan 1 with a QS lunch in MK (Thanks @sharonabe ).... I didn't think about how long an ADR at SciFi would take.

Also, seeing @g-dad66 type it out makes me realize we'd never have enough time to do RnRC in plan 2.... TMM is our favorite ride at WDW and RnRC is one we've never tried and promised we would this trip, so they're both "must-do's". Plan 1 gives us the best chance to hit both.

Thanks all!
 
Thanks for all of the great answers!

I think we'll probably go with plan 1 with a QS lunch in MK (Thanks @sharonabe ).... I didn't think about how long an ADR at SciFi would take.

Also, seeing @g-dad66 type it out makes me realize we'd never have enough time to do RnRC in plan 2.... TMM is our favorite ride at WDW and RnRC is one we've never tried and promised we would this trip, so they're both "must-do's". Plan 1 gives us the best chance to hit both.

Thanks all!

Do whatever works for you, but would hate you to think that you wouldn't have time to do both TSMM and RnR before Fantasmic, if you got to HS at 2pm. Oh goodness, you could ride them both 2 or 3 times each...plus still get on ToT, ST and eat dinner before you'd have to get in line for F!. Use the force Luke...uh, I mean, use the FP+ system. :D We ride RnR 2 or 3 times every time we go to HS.
 


Do whatever works for you, but would hate you to think that you wouldn't have time to do both TSMM and RnR before Fantasmic, if you got to HS at 2pm. Oh goodness, you could ride them both 2 or 3 times each...plus still get on ToT, ST and eat dinner before you'd have to get in line for F!. Use the force Luke...uh, I mean, use the FP+ system. :D We ride RnR 2 or 3 times every time we go to HS.

Even during PEAK Holiday season? @KingOPancakes by peak, do you mean the week of Christmas/New Years or are you there before Christmas?

Right now F! is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. for the week before Christmas and Christmas week. I don't see how they can do all you say they can in around 4 hours.
 
Do whatever works for you, but would hate you to think that you wouldn't have time to do both TSMM and RnR before Fantasmic, if you got to HS at 2pm. Oh goodness, you could ride them both 2 or 3 times each...plus still get on ToT, ST and eat dinner before you'd have to get in line for F!. Use the force Luke...uh, I mean, use the FP+ system. :D We ride RnR 2 or 3 times every time we go to HS.
We're going at a peak time (DHS day will be the day after Thanksgiving)... The only other times we've been in WDW were other peak times (Christmas week) and TMM/RnRC times were 100+ minutes and no FP+'s were available, so that has me worried. I'm of the better safe than sorry mindset.
 
I am planning a similar plan as your plan 2 -- but will do RnR FP vs toy story. I think our plan is to arrive at 2 and tackle most stuff before a 6:30 dinner reservation. We are planning on the brown derby fantasmic package. We have factored in some time for shows, which you haven't so i think you could hit everything. As for toy story (which we want to do) we will either try for right after dinner or we will make a quick rope drop stop at HS to hit toy story and whatever else we might have missed and get out by 10am to hop over to another park for the day. If you have a fairly free morning this could be an option in case the wait for RnR is too long. Or if there is an evening EMH just hop to HS to catch what you missed.

Maybe make your dinner a fantasmic package for late lunch or dinner so that you don't have to arrive at fantasmic so early.
 
Do any of the QS places that do mobile ordering appeal to you? I used mobile ordering multiple times during our trip we just got back from and it was sooooo easy. That would help speed things up and save a bit of time. Totally understand if QS isn't what you were thinking about but these places offer mobile ordering (just listing for MK and DHS):

MK-
Aloha Isle (obviously not for an actual meal) {we used it here twice}
Columbia Harbour House
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe {we used it here once}
Pinocchio Village Haus
The Lunching Pad

DHS-
ABC Commissary
Backlot Express
PizzeRizzo

I've never been in peak season (that I can remember) but if you're worried about not getting FPs for the rides you want AND you're worried about not having a huge ton of time because you'll be waiting in queues for rides or not enough time to get rides in before a show starts a TS may not be the best option.

*We also used it at Disney Springs for D-Luxe Burger and at AK for Satu'li Canteen*
 
I wouldn't change parks twice in one day. That's too much bouncing around, tiring and time consuming. Rope drop DHS (TSMM first, then single rider line at RnR before 11) then have FPs waiting for you at the MK, and save Fantasmic for some other night. On another day, you can always park hop to DHS for a nighttime show after doing a full park day somewhere else. That's what we'll be doing. Have a nice trip.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top