Calling Fanatical Planners! Give me your feedback on our trip....

[Disney_1derland]

We are going to be at WDW November 4-13th. Park days are Saturday the 6th-Friday the 12th. We are a group of 7 who will be together every day except Wednesday (which is planned and not a consideration in what I'm trying to figure out). We are very relaxed theme park tourists and the only thing commando about us is that we do spend every day in the parks because we are not pool people. We tend to spend more time walking around enjoying the scenery and doing what the 4 and 2 year old dictate than rushing from one ride to the next. We do take advantage of FP everytime we can.

Now the issue....we were planning on using EMH on most days but honestly there isn't much in the way of interesting to the children for EMH at any of the parks except MK. So now I need suggestions as to what parks on what days.

So, I challenge you obsessive planners to come up with a theme park plan for us! I'm obsessive but I just can't decide which way is best. We will leave the parks everyday at 1pm for resting back at the resort then likely 'hop' to a different park for the evening arriving back at a park around 4pm each afternoon.

Okay, help! I'm at a loss and since we've never been at this time of year I feel like a complete newby! Amazing what a change of season can do to your regular touring plans!

Thanks for the help

 

[ErinInCT]

Lori,
Need more info on your group (other people's ages & relation to you & gender). Is this trip mainly for the kids or what? Since you do not use the pool I am guessing a water park is out of the question! Where are you staying? Do you already have any ps's? Do you want to do any character meals? Do you want to hit all 4 parks? Do you already have plans for Wed? How late can you stay up (if you are going back to the parks at 4pm - the 9pm Illuminations may be too long of a day for the kids!)? Give a few more details & I'll be happy to try to help you out! There is nothing I love more then planning a Disney trip!!! (My dds are 4 & 1 if that helps!) I'll keep an eye out for your reply!

 

[orvilleair]

1. The first I did was get my priority seatings and character meals squared away. Ir you are interested in character meals, then I would set them up asap, because you are well within the window to set them up. For example, I called 60 days prior to my April trip this year and the Cinderella Royal Table and Princess Breakfast at Epcot were already booked by others. The same would apply for Fantasmic dinner package. You can probably walk up to Fantasmic and get good seats, but with a large party, you might want to take the package for "peace of mind." Most meals can be booked 90 days in advance of your visit.
2. Go for the MK EMH when it's scheduled. Avoid the other EMH days for the other parks, because other tourists will take advantage of those (kids are the right age etc...). The non EMH parks will be less crowded.
3. Try to set up three nights where you can see Illuminations, Fantasmic and Wishes/Spectromagic. My kids were about 3 and 6 when they went, and they had a good time. Good luck and have a great time on your trip.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I knew I would find people like me here LOL! Usually I'm right on top of things but going out of our regular season has me all out of whack! Not too mention bringing along 3 extra people!

Need more info on your group (other people's ages & relation to you & gender).

--->me, dh, dd(4), dd(2), my parents and my aunt

Is this trip mainly for the kids or what?

-->This trip is pretty much exclusively about the kids and having my parents and my aunt experience it for the first time and with the children. We will be together pretty much all of the time except that Wednesday when my parents and aunt will take the children and dh and I will go off alone.

Since you do not use the pool I am guessing a water park is out of the question!

--->Yes, water parks are out!

Where are you staying?

Staying at SOG

Do you already have any ps's?

--->Our only firm cannot be changed PS is Cindys on Wednesday morning.

Do you want to do any character meals?

---> We are doing Chef Mickey's the night we arrive.

Do you want to hit all 4 parks?

--->Yes. Our highest priority is obviously MK but Epcot is a close second. AK would be third and MGM fourth.

Do you already have plans for Wed?

--->Yes, Wednesday is a done deal!

How late can you stay up (if you are going back to the parks at 4pm - the 9pm Illuminations may be too long of a day for the kids!)?

--->We plan to keep the kids on their regular Central Time schedule while we are there so we will leave the parks at 1pm each day and return around 4pm and stay till closing.

There are no "must do" attractions for any of the adults in our party. We are all about the kids. Our last trip was just 3 of us, me, dh and dd(when she was 14 months old and before dd#2 came along). Dh and I were surprised at how relaxed we were, how little rushing we did and how we just enjoyed going slowly and not missing ANYTHING along the way. We usually go in the summer and even the crowds did not hamper that relaxed feeling. I think November will be even better and we'll get to do more but the commando in me still wants to maximize the time we have by planning our park days in the best way possible.

We had planned to do EMH at MK both Sunday and Thursday morning but then the schedule came out and we want to spend Thursday night at MK for the early spectro and Wishes so that means that we will choose something else for Thursday morning. Oh-and Saturday night we will go to MK as well as going there Friday night for our final night. Other than that Saturday morning, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday morning and Friday morning I need help!

And thanks, it's so much easier to plan someone else's trip and SO much fun to obsess about your own. I know you understand that, I can *see* it in your post

 

[The Duchess]

Get an Excel spreadsheet going and break down each day into five vertical rows :
Breakfast, Morning, Lunch, Afternoon, Dinner, Evening.
Set up five horizontal columns : What, Where, Who and How Many, PS# and Notes.
Then go wild filling in the blocks!

For example, our first morning reads across :

Breakfast-Cape May-at YC-3 people-PS#######-character breakfast
Morning-Theme Park-Magic Kingdom-Dad,Mom,Sam-n/a-don't forget train ride first!

With the Excel Spreadsheet, it's easy to move stuff by cutting and pasting, and seeing where you have gaps, and coordinating dining with where at WDW you'll be that day.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

We aren't planning our first big family trip until next year, so I can't speak from experience, but I think I am going to suggest that we all plan to go to the same park in the morning, stay together for lunch and then break apart. Getting together from that point on will be less planned. For example, we might make a tentative afternoon-early evening plan for those who want to stay together, or maybe just meet somewhere for the fireworks, or maybe just see each other the next day.

I think it's going to be important that people feel completely free to have plenty of private time. Then we they choose to stick together in the afternoon or whatever it feels like a real choice.

I'm afraid jamming too many people together almost all day every day may be asking for trouble, no matter how well they all get along.

But I don't know your thought on this matter, or your family, so this suggestion may not apply to your family. Anyway, have a great time. I envy you. I can't wait for next year.

 

[sters]

If you are only planning on using MK early morning hour (a wise choice, given the ages of your kids I think) plan on doing the theme parks on the day AFTER its EMH. For example, if Epcot has its EMH on Wednesday, do Epcot on THurdsday. Don't do MK EMH on Sunday, though, it was PACKED last year. We went during Jersey Week, same as you.

 

[mickeysaver]

Using the best day info and knowing that you want to do EMH's, it basically comes down to doing the parks in this order for the maximum amount of time in the parks with hopefully the best low crowd effect. I like your style on touring. We don't have kids, but we are never in a rush in the parks either.

Do you want details beyond this? If so, just let me know. I hope you find this to be helpful. Maggie

Saturday 11/6
EMH at MGM (if you are not arriving in time to do EMH, I suggest going to AK)
Chef Mickey's for dinner
Evening at MK

Sunday 11/7
EMH at MK
Evening at Epcot

Monday 11/8
EMH at AK
Evening at Epcot

Tuesday 11/9
EMH at MGM
Evening at MK

Wednesday 11/10
Leave Alone They Have a Plan
CRT in the AM

Thursday 11/11
Morning at MGM
Evening at MK for Spectro & Wishes

Friday 11/12
EMH at AK
Evening at MK to say goodnight and goodbye

 

[ErinInCT]

Lori,
I tried to break this down into chucks of the parks for you. Here is a possible plan:

Sat - tough one, you may have to figure this out on your own but maybe DTD (Legoland etc) in the am, maybe Boardwalk in the pm. Maybe resrot hopping - riding the monorail (make sure you get up front!), maybe FW (petting zoo). I think MK may be too crowded on a Sat. I'll let others help you figure this one out!

Sun -
am - Magic Kingdom (EMH) - just do Fantasyland & Tomorrowland (try to wake up Tink at Tinkerbelle's Treasure's when it opens) Make sure you see Cindy's Surprise Celebration & Belle's storytime (I'm sure the girls will love that)
pm - FW - Campfire & movie, ELP (maybe Trails End dinner?)

Mon -
am - Animal Kingdom (EMH) go to safari 1st!
pm - MGM - try to get there by 3:30pm for parade, stay for Fantasmic

Tues -
am - MK - Frontierland, Adventureland & Liberty Square (Try to get there about 20 min or so b4 opening to see the opening ceremony at the train station) (Oh and maybe go to Harmony Barber Shop on Main St to get some pixie dust in the girls hair - or go on Wed b4 your breakfast!)
pm - EPCOT W/S & Illuminations

Wed - planned - enjoy your breakfast with Cindy!!

Thurs -
am - EPCOT F/W
pm - MK - try to get there by 3pm for parade, stay for Spectro & Wishes

Fri-
am - AK (if you feel like you need more time since you could leave early on Mon to rest up for MGM). If not (since many people say AK is only about a half day park) then why not go back to whichever park you feel like you wanted to spend more time at. By Fri you'll have done it all & you or the kids can decide where to go!
pm - MK - Toontown & chance to go back on favorites to say goodbye!

Sat - Boo hoo! (Start planning for next trip!)

Good luck & enjoy your trip.
I'll be looking for your trip report when you get back!