Critique My 1-Day M.K. Plan

[ghtx]

But can you take open plates of food from a CS restaurant on the ferry?

I am guessing that you are allowed to, but that it would be sort of inconvenient (having to balance your food while standing on the raft). I was thinking more of a packed lunch in a backpack (which is what I did).

 

[mirak]

Fantasyland, then Speedway, then back to Fantasyland? No. Leave Speedway till later nix it here, just go to PP and save yourself a long wait there.



You don't need a FP to BTMR at 9:30 on an EMH day. On EMH days, everyone is in Fantasyland/Tomorrowland and Frontierland is vacant when it opens.


Somehwat ok, but you're going back to HM, then clear across Frontierland (again) to hit Pirates.



Ignore Treehouse in your planning. Pick it up in passing whenever.





Why? This is now the heart of the day. Lines at Splash/BTMR will be long not short.



I so want to sit down w you and hash this out w a pencil and paper. I think you involve too much criss-crossing and it can be done way more optimally.

And you've missed the Tiki Room. Surely this is an oversight and you're not going to spend most of a day in Adventureland and not see the Tiki Room.

Also I think with kids 4 and 7 you've got it a little too tight. You're missing a snack. Even if you have breakfast before, being there at rope drop they'll be hungry well before 11:30. And you're leaving out the many bathroom breaks and other stuff that are just slower w kids.

Thank you for the detailed notes! I actually have no expectation of sticking to my complete itinerary - it's just a goal to have us in certain places at certain times. Inevitably, we're going to get slowed down by bathroom/snack/character breaks, so we'll just cut rides as necessary to keep with the overall schedule (assuming that schedule is still making sense - the best laid plans can all go out the window once the battle starts...).

Regarding the first EMH block, I really hope we can hit at least three rides in that hour! 7DMT - Speedway - Peter Pan is a bit of back&forth, but I'd really like to try to get these rides all "checked off" in the EMH. But it's more important that I hit the 9am rope drop for the Adventure/Frontier areas, so if we have to skip one of the Fantasy rides in the morning, we'll FP+ it in the afternoon.

Regarding use of our FP+s, how would you use them? I know I probably don't need to use one for Splash or BTMR in the 9-10 hour, but I also want to burn my first three by early afternoon so that I can get 1 or 2 more as the day progresses. Mistake?

Taking the kiddos over to the TSI for an extended lunch hour just seems like a good idea to me. They'll have been going non-stop for about 3 hours by then, and it'll be nice just to get away from some of the crowds for a bit. But I'll have to see what my wife thinks about carting around a picnic lunch all morning. Another alternative would be to just eat a big breakfast and then snack all day until dinner.

As for the walking, seems like my new plan consolidates areas pretty well given the rides we want to do. The back&forth over to Liberty Square for just one ride - Haunted Mansion - is the tough one. Maybe I should change my mid-morning to:
9:00 am: BTMR
9:30 am: Splash (FP+)
10:00am: Pirates
10:30am: Jungle Cruise (FP+)
11:00am: Haunted Mansion (I just worry the line will be getting long by now)
11:30am: Lunch at TSI

Finally, I agree on adding Tikiroom. We'll try to squeeze that in somewhere in the afternoon before we leave Adventure.

 

[Alesia]

I am guessing that you are allowed to, but that it would be sort of inconvenient (having to balance your food while standing on the raft). I was thinking more of a packed lunch in a backpack (which is what I did).

I'm pretty sure that you aren't allowed to. You definitely aren't allowed to take any food or drink on the Liberty Belle. I can't see why they would allow carrying open plates of food on a crowded, very bumpy, standing room only ferry. The OP was planning on picking up lunch from a CS restaurant and taking it to TSI. I doubt they realized that you can't get it packed to go. After I pointed it out, the OP said that they might just pack a lunch in their bag, which is fine.

 

[DonnaPeach]

I don't think the speedway is open that early.

 

[wareagle57]

I feel like you should get FP+ for 7DMT and Peter Pan. At LEAST one of them. 7DMT is not guaranteed to be a short wait at rope drop so you really don't know what you'll be getting yourself into. Peter Pan will be walk on at rope drop but could build a decent line while you're waiting for 7DMT. You can get most, if not all of your current FP selections as 4th, 5th, 6th FPs after the others are gone.

 

[ghtx]

I don't think the speedway is open that early.

The Speedway is open for AM EMH: http://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions/early-park-admission

 

[ruthies12]

Regarding the picnic lunch on TSI: I'm planning on doing something similar with my kids on our trip.

My plan is to take a small cooler that I have that attaches to our stroller. In it I will have small bottles of water, capri suns for the kids, and small snacks like grapes, apple slices, cheese, etc. Then we will pick up 2 turkey legs from the cart in frontierland for the four of us to split along with our snacks as side items. I will probably bring a big plastic Ziploc bag to slip the turkey legs into so we can carry them on the raft without getting our hands all greasy. I'm hoping that plan will work!

Here is the cooler in case you want to look at it:
http://www.amazon.com/J-L-Childress...id=1417799006&sr=8-1&keywords=stroller+cooler

I assume you are taking a stroller for the 3 year old? This cooler is great because it clips onto the back of the stroller but also has a shoulder strap so you can carry it easily.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[ruthies12]

Just wanted to add that if you decide not to pack a lunch or carry a cooler, I would go to the liberty square market. It isn't far from the raft entrance I believe and I think the stuff does come in carry out containers. Take a look at Josh's review of it and at the pictures. I would think this wouldn't be too hard to take as a to go lunch

http://www.easywdw.com/dining/liberty-square-market/

 

[ruthies12]

http://www.easywdw.com/dining/magic-kingdom/liberty-square-sandwiches-cart/

Looks like you can also get sandwiches at the carts in frontierland. That would be easy to take to the island.

 

[ghtx]

Regarding the picnic lunch on TSI: I'm planning on doing something similar with my kids on our trip.

My plan is to take a small cooler that I have that attaches to our stroller. In it I will have small bottles of water, capri suns for the kids, and small snacks like grapes, apple slices, cheese, etc. Then we will pick up 2 turkey legs from the cart in frontierland for the four of us to split along with our snacks as side items. I will probably bring a big plastic Ziploc bag to slip the turkey legs into so we can carry them on the raft without getting our hands all greasy. I'm hoping that plan will work!

Here is the cooler in case you want to look at it:
http://www.amazon.com/J-L-Childress...id=1417799006&sr=8-1&keywords=stroller+cooler

I assume you are taking a stroller for the 3 year old? This cooler is great because it clips onto the back of the stroller but also has a shoulder strap so you can carry it easily.

Good luck with your planning!

I am not sure whether or not strollers are allowed on the raft to TSI, or whether you have to leave them at the queue.

 

[mirak]

Those suggestions are great. Grab something fresh/cold like a sandwich and drinks at the stand, then supplement with dry snacks we can bring from home. Saves money and time, and makes it easy to take food over to TSI. That'll be the plan!

Still not sure about using a FP+ during EMH. Everything I've read says that's a waste.

 

[Alesia]

I am not sure whether or not strollers are allowed on the raft to TSI, or whether you have to leave them at the queue.

I think you can take them, but they have to be folded up. I wouldn't want to take one, though - trying to push a stroller on the island would be miserable.

 

[missangelalexis]

I just don't think you will be on and off the Mine Train in 20 minutes. Personally, I would recommend using FP+ for SDMT and hitting Peter Pan first thing at rope drop followed by the Speedway.

 

[vdoucet78]

I would suggest getting FP+ return times starting after lunch and for the busiest rides. You're going in a slower season so you should be fine without AM fastpasses. 7DMT wait is long even at rope drop. I would suggest FP for 7DMT, Peter Pan, Splash Mountain or BTM. You can do Tomorrowland at rope drop, hit the Sppedway, Space Mtn and Buzz and move on to Fantasy Land or Frontier Land or even HM in Liberty Square. Maybe consider swapping your LTT dinner for a fun counter service and have your sit down meal at breakfast at Chef Mickeys before the park opens (or Crystal Palace or 'Ohana depending on character preference) so you can meet the major characters while eating and eliminate waiting in lines for them later. You could potentially take a boat ride (not sure about operating times so check that out) from WL to Contemporary, eat at Chef Mickey's and walk to MK.

 

[Alesia]

Should be open per the schedule. Little Mermaid is going to be closed. You are right that there's too much back&forth, so I'm changing up my itinerary. Here's what I'm thinking now:

7:30 am: Arrive at Gates
8:00 am: Trample cast members to 7DMT
8:20 am: Speedway
8:40 am: Peter Pan
9:00 am: Race to Spash Mountain
9:30 am: First FP+ at BTMR
10:00am: Haunted Mansion
10:30am: Pirates
11:00am: Second FP+ at Jungle Cruise
11:30am: Lunch on TSI
1:00 pm: SFR Treehouse
1:30 pm: Pirates League
2:30 pm: Third FP+ at Pirates (just makes sense after they get all dressed up)
Grab new FP+ for Buzz Lightyear
3:00 pm: View start of Parade in Adventureland. Next:
- Hit hopefully low lines at Splash/BTMR/HM
- FP+ at Buzz Lightyear
- Grab another FP+ for Space Mountain or a favorite ride for sometime after dinner
- Small World
- Philharmagic
6:30 pm: Dinner at LTT
8:00 pm: Lights Parade
9:00 pm: Wishes
10:00pm: Back to resort

The more I look at this, the more I think you're really underestimating your times. I think that by the time you get to Tom Sawyer Island, you're going to be about an hour behind your schedule.

If I were you, I would get a touring plans subscription.

 

[dkrauss]

Here we go, my plan for a family of 4 with two boys ages 4 and 7, for the Thursday in February prior to President's Day Weekend, for a one-day whirlwind tour of Magic Kingdom. We're staying the two nights at Wilderness Lodge.

7:30 am: Arrive at Park Entrance for 8am EMH opening.
8:00 am: Trample over cast members to get to 7DMT.
8:20 am: Peter Pan
8:40 am: Buzz Lightyear
9:00 am: Be ready for opening of Liberty Square for Haunted Mansion
9:30 am: BTMR
10:00am: Splash Mountain (First FP+)
10:30am: POTC
11:00am: Jungle Cruise (Second FP+)
- Fit in SFR Treehouse while in AL, time permitting
11:30am: Grab lunch to go and head to Tom Sawyer Island
1:30 pm: Pirates League
2:30 pm: Speedway (Third FP+)
- Select another FP+ for favorite ride so far
3:00 pm: Parade (go to AL for start of parade, then hit Splash or BTMR or HM again)
- Small World sometime in here.
- Philharmagic sometime in here.
- FP+ ride sometime in here.
6:30 pm: Dinner Reservation at LT Tavern
8:00 pm: Lights Parade
9:00 pm: Wishes
- Try to hit Space Mountain or other rides as time allows in the evening amongst the parades.

As you can see, I'm trying to hit all our top rides at least once by 11:00a.m., and burn my 3 FP+s by early afternoon so that I can nab at least one more. My boys will really want to do the Speedway even though it's pretty lame and the lines are long, so that's why I FP+ it for early afternoon.

I don't plan to waste time waiting in line for prearranged character greetings - we'll try to meet up with characters as we go.

I'm counting of low to moderate crowds that day.

Thoughts?

Seems to me to be alot of zig-zagging especially in the 8am to 9:30am time period.

8:20 am: Peter Pan
8:40 am: Buzz Lightyear
9:00 am: Be ready for opening of Liberty Square for Haunted Mansion

The above plan seems very aggressive with alot of back and forth......... If you have little ones..........I really don't see it....but thats me If you have a wait at any ride.......you may have to skip something. However, if you're willing to be flexible..........

Have a great time!!

Doug

Y

 

[maclondon]

wow that sounds extremely hard to do with a 4 & 7 year old.

Not that I've been - but were going with 8,10 & 11 year old and i think book 3 must do FP's and the rest is a bonus - you'll be so desperately trying to keep to a schedule you'll end up stressed out.

chill it a bit - 4 & 7 year olds won't care if they don't do EVERYTHING.

 

[mirak]

I just don't think you will be on and off the Mine Train in 20 minutes. Personally, I would recommend using FP+ for SDMT and hitting Peter Pan first thing at rope drop followed by the Speedway.

This might be a really good idea. It might be wasted, but it also pretty much guarantees getting in three rides during EMH and still ready for rope drop to Frontier.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Morning is way too ambitious. Even during EMH, Peter Pan might very well have a 20-25 minute wait, putting you behind for your next ride all the way over in Tomorrowland. Also, I don't know if you will be able to get through 7DMT in 20 minutes you allotted without a fastpass, even right at park opening. Every one else will be trying the same as you, and it will quickly be a wait much longer than the 20 minutes you allowed for it. Plus, you have little ones who might need to stop for snacks, potty, etc. in the morning, and that will take more time than you think.

 

[maclondon]

yes I get the impression those touring plans are made for a single adult on a level 1 crowd day.