Critique our Orlando Itinerary!

[Rob Vaccaro]

Who- me (32,m, NYC) and GF (24,f,nj)

What: going to ioA/Disney celebrating variety of things- w magic your way 3 day park hoppers w deluxe dining. Also doing Hhn/bmg/mnsshp

When- October 6th-9th (doing uni studios n hhn sun the 4th, iOA n bmg mon the 5th)

Where: portfino bay /port Orleans French quarter


Hi Y'all long time lurker first time poster here. Making my 42nd trip to universal n Walt Disney World this October from Sunday the fourth to Friday the ninth. I'd like y'all take a look at our itinerary and let us knows if we are cutting things too close timewise or any input or suggestions as far as buses, travel time etc. go. haven't been back to the parks in about four+ years. It's getting pricey... even for this New Yorker....

Anyways- here goes (copy n paste from notepad-- reservation numbers redacted)

sun Oct 4th- leave Atlantic City airport on Spirit flight 311 at 8:30am. ETA 1051. Have Rob pick us up at airport and get luggage. Check luggage at Portofino Bay Hotel. Hit Universal Studios/ioA. Check in anytime after four. (can we e check in? ) Dinner/happy hour at 5 PM at emerils tchoup chop at Royal Pacific resort. Halloween horror nights with express passes till 12.

Mon October 5th- early entry at IoA. Breakfast at Portofino Bay Hotel Trattoria Del Porto. IoA- pool - Dinner at BICE 5:30. Blue man group at 8 PM(show 1 hr 45 min) then Citywalk.

Tuesday Oct 6th- check out of Portofino Bay by eight -830 and head for Port Orleans French quarter. (Transportation suggestion?) Check luggage and take bus to animal kingdom jambo house for 10 AM breakfast at Boma. (Can we online check-in or how do we do it? Magic bands?) Bus from AKL to Animal kingdom til 5:00. Park hop bus to Epcot for 545 dinner at garden grill (enough time?) boat(?) monorail? to Hollywood studios. Use fast pass plus reservations then Fantasmic at 8 PM. Bus back to Port Orleans, change, dinner at California Grill at 935.

Wednesday October 7th- take bus from Port Orleans to Grand Floridian for breakfast at 1900 Parkfair at 8:25. (Travel time?) monorail to Epcot for food and wine fest . lunch at coral reef at 12. dinner 445 le cellier. Illuminations at 9 (Mexico?)boat to downtown Disney? (Morimoto opens 9/17)

Thursday, October 8th- bus from port Orleans to Polynesian for 835 am breakfast at Kona Cafe. (Travel time?) monorail to Magic Kingdom. Bus to Hollywood studios (travel time) for 2:05 lunch at sci fi. Bus back to MK. Break for dinner Boathouse/Morimoto? MK/MNSsHP til 12.

Friday October 9th- pool-resort-check out day. Carriage ride at port orleans (feedback?) can we use leftover meal credits?? DME to airport at 5.

That's it y'all. Any advice tips etc (esp regarding travel times) would be much appreciated.

 

[macraven]

you can check in anytime at pbr
if your room is not ready, the front desk can text you the room number and your hotel key card will be activated for that room.
once in your room, call bell services to deliver your luggage to your room.

check in anytime and use that hotel card to create your photo express pass in the hotel lobby.
you need that to use the express lines in the parks.

you have a tight schedule on arrival day.

dinner at 5 at rpr and you'll probably be there for one hour.

take the water taxi from rpr to city walk.
use the far right side hotel entrance to enter the studios anytime from 6 to 8.
this entrance is for hotel guests only during hhn.

you still will have to go thru the metal detectors with this entrance but it will be quick.
hhn begins at 6:30 for those outside the gates.

if you are in the holding area/stay and scream, you will be released to start the houses sometime after 6.

if you don't get to the park until after 6, don't use the regular line entrance but use the hotel entrance.
the front of the park will be packed at 6:00 pm.

if you could move your reservation at tchoup chop, you will avoid the mad lines for hhn entrance.


btw, hhn is from 6:30 to 1:00 am that sunday night.
it's one of the nights i will be there too.

the dates of operation for each hhn is listed in the hhn website.
(all other sunday dates hhn is over at 2:00 am)


buy your express and hhn tickets before you go on the vacation.