Critique our plans please

[Matt892]

Friend and I will be coming in mid/late September. It will be his first visit to the World. We are both Disneyland vets and live 10 mins away, so we can potentially skip time consumers that we have copies of such as Soarin, Toy Story Midway Mania, Fantasmic, etc.

We are planning to split stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a Savannah view and Port Orleans: French Quarter.

Important items that are must do's for us are:
*WDW only Souvenir Mugs from Trader Sams and Jock Lindsey's: Nautilus, Pearls, Hippopatamai-tai glass, rum flight shot glasses at Sam's and Monkey Head at Jock's. Did I miss any that I can't get in Disneyland?
*Electrical Parade: My favorite Parade and the East Coast needs to return it.
*Rivers of Light and Tree of Life Awakenings
*Halloween Party




DAY 1:
Hopefully get a red eye flight and arrive in Orlando around 10 am.
Online check in at hotel, we will have magic bands which are linked to hotel room, park tickets and debit cards.

* Head to Magic Kingdom
*See Festival of Fantasy parade at 3pm (can be seen on Halloween Party day too)
*See Wishes Fireworks at 9pm
*See Electrical Parade at 10pm
*Drinks at Tambu Lounge and bring in to Ohana (Lapu Lapu!)
*Early dinner at Ohana at around 4? If we arrive early enough, be our guest lunch?
Park Closes at Midnight, but we could leave after fireworks and go to Trader Sam's or we can go there after Ohana and hang out for a bit before going back in to Magic Kingdom.
*Try to get our FastPass+ for Space Mountain, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, and Splash Mountain

DAY 2:
*Head to Epcot
*Le Cellier lunch
*Drinks at Rose and Crown
* Ice Cream at Beaches and Cream
*Try to catch Voices of Liberty in American Pavilion
*go to Disney Springs around 7:30ish
*Dinner at Boathouse.
*Drinks at Jock Lindseys
*Morimoto Sushi Bar
*Raglan Road drinks
*Try to get Fastpass+ for Mission Space: Orange, Spaceship Earth, Seas with Nemo

Day 3:
*Head to Animal Kingdom
*drinks at Dawa Bar
*Yak and Yeti early lunch
*Festival of the Lion King or Finding Nemo (or both)
*Boma early dinner
*Return to Animal Kingdom for Rivers of Light and Tree of Life Awakenings
*Try to get Fastpass+ for Kilamanjaro Safari, Kali River and Dinosaur/Everest

Day 4:
*Head to Hollywood Studios
*Lunch at Sci-Fi
*drinks at Tune-In Lounge
*Try to get Fastpass+ for Rock-n-Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, Dinosaur at AK (if we can split parks)
*Early dinner at Sanaa
*jump back to Animal Kingdom for night rides and shows we don't see Day 3
*depending on Animal Kingdom show times and closing time, Trader Sam's round 2 or Disney Springs Walk about with food and drinks at Ragland and Jocks?
**The above all depends on if Star Wars Fireworks are going, the website has none listed.**

Day 5:
*Park at TTC
*Monorail to Poly
*Kona Cafe for Tonga Toast
*Monorail to Epcot
*Food and Wine Festival booths
*Big River Brewery for beer and walk the boardwalk
*Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
*Monorail back to TTC
*Mizner's Lounge and possibly round 2/3 at Trader Sam's
*Try to get Fastpass+ for Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Nemo

Day 6:
*Park at TTC
*Monorail to Magic Kingdom
*Boat to Wilderness Lodge
*Breakfast at Whispering Canyon
*Boat Back to Magic Kingdom
*Late lunch or dinner at Be Our Guest
*Festival of Fantasy Parade if we don't see day 1
*Halloween Party
*Hallowishes
*2nd Boo to You Parade
*Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular
*back to hotel
*Try to get Fastpass+ for 7 Dwarfs, Space, Peter Pan

Day 7:
*checkout
*Breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe or Kona Cafe
*Disney Springs for final gifts and souvineers
*drinks at Jock Lindsey's
*Head to Airport

 

[glassslippergirl]

I don't think I've ever seen someone plan out drinks so carefully- kudos.

You can't schedule FP+ at multiple parks in one day, all must be in the same park. On your DHS day, go for third FP for TSMM or ST, even though those have duplicates at DLR.

Will you have a car? I'm usually an advocate of using it over Disney transportation. The one exception is on MK days. Parking+ tram+ monorail/ferry adds a lot of time, a lot of waiting, too. Unless the experience of riding the monorail is super-important or you want to see the castle come into view the way the park planners planned, I'd take the bus directly to MK. However, your plan on day 5 to ride monorail to Epcot, bookended by monorail resort dining experiences is pretty creative!

Love that you're prioritizing the Voices of Liberty. They're my favorite show in Epcot. I wouldn't leave Epcot on day 2 for DS dinner. There's plenty of great dining (and drinks) in the Epcot countries. You've dedicated a lot of time to DS, when it's really a once-a-trip place, in my honest opinion. We really like Restaurant Marakesh in Morocco for a unique experience, but there's a lot of great choices-- better and more unique than DS to me.

Have fun!

 

[Matt892]

We will have a car, I just didn't know how much easier it would be to drive back and forth from Wilderness Lodge to TTC vs boating over, I've never actually been to Wilderness Lodge at all. As for monorailing in to MK, I've seen it that way almost every trip, but I do want my friend to experience it for his first day at MK, after that we can use other routes.

Day 4 will most likely be a split HS/AK day and not a Disney Springs return. I'm just stressing out over the lack of info regarding the new hours once Rivers of Light and the other night offerings open up. If it goes to 9pm like I'm guessing, we'll just stay at AK and spend some time around our hotel after, especially if at AKL. It also depends entirely on if Star Wars pyro is happening or not.

The only reason I'm leaving Epcot on day 2 is because I for sure will be doing 2 days. The big issue I will face is how much there is to see and do at Epcot on a normal day, then add in Food and Wine Festival.

In all honesty, Day 7 may end up being our only day at Disney Springs if we can get a late flight home. That would allow us to stay in Epcot for the entire day 2, which would be what I'd want based on how much there is to see and do (can you guess it's my favorite park?)

 

[Jafar30]

I won't critique because it's your vacation.

 

[akfan513]

You've got great plans! Your plans are great so think of everything I offer as something to consider, not a definite change required. I'm also giving suggestions of some signature restaurants because I see you already done in your plans. Here are my two cents:

Consider one of your MK days eating late at California Grill to watch Wishes. So worth it and if you like wine, the selection is crazy. It will be a magical experience.

The Boathouse has an incredible bar on the water. Just FYI.

On the day you watch the AK ROL, you could get a dinner package at the Nomad Lounge or Tiffins so you are guaranteed great seats.

For what it's worth, Jiko is my favorite restaurant at AKL. The other resaurants are great too.

The Cirque show at DS is awesome.

Sum of All Thrills is a less known ride at Epcot, no FP available, but worth a look while you are there.

AKL tip...the type of Savanna you pick for your room is important. Each Savanna has different animals; some have giraffes and some don't for example. When making your selections, be sure to indicate which Savanna you want. Also, AKL is my favorite, but it's huge so you'll also want to ask to be close to the lobby. Just FYI, the pool at the Jambo House is huge so seems less crowded and maybe more "adultish" while the pool at Kidani Village has the better water slide but is more crowded with more kids. Both are great but two very different feels.

These are just things to consider, your plans are great.

 

[bobafett]

For Epcot, I'd suggest FastPass+ for Soarin' instead of Nemo or Mission Space. Whichever one you drop, just do that at rope drop (if you're there early).

 

[GillianP1301]

Love the detail of your plan. I always advocate for driving everywhere around WDW, but there are exceptions with th MK area resorts. Getting to TTC from WL is not worth the time and wnen we stayed there we used bus and boat for our MK days and drove everywhere else and ot worked out great. Given your plans to drink (which all sound awesome), would be another readon to keave the car parked. Have fun!

 

[SFMommy]

I would NOT use your car with all the drinking you plan on doing!

 

[Matt892]

I would NOT use your car with all the drinking you plan on doing!

Oh trust me, Epcot days and if we do that long night at Disney Springs will definitely be Disney Transportation days. Magic Kingdom day 1 we will monorail to and from Poly/GF and make sure to give plenty of time in park or walking around before even thinking of driving to hotel from TTC. Really I'm debating on even bothering with the car at all.

I've been to CA Grille during Wishes before and while the view is beautiful, the menu wasn't really my style and my friend didn't like the menu when he looked at it either. We both aren't huge wine fans, give us cocktails and craft beer.

I am waiting on Tiffin's menu and prices being posted to see if we want to go there instead of Sanaa on Animal Kingdom day, only time will tell when that info along with night happenings schedules happen.

In regards to Soarin, isn't it a tier A and not a tier b or did that change? If it's B I will switch it from Seas, but if it's an A, I'd rather use my A tier FP on attractions we don't have out here in Disneyland.

In regards to AKL savannahs view requests, I'm trying for an Arusha (that's the one with zebra and giraffe right?) and a 2nd story location closers to lobby. I know requests can't be promised, but I'm hoping weekdays during September are light enough.

 

[mesaboy2]

Oh trust me, Epcot days and if we do that long night at Disney Springs will definitely be Disney Transportation days. Magic Kingdom day 1 we will monorail to and from Poly/GF and make sure to give plenty of time in park or walking around before even thinking of driving to hotel from TTC. Really I'm debating on even bothering with the car at all.

I've been to CA Grille during Wishes before and while the view is beautiful, the menu wasn't really my style and my friend didn't like the menu when he looked at it either. We both aren't huge wine fans, give us cocktails and craft beer.

I am waiting on Tiffin's menu and prices being posted to see if we want to go there instead of Sanaa on Animal Kingdom day, only time will tell when that info along with night happenings schedules happen.

In regards to Soarin, isn't it a tier A and not a tier b or did that change? If it's B I will switch it from Seas, but if it's an A, I'd rather use my A tier FP on attractions we don't have out here in Disneyland.

In regards to AKL savannahs view requests, I'm trying for an Arusha (that's the one with zebra and giraffe right?) and a 2nd story location closers to lobby. I know requests can't be promised, but I'm hoping weekdays during September are light enough.

Soarin', when open, has always been part of Tier 1. See the Priorities/Tiers link in my signature below.

 

[Matt892]

Soarin', when open, has always been part of Tier 1. See the Priorities/Tiers link in my signature below.

That's what I thought, hence not getting it as a priority based on having it out here and having ridden it multiple times each.