DAK or EP for solo commando trip

[bsmcneil]

So - I'll try to be concise (a weakness of mine, lol). I'm doing a solo trip on a basically Wed-Fri (arrive Tuesday afternoon and fly out eeeeearly on Sat AM). A weird fluke happened and I'm trying to make the best of some time; I'm headed back to WDW in late January with my two kiddos (they'll be 9 and 5). I haven't been to WDW since 2015 - so the things that are new to me are Pandora, TSL, and SW:GE. Since I'm going back in Jan, I don't feel the need to do everything. I'm not purchasing hoppers (I've already bought tickets without them - if I hadn't, I would've added a day to get something done on Tuesday - but perhaps it's good that it forces me to settle in) .

I don't even know for sure what my original plans are (very first draft had me getting in late Wed but now that's moved up a full day) - but basically I settled on this:

• Arrive Tues (staying at ASMu) - had been around 6p but SW changed the time to about 4:20. Planned just to grab dinner at a resort and maybe do DS.
• Wed - EP (breakfast somewhere before 11 since it opens so late). F&W seems cool and Soarin' (the previous version) and Expedition Everest are my favorite rides - but originally I thought Soarin' would win out. Plus, I love fireworks, etc. Check into AKL today.
• Thurs - DHS (most of the things I'm super excited about are here)
• Fri - AK during the day and then I got a Boo Bash ticket for the evening. Originally DAK was closing at 5, or maybe 6 - I planned to leave then, get dinner at a monorail resort, and get into MK around 7 to make the most of the time. This seemed a good use of time, given DAK can be a shorter day, etc.

Yeah, it seems a little nuts, lol but I can do commando to some extent (solo, in my 30s - though I also have muscular dystrophy). The whole trip feels like a complete bonus - I won't feel especially disappointed if I can't do anything (though I will favor things that will be hard (if not impossible) to do with the kids). For instance, I'm definitely an adrenaline junkie and this will be the chance to lean into those rides more than things like IASW, PPF, etc. I'm also just interested in getting a feel for the place before I bring two kids (single dad).

With the most recent reports, I'm concerned about wait times for things like Pandora. So, I'm starting to wonder if I should switch EP and DAK - do DAK on Wednesday, giving myself plenty of time to do Pandora (esp without FP+) and Everest (which I won't get to ride as much as I'd like when I return with the kiddos). While I would have a late start for park hours on Friday at Epcot, mostly I want to hit Test Track (given its wait time lately) and Soarin'. If Remy happens to be in a soft opening - great. If not, that's fine. F&W might make things a little bit busier since it's a Friday instead of a Wednesday (TP has the crowd calendar at a 4 both days) but since it's not Sat/Sun, I thought it should be manageable.

So that would make it:

• Wed - DAK (I'd plan to rope drop), it closes at 7. Have a nice dinner somewhere and get some good rest for a very long Thursday.
• Thurs - DHS (rope drop, closes at 9). I can't wait to try SDD and MMRR. I'm obviously interested in SW:GE but I'm not overly familiar with (or fond of) SW - so, it's mostly lost on me. I love ToT/RnRC, and I'll have to see the Muppet show (I would spend every moment with the Muppets if I could).
• Fri - sleep in slightly, breakfast somewhere to fill some time before EP opens at 11 - be there from 11-6 or so and then monorail over to MK for Boo Bash. I will likely just stay up (my flight leaves at 6 - so I think DME would expect to take me at 3 and trying to sleep between 1-3 sounds ridiculous).

I guess as I boil it down - here's what I'm trying to decide:

• Goal for EP: some but not a ton of F&W, Test Track, Soarin' (preferably 2x), FEA, and then SSE and M:S are fine but not hugely important). I definitely want to see the fireworks, though - that was a big part of wanting to have a full day for them.
• Goal for AK: FoP, Navi River, EE (preferably 2x/single rider), and I enjoy Kali/KS, etc but I don't have to do them. I love FOTLK, etc and it seems like there's more that piques my interest in DAK than Epcot (which is weird - I normally love Epcot).

Any thoughts or feedback?

 

[bsmcneil]

I guess I assumed that since I already bought tickets, I couldn't change them and add a day. Is that correct/incorrect? If I could, then I could try to get to the Epcot fireworks on my arrival day...

ETA: I bought tickets from a third-party, which is part of why I assume I can't change them (but obviously am unfamiliar). And I'm not sure what the price difference is between a 3 and 4 day (3 is what I currently have) and whether it's worth it for a fireworks show. Are there ways to see them from anywhere outside the park? I assume not.

 

[valleygirl]

I bought tickets for my September trip through a third-party seller and was able to add a day through MDE when my plans changed.