Deciding which parks to do which day

[sara1215]

How do you determine which parks to do which days? We have 4 1/2 days to spend in the parks. I know I want 2 MK days, 1 AK day, 1 HS day, and the other half day will either be down time or we will go back to our favorite.

That said, my thoughts now are on how to decide which parks to go to on which days. I'm currently thinking I'll make that decision based on which ADRs I'm able to get at the 180 day mark. So whatever day BOG is available, that will be my MK day and so forth.

Does anyone have any other recommendations on how to do it? Which park is best to go to first (although that's likely a matter of opinion)? Any other tips?

 

[Ashley Saunders]

I always do MK for the first day. It really welcomes you into the magic of Disney. I never have a huge preference after that. It depends on ADRs, weather, extra magic hours, ect.

 

[sara1215]

How far in advance do they post which parks have extra magic hours on which days?

 

[harrowgirl]

I check crowd calendars at touringplans.com and easywdw.com and try to pick the least crowded park

 

[harrowgirl]

But yes - adrs can dictate things if you don't have hoppers

 

[Ashley Saunders]

Currently park hours and magic hours are posted up until January 20, 2016. Here is a link that will help you determine the certain times. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars/2015-11-02/

 

[ladybugJ]

These hours can change, but this document should be helpful. http://media.disneywebcontent.com/StaticFiles/ParkHours/WDWTravelAgent_february.pdf

 

[CdnCarrie]

Crowd calendars at Easywdw.com.

 

[minnie mum]

We choose our park days based on the recommended parks on the crowd calendars. We've used easywdw.com for the last few trips. The preliminary calendar for February was put up yesterday.

We find it best to select our parks first and then base our ADRs on those. That way we aren't forced to go to a park on a nonrecommended day when it will be more crowded.

 

[herewegoga]

Check the crowd calendars and plan your dining and park days accordingly. I pick whichever parks have the lowest predicted crowds each day. If we have park hoppers we usually go MK if it has evening magic hours also.

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

We use easywdw. I know how many days we do at each park (generally 3 MK, 2 Epcot, 1.5 AK and 1.5 DHS) then I just fit them in on Josh's recommended days. And then we pick our ADRs from there.

 

[22Tink]

I definitely used the crowd calendars to choose my days and booked my ADRs accordingly. Hopefully my FP+ will work with our days, too! If not, we have hoppers and can bounce around.

 

[ZoZo]

Crowd calendars at Easywdw.com.

Me, too. Easywdw.com gives great park recommendations for each day, and even gives you the rationale behind the recommendations. They post this info at least six months out, so it's helpful when you're picking your ADRs. Hasn't steered me wrong yet!

 

[KathyNY76]

Any particular reason you are skipping Epcot? A half day could work to do the rides in the front of the park at least.

 

[sara1215]

Any particular reason you are skipping Epcot? A half day could work to do the rides in the front of the park at least.

My kids are younger and I'm not sure it would be interesting to them, based on what I've heard from others. I'm not totally ruling it out yet, because there are some good characters there. We aren't getting park hoppers, though. But it might be a good option for the last half day before we fly home.

 

[Nancyg56]

I check crowd calendars at touringplans.com and easywdw.com and try to pick the least crowded park

I do as well. The crowd calendars are always my guide.

We choose our park days based on the recommended parks on the crowd calendars. We've used easywdw.com for the last few trips. The preliminary calendar for February was put up yesterday.

We find it best to select our parks first and then base our ADRs on those. That way we aren't forced to go to a park on a nonrecommended day when it will be more crowded.

I agree. I refuse to try to make parks work around ADR's. I think for us, it makes more sense to make park plans and then find ADR's that are convenient.

OP- I know you said that you did not think your kids would enjoy Epcot, but I would at least reconsider. Epcot was and is one of my DGD's favorite parks.

 

[v3rs3]

I always look at the crowd calendars and stay away from the park with EMH. Although, we go where we feel like going or where we have an ADR.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

This may be overkill, but I actually check out four different crowd calendars! I start with Touring Plans and come up with a tentative schedule of which park which days. Then I create a little chart. List the days I'll be there down the left side, along with tentative parks. Then across the top I have columns for Touring Plans, EasyWDW, Kenny the Pirate, and Undercover Tourist (all have their own crowd calendars). I go through and put the numbers in for Touring Plans and then have a +, -, X (positive, neutral, negative) for each of the others. Gives me a quick glance at the consensus for each park. If they really disagree with Touring Plans, I'll adjust.

Then I do the ADRs based on that, followed by FPs. All seems to fall into place pretty well!

One exception is that arrival day is ALWAYS Magic Kingdom! We arrive late morning and HAVE to spend a few hours there to kick things off!

 

[karly05]

Rule #1 - I will never again go to MK on a Saturday. Went there on a Saturday night once, all the way back in '99 on an otherwise good trip for crowd levels, and I was like, "Where did all these people come from!?" Hopped to Epcot and it was so beautiful and peaceful... MK is hectic enough any more as it is, no reason to make it worse.

I like the crowd calendars at EasyWDW - although at the moment, they have me pulling my hair out! I was already making a mental plan for next April based on the best park days from my April trip this year - but I just looked at Josh's preliminary crowd calendar for February, and everything is different! EMHs have all shifted around, so last year's good days in one park are now bad days and vice versa. I don't know how much will change between now and when his April calendar comes out, but I'm suddenly having to rethink all my park days! I'll have a hopper, which is good, because I know I'm going to end up going against recommendations for at least a few hours at some point.

 

[Flynnismine]

Crowd calendars at Easywdw.com.

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