DHS Planning Question

[GeorgiaHoo]

Thinking about staying at Grand Floridian for our late September trip. For this entire trip we intend to relax at the resort during the day and go to the parks in the afternoon/evening, so no morning rope drop. Current plan is to reserve MK for each day (because it's the closest to Grand Floridian) and then park hop in the afternoon to wherever we feel like going.

Will we be able to ride any of the new Star Wars rides if we don't go to DHS first thing in the morning? TIA.

 

[FCDub]

You'll be able to stand in line for the Millennium Falcon, but there is no regular line for Rise of the Resistance. That is only available through twice-daily boarding group distribution at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. – not available to those who park hop after 2 p.m.

 

[FCDub]

And a reminder that you will need to enter MK each day before you can hop to a different park after 2 p.m.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

You'll be able to stand in line for the Millennium Falcon, but there is no regular line for Rise of the Resistance. That is only available through twice-daily boarding group distribution at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. – not available to those who park hop after 2 p.m.

Thanks. Not great news but not surprising.

 

[Gehrig1B]

Grab a DHS reservation. You don’t have to be there to get a Rise of the Resistance boarding group. Get your boarding pass while at GF, head over to DHS at your leisure that day… Use the Skyliner to hop over to EPCOT when you want. Rise is worth the effort. Only fly in the ointment is if your boarding pass is a low number and even then, in most cases you can still ride Rise if you arrive after your time closes.

 

[Robo]

Current plan is to reserve MK for each day (because it's the closest to Grand Floridian) and then park hop in the afternoon to wherever we feel like going.

I'd rethink that, as it's not a great plan.
It is actually more limiting than freeing.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

I'd rethink that, as it's not a great plan.
It is actually more limiting than freeing.

Why do you say that (and what's the alternative)? I'd like to have park hoppers since we will go to a park some mornings, but no idea which, and I want to be able to go wherever in the afternoons/evenings. My concern is that we currently have to reserve a park for the day and I have no idea which park we'll go to each day. Certainly MK a few times, and AK and DHS at least once.

This is admittedly a new approach for us because we (maybe I should say "I") have always been a rope drop family so we can hit the headliners without lines, but this trip isn't going to be that. We are going to sleep in, hang out at the pool, and then head to a park later in the day. Trying to figure out how best to make that work so that we can ride some of the rides we'd like to. Those rides includes Splash, Big Thunder, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion at MK; Tower of Terror, Toy Story and Rock n Roller Coaster at DHS (bonus if we can get the Star Wars rides); Safari, Everest and FOP at Animal Kingdom. And ideally we aren't standing in line for more than 30 minutes for anything.

I really appreciate any thoughts here since this is a completely different touring approach than we've ever used.

 

[Gehrig1B]

The real problem here in my opinion is you are giving up the best time of the day… It will be very hot and lines will be long when you begin your day at MK. I agree with Robo, not the best plan.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

The real problem here in my opinion is you are giving up the best time of the day… It will be very hot and lines will be long when you begin your day at MK. I agree with Robo, not the best plan.

Oh, I get that. But getting on all the rides isn't the critical factor here. If it was then we'd be up at 6 am to make rope drop. But this is something like our 10th trip to Disney World (with a few to Disneyland thrown in too) and it's adults only. So we don't need to do every ride at the parks. I'd like to do the ones mentioned above and trying to figure out how to do that, although I guess my original question is how to do the Star Wars rides. This is supposed to be a relaxing vacation, and in all the years I've been to Disney there's been very little relaxation.

On edit, what I'm really hoping for is Disney extends the park hours to something like 10-11 PM. But yeah, I absolutely understand that if you want to ride the rides with minimal wait then sleeping in and relaxing at the pool is not the way to make that happen.

 

[Gehrig1B]

I guess my original question is how to do the Star Wars rides

You will have to make at least one reservation for Hollywood Studios then, and arise before 7:00 am To get a boarding group. Sorry, but no other way.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

You will have to make at least one reservation for Hollywood Studios then, and arise before 7:00 am To get a boarding group. Sorry, but no other way.

Thanks again. Just booked the room at Grand Floridian (never stayed there so hoping its awesome) and reserved DHS for one day. Really appreciate your feedback.

 

[Gary Stocker]

Thanks again. Just booked the room at Grand Floridian (never stayed there so hoping its awesome) and reserved DHS for one day. Really appreciate your feedback.

Actually you don't need to be there by 7a as you can try for a boarding group anywhere as long as you have a park pass for HS. The 1p boarding groups you need to be physically there.

Edited for old eyes..i saw "arise" as "arrive". Old gray mare ain't what he used to be.. the 1p part is correct though.

 

[Robo]

Old gray mare ain't what he used to be...

That would be some trick if "he" was...

 

[Gary Stocker]

Yeah...its sort of a play on a simpsons gag. I tend to pull these out in every day life more than I should.