Going back & forth over MK strategy

[SnoopyB]

Just me & DH going on morning extra magic day end of Aug. Should we head over to Tomorrowland first or do Fantasyland?
I will be going to the Extra Magic Hr (staying onsite) from 8-9am. The park hrs that day are 8-10pm.

This is what was thinking:

TL: Get FP for Space, ride Buzz 2x
FL: Pooh, PeterPan then PhilarMagic
I figure it should be 9am or a little after by then (Is this realistic? my DH laughed when he saw this! lol)
FL: SnowWhite
LSq: Huanted Mansion
FrontL: Get FP for Big Thunder RR
AL: Jungle Cruise, Pirates
FrontL: Ride Big Thunder RR
take railroad to Toontown/Tomorrowland to ride Space & have lunch.

HOWEVER, it seems alot of people head to Fantasy 1st then get to FrontL by 9am. If I do that I'm afraid that by the time I get to Tomorrowland there would be long waits for Buzz & Space...

FL: Pooh, PeterPan then PhilarMagic
9am
FL: SnowWhite
LSq: Huanted Mansion
FrontL: Get FP for Big Thunder RR
AL: Jungle Cruise, Pirates
FrontL: Ride Big Thunder RR
NOW take railroad to Toontown/Tomorrowland to ride Space & Buzz & have lunch - Problem: It would probably be about 11:45-12:00 so I don't know if there would be long lines. Even if we FP Space & wait in line for Buzz, we wouldn't be able to ride Buzz 2x b/c of the line.

Please help!
thanks

 

[Nadjalu]

What time does MK open that day?

I figure 8am...so no your first part isn't realistic. Sorry.
Not only will Buzz have a good line, Pooh and Peter Pan will be quite long. I would say you may be able to do those things along with Philharmagic by 11am or so.

To then add SnowWhite, fp for BTMRR, and the rest of your stuff, no way to have that done by lunch.
You may get that all in by 2-3pm. Just being realistic.

What you are suggesting even in low crowds are going to take you longer than you are thinking.

To do the park at "normal" speed, takes all day adding in lunch. So doing the "bulk" of it before lunch probably isn't going to work.

Is there a reason you need this all done by lunch?

 

[SnoopyB]

Sorry for not being more specific. I will be going to the Extra Magic Hr (staying onsite) from 8-9am. The park hrs that day are 8-10pm

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

End of August isn't that busy, you don't need to worry. You can easily do both Space Mtn and Buzz AND hit some FL attractions before 9am on an EMH day in late August.

Stick with Plan 1 and prepared a big fat I told you so dance for your DH when you get it all done by 9.
FWIW some of your early morning options like Philharmagicm, Snow and Haunted Mansion will have little to no lines all day so hitting the big attractions first thing would save you more time and come back to those later when the other lines were getting longer.

 

[SnoopyB]

Okay thanks! I put in PhilarMagic b/c I figured to get this in while the rest of the rides hadn't open yet. And the others, b/c they are close to Fantasy but I see what your saying.

 

[Bouncin-Tigger]

The before 9 am should work especially early, but I hope you are not dragging lil ones thru that schedule in the heat without throwing in an hour or so to sit down and eat and snack. Thats alot of walking and waiting in the sun.

 

[cel_disney]

We usually go in September when its been 100 degrees and very humid..with our 3 year old in toe, we have accomplished the following during the EMH and the first hour of the official park opening (so 2 hours total):

Dumbo, Small World, Pooh, Peter Pan, Indy Cars, Space, and Buzz AND Buzz Lightyear photos in TL..

We got FPs for Buzz so we could ride twice if the lines got long - the FP time was 20 or 30 minutes after we got it so it was a no brainer

I dont know enough about the crowd level you are going to be hitting, but I find that you can be VERY productive that time of day.

I would second the recommendation to skip Philharmagic until later in the day though - its pretty long and I've never seen it with a wait - heck, they usually are giving out 'bonus' fast passes for it at the pooh ride when we have been there!

Happy travels!

 

[torinsmom]

You should be able to get a FP for Space Mountain and ride BL twice all within the first 15 minutes if you get there before opening, then head over and do Peter Pan and Pooh with a short wait. I would then get a FP for BTMRR if your time for SM has come, then ride HM, then head over to POTC and Jungle Cruise. Pretty much what your first plan was. I would not do Fantasy Land first unless you were trying for Dumbo.

 

[bjakmom]

We'll be there too! The end of Aug is scorching!! hot, so we like to hit all the 'outside' rides where we're standing in hot queues first thing (pan, snow white, pooh, splash, BTM, jungle cruise) - we save Philharmagic, pirates, HOP, etc for after lunch when we NEED to be in the air-conditioned queues and longer rides- we collect FPs for Space, Buzz, etc to use later in the day, too. In other words - we mostly plan by 'heat/comfort level' at that time of year - lol! Other than that your plan sounds great. Enjoy!
The early EMH are crucial in the summer IMHO - and even be there early so you are at the front of the line at 8AM.

 

[SnoopyB]

Thanks! I adjust my plans based on the suggestions.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

What you can get done goes slightly beyond just saying you'll be there in August. There is always some variability to how crowded that parks will be and you'llhave to play it by ear a bit.

I also agree that often the biggest throng heads to Fantasyland first. Sometimes it's a good strategy;sometimes it's best to hit TL first.

Rides that build lines quickly on your list: Space, Peter Pan, BTMRR,
Minimal lines: Philarmagic, Snow White,
In between: HM, Pooh, Buzz, JC, PotC,

If you want to maximize the number of rides, you should probably focus on the big line attractions first and getting fastpasses - then do the lesser attractions later - when BTMRR lines are at their peak. You can pretty much safely do Philarmagic any time of day with a minimal wait. Always you have to wait between 0min and the length of the show. Rarely you have to wait the length of slightly more than the length of one show, but that's as long as I've ever had to wait - even during Easter week.

Sometimes it pays to do a little extra walking and use more fastpasses; sometimes you are better off NOT using fastpasses - or only using a few.

It also depends a little how you repond to heat. I'm all for the idea that whatever rides you complete - you leave the park around 2pm at the latest.

People are strange in that many to most are REALLY locked into the idea of eating lunch between 12 and 1pm. The park gets crowded around 11am, but LOTS of folks stop to eat lunch. After lunch until baout 4pm crowds are at their peak, heat/humidity is at it's peak, and thunderstorms/downpours are most likely. Grab an ice cream bar at 11:45, or a snack at 11:30 or something to avoid the lunch rush - then eat lunch after 1:30pm.

I disagree that Pooh and Buzz will automatically have a long line by 8:30am. It really depends on the crowd level that day. Ther's also always a whim factor. If a very large tour group goes toa certain attraction it will throw thigns off. Flexibility is key - sometimes it's best to drop an attraction off your list in favor of three others. Also, - posted wait times are sometimes wildly incorrect.

If however, the park is crowded - then yeah, you may have to reduce your list a little. No point in fretting too much now. You won't really know until lyou are there what the crowd that day is going to be like. Having a gneral idea of what you want to d is good - getting set on a certain list is BAD. When lines are short - KEEP GOING! When lines get long, you get hot, tired, you start to fight, etc - STOP!

 

[SnoopyB]

Yeah, I'm starting to realize more and more as I'm planning that I really can't plan too much b/c there are so many variables that may throw things off. Even walking speed can "throw off" a plan, lol. Right now I'm trying to go with the mindset that I have a plan in hand to keep me sort of on track of what we want to do and not waste time staring at a map, but realize that things may go amiss and to just go with the flow.

PS - Last night when I showed my DH the "plan" for Epcot he said, hey let's just get there in the morning and go with whatever we want to do.

Huh..yeah..I'm not there yet, maybe next trip, hon.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Yeah, I'm starting to realize more and more as I'm planning that I really can't plan too much b/c there are so many variables that may throw things off. Even walking speed can "throw off" a plan, lol. Right now I'm trying to go with the mindset that I have a plan in hand to keep me sort of on track of what we want to do and not waste time staring at a map, but realize that things may go amiss and to just go with the flow.

PS - Last night when I showed my DH the "plan" for Epcot he said, hey let's just get there in the morning and go with whatever we want to do.

Huh..yeah..I'm not there yet, maybe next trip, hon.

Yes, I'm a fairly quick walker, and walking times can vary quite a bit depending on crowd levels.

Y'now, for the most part, we've done everything enough times now that I'm in less of a hurry than I used to be. I still use stragegy, but I'm long past the idea of a set plan. We go wherever we feel like going- but mostly whatever has a short line. (or get a fastpass). Chances are, later the line will be shorter.

Your DH is correct about Epcot. There's really only 2 Fastpass attractions: Soarin' and Test Track. In any park, We'll hit one FP attraction early and get a FP for a second early in the day. At Epcot if you get those two attractions early in the day, and MAYBE Mission:SPACE - you're free.

You can do everything else at your own pace. Unless it's a major holiday, not much else gets much of a line. Much of what there is to see at Epcot is stuff to look at: shops, displays, live aquariums, gardens. It's very worth seeing, but you don't have to follow any specific sequence. There's a few live shows in the WS at specific times, but you can't see them all. If you wander over that way in the afternoon, you're bound to hit at least one. You can't see all of Epcot in one day, and you couldn't see all the shows in one day. So we find we're WAY better off NOT thinking too much and just going with the flow. Mostly, if you push adults to much, they will revolt. Epcot is the best park to be laid back.

I will add a plug for the Capt. Eo show. I was not a huge MJ fan, but it's him in his early 80's prime - and SOOOO captures that era. It's a real hoot.

Last, (in all parks) we do use in-line time (or at least we used to ) to plot our next move: an attraction, eating, bathroom, back to the room? It's a good time for that sort of thing, and often more than enough advance planning espeically with kids. They tend to live in the moment.