Going to parks at 3-4pm in summer???

[720L]

I was just wondering since everyone likes to take breaks in the middle of the day because it is so hot will that make it less crowded at the park If so we may grab some frogg toggs and big misting fans and brave the heat

No it's still crowded lol. Sometimes after a long rain it will clear out a little.

 

[maryj11]

No it's still crowded lol. Sometimes after a long rain it will clear out a little.

Dang ! Oh well lol !

 

[mshanson3121]

Don't listen to these people. Go with your plan, it will benefit those of use that like the earlier park times. Honestly though, I have to say we used to be just like you but then we tried the rope drop strategy about five or six years ago and haven't looked back. You can get a lot done first thing in the morning, I didn't believe it until I actually tried it.

I haven't even been yet, but I can see the truth of this, even just playing on Touring Plans. Try making identical 4 hour touring plans, one from 9-1, and the other from 3-7. You'll see the difference. It won't even begin to compare with regards to what you can get done. With the hours you're going to be in the parks, OP, I wouldn't even bother. To me it seems a waste of money, as you are going to see/do very little compared to if you went with RD. It'd be one thing if you were going to stay later, even till 10 or so each night. You could get some pretty good rides in between 8:30-10:00 when everyone else is watching the parade/fireworks etc...

 

[mshanson3121]

We are going the last week of August. It is so hot during the day to do the parks and we are staying at CBR and I don't want to go in am, leave and go back in evening. It's just too much traveling back and forth. We have most of our adr's in the parks or close by, we were thinking of going early afternoon and riding a few rides, dinner and then staying a few more hours. Leaving the parks by 8:30pm ish. Has anyone every used this strategy? We will be using the bus for traveling, so only want to do it once a day. Our 3 children are aged 12, 12 and 6 years.

I admit I'm a bit confused OP. The title of your thread saying arriving at 3 or 4... but in here you are asking about arriving early afternoon, doing some rides, having a dinner and staying a few more hours, leaving by 8:30. Um... the math doesn't add up at all. For starters, "early afternoon" would be 1 or 2, by 4:00 you're at late afternoon. Second, in order for "a few hours after supper" to happen, you'd have to be eating around 4:00 (allowing an hour for supper) - basically the time your title says you plan to arrive, which doesn't give any time for rides.

So...

If your plan is to arrive at 1 (early afternoon), spend the hours of 1-4 doing rides, eating from 4-5 during the highest risk of showers, and then going back out to hit some more rides. Then yes, with FP+ this is not a bad plan. I mean, you're going to be in the park during the absolutely hottest time of the day - but whatever. That doesn't bother some people. And you're going the least crowded week of all summer, so crowds won't be nearly as bad as they would be in say July. Just make sure that you watch the MSEP and Wishes one night.

But, if your plan is to arrive at 3 or even as late as 4, then no, it's an awful plan. By the time you have rain/ride shut downs, supper, you'll get your 3 FP rides done, and that's probably it. IMO that's a waste of money.

Your best bet is to get up, hit each park at RD and play till early afternoon, do a late lunch ADR (around 2:00) and then head back to your hotel. Also, you will not be able to arrive at AK at 3 or 4, since it closes at 5:00.

 

[mshanson3121]

As I said, you don't have to trust me, but I will say that it is very likely that the hours that are curently listed, will likely be extended to 6 or 7.

I am not just making this up. I hit Ak after 2 or 3 all the time. FP+ makes this method even easier.

You are hung up on the HUGE size of Ak, but most of that land is animal enclosures. If you travel the inner circle of Discovery island it's not that huge.

I imagine that if you want to skip most of AK and just do the few rides there are, then sure, 3 or 4 hours is fine. But for people who actually want to REALLY experience AK, who want to do all the trails, take their time to see the animals, do the shows, do the rides etc... then no, that will not work.

 

[mshanson3121]

OP here. Wow, as usual a lot of very strong "opinions". Thanks for all your thoughts. The reason I will not stay at the parks til closing is because I am not fond of crowds and exiting the park with hoards of people and waiting in a bus line with hoards of people is something that I don't enjoy. We will probably leave most of the parks an hour or so before closing. We have done this before and it's nice to leave when everyone and their brother is not trying to get out. We will do some early morning's, especially when we go to MK. We will not always come back to the resort to swim. We will probably have "down days" and other days that we will stay in the parks longer. On the longer days we will just find a place in mid afternoon that is real cold (tough to be a bug, hall of presidents etc)

So then.... what was the point of your post since you've got it all figured out?

 

[MrsDuck]

Personally, this does not sound like much fun to me. It will be very hot in August. I would hit the parks early, take a pool/nap break from lunchtime until about 6 and then head back to the parks.

This is the better plan.

 

[Tomh]

Tomh, going in August, I still think late afternoon is to hot and too high risk for storms at 3-6, so I would still recommend RD.

My. Response to op was that it was doable, but in late August, I don't think it would be fun!

This past Saturday however was wonderful.

Arrived at 230 and caught the 3pm FOTLK

Had 3-4 pm FP for safari, rode it around 345

Then headed to kali with 4-5 FP, rode it around 415

Caught 445 FOW Show

Rode EE around 515 with a 5-6 FP

I pretty much walked on Primevil Hurl at 530 and then caught the 6 pm Nemo show

At 650 I walked on Dinosaur

At 710 I walked out of a pretty much empty park.

I will also add that I have been an Ap holder for many years, so sometimes I skip things, other times I meander the animal trails, etc. I have no urgency to do everything because I know I'll be back

No hard feelings, we present both sides of the story well together If you aren't there during the hottest, busiest time of year, you aren't trying to fit in all the big stuff, I am sure that strategy would work fine. Indeed, it might work even in August, but with the possibility of storms, and the heat, I have no intention of trying it.

I love how your day worked out above . .. arriving at 3 or 4 would make a difference in what you could get done though, at least ruling out FOTLK, and I suspect August heat and crowds, not to mention the possibility of rain might make it worse.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

I was just wondering since everyone likes to take breaks in the middle of the day because it is so hot will that make it less crowded at the park If so we may grab some frogg toggs and big misting fans and brave the heat

My favorite quote from the Late Night Tips thread was this: "What the rope drop fanatics don't seem to realize is that once all of them leave for their naps and swimming the parks are not as crowded as they think."

 

[720L]

My favorite quote from the Late Night Tips thread was this: "What the rope drop fanatics don't seem to realize is that once all of them leave for their naps and swimming the parks are not as crowded as they think."

The only park I ever notice get a little less busy is Animal Kingdom. Otherwise during the summer the busy never ends. IMO And we don't take breaks usually.

 

[Storm98]

I envy people who can plan out there days so well. I gave up on my family on our first trip only after a few days. I had all these wonderful notions of getting up early, taking breaks in the afternoon and going back to the parks later on. All of that happened but not as planned. I was changing ADR's the day before cause plans were changing as we went along. As soon as I was able to adjust my expectations and be flexible we all found pleasures in the simplest of things and had an amazing trip. Even though I was up at 7 am itching to get going I learnt to enjoy my quiet coffee by the pool as the gang slept and on those days they slept in really late I got to enjoy the pool when it first opened and the pool was usually empty
Our family has since gone several time and every trip is still different and magical. I hope you figure out a plan of action that works for your family and have a magical trip.

 

[kandb]

There are always a few diser's that have to get nasty. Thanks to all the helpful people, I appreciate it. I was trying to look for a way to not have to go in the morning, going back to the resort and then going back to the parks at night. I just don't like the idea of all the traveling. We are going to the parks for 10 days and are not commando type people and want to enjoy a lot of time at the resort at the pool. We will probably do some parks earlier then others. We are having dinner a lot of nights in Epcot, so will probably arrive a little later there. We will figure it out, but I was just looking for a way to do it without going back and forth. Thanks everyone

 

[maxiesmom]

My favorite quote from the Late Night Tips thread was this: "What the rope drop fanatics don't seem to realize is that once all of them leave for their naps and swimming the parks are not as crowded as they think."

Yeah they are. Not that many people leave.

OP--To be honest, I am a huge proponent of hitting the parks for rope drop. Going in the middle of the afternoon, when the parks are at their hottest, sounds miserable to me. However, I do want to let you know that even if you stay until close, you don't have to be swallowed up in the mass of everyone leaving. If you want to see fireworks, just pick your spot with care. In the Magic Kingdom, watch from by the flag pole right at the start of Main Street. You will be one of the first ones out of the park. And if you don't want to wait in a crowded bus queue, have a little taxi fare on hand.

 

[maryj11]

There are always a few diser's that have to get nasty. Thanks to all the helpful people, I appreciate it. I was trying to look for a way to not have to go in the morning, going back to the resort and then going back to the parks at night. I just don't like the idea of all the traveling. We are going to the parks for 10 days and are not commando type people and want to enjoy a lot of time at the resort at the pool. We will probably do some parks earlier then others. We are having dinner a lot of nights in Epcot, so will probably arrive a little later there. We will figure it out, but I was just looking for a way to do it without going back and forth. Thanks everyone

I dont like the idea of traveling to and from the resort either. It just seems like a chore. What we are doing is arriving around 3 or 4 scheduling a fastpass or 2 and then making a dinner reservation around 5:30. We will then stay until closing (maybe evening EMH) which I think a couple hours before closing crowds drop off if you are at a park that stays open late. I may be wrong but from what I have read it seems rope drop and a couple hours before closing will have about the same crowd levels and temps ?

 

[maryj11]

Removing this post. I dont know how I ended up posting the same thing .

 

[mshanson3121]

There are always a few diser's that have to get nasty. Thanks to all the helpful people, I appreciate it. I was trying to look for a way to not have to go in the morning, going back to the resort and then going back to the parks at night. I just don't like the idea of all the traveling. We are going to the parks for 10 days and are not commando type people and want to enjoy a lot of time at the resort at the pool. We will probably do some parks earlier then others. We are having dinner a lot of nights in Epcot, so will probably arrive a little later there. We will figure it out, but I was just looking for a way to do it without going back and forth. Thanks everyone

I don't think anyone got nasty at all. Just most people feel strongly about not wasting your money on a bad plan My comment was not intended to be nasty, sorry if it came off that way. Your last reply indicated that you had a very well thought out plan of how to break everything up, and really kind of went against what you had asked in the first place (saying you'd stay until an hour before close, but then in your OP saying you wanted to leave by 8:30), so between all that, the contradictions in your title, your initial post, then your follow up... honestly, I was just confused. I really wasn't sure why you'd posted or what you were looking for.

At any rate, I don't think anyone can really add anything. You already seem to have it planned out and you've obviously thought it out very well and mixing it all up that way sounds like a good plan.

 

[kandb]

The reason I posted this was to see if anyone ever followed this plan for the parks. I wanted to know the pros/cons of going to the parks later. Most
people gave good advice (someone mentioned about storms, which I didn't put into the mix, a lot mentioned about the heat being the worst the part
of the day we would be arriving). I posted to try to get some advice from visitors who do the parks at that time of the year.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Arriving at 4pm really limits your time in the parks when you have ADR's unless the parks are open until midnight. Plus it's still going to be hot and humid.

I would either stay later or go a bit earlier in the day like around 2pm even though it will be hot and humid so you can do more touring.

I've only arrived at 4pm on my arrival day and stayed until the park closed.