Half Day park

[brad813]

I am posting this here instead of the Theme Park Strategies board because it specifically relates to what one person can get done in just a few hours. I arrive at Disney around 3pm and was thinking either Hollywood Studios or Epcot, but am open to other suggestions if it is possible to get through the bulk of the attractions prior to closing. This will not be my last trip to Disney this year(I have trips planned in April/May, August, and September as well).

 

[GBRforWDW]

I am posting this here instead of the Theme Park Strategies board because it specifically relates to what one person can get done in just a few hours. I arrive at Disney around 3pm and was thinking either Hollywood Studios or Epcot, but am open to other suggestions if it is possible to get through the bulk of the attractions prior to closing. This will not be my last trip to Disney this year(I have trips planned in April/May, August, and September as well).

What day of the week are you going and how soon? If mid week, you can get quite a bit done in either park.

on a Sunday night in early January, we were able to ride in the final hour mmrr once and tsm and as2 twice each. We could have easily gotten on sdd. (we arrived at 5 and shopped for an hour then had a post closing time adr at 50’s prime time). But adding in more hours, I’m sure you’d be able to get on all the rides you want at least once.

 

[brad813]

What day of the week are you going and how soon? If mid week, you can get quite a bit done in either park.

on a Sunday night in early January, we were able to ride in the final hour mmrr once and tsm and as2 twice each. We could have easily gotten on sdd. (we arrived at 5 and shopped for an hour then had a post closing time adr at 50’s prime time). But adding in more hours, I’m sure you’d be able to get on all the rides you want at least once.

I ended up having to change my plans around. This was originally for a Tuesday with a 3pm arrival, but I ended up having to move my half day to Sunday and do a full day on Wednesday for my early March trip. Decided to do a Hollywood Studios day on Wednesday and a half day in Animal Kingdom on Sunday before flying home, and just relaxing in Disney Springs on arrival day.

 

[GBRforWDW]

That makes sense. Not a whole lot to do in AK right now and ride times are fairly short in the morning, so you should be able to do everything you want to do in a half day. Enjoy your trip!

 

[brad813]

That makes sense. Not a whole lot to do in AK right now and ride times are fairly short in the morning, so you should be able to do everything you want to do in a half day. Enjoy your trip!

Also allows me to cut one hotel night off my trip. Thank you. Just trying to use up a ten day ticket that got extended and expiration period removed from, so have a few trips planned this year.

 

[EsmeCullen]

I can usually finish AK within a few hours depending on if I choose to do the safari or not. I also use the single rider line on Everest.

 

[brad813]

I can usually finish AK within a few hours depending on if I choose to do the safari or not. I also use the single rider line on Everest.

I have to be out at 1pm and headed back to my hotel to get my bags, so the only real options are AK or MK for a half day. Never been to either.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I have to be out at 1pm and headed back to my hotel to get my bags, so the only real options are AK or MK for a half day. Never been to either.

I think you'll be fine, just get there at or before park opening if you're wanting to do pandora rides. Get on FoP before the line gets long, then hopefully when you're done there, Navi River won't be too bad. If it is, I'd skip and do later. Morning wait times are almost always really low for the other rides in the park.

 

[brad813]

I think you'll be fine, just get there at or before park opening if you're wanting to do pandora rides. Get on FoP before the line gets long, then hopefully when you're done there, Navi River won't be too bad. If it is, I'd skip and do later. Morning wait times are almost always really low for the other rides in the park.

Been thinking a DAS card may be helpful as well, given I likely would qualify for one with my medical conditions. Not as useful as when combined with Fastpasses, but would effectively be a fastpass if issued.

 

[TwentyThingamabobs]

If you’re only concerned with rides, AK is definitely your best bet.

 

[brad813]

If you’re only concerned with rides, AK is definitely your best bet.

It kind of became a moot point when one of my non-Disney plans got shifted due to a closure, giving me two full days at Disney instead. Though, for the record, mainly rides and food.

 

[Alicefan]

For me, it used to be AK as a half day park but these days (if I go at all) it's DHS. With no chance in hell of getting a boarding pass to RotR there just isn't enough to do in that park to make it worth a full day. Then again, I'm not one to wait in a line that's posted at over about 40 minutes. I go enough so that if I miss some things, I'll survive lol. One thing I can tell you is that if you're staying on property, definitely go back to your room for mid day. Even in February and back in early November, that mid day heat is BRUTAL with a mask on. I think I would have tolerated it better if I could breathe the fresh air, but the least bit of sun was making me a beast! Also, strangely, I got fried like an egg and my friend who is just as pale as me...as you can see in my profile pic, did not get ANY sun??? We did exactly the same things all day but I came out with a pretty nifty farmers burn lol. We both put the same sunscreen on our faces but my face still got sun and hers didn't. Maaaaybe the fact that I obviously absorb sun like a sponge is why I have zero tolerance for any form of heat? Anyway, avoid the heat, Love, Princess Elsa lol

 

[brad813]

For me, it used to be AK as a half day park but these days (if I go at all) it's DHS. With no chance in hell of getting a boarding pass to RotR there just isn't enough to do in that park to make it worth a full day. Then again, I'm not one to wait in a line that's posted at over about 40 minutes. I go enough so that if I miss some things, I'll survive lol. One thing I can tell you is that if you're staying on property, definitely go back to your room for mid day. Even in February and back in early November, that mid day heat is BRUTAL with a mask on. I think I would have tolerated it better if I could breathe the fresh air, but the least bit of sun was making me a beast! Also, strangely, I got fried like an egg and my friend who is just as pale as me...as you can see in my profile pic, did not get ANY sun??? We did exactly the same things all day but I came out with a pretty nifty farmers burn lol. We both put the same sunscreen on our faces but my face still got sun and hers didn't. Maaaaybe the fact that I obviously absorb sun like a sponge is why I have zero tolerance for any form of heat? Anyway, avoid the heat, Love, Princess Elsa lol

I go straight to tan, so just genetics there. Unfortunately, I won’t be staying on property(too expensive and no real benefits any longer), but I should qualify for a DAS pass so that would help. Heat doesn’t mix with two of my medical conditions for different reasons. I live in Virginia, so it’s an hour and a half flight for me, but I usually don’t get down that much, though I have three trips this year. Since I posted this thread, part of my plans shifted so that a second full day opened up. Decided on Epcot for a half day so I could just take my time, get a good dinner, and shop a bit on arrival day, with some rides mixed in. First full day is AK and HS for the second one(which the crowd calendars put at near empty, so I am taking advantage).

 

[Alicefan]

I go straight to tan, so just genetics there. Unfortunately, I won’t be staying on property(too expensive and no real benefits any longer), but I should qualify for a DAS pass so that would help. Heat doesn’t mix with two of my medical conditions for different reasons. I live in Virginia, so it’s an hour and a half flight for me, but I usually don’t get down that much, though I have three trips this year. Since I posted this thread, part of my plans shifted so that a second full day opened up. Decided on Epcot for a half day so I could just take my time, get a good dinner, and shop a bit on arrival day, with some rides mixed in. First full day is AK and HS for the second one(which the crowd calendars put at near empty, so I am taking advantage).

I hear ya! I always pick the parks with no extra magic hours and try to go when I think it will be the least crowded. It seems these days there are no least crowded times anymore. Universal still has them so that's a plus!

 

[brad813]

I hear ya! I always pick the parks with no extra magic hours and try to go when I think it will be the least crowded. It seems these days there are no least crowded times anymore. Universal still has them so that's a plus!

Disney cut down EMH to EMHH(Extra Magic Half Hour), and is doing away with Magical Express, so the big benefits are going away. This trip is 2.5 days Disney, a day at Discovery Cove (1300 guests a day max under normal circumstances, less currently), and the equivalent of two days at SeaWorld for their food festival. My April trip is MK(Dapper Day outing day 1), HS with a friend, and a day trip to St. Augustine that I still need to book a specific date for.

 

[Raech]

I can usually finish AK within a few hours depending on if I choose to do the safari or not. I also use the single rider line on Everest.

Are they doing single rider at WDW? What rides?

 

[brad813]

Are they doing single rider at WDW? What rides?

Expedition Everest at AK, Test Track at Epcot, and Rock n Roller Coaster at HS are the only single rider lines I know of, but I don’t know if they are currently active.

 

[Raech]

Expedition Everest at AK, Test Track at Epcot, and Rock n Roller Coaster at HS are the only single rider lines I know of, but I don’t know if they are currently active.

I highly doubt it. But good to know for the future.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Are they doing single rider at WDW? What rides?

Single rider lines are not currently available, sadly. The attractions that had them pre-COVID were Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Test Track.

 

[brad813]

Single rider lines are not currently available, sadly. The attractions that had them pre-COVID were Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Test Track.

That explains my experience with Smugglers Run at least, and why I got stuck as an engineer to awful pilots.