Having trouble planning which park which day?

[Mnshorty2]

So we are going on our first trip in December (surprising the kids (ages 7 and 9) the day we leave!!) and I am struggling with trying to decide which park to go to each day. It is so overwhelming!! We fly down 12/9, parks 12/10-13 with Mickeys christmas party on the 12th. We will leave on the 13th in the afternoon to drive over to cocoa beach (kids have never seen the ocean!!) Since we booked late, I am still struggling to find reservations but will keep looking at that, and deciding which park which day will help. So any ideas or recommendations is greatly appreciated!! I have been scouring the internet and this site for ideas!!

Thanks so much you guys

 

[100AcreWood]

I start by checking undercover tourist and touring plans, sometimes easy wdw to see their crowd calendars. I compare the three, decide which park seems the least crowded on the days I'm planning to go. Sometimes I change things based on when I can get FP+ reservations but you should be in a good condition there since the window isn't open yet. Which parks are you planning to visit?

 

[Klayfish]

Honestly, this question is sort of like asking what is your favorite color. Not at all trying to be "snarky", just that it's a very subjective answer. I personally think the right answer is "Pick the park you want to go to on any day". Don't worry about all the tiny details, such as "Epcot is busiest on Thursday...when it's sunny, and 84 degrees, but only if the tide is going out" or "This touring website says Park A is going to be 3.4% more crowded on Thursday". Forget it. It's all going to be new to you, so just pick a park, pick a day and don't look back.

For our own $.02, we start each and every trip at Magic Kingdom. Why? Well, it's the "heart" of WDW, in our opinion. It was the first park, and it's the one most associated with WDW. It's complete, total quintessential Disney and we love it for that reason. Walking through the front gate and onto Main Street USA is something that still gives me goose bumps...and I've done it dozens and dozens of times. From there, since you've got 4 days, do one park per day. The order doesn't matter. What do the kids like most (not sure if they're boy/girl, boy/boy, girl/girl)? Maybe the park that would have the least amount of attractions that suit their tastes is the one you do on the 13th, since it's a shorter day for you. If it were me...and it's just my own feeling, so it's not "right", I would do...

12/10 - MK
12/11 - Epcot
12/12- AK (back to MK at night for MVMCP)
12/13 - HS

That doesn't mean HS is my least favorite park...in fact it has my favorite ride in all of WDW (RnR). It's just how I'd order things.

I can't help with dining reservations, we bring all of our food in. But as far as FP+ goes, keep trying...you should be able to get almost anything you want.

 

[earfulofmagic]

I completely agree with Klayfish. Also like the plan he wrote out for you.

Personally, I look at park hours, EMH, and nighttime shows, then go from there.

Do you have parkhopper tickets, or base tickets?

IMO dining reservations are somewhat overrated (and the food experiences exaggerated). If this were us, we would try to do no more than 1-2 a day for the length of your trip.

 

[Mnshorty2]

Thanks so much for your feedback! I know it is a tough thing to give advice for, I just really appreciate anything I can get not having been to Disney since I was 5 (um...a really long time ago....) Only thing is we would miss the night time show at HS- is that a deal breaker at all or will we have seen enough fireworks by that time? We have base tickets, and it is a 7 year old boy and 9 year old girl. Thanks again! Any other advice on planning is appreciated more than you guys will know!!!

 

[Ava]

I don't think anything is a deal breaker. Since this is your kids first trip, and your first trip in a long time, no one will know what they're missing.

I would dedicate one full day (plus MVMCP) to MK. I would also do HS on one of your 1/2 days, since so much is closed there now. For Epcot & AK, decide which one appeals to your family most and spend your 2nd full day there; spend a 1/2 day at the other one before MVMCP.

As far as dining reservations, I agree with the PP that they aren't necessary. If you really want some sit down meals, you'll probably have better luck booking for lunch vs dinner. Also try looking after 60 days out; once people have made FP+ reservations they may change/cancel ADRs to fit their schedule.

FWIW, we had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe at AK on our trip in Aug, because I had a gift card, and my kids (girls ages 8 & 4) thought it was the coolest restaurant ever. LOL.

 

[Klayfish]

Thanks so much for your feedback! I know it is a tough thing to give advice for, I just really appreciate anything I can get not having been to Disney since I was 5 (um...a really long time ago....) Only thing is we would miss the night time show at HS- is that a deal breaker at all or will we have seen enough fireworks by that time? We have base tickets, and it is a 7 year old boy and 9 year old girl. Thanks again! Any other advice on planning is appreciated more than you guys will know!!!

Well, that depends on what the kids like. There are two night shows at HS - Fantasmic (aka "F!) and Star Wars. They're both really good, but then again so is Illuminations at Epcot and HEA at MK. AK doesn't have a night fireworks show, they only have Rivers of Light, which is so-so in my book. However, AK does have a really cool family-friendly street party vibe going at night, which is a lot of fun. Illuminations is the easiest to get a good view of. It's usually a 9pm show and you can walk up at 8:55pm and get a great view. For the shows at HS and MK, you need to be early...45+ minutes for F! or HEA, and maybe 10-15 minutes for Star Wars if you want the "best" view of it (last minute is fine if you don't care about the perfect view). Do the kids love thrill rides, do they love shows, etc...? That will dictate some of your plan.

Only other advice I have is to "stop and smell the roses". WDW is huge, enormous, gigantic...did I mention it's big? You will NOT see it all in just 4 park days, you'll barely even scratch the surface. So while you certainly want to take in as much as you can, don't rush from one thing to another to another to another trying to do it all. You simply can't. Enjoy the things you are doing and take it all in. Take in the atmosphere, look around, enjoy it. We're extremely fortunate in that we're WDW veterans and even luckier to be able to take 2+ week long trips during the summer. At the end of one of our summer trips, we still say "Gee, we didn't get to X or Y", so don't even consider trying it in 4 days. Just plan what you think will be the most fun for you and enjoy it.

 

[earfulofmagic]

There are two night shows at HS - Fantasmic (aka "F!) and Star Wars.

Ahhhh, this reminds me. By the time you get to Disney, I think the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular will be on hold as the holiday show plays instead (Jingle Bell Jingle BAM!). It features characters from the Pixar short, Prep & Landing, and some other characters from Disney/Pixar? I believe I read the show will be different this year, after being panned by critics (lol) last year.

Just to reiterate previous sentiments, don't fret if you miss some of the massive offerings at Disney, including the nighttime shows. They'll be around next time!

...except for MVMCP, if you've bought tickets then you'll definitely want to stick around for the full experience/ticket value And there is a MVMCP "strategy" thread in, I think, the Theme Parks and Strategies board. Should be a sticky near the top. You'll want to take a look around there at some point to see the party schedule and whatnot.

 

[Klayfish]

Ahhhh, this reminds me. By the time you get to Disney, I think the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular will be on hold as the holiday show plays instead (Jingle Bell Jingle BAM!). It features characters from the Pixar short, Prep & Landing, and some other characters from Disney/Pixar? I believe I read the show will be different this year, after being panned by critics (lol) last year.

Just to reiterate previous sentiments, don't fret if you miss some of the massive offerings at Disney, including the nighttime shows. They'll be around next time!

...except for MVMCP, if you've bought tickets then you'll definitely want to stick around for the full experience/ticket value And there is a MVMCP "strategy" thread in, I think, the Theme Parks and Strategies board. Should be a sticky near the top. You'll want to take a look around there at some point to see the party schedule and whatnot.

Good point, I had forgotten about that.