Help me plan my day, please?

[Iowamomof4]

I need some help figuring out a plan of attack for our 2nd full day on property. Getting to Disney involves driving over 20 hours total (taking 2 days to travel). We'll stay off property Thursday night, then check in at CBR and get our parking pass (if needed, maybe the Magicbands are all we need?) Friday morning and try to hit HS at rope drop or very soon after. We don't plan to do anything other than HS and getting settled at our resort that day.

For Saturday, Sept. 5, MK has emh until 2 AM that we're hoping to take advantage of. What time should we plan to arrive at MK? We think this is our best day to do an initial tour of Epcot (we'll be back again later in the week) but I'm nervous about trying to get there too early when we have a late night planned at MK.

We need to figure out a schedule for the day, including meals and breaks (we're okay resting at one of the parks for this day). We're on the dining plan so we'd also like to get a ts done at some point this day, although I'm obviously too late in the game to get BOG for dinner. Oh, one more thing, we're generally more night-oriented people and are all looking forward to seeing the parks after dark, and we're in pretty good health.

Traveling party-
Me
Dh
Dd15
Ds14
Ds8
Dd6 (almost 7)

Thanks for your help!

 

[scoobygrl79]

Is DD6 into princesses? Did you already do ADRs for this day...if not, and you plan on hopping from Epcot to MK, you should decide which (lunch vs dinner) you would like your TS at and make that ADR as soon as you decide, I'm sure at this point it might be slim pickings.

If the kids can hang that long, I would still go to Epcot early, break in the middle, then close at MK EMH as opposed to arriving at Epcot late then straight to MK late as you will get much more done and might get to tip toe around potential bad heat. The break doesn't have to be the whole "go back to resort to nap or swim or look around, etc" hoopla, it could just be a nice, slow paced meal in air conditioning yet still remain in the park. I see that you are staying on Disney property; does that mean you reserved your Fastpasses at the 60 day mark before check in (a perk for Disney guests as opposed to 30 days given to offsite guest)? If so, where did you arrange to be?

Even with park hoppers, you might find it more exciting to just stick to one park at a time (only in the beginning) during your very first visit. Now that I've been a few times, I can easily pick and choose around what I want to achieve and what I don't mind crossing off the list, then jump to the next park and repeat process. However, my first time, I wouldn't know. I would prefer to just soak in the whole experience there, during day and night, and figure out what we like. Especially since you have a decent lengthy trip. Then again, I am not sure how many days worth of park entries you have.

I apologize for all the annoying questions. I sure wish to help you more, I just need a little bit more information about Fastpasses/ADR's you might have made. Otherwise....YAY!!!!!! I'm very excited for your family! First trip to Disney is such a precious memory. I wish you guys a glorious time!

 

[kcpinwdw]

CBR and get our parking pass

You dont have to go to the hotel first, just have the gate attendant scan your band and they will see your reservation even if you havent checked in. Just tell them you are checking in today when you pull up to the parking booth.

I have no advice about the late night thing because our family is the opposite! We will be at MK for an 8 am breakfast on the 5th!

My advice for first timers is 1) you are going to walk way more than you anticipated and 2) its hard to hit the right balance between scheduled and rest--- plan out everything you want to do, but be prepared to be flexible when the unexpected hits!

 

[Rosebud123]

That's going to be a long, hot day! Why not hit Epcot at RD and go back to hotel from 1 - 5 to swim and relax? That still gives you 9 hours in the MK.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Is DD6 into princesses? Did you already do ADRs for this day...if not, and you plan on hopping from Epcot to MK, you should decide which (lunch vs dinner) you would like your TS at and make that ADR as soon as you decide, I'm sure at this point it might be slim pickings.

If the kids can hang that long, I would still go to Epcot early, break in the middle, then close at MK EMH as opposed to arriving at Epcot late then straight to MK late as you will get much more done and might get to tip toe around potential bad heat. The break doesn't have to be the whole "go back to resort to nap or swim or look around, etc" hoopla, it could just be a nice, slow paced meal in air conditioning yet still remain in the park. I see that you are staying on Disney property; does that mean you reserved your Fastpasses at the 60 day mark before check in (a perk for Disney guests as opposed to 30 days given to offsite guest)? If so, where did you arrange to be?

Even with park hoppers, you might find it more exciting to just stick to one park at a time (only in the beginning) during your very first visit. Now that I've been a few times, I can easily pick and choose around what I want to achieve and what I don't mind crossing off the list, then jump to the next park and repeat process. However, my first time, I wouldn't know. I would prefer to just soak in the whole experience there, during day and night, and figure out what we like. Especially since you have a decent lengthy trip. Then again, I am not sure how many days worth of park entries you have.

I apologize for all the annoying questions. I sure wish to help you more, I just need a little bit more information about Fastpasses/ADR's you might have made. Otherwise....YAY!!!!!! I'm very excited for your family! First trip to Disney is such a precious memory. I wish you guys a glorious time!

Thank you for your questions! We have 9-day park hoppers but part of our time (5 days) will be with a group where we won't have quite as much autonomy to do what we please. We're trying to do most of the things we want to do as a family during the first 4 days.

Day 1: HS (appointment at Ice Palace Boutique for 6yo plus access to the Ice Palace Cafe for the rest of the family)
Day 2: Epcot/MK (Fastpasses are scheduled at Epcot from mid-morning through early afternoon)
Day 3: Rest day, head to MK in the late afternoon (we have a fastpass for A&E if we don't get to see them during emh the night before)
Day 4: MK, possibly early (we have BOG ADR at 8:10, no decision yet as to whether we'll keep them or not - depends on what we plan on for Sunday night), if we're up for it we'll hit EMH at HS this night.
Day 5: move from CBR to BC, spend some time at either MK or Epcot, meet up with the big group and begin our time with them.
Days 6-9: Hit MK, HS, AK, and Epcot with the group.

I do have fastpasses scheduled each day and most of our dining reservations are made. We'll be eating at the following over the course of our week: Sci-Fi, Boma, BOG (lunch), Ohana, Mama Melrose (Fantasmic! Dining Package), Tusker House (lunch), and Akershus (lunch). I still have to figure out how and when to use our final 3 TS credits, but most of the places I'm considering aren't too terrible for getting reservations.

For that Saturday I'm trying to plan, I have a mid-afternoon reservation at CP (3:15 pm) but I'm concerned that will cut into Epcot too much and force us to leave there too early to hop to a busy park (MK) without fastpasses. Alternatively, I have a 6:05 reservation at Trail's End (Ft. Wilderness) but if we're going to eat at that time I'd probably rather be closer to MK. Dh thinks we should do a reservation for lunch that day and eat QS for dinner. That is fine with me. If we do that, we just need to pick a time and place at Epcot. I guess the main thing I need to figure out is which park has the best options for mid-day breaks? How much of a break will we get on the monorail ride to MK and will that be enough or do we really have to schlep all the way back to CBR in the afternoon for our downtime? Finally, what time should we plan to arrive at MK? I was thinking we should definitely get there during daylight hours since it'll be our first time seeing the castle and everything. We aren't too worried about catching parades and fireworks on this night and are hoping to take advantage of shorter waits on rides during those times since we won't have fastpasses.
ETA: Again, we're traveling in early September over Labor Day weekend through the following weekend, so hopefully the crowds won't be too terrible.
Does that help?

 

[Iowamomof4]

My problem might be solved. I scored a lunch ADR at Akershus for that Saturday at 1:25pm. Sounds like a nice time to take a break in the a/c and get off our feet for awhile.

I would still love to hear how anyone would strategize entry to MK when planning to use late emh. What time would you want to arrive? Or maybe it just doesn't matter?

 

[scoobygrl79]

Thank you for your questions! We have 9-day park hoppers but part of our time (5 days) will be with a group where we won't have quite as much autonomy to do what we please. We're trying to do most of the things we want to do as a family during the first 4 days.

Day 1: HS (appointment at Ice Palace Boutique for 6yo plus access to the Ice Palace Cafe for the rest of the family)
Day 2: Epcot/MK (Fastpasses are scheduled at Epcot from mid-morning through early afternoon)
Day 3: Rest day, head to MK in the late afternoon (we have a fastpass for A&E if we don't get to see them during emh the night before)
Day 4: MK, possibly early (we have BOG ADR at 8:10, no decision yet as to whether we'll keep them or not - depends on what we plan on for Sunday night), if we're up for it we'll hit EMH at HS this night.
Day 5: move from CBR to BC, spend some time at either MK or Epcot, meet up with the big group and begin our time with them.
Days 6-9: Hit MK, HS, AK, and Epcot with the group.

I do have fastpasses scheduled each day and most of our dining reservations are made. We'll be eating at the following over the course of our week: Sci-Fi, Boma, BOG (lunch), Ohana, Mama Melrose (Fantasmic! Dining Package), Tusker House (lunch), and Akershus (lunch). I still have to figure out how and when to use our final 3 TS credits, but most of the places I'm considering aren't too terrible for getting reservations.

For that Saturday I'm trying to plan, I have a mid-afternoon reservation at CP (3:15 pm) but I'm concerned that will cut into Epcot too much and force us to leave there too early to hop to a busy park (MK) without fastpasses. Alternatively, I have a 6:05 reservation at Trail's End (Ft. Wilderness) but if we're going to eat at that time I'd probably rather be closer to MK. Dh thinks we should do a reservation for lunch that day and eat QS for dinner. That is fine with me. If we do that, we just need to pick a time and place at Epcot. I guess the main thing I need to figure out is which park has the best options for mid-day breaks? How much of a break will we get on the monorail ride to MK and will that be enough or do we really have to schlep all the way back to CBR in the afternoon for our downtime? Finally, what time should we plan to arrive at MK? I was thinking we should definitely get there during daylight hours since it'll be our first time seeing the castle and everything. We aren't too worried about catching parades and fireworks on this night and are hoping to take advantage of shorter waits on rides during those times since we won't have fastpasses.
ETA: Again, we're traveling in early September over Labor Day weekend through the following weekend, so hopefully the crowds won't be too terrible.
Does that help?

Hi Iowamomof4
Yes, it helped! You have tons planned already and it all seems really good. To answer your specific questions:

1) MK has better options for midday breaks if you are trying to prevent hauling everyone back to the resort. The reason is simply because there are options other than food to find a cool spot to sit. For example, PeopleMover and Carousel of Progress (which are both in Tomorowland) are rides that can serve as great breaks as well. Carousel of Progress is actually pretty long, Peoplemover, not as long but I hear people are able to ride it multiple times consecutively since demand for it is low. There is also Hall of Presidents and attractions of the like that could give everyone downtime. Most of the main counter service restaurants in MK are indoor/air conditioned so that helps too. This is not to say that Epcot does not have a few similar offerings (IE Ellen's Energy Adventure is a pretty long, indoor ride/attraction. However, not all of it is sitting down in a comfortable seat. Some is standing/sprawled out on floor) but you will have to seek them out where as MK has them fairly scattered to where you are not too far from one no matter where you might be located. There have been many threads that discuss these rides/attractions that are good for a break, I'm not sure how easy they are to search for.

2) Your family's personal stamina is what will determine if the monorail ride would suffice as a short break, but I can tell you that for my famly, it would not. Regardless, I still do not think you will be required to head back to the resort just for everyone to work up a second wind. I still feel you could pull off a decent break (or multiple breaks) once you enter MK and find some of the attractions I mentioned above.

3) Since you are going to both parks again later in your trip anyway, I really do think your CP reservation at 3:15 is fine because whatever you cut short in Epcot to make the ADR, you will be able to make up for later. That can be the major break you are looking for. Waiting for all the characters could make for a longer meal, but you are getting your break in too, therefore hitting two birds with one stone. I'd say since you are already hopping between Epcot/MK as it is and are trying to make good use of time, the 605 Trail's End is just kind of "in the way". You would be better off staying in the park and doing a late QS at MK anyway.

My family does a more leisure pace in life and I bet it is more so than yours because I have 2 fragile girls who have turned my one boy fragile as well Due to those reasons....if I were facing plans of Epcot opening at 9am all the way until MK EMH at 2am...WE would probably go to Epcot RD, stay until about 2pm. Then go back to our resort and hangout/nap/relax out until at least 5 (or duskier). Finally, head to MK with still a whole 9 hours a head of us to tour. I know the instinct is to think "well, since I'm staying up til 2am at MK, why don't we just sleep in and show up at Epcot around noon, etc" but it really doesn't end up "equal" that way. You would show up when the super heat starts rolling in and pretty much everyone who planned Epcot would already be there clogging it up. Does any of this help or make sense?

Oh geez...I rambled too much I'm sorry. I hope a fellow disboarder with higher success chimes in....I go against the grain and take on a more Survivor approach (just tryin to make it out alive while having a bit of fun) while most on here exhibit more control of their vacation and achieve much more than me.

 

[scoobygrl79]

My problem might be solved. I scored a lunch ADR at Akershus for that Saturday at 1:25pm. Sounds like a nice time to take a break in the a/c and get off our feet for awhile.

I would still love to hear how anyone would strategize entry to MK when planning to use late emh. What time would you want to arrive? Or maybe it just doesn't matter?

Dang, I just read this. I'm sorry...I'm a night shifter who sleeps all day.... I still think most of what I said works, you might just adjust time around Akershus and obviously cancel CP since you won't be hungry yet.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Hi Iowamomof4


My family does a more leisure pace in life and I bet it is more so than yours because I have 2 fragile girls who have turned my one boy fragile as well Due to those reasons....if I were facing plans of Epcot opening at 9am all the way until MK EMH at 2am...WE would probably go to Epcot RD, stay until about 2pm. Then go back to our resort and hangout/nap/relax out until at least 5 (or duskier). Finally, head to MK with still a whole 9 hours a head of us to tour. I know the instinct is to think "well, since I'm staying up til 2am at MK, why don't we just sleep in and show up at Epcot around noon, etc" but it really doesn't end up "equal" that way. You would show up when the super heat starts rolling in and pretty much everyone who planned Epcot would already be there clogging it up. Does any of this help or make sense?

Oh geez...I rambled too much I'm sorry. I hope a fellow disboarder with higher success chimes in....I go against the grain and take on a more Survivor approach (just tryin to make it out alive while having a bit of fun) while most on here exhibit more control of their vacation and achieve much more than me.

Oh thank you so much for sharing all your thoughts! You make a most excellent point in what I bolded there about not succumbing to the temptation to hit Epcot later in the day. The heat really can take the energy out of a person! We're all walking regularly right now to try to build up our stamina, and we've been hitting our local amusement park frequently over the summer to get the younger kids on some of the bigger rides they weren't previously used to. I'm hoping we'll all still be excited enough that the rush of being there will carry us through for a second day before we can all crash on Sunday.