Help with 1-day parkhopper strategy?!

[kimmmbers]

We are thinking about getting a 1-day parkhopper for Presidents Day Sunday. We've both been to Disney before and will have no children with us. Here is my plan, please let me know if it is do-able!

Park at EPCOT (the main place we want to see). Do Future World (Soarin, Missing Space, Spaceship Earth, Innoventions, and whatever else we can fit in) and only Maelstrom from World Showcase.

In the afternoon use Disney transportation to MGM before the parade starts. Get fastpasses for Tower of Terror (do you think there will be any left at 3pm?). Eat lunch. Try to get fastpasses for Rock-n-Rollercoaster. Maybe see the fireworks show.

Go back to EPCOT for Illuminations.

Take the monorail to Magic Kingdom, get a fastpass for Space Mountain (will there be any left at 10pm? ---park is open until midnight with evening extra magic after that), see Wishes and Spectramagic.

Does this sound like too much for a busy holiday Sunday? Should we just stick with EPCOT?

 

[des]

That sounds like a fun plan...my feeling is that it will be too much on a holiday. I'm definately curious what the veterans think.

 

[mhingher]

It sounds like a good idea, but I'm not sure it will be possible. If you're relying on WDW transporation, you need to plan for some extra time. If Illumnations is at 9pm-- the absolute earliest you would be able to get back to MK would be 10pm... I'm not sure you could do Spectro, Wishes and Space Mountain... depends on the schedule and how late the park will be open.

But if you can do it-- have fun!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Okay, not to be a pessimist but here goes. On President's Weekend I would be very surprised if there would be many fastpasses left after 3:00 p.m. You might get one for TOT but it will be for a late return time. I can also attest that it is very difficult to see Fantasmic and Illuminations on the same night. If they are having several shows of Fantasmic and you can see a pretty early one, say 7:00 then you could maybe do that but it would be hard. If Fantasmic is at 7:00, there is no way you can be out of MGM before 8:00 and then to get to Epcot and find a spot for Illuminations by 9:00 would be tough. Also, there is no way you can see Illuminations at 9:00 and be at MK by 10:00. The monorail will be very crowded after Illuminations, especially if MK is having Wishes at 10:00 and Spectro at 11:00, because everybody else wants to do that same thing. And that's two monorail rides, once you leave Epcot, you have to wait for another monorail at TTC and then get over to MK (and somebody correct me if I'm wrong but you will have to stop at the three resorts as well before getting to MK I think). You could probably get there in time for Spectro if its at 11:00 but Wishes would be really iffy if not impossible. I don't mean to sound so negative! I think the thing that seems hard to accomplish in your plan is getting in three nighttime shows. I can see doing those three parks in some manner or another but to see all three evening performances would be next to impossible. If they are having an early Fantasmic then I think you probably could make it to a 10:00 showing of Wishes. Just remember to allow the time it will take to wait for a bus, boat or monorail depending on where you are going from and to, and then enter a new park, scan your fingers, have your bag checked (and wait for many others to do the same) and then get into the park and find a spot for whatever nighttime show you are there for. I know when we have tried to cram just two shows into one evening we have ended up bagging it because we realize it isn't going to happen and we are too stressed worrying about it to have fun. Maybe with no kids you can accomplish this, maybe another poster has done this before? To me I just don't see how but I can be wrong of course! Good luck making it all happen!

 

[kirbsam]

i say, go for it.

 

[kimmmbers]

Thanks for the reality check! Sounds like if we want to do a parkhopper, we should just split the day between 2 parks. If there is not much chance of getting TOT or RocknRollercoaster fastpasses in the afternoon tho, we might just stick with EPCOT.

 

[Disney Doll]

Valet park at the Boardwalk. You can walk to Epcot through the International Gateway, go toward the left through England, Canada, then through the rose garden path and over to Futureworld to do that end, back through the WS to do Maelstrom, back through the International Gateway. Walk to MGM on the pathway from the Boardwalk...from the International Gateway to MGM is about a 20-30 minute walk, depending on your walking pace. When you get to the Boardwalk Hotel, cut through the alley next to the store where they sell all the expensive fish & wildlife statues, cut through the pool area and out the back, and you'll knock quite a bit of distance off the trek. The path runs along the canal there...you can't miss it.You may or may not get FPs for ToT or RnR by 3PM or so in the afternoon...you'll be taking a chance. But, if you like the parade or the street performers, or the general atmosphere of MGM, why not stop by? You can certainly make it back to Epcot after Fantasmic, again by walking, in time to catch IllumiNations. We just di it a couple of weeks ago at a leisurely pace and had plenty of time. Go back in through the International Gateway and watch it from somewhere fairly close to that area...we usually go on the bridge that's right there between France and England. Keep in mind that if you try and take the boats from Epcot to MGM &/or back, you may add a significant amount of time to your travelling between these 2 parks. Walking is the best option as far as speed is concerned.

After IllumiNations, I'd go back out the International Gateway and take the Beach Club bus to the MK...it will probably be a bit less crowded than the monorail and the Beach Club bus stop is overall a bit closer than the Boardwalk bus stop is to Epcot....and then finish out the day at the MK. You can then take the Boardwalk bus from the MK back to your car.

The two important points here are parking and MGM. If you are at the Boardwalk, you can always go back and forth from any park via bus, and the location itself gives you fairly quick access to 2 major parks. Parking at the Boardwalk is a little less suspicious than parking at the Beach Club, because the Boardwalk is a destination itself, with restaurants, shopping etc. And if you valet it, they aren't as much of sticklers about the time limits for parking. The other important point is MGM. Chances are if you don't get a FP early in the day for ToT & RnR that they'll be "sold out" if you get there at 3PM. Only you can decide whether it's worth it to you to trek over there on the off chance that you might get to ride them. But if you really want to see Fantasmic, then by all means do so...you'll be able to walk from MGM to Epcot to get back to Epcot in time for IllumiNations. You won't get there in time to scope out the "primo" spot for IllumiNations viewing, but there are plenty of decent spots to see it from. And you should be able to get from the Beach Club bus stop to the MK in time to see their fireworks too.

Now, that's not to say that this isn't a pretty ambitious day, with a lot of schlepping, but it can be done.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You know how much a one-day park hopper ticket costs??? I just got three two-day no hopper tickets to cover the last two days of our trip (the PAP ran out just before we headed home). They were $139 each. No hopping. A 0ne-day hopper will be almost $100.

 

[kimmmbers]

Yes, unfortunately I do know how much they cost. Seems like Disney could pro-rate the parkhopper feature....Anyway, I have been looking on ebay for discount tix.

 

[kimmmbers]

DisneyDoll, thanks for the info on the shortcut!!!

 

[PURTYPAT1]

What about driving to each park??? Would this work??? Save time???

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Anyway, I have been looking on ebay for discount tix.

NOT advised!

Tickets are non-transferrable.

How do you know how many days are really left on a pass?

Are you aware that Disney now takes biometric measurements of 2 of your fingers when using passes, making transferring them to someone else not very likely?

 

[Amy&Dan]

I can see Disney Doll's plan working, especially if there is an early Fantasmic with plenty of time in between Fantasmic and Illuminations. I still think the big dilemma will be getting from Epcot (via Boarwalk bus or whatever) to MK in time for Wishes at 10:00 p.m. If Illuminations is what around a 15 minute show, you have roughly 45 minutes to exit, get over to Boardwalk, find a bus going to MK and then get there, check bag, scan fingers and enter the park. It wouldn't be impossible but it would hinge on having a MK bus that leaves BW with you on it pretty quickly. Another issue is that you are not supposed to park at resorts you are not staying at even if you do valet park. I am not sure they enforce it or how they would for that matter, but even valet parking is supposed to be for guests staying at the hotel or for shorter term guests dining at the hotel. And I second not buying tickets on ebay, too many horror stories I have heard on that. Even though $100 is pretty steep, if you do get your plan to work you are seeing three theme parks with all the entertainment and attractions those parks offer, plus three nighttime shows. Even at $100, that's not a bad deal! I kinda hope you do try it, I want to see if this can be done, I have always thought how cool it would be to see all three nighttime shows in one evening! Let us know what happens!

 

[kimmmbers]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!

On ebay I am only looking at passes which the seller states are new and unused. Also, only sellers with lots of feedback, lots of good feedback, particularly the type of feedback which says "the tickets worked."

I have a feeling some of these might be from bulk purchases for conventions. Do you see any problems in buying these?

I don't know if I will have the courage to make a purchase thru ebay. I'm glad Disney allows you to purchase online and pick up at the park. So I can keep my options open until right before my trip!