Help with Labor Day Trip Planning

[temple4]

We will be going to DW around Labor Day weekend. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could help with our planning. We will have 4 kids with us and they enjoy all of the parks. Here is what I have so far. We will be staying at the Yacht Club. Not sure which park to do on the Labor Day Weekend and which day to take a break. We plan on getting to the parks at opening and coming back to the room after lunch, so we may not need a full day of break. If we feel like it, we will hit a park in the evening or hang out at the resorts and the boardwalk. Are the hours shorter during that time of year?

Tuesday 8/31 - Fly In
Wednesday 9/1 - EPCOT or Magic Kingdom
Thursday 9/2 - MGM
Friday 9/3 - Islands of Adventure
Saturday 9/4 - Animal Kingdom
Sunday 9/5 - Open (?)
Monday 9/6 - Labor Day (?)
Tuesday 9/7 - Fly Home

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Jackie H.]

We did the Labor Day weekend and the following weekend in 2002. I went down there expecting horrible crowds and heat and really had neither!

I would suggest that you avoid MK on the Labor Day weekend - Sat-Mon. Since you are staying at Yacht Club, I would suggest EPCOT and/or MGM on that weekend. You can easily go back to Stormalong Bay if the crowds get heavy!

You don't really say how long you are going to be there. My advice is really based on you being there longer than just the weekend. If you are only there for the weekend, I would suggest getting on MK as early on Sunday morning as possible and planning to leave if the crowds get prohibitive.

EDIT: I see my signature says Sept 2001 - I really think it was 2002! Old Age setting in, I suppose! I will have to check now!

 

[temple4]

Thanks for the advice. Here is our schedule. We will be there a few days before and leave the day after.

Tuesday 8/31 - Fly In
Wednesday 9/1 - EPCOT or Magic Kingdom
Thursday 9/2 - MGM
Friday 9/3 - Islands of Adventure
Saturday 9/4 - Animal Kingdom
Sunday 9/5 - Open (?)
Monday 9/6 - Labor Day (?)
Tuesday 9/7 - Fly Home

 

[Jackie H.]

I'm sorry! I looked over that schedule

You schedule looks good. I would just get in all I wanted at MK before the holiday starts - Sat, Sun & Mon. I would expect it would be very crowded then.

Check your schedule against the early entry schedule. (Here is the current one - you can always find it on www.wdwinfo.com)

Sunday--- Magic Kingdom
Monday--- Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tuesday--- Disney-MGM Studios
Wednesday--- Epcot
Thursday--- Magic Kingdom
Friday--- Disney's Animal Kingdom
Saturday--- Disney-MGM Studios

There are two schools of thought here:
1- since you are staying on property, you should take advantage of the EE, then move to another park when that one gets busy. I tend to agree with this WHEN you are going at a crowded time of year.

2- Avoid the EE park at all costs! You dont have to get up so early and the park is EE on the days it is usually most crowded anyway. I agree with this WHEN it is an uncrowded time of year.

FOr you I would avoid EE except on the weekend. If you want to visit those parks on those days, definately take advantage of EE.

The parks do close early at this time of year. But they are really so uncrowded, you can do everything easily.

You don't say (I don't think - I might've missed that too
) how old your kids are. We didn't take breaks when we went at Labor Day. With the parks being mostly empty, it wasn't necessary. WIth the closing early, we also wanted to stay there as much as possible. (Of course, for the holiday weekend you have to use the 'big crowd' tactics).

We really enjoyed our early September visit!