Help with planning days

[toodles2009]

A big thank you in advance for any assistance. I am wondering if the wealth of knowledge on this board can help roughly plan out our trip to DL/DCA next week. I got Ridemax and have been playing around with it, but it isn't really helping with our multi-day planning, especially since we plan to jump back and forth between parks and use EMH each day. What I'm struggling with is how to plan our days on a high level (i.e. which park each morning vs. afternoon vs. night, when to plan out the fireworks/parades/etc., what to focus on in each block). Some background is below. Again, any advice is greatly appreciated!

When: 3 days, the 15th through 18th (Sunday to Wednesday). Arriving to hotel around 3 pm on Sunday, so expect to be able to be in the park by 5:15-5:30ish. Then plan to leave around 11 am on Wednesday. Note that we will need to take long nap/rest breaks at the hotel on Monday and Tuesday from about 11:30 until probably 3:30 or so. Kids are nightowls relative to their age, so we should be able to go until at least 9:30/10 each night, maybe pushing it to 11 once for the late Fantasmic show.

Who: We are a family of 4, kids (boys) are 1.5 and 3. The 3 yr old is tall enough for the 40 inch rides. We are AP holders.

Where: Staying at GCH, so we get early entry to DCA on Mon./Wed. and DL on Tues. Unfortunately we can't use the APEE since we are upgrading to Deluxe but not until we get there.

Rough plan:

Sunday night (starting at 5:30): DL; do 6:30 parade, fireworks, and 10:30 Fantasmic; fit rides in between whenever possible
Monday morning: Use EMH at DCA, focus on CL during EMH, get FP for RSR to ride at night, do Disney Jr. show if time
Monday afternoon: DL
Monday night: Back to DCA to see CL around sunset and use FP for RSR, plus baby swap, do some more rides there into the evening
Tuesday morning: Use EMH at DL, collect FPs to use at night, Minnie's breakfast at Plaza Inn around 10 then back to hotel for naps
Tuesday afternoon: DCA for Pixar parade
Tuesday night: DL mainly focusing on rides, see fireworks again (3 yr old loves them)
Wednesday morning: Use EMH at DCA, hit a few more rides, then head home

Any suggested changes or refinements to the above would be great!

 

[Jkpark]

I think your basic plan makes sense. I would add that you can grab baby swap passes when you use your FP since you little one will not be able to ride the bigger rides. This is especially helpful at Space Mtn (where you can return with the Baby Swap through the exit and not even wait in the FP line) and Matterhorn (which allows DS3 to ride again rather than an adult doing single rider. When we have done both - we have ended up with more FPs than we know what to do with. It is so much fun at night to give them away to people coming into the park late stressed about lines. We have gotten hugs from strangers and even tears!

Also think about whether you will take afternoon breaks at the hotel and account for that. Even with kids who can nap in strollers, on a hot July day - it is sometimes a much needed break.

if DS3 likes characters, I would make time for Dancing with Disney at DCA and the Big Thunder Jamboree at DL - sounds like there are tons of great characters and interaction at each (I haven't tried either yet).