how does my plan look??

[eglsmama]

Hi all, I'm brand new here and planning our first trip to WDW. (I went twice as a kid.) It will be myself, DH, and DD who will be 6. I apologize in advance if this is long!

We'll be there Oct 15-21, flying in and staying at Art of A. Five park days. I'm considering hoppers since its our first trip and we might want to change things up once we're there, but I'm not sure yet.

DH won't be a fan of rope drop so I'm not going to push that most days. He's really only going for DD's sake, so I'm hoping to make this trip smooth so that he'll decide he doesn't hate it

I'd like your opinion on our plan as a whole and whether you think we're overbooked or anything. I feel like a break midday isn't a good use of our time (especially since MK closes at 7:00 several days due to MNSSHP). And while DD hasn't napped in years and is a good traveler, as a 6 year old she does have her limits.

ADR's have been booked so I'll probably not change park days. FP times listed are for times I hope to get when they open in Aug.

So this is what I'm thinking:

Wed Oct 15:
flight comes in around 6:30 PM. catch ME, get settled, go to bed

Thurs 16: HS
bfast - hotel
Toy Story Mania (FP 9:00)
Studio Backlot Tour
MuppetVision
Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (FP 10:50 or 11:15)
Disney Jr Live (FP 11:20 or 12:10)
Lunch at Hollywood & Vine (ADR 12:45)
return to hotel to swim
dinner at hotel, DTD, boardwalk, Epcot

Fri 17: MK Day 1 - Adventureland and Frontierland
bfast - CRT (ADR 8:35)
Meet Tiana (may skip)
Pirates of Caribbean
Magic Carpets
Tom Sawyer Island
Splash Mtn (FP 11:15)
Country Bear Jamboree
Peter Pan's Flight (FP 12:15)
lunch - Columbia Harbor House (around 12:45)
Jungle Cruise (FP 1:15)
Swiss Family Tree House
Festival of Fantasy Parade
Meet Mickey or Minnie on our way out
hotel for swim, rest
dinner at hotel, DTD, boardwalk, Epcot

Sat 18: AK
bfast - Tusker House (ADR 9:30)
Finding Nemo (FP 11:00)
Boneyard
Festival of Lion King
Discovery Island trails
Kilimanjaro Safaris (FP 1:30)
Pangani Forest Trail
Flights of Wonder
lunch - Flame Tree BBQ (around 3:30)
Kali River Rapids (FP 3:30)
hotel for swim, rest
dinner at hotel, DTD, boardwalk, Epcot

Sunday 19: MK Day 2 - Fantasyland, Tomorrowland
bfast in room or while waiting for bus
rope drop
Under the Sea
Ariel's Grotto
meet Merida (if wait is 30 mins or less)
Dumbo
Barnstormer
Casey Jr Splash and/or Pete's silly side show (depending on time)
lunch - Be Our Guest (hoping for 11:00 FP)
Enchanted Tales w/ Belle (FP 12:00)
Prince Charming Carrousel
meet ugly stepsisters
7 Dwarfs MT (FP 1:00)
Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland People mover
Buzz Lightyear
Monsters' Inc
Meet Elsa and Anna (FP 3:00)
Dream Along w/ Mickey OR Mickey's Phil Harmagic
?? kill a little time or try to return briefly to hotel...
dinner - Ohana (ADR 7:00)
watch water parade from Poly beach (if construction allows)
watch Wishes from Poly beach or TTC
late bedtime

Mon 20: Epcot. short day (though I hate to miss out) due to big day before. Could also do MK at night for EMH if we're up for it

bfast - hotel
swim, pack up
snack or lunch - hotel
Soarin (FP 12:00)
Turtle Talk
The Seas w/ Nemo
Spaceship Earth (FP 1:00)
world showcase for lunch/snack, look around a little bit
return to hotel to swim/rest
MK for dinner and EMH OR Chip n Dale's Sing along for hotdogs and movie

Tues 21: pack up and catch ME at 10:30

So... any major errors or oversights? Please let me know what you think!

Thanks!

 

[Aliceacc]

Can I suggest one or two princess meals?

Take a look at dinner at 1900 Park Fare (Cinderella, the Prince, the Stepsisters and Stepmom. The sisters bicker, Cinderella and the prince dance, and it's a lovely evening. All the characters stop by each table for autographs and pictures.)

Also, take a look at Aukerhaus in Norway at Epcot. FIVE different princesses go table to table for autographs and pictures.

 

[eglsmama]

Hi Aliceacc,

We do have breakfast at Cinderella's castle one of our MK days. I honestly would prefer one of two you mentioned, but DD is fascinated by the castle so I opted for that one. Either that or BBB, and that's really not her thing.

I've heard 1900 Park is a blast though!!

Thanks for the input!

 

[dreamit]

You could always go back to Epcot after your break instead of buying a park hopper just to use for that one day. While I don't know your daughter, there are many things in World Showcase that may appeal to her. Would WS appeal to your husband more than returning again to MK? Your park days look great as far as the crowd calendars. On your HS day, keep in mind that the shows are mostly scheduled in the afternoon, which can make it hard to leave early. Speaking of shows, I don't see many on your list. Beauty and the Beast may interest your daughter, while not turning your husband off to a future trip. Also, there are shows that may be more up your husband's alley, while still being entertaining for your dd (Indiana Jones, Lights, Motors, Action). With the earlier closings at that time of year, I wouldn't worry about mid-day breaks.

 

[eglsmama]

You're right, Dreamit, that does make more sense. Actually we could just start Epcot later and stay through til dinner. I think I was trying to make the last night "special" and since we're doing fireworks the night before (it was the night I could get Ohana) I'm sort of at a loss on how to do that and EMH are tempting

We'd also like to try the Campfire sing along at Ft. Wilderness; I suppose we could do that after Epcot. Might be a relaxing last activity.

I'll look into more shows as well. Thanks so much!

 

[amym2]

Your plan looks very similar to ours! I would completely avoid EP on Fri and Sat nights because the Food & Wine Festival draws huge crowds on the weekends. Mon night would be better, and you could do a later start that day like you said. Are you not going to ride Test Track? It's one of our kids' favorites (and was when they were 6). The only downside to not getting to EP early is only being able to FP+ either Soarin or TT not both.

In terms of the park hopper, we always get them and find them useful for changes due to crowds, weather, etc. You could always try it without and add it there if you need it. We like having the ability to hop to a park later at night after a break, but as you mentioned, the parks don't have very late hours in Oct.

 

[Spunky946]

You say you don't want to push rope drop, yet you have early plans almost every day. You have a lot of early mornings that might get hard making them towards the end.

 

[eglsmama]

thanks amy, that's a good tip about adding the hoppers later. I hadn't considered that.

spunky, yeah...I guess you've got a point there! I guess I figured on Day 1 we'll be raring to go anyway, and with the early FP I figured we'd still have a little wiggle room. The 8:35 ADR is early but I don't want to give that up. Wonder if I could make Tusker House later. My train of thought was that I do want to be there fairly early but not be militant about making actual rope drop. But perhaps I'm underestimating the time it takes to ride the bus and get through the gates...

 

[Spunky946]

thanks amy, that's a good tip about adding the hoppers later. I hadn't considered that.

spunky, yeah...I guess you've got a point there! I guess I figured on Day 1 we'll be raring to go anyway, and with the early FP I figured we'd still have a little wiggle room. The 8:35 ADR is early but I don't want to give that up. Wonder if I could make Tusker House later. My train of thought was that I do want to be there fairly early but not be militant about making actual rope drop. But perhaps I'm underestimating the time it takes to ride the bus and get through the gates...

I'd give yourself 60 minutes maybe a but longer. The bus rides themselves don't take that long, but you may have to wait for a bus and then you have to walk to the gates, through bad check and to the restaurant or ride on the morning you have the early fast pass, though you will have until 10.

It does take time to get from place to place. Wdw is a big place.

 

[eglsmama]

Thank you!

And I appreciate y'all reading through it I know it is long.

 

[teacup princess]

Every family is different but at that age my kids hated the World Showcase so I feel like your short Epcot Day is fine. Maybe stop by the Cool Club for a drink and Mexico for some Churros and a Margarita though. I feel like you are missing a lot on your HS and AK days. I've only done the hoppers once and felt like they were a waste for the price. After your dinner why not just go back to the same park to finish up

 

[eglsmama]

Teacup, what must do items would you add to AK?

 

[teacup princess]

it's Tough to be a Bug, EE, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Tricerotops Spin. Are you wanting to avoid scary and thrill rides for your daughter?

 

[eglsmama]

teacup, yes, she's not very adventurous, and I'm afraid that if she gets one ride that's too much for her she won't try others. But if there are some that are middle of the road, we might see how she's doing with everything and give it a try...

 

[laughinplace199]

My thoughts in red...

Hi all, I'm brand new here and planning our first trip to WDW. (I went twice as a kid.) It will be myself, DH, and DD who will be 6. I apologize in advance if this is long!

We'll be there Oct 15-21, flying in and staying at Art of A. Five park days. I'm considering hoppers since its our first trip and we might want to change things up once we're there, but I'm not sure yet.

DH won't be a fan of rope drop so I'm not going to push that most days. He's really only going for DD's sake, so I'm hoping to make this trip smooth so that he'll decide he doesn't hate it

I'd like your opinion on our plan as a whole and whether you think we're overbooked or anything. I feel like a break midday isn't a good use of our time (especially since MK closes at 7:00 several days due to MNSSHP). And while DD hasn't napped in years and is a good traveler, as a 6 year old she does have her limits.

ADR's have been booked so I'll probably not change park days. FP times listed are for times I hope to get when they open in Aug.

So this is what I'm thinking:

Wed Oct 15:
flight comes in around 6:30 PM. catch ME, get settled, go to bed

Thurs 16: HS
bfast - hotel
Toy Story Mania (FP 9:00) One of our all time favorite rides!
Studio Backlot Tour Mike & Sulley often have a M & G right near the end of the tour, if your DD likes them.
MuppetVision
Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (FP 10:50 or 11:15) 11:15 would be better given all you're trying to get in before this.
Disney Jr Live (FP 11:20 or 12:10)
Lunch at Hollywood & Vine (ADR 12:45) Have you considered any other lunch options? We ate once here and it was awful, but maybe we hit it on a bad day...
return to hotel to swim
dinner at hotel, DTD, boardwalk, Epcot If you choose to eat in Epcot, you'll need a Park Hopper (but you can wait until you need it to add it to your ticket, you don't have to do it before you arrive in WDW.

Fri 17: MK Day 1 - Adventureland and Frontierland
bfast - CRT (ADR 8:35) Our DD15 loved this when she was little!
Meet Tiana (may skip)
Pirates of Caribbean
Magic Carpets
Tom Sawyer Island
Splash Mtn (FP 11:15) I'd push this back a little. I don't think you'll be done with the above rides and be at SM by 11:15.
Country Bear Jamboree
Peter Pan's Flight (FP 12:15)
lunch - Columbia Harbor House (around 12:45)
Jungle Cruise (FP 1:15)
Swiss Family Tree House
Festival of Fantasy Parade
Meet Mickey or Minnie on our way out
hotel for swim, rest
dinner at hotel, DTD, boardwalk, Epcot

Sat 18: AK
bfast - Tusker House (ADR 9:30) One of our favorite breakfasts in all of WDW!
Finding Nemo (FP 11:00)
Boneyard
Festival of Lion King
Discovery Island trails
Kilimanjaro Safaris (FP 1:30)
Pangani Forest Trail
Flights of Wonder
lunch - Flame Tree BBQ (around 3:30) Can your DD wait this long for lunch? We try to stick close to regular meal times to avoid grumpiness.
Kali River Rapids (FP 3:30) Good plan doing this last as you may get totally soaked!
hotel for swim, rest
dinner at hotel, DTD, boardwalk, Epcot

Sunday 19: MK Day 2 - Fantasyland, Tomorrowland
bfast in room or while waiting for bus
rope drop
Under the Sea
Ariel's Grotto
meet Merida (if wait is 30 mins or less)
Dumbo
Barnstormer
Casey Jr Splash and/or Pete's silly side show (depending on time)
lunch - Be Our Guest (hoping for 11:00 FP)
Enchanted Tales w/ Belle (FP 12:00)
Prince Charming Carrousel
meet ugly stepsisters
7 Dwarfs MT (FP 1:00)
Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland People mover
Buzz Lightyear
Monsters' Inc
Meet Elsa and Anna (FP 3:00)
Dream Along w/ Mickey OR Mickey's Phil Harmagic
?? kill a little time or try to return briefly to hotel...
dinner - Ohana (ADR 7:00)
watch water parade from Poly beach (if construction allows)
watch Wishes from Poly beach or TTC
late bedtime

Mon 20: Epcot. short day (though I hate to miss out) due to big day before. Could also do MK at night for EMH if we're up for it

bfast - hotel
swim, pack up I'd skip the AM swim since you're swimming later in the day, and get to Epcot a little earlier.
snack or lunch - hotel
Soarin (FP 12:00)
Turtle Talk
The Seas w/ Nemo
Spaceship Earth (FP 1:00)
world showcase for lunch/snack, look around a little bit
return to hotel to swim/rest
MK for dinner and EMH OR Chip n Dale's Sing along for hotdogs and movie

Tues 21: pack up and catch ME at 10:30

So... any major errors or oversights? Please let me know what you think!

Thanks!

Have a great time!

 

[eglsmama]

Thanks laughinplace!

I'm so impressed that folks are willing to read thru the whole thing. SO helpful

Hollywood & Vine - I've seen very mixed reviews so I'll admit to being a bit wary of this. DD is still a huge Disney Jr fan, though, so that is my reason for sticking with it. Fingers crossed that we get lucky with the food!

And for the Epcot day, I'm going to rework it I think and make it a much later start time and stay thru til evening, rather than try and go middle of the day only. So we'll have lots of swim/downtime first part of the day and then end our day at Epcot or Ft. Wilderness for the campfire sing along. (I'm torn about staying at Epcot for IllumiNations b/c DD is sensitive to loud fireworks, etc...)

Thanks for your other tips! Much appreciated!