How much time in each park?

[wahoostampingirl]

I've been lurking on the boards for quite a few months, but we are just back from our first trip, so I thought I would put in my two cents.

I was with a party of 8 (4 adults, 4 kids ranging from 4 to 6). We allotted the following time:

Day one - Epcot from opening until 2:00, then one set of parents takes kids back to house, while other set gets a date night.

Day two - MGM same schedule as Day one switching parents

Day three - Late Breakfast at CRT spend the rest of time at MK, leaving about 3:00

Day four - Late start at AK, Dinner at Boma at 5:00

Day five - No official park plans. Dinner at 5:00 at Hoop-De-Doo

Day six - No official park plans. P&P party at night.

Day seven - DTD and then a plane home.

What really happened:

I was under the mistaken impression that we would be able to drag ourselves away from Disney in the mid afternoon to take the kids home (we rented a house) to swim and eat dinner and then early to bed. What really happened is that on Day one and two we stayed at the parks together longer, so the parents didn't really get all that much time on their date night. On Day three, we never got out of Fantasy Land at MK because our kids wanted to do it all. If I'd really been thinking, I would have just gotten dinner there instead of rushing the kids out at 5:00 to get them home. Day 4 went as planned. Day 5 we went back to Epcot for the morning until early afternoon, then went to Hoop De Doo. Day 6 we went to MK at 1:00pm and stayed until the P&P party was over at 12:30 am. Day 7 we spent 4 hours at DTD (I could have stayed longer) and then left for the airport.

So the next time we go, I'm planning on 2 full days at MK, 2 full days at Epcot, 1 day at AK, 1/2 day at MGM, 1/2 day at DTD and a rest day (see the resorts, play mini golf). On the MK day, I'll make sure we are there early and can stay the whole day.

I think I've convinced my DH that next January would be a perfect time for our next trip!

Carol

 

[Wendy31]

Following would be our ideal trip:

MK = 2 days
EPCOT = 2 days
MGM = 1 day
AK = 1 day
Waterpark/Resort = 1 day
Downtown Disney = 1/2 day

 

[teach22180]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I am definitely going to be incorporating them into our schedule. As a first timer, it is hard to imagine what actually happens in the parks.

I cannot emphasize ENOUGH that you won't see everything or do everything you think you will! I thought I understood that; I had "must-do's", and then I said, I will be okay missing stuff. However, I am STILL SAD about the things we missed last August. So, we are going back this summer!

That said, we were only there for 3 and a half days, doing a land/sea. This time, we are only doing the 3 days we have left on our tickets. My 19 year old really wants to do Discovery Cove and Sea World, so that's where we'll spend the rest of the week this year for her. Florida isn't that far away; I keep telling myself I'll be back, but probably not with her. We did do most of what we both wanted at MK, but I missed an entire side of Epcot and more than half of AK. We got bored at MGM, but we aren't into thrill rides. We waited for Fantasmic, and it was wonderful, though.

My dream trip, somewhere down the line, will be 2 days in MK, 2+ days in Epcot, 1 day at AK and probably giving MGM another chance. I think the perfect trip would be lots of short visits with rests and hopping all over the place!