HS and Epcot in One Day

[tstottle]

Anyone want to help me plan it out? We only have two Disney park days, and there is no option to add more. So we are combining Epcot and HS into our second day. We are a family with teens and like headliners, fast rides. We are also rope droppers. May not take an afternoon break due to short visit. My FP window is coming up and I am trying to figure out which park to do first. We would like to be at Epcot for dinner. HS sounds fun to be at night.

Wish list for both:
Soarin
Ellen (I know, NOT a headliner or fast they just think it's funny. This sounds like a good afternoon rest)
RnR
ToT
Great Movie Ride
Star Tours

Test track is a maybe...I am adding this because it seems like we are not doing much? These are just the must-dos, I guess. Any ideas? We are new to FP+, in the past we kind of had our way with FPs and felt pretty confident. Now not so much. Thank you!

 

[larryz]

You'll be disappointed if you don't do a whole day in Epcot and close out with Illuminations.

 

[tzeitel]

Remember that those 2 parks have FP+ tiers - Soarin' and TT are tier one rides so you can't have FP+ for both at the same time. Maybe start at Epcot, do Soarin' and TT right away and get FP+ for ToT, RnR and Star Tours. Then I would go back to Epcot for dinner and Illuminations.

 

[VACamm]

Epcot and Hollywood Studios in the same day? Yikes... I could NEVER accomplish those 2 parks in just day. I usually spend 2 to 3 days each vacation in just Epcot. If you can pull this off... my hats off to you!

 

[tstottle]

Thanks Tzeitel, sounds like a doable plan. We've never seen illuminations; we're just much more into rides than we are in parades or shows. Maybe Illuminations will be different. For example, we saw Fantasmic once and while we enjoyed it, aren't really interested in seeing it again. Usually when the nighttime shows start we are just happy to have shorter lines at the rides. We don't have the patience to scope out a spot and then wait hours for it to start when we could be going around the park. Then if you see it last minute, it's just so crowded. Just our opinion though!

As for Epcot, we are not huge eaters, drinkers or shoppers, so just find that there isn't a whole lot we like to do besides a couple of rides and sight see a little bit. Everyone has their own style...ours is fast and furious I guess.

 

[g-dad66]

Anyone want to help me plan it out? We only have two Disney park days, and there is no option to add more. So we are combining Epcot and HS into our second day. We are a family with teens and like headliners, fast rides. We are also rope droppers. May not take an afternoon break due to short visit. My FP window is coming up and I am trying to figure out which park to do first. We would like to be at Epcot for dinner. HS sounds fun to be at night.

Wish list for both:
Soarin
Ellen (I know, NOT a headliner or fast they just think it's funny. This sounds like a good afternoon rest)
RnR
ToT
Great Movie Ride
Star Tours

Test track is a maybe...I am adding this because it seems like we are not doing much? These are just the must-dos, I guess. Any ideas? We are new to FP+, in the past we kind of had our way with FPs and felt pretty confident. Now not so much. Thank you!

With that list, I'd say you definitely want your FP+ for HS. You can get FP+ for RnR (Tier 1), and both ToT and Star Tours (Tier 2). Great Movie Ride is a Tier 1, but you aren't likely to need a FP for it.

And if you want to do Soarin without a long wait, you will want to do it at Rope Drop.

This would mean doing Epcot first, then walking to HS, and then walking back to Epcot for dinner, but I don't think that would be a bad plan.

You'll want to do Ellen before leaving Epcot, as it will be closed in the evening so you couldn't do it after dinner at Epcot.

If your teens haven't done Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions East at Epcot, you may want to check it out (you design a bobsled, rollercoaster, or jet plane ride and then you "ride" your design in a simulator).

You might consider the single-rider lane for Test Track. And my teen grandkids always enjoy sampling the free soft drink flavors from around the world at Club Cool in Epcot.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'd also start at EPCOT and rather than dinner, I'd do a nice lunch and then head to DHS for the rest of the day (and get late FP+s in DHS)...

 

[rznhal]

How long does it take to go back and forth between the parks?

 

[larryz]

How long does it take to go back and forth between the parks?

Figure a 20 minute walk. Give yourselves a half-hour just to be safe.

 

[tstottle]

Thanks g-dad, sounds like a good plan. The downside is switching parks twice and burning that time, but we are pretty set on our Epcot dinner plan. Although I could talk to the family about moving those ADRs (the fancy french place and the Japanese steakhouse) to lunch. We'd just rather have a longer dinner than lunch, to get a rest at dinner time. That's good info to have about the walk. Thanks for the tips on Sum of All thrills, that does sound cool. Is that new? Is the line long?

Thanks guys! FP tonight so I'd better figure this out! It's hard to get used to, having a schedule that we HAVE to stick to. We weren't big on ADRs in teh past and just went our way with RD and FP and did great on rides, but it was still not really scheduled. Oh well, that's what we have to get used to. Appreciate the tips a lot!

 

[ghtx]

I agree with @g-dad66 . This seems like a manageable plan, since you don't want to do TSMM and you are fine skipping Test Track (though maybe you can drop by late at night to see if the queue is shorter). RD Soarin, and use your 3 FPs in the afternoon for DHS. Also, depending on when you are going, you might be able to RD Soarin then head straight to Test Track without too much of a queue already built up.

 

[tstottle]

What's funny about Test Track is **I* am the only one who is really interested. I think its just a different way of looking at it, picking our "top 3" now, I feel like feelings will change when we are there.

The more I think about it, the more I don't want to go back and forth twice in one day. Do you guys feel like a "leisurely lunch" is burning too much time? For people like us that like to ride, and ride, and not stop too much to smell the roses? We used to think that 1-6 were the hard, slow, hot hours. We would RD and hit as many rides and a quick lunch and then and would plan a long meal at dinner during that crowded afternoon time to rest. (We always go in summer). So taking a long lunch from 12-1 seems a bit counter to that...we are not that hot and tired, yet, at that point. But I guess if I am taking 40 minutes to to walk between the parks twice, I would be using up that extra time anyway. And things will be different now with FP+ in terms of lines.

THANK GOD I am only planning two days...although the 2 days makes planning that much more important!

 

[tink9702]

See I would do this:

Rope Drop at HS
RnR - 2 or 3 times depending on lines
Tot - FP for 9:30-10:30am. If line isn't long, move FP to later so you can ride again.
Star Tours - if you hit this before 10:30am the line shouldn't be too bad, so ride a couple times maybe
RnR - FP for 11:30-12:30
Lunch
Great Movie Ride
Star Tours - FP for 1:30-2:30

(switch out the first ride for the group favorite if needed. So if everyone likes ToT better than RnR I'd hit that first.)

Head to Epcot around 2pm
check for FP+ once you get to Epcot just in case you can get one, but don't count on it

Ellen
Test Track - single rider line
Sum of all Thrills
whatever else you can fit in before dinner
Dinner
Soarin' during Illuminations or just deal with the line


The reason I'd do it this way is because I wouldn't want to go back and forth twice & you seem to really like the HS rides better than Soarin'/Test Track. So spend the majority of your day (and the best touring time in early AM) at the park you like more rides for.

 

[BigHeroKen]

We have done that in the past and is totally doable as others have pointed out. You should be able to work more into your schedule than what you have listed depending on the crowd levels.

Epcot is really only a full day park if you plan on walking through/shopping the World Showcase.

 

[TwoMisfits]

A mid-July walk TWICE back and forth will be a killer. Walking EPCOT itself can be enough to put people under. I'd stick to a long, leisurely lunch around 1pm or 2pm (if you can't hold out that long, grab a snack at Sunshine Seasons) and stay out of the killer heat for that time. You should be able to do Soarin, Sum, Ellen, (and possibly TT single rider) with no FP's by 1pm, especially if you RD (do Ellen last b/c it's a 45 minute time suck). Walk over to the Studios around 3-4pm and have fun riding the rest of the night with the 3 FPs and then the short lines before Fantasmic...

 

[hammie59]

If you don't want to walk the entire way between parks, you could give yourselves a little break by walking from EPCOT to one of the EPCOT resorts (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club) and then take the boat over to DHS. It might take a bit longer depending on the boat schedule.

 

[MrKnight]

Here is my recommended plan for your combined Epcot/DHS Day:

Rope Drop at DHS
1. TOT
2. RNR
3. The Great Movie Ride
4. Star Tours
Lunch at DHS (Perhaps at either ABC Commissary or Backlot Express)
5. Either see a Show (Perhaps either Indy or LMAESS) or One Ride
Exit DHS (Around 2pm)

-- Take Friendship Boat to Epcot --

Enter Epcot via International Gateway Entrance (Between UK and France)
1. Walk through UK and Canada (Sightseeing)
2. Ellens (Mid-Afternoon Break)
3. TT or MS
4. Innoventions Exhibits
5. Seas with Nemo & Friends
4. The Land Pavilion (Check FP+ for Soarin OR do Living with the Land)
Walk over to the World Showcase (Around 6pm)
5. Gran Fiesta Tour
6. American Adventure
Dinner ADR at a TSR
7. Watch Illuminations! (9pm)

IF POSSIBLE, Plan this on a day when Epcot offers Evening EMH! Otherwise the earliest Epcot will ever close is 9pm once Illuminations ends..

 

[hammie59]

I forgot you could just take the boat from park to park....
Was thinking about issues of going from parks to DTD.

 

[tstottle]

OK, you guys are right. Two walks=too much. And good point about we like more rides at HS so start there. Thanks Mr.Knight, that's a great plan and a lot of other good ideas here too. Soarin is a must do, but hopefully if we see it during Illuminations we will be OK, or like you say just put up with a line (blasphemy!) And if we all feel sad about not being at HS when it's dark, I suppose we could trek over there for one last ToT if we really want to...that's one of our little traditions, ToT at park closing. We'll have a car so maybe it makes sense to drive...hopefully we could get a decent spot at HS after 9pm. Thanks so much! Any opinions on driving/walking/busing?

 

[ZoZo]

A mid-July walk TWICE back and forth will be a killer. Walking EPCOT itself can be enough to put people under. I'd stick to a long, leisurely lunch around 1pm or 2pm (if you can't hold out that long, grab a snack at Sunshine Seasons) and stay out of the killer heat for that time. You should be able to do Soarin, Sum, Ellen, (and possibly TT single rider) with no FP's by 1pm, especially if you RD (do Ellen last b/c it's a 45 minute time suck). Walk over to the Studios around 3-4pm and have fun riding the rest of the night with the 3 FPs and then the short lines before Fantasmic...

This is what I'd recommend, too.