Is it wise to visit Disney for one day?

[GoldmanTrust]

Hey guys,

We are going to Universal in the end of September. Staying for two weeks at Cabana Bay with 3 park explorer tickets for the whole time.

We are a family of three. My wife and I along with our 7 year old girl.

She is a huge Harry Potter fan, so we are looking forward to our visit (2nd two week Universal stay - also did September last year. And we also went to Universal Hollywood in earlier this year).

We are coming in from Scandinavia, so it's a long trip. I was thinking, while we are there, if we should do one day at Disney.

I used to go there as a kid (spent my summers around Orlando when I was growing up). I think I kind of miss it. Have some great memories and I would like my daughter to experience something similar.

Is there any possibility to do only one day? How crowded is it compared to Universal? Does it require all kinds of planning? What park should we visit, if we do one day?

Thanks for reading!

 

[tink1957]

Yes, it is possible...the cost would be dependent on what park you choose to visit and luckily you're going during value season...probably $100 per person for non MK or $107 for MK if you go on a weekday. You could also check into going to MNSSHP one night which would get you into MK at 4 p.m. and would be even cheaper than a one day ticket with no planning required as far as fastpasses go. You can get fastpasses with your party ticket between 4 and 7 if you want.

Hope this helps

 

[Parker Clan]

Yes it's possible, definitely takes more planning than Universal since you're only doing one day I would do MK for sure! I'd definitely get a ticket before and try and book three fast passes so you wait in minimal lines for those rides. I've never been then but I assume it's fairly crowded because of the Halloween Party. The Food and Wine festival is going on at Epcot as well

 

[keishashadow]

Of course it's worthwhile

WDW park hours for September

https://media.disneywebcontent.com/StaticFiles/ParkHours/WDW_TAC_2017sep.pdf

You may want to consider doing one of the MNSSHP nights & buying a (cheaper) party tix vs regular one day admission. Your ticket will permit entrance into the MK @ 4 pm, party starts @ 7 pm. Even if you aren't interested in the Halloween festivities, the majority of the rides will be open and are accessible especailly during the parades/FW. Did i mention there's candy? All are given a trick-or-treat bag and can join in the fun.

If you buy your party tickets in advance you can set up a MDE (my disney experience) account with disney that will permit you to schedule 3 FP (FastPasses) per person between 4 & 7. Offsite guests can do so 30 days prior to their visit.

Uber an economical way to transport although you may run into surge pricing after the event, a cab may be better option

https://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Orlando

 

[cruisingtwins]

If youa re only doingone day I would do MNSSHP you can get in at 4 pm.

 

[kohlby]

I agree with doing MNSSHP. We did that one year when we wanted one more Disney park day but couldn't add days onto our tickets due to the type they were. Doing the party meant it was cheaper and crowds were much more manageable. Plus - it's fun and different! Even the adults dress up in costumes and can go trick-or-treating. The ride lines aren't as bad as during the day too. Pick a weekday party day if possible too to lower the crowds.

 

[Chuckers]

I TOTALLY agree with doing Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. It's a BLAST. I am doing it this year. My first night at Universal will be spent in the Magic Kingdom, ironically. You get in the park at 4pm and get a wrist band and a candy bag. The party starts at 7 and all non-party attendees must leave. Almost all of the rides are open and the lines are really short because most people are there to get photos with special characters who are out and about. The parade and fireworks are the best, they're special for Halloween. And you can walk away with a lot of candy.. and it's pretty decent candy, too!

If you don't have a car, you can rent one from a hotel at Universal for the night.

 

[adisneyaunt]

I thought they have been limiting access to the bigger/better rides during the parties?? Isn't there a whole thread about that?
If the OP wants to get a day of rides in, I wouldn't choose a party day. If however, it's to "see" MK, enjoy the fun party, etc, then I'd choose s party day.
And I think 1 day at MK is a great idea regardless party/not.
Enjoy and safe travels OP!

 

[bettybooplove]

Hey guys,

We are going to Universal in the end of September. Staying for two weeks at Cabana Bay with 3 park explorer tickets for the whole time.

We are a family of three. My wife and I along with our 7 year old girl.

She is a huge Harry Potter fan, so we are looking forward to our visit (2nd two week Universal stay - also did September last year. And we also went to Universal Hollywood in earlier this year).

We are coming in from Scandinavia, so it's a long trip. I was thinking, while we are there, if we should do one day at Disney.

I used to go there as a kid (spent my summers around Orlando when I was growing up). I think I kind of miss it. Have some great memories and I would like my daughter to experience something similar.

Is there any possibility to do only one day? How crowded is it compared to Universal? Does it require all kinds of planning? What park should we visit, if we do one day?

Thanks for reading!

Yes, it is possible to spend one day at Disney World. Locals do it everyday.

It's much more crowded than Universal. September is supposed to be a slower time so you're not looking at crazy crowds but there will be more people in the parks at Disney World than Universal.

It does require some planning, at least for your FastPasses and maybe dining if you'd like a table service meal.

If I only had one day I would visit Magic Kingdom. You could do two parks in one day (starting at Magic Kingdom, ending at Epcot or vice versa). But if you want to take your time and stick to one, I would suggest Magic Kingdom.

 

[Disney Ron]

We are doing exactly that. We are staying at UO 9/26-10/4 and going to the Disney Halloween Party on 9/29.

 

[macraven]

I think it would be great to hit the motherland for a day

Mnsshp would be fun
To cut expenses, just buy the party ticket and enter mk at 4

Weekend parties do get larger crowds
Tuesday and Thursday party nights are less crowded

If you don't do mnsshp, go during the week but not a party night as the mk closes at 7 pm
To those without the mnsshp tickets

Food and wine will be going on at Epcot and could have some crowds there

Make a decision soon and buy your park tickets

Can not think of anyplace that gives ticket discounts for a one day ticket

You can book fast past for three rides 30 days out

I find that some Tuesday- Wednesday (and if not a party night Thursday )

Decent crowd days for mk

 

[tony67]

I would not recommend it in most cases, your really need to do 5 days+ to make the price reasonable

That being said - coming from Scandinavia - I'd say it is well worth it.

The MNSSHP is a good option - but check the option of rides and keep in mind the 7 year can only go so long. The good thing is people are there for the Halloween party (photos etc..) so the ride waits are not bad at all in my experiance

if you dont do that - make sure you keep in mind what macraven said - it's good advice.

Also - although a ripoff in my opinion - the park hopper might be worthwhile if you want to check out Avatar(AK) or Epcot or are a Star Wars (HS) fan.
Again tough with a 7 year old - and you don't want to overdo it (I can't over state this) - but if your only doing one day and have no plans of coming back soon you may want to consider it.

 

[gotomu212]

My advise is a little opposite. We have visited the Magic Kingdom for one day during a trip and really enjoyed it. We went on a Halloween party day BUT we didn't go to the party. The downside was we had to leave early. However on the pro side the parks have been MUCH emptier during the day. We were able to ride everything, without fast passes by late afternoon. Space mountain alone had only a 10 minute wait.

Each time we've added the visit spur of the moment and been fine without dining reservations or fastpasses. We just take it as a fun, relaxed, leisurely visit.

 

[2forMe]

If you are at Cabana bay for 2 weeks I would try to squeeze in more than 1 day at Disney... I would look at 3 days if you could make the time

 

[GoldmanTrust]

Wow you guys are AWESOME. Thanks for all the input. I think we will look into MNSSHP. Our 7 year old will love to put on a costume.

I can't state how happy I am with all of these answers. This forum rocks.

 

[cbsnyber1]

Not exactly your situation, but similar: back in 2012 we spent five days at Universal in early December (12 – 18). As part of that trip we included a Thursday evening visit to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). We got there at 4 PM and, despite crowds that were moderately high, managed to basically walk onto the open attractions, especially after 7 PM when the party officially kicks off.

It’s worth considering this strategy for two reasons: ticket prices are lower (compared to a single day admission), and you get to tour most of the best park at Disney, albeit on a somewhat restricted timeline.

Keep in mind – not everything is open during the party, so plan accordingly. You can get in at 4 PM; if you do, ALL attractions at MK are open between 4 – 7 PM, so first attend those that will close after 7 PM when the party commences (you can find out what will be open during the party at the party’s website). Then, during the party, you can attend the remainder of the attractions, and work in some of the party events in if you wish.

This worked really well for us. For instance, as soon as we entered the park at 4 PM we headed for the Jungle Cruise, which was not scheduled to operate during the party, and we rode it a couple of times. During the party, the open attractions were basically walk-on (except for Peter Pan’s Flight, which always astounds me how busy that one is). In fact, the attendant on Splash Mountain asked if we wanted to ride it again before we got out of the boat – there was no line waiting. We did not waste time on the parade, which required one to get in place about two hours before it kicked off, time better spent on attractions/party functions. We did enjoy the special fireworks, but the hub was incredibly packed at that time, and we got literally stuck (could not move) in a less than desirable viewing spot (keep this in mind if a fireworks fan).

Have a great time!

 

[dixonsontour]

We do MNSSHP when we do our Universal trips. If you look in the trip reports section my Oct 2014 trip report is on when we did just that, my daughter was 8 that trip and a similar trip October 2015 when she was 9 (we did the Halloween dessert party too then).

 

[Chuckers]

Wow you guys are AWESOME. Thanks for all the input. I think we will look into MNSSHP. Our 7 year old will love to put on a costume.

I can't state how happy I am with all of these answers. This forum rocks.

Do look at the website for costume restrictions. Adults can wear them, too! (Most of the restrictions are directed at adults, but several things like 'no masks, no play weapons, etc.', refer to all.) Yes, not all the rides are open, but from what I last read, and this could change, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder were the only big rides not open. I think Aladdin's Flying Carpets aren't open either. Peter Pan and The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will have long lines.

 

[GoldmanTrust]

We do MNSSHP when we do our Universal trips. If you look in the trip reports section my Oct 2014 trip report is on when we did just that, my daughter was 8 that trip and a similar trip October 2015 when she was 9 (we did the Halloween dessert party too then).

I went and read all of your trip reports. Thanks for sharing, I loved reading them!

My daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and we also bought her a wand and cape (the same one from Target...and even the same wand as you guys bought!).

Your writing convinced me, I will now go ahead and book MNSSHP. And try out a few of the restaurants you guys liked!

 

[dixonsontour]

I went and read all of your trip reports. Thanks for sharing, I loved reading them!

My daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and we also bought her a wand and cape (the same one from Target...and even the same wand as you guys bought!).

Your writing convinced me, I will now go ahead and book MNSSHP. And try out a few of the restaurants you guys liked!

Glad you enjoyed. You will have a fantastic time.