Itinerary help....what would you do?

[texasgingerbread]

I am still tweaking and tweaking my schedule. Here's my dilemma.

I'm in the parks Mon-Fri, February 29-March 4. Regular opening hours M-Th are 10 and Friday is 9. I am staying offsite so I only have one MM.

My thinking:
I want to use 9:10 Minnie's Breakfast on Tuesday (prepark opening for me because I don't have EMH) and MM on Thursday. The hesitation in this is that it puts me at CA on Mon, Wed, Fri when everyone already has EMH and I'd be getting in at regular time. My plan was to have a day where I can ride TSMM first thing (hopefully more than once). If I do this, I guess TSMM by 10 would be a long line due to EMH guests already inside? So that means I'd have to give up Minnie's or not use my MM and go to CA on a Tues/Thur.

I feel if I do a later Minnie's breakfast time that's eating into good park time since the park will have just opened at 10.

Thoughts? What would you do?

 

[sherilaine]

I honestly think Minnie's breakfast on an early entry day gets you no further ahead. By the time you are done the park is already open. We always do opposite rope drop to the park that has EMH. Our MM will be the Saturday and our Plaza Inn reservation is for 10, so we'll have 3 hours to build up an appetite. The other thing is the later park opening the less of a benefit early entry is, so get there extra early on your MM day or be prepared to see long lines ahead of you on the esplanade. Can you change your Minnie's for 10 or later on your MM day so you can do your MM hour and then eat?

 

[texasgingerbread]

Can you change your Minnie's for 10 or later on your MM day so you can do your MM hour and then eat?

Yes, but I'd probably just wait until Friday and do a later breakfast since park opens at 9. I think I could do a 10:40. On Friday I for sure need to hit Indy since it'll be the only day it's open for us. We definitely want to do Minnie's but not right after park opening. I guess it'll depend how bad TSMM gets. I'm going to check wait times tomorrow for an example at regular park opening and see how long the wait is since EMH guests will already be in. I thought of that today while I was "finalizing" our plans.

 

[texasgingerbread]

@sherilaine can you believe RMH Travel calendar updated their crowd calendar and still has Feb 29 as an 8/10 crowds. I wonder why?! I'm hoping it's not something we don't know about! I think you said TP has it as a 2/10?!

 

[sherilaine]

@sherilaine can you believe RMH Travel calendar updated their crowd calendar and still has Feb 29 as an 8/10 crowds. I wonder why?! I'm hoping it's not something we don't know about! I think you said TP has it as a 2/10?!

Those crowd crowd calendars are nothing to base planning around. I have never heard anyone place any validity on Touring Plans never mind a travel agents. Looking at local events, holidays and park hours are your best indication. And getting there early!!

 

[sherilaine]

I'm going to check wait times tomorrow for an example at regular park opening and see how long the wait is since EMH guests will already be in. I thought of that today while I was "finalizing" our plans.

This weekend is going to be very busy - Monday is Presidents day and there are several school districts that have all next week off so I'd not compare tomorrow to the Friday you plan to be there. Friday's are always busy though but usually more so towards the later afternoon. I'd do the TSMM on a day when DL has EMH - otherwise you are going to likely find at least a half hour wait for it. It always has a wait. We were then when the park was empty due to rain and it was still a 15 minutes wait. That line never goes down and people ride it over and over trying to beat their score!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I like the idea of doing Minnie's during a time you wouldn't otherwise be in the park. Do you have park hoppers? If so enjoy your Minnie breakfast and then hop over to DCA. Or enjoy that EMH in DL for 1 hour and then hop over to DCA. Best of both worlds. Everything is so close it's fast to hop. (FWIW on our 5 day trips we loved having the hopping ability, especially by the last 2 days as we bounce back to our favorites!)

 

[texasgingerbread]

I like the idea of doing Minnie's during a time you wouldn't otherwise be in the park. Do you have park hoppers? If so enjoy your Minnie breakfast and then hop over to DCA. Or enjoy that EMH in DL for 1 hour and then hop over to DCA. Best of both worlds. Everything is so close it's fast to hop. (FWIW on our 5 day trips we loved having the hopping ability, especially by the last 2 days as we bounce back to our favorites!)

Yes we do have park hoppers. So if we kept the 9:10 Minnie's and then hopped to DCA about how long are we talking? Probably in DCA by 10:30? Is security a nightmare by then or has it died down because the mad rush has happened?

 

[sherilaine]

Yes we do have park hoppers. So if we kept the 9:10 Minnie's and then hopped to DCA about how long are we talking? Probably in DCA by 10:30? Is security a nightmare by then or has it died down because the mad rush has happened?

What security? You go through security once, and then you pick a park or hop back and forth - there is no security for each park.

 

[Disney_Alli]

You're already through security, it's just walking across the esplanade.

 

[Angrose]

I think TSMM is like PP, there will always be a long line, so you will just need to pick a time and go for it! I have heard that the line for TSMM Is shorter during WOC. Maybe try that one evening?

 

[texasgingerbread]

You're already through security, it's just walking across the esplanade.

Awesome. I guess I might have read this but in my mind they're separate. First timer here. Okay great then this is a non-issue. Thanks!

 

[sherilaine]

You are going to have a great trip - don't worry about a ride here or there - if you end up having to wait in a long line then it's not the end of the world - as you will be in Disney. Sometimes I think people spend much more time trying to avoid lines than if they just waited in them - there is a fine line between being well prepared and being stressed out planning. You will have a great time - relax and enjoy!!!

 

[wench]

If I were you, I wouldn't be so worried about TSMM. Although the lines get kind of long, they shouldn't be too horrible on a weekday morning. And as long as you get there kind of early, it should be fine. At park opening, a good portion of the guests go straight to the FP line for RSR. In fact a lot of the people that are were in the park for EMH will also be in that line. So, if you don't stop for the FP & go straight to TSMM, I think you'll find it's not too bad at all.

And although the crowd calendars aren't always accurate, TP anticipates your days in the park to be very low crowds. Almost everything is expected to be only a 1 or 2. Even if those estimates are low & your days end up being a 3 or 4, that's not too bad. With 5 days you should have more than enough time to get everything you want done without having to stress yourself out too much. I know that's always easier said than done. I totally stress myself planning everything out beforehand too. But hopefully you'll just be able to kick back & have lots of fun once you're there!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yes we do have park hoppers. So if we kept the 9:10 Minnie's and then hopped to DCA about how long are we talking? Probably in DCA by 10:30? Is security a nightmare by then or has it died down because the mad rush has happened?

I think that's entirely possible. It will give you time to enjoy your breakfast and meet the characters. Afterwards you walk back down Main St (bit of fish swimming upstream feel but you'll be fine). You don't have to go through security again. Security is stationed on both sides of the Esplanade (the area between the parks) so once you go through security in the morning you can move freely between the parks. Your only line will be at the DCA turnstiles to get in the parks and those move pretty quick.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I think TSMM is like PP, there will always be a long line, so you will just need to pick a time and go for it! I have heard that the line for TSMM Is shorter during WOC. Maybe try that one evening?

We like hitting it during WOC during summer. The line isn't as short as it used to be as word is getting out but still shorter than during the afternoon.