Leaving Next Week! Need Help On This One Decision

[3kidz4dis]

I had previously asked this question at a different posting and had an awesome person help me and I changed my schedule, but then I had a friend who came back from Disney last week and told me to do the opposite so I am throwing this one out there for all you more experienced Disney people.

On Monday May 8th we were going to go to MGM which has a Magic Evening Hour so we realize that the park will get busier toward the end of the day but I wasn't real concerned about it getting busy because we have ADR at LeCellier at Epcot at 5:30 plus we wanted to get over to Epcot and ride as many rides as we can. We will be there unitl Illuminations but really wanted enough time to ride Soarin ect. The good part about this day is that MGM and Epcot are close. The bad part is that MGM seems like a full day with the shows and we wanted to get in enough time at Epcot as well.

On Tuesday May 9th we were going to go Animal Kindgom. We didn't think this was going to be all day and wanted to go back to BWV. Then we have ADR at Bomas at 5:30 and then were going to go to Magic Kingdom for 9:00 Wishes. (the night we are in MK is grad night and there is no Wishes). The bad thing about this plan is going back and forth to the Animal Kingdom area twice then to MK.

This was the schedule someone on the boards helped me with, but my friend thinks I should switch it because Animal Kingdom is not all day and we will have more time for Epcot. The only negative (I think its probably a big one) is that that day is EMH at Animal Kingdom which means we need to get there super early and the park will be more crowded (and having to wake up real early with 3 kids) but she thinks that we could get a lot done in that early hour and be done with the park earlier even though it is more crowded. Also, if we switch it we are going MGM on the 9th and that will have had an evening Magic Hour the night before so it may not be as busy.

So, what should I do everyone:
Keep with what I have:
Mon. MGM, then Epcot and Tues AK, then Boma, then Wishes

or Mon. AK, then Epcot and Tues MGM then Boma, then Wishes.

Keeping in mind: I can't change the ADR (already tried)
and Early Magic Hour is on Monday May 8th at AK and Evening Magic Hour is Monday May 8th at MGM.

We want to ride EE at AK and the safari ect.

Sorry, this is so long! Thanks so much for helping me decide which is the better way!

 

[Robo]

I always recommend going to AM EMH. For EE and Safari, it will make your day.

Then Festival of the Lion King ++++ for everyone!
Don't forget "Flights of Wonder" bird show (you'd not suspect, but its really GOOD!)
Walk the two big TRAILS... lots of amazing animals, birds and fish... up CLOSE!
Do EE and Sarafi again (FP is a must by now).

I don't know why you'd HAVE to LEAVE DAK in the middle of the day (plenty to do), but you'll have no trouble doing so.

DAK is not far from your resort.

Your 5:30pm ADR will get you away from Boma by 6:45 or 7:00pm.
(BTW, show up EARLY by say, 30-45 minutes to Boma, and you're likely to be seated earlier.)
Then walk out to AKL bus stop and get the MK bus.

20 minutes or so on the bus from AKL to MK's front gate.

(This would make it say, 7:30pm or earlier)
Plenty of time to get ready for Wishes.

 

[3kidz4dis]

I always recommend going to AM EMH. For EE and Safari, it will make your day.

Then Festival of the Lion King ++++ for everyone!
Don't forget "Flights of Wonder" bird show (you'd not suspect, but its really GOOD!)
Walk the two big TRAILS... lots of amazing animals, birds and fish... up CLOSE!
Do EE and Sarafi again (FP is a must by now).

I don't know why you'd HAVE to LEAVE DAK in the middle of the day (plenty to do), but you'll have no trouble doing so.

DAK is not far from your resort.

Your 5:30pm ADR will get you away from Boma by 6:45 or 7:00pm.
(BTW, show up EARLY by say, 30-45 minutes to Boma, and you're likely to be seated earlier.)
Then walk out to AKL bus stop and get the MK bus.

20 minutes or so on the bus from AKL to MK's front gate.

(This would make it say, 7:30pm or earlier)
Plenty of time to get ready for Wishes.

So you don't think AK will be more busy during the day because of the early Magic hour? Also, we will have a car, is it better to drive or use Dt to get from Boma to Wishes?

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

We actually spend more time at AK than MGM, so I like your original park combination though I would stay in AK 'til time for Boma. We have used a.m. EMH and avoided EMH parks during off-season. In the off-season, that extra hour really helps us get more done even if the parks are more crowded. We found out the hard way, though, that p.m. EMH is much more crowded than a.m. EMH so we now avoid all p.m. EMH parks after about 11:00 in the morning. We also noted grads in MK earlier than grad night, so I would avoid it in the afternoon of a grad night. I don't know if kids got out of school early or skipped but they were there long before grad night started. You've got tough choices - make your best informed decision and have fun anyway.
DT Boma to Wishes because you'll get to MK rather than parking at TTC then monorail or ferry to MK. I also wouldn't drive to AK for a.m. EMH unless they open the parking earlier. We had a glitch where they expected resort guests to use the bus and didn't open the parking lot early for a.m. EMH...

 

[3kidz4dis]

We actually spend more time at AK than MGM, so I like your original park combination though I would stay in AK 'til time for Boma. We have used a.m. EMH and avoided EMH parks during off-season. In the off-season, that extra hour really helps us get more done even if the parks are more crowded. We found out the hard way, though, that p.m. EMH is much more crowded than a.m. EMH so we now avoid all p.m. EMH parks after about 11:00 in the morning. We also noted grads in MK earlier than grad night, so I would avoid it in the afternoon of a grad night. I don't know if kids got out of school early or skipped but they were there long before grad night started. You've got tough choices - make your best informed decision and have fun anyway.
DT Boma to Wishes because you'll get to MK rather than parking at TTC then monorail or ferry to MK. I also wouldn't drive to AK for a.m. EMH unless they open the parking earlier. We had a glitch where they expected resort guests to use the bus and didn't open the parking lot early for a.m. EMH...

Now, if I take advantage of Early Magic Hour at AK, then that would be the day that I will not eat at Boma, but we would go to Epcot for ADR and Illuminations. The day that we would go to MGM we have ADR reservations at Boma. Is that the plan you think is better because of going to AK on Early Magic Hour? I am so glad you told me about the DT on Early Magic Days, I would not have ever given that a thought. Thanks so much!

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

No, I mean I'd go to AK, Boma, Wishes one day and MGM, Epcot the other day. That's exactly what our vacation usually includes on our AK and MGM days. We do Boma after AK then catch a night-time show later. We do Epcot after MGM. Works for us, but we do try to do it on days when we can catch an a.m. EMH but if not, so be it.

 

[3kidz4dis]

No, I mean I'd go to AK, Boma, Wishes one day and MGM, Epcot the other day. That's exactly what our vacation usually includes on our AK and MGM days. We do Boma after AK then catch a night-time show later. We do Epcot after MGM. Works for us, but we do try to do it on days when we can catch an a.m. EMH but if not, so be it.

Okay, just wanted to make sure I understood what you thought we should do. Then if we go with your above plan, that is not on the Early Magic Hour day. Our Boma ADR is on the 9th and the EMH for AK is on the 8th. So you are saying forgo the EMH because of the Boma being there plus MGM and Epcot will be on the same day. Also if we do it that way, MGM will have the evening EMH on the day we are there. Just wanted to make sure that is what you are thinking. We do have 3 little ones and wasn't sure if AK would be an all day thing or not which is why we were prepared to go to AK then come back to the resort then go back for Boma.