Lots of MGM/Disney Studios questions

[DumboDash2006]

I've not been to this park before, and neither has anyone else in our group (me, dd age 6, my sister, nephew age 5 and my mom). So we are just going by the books and what I've learned here.

We are only going to be able to spend a half day in this park it looks like. The others besides dd and myself will be at WDW a few more days, but dd and I only have 4 full days and two half days so this may be it for us (honestly it interests me the least out of the four from what I've read).

Anyway we arrive in Orlando at 9:30 am on Wed, Aug 9th. We're using ME, I figure from what I've read we won't make it to the park until at least lunch time, maybe a little later.

Here are the things that dd and I at least are interested in seeing. Not sure about the rest yet, other than my nephew who will probably enjoy most of the same things as DD and I know wants to see Playhouse Disney.

Do you think we will be able to see all of our must see attractions and even perhaps our really like to see? We have 4:00 dinner reservations at Sci Fi. I know the food sucks, but that's what the others wanted and I'm sure the kids will like it, so what the heck. I plan to stick with a burger lol. I hope we'll have enough time to see the Parade which I see starts at 5:30.

I'm not a show person at all, so I don't want to do both Beauty and The Beast and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. DD isn't a huge Princess fan, but Belle is currently her favorite princess, so I'm leaning towards Beauty and the Beast. Is that a good choice you think? We would do Fantasmic but dd does not do well with her sleep schedule being messed with and that's just much too late for her. Any input is much appreciated. TIA!


Must see

Beauty and the Beast
Great Movie Ride
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure
Muppet Vision 3D
Playhouse Disney Live
Stars and Motor Cars Parade

Really like to see

Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Al?s Toy Barn

Might be nice

Fantasmic
One Man?s Dream
Pizza Planet Arcade
Studios Backlot Tour
Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show

If we have extra time

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
The Magic of Disney Animation
Sounds Dangerous
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for the grown-ups (are us chickens that brave?)

No way, no how

Rock N Roller Coaster
Star Tours
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

 

[Luv2Roam]

Your full schedule would be a full day from open to close.
With such a tight scedule and so much ytou want to do, make a realistic schedule.
Figure you may be there only between 1 - 4 in the aftenoon. That may be the B&tB show alone. (We have not seen this. So I can't judge by the show times or how long it lasts.)
You may have to decide to eliminate B&tB show in favor of Mermaid and GMR. (I have never been in the Little Mermaid show either. So I am no help there.
Look at the Disney park schedule on line when you can and make realistic plans. Most likely everything will take longer than you think. Better to pad your time than cram it unrealistically.

 

[GoingtoDisney]

Our kids were ds 8, dd 5, dd 3 when we went last year. The younger two are girls and like both Beauty and the Beast, the Mermaid show and the Muppets. If you didn't want to do both Beauty and Mermaid, I would chose Beauty since your dd likes her and its a live show in an outdoor theatre. All of the kids liked Playhouse Disney,Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground and meeting the Incredibles. Our son liked Star Tours and Tower of Terror. We did both Studios Backlot Tour and Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show. The girls were a little bored during those. I think they work best for older kids. The Lights, Motors, Action was cool though.

 

[pafer]

Do not miss the stunt show. Don't even make it a low priority. It really is a great show and the kids even at their ages will find it interesting. My dd who is 4 loved it because they cars do tricks and she got to see Herbie!!!

Honey I shrunk is a playground with large objects to play on. It is nice but not a must see for us even with a 4 year old and a 18 month old. We go there only if they need to run off some steam.

Al's toy barn is just a wall painted like the barn and the meet and greets with the characters from the movie. It will only take as long as the lines are for the characters.

I hate to see ppl say they don't want to go see Fantasmic. If you go once you would never want to miss it again. It is not just a laser and fireworks show. There is so much more to it than that. I would make it a priority there should be a show around 7Pm that time of year is that still too late? I think your 6 year old would really enjoy it. It has characters and boats and water effects and movies and fireworks and lasers all rolled into one huge show!

 

[MelanieC]

MGM is such a cool park. The time you have there isn't much though. This park takes a long time to tour because most things are shows and you have to wait for them to start or they only start at certain times. Also keep in mind that parades are time consuming too if you want a good view.

Beauty and the Beast is an awesome show. I would definately do this if your daughter likes Belle.

We love Roller Coasters and thrill rides so TOT & R&RRC are a must for us.

I think One Man's Dream is a must, because it ALL started with Walt's Dream. The movie is narrated by Walt himself and it really is a wonderful tribute to Walt. We are Disney nuts so for us this is a must do.

 

[flynnibus]

I'd put tower of terror on your must list.. and do it via fastpass.

You should be able to fit all your musts (since most are not rides).

But get the time schedule when you get there.. find out when the beauty and beast show is.. schedule your day around that and the parade.. and get a fast pass for ToT.

The backstage tour is good for the ride.. unfortunatly the 'movie lot' portion of it has aged a bit without much upgrades.. but the problem for you is it takes a VERY long time to complete when the park is busy.

As for shows..BB is a stage production (dancing, singing) while LM is a blend of pupets and special effects (must more like the 3D/4D movies). I'd pick based on if you think they'd like an interactive movie or a stage production.

Playhouse disney is neat for the kids and I'd make that a top priority if they are into those shows at all. Its a puppet+live actors stage show that is pretty interactive with the kids (let them go up front and dance, etc).

I'm not a fan of the great movie ride (especially for kids). The stunt show is cool, and Indy would be cool for any kids that have not seen it before.

 

[DisneyDork712]

I hate to see ppl say they don't want to go see Fantasmic. If you go once you would never want to miss it again. It is not just a laser and fireworks show. There is so much more to it than that. I would make it a priority there should be a show around 7Pm that time of year is that still too late? I think your 6 year old would really enjoy it. It has characters and boats and water effects and movies and fireworks and lasers all rolled into one huge show!

I agree! Fantasmic! is one of my all time favorite Disney things. I've never heard of anyone who didn't love it. It's a wonderful way to end the day.

I looked at the hours for August, and it looks like the only showing they are going to have at that time is at 9:00 though. Unless the Disney World site isn't right.

I also think that Indiana and the Animation Tour are really neat as well. They're usually top on my list.

I know everyone has their own likes and dislikes, so it's really just a matter of what you know you like and want to do. With that being said, I still really think if it's at all possible, you should try to squeeze in Fantasmic!. It's just so cool! And I think it's a very magical way to end your DS day!

Hope you have fun on your trip!!

 

[DumboDash2006]

Thanks for the input. Is there anyway to find out now what time (or sometime before we arrive) what time the show times are? Or will just have to wait until we get there.

I would really like to see Fantasmic, but seriously dd is high strung and NEEDS her sleep so I want to get her back to the hotel and in bed after the parade. She takes a long time to wind down and fall asleep and we want to be up early and at the MK the next day when the gates open. Trust me, it's better for all of us if she gets her rest and doesn't go into spastic hyper overdrive due to too much excitement and too little sleep lol. I'm trying to plan as much as possible here to make sure we see what we want and yet still don't push ourselves too much. Honestly my goals for this trip (well for dd and myself, the rest can separate and do what they want at anytime) is to see as much of the MK as possible and the highlights of Epcot. Beyond that we'll see as much as we can while keeping everyone rested and happy!

I think I'm leaning towards Beauty and the Beast. I would certainly skip the Honey I Shrunk the Kids set, but I think if dd and my nephew catch a glimpse of it, it will be all over with. Is it avoidable?

It's possible we may make it back later another day if we really like it. I just don't know.

 

[RyMickey]

Here's the site with all the showtimes: http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/

Personally, I wouldn't miss the Little Mermaid as it's my favorite in any of the parks. The mix of puppets, live singers, and animation is pretty neat.

You can definitely avoid seeing the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience set. If you're going to do Muppets 3D, just don't go any further into the park after Muppets and you'll be fine.

If BatB is a top priority, you need to pick what showtime you are going to see and plan the rest of your day around that (obviously, the showtimes may change week to week, but Steve Soares' site is a good barometer for when the shows will be.

If Playhouse Disney is a priority, you need to plan that, too, as both BatB and PlayDis are not continuously running.

I'd skip the parade as I think it's nothing compared to the MK parade.

Just my opinions...

 

[iluvdizknee]

Hey what about the Indian Stunt Show, that is always a good time. I personally enjoy Millionaire, but I wouldn't put it on the top 10 for a 1/2 a day trip. Tower of Terror and Rock and Roll Rollercoaster are great. Backlot tour is pretty cool, with the whole fire and water thing.
Muppets is a must with the kids!
Good Luck

 

[GeorgeG]

MGM can be tricky to find your way around so use your map and don't hesitate to ask Cast Members for directions. That will save a lot of time.