May 2021 trip park reservations strategy, your thoughts?

[guehomom]

I am planning a graduation trip for DS for May 2021. It will be our first trip back in 11 years. Two friends are joining us who have never been to WDW. I have rented a house and bought passes for 5 days. DS is a big Star Wars fan and he is really looking forward to HS and getting his own lightsaber there. I'd like thoughts from anyone/everyone on my park reservations/time line. Due to medical reasons we aren't much on roller coasters and such. My son is also autistic but he handles dark and loud noises pretty well and we plan to take several breaks throughout the day as needed.
Our reservations are as follows:
Arrival Saturday night
Sunday rest day
Monday MK - just for nostalgic reasons for the newbies
Tuesday HS - any tips for securing that elusive Boarding group are welcome!
Wednesday - AK, this may be a half day as DS doesn't seem very interested in this park
Thursday - another rest day
Friday - EP, by far our favorite park
Saturday - MK, based this off of last times trip that we wanted to do more here and in EP
Sunday and Monday for shopping and other places he wants to visit in Orlando
Tuesday - headed home!
I haven't even begun to think about dinning reservations if any. I' thinking at least one to celebrate his graduation. Suggestions needed here too! Lol
Maybe I'mstressing too much over all of it since this is my first trip alone with him as a single mom, but I also want him to enjoy it since this trip is purely for him!

 

[cgattis]

I am planning a graduation trip for DS for May 2021. It will be our first trip back in 11 years. Two friends are joining us who have never been to WDW. I have rented a house and bought passes for 5 days. DS is a big Star Wars fan and he is really looking forward to HS and getting his own lightsaber there. I'd like thoughts from anyone/everyone on my park reservations/time line. Due to medical reasons we aren't much on roller coasters and such. My son is also autistic but he handles dark and loud noises pretty well and we plan to take several breaks throughout the day as needed.
Our reservations are as follows:
Arrival Saturday night
Sunday rest day
Monday MK - just for nostalgic reasons for the newbies
Tuesday HS - any tips for securing that elusive Boarding group are welcome!
Wednesday - AK, this may be a half day as DS doesn't seem very interested in this park
Thursday - another rest day
Friday - EP, by far our favorite park
Saturday - MK, based this off of last times trip that we wanted to do more here and in EP
Sunday and Monday for shopping and other places he wants to visit in Orlando
Tuesday - headed home!
I haven't even begun to think about dinning reservations if any. I' thinking at least one to celebrate his graduation. Suggestions needed here too! Lol
Maybe I'mstressing too much over all of it since this is my first trip alone with him as a single mom, but I also want him to enjoy it since this trip is purely for him!

If he’s a big SW fan, I’d plan two HS days. I’d probably trade that send MK day for another HS morning, and maybe hop to MK later if that ends up being an option. I’ve got two HS days now and thinking I’ll switch to three with that same strategy.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I am planning a graduation trip for DS for May 2021. It will be our first trip back in 11 years. Two friends are joining us who have never been to WDW. I have rented a house and bought passes for 5 days. DS is a big Star Wars fan and he is really looking forward to HS and getting his own lightsaber there. I'd like thoughts from anyone/everyone on my park reservations/time line. Due to medical reasons we aren't much on roller coasters and such. My son is also autistic but he handles dark and loud noises pretty well and we plan to take several breaks throughout the day as needed.
Our reservations are as follows:
Arrival Saturday night
Sunday rest day
Monday MK - just for nostalgic reasons for the newbies
Tuesday HS - any tips for securing that elusive Boarding group are welcome!
Wednesday - AK, this may be a half day as DS doesn't seem very interested in this park
Thursday - another rest day
Friday - EP, by far our favorite park
Saturday - MK, based this off of last times trip that we wanted to do more here and in EP
Sunday and Monday for shopping and other places he wants to visit in Orlando
Tuesday - headed home!
I haven't even begun to think about dinning reservations if any. I' thinking at least one to celebrate his graduation. Suggestions needed here too! Lol
Maybe I'mstressing too much over all of it since this is my first trip alone with him as a single mom, but I also want him to enjoy it since this trip is purely for him!

You say you're going in May. Will you be there for Star Wars Day (May 4)? If so, factor it into your plans.

I agree with cgattis that you may want two HS days. That park is the most consistently crowded; it may be hard to do all you want there in one day, even if you skip the roller coasters. Also, having park reservations there for two days instead of one means double the chances of getting in a RotR boarding group. If after one day there, you decide you don't need another, you can always switch your park reservation to another available park. Even if you decide ahead of time that you want only one HS day, you may want to consider booking park reservations at HS for two days, and if you don't get a boarding group the morning of your first reservation, switch to another park that day and go to HS on the day of your second reservation. One possible drawback with booking two HS park reservations with the idea of only using one of them is that you'll pretty much have to go to HS on the day you book your reservation for the make-a-lightsaber experience, whether you get a boarding group that morning or not.

As for tips on how to get a boarding group, there's a lengthy thread dedicated to that question:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...planning-and-information-no-spoilers.3782822/
Whatever you decide, may the Force be with you.

 

[sethschroeder]

I am planning a graduation trip for DS for May 2021.

Wait until like end of February.

• Park capacity could change by then
• Park hours unknown
• FP+ always a chance of coming back
• Park Reservation could look different
• You have no idea which day you will be able to reserve the light Saber experience for (that will dictate a day for HS)
• I would also see strategy around park reservation as we get closer

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I don't think I can help you with park reservations, but I do have some advice. I take it you planned a rest day for your first Sunday to recoup from traveling? I'm not sure how late you are getting there, but maybe consider sleeping in a little and then doing a park for the evening. Rest days are better after you've been there a while.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

You may consider switching the MK Saturday to the Sunday instead. Saturdays are busiest.

You may also consider switching Epcot off Friday, as Fri (night) & Sat are reportedly the busiest Epcot days.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

Since he’s autistic, do you get the DAS pass? If not, I highly suggest looking into it. We don’t always have to use it for my son, but it’s nice to have as a back up. Is park hopping an option? One of things we are planning on our trip this May is starting out in another park and ending in MK each day. Typically, it’s one of the later parks to close, but also busiest so this way we’ll just focus on one “land” each evening. With the DAS, we usually get everything my son is interested in riding, done fairly early in the day at the smaller parks.