Memorial Weekend and Park Reservations ?

[softballmom3]

Hi all! I would appreciate your help We are experienced Disney travelers but have only went once since Covid (last August) and the parks were very dead. We are heading down last week of May- Memorial weekend and here's my strategy.

First- if parks reach capacity does it really matter what day you go to them?

Right now I have this:
May 26 Arrival (no park)
May 27 MK (Thursday)
May 28 HS
May 29 AK
May 30 EP
May 31 HS but will probably switch it to something else.

Would it matter crowd-wise if I did this instead?-
May 26 arrival (no park)
May 27 MK
May 28 Epcot (instead of HS)
May 29 HS
May 30 AK
May 31 will decide later

I can switch it AK and HS on the second one if it doesn't truly matter.

No hoppers at this point. I may add that but then again may not worry about it as I want to enjoy the resort some too.

 

[sophy1996]

Common wisdom is to avoid Epcot on weekends (especially given that F&G festival will be ongoing). Higher crowds and more drinking.

For DHS, I don't think it really matters because all days will probably be at capacity. For resort guests and day guests, May 24 is already blocked out for DHS, and I think that trend will continue through that last week of May sooner rather than later (see the first few weeks in June!).

I would tend toward your second plan. But rather than "decide later" for May 31, I would get MK or DHS on the books while you consider. They will likely book for the holiday before Epcot and AK.

 

[softballmom3]

Thank you! My thought in thinking Epcot on the Friday is well....if it isn't Friday then it's Sunday and that's a holiday weekend.....I could try to change up and do Epcot arrival day (as we are actually flying in the night before) and just take one of the weekend days "off."

 

[sophy1996]

Thank you! My thought in thinking Epcot on the Friday is well....if it isn't Friday then it's Sunday and that's a holiday weekend.....I could try to change up and do Epcot arrival day (as we are actually flying in the night before) and just take one of the weekend days "off."

That might be your best bet. From what I've read on here, Epcot on weekends during a festival is best avoided. I would think that would be even more true on a holiday weekend. If you could go to a park on Wednesday, maybe:

MK Wednesday
Epcot Thursday
DHS Friday
Off day Saturday
AK Sunday
Then whichever park you want to do again on Monday.