My Spring Break MK strategy with little kids (plus releasing 3 A&E FP+s back into the pool)

[DVCcurious]

We have a DD5 and DS3. We are going 4/1-4/6 and I was able to get 3 A&E FP+s for the evening. My original strategy was to hit the park in the morning, go back for a nap (we're at Wilderness Lodge so it's a short trip) then head back to MK for the evening and use our FP+s then. At the 60 day mark I made my FP+ reservations for the evening each day. I made a 6-7, 7-8, and 8-9 FP for us. But now I'm considering changing my strategy. Here is my thought process (feel free to agree or disagree).

MK opens at 7AM. AK and HS are 8AM every day. I went back into the archives on Josh's website and checked out wait times on Christmas and New Year's Eve (busy days with 7AM openings). The lines are short until about 9:30, then they really pick up and stay high until late at night. If I were to go with my original strategy of FP's in the evening I don't see how I can get my kids up in the morning in order to make a 7AM RD. I mean if we're doing a FP at 8PM and then immediately leave we'd be back to Wilderness Lodge by 9:00 at best and in bed by 9:30PM. Trying to get them up and ready to be at the park by 7AM would probably not happen. Instead we'd get them up by 7:30 and leave by 8:30AM and get to park around 9AM right when lines are getting longer. And we'd have no FP+s to use because they're all scheduled for the evening.

So here's my new thought process. The best thing to do is to take advantage of the short waits from 7AM - 9:30AM. Then book FP's at 10-11, 11-12, and 12-1. Then just leave for the day. Go back to the resort and take naps until 4, get up and hit the pool until 5, then have dinner and get the kids to bed by 7. If we do this they should be able to get up at 5AM so we can be out of the room by 6AM to be at the front of the pack for RD at 7AM.

What are your thoughts? If I do this I'm going to have to release A&E FPs for 2 people on 4/2 from 8-9PM, 4/3 6-7 PM and 4/4 6-7 PM. I don't think that's a big deal because we can hit A&E right at the 7AM opening and the wait shouldn't be too bad. I also realize I'd have to give up all my FP+s I currently have schedule but with low waits the first 2 hours we can do the high-priority rides without FP+. So if I end up with "lesser" FP+s it's not a big deal. Plus my kids want the pooh ride and the speedway and Dumbo and the Magic Carpet of Aladdin, so I should be able to get those even now that we're just 20 days out.

It just seems like this strategy would optimize our park time vs something like:
use FP+s until 8:30PM, get to the hotel at 9:30, kids in bed by 10PM, kids up at 7AM, out of the hotel by 8AM, hit MK at 8:45AM, leave at 1 for naps, get back to MK at 5 and use FP+s in the evening.

I want to take advantage of the low crowds from 7AM-9:30AM, but if we do that we can't realistically go back in the evening. What do you think?

 

[mom2rtk]

I would do everything I could to take full advantage of the early EMH hours. Those hours are golden in times of high crowds.

 

[senadler]

I definitely agree, especially with your MK days. However, I think you might want to plan one evening for Wishes. There are not as many attractions at HS or AK for young children that require a FP+, so maybe the night before one of those parks and you could get go back to the MK for evening entertainment.

 

[ArwenMarie]

That's the way to go during high crowd times

 

[smiths02]

We are going in the summer, so we also have heat to contend with. This has basically been our strategy in the past, though. It will be our strategy in the summer as well for the most part. We will balance it out, though.
Our plan is arrival and explore The Land (FP Soarin) at Epcot
DHS am EMH, FP mid morning, then leave after lunch
MK, pre park open ADR, FP mid morning, leave park
Epcot---sleep in, FP stuff mid day and enjoy WS
DHS---sleep-in, FP+ afternoon, dinner 50s PT, leave
AK--am EMH, lunch in park, leave early afternoon
Epcot---rope drop, mid morning FP+, lunch, leave
MK---rope drop, FP+ mid morning, BOG lunch, leave....this night we will go back for Pirates and Pals
Last day--brunch and drive home

Anyhow, we found on our last 2 trips that we are a 1/2 day kind of family, at least with the 5 and under set.

 

[allmydisneydreams]

We were there two years ago at Easter and are going again this year. I had read about Spring Break crowds, but really didn't understand until we saw it in person. We felt that 7 AM EMH saved our trip. We had planned to use it and did - and it is REALLY fun. There were more people waiting for it than I thought there would be, but once you are inside it is very empty and you can walk onto many rides early. I'd say you even have up until 10 before it gets very busy, by 11 it is crazy busy. Once the crowds roll in, it can be hard to even move around. We left the park by one each day, and saw everything that we wanted. We did go back one night because it was raining and I had read that crowds might be low in the rain (they were and it was a really fun night). My advice would definitely be to focus on those early mornings. Its simply more magical when you can walk without bumping into people. This year of our FPs are done by 11, and I am hoping to get one or two more for lesser attractions after that. The only other thing I would say is that if your DDs heart is set on Frozen, maybe keep your A&E FP until after you have made it there, just in case. I agree that going at RD should work just fine, but you would have a back up plan. You can always change the other two to morning FPs now, but hold onto A&E in case you need it