Need Help From the Pro's

[liltoot]

My husband and I haven't been able to go to Disney since 2010. Helping elderly parents etc... I used to think I knew enough about Disney to help others with their plans. NOT anymore. I am lost. We are hoping to go in December 2019 for our 45th anniversary. I keep reading about the huge waits for rides even during the so called slow seasons. I don't think my husband will handle a wait even up to an hour. We have used FP before but it sounds like we would be lucky to do two or three rides in a day and still have a huge wait. Now I wonder if we should even go. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Klayfish]

I'd suggest reading up on some of the FAQs here. You will definitely be able to do more than 2 or 3 rides and then have a huge wait. Many of the rides never get lines over 60 minutes, such as Nemo, Tough to Be a Bug, Muppets, Philharmagic, etc.... Those are just a few, tons of others. The new FP+ system is pretty slick, make sure you understand how it works. I don't like lines either, we never...ever...wait in a line more than 20-30 minutes and get on tons of attractions.

There are a lot of good ways to get on attractions. If you're a morning person, be there at park open. If you're evening people, the last hour the park is open is like the first...empty. Learn which rides get long lines and which don't. Then pick your FP+ accordingly.

 

[Tksolomom]

The one park that may be crazy would be HS as Galaxy’s Edge will probably open up around then.

 

[NWOhiogal]

I'm planning a visit in January 2019 - when does Disney update its park hours? Right now it doesn't have anything listed after December. Are the hours listed for January 2018 a good barometer?

Also, how often do the fireworks/parade programs change? Should I plan on seeing the parades/fireworks that are listed now, or will Disney be switching them out?

 

[sharonabe]

My husband and I haven't been able to go to Disney since 2010. Helping elderly parents etc... I used to think I knew enough about Disney to help others with their plans. NOT anymore. I am lost. We are hoping to go in December 2019 for our 45th anniversary. I keep reading about the huge waits for rides even during the so called slow seasons. I don't think my husband will handle a wait even up to an hour. We have used FP before but it sounds like we would be lucky to do two or three rides in a day and still have a huge wait. Now I wonder if we should even go. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

We went the first week of Dec 2009 and then went last year the first week of Nov. I honestly didn't feel there was that much difference in crowd level or wait times. I just asked my DH who HATES crowds and lines, and he felt they were very comparable as well, but he did say, it felt that way because I had a plan.

You've got time to get up to speed on how FP+ works and the best way to use it. You know (I assume) how to use rope drop and EMH (or not use it, if that's your way). Those things haven't changed. Stay on DISboards and read up on the newest attractions and how they are best enjoyed. I fully expect AK to settle down by then. Toy Story Land is already better. Your only difficulty is going to be Star Wars which should be open by then. I think I would just plan on skipping any attractions there and just enjoy walking around.

As long as you're not talking about Christmas week 2019, you'll have lowish crowds and be just fine.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As others have said, I think it really depends on when in December you are planning to go. I would absolutely avoid Christmas week and I would even consider avoiding the week before Christmas as crowds really begin to swell the closer you get to Dec. 25. As others have also mentioned, DHS will be really crowded with the opening of Star Wars. Otherwise, with a good plan, you will be fine. I would make sure to have your resort chosen and booked by May 2019 so you can start booking your ADR's at the 180 day mark and then start reading up on how to navigate My Disney Experience and booking FP+ so you are ready to book those at your 60 day mark.

 

[maryj11]

All you have to do is do some research on what rides usually have the longest waits and make fastpasses for those. Going at opening I would make fastpasses starting at 10:00 then do them back to back. The first hour of opening you can walk on quit a few rides. After you use those first 3 then book a 4th FP. Keep refreshing the app and you can get about any FP you want.
Right before closing is also when wait times are lower. When we go in the evening we start FP about 5:00.
There are a few rides that always have long waits. They are Flight of Passage, the Navi River ride, Peter Pans Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Probably Slink Dog Dash along with the Alien ride. I might be missing some but those are some you should get fastpasses for.

 

[only hope]

For MK especially, the trick is to schedule your fastpasses back to back, with the first starting about 30mn after park open. Rope drop to take advantage of low waits; by the time waits creep up, it should be towards the end of the window of your first fp, around 60-90 minutes after park open or a bit longer if the park opened to the public before 9. Use the first two back to back and then try to modify the third to start immediately. This probably won’t work if you have a hard to get fastpass for your third fp though. As soon as you use the third fp, schedule another for a nearby attraction, etc etc. I’m a local passholder and I very rarely will get in line if the posted wait time is over 15 minutes. I book fastpasses instead, usually starting within the next fifteen minutes (which means I can enter in ten minutes). Aside from mine train, f.op., the new TSL rides, and frozen, it’s very easy to get day of fp if you keep refreshing. It is not necessary to wait in most lines and I don’t understand why people do it.

AK and Epcot have less things that need a fp and if you plan right, you may not need anything beyond your initial pre-booked fastpasses.

 

[slpeters]

We were there last year for the week before Thanksgiving. About half of our week was either 9s or 10s on the crowd calendars. We did pretty much everything at least once and never waited longer than a half hour for anything and more than fifteen minutes less than five times. Read up here, get a smart plan, use your FPs wisely and you'll be fine. This last November was my first trip ever and we had such a great time that we have two more trips to Orlando and one to Disneyland planned.

 

[mamamelody2]

Like others have said, when in December are you hoping to go?
First week would probably be great crowd-wise (Galaxy's Edge is a big unknown right now and will draw in crowds, but who knows how much.)
Week of Christmas would be terrible crowd-wise.
Sounds like it will be just the 2 of you, which makes it easier to get FPs. Read the Fastpass thread and learn to work the system. DH and I went in November and we were in MK on a day that turned out to be crowd level 8. We got 15 FPs that day.

 

[Tomh]

My husband and I haven't been able to go to Disney since 2010. Helping elderly parents etc... I used to think I knew enough about Disney to help others with their plans. NOT anymore. I am lost. We are hoping to go in December 2019 for our 45th anniversary. I keep reading about the huge waits for rides even during the so called slow seasons. I don't think my husband will handle a wait even up to an hour. We have used FP before but it sounds like we would be lucky to do two or three rides in a day and still have a huge wait. Now I wonder if we should even go. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

It is not as bad as you think.

First off, the first hour or so after a park opens for the day is golden, be there for rope drop. The lines are shorter, and you can get several attractions done during that first hour or two. Book your Fast Passes ahead of time, as early as you can. We like to make our first Fast Pass of the day for either 9:30 - 10:30, or 10:00 - 11:00, so that we have time to get a few rides in standby before going on that first FP ride. Do a couple of rides standby, and get to your first FP ride towards the end of it's window (say 10:20 for a 9:30 - 10:30 FP), then go to your second FP ride right at the beginning of it's window. As soon as you go through the tap point, then use MDE to try to bump your third FP up to an earlier time (so in my example, we would be going on our second ride right at 10:30, and would then try to bump our 11:30 - 12:30 FP up to maybe 10:45 - 11:45).

If you've managed this, it is now time for lunch, and you've done at least 5 rides. The first ride you went on standby as soon as the park opened was one of the headliners, and one of your FP rides was another headliner. After lunch, you go for what ever has short wait times, and can manage at least a couple more rides before supper, ending the night with the evening entertainment. You should be able to fit in 7 or more rides in MK, probably about the same in Epcot. There aren't as many rides that we go on in AK, but last year we were able to do the Safari twice (morning, and then the night time safari too), Kali River Rapids, Flights of Passage, and Na'vi River Journey, plus saw Flights of Wonder, the Festival of the Lion King, and Rivers of Light, and still had time for lunch at Tusker House, supper at Flame Tree BBQ, and some shopping.

While it is true that waits are longer than they have been in the past, it is still possible to go on a fair number of rides in a day, and not stand in hour long lines. In general, we don't wait much more than 20 minutes in any line. It happens from time to time, but not very often. With a bit of appropriate planning, there is no reason why you can't go, experience everything you want to, and have a great time doing it.

 

[liltoot]

Thanks so much everyone for the info. We are hoping to go at the beginning of December. I remember there used to be a cheerleading thing going on back when we went so I would work our schedule when they wouldn't be there. That may not even happen anymore. I do go first thing at rope drop and have used FP but that was before they let you book them ahead. I know my husband will want to see all the Star Wars things so we may be waiting for a while there. but that's okay. I remember a trip in 93 that my son and I rode on Splash Mountain 11 times in a row. The place was dead and it was in April during spring break. Times change. Lol I'm just going to be happy to be back.

 

[Fangorn]

...I remember there used to be a cheerleading thing going on back when we went so I would work our schedule when they wouldn't be there. That may not even happen anymore. ...

It's still a thing. The first week of December is still Pop Warner and Cheerleading competition. There will be a lot of teenagers there, but they tend not to affect the crowds in the parks during the day as they are otherwise occupied. If you're at a value resort (especially All-Star Sports) you will see them a lot. Otherwise, not so much.

Even with Pop Warner, the first week of December is still a great time to go.

Steve

 

[AngieInOH]

I'm planning a visit in January 2019 - when does Disney update its park hours? Right now it doesn't have anything listed after December. Are the hours listed for January 2018 a good barometer?

Also, how often do the fireworks/parade programs change? Should I plan on seeing the parades/fireworks that are listed now, or will Disney be switching them out?

You really should start your own thread to ask your questions. These questions have nothing to do with this post. Or go to the *** January 2019 Thread *** There is a post in there which tells you how to get to the current released Jan hours on the Disney site. I've found they are very much like Jan 2018.

 

[Spencer Wright]

My husband and I haven't been able to go to Disney since 2010. Helping elderly parents etc... I used to think I knew enough about Disney to help others with their plans. NOT anymore. I am lost. We are hoping to go in December 2019 for our 45th anniversary. I keep reading about the huge waits for rides even during the so called slow seasons. I don't think my husband will handle a wait even up to an hour. We have used FP before but it sounds like we would be lucky to do two or three rides in a day and still have a huge wait. Now I wonder if we should even go. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

We do very attraction heavy trips and go mid to late August. This is a busier time of the year. I generally do not wait more than 20, or up to 30 minutes for attractions and rarely cannot do what I want to.

With doing rope drop, FP, and paying attention to the My Disney Experience app, we can do easily a dozen attractions (not including repeat rides) in MK on a given day.

I would totally ignore what you see about people complaining about long lines. This is often due to poor planning. Not all of the time of course, sometimes crowds are high and it is unforeseen.

Two tips I have to be at the park entrance about 15 minutes prior to opening (any earlier is not necessary in my opinion), and to get a Park Hopper pass. This enables you to switch parks if you like for crowd purposes. For example, one day last year we ate at Ohana and per the app crowds at MK were MASSIVE, like an absolute minimum of 90 minutes for everything. Therefore, we went to Epcot and had a great time.

 

[Dumbo7]

Pop warner won’t affect crowds. Where are you planning to stay. We do rides but our current focus at Disney is food. We love trying all the restaurants. As for the parade definitely do it. Currently there is no night time parade. But that could change. One thing I highly recommend is the candlelight processional in Epcot. It’s a wonderful Christmas experience. You can get a dinner package to get better seats.

 

[Ed597]

My husband and I haven't been able to go to Disney since 2010. Helping elderly parents etc... I used to think I knew enough about Disney to help others with their plans. NOT anymore. I am lost. We are hoping to go in December 2019 for our 45th anniversary. I keep reading about the huge waits for rides even during the so called slow seasons. I don't think my husband will handle a wait even up to an hour. We have used FP before but it sounds like we would be lucky to do two or three rides in a day and still have a huge wait. Now I wonder if we should even go. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Congratulations on your anniversary! You might want to schedule some advanced dining reservations for nicer restaurants for your anniversary though. Like maybe California Grill ? If your early risers you can hit some popular rides at rope drop and not worry about a fast pass. When you schedule your fast pass make all 3 for in the morning because you can schedule more after you use yours. Don’t stress out about it though. If you schedule soar’n and What ever else you want at Epcot you still have a great day exploring everything else the park offers, maybe do the behind the seeds tour ? And if you haven’t been in a while I’m sure exploring all the new stuff at Animal Kingdom will be a great day ! Have fun and enjoy!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't think my husband will handle a wait even up to an hour.

I don't think I would handle a wait up to an hour. 30 minutes, tops.