Need help planning...

[Valentina8623]

I have made reservations at the Poly for April 15-23. It will be me, husband, daughter 7 and son 5. I already reserved a breakfast at Ohana on the morning of the 16th. But im stuck as how to plan out the days. We have 7 day tickets with water park and more option. What park should i go to first and which one last? Which water park do i choose? I'd love to also have a bit of downtime at the resort and i would like to reserve a few more dining experiences.

 

[littledebbie335]

Different people have different strategies to planning their days.

We always do MK first, non-negotiable, because that feels like the most "Disney" of all the parks.

Other people use crowd calendars and park hours to guide which parks they go to on which days.

If you want to eat at a TS in the parks that is difficult to get reservations, you could plan your days around the availability of those ADRs (for example, if you really want BOG for dinner and there is only one day with an ADR at the time you want, well then, I think you've just found your MK day!).

It can be nice to plan a half day or resort day towards the middle of your vacation when you are tired and sore from all the walking around. For some people, HS is a half day park and for others, AK is a half day park. Or, since you have 7 day tickets, you could use a half-day to re-visit a park.

Just throwing some ideas out there...hope they help!

 

[rwdavis2]

If you really want to avoid waiting in lines then consider getting to each park before they open: rope drop. You beat a lot of crowds that way. If you plan to hop between parks then consider using the fastbasses at the second park. Especially if you hit rope drop at the first one.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

You don't mention if this is your first trip or not, but personally, if staying at Poly, I would make MK my first park. It's hard to resist as it's right there!

You may want to check a crowd calendar, like touringplans, to see the estimated crowd calendars for each park on each day to give you some guidance. Have you decided which parks you want to go to? How many days per park? If not, I would think about that OR even consider going to each park for the first four days and then scheduling the rest of your park days from there. If this is your first visit, you may also want to reconsider the water park option. The Poly pool is lovely and they have a splash pad for the kids. If you decide when there that you want to go to a water park, it's very easy to add that option back on.

I, too, would recommend planning that resort day for day 4 or 5 of your trip when you might be a little tired of touring. You could also use that day to re-group and decide what you want to do for the remaining days of your trip (or re-configure your plans) to see new things or re-visit some favorites.

As far as dining reservations, I would plan around your park plans (maybe take a look at some in-park restaurants) or your resort. I wouldn't recommend any restaurants that will take you too far afield (for example, I wouldn't eat at Cape May for breakfast on an Animal Kingdom day).

 

[BrianL]

We always do MK first, non-negotiable, because that feels like the most "Disney" of all the parks.

This, especially if it's a first trip for anyone. I would look at the crowd calendars to help plan your days, but it's only guidance. Use EMH where you can and rope drop as much as possible to maximize your time. Check out the FP+ guide thread too on the Fastpass board for helpful tips, and the WDW Maps from Robo can be super helpful in planning out where to be for certain things.

We're here if you have any questions. Have fun!

 

[biondagirl]

I plan our days by park hours and where I'm able to get restaurant reservations. We go for 9 nights, so I get 8 day park hoppers. We normally plan a full day at Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. We plan a 1/2 day at Animal Kingdom. With Animal Kingdom additions and DHS closures, our trip this August may be different. After that, we go back to the parks to do the rides we missed on our full days and we park hop. This year we are also doing one (or both) of the water parks.

The first park you go to is all about preference. When we went in August of 15, we hit Epcot first because they had the later hours. This year I'm planning to hit Magic Kingdom first. I like to finish up at Magic Kingdom, too. Our two favorites are MK and EP, so we park hop between those two on our last day.

Chef Mickey's and 'Ohana are nice breakfast dining experiences for kids. We like the Crystal Palace for lunch/dinner. Do you have the dining plan?

 

[mrzrich]

its gone

 

[mrzrich]

You are arriving on the day before Easter. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year. I recommend arriving at the parks as early as possible. The beauty of staying at the Poly is the ability to return to resort for a swim break or a nap if you need it. The parks are typically open later that week, so after your break, you can return to the parks after dark and take in more rides or fireworks.

Sunday April 16 Magic Kingdom - Consider dining at 1900 Park Fare or another accessible by the monorail or boats

Monday April 17 Epcot So many choices to eat in world showcase I recommend choosing the cuisine that appeals to your family. If you want a character meal, Garden Grill gets good marks. If you can get a pre park opening ADR, it might help you beat the crowds to Soarin

Tuesday April 18 Rest or Water Park Day. You can hit a park in the evening if you feel like it. Either make an ADR in or near a park that you want to visit that night, or look at the many new restaurants at Disney Springs

Wed April 19 Animal Kingdom. If you want characters, go for Tusker House. If you like Asian food, go for Yak & Yeti. A great counter service meal of chicken and ribs can be had at Flame Tree BBQ

Thur April 20 Hollywood Studios. See if there are any Fantasmic Lunch or Dinner Packages available. If not, 50's Prime Time for Fried Chicken and Milkshakes. If you get a lunch package, you might want to tour the park from rope drop until lunch, then go back to your resort after lunch and come back that night for the show.

Fri April 21 Low Key Day. Water Park? Resort? You can hit a park in the evening if you feel like it
Either make an ADR in or near a park that you want to visit that night, or look at the many new restaurants at Disney Springs

Saturday April 22 Return to Magic Kingdom to say goodbye I would stick close to the monorail line for dinner that night.

 

[mrzrich]

As far as dining, you are going to have to go to the Disney website and see what is still available for the dates you are going to be there.

This page on WDWinfo has a list of all the restaurants and a link to their menus it might make tough decisions a little easier

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm

 

[chris benton]

If it's your first trip, I'd suggest to check out the Unofficial Guide from your library, or buy it. Then read it asap. It's a fast read. Start scouring Disney World message boards. You've found this one. I'd also recommend Touring Plans, WDWPrepSchool - (has a 6 step process of how to plan a trip to WDW,) there are plenty of others, you'll find them. Have fun with your planning. Please do not be the family that shows up and says,
"What should we do today?" That's an easy way to spend a LOT of money on a bad vacation.

My suggestions:
Buy some healthy breakfast foods to have in the hotel room.
Eat breakfast stuff in the hotel room and be ready to get to a park each day for rope drop.
GET STUFF DONE EARLY
Have a relaxed lunch and break at the hotel. Chill at the pool, have fun.
Go to a park at night for a relaxed tour and fireworks.
Don't over plan. It should be a fun vacation, plan your breaks. Plan to relax. Plan to enjoy the hotel you are paying an arm and a leg for.
Since you are staying onsite, the days you should visit each park should fall into place by which park is offering EMH, and if you have hoppers, or generally what you want to accomplish (book will explain.)

You have some research to do on what WDW can offer your family. Each family is different. You'll be fine, but I'd suggest starting research with reading the book soon for a better concept on what your family would enjoy.