Need help...please advise

[allaboutthemouse]

We are going to WDW for only two nights after a Dream cruise in November..we will be arriving in WDW thursday in the AM and leaving Saturday at noon to get on the autotrain...i am having a problem figuring out which parks to visit in those basically two days we have..MK is a must, so that will probably be Thursday...but can't decide between epcot and HS...

Thank you to everyone for helping me with this! I appreciate all of your input!
This is the exact schedule I am thinking of:

Thursday - arrive @WDW from cruise and go to MK around 10-ish, closes @ 8pm

Friday - walk to HS first @ 9 a.m., stay until around lunch or 1:00 pm. We would like to do:
* Disney, Jr. show
* Lights, Motors...show
* Toy Story Mania
* Meet/Greet w/Lightening McQueen(he is there, right?)
***TOT and Aerosmith would be on MY/HUSBAND's list, but not the kids'...so this could be scrapped
THEN Walk to Epcot and we would like to do:
*Soarin'
* Test Track
* Nemo/Turtle Talk w/crush
*Spaceship Earth
And then stay for Illuminations(park closes @ 10pm)

Saturday - get up and go to DTD until around noon to leave...
I think the Festival of the Masters is that weekend...
****The things listed above are on our must-do list, anything else we could accomplish would just be icing...

I am relying on you wonderful DISers to help me out on this! I know it's a lot to ask to help out w/someone else's vacation! But I am the one who is pretty much calling the shots here, so I don't want to be blamed if something doesn't work out!
Do we have enough time to do all those highlights @ HS and then walk to Epcot and do those things? BTW, we are staying at Dolphin - so how long do you think it takes to walk between HS and Epcot?

Again, thanks so much!!!

 

[disneyfanUSA]

We are going to WDW for only two nights after a Dream cruise in November..we will be arriving in WDW thursday in the AM and leaving Saturday at noon to get on the autotrain...i am having a problem figuring out which parks to visit in those basically two days we have..MK is a must, so that will probably be Thursday...but can't decide between epcot and HS...my kids are 4 and 7 and there are things in each park that they would really enjoy..so i guess my question is, for those of you who have kids those ages, is it possible to park hop easily enough? this would be with epcot and HS on the same day(we are staying at the dolphin if that matters) or should we just pick one - MK on one day and one of the other ones on the other day? would you park hop w/kids that age or is it not worth the effort of taking time out to get to the other park? we were planning on probably just getting up that Saturday and leisurely going down to DTD before heading out around noon...sorry this is long..any advice would be appreciated!!!

Hopping from DHS to Epcot is really easy. We have done it before a couple of times. You can walk or take a boat to hop between those two parks. I would probally go to DHS first for rope drop, get a fastpass and ride Toystory Mania first because the line gets really long. Also, the fast passes for Toy Story Mania are usualy gone by 11:00ish depending on how busy it is.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

What days will you be there? Will the Osbourne lights be up yet at DHS?

 

[sharonabe]

While park hopping between Epcot/HS is easy, is it really worth the extra money to do that? It would not be to me, but to each his own.

If the kids really don't have a preference, how are you to leaving it "to chance"? Whichever bus comes first is the park you go to.

Having said that, you may want to check park hours and Fantasmic schedule. Will you want to take advantage of EMH? Would you want to see F! if it is available? Also, that Thur could be a party night at MK, and that will cut into your park time at MK, so Fri may need to be your MK day. OR, if there is a party, you could buy party tickets and use your 2-day park tickets for Epcot and HS.

 

[dolphindan1]

Animal Kingdom or Epcot....ship DHS....just my opinon....that being said

IF Osbourne is happening at DHS, and it should be after about the 10th, then I would probably choose DHS and not hop....just spend the day there....

Epcot is my favorite park so its hard for me not to just say go to Epcot

 

[cbg1027]

I wouldn't want to hop on such a short trip. It's going to cost a lot just so your family can move parks one time. Even though the trek between DHS and Epcot is short, I still wouldn't want to waste the time when you only have two days.

In this case, i would say go to Epcot. I'm guessing you won't be arriving in time to make RD, so that would deter you from being able to do one of the headliners in DHS - TSM. Unless you're willing to wait over an hour, it's pretty essential to go at RD in order to ride TSM.

So for this trip, I would recommend Epcot.

 

[honeydiane1953]

MK of course is THE PARK for me and my family too. U can EASILY spend two days there. Epcot has way to much to do IMO for one day sooo I would go to HS. So much fun and IMO can easily seen in one day. I am envious re your cruise u will have boocoos of fun!!:

 

[Wadecool]

I would vote for Epcot to be the second park as well. Theres just so much to do and see, it would be a no brainer for me.

 

[dragonfly57005]

I don't know if you want to park hop. My guess is you will lose an hour by the time you leave the park, wait for transportation, get into the next park, and orientate your self to new park. Is this worth it? Maybe if the 2nd park is open late.

I would sit down with the 7 yr old and really try to figure out which park is the priority and do that one. I think you are better off to focus on one than try to scramble to get two done, but do a poor job of doing it.

 

[mjkacmom]

While park hopping between Epcot/HS is easy, is it really worth the extra money to do that? It would not be to me, but to each his own.

If the kids really don't have a preference, how are you to leaving it "to chance"? Whichever bus comes first is the park you go to.

Having said that, you may want to check park hours and Fantasmic schedule. Will you want to take advantage of EMH? Would you want to see F! if it is available? Also, that Thur could be a party night at MK, and that will cut into your park time at MK, so Fri may need to be your MK day. OR, if there is a party, you could buy party tickets and use your 2-day park tickets for Epcot and HS.

The OP is staying at the Dolphin, pretty much right in between DHS and Epcot, an easy 15 minute walk to each (or boat ride). No need for the bus. OP, you can always add the parkhopper. Since you are so close to both parks, it might be hard not to add it..

 

[allaboutthemouse]

Thank you to everyone for helping me with this! I appreciate all of your input!
This is the exact schedule I am thinking of:

Thursday - arrive @WDW from cruise and go to MK around 10-ish, closes @ 8pm

Friday - walk to HS first @ 9 a.m., stay until around lunch or 1:00 pm. We would like to do:
* Disney, Jr. show
* Lights, Motors...show
* Toy Story Mania
* Meet/Greet w/Lightening McQueen(he is there, right?)
***TOT and Aerosmith would be on MY/HUSBAND's list, but not the kids'...so this could be scrapped
THEN Walk to Epcot and we would like to do:
*Soarin'
* Test Track
* Nemo/Turtle Talk w/crush
*Spaceship Earth
And then stay for Illuminations(park closes @ 10pm)

Saturday - get up and go to DTD until around noon to leave...
I think the Festival of the Masters is that weekend...
****The things listed above are on our must-do list, anything else we could accomplish would just be icing...

I am relying on you wonderful DISers to help me out on this! I know it's a lot to ask to help out w/someone else's vacation! But I am the one who is pretty much calling the shots here, so I don't want to be blamed if something doesn't work out!
Do we have enough time to do all those highlights @ HS and then walk to Epcot and do those things? BTW, we are staying at Dolphin - so how long do you think it takes to walk between HS and Epcot?

Again, thanks so much!!!

 

[allaboutthemouse]

anyone?

 

[sharonabe]

Thank you to everyone for helping me with this! I appreciate all of your input!
This is the exact schedule I am thinking of:

Thursday - arrive @WDW from cruise and go to MK around 10-ish, closes @ 8pm

Friday - walk to HS first @ 9 a.m., stay until around lunch or 1:00 pm. We would like to do:
* Disney, Jr. show
* Lights, Motors...show
* Toy Story Mania
* Meet/Greet w/Lightening McQueen(he is there, right?)
***TOT and Aerosmith would be on MY/HUSBAND's list, but not the kids'...so this could be scrapped
THEN Walk to Epcot and we would like to do:
*Soarin'
* Test Track
* Nemo/Turtle Talk w/crush
*Spaceship Earth
And then stay for Illuminations(park closes @ 10pm)

Saturday - get up and go to DTD until around noon to leave...
I think the Festival of the Masters is that weekend...
****The things listed above are on our must-do list, anything else we could accomplish would just be icing...

I am relying on you wonderful DISers to help me out on this! I know it's a lot to ask to help out w/someone else's vacation! But I am the one who is pretty much calling the shots here, so I don't want to be blamed if something doesn't work out!
Do we have enough time to do all those highlights @ HS and then walk to Epcot and do those things? BTW, we are staying at Dolphin - so how long do you think it takes to walk between HS and Epcot?

Again, thanks so much!!!

It looks like you've decided to keep the park hopper.

The biggest problem you have is Lights/Motors/Action. The first showing of this isn't until 1:30. That means it will be closer to 3:00 before you get to Epcot. FPs for Soarin' will most likely be gone by then, but you MAY luck out since it is a November trip. TT too is iffy, but a little better chance of having FPs than Soarin'.

So, if you can forego LMA, you're plan is definitely a go and you should have no problem getting the other things done. DH could even do RnR in the single rider line and probably a quick ride on the elevator too!

 

[cbg1027]

Friday for HS:
Is your husband willing to skip TSM, and are you willing to go on TSM with the kids?
If so -
*You and Kids go ride TSM standby first thing
*Dad goes and rides RnRC and TOT - or Dad skips those and everyone rides TSM
*Meet back at Disney Jr show (you'll probably just miss the 9:40am show, the next is at 10:30am)
*Not sure about the Cars meet and greet
*There MAY be an 11am Lights Motors Action. If you go to the 10:30 Disney Jr, you won't be able to make that. Most days, LMA only shows at 1:20 and 4:30

I don't think you'll have time to see LMA at 1:20 if you want to have a hope of being able to get Soarin' FP's. During busier times, the Soarin' FPs can run out by 2-3pm.

I'd head to Epcot and get Soarin' FP first thing - make sure the return time doesn't conflict with Illuminations.
Then ride TT
Spaceship Earth
Nemo/Turtle Talk
Use Soarin' FP when time opens

The walk from DHS to Epcot will probably be around 30 minutes. Are you aware there is a boat? It won't be any faster, but it is more relaxing, shaded, and saves you a lot walking.