New Trip Planning Question since our last trip in 2016

[Drusilla]

Hi, My last trip to WDW was June 2016. My DD16 and I are planning our next trip for July 2018 to have her senior pictures taken at Epcot. I've been starting to focus on planning since our ADR 180 days date is January 31.

In the past I've been able to look at park hours and EMH's well before our ADR window opens and plan out which park we want to visit on which day and what ADR's to make. However, July park hours aren't out yet. Park hours release has changed to daily at 180 days???

How am I supposed to plan which park on what days so I know where to make my ADR's for? Do I just guess and wing it and hope that if I guess wrong and want to change that I'll be able to get an ADR for where I want when I want when all park hours have been released for my entire trip?

Sorry to vent but this has really thrown my planning plan for a loop!!!

 

[Robo]

Do I just guess and wing it and hope that if I guess wrong and want to change that I'll be able to get an ADR for where I want when I want when all park hours have been released for my entire trip?

Yup.

 

[Meglen]

I booked all mine just assuming no EMH and that if it hits one of our days than its a bonus.

 

[Drusilla]

Well darn...

Also does any one know roughly when promotions are announced for July dates?

 

[Meglen]

they just did promotions into early june. So maybe a month or so?

 

[Drusilla]

Thanks!

 

[kniquy]

How am I supposed to plan which park on what days so I know where to make my ADR's for?

Because disney is not really posting hours until 180 day mark AND hours will change as you get closer to your trip- my best advice is at your 180 day mark book a couple reservations for what ever meal you want - so if you want dinner but aren't sure if you will be at epcot or MK - then book one at each park. You can book as close as an hour and 15 minutes so a reservation at 5:00 and then the next at 6:15. Any closer and it will tell you there is a conflict and you will have to cancel one.

As park hours are released then just firm up your park plans and cancel what you don't need. This is how i plotted out our upcoming april trip. Park hours can change up until probably a month before your trip so check back on the park hours leading up to your trip.

 

[Drusilla]

Great Idea! I would have never thought of doing that!!!

 

[ArielSRL]

Well darn...

Also does any one know roughly when promotions are announced for July dates?

Late March/early April.

 

[DrankTheKool-Aid]

Our last trip was also 2016 and I was frustrated by the same thing when planning our spring trip this year. I did notice that EMH seem to have a pretty regular schedule so I used that to plan and it ended up working out okay (one day of the 10 ended up changing about a month ago). I used the following EMH schedule:
Su: AM @HS
M: AM @AK
T: PM @EP
W: PM @MK
R: AM @EP
F: AM @MK
Sa: AM @AK
Good luck!