Newbie itinerary, please help

[martinmont]

We are planning to go from Dec 15th - 22. Would 7 nights, 8 days be good enough for a first timer without running around like a crazy person? We are flying I'm from Indiana, looked at some flights, hoping to get in around 9:30 am.Only me and hubby, both of us in our mid 20s. We planed to stay in the wilderness lodge wood view room. Since I do not know the days with extra magic hours in dec yet, I'm gonna label them MK day, epcot day etc instead of day 1, 2 etc as we won't know the order yet. Will not be renting a car. No park hopper as we decided to get memory maker.

Arrival day
Arrive at 9 30 in the morning. Take magical express to WL, hope to get there by 11? Check in and go to downtown disney. Planning to go to raglan road for lunch and walk around downtown, take some pics. Then be at FW for hoop dee do 4pm dinner show. Leave after the show around 6 plus and head to MK for wishes desert party. If there is a second parade, will watch that or else head back to hotel.

First MK Day
Cover main attractions and take photos
Main st bakery for a snack or light lunch
Be out Guest for dinner and get spot for parade if dint get to on day of arrival.

Sec MK Day
remaining attractions and rides
brunch at chief cinderella royal table
dinner at Columbia harbor hse
mickey very merry christmas party

Ak day
hope to cover entire park by closing. Lunch at flame tree BBQ. Dinner at California grill to watch wishes again.

HS day
Cover entire park by closing hopefully. Sci fi diner for lunch.Osbourne family lights before second fantasmic show. Or dinner at mama melrose fantasmic package, watch first show and the lights after. I'm really nervous about not having enough time on this day.

Epcot day
Cover main rides before lunch at tangierine cafe. Do remaining rides until late dinner to at rose and crown to watch illuminations.

Unknown park day
Breakfast at chief mickey, head to the park that we feel we might have missed some stuff (epcot? Hs?) will skip lunch but go to afternoon tea at garden tea room in grand floridian hopefully around 3 something. head back to hotel, rest and maybe swim. Get ready and go for late dinner in victoria and alberta, might watch electrical water pagent from GF beach if possible.

Departure day
Check out and leave bags with hotel. Breakfast at crystal palace, do rides in magical kingdom until an hour before Magical express pick up time. Head back to WL and leave.

What do you guys think? Would we be rushing too much that we can't enjoy our vacation? I also need backup restaurant around the place I will be at in case I can't get adr. Thanks a lot!

 

[Karbase8]

I would use easywdw.com for touring plans, best and recommended park days not sure if December's schedule is up yet but I find it very helpful. It looks like you have a nice plan. Utilize Rope Drop and FP plus you can't go wrong! You will have fun no matter what!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been that time of year an I am sure it will be fun! It also will probably be crowded so having a good plan/strategy works, just remember you can't see everything it's quality over quantity and just enjoy it!!!!! Looking at your first day, since you have Hoop Dee Doo planned not sure how fitting in a lunch at Raglan Road and Downtown Disney would be? I am wondering if you could do Hoop Dee Doo another day? Or Downtown Disney another day? Just a thought especially if you are doing Hoop Dee so early. If you did a later show it may not be that bad you do get a lot of food at the show.

 

[frozengurl]

Sounds awesome!!! My only question: on arrival day you are only going to go to MK for the dessert party? Seems like a waste of a ticket day?!? You could always do the dessert party on a different night that you will be at MK?!? Just a thought...
Like PP said you are going to have a blast no matter what... And I think you'll have plenty of time to do all that you want without feeling like you are running around crazy!!!

 

[Happy2BGoofy]

It looks that you guys have everything under control already!!!

I am sure that you will have a great time at WDW and 7 nights and 8 days will be more than adequate. And I say adequate because it never is enough time to visit WDW. By the end of your trip you will be wondering where did all the time go!!!!

Just make sure that you plan to visit the parks right at opening since December is one of their busiest times and high crowd levels could be reached very quickly thus could stop you from entering a park if their max capacity has already been reached and you show up at 2 in the afternoon for example. Using a planning site that looks into the crowd levels could be of a big advantage for you to look into.

Have a magical day!!!!

 

[martinmont]

Sounds awesome!!! My only question: on arrival day you are only going to go to MK for the dessert party? Seems like a waste of a ticket day?!? You could always do the dessert party on a different night that you will be at MK?!? Just a thought...
Like PP said you are going to have a blast no matter what... And I think you'll have plenty of time to do all that you want without feeling like you are running around crazy!!!

Hmm, that's true. But I'm not getting park hopper though. Do you think I can watch the parade and go to the desert part on MK 1? I know for sure I ll be doing the mickey christmas event on MK 2, so MK 1 is the only other option if I do not go on arrival day. I would definitely prefer to watch the later hoop dee doo if I do not meed to rush to MK for wishes.

 

[BrianL]

Check the EasyWDW crowd calendar. Based on last year, your dates will give you low to moderate crowds early, but will hike up to the 9 level toward the end of your trip. If you can go just slightly earlier, you can avoid the Christmas rush and still do MVMCP.

With crowd levels at 4-5 you will have plenty of time to do everything at the parks (you might even be surprised as how much you can do!). You might consider doing MVCMP on arrival day (if possible) because you can get in at 4 PM and it will not use one of your park ticket days (if you don't go to another park before that). Then you can use full MK days later in your trip.

I think you'll have it well in hand with what you have though. 8 Days is plenty of time for lot's of fun!

 

[martinmont]

Check the EasyWDW crowd calendar. Based on last year, your dates will give you low to moderate crowds early, but will hike up to the 9 level toward the end of your trip. If you can go just slightly earlier, you can avoid the Christmas rush and still do MVMCP.

With crowd levels at 4-5 you will have plenty of time to do everything at the parks (you might even be surprised as how much you can do!). You might consider doing MVCMP on arrival day (if possible) because you can get in at 4 PM and it will not use one of your park ticket days (if you don't go to another park before that). Then you can use full MK days later in your trip.

I think you'll have it well in hand with what you have though. 8 Days is plenty of time for lot's of fun!

Thanks for your suggestion! I might do that but not sure what other days I can fit in Hoop Dee Do though. I wonder when the MVCMP tickets is going to go on sale, around May?

 

[heathsf]

Definitely refer to easywdw.com for touring plans and advice on which parks to visit each day. 8 days is a great length for a first trip! You will get to do a lot without feeling rushed. Enjoy every second and have so much fun!

 

[tigerbelly]

We went for 8 days last fall and did the MNSSHP. My one bit of advice that follows previous posters is to not waste a park ticket on just a short evening at MK. You want to get a full days worth for the high price of those tickets.

We did not have park hoppers either but managed to squeeze a lot out of our tickets. The day we went to the halloween party we spend it at Epcot and then left at 4 to get to Magic Kingdom- so we essentially had 2 full days in one! 7 hours at each park. If you do MK the day of the party you are double paying- since you are using one ticket and then also paying again to stay for the party.

Just my .02!

Oh and you should be able to do everything at HS in one day. For us- it is a half day-er. But then again we are not big show people and have already done the couple that we like (indiana, backlot tour, and lights motor action)

 

[jimandami]

It does sound like you have done your homework! Can I just caution that even though you are young and have no kids in tow, WDW is exhausting! Be sure to take some time to just relax, swim, have a drink, etc.....On my first trip with DH, we felt like we had to rush, rush, rush and fit everything in and it was sooo tiring I'm not sure we even had much fun!

 

[wiigirl]

Sounds awesome!

 

[MrsDuck]

Wow! I'm impressed with your plan. It looks great!

December will be here before you know it; have a great trip!