No planning, no FP+, no dining reservations!

[vcgirl925]

Went to Epcot today totally plan free. A cast member let me in so I didn't have a magic band, fast pass plus, or a dining reservation. I went on a summer Friday on an evening EMH day and crowd calendar had it marked as a "red" day. It was fantastic!!!!! I slept in, got to the park at 12:30. Here's how it went:

1. Went right to nemo, ok I really went straight for a Mickey bar, then to nemo. Posted wait was 40 min, actual wait was 15min.
2. Living with the land, posted wait 20min, actual wait 13min
3. Figment, posted 15 waited 5
4. Captain EO posted 15 waited 7 (my first time on EO...figured no kids to please I might as well give it a shot, boy was this bad. Like beyond words bad. But apparently I'm in the minority because there was thunderous clapping at the end)
5. At this point I went to world showcase. Watched off kilter in Canada. Had a grand marnier slush while watching some juggling French waiters, grabbed a sandwich from the France bakery, went to the American pavillion where I caught the fife and drum marching band, went inside and charged my phone and had the pleasure of hearing the voices of liberty who did a great let it go rendition, saw the American adventure, went to the caramel shoppe in getmany for my fave salted caramels, then met up with the husband.
6. Rode maelstrom. Posted wait 45 minutes actually waited 15.
7. Mexico ride (5min wait)
8. Stopped by la hacienda for dinner and waited less than five minutes for a table. Dinner there was GREAT! Chips with salsa and guacamole. Margaritas. Got the strip steak for two. So good and sooo much food we couldn't finish.
9. Spaceship earth posted wait 15 and we waited 15.
10. Test track single rider. Posted time was 35 minutes and we waited 30.
11. Watched illuminations

Now at this point we still had two hours left and the wait time for soarin was at 45 min. However we decided to call it a night and head back to he hotel for a dip in the pool.

I can't tell you how nice it was to be plan free. We did everything we wanted within 9hrs. Ate lunch in Paris and shared a table with a nice family from California. Had a great dinner with no wait. Posted waits were mostly much shorter than posted. The longest we waited was 30minutes for TT. Which I didn't mind because we struck up a great conversation with the lady behind us. Park was clean. Cm's were all smiles.

It was an overall great day! And if you aren't a planner (which we typically are) you can still go and have a great time.

 

[blabbermouth]

Wow! What a great day

 

[Rosanne]

Really sounds fun. Nice that the rides were at or less than posted times.

 

[vcgirl925]

We were really surprised!

 

[Missymouse18]

WOW!! Being and EPCOT fanatic, I can say that I am truly jealous, lol. Sounds like you had a carefree fun day. Thanks for sharing!

 

[FINFAN]

Went to Epcot today totally plan free. A cast member let me in so I didn't have a magic band, fast pass plus, or a dining reservation. I went on a summer Friday on an evening EMH day and crowd calendar had it marked as a "red" day. It was fantastic!!!!! I slept in, got to the park at 12:30. Here's how it went:

1. Went right to nemo, ok I really went straight for a Mickey bar, then to nemo. Posted wait was 40 min, actual wait was 15min.
2. Living with the land, posted wait 20min, actual wait 13min
3. Figment, posted 15 waited 5
4. Captain EO posted 15 waited 7 (my first time on EO...figured no kids to please I might as well give it a shot, boy was this bad. Like beyond words bad. But apparently I'm in the minority because there was thunderous clapping at the end)
5. At this point I went to world showcase. Watched off kilter in Canada. Had a grand marnier slush while watching some juggling French waiters, grabbed a sandwich from the France bakery, went to the American pavillion where I caught the fife and drum marching band, went inside and charged my phone and had the pleasure of hearing the voices of liberty who did a great let it go rendition, saw the American adventure, went to the caramel shoppe in getmany for my fave salted caramels, then met up with the husband.
6. Rode maelstrom. Posted wait 45 minutes actually waited 15.
7. Mexico ride (5min wait)
8. Stopped by la hacienda for dinner and waited less than five minutes for a table. Dinner there was GREAT! Chips with salsa and guacamole. Margaritas. Got the strip steak for two. So good and sooo much food we couldn't finish.
9. Spaceship earth posted wait 15 and we waited 15.
10. Test track single rider. Posted time was 35 minutes and we waited 30.
11. Watched illuminations

Now at this point we still had two hours left and the wait time for soarin was at 45 min. However we decided to call it a night and head back to he hotel for a dip in the pool.

I can't tell you how nice it was to be plan free. We did everything we wanted within 9hrs. Ate lunch in Paris and shared a table with a nice family from California. Had a great dinner with no wait. Posted waits were mostly much shorter than posted. The longest we waited was 30minutes for TT. Which I didn't mind because we struck up a great conversation with the lady behind us. Park was clean. Cm's were all smiles.

It was an overall great day! And if you aren't a planner (which we typically are) you can still go and have a great time.

you, are my hero THAT is vacation is to me! (However, since you didn't have the stress of "re-couping" the cost of your ticket, it takes a LOT if the "gotta do this" off of it. ) So happy to hear CM's /park were top notch, and that waits were shorter than listed That makes all the difference!
Thank you for posting this, SO happy to read it

 

[Land Shark]

So jealous! That sounds like my perfect day at the World except adding a British Revolution show in there.

 

[surferdave]

Very good. That's about how I would expect a day at Epcot with no kids to go if you skipped Soarin and did Test Track single rider.

 

[KNovacovschi]

Went to Epcot today totally plan free. A cast member let me in so I didn't have a magic band, fast pass plus, or a dining reservation. I went on a summer Friday on an evening EMH day and crowd calendar had it marked as a "red" day. It was fantastic!!!!! I slept in, got to the park at 12:30. Here's how it went:

1. Went right to nemo, ok I really went straight for a Mickey bar, then to nemo. Posted wait was 40 min, actual wait was 15min.
2. Living with the land, posted wait 20min, actual wait 13min
3. Figment, posted 15 waited 5
4. Captain EO posted 15 waited 7 (my first time on EO...figured no kids to please I might as well give it a shot, boy was this bad. Like beyond words bad. But apparently I'm in the minority because there was thunderous clapping at the end)
5. At this point I went to world showcase. Watched off kilter in Canada. Had a grand marnier slush while watching some juggling French waiters, grabbed a sandwich from the France bakery, went to the American pavillion where I caught the fife and drum marching band, went inside and charged my phone and had the pleasure of hearing the voices of liberty who did a great let it go rendition, saw the American adventure, went to the caramel shoppe in getmany for my fave salted caramels, then met up with the husband.
6. Rode maelstrom. Posted wait 45 minutes actually waited 15.
7. Mexico ride (5min wait)
8. Stopped by la hacienda for dinner and waited less than five minutes for a table. Dinner there was GREAT! Chips with salsa and guacamole. Margaritas. Got the strip steak for two. So good and sooo much food we couldn't finish.
9. Spaceship earth posted wait 15 and we waited 15.
10. Test track single rider. Posted time was 35 minutes and we waited 30.
11. Watched illuminations

Now at this point we still had two hours left and the wait time for soarin was at 45 min. However we decided to call it a night and head back to he hotel for a dip in the pool.

I can't tell you how nice it was to be plan free. We did everything we wanted within 9hrs. Ate lunch in Paris and shared a table with a nice family from California. Had a great dinner with no wait. Posted waits were mostly much shorter than posted. The longest we waited was 30minutes for TT. Which I didn't mind because we struck up a great conversation with the lady behind us. Park was clean. Cm's were all smiles.

It was an overall great day! And if you aren't a planner (which we typically are) you can still go and have a great time.

I'm glad you had a great day. It's always great to hear these reports.

When it comes to EO, we do it but I only want to so I can catch a quick cat nap part way through the day.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

I like to do as little planning as possible as it is less stressful. I will admit to the FP+, but, it doesn't mean I will do them, for rides like Soarin' it's probably a 'yes', but, anything else it's a case of I'll see how I feel, they cost nothing, there is no law to say I have to use them and I don't get stressed if I don't use them. You got the right attitude, the parks are to have fun in, not treat like an expedition to Everest (no pun intended) if you get stressed being at WDW then you are in the wrong place for your vacation.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Very good. That's about how I would expect a day at Epcot with no kids to go if you skipped Soarin and did Test Track single rider.

TT can be as long to do with the SRL as the stand by line thanks to groups going in together into the SRL, I think the majority hope to get on at the same time as I hear many ask to do that or they seem to think that it'll still be quicker if they all go into the SRL, unfortunately the way the SRL works means they are probably going to be waiting longer if this trend carries on. I go on the SRL as I travel solo, but, the lines in all the SRL at WDW were only slightly less than the stand by lines because of the groups (the same with HP at Universal) How much intelligence does it take to work out the logic of the SRL?

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

Sounds like a magical day at Disney