One day in the parks. What would be your must do?

[johde]

My next trip to Central Florida is going to focus on the non-Disney attractions. Busch Gardens, Sea World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure etc. That being said, I can't go to Florida and completely ignore Disney. I do have a few days left on a 10 day Park Hopper No-Expiration. So, the goal is to use 1 day off the No-Expiration ticket to get my Disney fix. BTW, on the next trip, I'm going to swap and do all Disney except for using 1 existing Universal Park to Park day.

I'm going to be in Orlando for several days and staying at a DVC resort for at least a few days, currently booked at OKW but hoping to move to AKV or BWV at 7 months. So DTD and resort stuff can be done in the evenings of other days. If you're curious the plan is for early January one day the full week after New Years. So I have a lot of time to think about it.

I'll be honest, it's not as easy as I thought it was going to be and I've done all 4 parks in 1 day. I'm normally all about the thrill rides but, going to Universal, and Busch Gardens, I'm going to have plenty of thrill rides so the goal is hitting rides that "scream Disney". Nothing "screams Disney" to me quite like the classic MK Dark Rides. So first off we're looking Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain (hopefully), Winnie the Pooh, etc. Would also like to ride 7DMC, and explore New Fantasy Land some More. It was too Crowded to enjoy on my last trip. For Lunch I'm thinking BOG, or CHH. We've got new favorite vs one of 2 spots we ate most of the time as a kid, Pacos Bill being the other one.
Now comes the hard part, with park hoppers I can visit other parks, but if I do, what parks to visit. AK is too far away and out. The logical choice is to hop the Monorail to EPCOT, probably for Spaceship Earth, Nemo, and Figment.

Lastly would be DHS, for the 1 must do Thrill ride TOT, and the Great Movie Ride.

At that point it would be back to MK for MSEP and Wishes. If I thought I could get to MK in time for a late lunch at BOG I'd reverse the order. Possibly EMH at DHS, Boat to EPCOT, Monorail to MK by 2:00 for BOG lunch and the rest of the day.

So as a general question. In one day, what would be you're must does? Note: right now, we're looking "wish list", not necessarily trying to plan FP+ and worrying about lines. That will come later.

 

[wareagle57]

Depends on what the park hours are like. I'm not sure what they are for early January. I would try to hit up all 4 though.

I think I would start at HS. I'd pick a day where HS had morning EMH but park at Epcot. TSMM at rope drop. Followed by ToT and then Star Wars, Great Movie Ride, and the first Indy show if it starts early enough. I'm not a huge RnR fan but hit it up if you want. If I had time I'd also see the Muppets. I'd be here 3 hours tops, so out by 11:00.

Then I'd switch to Epcot where I would have my FP+ reservations. Soarin, Maelstrom, and Mission Space. 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 pm. All back I'd wait for TT and Spaceship Earth. Hopefully I've walked from HS to Epcot by 11:15 so I'd wait for Test Track first so I'll easily be ready for my Mission Space FP at 1:00, and possibly even have time to ride Spaceship Earth first. Even if I don't have time for Space Ship earth first, I'm easily out of Epcot by 4, where I pick up my car and drive to Animal Kingdom.

Hopefully I get done earlier or AK is open later than 5 that day. I hit EE first on single rider. It is my only MUST do, but if I have time my next priorities are Safari, and Dinosaur. Ride as much as I can until close.

Now off to MK where I will stay until close. I do Jungle Cruise first because I don't really like it at night. Hopefully this is a night it is open pretty late. In order my priorities are Splash, HM, Big Thunder, and Pirates. I plan to ride Space and Peter Pan close to closing as possible for hopefully short wait times. I'll sneak in small world, Monster's Inc, Philharmagic, and Wishes if it looks like time will allow.


One day I will do this, and it will be amazing.

 

[Planogirl]

I would end the day at Epcot unless one of the other parks will be open real late. I would have dinner at Epcot and spend a little time in World Showcase. Going to MK late isn't a bad idea if it's open. Of course you'd have to use FP+ at MK if you hope to ride the dwarves ride but you could set them for late instead of early.

Interesting problem!

 

[Deanie1]

Wow, wareagle57, I am exhausted just reading that! Good plan, though!

 

[kathy884]

Well I had two and only two days in Orlando last October. One of those was allocated to SeaWorld and the other was allocated to Disney and an I-drive attraction (I let my son pick what we would do and we worked it out on touring plans ahead of time, so we'd have a good idea of what we could fit in and what we'd need to cut out with our limited time that we would have done if we had time), so FYI here's what we picked on the one and only one Disney day. I bought expensive one day park hoppers:

Magic Kingdom at rope drop: (Did it on a Halloween Party day which gave us lighter crowds that morning)

Space Mountain (DS's favorite attraction at the MK)

Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid (DS wanted to do this new ride)

It's a Small World

Big Thunder Mountain

Splash Mountain

Tiki Room (I wanted to see this as I had heard they went back to the old version. Fun to see it again, but I wouldn't bother next time. Pretty dated.)

Lunch at that new Beauty and the Beast castle

Mickey's Philharmagic (my favorite attraction at the MK)

We leaving and saw a perfect bench right where a castle show was starting, so sat down and watched that.

Left Park around 2:30 p.m.

Drove car to I drive Titanic attraction

At I drive Titanic attraction from 3 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Headed to Epcot

Soarin

Test Track Three times (DS opted to ride this three times with minimal lines vs. watch Illuminations) (our original plan)

Head out of Epcot just before Illuminations ended before all the big crowds left

(Anyway, that's what my son 18 and I planned for our one and only one Disney day. The MK for us is sort of a must see with the castle and everything, and DS really wanted to see the test track refurbishment and have me try Soarin something that I had never ridden before that I really did like.

*************************************************************

DS is really into Titanic history too (member of the Titanic historical society and has read so much about the history), so the attraction on I-drive was a must see. The guy who gave the tour there was asking lot of questions (to see what guest know/involve guests) that DS would wait and see if others could answer first and then chime in about. The guy really liked DS, and I think was blown away by his knowledge and interest. A few times jokingly he asked DS if he'd like to do the tour. Anyway after the tour, he asked DS how old he was (got the right answer, 18) and if he was local (which he is not). Was thinking DS would be perfect for the job of the elevator operator, a young person, for their dinner theatre if he was local.

Anyway I loved loved loved this day. Great time with DS. DH stayed home: doesn't like Florida or theme parks.

 

[kathy884]

Well I had two and only two days in Orlando last October. One of those was allocated to SeaWorld and the other was allocated to Disney and an I-drive attraction (I let my son pick what we would do and we worked it out on touring plans ahead of time, so we'd have a good idea of what we could fit in and what we'd need to cut out with our limited time that we would have done if we had time), so FYI here's what we picked on the one and only one Disney day. I bought expensive one day park hoppers:

Magic Kingdom at rope drop: (Did it on a Halloween Party day which gave us lighter crowds that morning)

Space Mountain (DS's favorite attraction at the MK)

Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid (DS wanted to do this new ride)

It's a Small World

Big Thunder Mountain

Splash Mountain

Tiki Room (I wanted to see this as I had heard they went back to the old version. Fun to see it again, but I wouldn't bother next time. Pretty dated.)

Lunch at that new Beauty and the Beast castle

Mickey's Philharmagic (my favorite attraction at the MK)

We leaving and saw a perfect bench right where a castle show was starting, so sat down and watched that.

Left Park around 2:30 p.m.

Drove car to I drive Titanic attraction

At I drive Titanic attraction from 3 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Headed to Epcot

Soarin

Test Track Three times (DS opted to ride this three times with minimal lines vs. watch Illuminations) (our original plan)

Head out of Epcot just before Illuminations ended before all the big crowds left

(Anyway, that's what my son 18 and I planned for our one and only one Disney day. The MK for us is sort of a must see with the castle and everything, and DS really wanted to see the test track refurbishment and have me try Soarin something that I had never ridden before that I really did like.

*************************************************************

DS is really into Titanic history too (member of the Titanic historical society and has read so much about the history), so the attraction on I-drive was a must see. The guy who gave the tour there was asking lot of questions (to see what guest know/involve guests) that DS would wait and see if others could answer first and then chime in about. The guy really liked DS, and I think was blown away my his knowledge and interest. A few times jokingly he asked DS if he'd like to do the tour. Anyway after the tour, he asked DS how old he was (got the right answer, 18) and if he was local (which he is not). Was thinking DS would be perfect for the job of the elevator operator, a young person, for their dinner theatre if he was local.

Anyway I loved loved loved this day. Great time with DS. DH stayed home: doesn't like Florida or theme parks.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Kilimanjaro Safari would be the ONE attraction in Orlando I could never skip.

 

[johde]

Depends on what the park hours are like. I'm not sure what they are for early January. I would try to hit up all 4 though.

I think I would start at HS. I'd pick a day where HS had morning EMH but park at Epcot. TSMM at rope drop. Followed by ToT and then Star Wars, Great Movie Ride, and the first Indy show if it starts early enough. I'm not a huge RnR fan but hit it up if you want. If I had time I'd also see the Muppets. I'd be here 3 hours tops, so out by 11:00.

Then I'd switch to Epcot where I would have my FP+ reservations. Soarin, Maelstrom, and Mission Space. 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 pm. All back I'd wait for TT and Spaceship Earth. Hopefully I've walked from HS to Epcot by 11:15 so I'd wait for Test Track first so I'll easily be ready for my Mission Space FP at 1:00, and possibly even have time to ride Spaceship Earth first. Even if I don't have time for Space Ship earth first, I'm easily out of Epcot by 4, where I pick up my car and drive to Animal Kingdom.

Hopefully I get done earlier or AK is open later than 5 that day. I hit EE first on single rider. It is my only MUST do, but if I have time my next priorities are Safari, and Dinosaur. Ride as much as I can until close.

Now off to MK where I will stay until close. I do Jungle Cruise first because I don't really like it at night. Hopefully this is a night it is open pretty late. In order my priorities are Splash, HM, Big Thunder, and Pirates. I plan to ride Space and Peter Pan close to closing as possible for hopefully short wait times. I'll sneak in small world, Monster's Inc, Philharmagic, and Wishes if it looks like time will allow.


One day I will do this, and it will be amazing.

Nice plan.
Normally I use Disney Transportation even when I have a car. Taking Monorail from MK to EPCOT and boat (or walk) between international gateway and DHS.

I would end the day at Epcot unless one of the other parks will be open real late. I would have dinner at Epcot and spend a little time in World Showcase. Going to MK late isn't a bad idea if it's open. Of course you'd have to use FP+ at MK if you hope to ride the dwarves ride but you could set them for late instead of early.

Interesting problem!

You are right that 7DMC will probably need to be EMH or FP or it will crush the wait times. I'm not sure I want to take time for a TS that day. I'll probably save the few TS meals I do for other days.

Kilimanjaro Safari would be the ONE attraction in Orlando I could never skip.

You hit on the attraction I'd most miss about DHS. EE comes in second. If I would hit AK Morning EMH day it may be 4 parks.