Only a few days, which option?

[mshanson3121]

We are doing 5 nights in September. Due to flight arrival/departure, we only have 4 days to spend and one of those we are doing MNSSHP. This is not our first trip, but will be the last trip for several years. Party of 6: FIL, SIL and son (7), myself and my two kids (9, 12 both with special needs).

Our current plans are:
Day 1: Epcot
Day 2: Hollywood Studios
Day 3: MNSSHP
Day 4: Animal Kingdom

I honestly hadn't originally planned on Epcot as my SIL that's coming with us has no interest in it. Plus there aren't that many rides we'll do (The Seas/Nemo, Frozen, Mexco boat, Soarin), but there were some really good character M&Gs and my kids liked the idea of exploring the countries. So I figured why not.

However, it is crucial for my daughter (9, with ASD) to meet Winnie the Pooh. She will not be able to cope with the lines during the party, so I am wondering what is the best option:

A. Upgrade to a 4 day Canadian Resident pass (only $15 pp). We could then enter the park earlier, after lunch, and just wait in line for the regular M&G, which I'm told shouldn't be more than 20-30 minutes? This gives us a bit more MK time, we can see Epcot, but am worried it will be too long of a day to be in the park from afternoon till midnight.

B. Book dinner at Crystal Palace during the party (around 5?) This obviously is in a way the best because it's easiest and we meet more characters. Plus, we have to eat supper at some point anyways... But this is our only MK day... I'm afraid it will it eat up too much of our park/party time.

C. Skip Epcot and do a second day at MK instead. Bonus is lots more time at MK and we could see HEA which we all really wanted to do. We could also book the dessert party.

 

[mom2rtk]

Honestly, on a 4 day trip, that's not enough MK time for a group with young kids. Definitely C. My motto is that if you leave not having done MK well, then you haven't done WDW well.

As an FYI though, doesn't Pooh appear in Epcot in the UK?

 

[mshanson3121]

Honestly, on a 4 day trip, that's not enough MK time for a group with young kids. Definitely C. My motto is that if you leave not having done MK well, then you haven't done WDW well.

As an FYI though, doesn't Pooh appear in Epcot in the UK?

I don't think so anymore.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think so anymore.

Then all the more reason to skip Ecot. I'm sure others will feel differently, but unless you are a frequent visitor, you need more MK time with kids that age. Or at least I would.

 

[mshanson3121]

Then all the more reason to skip Ecot. I'm sure others will feel differently, but unless you are a frequent visitor, you need more MK time with kids that age. Or at least I would.

I am worried that the party alone wont be enough. If we have 2 days we can focus on rides the first day, then focus more on party stuff that night.

 

[Toolulu22]

C. You said- SIL wasn’t that interested in EPCOT and you would have time to do things you ALL want to do at MK.

 

[jcarwash]

In my opinion planning to see Happily Ever After is reason enough to prioritize MK.

 

[donalds friend]

I would go ahead and go to the park earlier if your family has the stamina. There is so much to do at MK and the price to add the day is minimal. If the rest of your party doesn't want to do the whole day you could just do it with your kids. I would hate to spend so much party time at dinner.

 

[mamamelody2]

I agree with PPs that only MNSSHP is not nearly enough MK time. I would trade Epcot for MK. There's just so many attractions there and all of them are great for kids.

 

[JeninTexas]

I would book CP earlier in the day and meet Pooh there. Could you do a CP breakfast, and then go back to your resort to rest and then come back to the party?

 

[cmwade77]

Something you can't plan for yet is if there will be an after hours party (not just the Halloween party) during that time at MK, if there is, then that may be the best bang for your buck, as while it is only 3 hours after the park closes, there are no lines for anything.

I would say get park hoppers and take advantage of EMH if there is any during your dates as well.

 

[2Lunds]

As an adult who LOOOOOVES Epcot, it pains me to say this, but I'd skip Epcot and do a second MK day. I would *also* book Crystal Palace because it lets your daughter meet Pooh without waiting in line at all.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I'd upgrade the tickets AND do CP earlier than 5pm. Start the day, maybe around 10:30am, with a late breakfast at CP. Bonus: breakfast costs less.

And even though you said you can't make a full day of your arrival and departure days, I'd consider those as potential options as well. Even if you can only manage 3 hours of park time, that 3 hrs = 3FP for $15.

Same thing if you go to MK earlier in the day on your HP party day. 3 more park hours = 3more FP.

In my view, extended family + WDW = everyone is expected to compromise a little.

That doesn't mean everyone has to spend every minute with everyone. If SIL doesn't want to go to Epcot, she has many other options, especially if you are staying at a WDW hotel. Even if you aren't, if it appeals to her, she could easily visit Disney Springs much of the day, then take a bus to the BWK area to meet you for dinner.

If you aren't on the DDP, there's even a character meal at the Swan, or for $15 more she could meet you just around dinner time in the WS part of Epcot.

Though I should add....since you said you were going in September, daily storms around 4-7pm are rather common. Sometimes they only last 15 minutes, other times there's a bone-drenching rain for several hours. That makes navigating Epcot a little trickier in September, as Epcot has a little less cover than the other parks. It is also quite warm. If we want to look at all nice for dinner not sweaty, we often take a break to clean up before dinner. Often, said break doubles as a chance to avoid those afternoon downpours.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'd upgrade the tickets AND do CP earlier than 5pm. Start the day, maybe around 10:30am, with a late breakfast at CP. Bonus: breakfast costs less.

And even though you said you can't make a full day of your arrival and departure days, I'd consider those as potential options as well. Even if you can only manage 3 hours of park time, that 3 hrs = 3FP for $15.

Same thing if you go to MK earlier in the day on your HP party day. 3 more park hours = 3more FP.

Though I should add....since you said you were going in September, daily storms around 4-7pm are rather common. Sometimes they only last 15 minutes, other times there's a bone-drenching rain for several hours. That makes navigating Epcot a little trickier in September, as Epcot has a little less cover than the other parks. It is also quite warm. If we want to look at all nice for dinner not sweaty, we often take a break to clean up before dinner. Often, said break doubles as a chance to avoid those afternoon downpours.

So... you would upgrade to 4 day tickets and enter MK on party day around 10:30 with breakfast at CP, then stay the rest of the day till party? I did consider rope dropping MK, taking an afternoon break and then coming back for the party. Just wasn't sure if that was going to be waaaay too long of a day. After a couple full days beforehand, I did like the idea of having that whole day (before the party) for some R&R for the kids.

Arrival day is completely out as we don't even land until 6:30 We looked into getting earlier flights, but then we would have to drive to the airport (4 hours away) the day before and pay extra for a night's hotel.

I wish, sooooo much that we could go at a different time of year. Honestly, part of me is dreading the heat. All 3 of us have EDS-H, dysautonomia issues including heat intolerance. But, FIL and SIL can't go any earlier than summer (I could go anytime after Monday when our tax return is deposited, lol). But, we managed last time in June/July - that said, we had 11 nights and 7 park days, so, a lot more flexibility. But I'm sure we will manage this time around. But, if I had my way I would have gone after Easter rush, or early May. Or October/November. But, then we run into the risk of SWGE opening, and as much as I dread the heat, I dread the crowds more, just because there is no way my kids can cope with those crowds/wait times, and they love Hollywood Studios. And of course, the price is so much higher for us to go after Sept 30th, as the Canadian resident tickets expire then, plus the room discounts aren't available. So... we were pretty much stuck with crappy hot weather.

At any rate, I digress.... lol. I'm torn between doing afternoon breaks, and just sleeping in in the mornings and then entering the parks after lunch and staying through, mkaing the most of indoor rides etc... for the afternoon. DD is not a morning person, and doesn't do as well when she's having to get up early and rush out the door, with a lot of coming/going etc... Another reason why cooler weather would have been better... but it is what it is.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Personally, if we go in summer, we try to make the most of early mornings. I was guessing you chose a HP-only day as a way to sleep later, so that was part of suggesting a late breakfast. The second bonus of eating a late breakfast is that 1meal kinda = 2 meals, because you likely won't want to eat lunch. So taking 2 hours out of your day is less of an issue. If you have an early breakfast at CP then you kinda HAVE to be in the park early. If you book a breakfast for 10:30am, you have more flexibility. If you feel energized that morning, you can arrive before your ADR. If not, you can sleep a little later.

In summer months, FL gets hot in the afternoon, but cools down after dark. The air gets sticky until a storm breaks, but it is usually more comfortable after the storm passes.

I'm not sure I really know much about your health conditions, but if mobility is an issue, a, electric scooter can be very helpful. A possible option is to rent one scooter and take turns using it as needed.

One way to improve mornings for kids is to pack their outfits in large Ziploc bags. One complete outfit/bag per day. (if they don't fit, put underwear socks in a separate bag, or try a bigger bag).

Or lay everyone's stuff out the night before, or both. I often find it helpful to prep almost everything the night before. In the morning, each person has like an assigned job wherever possible, so you aren't wasting time trying to decide who does what. We have also even resorted to using checklists, so we don't forget anything.

Another option is to pack stuff that is interchangeable- like keeping everything to about 3 colors, like blue, white, and gray.

I'm not sure how many times you have been to WDW, but sometimes when you take kids out of their regular element, they act a little differently, especially if you will be crossing time zones. She might do better than normal, or she might have a harder time with mornings. When kids are highly motivated, often they do much better. Truth be told, in my extended family, it wasn't the kids, it was always the adults who were less flexible. Even still, My little motto was to tell everyone: 1. ) Always, if you a need a break, we'll take a break. We won't keep going if we aren't having fun. 2. ) But also know, the more you can be flexible and cooperative, the more we'll get to see and do.

Those two little sentences often go a long ways, even with pretty young children.

One more crazy thing I will mention....I don't know where you are staying, but for us, simple breakfasts help us arrive earlier. if we opt for a value or mod, I always choose perferred location and ask to be as close to the food court as possible. It is also helpful to have some snacks and beverages beverages handy in the room. We sometimes also send one person to go get food ahead of everyone else.

 

[KenHutch]

Skip Epcot and do the day at Magic Kingdom. We only go every 3rd year so we do long vacations at WDW and normally do 2 to 3 days at MK. Crystal Palace is really the only place to see Pooh for sure. Occasionally at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast but that is not for sure.

 

[mshanson3121]

Skip Epcot and do the day at Magic Kingdom. We only go every 3rd year so we do long vacations at WDW and normally do 2 to 3 days at MK. Crystal Palace is really the only place to see Pooh for sure. Occasionally at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast but that is not for sure.

Yes our last trip was 11 nights, 7 park days. So much nicer! But just not possible this time around

 

[KenHutch]

Yes our last trip was 11 nights, 7 park days. So much nicer! But just not possible this time around

Longer trips are better but remember a short trip is a whole lot better than no trip at all. We had to do every 3rd year because I had to pay for 8 people but I am getting ready for shorter once a year trips because after this one I do not have to pay for 4 people so I am going to have to learn the shorter trip theme.

 

[mshanson3121]

Longer trips are better but remember a short trip is a whole lot better than no trip at all. We had to do every 3rd year because I had to pay for 8 people but I am getting ready for shorter once a year trips because after this one I do not have to pay for 4 people so I am going to have to learn the shorter trip theme.

Haha. So true! My problem is I want to see and do it all, lol. So I have to decide what really are the priorities.