Only having one week in WDW - How do we fit in everything?!

[Sarah28]

Hi everyone

My first proper thread, (how exciting!) hehe. I apologise if anyone's posted something like this before but could really do with all your amazing help as always!

We have already booked our holiday to WDW in October, however as my partner and best friends who I am going with are teachers and a teaching assistant, we can only really go during school holidays. We decided to go during the half term in October (as we all love Halloween!) but this is only for one week Ideally I would have loved two weeks during another school holiday but this would have been a lot more than we could really afford and it would have been at peak times etc.

Just wondering if anyone else has done only one week before and how you got on? Is there anything you highly recommend or things we must do from both planning and seeing/doing point of view? I'm normally pretty laid back when it comes to planning what we're going to do/just going with the flow, but I'm just worried that we have quite little time to fit everything in! We are staying onsite so the whole week is going to be Disney only, but still there's so much to do! I'm so looking forward to it but it feels like a week is going to go so quickly!

 

[sweet angel]

I've never, in all my trips to Disney, gone for more than 1 week. I've never gotten home and said, "Oh gee, we didn't get to do blah blah blah."

You'll be fine.

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

We've been for 10 days before and we usually go for 3 weeks so we were really worried we'd come back feeling like we hadn't been at all.

We were really surprised that we didn't feel like we'd missed out on anything and if I wanted to snatch a week or so in WDW I wouldn't hesitate to again!

 

[Elise79]

We have done a little as 5 nights - so don't panic!

My suggestion is to make the most of the jet lag and get up early and get to the park at rope drop - you can get a lot done in that first hour or so.

Second tip - make a list of your must dos - on a short trip you are never going to see everything but if you have a must do list you hit those things first and anything else is a bonus

Finally, you will come home tired but happy!

 

[sweet angel]

I know this is blasphemy, especially on the DISboards, but I honestly can't imagine spending more than a week doing JUST Disney. I mean, how many times in a short amount of time can you do the same things over and over and over?

And I own DVC, so it's not that I don't love it.

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

I dont think you will get to do everything in every park but good research is the key, and by asking the question on the DIS Boards your halfway there.

A good place to start is to look at the park opening times which you will find on the Disney website.On our first morning we usually go to the park which has Extra Magical Hours as we are always up and ready to go by 7am because of the time difference, therefore making the most of day. Work out which rides are a must for all of you and make them a priority, then anything you do after that is a bonus. Also make use of the fast passes for the really popular rides as waits for eg Toy Story Mania, Soarin etc can be over 100 minutes, then you can go off enjoy other stuff and return at your alloted time.

Dont forget to scedule in a little relaxing by the pool otherwise it will all be one big blurr

 

[disney_princess_85]

Don't worry, you'll be able to fit a lot into a week. Have you got hopper tickets? If so, you can flit around and visit each park several times (if you wish). Also, October is a great time to go! Try to make it to MNSSHP.

 

[2Tiggies]

You can't do everything in one trip, but the fact is, no matter how long or short you stay for, it will never feel like enough time. With that said, you CAN do everything you plan to do if you just prioritse what is most important to you. Not everythign is relative to every trip so there are some things that my look nice, but you don't care to do them this time round, which eliminates some of the choices automatically. Just be realistic in your planning. Don't assume that you will be out from 6 am to midnight every night and build in enough time for getting from one place to the next, not forgetting some time to stop and explore. We do go for longer, but we still leave with things we didn't do and a whole lot of things we did several times over, just because we wanted to at the time. But if I had the option of not going or going for a week, I would jam pack that week with no hesitation and no regrets.

And one more thing:

WELCOME!!

 

[Sarah28]

Thanks so much for all your amazing advice already!

You can't do everything in one trip, but the fact is, no matter how long or short you stay for, it will never feel like enough time.

I very much agree with what you said 2Tiggies about doing everything, that was my bad - just want to get as much out of this trip as possible! We definitely have things that we want to do (Expedition Everest I can't wait to go on as I haven't been on it yet and it looks amazing!) but other things we're not bothered about so much. Definitely going to start making a list of things that are priority and plan around those.

Don't worry, you'll be able to fit a lot into a week. Have you got hopper tickets? If so, you can flit around and visit each park several times (if you wish). Also, October is a great time to go! Try to make it to MNSSHP.

Yes disney_princess_85, we do have hopper tickets so will be taking advantage of that!

But if I had the option of not going or going for a week, I would jam pack that week with no hesitation and no regrets.

Gonna live by that motto! thanks guys, feel loads better about it already

 

[TCO]

For our first trip we only did a week and got everything we wanted to done.

Out first day we had breakfast early at the palace and then was at the front of the rope and straight onto splash mountain!

Last year we did 10 days but probably got less done as we were on the dinin package.

We are thinking of doing 2 weeks next year but not sure if it will be too long with a 1 year old in tow.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

we have done one week for four of our trips and three weeks for the other one. We never got everything done in the three week trip but to be honest if you are going for a week in October you probably get more done thanpeople do for two or three weeks at Easter or Christmas. You will get plenty done in a week.

 

[2Tiggies]

Gonna live by that motto! thanks guys, feel loads better about it already

This little piece of info should make you feel even better: Although many go to Florida for 2 weeks, there are a LOT of folk who only spend one of those weeks in Disney. Also if you look at the US guests' average stay it is approximately 5-7 days. Another factor in your favour is that if you go for 2 weeks, stacking a run of 18 hour days back to back is going to wipe out the second week anyway. However if it were just for one week, that is more doable, so you will be able to pack more into your 7 days. The planning is all part of the fun. I hope you are going to share your ideas with us.

 

[penlanspice]

We felt the same when we went for a week, we had always done 3 weeks and managed to fitted in a last minute trip on our annual passes but were worried it would be long enough. I can honestly say it was one of the best trip we've had, we did more in that week than we do in 3 weeks.

 

[Sarah28]

The planning is all part of the fun. I hope you are going to share your ideas with us.

Absolutely! I've been reading a lot of trip reports which have been amazing and I'm still learning about recommendations and tips of what to do and when/which restaurants to eat in etc. Still just coming to terms that we've actually booked it!

 

[2Tiggies]

I see you are at All Start Music We stayed there in 2009 and loved it!! It was my DD's choice and I wasn't sure I would like it at first, but we had a great time there. The theming is so good too. Make sure you take some time to walk around the resort and take it all in. Really cool!

 

[Zeebs]

We went for our first time in October - stayed offsite and even with 2 small children and 2 Grandparents I felt we did loads.

The only thing we didn't do was the World Showcase but we also had a rest day in the middle so that the kids could go to the MNSSHP without getting too ratty.

We are going back in May for our second trip with 3 small children NO Grandparents this time for 2 weeks, but we plan to take it really easy. Although I don't feel we over did it last time.

Given you aren't running on small children schedules you should be able to fit in everything you have planned (unless of course that plan is to see everything )

Just about all our days on our trip we toured from rope drop until mid afternoon the kids were home in bed by 7.00 their normal time so that we weren't cranky from being tired.

We had a fab time as will you.

Kirsten

 

[Sarah28]

I see you are at All Start Music We stayed there in 2009 and loved it!! It was my DD's choice and I wasn't sure I would like it at first, but we had a great time there. The theming is so good too. Make sure you take some time to walk around the resort and take it all in. Really cool!

Aww that's good to hear To be honest, our budget really decided on a value hotel (so did the offer we got through VH!) and we thought it looked pretty good!

Given you aren't running on small children schedules you should be able to fit in everything you have planned (unless of course that plan is to see everything )

Just about all our days on our trip we toured from rope drop until mid afternoon the kids were home in bed by 7.00 their normal time so that we weren't cranky from being tired.

We had a fab time as will you.

Thanks Kirsten And no I don't plan on seeing everything (like I had initially thought!), in fact I started a holiday journal yesterday as I do like to make lists! I went through and I've started to write down all the things I want to see/do as you guys suggested. I just gotta wait for the park hours to be confirmed so I can plan what we aim to do each day. I'm actually really starting to love this planning and not be stressed out by it! Knew you guys would make me feel better!

 

[I_Heart_MK]

Hello!

We're going for the first time for 1 week in September, so I'm finding this post good as well. Have you got the "Unofficial Guide"? There are some great touring plans in there that help you fit as much as possible into a day. We probably won't stick to them (we'll be honeymooning so doubt we'll be up for rope drop every day as they suggest ;-) ), but have found them useful to look at anyway.

Christine xxx

 

[Sarah28]

Hi Christine

Yes I do have the book and it's amazing! Just working my way through it

Aww wow a disney honeymoon! I'm hoping to have one of those one day! I have been dropping hints already but we're not even engaged yet!

 

[I_Heart_MK]

Haha well keep on dropping those hints By the time we got engaged I was practically throwing hints at him lol.

xxxx