Our "one and done" trip plan

itf

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 2, 2021
Due to the escalating costs of this trip (and everything else) we've basically decided this is a one-and-done trip to Disney, at least for the foreseeable future so we want to do as much as we can in two weeks. Here's our plan - not sure there's anything missing, but interested in feedback!

19 August 2022 MK - closes at 6 for NSS so try and get an evening ADR somewhere.
20 August 2022 Pool AM / Disney Springs + Drawn To Life PM
21 August 2022 Animal Kingdom Sun
22 August 2022 Hollywood Studios Mon
23 August 2022 Typhoon Lagoon AM (Epcot PM, stack in the AM) Tue
24 August 2022 MK stay for fireworks
25 August 2022 EPCOT - stay for Harmonious
26 August 2022 Magic Kingdom + Not So Scary
27 August 2022 Pool AM (stack for PM) / HS PM+ H20 Glow Eve
28 August 2022 Epcot (if not managed to get Guardians earlier / switch park if so)
29 August 2022 Hollywood Studios
30 August 2022 Universal (Group VIP)
31 August 2022 Magic Kingdom

I'm hoping 3 HS days will give us the chance to get Rise either via ILL+ (we're off site) or queueing at day end. If so we might lose a HS day / switch it to a rest day or a different park. Similarly, I'm not sure we need 2.5 EPCOT days but we want to ride Guardians, so trying to maximise our chances there. I'm hoping the late August lower crowds + heat helps our chances and that Guardians helps subdue the demand for Rise. Do we need a second Animal Kingdom day?

Will MK days where there's a Not So Scary be quieter in the day? Suits us well on that first day as will be jet lagged anyway and one of our MK days we're going to NSS.
 
This looks like a great plan! It's clear you put a lot of thought into it. As I was reading, I thought "Why so much DHS and Epcot?" Then I read the rest of your comments and understood. My daughter works at DHS, at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. When I visit, we always go to DHS at night, at her insistence. DHS is a different park at night. It's much less crowded as everyone leaves to see fireworks at MK and Epcot. Rides that have a +1 hour wait in in the morning and afternoon are 10-20 min. Also - just my opinion, but DHS is perfect as a night park. All of the glowing neon is outstanding. SWGE is very cool at night as well. Last suggestion - August - bring a sun umbrella and maybe a personal cooling fan. I was at Epcot during the day last summer and felt like I was baking in an oven. I'll never go there during the day in summer ever again! Edited to address a couple of your questions:
1. I think you're right - Guardians will probably subdue the demand for Rise.
2. Late August dates + heat might make for lower crowds (my kids here in the Chicago area return to school Aug 15.)
3. MK on a MNSSHP day - could crowds be lower? Possibly. I usually opt for a different park/afternoon hotel break on party days so I'm "fresh" for the MK on party days.
4. Your first day at MK, with early close due to MNSSHP... if you're not too tired, you might want to resort hop. Walk or monorail to the Contemporary, or take a boat to the Polynesian or the Grand Floridian. Then ride the monorail around the 3 resorts, hopping off to check out the lobbies, the gift shops, the beaches. You could grab a drink or snack at each one. Dole Whips at the Poly? Yum! Likewise, resort hopping around Crescent Lake on one of your Epcot/DHS days is a lot of fun.
 
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Your first day at MK, with early close due to MNSSHP... if you're not too tired, you might want to resort hop. Walk or monorail to the Contemporary, or take a boat to the Polynesian or the Grand Floridian. Then ride the monorail around the 3 resorts, hopping off to check out the lobbies, the gift shops, the beaches. You could grab a drink or snack at each one. Dole Whips at the Poly? Yum! Likewise, resort hopping around Crescent Lake on one of your Epcot/DHS days is a lot of fun.
Thanks for this - staying offsite I hadn't really intended to visit any of the resorts but will look into it - could be fun. Our resort (Hyatt Grand Cypress) looks well equipped but hadn't considered having a wander round Disney's post park!
 
Thanks for this - staying offsite I hadn't really intended to visit any of the resorts but will look into it - could be fun. Our resort (Hyatt Grand Cypress) looks well equipped but hadn't considered having a wander round Disney's post park!
I'm sure the Hyatt Grand Cypress will have everything you need!

I'd suggested Monorail resort-hopping as sightseeing extension of the MK on the early-closing day. If you have kids, the monorail ride is something they'd find fun. You may already know, but the monorail route goes Contemporary - Ticket and Transportation Center - Polynesian - Grand Floridian. Here are some highlights:
1. Contemporary - fun to visit as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration. Lots of exceptional artwork on the ground floor lobby including historic photos/plans of the creation of WDW. Also on the ground floor, Steakhouse 71 is an exceptional (and reasonably priced) restaurant - you can also walk-up and eat at the bar. There's a good coffee bar on the ground floor. The "main" lobby area is on the 4th floor with shops, quick service food, and the monorail. 4th floor has an observation deck where you can watch fireworks. It's fun watching the monorail come through the resort.
2. Polynesian - Trader Sam's Grog Grotto (bar) is very fun and a "must do" for many. It usually has a long wait list (leave your name and they'll text you when you can enter). It's on the ground floor of the main lobby. On the 2nd floor is another bar that is adjacent to Ohana's restaurant. We often sit at the 2nd floor bar and have a light dinner of egg rolls and chicken skewers. On the 1st floor as you exit the lobby toward the pool is the Dole Whip (ice cream) stand. It's great fun to get ice cream and walk out to the beach, where there are seats and hammocks and a direct view of Cinderella Castle and the MK fireworks.
3. The Grand Floridian -beautiful lobby. 2nd floor has a bar called the Enchanted Rose (Beauty & the Beast theme) with light snacks and drinks, indoor seating as well as an outdoor terrace with a view of the pool. The Quick Serve restaurant (Gasparilla Grill) has a very nice patio with tables next to the Marina with a direct view of Cinderella Castle and the MK fireworks (with music piped in). For "nicer" meals, you can typically walk-up and dine at the bar of Citrico's (2nd floor) or Narcoosee's (located in a building on the lake).

These resorts usually have an outdoor movie every night at 7PM for the kids (anyone can walk up and sit down to watch the movie). You can also rent poolside Cabanas and Pontoon boats at these resorts, if you're so inclined. Cabanas include drinks/snacks and are booked for a full day. I don't believe you have to be a resort guest to rent the cabanas or boats. On my last trip, during some downtime, my family and I walked up and rented a pontoon boat at the Grand, for what I felt was a reasonable price. We did it on a whim and ended up having a great time boating around Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake.
 


Yes we are travelling with our daughter and last time we did a long Disney trip (a LONG time ago when it was just us) we didn’t do any monorail travel or see any of the resorts so this sounds like a good idea. Mind you we arrived on Labour day that time and everything was a walk-on, remember doing Rock n Rollercoaster three times in a row! Not so easy now!
 
Yes we are travelling with our daughter and last time we did a long Disney trip (a LONG time ago when it was just us) we didn’t do any monorail travel or see any of the resorts so this sounds like a good idea. Mind you we arrived on Labour day that time and everything was a walk-on, remember doing Rock n Rollercoaster three times in a row! Not so easy now!
I'm sure you'll have a great (hot!) time! Don't underestimate the heat - I'm sure everyone's told you that. I did a late August trip last year (only because my 35 year old niece wanted to take her kids at that time, otherwise, I avoid that time of year). My group consisted of myself, my 35 year old niece and her kids ages 6 and 10, my teen daughter and her friend and my Disney employee daughter who lives there (and is used to the heat). I had packed several sun umbrellas for instant-shade and 3 or 4 cheap personal fans. My group scoffed at me for bringing those. As it happened, we were all instantly melting, and my umbrellas and fans were being fought over by everyone. I had made a slow-paced plan with lots of break time knowing that heat would be a factor, but it wasn't enough. I had to re-do our plans on the fly, slowing things down even more and building in air-conditioning breaks as all members of my group became overheated and crabby. After the sun went down, everyone perked up considerably. The evenings/nights were very pleasant. We quickly learned to stick to early mornings, take afternoon breaks, and return to the parks in the evening. To be honest, on Day 3, I headed out for the bus to DHS at about 7:30 AM, walked out of my resort into what felt like a sauna, stopped, and told the group "I'm taking a break today". They went to DHS without me. I felt that I just could not handle another day in the sun and heat. I rejoined the group in the evening and felt much better (they all looked on the verge of heat exhaustion). As you're staying off-site, I'm not sure how easy it will be for you to do afternoon breaks. If it's difficult, you could always keep the resort-hopping idea as your "afternoon air conditioning break". Regarding DHS - You'll find riding rides at DHS absolutely hideous in the morning/afternoon (many queues are outdoors in the blazing sun with no shade whatsoever). Riding is much easier in the evening. My daughter who works at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge says that DHS "is dead" at night. She was recently given the evening task of walking around and telling guests that Rise was available for stand-by boarding. This will change, obviously, whenever Fantasmic reopens. I'm not sure when that is going to happen.
 
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