Overwhelmed by planning... help!

[abeautybutafunnygirl]

Hi everyone! You might remember me from a thread I posted a few weeks back about a possible February trip...
Now, the 2016 trip has been switched to a April-May trip. Specifically, we're looking at April 26-May 5th, most likely at POFQ.
We haven't been since the summer of 2013, when MDE/FP+ was still in the testing phase, so this will be our first trip with the new system.
That being said, I'm a little overwhelmed. I know we have to book ADRs asap, but I'm pretty stressed out with all the variables around that time. I have a few questions...
1) I know that we're guessing RoL will be premiering on April 22... any guesses on a date that FP+ will appear?
2) Same question with the new Frozen ride (May 1, right?). Obviously, that will be insane. Any tips?
3) Does WDW do anything special for May the 4th? (Star Wars Day)
4) How do you usually go about planning your days? ADRs first, then plan FP+ around them? Or another way?
5) Any other general planning tips?

 

[Jennasis]

I pick which parks we are doing first, then ADRs at 180 days out, then FP if we even bother with them.

 

[BrianL]

I would not count on those dates as they are not officially announced. Do not count on them being open by early May (Frozen has the best shot though).

I plan my days based on the crowd calendars, then pick ADRs for days I am already in that park.

 

[dekraut]

I pick the parks for each day first, based on the various crowd calendars and what makes sense to me.

If there is a tough-to-get ADR for a particular restaurant, I may end up getting that first and planning that day around the reservation.

Third, I decide which FP+ our family wants and for which time of day.

Since our DD is still a bit young and benefits from earlier bedtimes, we decide which nights we are trying to see evening shows and space them out to not have several late evenings back-to-back.

This will be our first time going in January, and the first time the kids will be old enough to stay up late enough to see the evening shows and the parks after dark. We are super excited.

Good luck!

 

[T00dles]

Someone will probably correct me if I am wrong but...don't they usually soft open rides? I didn't think they were offering FP's immediately after opening 7DMT. And in that line of reasoning they might not schedule FPs until they know for sure when the ride will be fully operational.

It's probably going to be a luck thing for rides scheduled to be open when you are there. But magic happens

 

[abeautybutafunnygirl]

Thanks for all the info guys! Looks like ADRs first is the best way to go... by the way, any tips on great restaurants? I'm looking to try something different! We've only ever done BOG and SciFi for TS.

 

[DanInMN]

Just take it logically. I look at the crowd calendars first to determine which parks for what days (we don't buy park hoppers because it takes too much time to hop). I adjust this for other factors, such as we are taking our newly adopted twin teen girls for their first WDW visit and I want to take them to MK on the first day because the castle is so iconic. We have 10 days, with no parks planned on first or last day. I also plan at least one down day, to swim or whatever. This leaves 7 days... two visits to each of MK, Epcot, and AK. Just one day in HS because there isn't much to see there anymore. Once the days are assigned, then book ADRs. We will have breakfast at Crystal Palace one day, as our kids will love the Pooh characters. No other ADRs as the kids would not enjoy or appreciate the fancy restaurants anyway. When within 90 days I reserve FP+ for the headliners, hopefully early in the day so we might be able pick up a second round on-site for later.