Overwhelmed... picking parks September 30-October 4

[daisygirl98]

I am hoping one of you experts can help...

We are staying onsite (Wilderness) so I know I need to pick parks so I can get fastpasses but am so overwhelmed!

We get there early afternoon September 30 and plan to leave early afternoon October 4th. We don't plan to get park hopper. I have 2 kids, 11 and 9.

Can anyone give advice on which parks to do which days? We would like to go to them all if possible.

I was thinking:
Sept 30 - DHS
Oct 1 - MK
Oct 2 - MK
Oct 3 - Epcot
Oct 4 - Animal Kingdom.

Do you think 2 days at MK with partial days at DHS and Animal Kingdom or would you do a full day at either of these? Thanks in advance for any advice! I've looked at so many websites and just keep getting more confused!

 

[Disneymom1126]

I am hoping one of you experts can help...

We are staying onsite (Wilderness) so I know I need to pick parks so I can get fastpasses but am so overwhelmed!

We get there early afternoon September 30 and plan to leave early afternoon October 4th. We don't plan to get park hopper. I have 2 kids, 11 and 9.

Can anyone give advice on which parks to do which days? We would like to go to them all if possible.

I was thinking:
Sept 30 - DHS
Oct 1 - MK
Oct 2 - MK
Oct 3 - Epcot
Oct 4 - Animal Kingdom.

Do you think 2 days at MK with partial days at DHS and Animal Kingdom or would you do a full day at either of these? Thanks in advance for any advice! I've looked at so many websites and just keep getting more confused!

Happy to provide some things to think about, but one thing that would help is to know whether this is you and your kids' first trip.

 

[daisygirl98]

Thanks! We went when the kids were very little - 2009 I believe - so basically a first trip as we don't remember much.

 

[Klayfish]

I think what you have is fine. There's really no one "right" answer, so don't overthink it. If it's basically a first visit, I agree with 2 MK days. However, the order which you schedule is really personal preference. To me, MK is the "heart" of WDW, so we always like to start there, but you don't have to.

 

[daisygirl98]

Makes sense. I think we'll start at Magic Kingdom that Saturday and Sunday. That leaves a full day Monday and partial day Wednesday for Animal Kingdom and DHS - if you had to choose would you do a whole day at Animal Kingdom or DHS? Thanks so much for your help!

 

[princess jasmine 76]

No need to be overwhelmed. I'm sure you will enjoy your trip any which way you schedule your days

I think it looks good as is. I also think 2 full days as MK is a good idea.

Since you are not getting hoppers and leaving early on the 4th, I wonder if you would want to switch your Hollywood Studios day with Animal Kingdom since A.K. will be open a 1/2 hour later than H.S. on your arrival day. It's only 1/2 hour, but it would give you the option to maximize park time on your arrival day and since your kids are a little older, you all may still have energy left. All parks look like they're opening at 9am (for now) on your last day.

That said, the park hours are still likely to change. Every year when we travel in Nov, I always notice the park hours change about a month out from our trip. Unfortunately, the window to book fast passes (for those staying on-site) is 60 days out so nearly every year I end up ticked off when the park hours are finalized because based on the newly published hours I might have chosen different parks on different days 60 days prior (if any of that even makes sense!)

Any which way, hakuna matata - you will have a great time!

 

[minniegirl19]

With it being a shorter trip I wouldn't do mk on the 1st because it closes at 7 due to the Halloween party. People always say to go that day because "crowds are lower" but I personally think it's taking away time in the parks (even though if you start with mk it's still the same amount of time there but it's still taking away hours overall). Also starting at mk and seeing happily ever after would be be the best way to start the trip. What I would do is:

Sept 30: mk
Oct 1: animal kingdom
Oct 2nd: mk
Oct 3rd: Epcot (there are emh this day which people sometimes say to avoid but again I think you're maximizing your time there with the extra hours)
Oct 4th: studios

Have fun!!

 

[princess jasmine 76]

I agree with minniegirl's advice. I would like splitting up the 2 MK days. MK is so sprawling and just a lot in general, so I like spacing out the 2 days with a different park in between (just my personal preference/opinion of course!)

 

[Klayfish]

Makes sense. I think we'll start at Magic Kingdom that Saturday and Sunday. That leaves a full day Monday and partial day Wednesday for Animal Kingdom and DHS - if you had to choose would you do a whole day at Animal Kingdom or DHS? Thanks so much for your help!

In that scenario, it would probably depend on what the kids like. A lot of people say DHS is a half day park. I disagree. Yes, it has construction, but still plenty to see and do. If you're into Star Wars, then spend the full day there. DHS also has fun thrill rides...RnR and ToT specifically. Star Tours is a lot of fun too. AK is a great park, I've really grown to love it more with all the changes recently. Good shows there, fun rides. It's a lot of walking...more than at DHS...so just be aware.

 

[shellyj]

HS and AK can be shorter days so I think you have the right idea about those on your arrival and departure days. Neither is really a half day park but you can certainly plan ahead to hit the highlights and not feel like you've missed out.

There is too much to do at MK to schedule that for a partial day. Unless you can wiggle your travel time, I wouldn't move them off full days.

If you want to do the new Pandora rides, you will probably want to rope drop AK on the last day. If you don't think you can get up, out, and checked out that early on your last day, you might want to swap AK to the first day and plan to hang out late and do Pandora before closing. AK is open 30 minutes later than DHS that day.

I would definitely keep Epcot on the 3rd because it's scheduled for EMH 9-11 pm
My family is big into EMH and we would absolutely close out Epcot on the 3rd and rope drop AK on the 4th but we love the parks and don't mind being on the go on vacation!

If you don't have your tickets and FP reservations yet, I recommend doing that as soon as you can.

 

[GillianP1301]

I think your plan is fine, so try not to feel too overwhelmed. I can make a suggestion just based on my preference, for consideration. With the number of days you have and with a lot of new stuff with Pandora in AK, I would probably opt for a full day there and 1.5 days at MK. So something like this...

Sept 30 - DHS
Oct 1 - MK
Oct 2 - AK
Oct 3 - Epcot
Oct 4 - MK

This plan also allows you to finish off at MK, which I try to do with every trip.

 

[shellyj]

Makes sense. I think we'll start at Magic Kingdom that Saturday and Sunday. That leaves a full day Monday and partial day Wednesday for Animal Kingdom and DHS - if you had to choose would you do a whole day at Animal Kingdom or DHS? Thanks so much for your help!

What time do you realistically see yourself getting to the park gate on Saturday? You said early afternoon, are you checking in at the hotel first?
MK is open until 9 that night vs 7 pm on Sunday, but you could get significantly more time in the park going on Sunday when it opens at 9 am.

 

[daisygirl98]

Thanks for all the advice! A lot of great things to consider. Our flight gets in at 10:30 and we are renting a car so realistically getting there 12:00 or 12:30?

I'm guessing we couldn't check into the hotel until later so maybe just head straight to a park so then maybe MK does make the most sense on that first day since transportation is easiest there from Wilderness than the other parks and we could come back and check in that afternoon and then head back out in the evening.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I think a lot of your fastpasses may be gone as those dates opened up about a week ago. I am going the week prior and signed it right at 7 a.m. eastern on day 60 and couldn't get FOP for any of the three days we are actually in the parks. Might want to hop on those fastpasses ASAP.

 

[minniegirl19]

Thanks for all the advice! A lot of great things to consider. Our flight gets in at 10:30 and we are renting a car so realistically getting there 12:00 or 12:30?

I'm guessing we couldn't check into the hotel until later so maybe just head straight to a park so then maybe MK does make the most sense on that first day since transportation is easiest there from Wilderness than the other parks and we could come back and check in that afternoon and then head back out in the evening.

I would definitely do mk. But i would do online check in and then they will text you when your room is ready and all you do is go to it and scan your magic band and you're checked in. It could be early it could be later. You can also just leave your car at wilderness lodge and just not go back until after the park closes so you don't have to go back and forth

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I was thinking:
Sept 30 - DHS
Oct 1 - MK
Oct 2 - MK
Oct 3 - Epcot
Oct 4 - Animal Kingdom.

I went back and forth on this a dozen times - and can't come up with a great solution but have a few I think are decent. One consideration - are any of the following shows a must-do for your family:

DHS - Star Wars Fireworks OR Fantasmic
MK - Happily Ever After Fireworks
EPCOT - IllumiNations
AK - Rivers of Light

That could really affect my recommendations...

 

[shm_helene]

We are going in a similar time frame (Sep 29-Oct 4). Our schedule is as follows (though we do have hoppers):
Friday - AK / Epcot (we love AK but we are staying at Boardwalk and want to capitalize)
Saturday - Epcot / HS (yikes, I know it's Food and Wine but thats our last full day at Boardwalk before we jump to Poly)
Sunday - Off AM / MNSSHP eveninig
Monday - AK
Tuesday - MK
Wed - as desired

I based my decisions off of the fact that there is EMH at AK in the AM and that was a productive use of time as well as when the MNSSHP fell (our MK day is the same as a party day, which I've read will be the less crowded day). It's so hard with a short trip!

 

[GoofyMB]

I will be there the same time. Arriving the evening of the 30th so not doing a park that day. I have hoppers so that mkes it a little easier but struggling to decide where to start Sunday morning. I like to start with MK but with Sunday being EPCOT's 35th Anniversary I don't know if there will be anything special that morning. I also was unable to get FOP Fastpass and unless I cancel a PPO breakfast that is the only day I could rope drop AK. Waiting to see if they change hours so the PPO breakfast doesn't matter anymore or if they do anything at EPCOT on Sunday.

 

[srwarden1928]

We are there similar dates. We arrive late on 9/30 after driving all day. I hope to activate my AP and get my great nephew a DAS card that day and that's it.
10/1--MK
10/2--EP
10/3--HS
10/4--AK
10/5--MK & MNSSHP

 

[minniegirl19]

We are there similar dates. We arrive late on 9/30 after driving all day. I hope to activate my AP and get my great nephew a DAS card that day and that's it.
10/1--MK
10/2--EP
10/3--HS
10/4--AK
10/5--MK & MNSSHP

Srwarden1928... are you okay with not seeing happily ever after this trip? With your schedule you will not be seeing it due to MNSSP