Park plan-is it doable? (LONG)

[eeyore kelly]

Hi! i have never been to Disney before, and now I am planning a trip for anywhere from 4-10 people me, DH, DS who will be 13 at the time, and DD who will be 10. The other family (I think they might back out because of $) is a friend, Her husband, her DD (14 at trip), DS (12), DD (10), and DB (17). I think the scheldule is a little to a lot tight. We plan on getting 6-7 day hoppers, and maybe get tickets to do Disney Quest. The Parks are our main concern and MK and MGM is at the top of the list. Help!


Friday, February 24, 2006

Shirt of the Day: Disney or Bust

Arrive at New Orleans Airport at 6:30 a.m.
Flight leaves at 8:25 a.m.

Arrive at Orlando Airport at 11:05 a.m.
Depart From Airport at 12:00 p.m. to Pop Century Resort

Arrive at Pop Century at 1:00 p.m.
Check In (use check lists) finished at 1:30 p.m. (room may not be ready until 3:00 p.m.)

Have lunch at Food Court
Buy Refillable Mugs at Gift Shop

If it is still not 3:00 p.m.:
v Look at showdown boxes on walls
v Find pressed penny machine
v Kill time in gift shop (buy Pop Resort Pin)

Find Room at 3:00 p.m.
Unpack, Settle In, Decide Bed spots, etc.
Change, freshen Up etc.

At 5:30 p.m. meet and walk to bus stop for Downtown Disney
In Downtown Disney Market Place Visit:
v Lego land
v World of Disney Store
v Disney’s Day’s of Christmas

Eat Supper about 8:00 p.m. at Rain Forest Café (check on PS)

Catch Bus Back to Hotel

Saturday, February 25, 2006

EPCOT

Shirt of the Day: EPCOT Mickey

Wake Up Call from Mickey
Breakfast in Hotel
Dress Leave Hotel one hour before Epcot Opening

Catch Bus to Trans Center
Ride Monorail into Epcot (Check) (Kids co Pilots ask CM)

Morning
In Epcot go left to Universe of Energy (find times and waits)
Fast Track (get fast Passes before Energy?)
Mission Space
Innovations (East then west)
Ice station Cool by Innovations West
Imagination
v Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Image Works

Lunch: Garden Grille (PS it) Character Lunch and me and Doug’s rehitching Ceremony

Afternoon
The Land
Circle of Life
Living with The Land
v Behind the Seeds tour ($$)
v The Living Seas
v Spaceship Earth (geosphere)

World Showcase
Look for Worry Doll in Mexico in Vendor’s carts
East to Norway: Ride the Maelstrom
Walk (around Lagoon) to American Adventure
v The American Adventure
v Voice of Liberty (15 minute singing)

Evening
Dinner: America’s Liberty Inn or Morocco’s Tangierine Café’

Look for Living statues in France
Illuminations Fireworks Show

Leaving Epcot: Take Monorail to Contemporary Resort from Contemporary take Bus to Pop Century (Double Check)

Sunday, February 27, 2006

Animal Kingdom

Shirt of the Day: Green Mickey Icon

Wake Up Call from Mickey
Breakfast in Hotel
Dress Leave Hotel one hour before Animal Kingdom Opening

Take Bus to Animal Kingdom

Morning
Discovery Island
Tree of Life
It’s Tough to be a Bug

Dinoland
Dinosaur
Primeval Whirl
Tarzan Rocks

Asia
Kali River Rapids

Lunch: Rainforest café (oasis)

Afternoon
Africa
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery

Camp Minnie Mickey
Character Stations
Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends
Festival of the Lion King

Leaving Animal Kingdom: Take Bus Back to Hotel

Freshen Up
Take Bus to Contemporary Resort

Dinner: Chef Mickey’s Character dinner
Take Bus back to Hotel

Monday, February 28, 2006

MGM Disney Studios

Shirt of the Day: Sorcerer Mickey

Breakfast in Hotel
Leave one hour before park Opening

Take Bus to Swan and Dolphin Resort
Take Boat to MGM

Morning
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
(Look for Oscar’s Cars for Nascar stuff)
Star Tours (Look in tatooine traders)
Back Lot Tours

Lunch: Pizza Planet

Afternoon
The Great Movie Ride
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
The Magic of Disney’s Animation
Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage
Tower of terror
Rockin’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith (Visit Rock Around the Shop)

Visit shops (put in place in Itinerary when know location)
Edith & Adrian's Head to Toe
The Beverly Sunset
Writers Stop (sells coffee)

Dinner: The Hollywood Brown Derby (subject to change) (get package for Fantasmic-Reservation)


Evening
Fantasmic (go about an Hour before) Pre-show entertainment

Leaving MGM Disney Studios: Take Bus Back to Hotel


Tuesday, March 1, 2006

Magic Kingdom

Shirt of the Day: Black Hook

Wake up, get dressed, and catch bus to Magic Kingdom for Character Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Castle.

Morning
Frontier Land
Swiss Family Tree House
Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management

Adventure Land
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Lunch: Pecos Bill Café

Afternoon
Liberty Square
The Hall of Presidents
The Haunted Mansion


Fantasy Land
It's A Small World
Ariel's Grotto
Legend of the Lion King
Cinderella Castle

Dinner: Main Street The Plaza Restaurant

Evening

Explore Main Street until time to find a spot for Wishes
Wishes

Leaving Magic Kingdom: Take Bus back to Hotel


Wednesday, March 2, 2006


Magic Kingdom

Shirt of the Day: Gray Disney Vacation Shirt

Breakfast in Hotel
Leave one hour before park Opening

Take Bus to Magic Kingdom

Morning
Toon Town Fair
Minnie's Country House
Mickey's Country House

Tomorrow Land
Indy Speedway
Stitch’s great Escape
Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Lunch: Crystal Palace Character Lunch

Afternoon
Haircuts at Harmony
Main Street Browsing



So what do you all think? Please help the newbie enjoy going to see the big cheese.

 

[ErinInCT]

Wow, that is quite a detailed plan. Try not to get too upset if you don't follow it to the letter!!
1. I recommend seeing the Safari 1st thing at AK, many animals are out in the am that you may not see later.
2. You may want to see Muppet 3D in MGM.
3. Tough to plan MK until you know the time for your CRT breakfast. But anyway, you may want to do the Mountains 1st.
4. No such thing as Legend of the Lion King. You MUST see Mickey's Philharmagic!!! (Fantasyland)
5. IASW is closed & I am not sure if it will be back open by the time you go on your trip.
6. You don't have any plans for parades. Hopefully Spectromagic will be "showing" the day you plan to see Wishes so you can see them both. But you may want to see a parade or 2 while you are there.
7. Since you are staying on site, you may want to do the campfire at FW (maybe the night you're having dinner at CM). They have a campfire/singalong & then a movie.
8. Not sure if DD is "in to" Tinkerbelle, but she may want to try to
"wake" Tinkerbelle by being the 1st person at Tinkerbelle's Treasures (Fantasyland) right when it opens.
Ummm, that is about it from me.
Looks like you have done your homework!! Have a great time.
Oh yeah, I think that is a relatively slow time so you may not have line problems & then you can definately fit everything in. Otherwise, if it seems crowded, definately take advantage of FP!

 

[tci1212]

Wow! That is some Itinerary. It looks great on paper but sometimes is isn't possible to follow it. Is the other family planning on staying with you the whole time? Sometimes it is easier if you break up in groups and meet up for meals. We have gone many times with a large group and when all of you do the same thing there is alot of waiting for people to go to the bathroom and get drinks etc. I like your Idea of the Shirt of the Day. Have a great time.

 

[IvyandLace]

Just a hint that took me a number of trips to learn...the only way to get from one resort to another (unless they run together as the buses for Epcot resorts and buses for MK resorts sometimes do) is to get to a park! I believe the only resorts that are available through the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center) are Fort Wilderness/Wilderness Lodge. So the day you are thinking of getting from the Contemporary to POP will NOT happen unless you take the monorail or walk to the MK. Just something I would have liked to know before I went!

Hope it helps!
IVY

 

[The Sweetness]

And so far in advance! Good for you!! Just be prepared for things to change a bit when the actual time comes... stuff happens, and since its a holiday, just roll with it, and have fun!!!

 

[jann1033]

holy moly...& i thought I was detail oriented !!!

sounds like a plan but just don't drive yourself crazy trying to stick to it totally. it is different first time but it is nice to let time for the "moments" that just pop up, like maybe some characters where you didn't expect them, we spent some time watching some latin american tv show being filmed in ak last time , take enough time to slow down and look around.
we always get there park opening and do the big things that may be busy later like rnr, tot, mountains,ect ( btw, forget when you are goining but some times all fast pass machines aren't open right away) then we spend the afternoon time strolling from ride to ride that most people aren't as interested in ( course since we go off season that's lots easier than peak season). we have a lose itinerary of what we want to go on first ect, based partially on any ps we might have for the day and go from there. that seems like pretty much what you have done, just don't expect it to run like clock work and don't you run like crazy people trying to get it all done !

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Originally posted by eeyore kelly
Saturday, February 25, 2006
EPCOT
Shirt of the Day: EPCOT Mickey
Catch Bus to Trans Center
Ride Monorail into Epcot (Check) (Kids co Pilots ask CM)
The bus from Pop will take you to Magic Kingdom...not to TTC you will then have to walk from the bus stop to the Monorail Station and ride the monorail back to TTC or ride the ferry you will then have to transfer to the EPCOT monorail at TTC, that is time consuming but it is doable

Leaving Epcot: Take Monorail to Contemporary Resort from Contemporary take Bus to Pop Century (Double Check)
Sunday, February 27, 2006
Leaving Animal Kingdom: Take Bus Back to Hotel
Take Bus to Contemporary Resort*
Dinner: Chef Mickey’s Character dinner
Take Bus back to Hotel*
Here again, no bus from the Contemporary to Pop and the Magic Kingdom isn't opened late during February (if the MK is still open after your dinner walk from the CR and catch the bus to Pop from there) if the MK is closed you will have to catch the bus to DTD from the CR then transfer to bus to POP. (extremley time comsuming) but doable. *


Monday, February 28, 2006
MGM Disney Studios
Shirt of the Day: Sorcerer Mickey

Leave one hour before park Opening

Take Bus to Swan and Dolphin Resort
Take Boat to MGM You are not going to be able to get a bus to any other resort from Pop with out first going to DTD and DTD isn't open that early in the morning you would have to take a bus MK, Animal Kingdom, or MGM (very close to MGM) to go to the Swain/Dolphin/YC/BC/BWI then go back to the resort and ride the boat to MGM if you are giving yourself an hour your not going to make it. but it is doable (very very time consuming)

Other then the way you want to arrive at the Parks everything else looks great. I understand you wanting to ride the Monorail but you could just do a round trip one afternoon and not in the morning when trying to arrive at the Parks. The bus service is excelent at the Pop, your trips to EPCOT & MGM would only take a few minutes by riding the bus from Pop to the park you will be visiting that day. The other options will take over an hour..maybe longer.

 

[simonmunro]

I LOVE it!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[tar heel]

Do you have a copy of the Unofficial Guide? Its touring plans are just great for newbies who want to follow a schedule. We used them religiously until we started going frequently.

My biggest problem with your schedule is that you've saved attractions that get long lines for the afternoon. If you are going to be there at opening, I would always recommend doing things like ToT first thing. Indiana is a huge stadium and easy to get in. A lot of people do not do the bug show at AK, but everyone does the safari. The treehouse at MK is probably the least popular attraction in that park. Also, Toontown (which your older kids are not likely to think much of) does not open at park opening.

You have a few attractions in MK in the wrong lands, but I'm sure you'll get that straightened out before February.

I wouldn't do the monorail thing the first day b/c it will take soooo much time. Just ride your resort bus directly to Epcot that morning. Ride the monorail as a break later that day or when you're at the MK.

Also, don't neglect the other World Showcase entertainers. My kids LOVE A Chair Act and Le Mime Roland in France and Miyuki in Japan as well as the statues. You don't have to just look for the entertainment either. It's on a schedule which you can pick up at the front of the park.

Have a great trip!

 

[zcomic]

I'm not sure how you selected the order in which you want to do attractions but it seems like many of the most popular ones are near the bottom of your list. You may have very long lines if you wait to do things like Rock n Roller coaster, tower of terror, Space/Splash mountain, test track, mission space until the afternoon. Our approach is to always utilize early entry to hit the main attractions. It's amazing how many you can get done in that time. I would suggest going through each day's list and ranking the attractions by popularity and putting them first.

In some cases you can take real advantage of fast pass. Some big attractions are pretty close to each other (Splash Mountain/Big thunder mountain, Space Mountain/Buzz Lightyear, Rock n roller/Tower of terror, Test Track/Mission space). While your party gets in line at one ride (the one with the shortest line) send one person (with everyone's park tickets) to get Fast Passes at the other.

You are planning your trip pretty far in advance so make sure to keep up to date on changes to schedules and attractions. You're going during an off-peak times which should mean smaller crowds but may also mean more attractions getting rehabbed.

At Animal Kingdom, make sure to do the Safari first, the animals are much more active in the morning. And on your day at MGM skip taking the bus to the Swan and then the boat. Take the bus direct to MGM. The boat ride in not that interesting.

Enjoy!!!

 

[eeyore kelly]

for all the help you all have given me. Especially on the transportation issues. I am revising my plan based on a lot of you all's suggestions.

 

[anditoo72]

I second the idea that Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, Test Track and Mission Space, Splash, Space and Thunder Mountain all be done first things in the morning as you enter the parks or get FP for them. These rides are the most popular in the parks and are sure to get LONG lines in the afternoon. I don't know if your interested but there is a really cute boat ride in the Mexico Pavillion that IMHO is worth seeing. I do love your idea about the shirt of the day and you have everything so detailed. I hope you have a blast when you go

 

[zcomic]

On our first trip in 1997 I got a great piece of
advice from the "unofficial guide to WDW" book. It
had great suggestions for the order in which to do
things. The lists I prepared were great... we never
waited more than 15 min for anything. But the book
also said to be prepared to make quick modifications.
Like when your youngest insists on going on something
they see.

I had our early entry all planned out at Magic
Kingdom, hitting all of the most popular attractions
first. While on our way to from one attraction to
another, my daughter, then age 4 really wanted to go
on the carosel. I told her my plan had us going on
that at night when it's even more beautiful. A sad
bottom lip and remembering the suggestion from the
book caused me to say "ok, lets go on it"

The result...... the most wonderful video and photos
of the entire trip. The look on my daughter's face
defines what WDW is all about.

The key is, go with a plan, but be flexible enough to change it when necessary.