Park Reservation Feedback

[catsinawindow]

I just booked my park reservations for a trip planned July 2022. We're a family of 5 (kids ages 11, 8, 2) and are staying for a week at Caribbean Beach. It'll be our family's first trip to WDW (and possibly only one ever)! Our stay is Tuesday to Tuesday and we booked 5 days of park tickets. I'd love feedback on my reservation plan (I know it's early and a lot might still be up in the air with how things will be next summer)
Tuesday - fly in, check out resort/Disney Springs
Wednesday - Magic Kingdom #1
Thursday - Hollywood Studios
Friday - Epcot
Saturday - rest/pool day
Sunday - Animal Kingdom
Monday - Magic Kingdom #2
Tuesday - check out & fly back

My biggest question is whether I should book an additional day at Hollywood Studios? Our family has some big Star Wars fans and being able to ride ROTR is a goal. On the other hand, I don't know that we'll want two full days at Hollywood Studios otherwise (and Magic Kingdom, which sounds like it could take two full days seems to also fill reservations).

Thoughts on this or other ideas about our itinerary? TIA!

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

Just a couple of random thoughts: it's great that you planned a "relax" day - that always helps us to recharge! Two days at MK is also great, especially given your kids' ages, and two days will let you slow your pace a bit and really enjoy that park. Two whole days at Studios is probably too much, but one suggestion: if you take a later flight out on Tuesday, you could add a day to your ticket and plan a half day there, and get another shot at ROTR.

 

[catsinawindow]

Just a couple of random thoughts: it's great that you planned a "relax" day - that always helps us to recharge! Two days at MK is also great, especially given your kids' ages, and two days will let you slow your pace a bit and really enjoy that park. Two whole days at Studios is probably too much, but one suggestion: if you take a later flight out on Tuesday, you could add a day to your ticket and plan a half day there, and get another shot at ROTR.

Ah, interesting idea, I hadn't thought at all about having our departure day be a park day since we were trying to maximize time in the parks for the ticket price we were paying. I guess I'll have to wait until I'm able to book flights to see if that would be feasible? I'm hoping that by next summer ROTR won't be the fiasco it is now and/or park reservations will be open enough that I could switch between HS and MK during our trip if needed to get a second shot at ROTR.

 

[taterheads]

I agree with Marciakaz, that is what we do. Another thought, if you want a rest day you still basically can, but go ahead and pay the like $30 or so dollars more it costs to keep the extra park day (it's less expensive per day the more days you have). If you don't get RotR boarding passes your first day you can make a HS park reservation for your rest day, try for a boarding group from your hotel at 7am, if you get it then litereally go over just long enough to ride then back to your resort to rest. You should have no problem doing everything else your first day. OR try for the RotR your first day from the hotel and if you don't get it, skip the park altogether that day and use that as your rest day. Then you have the second day you can fall back on.

 

[Pookie9922]

Your itinerary is the exact one we did on our "one and only trip" in Nov 2018. (Kids were 6,8,10) Just a note, be prepared to love it and want another trip. We are doing our second trip in March!

The rest day was very much needed and we weren't dealing with heat on our trip. I'm sure it'll be even more so in July. We rope-dropped every day and by the end of Epcot, DH & my middle daughter were super cranky! lol

I agree with Marciakaz, that is what we do. Another thought, if you want a rest day you still basically can, but go ahead and pay the like $30 or so dollars more it costs to keep the extra park day (it's less expensive per day the more days you have). If you don't get RotR boarding passes your first day you can make a HS park reservation for your rest day, try for a boarding group from your hotel at 7am, if you get it then litereally go over just long enough to ride then back to your resort to rest. You should have no problem doing everything else your first day. OR try for the RotR your first day from the hotel and if you don't get it, skip the park altogether that day and use that as your rest day. Then you have the second day you can fall back on.

Our trip was before RoTR but I think taterheads suggestion is genius and we may steal it too! It only costs about $50 total to turn a 5 day ticket into a 6 day ticket for a family of 5.

 

[catsinawindow]

Your itinerary is the exact one we did on our "one and only trip" in Nov 2018. (Kids were 6,8,10) Just a note, be prepared to love it and want another trip. We are doing our second trip in March!

The rest day was very much needed and we weren't dealing with heat on our trip. I'm sure it'll be even more so in July. We rope-dropped every day and by the end of Epcot, DH & my middle daughter were super cranky! lol



Our trip was before RoTR but I think taterheads suggestion is genius and we may steal it too! It only costs about $50 total to turn a 5 day ticket into a 6 day ticket for a family of 5.

I like this idea too! I hadn't realized it would only be an extra $30-40 to go from 5-6 park days (although when I'm pricing out 5 vs 6 day tickets on our travel dates, it's coming up as an extra $80 for the four tickets). If it was only an extra $30, it would be a little easier to stomach paying that for an extra try at RoTR, but $80 is getting a little steep considering we might not even need to use the extra day at all. I might ask DH what the ride is worth to him since he's the Star Wars Superfan.

I wish I had a better idea of what the statistical changes were for getting a RoTR boarding pass for those who are willing to read up, practice, and do everything "right". My travel agent has made it sound like it's really not a big deal to get them if you're on at exactly 7am, she tells me that they've got one everytime they've tried. If this was true I might feel less inclined to pay for the extra day...

 

[shawthorne44]

You could add on an extra day while there if you don't get on your first try. Just reserve an extra day at HS now in the place of a park that is easy to get a reservation.

 

[catsinawindow]

You could add on an extra day while there if you don't get on your first try. Just reserve an extra day at HS now in the place of a park that is easy to get a reservation.

I was wondering if it would be possible to hold off on adding the extra day until we knew whether we were able to get a RoTR boarding group on our first try. This comment makes it sound like it is? From what I hear HS and MK park reservations tend to fill first, which is considered a park that's easy to get a reservation? Are there parks for which the reservations don't fill at all?

 

[Shellyred8]

I like this idea too! I hadn't realized it would only be an extra $30-40 to go from 5-6 park days (although when I'm pricing out 5 vs 6 day tickets on our travel dates, it's coming up as an extra $80 for the four tickets). If it was only an extra $30, it would be a little easier to stomach paying that for an extra try at RoTR, but $80 is getting a little steep considering we might not even need to use the extra day at all. I might ask DH what the ride is worth to him since he's the Star Wars Superfan.

I wish I had a better idea of what the statistical changes were for getting a RoTR boarding pass for those who are willing to read up, practice, and do everything "right". My travel agent has made it sound like it's really not a big deal to get them if you're on at exactly 7am, she tells me that they've got one everytime they've tried. If this was true I might feel less inclined to pay for the extra day...

The $30-40 mentioned was most likely referring to a single-ticket price increase. Did you buy a package deal where you got tickets and a room at WDW? Or did you buy tickets separately? If you bought them (or will be buying them) separately, you could look into only getting the extra days for one or two of the people in your party.

To answer one of your other questions: Yes, you can hold off on adding the extra day until you know if you were able to get RoTR boarding group. Since your HS day is in the middle of your stay, this would work just fine for you. The one thing to note is this: there might not be any park reservations left for HS if you wait until your trip. Based on how things are now, it's likely you wouldn't be able to get a park reservation. However, by July 2022, it could be back up to full capacity and there, hopefully, will be same-day reservations available.

 

[catsinawindow]

The $30-40 mentioned was most likely referring to a single-ticket price increase. Did you buy a package deal where you got tickets and a room at WDW? Or did you buy tickets separately? If you bought them (or will be buying them) separately, you could look into only getting the extra days for one or two of the people in your party.

To answer one of your other questions: Yes, you can hold off on adding the extra day until you know if you were able to get RoTR boarding group. Since your HS day is in the middle of your stay, this would work just fine for you. The one thing to note is this: there might not be any park reservations left for HS if you wait until your trip. Based on how things are now, it's likely you wouldn't be able to get a park reservation. However, by July 2022, it could be back up to full capacity and there, hopefully, will be same-day reservations available.

It was a package deal with room and tickets booked together. I think I'm going to keep an eye on how open the reservations stay as we approach our trip date and decide what to do from there. I've also "practiced" for the RoTR boarding pass a few times at home and was successful everytime. So, will just wait and see for now. I greatly appreciate all the ideas and tips!

 

[Best Aunt]

I've also "practiced" for the RoTR boarding pass a few times at home and was successful everytime.

Have you practiced from the same location every time? Are you using wifi or cell service? The speed you get in a Disney hotel may be slower than the speed you get at home. I'm shocked that anyone would assume that they will have no trouble getting a boarding pass. People are always posting about not being able to get one.