Planning Help...haven't been since 2010

[higdonk]

Planning an August trip this year for probably 10 days, with two at Universal, staying off property. There are 5 of us me, dh, dd(14),dd(11), and ds(6). My son wasn't born the last time we went. We previously did WDW in 2008 and 2010 and I used the boards and Tour Guide Mike and figured out the best days for which parks etc. Used FP runner and strategies etc.

Now a ton has changed. Can anyone give me good tips on how I should start outlining my trip? Which days for which parks? What is the best resource for figuring this out anymore (besides here )? When will park hours for August even be released?

I am considering getting a "throwaway" room so as to be able to book dining reservations, get FP+ reservations at 60 days etc. Which means I really need to get going since the dining window will open in maybe a month or so.

Our last 2 trips we did 2 days at MK, 2 days at Epcot, 1 at DHS and 1 at AK. That worked for us. But with all the new attractions I am not sure what works best anymore as far as how much time to spend at any one park. My son is nuts for Star Wars, but shy in new situations so I don't think he will be dying to get on stage for the Jedi Training thing.

Any planning suggestions would be helpful. Planning to stay at WBC, which is at least close for "off-property" and will make middle of the day breaks easier. With 5 of us, no way could we all fit in one room on-property. The first two trips we stayed at BC and LOVED it, but the price is too high for such little space.

Any and all tips are appreciated!!! I have started looking into tips for going in the summer as that will be new as well. Previous trips were April/May and November.

Thanks

Kate

 

[Parker Clan]

We go in August every year, initial Park hours released in Feb, right around time to make your ADR's.. But last year they changed (for the better) in July! So just know you may have to update your plans. We do Disney & Universal every year in mid-late August... enjoy!! you'll love the smaller crowds if you go during that time

 

[glassslippergirl]

Sound like it will be a fun trip. I'm an advocate of staying off property-- you'll love it! I really have no advice about using crowd calendars. Lately, around the mid-point of each month WDW has been changing hours for the next month, so understand that once park hours are released, these are just a jumping off point. I think that one popular crowd calendar has even gone offline for a while because of this. I also have no advice for a throwaway room. It's probably more important for FPs than for ADRs, so you may have some time there. The good news is that crowds were lower than expected last summer. It was easy to schedule extra FPs. Hopefully for you, that will continue for your trip.

Your spread for days probably still works, though with all the construction at DHS you'll likely need less than a day, and with the opening of Pandora hopefully coming before August, you may want more than a day at AK. Your kids are older, and may want some flexibility, too. Thus, I think a strong case could be made for PH.

As for the weather, it will be hot and it will rain most afternoons. Be flexible with your afternoon breaks; keep an eye on weather apps, and get ready to go right before the showers hit. Have cooling towels for everyone. If you have a freezer in your room, wet the towels and put them in the freezer every night, then carry in a ziplock bag. I don't recommend misting fans, but personal fans that you wear around your neck can help. Know that getting wet will feel refreshing in the moment then will make you miserable for the duration that it takes you to dry. And it will take longer to dry in the humidity. I'm a life-long Floridian, and I used to say that it's all about attitude. Then, I spent a theme park week for two recent summers. My good attitude only got me so far. An obvious suggestion is to hydrate (more than you think you need to). Others say to do AC rides in the heat of the day, but it will be hot from the moment you arrive. Ice cream breaks go a long way. Powerade helps sometimes more than water. It will be most tolerable in the night after the sun goes down, so consider doing long outdoor lines then.

 

[higdonk]

Thanks for all the replies! Good tip on the weather apps! I will have to remember to set it up with alerts. That should help.

I would think the misting fan or personal fan would just be one more thing to carry and would be a hassle. I was planning on the cooling towels. Was leaning against a stroller for the 6 year old, but he has never been and I don't want to underestimate how taxing the heat will be. There is zero chance we will tour from 1-4. Unless we hop from inside attraction to attraction like in the world showcase.

Any other suggestions? Even once park hours are released I am clueless on what the guidelines are for which days are "good" MK days, or any other park days. Which rules of thumb still apply? Avoid EMH parks? MK used to be bad on Monday I think but better on Tuesday.

Any tips on the DHS Star Wars fireworks? Pretty sure we will want to do that.

Which evening parades are the best? Sorry...millions of questions

 

[glassslippergirl]

There are no more evening parades. MSEP ended in 2016. Festival of Fantasy at MK is the only remaining afternoon parade.

If you have the time, I'd recommend the evening shows at all parks-- Wishes at MK, Illuminations at Epcot, F! At DHS. Rivers of Light at AK is much-anticipated and will hopefully be going by your trip. Not sure you can see F! And Star Wars in the same night, but that's another reason for PH.

If you are staying off-property, I'd avoid morning EMH parks. Maybe do a google search for WDW crowd calendars. If you look at the 2016 August calendar, you'll see some clear patterns (like MK always being recommended on certain weekdays) that may give you some direction.

 

[higdonk]

Good to know about the evening parades. I think Illuminations, and Fantasmic will be on our list as we didn't make it to either of them on the last trip. Star Wars and the new Rivers of Light make for a lot of evenings in the park. Since it is summer anyway I am almost considering doing the sleep in - pool- parks from 5-close? It might be cooler then anyway? Not sure.

 

[glassslippergirl]

Night will not be cool by any means, but it will be in the 80s as opposed to close to 100-- in other words, much better. Parks often clear out when the afternoon rains start. If you're all rested up when it starts to rain, consider using that as a gauge to start heading back to the parks. The storm is usually nasty but short (but use an app with satellite images). Be flexible as weather is not 100% predictable (but more predictable in FL than a lot of other parts of the country), but consider a mix of morning RD some days and afternoon entry on other days. No matter the temperature, there's a lot to be said about how much you can do in the hour or so after RD.