Please critique my plan.

[DBMC]

OK, here is an itinerary I typed up. Please tell me if this is a decent plan. I doubt we will stick exactly to it, but I really want to make the most of our mornings especially. The park hours for our trip are 10-8, but we have APEE two days, and Minnie's breakfast at 9 the third day. Also DL closes at 5 on our last day. It will be me, my husband, DD3, DD4, and DS7. The youngest is over 40 inches, so she can ride most rides. I don't mind rushing a bit in the mornings, but will want to take it a little easier in the afternoons. Please tell me anything that you would change, or that wont work well. Also let me know if I am trying to cram too much in. I didn't really plan for arrival day, just going to wing it, and the last day we will use to cover anything we missed, and ride favorites again. Thanks in advance for any advice!!





Arive at HOJO by 3pm.
Check in and unload car.
Head over to DL by 4pm.
Ride some rides and have corndogs for dinner.
Possible rides: Star tours, Splash mountain, POTC, Jungle cruise, BTMRR, Matterhorn, Space mountain, Autopia, Sailing ship columbia.
Call DL customer service and try to get Adam registered for APEE.
Leave DL by 8:30 pm.
Get kids ready for bed and prepare for the morning.
Watch the fireworks from the hotel at 9:30.
Get kids to bed ASAP.


Wake up by 7:30.
Get ready and leave room by 8:15.
Check in for APEE.
Get into the park at 9 am.
Go straight to RSR. (if Adam can't get in, have him head to RSR FP when he can.)
Ride Luigi's flying tires.
Ride Mater's JJ if we have time.
Get RSR FP, or meet up with Adam in FP line.
Get CS FPs.
TSMM.
Mickey's fun wheel.
King Triton's carousel.
Little mermaid.
Silly Symphony Swings.
Jumpin Jellyfish.
Get more CS FPs if we can.
Get GRR FP.
Eat sandwiches when we get hungry.
Ride SC.
Monster's Inc.
Get ToT FP if we can.
Bugsland.
Crush and Disney JR.
Get SC FP.
Start using FPs.
Eat dinner in CL.
Maybe ride Mater's JJ.
Watch It's tough to be a bug.



Wake up by 7:30.
Leave room by 8:15.
Check in for APEE.
Get into the park at 9 am.
Go to PP.
Mr. Toad's wild ride.
Dumbo.
Snow White.
Pinocchio.
Carousel.
Tea cups.
Alice in wonderland.
Matterhorn.
Send someone for star tours FPs.
Finding Nemo.
IASW.
Meet Mickey and friends in toontown.
Get RR FP.
Roger rabbit.
Gadgets go coaster.
Eat our sandwiches when we get hungry.
Explore what they want in Toontown.
Ride RR to New orleans square.
Get Splash Mountain FP.
Jungle cruise.
POTC.
Winnie the pooh.
Use Splash mountain FP.
Ride or get BTMRR FP.
Eat dinner at Plaza inn.
Use Star tours FP.


Get up by 7:30
Leave hotel by 8:30.
Minnie's Breakfast.
Ride whatever we missed, and whatever we want to ride again.
Eat Dinner in DTD.
Go back to the hotel and Swim.

 

[Huff]

Possible rides: Star tours, Splash mountain, POTC, Jungle cruise, BTMRR, Matterhorn, Space mountain, Autopia, Sailing ship columbia.

Columbia and Mark Twain close early to prepare for their use in Fantasmic. When you do ride the Mark Twain ask the CM if you can take the kids up to the captains wheel. If nobody else has done so first you should be allowed up. The kids will get to 'steer' the ship, blow the whistle and ring the bell.

Splash Mountain can get everyone wet. Since you are arriving late sit in the very back so you don't have cold wet kids for the evening.

Early mornings FP return times are short for GRR. Since DCA doesn't enforce return times you will be able to get another FP in 30-40 minutes after getting GRR FP. Return when convenient. TOT is similar. Soar'n can get very long FP so we often get GRR, then shortly after Soar'n FP.

Get TOT FP then ride Monsters, Bugsland rides with short lines, Turtle Talk etc. until TOT FP is valid.

SM FP return times can get lengthy rather early so get these as well as IJ and Splash as soon as you can. Splash and BTMRR often have short or no lines very late just before park closing. Short lines can often be found at Buzz, POTC (except midday), HM (unless Holiday overlay) and JC.

 

[DarthMole]

On day three (DL APEE) bump the Matterhorn up on that list a bit. We did PP, Toad, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Matterhorn and the line wasn't too bad since it was still early entry.

I'd also head over to Adventureland and areas beyond that for a while before Toontown unless you can knock a bunch of that out on your first day. I'm just not a fan of afternoons in that area.

Also, if the park closes at 8, do they do fireworks at 9:30?

 

[DBMC]

Possible rides: Star tours, Splash mountain, POTC, Jungle cruise, BTMRR, Matterhorn, Space mountain, Autopia, Sailing ship columbia.

Columbia and Mark Twain close early to prepare for their use in Fantasmic. When you do ride the Mark Twain ask the CM if you can take the kids up to the captains wheel. If nobody else has done so first you should be allowed up. The kids will get to 'steer' the ship, blow the whistle and ring the bell.

Oh, thanks for the heads up. Maybe we will do that the last day. I bet the kids would get a kick out of driving.

Splash Mountain can get everyone wet. Since you are arriving late sit in the very back so you don't have cold wet kids for the evening.

I think we will bring some ponchos. The youngest was freezing on our last trip.

Early mornings FP return times are short for GRR. Since DCA doesn't enforce return times you will be able to get another FP in 30-40 minutes after getting GRR FP. Return when convenient. TOT is similar. Soar'n can get very long FP so we often get GRR, then shortly after Soar'n FP.

Hmmm, OK, so we could get GRR, and the Soarin. I wasn't sure how soon the FP return time would be for GRR.

Get TOT FP then ride Monsters, Bugsland rides with short lines, Turtle Talk etc. until TOT FP is valid.

I just wasn't sure how soon I could get my next FP after GRR/soarin. But that makes sense if I can get one then.

SM FP return times can get lengthy rather early so get these as well as IJ and Splash as soon as you can. Splash and BTMRR often have short or no lines very late just before park closing. Short lines can often be found at Buzz, POTC (except midday), HM (unless Holiday overlay) and JC.

Yeah, I am having a hard time squeezing in getting the SM fp, but maybe I could send my husband for them while we head to toon town.


Thanks a bunch for the advice!

 

[DBMC]

On day three (DL APEE) bump the Matterhorn up on that list a bit. We did PP, Toad, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Matterhorn and the line wasn't too bad since it was still early entry.

Oh ok, I might skip some of the FL rides I listed, I think I will just see how long it is taking us.

I'd also head over to Adventureland and areas beyond that for a while before Toontown unless you can knock a bunch of that out on your first day. I'm just not a fan of afternoons in that area.

Well, I was hoping to get to toontown fairly early to take advantage of shorter character lines.

Also, if the park closes at 8, do they do fireworks at 9:30?

Oh, sorry, our arrival night the park is open until midnight. It is labor day. But the rest they close at 8. (except the last day DL closees at 5)

 

[Huff]

Yeah, I am having a hard time squeezing in getting the SM fp, but maybe I could send my husband for them while we head to toon town.

Thanks a bunch for the advice!

I believe Roger Rabbit FP in toon town is still disconnected from all others meaning you can get an FP even if the return time on your last FP for another ride hasn't passed. Don't be fooled looking through the entrance to the standby line. Often looks short but it snakes all over!

 

[DBMC]

Thanks, I think we will send my husband for FPs for Splash, while we get in line for Mickey, then he can get RR FPs when he comes to toon town.

 

[Metalsculptor]

I saw that you have 3 kids, as does our family. (ages 3, 6, and 11). If you are staying close enough to the resort or in the resort, I would really recommend heading back after lunch for an hour long power nap. Our first several trips were go-go-go, but recently we have taken it a little easier and everyone seems to be in better spirits. Just a suggestion.

 

[DBMC]

I saw that you have 3 kids, as does our family. (ages 3, 6, and 11). If you are staying close enough to the resort or in the resort, I would really recommend heading back after lunch for an hour long power nap. Our first several trips were go-go-go, but recently we have taken it a little easier and everyone seems to be in better spirits. Just a suggestion.

Thanks for the suggestion! I have tried the nap/rest thing before, but I have found that the best way to get my girls to nap, is to push them around in the stroller. So we will probably just lay their seats back around 2 or so, and hope they fall asleep. Then we can do some rides that they can't/don't want to ride on.

 

[DarthMole]

Thanks for the suggestion! I have tried the nap/rest thing before, but I have found that the best way to get my girls to nap, is to push them around in the stroller. So we will probably just lay their seats back around 2 or so, and hope they fall asleep. Then we can do some rides that they can't/don't want to ride on.

Great idea. Some kids will not take a nap until they simply run out of juice. We had a lot more time so we did the afternoon rest/pool thing each day which helped but only one of those days did my little one actually fall asleep. With only three full days I'd be go-go-go too.

 

[DBMC]

Great idea. Some kids will not take a nap until they simply run out of juice. We had a lot more time so we did the afternoon rest/pool thing each day which helped but only one of those days did my little one actually fall asleep. With only three full days I'd be go-go-go too.

Yeah, especially with the short hours. We will be getting to bed early each night, so I think we will be ok.