Please help me figure out plan for park hopping!

[jbrinkm]

My family (2 adults, 2 kids: 6 and 8 years old) will be at WDW for the first time for 4 days next week. We booked only 4 months out, so we missed the 180 days dining reservations, but through a combination of stalking and luck, I've gotten some reservations we're all pretty happy with. However, some of my dining reservations require switching parks late in the day (we have the hopper tickets and are very comfortable with Uber to help maximize park time, so no problems so far...)

My latest "problem" is that I just scored the Wishes Dessert Party, but on a night that I thought we actually WOULDN'T be hopping. I now have to pick an alternate night to do the second half of World Showcase at Epcot & Illuminations fireworks. Please weigh in on which choice you think is better!

Here are the definite plans:
Tuesday - Magic Kingdom until 5/6pm (we would have seen Electrical Parade & Wishes this night if I hadn't gotten the dessert party for Thursday)
Wednesday - Epcot - Future World and half of World Showcase - until 4pm then popping over to Hollywood Studios for our dinner/Fantasmic package (planning on doing unimportant rides between dinner & show)
Thursday - Animal Kingdom then back to MK for Electrical Parade and Wishes dessert party
Friday - Hollywood Studios until 2pm, then over to Disney Springs for T-Rex "dinner" at 3pm, ferry back to hotel

My question is - should we try to go to Epcot for half of the world showcase and Illuminations on Tuesday (high crowds due to EMH but earlier fireworks for my kids at 9pm)
-OR- on Friday (crowd calendars showing slightly lower crowds but I'm not sure because it is the last weekend of Food & Wine festival, also later fireworks at 10pm, and we're flying out the next morning)?

[editing for P.S. I can't switch the parks we're going to for the first part of the day because of other dining/FastPass reservations... it would be a nightmare to rearrange ALL of that]

 

[sharonabe]

Since you're just talking about WS and Illuminations, I would do the Tuesday night EP. Take the monorail instead of Uber, have a QS meal somewhere, and stake out your spot. Maybe fit in the Three Cabelleros, depending on where you eat. Or see the different things in The American Pavillion. Or see some of the different street performers in the different countries. Or do the Phineas & Ferb thing where you see special effects in the countries.

 

[jbrinkm]

We can take the monorail straight from MK to Epcot? Is it fast?

 

[CAS239]

We can take the monorail straight from MK to Epcot? Is it fast?

Yes. MK and Epcot have a monorail that only goes between the two parks. It's about a 5-10 min monorail ride once you're going.

MK has 3 monorail lines. One directly to MK and TTC, one to the monorail resorts at MK, and one to Epcot.

 

[joe1946]

You'll need to take the monorail from MK to TTC and then switch to the Epcot monorail

 

[canyoncam]

Unless I have seriously been overlooking things, MK only has the resort monorail and TTC monorail. You have to take the monorail from MK to TTC and transfer to the EPCOT monorail. Still easy to do.

Yes. MK and Epcot have a monorail that only goes between the two parks. It's about a 5-10 min monorail ride once you're going.

MK has 3 monorail lines. One directly to MK and TTC, one to the monorail resorts at MK, and one to Epcot.

 

[jbrinkm]

Still easy to do.

But fast? I don't want to waste a minute of our four days. My experience with switching trains is that it takes forever, but I've never been to Disney, so do you think I could count on less than 30 minutes for the whole thing?

Also, I just looked at a map and it seems like the monorail goes to Future World, is this correct? If I get an Uber, will it be able to drop us off near the entrance to World Showcase?

 

[mesaboy2]

But fast? I don't want to waste a minute of our four days. My experience with switching trains is that it takes forever, but I've never been to Disney, so do you think I could count on less than 30 minutes for the whole thing?

No, but likely less than 45.

Also, I just looked at a map and it seems like the monorail goes to Future World, is this correct? If I get an Uber, will it be able to drop us off near the entrance to World Showcase?

The station is outside the front gates to FW.

 

[dancemonkey]

How do your fast passes fit into your plan. My kids weren't that int the parades at that age. But. Everyone is different m.

 

[joe1946]

If you do Uber, have them drop you at the Beach Club then walk to the International Gateway

 

[jbrinkm]

How do your fast passes fit into your plan.

My "good" fastpasses are all accounted for in the first park of each day, so I'm not stressing about new Fastpasses when I get to the second park. I do plan to play it by ear in the evenings - if the kids are too tired and cranky to enjoy being there, we'll leave. I've tried to plan my eating/rest times around times we'll also be waiting for shows or parades. I'm also only waiting for the big parades/shows that I'm pretty sure everyone enjoys. My kids are also used to walking a LOT and are super high energy, so I'll be surprised if they don't want to stay (DH and I will want to go before they do! )

 

[jbrinkm]

If you do Uber, have them drop you at the Beach Club then walk to the International Gateway

Thanks!

 

[canyoncam]

Never count on 30 minutes when using Disney transportation. I would Uber as you say you are fine with that and have then drop you at Beach Club as PP suggested. That will still take close to 30 minutes depending on your walking pace.

 

[jbrinkm]

Since you're just talking about WS and Illuminations, I would do the Tuesday night EP. Take the monorail instead of Uber, have a QS meal somewhere, and stake out your spot. Maybe fit in the Three Cabelleros, depending on where you eat. Or see the different things in The American Pavillion. Or see some of the different street performers in the different countries. Or do the Phineas & Ferb thing where you see special effects in the countries.

Ok, so back to the discussion of Which evening at Epcot World Showcase - either Tuesday 9pm fireworks but EMH or Friday no EMH but weekend Food & Wine:
Should I expect World Showcase to be less crowded on a EMH night, even though overall crowds at the park are expected to be high? Will most people be in Future World?
Because of the EMH on Tuesday, will crowds leaving after the fireworks be a little lighter than nights with no EMH?

I have to say, I like the idea of going for Illuminations on Tuesday. Transportation seems easier to me and it will be our first night there - exciting to see any fireworks show. I also like the idea of an early dinner on Friday, then back to hotel for swimming and packing the night before we leave. I just want to make sure I'm not going to stress us all out with huge crowds predicted on Tuesday.

 

[sharonabe]

Even though Tues is a late EMH, I think crowds in WS will be much higher on a Friday night with F&W, and especially since it is the last weekend of F&W. Not to mention the weekend F&W crowds tend to get a little unruly. Go on Tues.

 

[CAS239]

Unless I have seriously been overlooking things, MK only has the resort monorail and TTC monorail. You have to take the monorail from MK to TTC and transfer to the EPCOT monorail. Still easy to do.

Correct if coming from MK. Just take monorail to TTC and walk straight across to Epcot side instead of going down the ramp.