Please help with touring plan for our 1st trip

[The Lion King]

**I posted this in Theme Parks/Strategies but realized this would be a better place for it-or at least I hope so****

Our FIRST trip is in 17 days(March 24-28 @WDW but leave on 3/22 since we are driving) and I am in the final planning stages. I especially need help with a touring plan. Here's the skinny;

Cast: dh,me, nephew 17 (who will probably go off separately), niece 9, ds 8 and dd 5. We only have 1 day in each park-NO HOPPER!!! We are staying at Pop. Kids don't know we're going yet and this is our first trip so whatever we see will be fine.

Arrival day 3/24 -hang at resort/Downtown Disney (?)
dinner @ Concourse 7:40

3/25-MK day (EMH) (dinner at Crystal Palace 7:35)-must see-Princesses

3/26-AK (EMH) (dinner at Tusker House 6:35) must see-Lion King and Safari

3/27-DHS (EMH) (dinner at 50sPTC 7:25) must try to see-Power Rangers

3/28 Departure Breakfast @ Capey May 9:40 travel

So, what would your day include to accommodate this cast and schedule?

I have the 2007 UO guide and I have been reading it, but would really like your "expert" opinions. Thanks so much!!!

 

[goofygal531]

I'd change your first night's dinner to something more enjoyable for the children. I feel the steakhouse is a little more adult (not that kids are not welcomed). I just think your first night in Disney should be something fun like Chef Mickeys or Whispering Canyon Cafe, etc...


Why AK over Epcot??? My family usually does AK and Epcot half a day each (not necessarily both on the same day) but both parks are just so large we can't see everything in one day so we break it up.

We always get a park hopper (wouldn't do wdw without it) so I don't understand why you wouldn't take advantage of doing a park early am, mid day pool break then going back to another park in the pm? That's always been our schedule.

You might change your mind after you actually get there and add the hopper.

 

[The Lion King]

I'd change your first night's dinner to something more enjoyable for the children. I feel the steakhouse is a little more adult (not that kids are not welcomed). I just think your first night in Disney should be something fun like Chef Mickeys or Whispering Canyon Cafe, etc...


Why AK over Epcot??? My family usually does AK and Epcot half a day each (not necessarily both on the same day) but both parks are just so large we can't see everything in one day so we break it up.

We always get a park hopper (wouldn't do wdw without it) so I don't understand why you wouldn't take advantage of doing a park early am, mid day pool break then going back to another park in the pm? That's always been our schedule.

You might change your mind after you actually get there and add the hopper.

The first night we are there is my birthday and Chef Mickey's and Park Fare were booked.

I picked AK because I *MUST SEE* The Festival of the Lion King and dh wants to go on the Safari.

We are on a budget so we decided not to get the park hoppers.

 

[goofygal531]

I picked AK because I *MUST SEE* The Festival of the Lion King and dh wants to go on the Safari.

I've wanted to see Festival of the Lion King for 9 years now, and still haven't been able to get into the theater. You have to be on line AT LEAST 45 minutes prior to the show.

The best changes of getting on the Safari are first thing when the park opens. When you get off, you could always get a fastpass to go back. It's the best attraction in the park and the only way to see the most animals.

My family usually does the safari, the two walking trails to view animals, camp minnie/mickey, pocohantas show then we're done for the day. My kids are too little for bug's life (which DH and love) and Nemo we just couldn't get in to. That line is longer than Lion King. My friend got on no problem in January

Personally I just feel there's not that much to do at AK. After 4 hours, we're done. There's so much more to see and do in Epcot. Plus the FOOD, oh, the FOOD in Epcot is the reason for the whole trip in the first place!!!

If you ate counter service one meal instead of table service, that would be the cost of the hopper passes. It's money well spent, you'll see so much more and be able to return to attractions a second time if you care to.

 

[The Lion King]

Thanks for the suggestions. If I can stand in line for 5 hours for a Longaberger basket (yes, I really did that) then I can handle 45 minutes for my favorite Dis movie/show.

We are using the DDP so I can't really exchange meals for the hoppers this trip.

This is the first time we are going, so I think my kids will be thrilled with whatever we get to see. If we finish at AK early, we can head back to the resort or to DTD for a bit.

 

[goofygal531]

I just noticed you're going the week after Easter Sunday, then expect to wait longer than 45 mins for Lion King. Crowds will be very high that week.

We went Thanksgiving week and barely rode any of our favorite rides due to the crowds, that's the main reason we're going back in June!

 

[JACKNAG]

http://www.tourguidemike.com

He sponsors the theme park boards here, bought him 3 years in a row so far, takes the guess of which park to go which day, well worth the $21.00 for a first time join, He will tell you the least crowded park to go to each morning , believe me its worth it

Good luck

 

[wilderness01]

I just noticed you're going the week after Easter Sunday, then expect to wait longer than 45 mins for Lion King. Crowds will be very high that week.

We went Thanksgiving week and barely rode any of our favorite rides due to the crowds, that's the main reason we're going back in June!

I disagree. You can get into the Lion King in less than 45 minutes and all the seats are good. You must also see Nemo as it is a great show, and only slightly behind the Lion King. I would stand in line for Nemo for as long as you can stand it and get a seat right up front, as it is better being closer to the stage.

We have also gone Thanksgiving week, and except for Thanksgiving day at the MK, we thought the week was great.

Actually we have been every single month except September and October.

If you can't swing the Park Hoppers don't sweat it. There is plenty to do in the Animal Kingdom. Don't forget Kali River Rapids, but you will get wet. Expetition Everest is a great ride. You will love Tusker House for the character breakfast as well. There are a lot of things to see and we can easily spend a whole day there. We also go a few times a year so we have seen plenty and done plenty. You won't be disappointed. Have a great time.

 

[wilderness01]

Oh wait, I just reread that you are doing dinner at Tusker House so never mind the character interaction.

Really, enjoy the park, it is amazing. Do the safari a few times because you will see some different animals if you go in the am vs. the pm. That has been our opinion anyhow. Make sure you see Devine as she is neat. Good luck.

 

[irene_dsc]

AK is wonderful - you can definitely fill a day there, tho we did leave relatively early for dinner at Boma.

DHS - If your ds is at all into Star Wars, check out the Jedi Training Academy threads. Way cool if your kid gets picked (definitely prepare him for the idea that he might not be - and prepare yourself for the idea of maybe watching multiple shows in the hopes of getting picked!) That was my ds' highlight for the entire trip. He insisted on going back to watch it a 3rd time, even after he had gotten picked!

We also enjoyed Lights, Motor, Action - the Extreme Stunt show, and Voyage of the Little Mermaid (tho it seemed like it could've used another song at the end). That was a relatively short day for us, so we could've spent more time there, but ds wanted to go swim before our babysitter was going to show up.

Btw, if you do shows, be sure to check the schedules to figure out your plan for the day, because you will need to plan around them, as well as getting FP's.

 

[Sheaboys]

I would call again on the dining, there are cacellations all the time for Chef Mickeys, try earlier maybe. That way if you do an earlier supper, you can go over to the Poly and see the fireworks from the beach or something like that.

Also, when you first get into the park, get the Paper that has the Listing of show times, and where characters are etc. It will help you plan your days more effeciently. Like at The Studios it will say where and when the Power Rangers will be out etc. So that way you are not just wondering around hoping to run into some characters.

 

[flynnmnstr]

If this is your first trip and you're only going to be there 3-4days, you'll want to make the most of your time. He has great touring plans and the best advice he can give you is which parks to go to on what days. There is a link on the ThemePark Forum that gives you a discount.

To be honest, due to the crowds that week, tiredness factor etc. My suggestion would be to have 2 MK days and skip DHS. I think that MK has enough to keep you occuppied for several days and given the crowds its going to take a little longer to get through everything. And our family just loves AK and are not as big fans of DHS, so that's a personal suggestion.

TGMike will definietly help.

 

[tackrn]

**I posted this in Theme Parks/Strategies but realized this would be a better place for it-or at least I hope so****

Our FIRST trip is in 17 days(March 24-28 @WDW but leave on 3/22 since we are driving) and I am in the final planning stages. I especially need help with a touring plan. Here's the skinny;

Cast: dh,me, nephew 17 (who will probably go off separately), niece 9, ds 8 and dd 5. We only have 1 day in each park-NO HOPPER!!! We are staying at Pop. Kids don't know we're going yet and this is our first trip so whatever we see will be fine.

Arrival day 3/24 -hang at resort/Downtown Disney (?)
dinner @ Concourse 7:40

3/25-MK day (EMH) (dinner at Crystal Palace 7:35)-must see-Princesses

3/26-AK (EMH) (dinner at Tusker House 6:35) must see-Lion King and Safari

3/27-DHS (EMH) (dinner at 50sPTC 7:25) must try to see-Power Rangers

3/28 Departure Breakfast @ Capey May 9:40 travel

So, what would your day include to accommodate this cast and schedule?

I have the 2007 UO guide and I have been reading it, but would really like your "expert" opinions. Thanks so much!!!

I have read and read the Unoficial Guide to WDW- We are going on our first family trip on 3-14-08, I have printed the "touring plans" from the online site. I will keep you posted on how well they work.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Get a passporter book at a bookstore or go to the sight. They have sample itineraries (forgive the spelling) for traveling with adults, or kids for all the parks, They also have some nice maps and desriptions and reviews of absolutley everything. Along with pockets to hold things and worksheets to write info and do some figuring. Well worth the purchase price.

 

[The Lion King]

I looked at the TGM website but I'm not sure it would be worth getting at this point because I have already made ADRs and no park hoppers so I am pretty locked in to our daily schedule of MK on 3/25, AK on 3/26 and DHS on 3/27.

I guess what I'm looking for more is more the "order" to do the rides, visit different attractions that would accommodate our family. I have read and re-read the UO guide so I guess I can follow those suggestions.

This is the last part I need to plan and it is really stressing me out. The more I read about the estimated crowds the more nervous I get wondering if they'll get to do anything while we're there.

Thanks for any/all suggestions. I do appreciate them.

 

[Jordans_Mommie]

Maybe you should go to disneyworld.com and use their map feature so that you can see where things are placed and at least try to plan a little bit logistically.

I can't offer much more than that as my first visit will be in May.

 

[Mom2JPL]

We were at WDW in Oct and, like yourselves, were on a budget so we didn't get hopper passes either. Worked out great for us!

My only advice would be to get up early each morning to hit the rope drop at each park. Maximize your time!

Take the first safari at AK and then take the path to see Lion King, stopping at whatever attractions interest you along the way. This way you won't criss-cross around the park. We didn't do either when we were there, but we did see the Nemo show and had no problem getting a seat. It was a great show and cooled us off when we needed it! I know everyone says this is a half-day park, but you'll be surprised at how little you actually get to see/do with kids - you're always stopping here/there (potty breaks, someone's hungry/thirsty), so you can definitely spend the day here and enjoy all there is to do at the park.

MK - we really enjoyed Crystal Palace, the character interaction is wonderful. My dd was in the bathroom when Pooh came around (and was soooo upset she missed him when she got back) - we told the handler and they send Pooh back over - she was so excited! Food is great here too! I'm not sure about where to see the Princesses here (we saw them at our Akershus lunch at Epcot our first day), so I can't help you with that, but our kids did love the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Dumbo, Carrousel ride, It's a Small World, Peter Pan's flight. They really enjoyed playing on Donald's boat (water squirts up and cools the kids off!) and they liked touring Mickey and Minnie's houses (my kids were 4, 3 and 12 months at time of trip, so there ride tastes are probably different from your kids, lol!).

DHS - we saw the Power Rangers on the Streets of America, along with Kim Possible and Lighting McQueen. Head over the Al's Toy Barn (behind this street) to see Woody and Buzz! We also saw Muppet Vision 3-D which is right in this area too. (ABC Commissary was a good place for cs, we all enjoyed it, in case you're wondering where to eat cs that day). I'm sure you'll like Prime Time 50's, we've never been there but my in-laws seem to like it. I guess I would say to "go left" when you go through the gates in this park, because that's the direction you'll see the Power Rangers and other characters.

Have a great trip!