Please Shake up my Itinerary!

[JJ2017]

I have been too super focused on our park itinerary and I want to think outside the box to be sure I'm not missing a better plan.

There is one non-negotiable (Thursday afternoon/evening in Epcot) because we are meeting friends.

This is during Jersey Week/Veteran's weekend/Last F&W weekend. Party days at MK for when we are there are Thursday and Friday.

5 year old and 7 year old - they can hang.

Staying at Dolphin

We have never been to EP or HS.

We will have CL FPs on some of the days, so not "worried" about experiencing the Tier 1 rides. Along with CL FPs, we have the reserved viewing area for nighttime shows, so want to factor that in.

Goal is to have some downtime, but we are also "hopping" for the first time and I want to take advantage of that, but not exhaust all of us.

Wednesday - we arrive LATE tuesday night so we want to hang at the resort in the morning. Non-Party Day, so thinking this is the day we go to MK in the afternoon, use CL and regular FPs back to back and use the reserved area for HEA.

Thursday - AK/EP split day (again, need to end at EP b/c we are meeting friends).

Friday - MK party day - should open at 7 am - hit MK early, then relax at resort, EP for dinner and Illuminations reserved.

Saturday - HS all day (maybe a break in between) - Fantasmic at Night

Sunday - morning at EP (maybe HS?), then leave for airport. I'm upset b/c our flight just got moved up an hour earlier

I like our Wednesday and Saturday days, but how else could I approach Thursday and Friday???

THANKS!!!!!

 

[sharonabe]

I think your plan looks great. Don't fix it if it's not broken!!

Your departure day really is a toss up. It would be nice to leave it open and go wherever you feel like you wanted just a bit more time, but that means no FP+. Maybe let the kids decide where they want to go that day.

 

[pitpat]

Agreed, that looks good. Maybe consider AK for Sunday morning.

 

[GillianP1301]

The only thing I would consider changing is your departure day, I would do MK again instead of EP. Or even better, leave that morning as TBD and just go to whichever park you feel you have not covered as well as you wanted.

 

[gharter]

I think the plan looks good. The only thing, getting to MK late on Wednesday, it could be very crowded. During party dates, MK is often busier on non-party days.

 

[sharonabe]

I think the plan looks good. The only thing, getting to MK late on Wednesday, it could be very crowded. During party dates, MK is often busier on non-party days.

With club level FP and the club level HEA area, OP will be fine getting there late and being able to do all they want. They don't even have to show up at the HEA area too early, so more time for rides. Couple that with their party-day MK plan and they will be able to knock out everything else.

 

[MomOTwins]

Here's a suggestion because you have park hoppers. DO NOT GO TO MK ON THE NON-PARTY DAY. The non-party days is when EVERYONE who does not have a park hopper ticket goes to MK. Last year we were there the week before Christmas. December 20 was our arrival day so we did not do parks, but it was a non-party day, out of curiosity, I checked the app mid-afternoon, and wait times for 7DMT were 5 hours, at over 2 hours for tons of non-headliners, even Buzz lightyear!!!! We had dinner at the Grand Floridian that night and talked to several guests who had just been in MK who said they didn't get to ride anything and could barely even move because it was just a sea of wall-to-wall people.

Cut to the next day, December 21, we went to MK on a party day. 7DMT was 45 minutes posted wait time. EVERYTHING else was 20 minutes are less (but in reality, they were all walk ons. We walked up to main street to see the Festival of Fantasy parade, and even though we got there after the parade started, there were maybe 20-30 other families total lining main street. We saw the whole parade with a seat on the curb with plenty of room on either side.

I'm sure this will sound like an exaggeration. It was not. To be fair, crowds will probably be a bit less in Jersey Week than Christmas week, but it will still hold true that MK will be far less crowded on a party day than a non-party day. With your park hoppers, you can stay until 6pm at MK (i.e., when the park closes to non-party guests) and then hop to Epcot for a nice dinner and evening in World Showcase. Based on your itinerary, I would recommend doing AK on Wednesday, and then an MK morning on Thursday followed by evening epcot.

 

[YesterDark]

Star wars is the better HS show.

 

[JJ2017]

Here's a suggestion because you have park hoppers. DO NOT GO TO MK ON THE NON-PARTY DAY. The non-party days is when EVERYONE who does not have a park hopper ticket goes to MK. Last year we were there the week before Christmas. December 20 was our arrival day so we did not do parks, but it was a non-party day, out of curiosity, I checked the app mid-afternoon, and wait times for 7DMT were 5 hours, at over 2 hours for tons of non-headliners, even Buzz lightyear!!!! We had dinner at the Grand Floridian that night and talked to several guests who had just been in MK who said they didn't get to ride anything and could barely even move because it was just a sea of wall-to-wall people.

Cut to the next day, December 21, we went to MK on a party day. 7DMT was 45 minutes posted wait time. EVERYTHING else was 20 minutes are less (but in reality, they were all walk ons. We walked up to main street to see the Festival of Fantasy parade, and even though we got there after the parade started, there were maybe 20-30 other families total lining main street. We saw the whole parade with a seat on the curb with plenty of room on either side.

I'm sure this will sound like an exaggeration. It was not. To be fair, crowds will probably be a bit less in Jersey Week than Christmas week, but it will still hold true that MK will be far less crowded on a party day than a non-party day. With your park hoppers, you can stay until 6pm at MK (i.e., when the park closes to non-party guests) and then hop to Epcot for a nice dinner and evening in World Showcase. Based on your itinerary, I would recommend doing AK on Wednesday, and then an MK morning on Thursday followed by evening epcot.

Thank you! And I know the crazy non-party night crowds all too well. Last year we were at MK on the Saturday of Jersey Week/Veteran's Day - non-party day. The day had gotten progressively more crowded as the day went on. We did the HEA dessert party and the walk from the Terrace to the garden area was SO crowded that I bailed on my entire family and left them in the crowds and pushed my little self towards the garden. I could not believe it. After the fireworks we were landlocked for quite some time. So I do understand that Wednesday will be more crowded. BUT.........it's our only time to use the reserved area for HEA because I refuse to attempt the Saturday HEA for a second year in a row. But I do like the idea of MK/EP b/c we could take the monorail and the kids like that. I'll think it over.

 

[sharonabe]

DO NOT GO TO MK ON THE NON-PARTY DAY

Can't be helped if you want to see HEA. OP isn't going until later in the day and they have club FP and reserved viewing for HEA. That, to me, makes the crowds more than tolerable.

BUT.........it's our only time to use the reserved area for HEA because I refuse to attempt the Saturday HEA for a second year in a row. But I do like the idea of MK/EP b/c we could take the monorail and the kids like that. I'll think it over.

I'd keep it. You know what to expect and you have the viewing area.