Re-Worked my plan? How does it look?

[NicholeB630]

Ok I'm doing this so super early but thats ok. Here is what I'm thinking for our 9 night stay from Sept 9-18.
We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, also we are renting a car.

Friday - Arrival day in evening
Saturday - Epcot - Rope drop all day
Sunday - Break day at hotel/pool - Dinner 1900 park fair
Monday - 8am Tusker house, AK till around 1/2 - Then Epcot for evening (use FP for Epcot)
Tuesday - Boma breakfast, pool/lounge - Get to MK around 3 for MNSSHP (will buy park ticket to enter earlier, will use FP before 7)
Wednesday - 9ish Ohana breakfast, lounge/pool day all day - Boma dinner
Thursday - MK (hoping EMH 8am) stay till around 12:30 - 1:30 - Hollywood studios till night use FPs
Friday - 8am Crystal palace, MK until were ready to leave before party
Saturday - Break day/pool
Sunday - Home

 

[ontheuptick]

1. Why buy a park ticket on your MNSSHP day if you are planning to go in the afternoon? With your party ticket you can enter at 4, so there's no reason to buy a normal park ticket to enter at 3.

2. How did you pick which days you would go to each park? I would strongly recommend using easywdw.com and his daily park recommendations. Maybe you already did..

 

[NicholeB630]

1. Why buy a park ticket on your MNSSHP day if you are planning to go in the afternoon? With your party ticket you can enter at 4, so there's no reason to buy a normal park ticket to enter at 3.

2. How did you pick which days you would go to each park? I would strongly recommend using easywdw.com and his daily park recommendations. Maybe you already did..

I went on last Sept dates, these are set in stone but hoping close and I will change once his new dates come out for this year. I want to get to MK before 4 so my kids can do the pirates league prior to the party the last appointment is at 3:30 and Id really rather not deal with the mad rush of people entering at 4 for the party. Its not that much more to add on another park ticket. I was going to do a full day there with a break at Kona for lunch but decided it would be to much on my kids and I reworked more MK time in another day.

 

[senadler]

With the FP+ system, I find there is a real benefit to going to the parks everyday, especially if you are on-site, rather than take full day breaks. With a trip that long, the extra park days cost very little. I would do more half days instead of one long day or the hopping between two parks in one day that you have planned.

 

[NicholeB630]

With the FP+ system, I find there is a real benefit to going to the parks everyday, especially if you are on-site, rather than take full day breaks. With a trip that long, the extra park days cost very little. I would do more half days instead of one long day or the hopping between two parks in one day that you have planned.

Well with it being hot and having two kids 4 and 7 we just figured a couple off days would be nice. My husband really wants that. He isn't that thrilled with amusement parks like I am so we figured it would be good to spend some days just relaxing and eating at places we want to. But it makes sense with the FP and using them everyday. But then you spend so much time traveling to and from parks that really it cuts into your down time I feel like.

 

[Rylie Grite]

I agree with a PP about going to the parks every day to take advantage of the FP+ system. I'd do more half days and no off days.

I have a 4 year old and I would not attempt commando days (rope drop till close). I was in DW sept 11-18 2015, September is HOT and HUMID, don't want vacation to become a chore so I'm a big fan of midday breaks.

Also look at what days are EMH am days, they have been consistent from jan through whats posted for Aug and at least one of your pre park AM breakfasts falls on an EMH am day.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Unless I've totally missed this I'm pretty sure MNSSHP dates have not been announced yet, so just keep that in mind. The first party was 9/15 last year which was later in 2015 than prior years. I take it you are assuming 9/13 will be a party night? If that turns out to be the first party night, I'd probably steer clear. Last years first party sold out and there were reports of massive crowds and first night growing pains (only going by what I read, I wasn't there). I'd keep an eye out for the dates to be announced and be prepared to modify your schedule if needed. BTW, party days are traditionally excellent days to go to MK during the day, crowd wise.

Like others above our days tend to be more half days with maybe one unplanned "whatever" day if it's a long stay. A long stay makes the half days so much easier as you have time to spread things out.

I have learned through a couple of MNSSHPs to NOT plan anything for the next day, not even a breakfast ADR. If you stay for all/most of the party, chances are you'll be moving slow the next day.

One thing I don't see on your plan is a MK non-party evening (Wishes, parade, etc). You have a ton of time to squeeze in a night for Wishes, unless it just doesn't interest you at all, I'd add that in.

Any interest in a water park day? We love the water parks and have been adding those to recent trips.

You're traveling at a fantastic time of year crowd wise (IMHO) and I think you're on a pretty good path with your plan, with maybe some tweaks.

 

[NicholeB630]

Unless I've totally missed this I'm pretty sure MNSSHP dates have not been announced yet, so just keep that in mind. The first party was 9/15 last year which was later in 2015 than prior years. I take it you are assuming 9/13 will be a party night? If that turns out to be the first party night, I'd probably steer clear. Last years first party sold out and there were reports of massive crowds and first night growing pains (only going by what I read, I wasn't there). I'd keep an eye out for the dates to be announced and be prepared to modify your schedule if needed. BTW, party days are traditionally excellent days to go to MK during the day, crowd wise.

Like others above our days tend to be more half days with maybe one unplanned "whatever" day if it's a long stay. A long stay makes the half days so much easier as you have time to spread things out.

I have learned through a couple of MNSSHPs to NOT plan anything for the next day, not even a breakfast ADR. If you stay for all/most of the party, chances are you'll be moving slow the next day.

One thing I don't see on your plan is a MK non-party evening (Wishes, parade, etc). You have a ton of time to squeeze in a night for Wishes, unless it just doesn't interest you at all, I'd add that in.

Any interest in a water park day? We love the water parks and have been adding those to recent trips.

You're traveling at a fantastic time of year crowd wise (IMHO) and I think you're on a pretty good path with your plan, with maybe some tweaks.

This is def just a tentative plan! I kinda planned based on dates this passed year and what parks were best but I will def rearrange once the dates for party come out and all the crowd calendars. My concern with parks everyday is we just really do want a full day to relax and my feet will really appreciate it as well. Also I have ADR I want to do at other resorts that will be to difficult to cram in on days we are at the parks. The morning after Halloween party I plan on making that ADR for later in the am. I know my family well and even if we stay till 12 we will still be moving relatively early we don't sleep in really ever and neither do my kids. But getting us to breakfast and back will be no issue. Ill even do a 9:30/10 possibly. The only other thing I would maybe try and change is possibly the second full day of a our break do Epcot instead of doing it after AK but it just depends how the recommend parks fall. Oh and I'm not worried about the nighttime stuff at MK on a non party night because I plan on booking a Pirates and Pals cruise on of those nights so we can see wishes on the boat Ok so heres my new plan.

Friday - Arrive
Saturday - Epcot - Possibly take break mid day
Sunday - Break in morning - HS around 1 - Sci Fi dinner
Monday - Tusker house 8am ADR stay till around 2 - Head to Epcot for evening (use FP at Epcot)
Tuesday - Boma breakfast, relax - Go to MK around 3 stay for Halloween party (we want to do pirates league so must enter earlier)
Wednesday - Late morning Ohana, relax all day - Pirates and Pals cruise (pending wishes night)
Thursday - MK (hoping EMH AM) - Break in afternoon/evening when done - Boma dinner
Friday - Crystal palace 8am ADR, MK until were ready to leave
Saturday - Break day - Dinner at 1900 Park fair

 

[NicholeB630]

I agree with a PP about going to the parks every day to take advantage of the FP+ system. I'd do more half days and no off days.

I have a 4 year old and I would not attempt commando days (rope drop till close). I was in DW sept 11-18 2015, September is HOT and HUMID, don't want vacation to become a chore so I'm a big fan of midday breaks.

Also look at what days are EMH am days, they have been consistent from jan through whats posted for Aug and at least one of your pre park AM breakfasts falls on an EMH am day.

I will make sure not to do any ADR on a early AM opening. This is just tentative till the calendars all come out then I will change it up. Totally understand about it being long days in the heat. I just don't want every day to be super early in the morning. But I also don't want to arrive to parks late in the day on numerous days. So I'm not sure what is best. I only have two full days. One is at the same park and we can go back for a break and then the other day is from AK to Epcot which we'd get a little break when go from park to park but not much.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I kinda like your new plan, it's along the lines of a plan we would probably do ourselves. I like the downtime you have built in and the multiple trips to MK. We went Sept 2014 and had a trip planned for Sept 2015 (had to move it to Oct 2015), so I've been in your shoes constantly checking the park hours and recommendations the last couple of years. Probably will be going back sometime September again this year once they announce the MNSSHP dates. Have a great trip!

 

[Jawolf]

Hi Nicole B630,

Your latest idea does look a lot better! We used to visit in the month of September when my son was 2 yrs old. We then had to adjust our timings as school (in the UK) started to get in the way and we went at the end of August.

We now own DVC at Animal Kingdom Villas and have done several half days, the last being when we were fortunate enough to stay club level for a few days. We found that Animal Kingdom was super easy being only a 5 minute bus ride and of course all we did was to get fast passes and use those around any dinner reservations!

It is quite refreshing to go to the parks for just a few hours and know that fast passes cover the rides/attractions you want to do and any others you squeeze in are a bonus!

Also had been said, the ticket for all your days may not be too much more cost and give you more freedom.

 

[NicholeB630]

I will probably have to change a few things around once the crowd calendars come out on EasyWDW and I know what days are EMH at what parks. Plus the halloween party dates. Does anyone know how soon those come out? I was wanting to do a Tuesday but if thats the first one then Im afraid it will be crazy. But then if we do the other date which I think would be a Friday then that kinda really messes up the other days and when we have our off days.