**September 2019**

[ksromack]

I am so hopeful for lower crowds since there are no hotels sold out for our travel dates Maybe the Star Wars crowds are waiting for both rides to be open.

Yes, just in time for our December trip, lol!

 

[ariane37]

Just booked the Caring for Giants experience yesterday!!! My youngest is obsessed with elephants so I'm sure she'll just love it!!!

I did Up Close With Rhinos last month and it was amazing so I'm booking it again on our NYE trip when the family will be with me I've heard so many great things about Caring For Giants I may book that too!

 

[DWoodall]

I'm happy to finally update my roll call! My DW and I will no longer be staying offsite, but we'll be staying 8/29 at the Fort Wilderness Campsites and 8/30-9/3 at POP Century Resort

 

[Momma_Lanier]

Hey guys! So, I was able to call in. Unfortunately, with free dining, I was only able to add on one day. So, we are now going August 31-September 4 and I upgrade to deluxe dining. Still staying at the Contemporary. Wasn’t prepared for a shorter trip but at least, we are still going!!!! I’m thinking we may skip AK this trip. We have 4 day tickets and we will go to MNSSHP. I want to end at MK most nights since it’s so convenient to where we’re staying. What’s everyone’s thoughts on this?
Right now, our days look like this:
8/31- Epcot till around lunchtime, then back to swim or do AK for a few hours? Would go to MK after dinner
9/1- MK
9/2- swim and then MNSSHP
9/3- HS - really wanted to be there by opening at 6 but not sure since we’re doing the party, the night before, will either do Fantasmic or go back to MK for fireworks
9/4- Epcot - will drive home after our dinner here
Does all this look ok?

 

[MamaJessie]

Hey guys! So, I was able to call in. Unfortunately, with free dining, I was only able to add on one day. So, we are now going August 31-September 4 and I upgrade to deluxe dining. Still staying at the Contemporary. Wasn’t prepared for a shorter trip but at least, we are still going!!!! I’m thinking we may skip AK this trip. We have 4 day tickets and we will go to MNSSHP. I want to end at MK most nights since it’s so convenient to where we’re staying. What’s everyone’s thoughts on this?
Right now, our days look like this:
8/31- Epcot till around lunchtime, then back to swim or do AK for a few hours? Would go to MK after dinner
9/1- MK
9/2- swim and then MNSSHP
9/3- HS - really wanted to be there by opening at 6 but not sure since we’re doing the party, the night before, will either do Fantasmic or go back to MK for fireworks
9/4- Epcot - will drive home after our dinner here
Does all this look ok?

I would personally not try DHS the morning after MNSSHP. And I would have to hop more to justify the upcharge on the park hopper ticket needed for FD lol, but that could just be me.

 

[HeidiV71]

I will be at Pop 9/23 - 9/26. First adults only trip!

 

[jewels4488]

I will be at Pop 9/23 - 9/26. First adults only trip!

We are also going to Pop the 23rd through the 28th. Really hoping the gondola will be up and running so we can try it out!

 

[HeidiV71]

We are also going to Pop the 23rd through the 28th. Really hoping the gondola will be up and running so we can try it out!

Yesssss! How fun will that be!!!!

 

[MamaJessie]

I'm happy to finally update my roll call! My DW and I will no longer be staying offsite, but we'll be staying 8/29 at the Fort Wilderness Campsites and 8/30-9/3 at POP Century Resort

Updated

Pop 9/23 - 9/26

Added to roll call. Welcome

 

[Astryd]

So how is everyone's Fastpass planning coming along? How are you planning to best use them, especially at DHS with the EEMH and the changes to the tiers?

 

[Superchikk]

So how is everyone's Fastpass planning coming along? How are you planning to best use them, especially at DHS with the EEMH and the changes to the tiers?

I don't know yet, honestly. I still have a couple of weeks and I'm waiting for all the changes to trickle down. I'm wondering if the AP previews of SWGE will change anything, so I've been waiting for a little longer before I try to wrap my head around it. I feel like either way it will be a "Hold on to your butts" kind of thing.

 

[Astryd]

I don't know yet, honestly. I still have a couple of weeks and I'm waiting for all the changes to trickle down. I'm wondering if the AP previews of SWGE will change anything, so I've been waiting for a little longer before I try to wrap my head around it. I feel like either way it will be a "Hold on to your butts" kind of thing.

Very glad we have time to see how things go at DL.

I’m thinking about hitting SWGE early in the trip and do EEMH, and “plan” to go back more then once, or not depending on if we want to explore more, etc. Haven’t been to TSL yet, but not all that concerned on doing the rides, no kids with us so makes things easier. Use to getting up far too early for work so early mornings aren’t awful, but I love my nights in the park. Not sure how to balance both, unless we don’t sleep that week.

That first DHS day we will do EEMH, then will schedule FP for another park. Maybe do late arrive at DAK and one of our Epcot days, early mornings the other days, and maybe afternoon siestas.

 

[ariane37]

So how is everyone's Fastpass planning coming along? How are you planning to best use them, especially at DHS with the EEMH and the changes to the tiers?

I have no idea as I'm lucky these days if I do my own trip plans a month out! I'm always busy doing clients' plans....... I do know we're probably doing a couple F&W events but we don't usually do FP's in Epcot; BUT, with the tier changes and as non SW fans I don't think we'll book any at HS this trip either. I was going to skip HS altogether but Inreally need my TOT and DH wants to at least walk through GE.

 

[hsmamainva]

We're having a family meeting in 2 weeks to discuss FP! lol My youngest has autism so we will have the DAS available so what we try to do is use our FP for rides she won't go on (roller coasters for instance) and then use her DAS for family rides that everyone will go on together. So I need to find out who wants to ride what. I'm not ready to think about HS and FP!

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

So how is everyone's Fastpass planning coming along? How are you planning to best use them, especially at DHS with the EEMH and the changes to the tiers?

We are aiming to get up at silly o’clock, at least twice, to RD HS for SW-GE. I can’t decide whether to get a FP+ for one tier 1 ride at HS at around 11 o’clock and then have lunch before heading back to AKL for an afternoon nap or whether to book all 3 FPs in another park. We will RD EEMH another day for the ‘other’ rides and we are happy to only experience SDD once.

 

[Astryd]

I have no idea as I'm lucky these days if I do my own trip plans a month out! I'm always busy doing clients' plans....... I do know we're probably doing a couple F&W events but we don't usually do FP's in Epcot; BUT, with the tier changes and as non SW fans I don't think we'll book any at HS this trip either. I was going to skip HS altogether but Inreally need my TOT and DH wants to at least walk through GE.

Wanna add mine to your list?

We are aiming to get up at silly o’clock, at least twice, to RD HS for SW-GE. I can’t decide whether to get a FP+ for one tier 1 ride at HS at around 11 o’clock and then have lunch before heading back to AKL for an afternoon nap or whether to book all 3 FPs in another park. We will RD EEMH another day for the ‘other’ rides and we are happy to only experience SDD once.

This is one of my quandaries also. Do I book a tier 1 at DHS if we do EEMH and hope for a good role on FP the second park or just book our FP's for the second park?

 

[LaDonna]

Yall i just sat down yesterday to figure out fastpass and didnt get much of anywhere......this is our first trip with these prebooked fast passes and I rather liked the idea of it when I first heard about it........ it just requires too much planning, when should i start my first one, dont wanna be backtracking in parks so got to keep that in mind, need to remember those adrs, and must see shows( well those times arent out yet)

I would love some examples of what others are doing.......we plan on getting to all the emh, i hope! And our MK days are on party days

 

[MamaJessie]

This is the grayest, coolest, rainiest summer - it is making me really want to pack for vacation since I am just trapped inside

As far as FPs I have a general idea. I am only doing one early SWGE morning because my girls don't really care all that much but I want to see it. We will still visit DHS a couple nights and I figure DH might hang back late last night to check it out in the evening.

 

[Astryd]

Yall i just sat down yesterday to figure out fastpass and didnt get much of anywhere......this is our first trip with these prebooked fast passes and I rather liked the idea of it when I first heard about it........ it just requires too much planning, when should i start my first one, dont wanna be backtracking in parks so got to keep that in mind, need to remember those adrs, and must see shows( well those times arent out yet)

I would love some examples of what others are doing.......we plan on getting to all the emh, i hope! And our MK days are on party days

I haven't traveled with kids in years, so what I have done may not work for you, but I will usually book my FP's earlier, so I can refresh.

Example for MK with a 9am open and no EMH 10:05am Jungle Cruise
11:05am Pirates
12:15pm BTM

Then I use refresh and get as many FP's as I can, but its just 2 adults so we can move better and its easier to get 2 FP's then if I had more people. We had an 8am BOG that morning and since SDMT was closed we went to Peter Pan and then over to Tomorrowland and then to Adventure land. It worked out really well and we did a lot of rides and even saw some characters.

At DAK with a 9am open we RD FOP, then did NRJ and started FP at 9:50am with FOP then 10:50am Safari and 11:50am EE. I also start to try and move up one of my next FP's when I tap in and we are walking in the queue to the ride and then after. Sometimes it works. And this day we also scored another FOP FP, so got to ride it 3 times that day.

Usually at Epcot I will get a PPO Garden Grill, because I love Chip and Dale and then we ride Soarin' LWTL and then start FP's, usually scheduled Test Track at 9am then tap in to Mission space and don't ride it and then FP Spaceship Earth and start to refresh to get more Test Track FP's since my travel buddy loves that ride. Then we head to France for pastries and those yummy Citron Slushes and work our way around to La Cava.

I have a subscription to Touring Plans, I like to use their personalized touring plan tool to help me come up with a plan. I don't feel like their wait times are accurate, so only use that as a rough guide and just do what I think is going to work for us, but it helps me to have a plan of action to begin with. Though it usually comes off the rails when we find a nice spot to get a few drinks and some snacks.

 

[js]

I am planning on arriving at MGM no later than 4:20 am (we will be walking from BWVs).
I didn't realize that MGM opens at 9 am, not 8 am. So, for three hours we will not be able to access FPs (6 am - 9 am). I just had that ah-ha moment yesterday. So, I figure we will try to do GE (if in the front of the group), TSM and then ToT, then anything else but those are our top three. I will leave no later than approximately 11 am and then walk to Epcot to get monorail back to rest at GFVs (I booked one extra night in our trip for BWVs so we can walk to MGM). I think I will make our FPs for Epcot that evening and book our dinner there (we are APs). I am not going to wait around 3 hours in MGM to use our FPs, I'll want to leave by then and figuring it will be a madhouse.

Also, we changed the beginning of our trip. If it is not too much trouble, can you please change js and karensi to arrive at GFVs on September 4. Our dates are now September 4-14 (although I have September 10 also booked for BWVs but that is just for MGM).

I have a poll going on the SWGE planning thread to see what time most people are planning on arriving to MGM. Maybe we can gauge a little from that although I am going in the beginning of September so not going to have too much to go by at that time.