September visit

[Smoomoo]

Hi everyone
It seems with all the early openings it's become a bit of an unknown this September.
I am wondering about other people's planning this period.
Do you stay in the parks offering early openings as it seems all parks are doing this?
Usually you go to the early parks but then move on.
But if they are all offering earlier opening should that change my planning?

 

[Marionnette]

Hi everyone
It seems with all the early openings it's become a bit of an unknown this September.
I am wondering about other people's planning this period.
Do you stay in the parks offering early openings as it seems all parks are doing this?
Usually you go to the early parks but then move on.
But if they are all offering earlier opening should that change my planning?

I plan to do Extra Extra Magic Hours and stay in that park until lunchtime (or earlier if it's ungodly hot). Pool time at the resort and then back to a park in the evening. We may change it up and head to Epcot instead of doing pool time so that we can grab lunch at F&W.

 

[chinarider]

We are juggling around a little.
We will have 9 days in the parks as well as a separate day for MNSSHP
We are not super late night people but prefer to be a the parks for RD
Not sure of how the crowds will be but, the earlier opening at the parks gives us more of a reason for some down time ( rest and pool ) before heading back to the parks
We have a few days where we go all day and just head back to hotel after dinner but either way we usually park hop and use FP at afternoon park

 

[tsme]

Honestly, I’m not too sure. As of rights now, I’m planning our days just like I always do when we go. However, I'm mentally giving ourselves an out option to use at any time, in case it’s too crowded or too hot.

 

[zuzu310]

We always go in September and GE is throwing a wrench in my normal planning. I am so confused how to do my FP strategy this year. With all of the EEMH mornings, do we make fastpasses close after official park opening and then tap, grab, modify or should we save those for our afternoon park? We plan on being at RD for the EEMH, park hopping to another park around lunch and then getting to bed earlier each night except for the Halloween party. Ug... I just want to have a plan for when I make FP next week...but I am indecisive on whether tap, grab, modify will even be useful with presumably higher crowds for GE.

 

[Klinger13]

We're going to take advantage of the EEMH as much as possible since DD8 and I are early risers. The exception will be the day after our Halloween party night where we're planning a later start to sleep in a little later. But most days, we'll be at the parks early, go back for a swim and a little rest, and then head back out in the evening to another park.

 

[smallsy]

We picked the first week in September to avoid crowds and definitely didn't expect all this GE madness. We'll have 3 small kiddos with us (ages 4-6) so our plan is to take advantage of the EEMH as much as possible, plan FP for close to park opening and modify as needed or go for 4th FP if possible, and head back to the resort for rest and pool time after lunch. We have park hoppers so we can go back to a different park in the evening if the kids are up for it, but I don't want to plan FP for evening in case they're not feeling it. Based on our trip with them 2 years ago it's best to plan for early mornings but not push them too hard to do an evening at a park every day.

 

[hotcarib]

We are going 15-22 and we have all the FP and ADRs we wanted. We also have MNSSHP tix. I was double checking some things and noticed most restaurants show availability. However, I’m on the fence thinking of cancelling because of GE. I thought it was opening mid September . Thing is we have great airfare, and free dining. Crowds! Ugh,! We've always gone this particular week because crowds are low. I understand it will be busy, but I’m thinking it may be a madhouse. Thing is if we cancel, when would be a good time to rebook? Interested in any thoughts you may have?

 

[CharleneTheDM]

I know that it's 59 days to my visit and am trying to book dining resos, but the park hours are only available up until mid-September.
I'm also trying to book WOC Dessert Party, but online only shows the availability up until 9/2

 

[Maggie'sMom]

I know that it's 59 days to my visit and am trying to book dining resos, but the park hours are only available up until mid-September.
I'm also trying to book WOC Dessert Party, but online only shows the availability up until 9/2

Are you looking on the app or online? I see hours up until mid-January. September hours were available back when I made my ADRs back in March.

Or are you talking about Disneyland? I just now realized you reference WOC.

 

[only hope]

I know that it's 59 days to my visit and am trying to book dining resos, but the park hours are only available up until mid-September.
I'm also trying to book WOC Dessert Party, but online only shows the availability up until 9/2

Disneyland is known for publishing schedules late.

OP: since 3 parks are having am EMH daily for an extended period of time, I think that will spread the crowds out more. Usually it’s just one park and so yes, that park is usually busier all day thus the recommendation to either avoid or park hop early. Unless you like taking mid-day hotel breaks, I would probably just stay at the same park all day. Park hopping takes a long time. Even if you do a hotel break, I would book fp for the first park. No point in waiting in lines in the am to keep prebooked fp in the pm when you can just refresh for fp for the pm.

 

[CharleneTheDM]

Are you looking on the app or online? I see hours up until mid-January. September hours were available back when I made my ADRs back in March.

Or are you talking about Disneyland? I just now realized you reference WOC.

Hi @Maggie'sMom! Sorry my previous post was all over the place! I was referring to DLR.

On the app and online, for the park hours, it's only available up until 9/7 on my end.

And online for the WOC Dessert Party, it shows dates up to only 9/2.

I think I'm posting in the wrong thread :O

 

[Klinger13]

We are going 15-22 and we have all the FP and ADRs we wanted. We also have MNSSHP tix. I was double checking some things and noticed most restaurants show availability. However, I’m on the fence thinking of cancelling because of GE. I thought it was opening mid September . Thing is we have great airfare, and free dining. Crowds! Ugh,! We've always gone this particular week because crowds are low. I understand it will be busy, but I’m thinking it may be a madhouse. Thing is if we cancel, when would be a good time to rebook? Interested in any thoughts you may have?

Don’t cancel! With the FP & ADR availability I’ve been seeing, I really don’t think it’s going to be a madhouse. We’re going 9/1-9/7 so right after it opens and I’m seeing great FP & ADR times. Yes, GE will be busy with crazy long lines, but there’s also EEMH at HS from 6am-9am every day, plus extra magic hours at MK & AK. It’ll be great, enjoy your trip!!

 

[CastAStone]

We are going 15-22 and we have all the FP and ADRs we wanted. We also have MNSSHP tix. I was double checking some things and noticed most restaurants show availability. However, I’m on the fence thinking of cancelling because of GE. I thought it was opening mid September . Thing is we have great airfare, and free dining. Crowds! Ugh,! We've always gone this particular week because crowds are low. I understand it will be busy, but I’m thinking it may be a madhouse. Thing is if we cancel, when would be a good time to rebook? Interested in any thoughts you may have?

It will not be particularly busy. FastPass availability makes that pretty clear. EEMH in particular will probably be completely dead.

Hollywood Studios may be busy, but given that the ride count will have gone from 5 to 8 by then, and that people will spend hours just wandering around Batuu, it may not actually feel much busier than normal outside of SWGE.

 

[IluvMGM]

We are planning on early starts for the first half of the trip and hopefully a few later nights to see fireworks.

 

[Dawn Peterson]

We are going 15-22 and we have all the FP and ADRs we wanted. We also have MNSSHP tix. I was double checking some things and noticed most restaurants show availability. However, I’m on the fence thinking of cancelling because of GE. I thought it was opening mid September . Thing is we have great airfare, and free dining. Crowds! Ugh,! We've always gone this particular week because crowds are low. I understand it will be busy, but I’m thinking it may be a madhouse. Thing is if we cancel, when would be a good time to rebook? Interested in any thoughts you may have?

That is when we are going. I feel it is going to be a busy week but I think the only madhouse may be HS. All the EEMH should help and middle of that week might be manageable. For the first time ever I got a FOP FP so there may be hope for crowds.

 

[blakefamily]

We are going 9/2-10/1. Onsite 9/28-10/1...up bright and early 4am pacific time to get FP......fingers crossed

 

[Mom2Stitch]

We are there 8/31-9/9 and I am planning this trip a little bit different due to those EEMHs. I have always planned our park days away from EMH, but when 3 out of 4 parks have those daily that's impossible. We have always done RD and then head back to the resort after or for lunch, so that doesn't change for us. What does change is that it is giving us extra time in the parks-love that!

I have planned our DHS and AK with being at the gate 1-1.5 hours before the EEMH-so 6ish for AK 4:30ish for DHS. We will sleep in on the day we are going to MNSSHP and the day after since we have decided to stay until midnight.

Really it's just a little fine tuning. I have all of the ADRs I want and have even gotten some better times using the TP reservation finder. Booked FPs at 60 days -have SDD and FoP on 2 different days. With the EEMH, I'm hoping that will give us 3 rides on those.

Just a new adventure-can't wait!

 

[blakefamily]

We will be offsite 9/21-9/28, then at SSR 9/28-10/1. After a very GLITCHY morning…No SDD for our 60+1 day @ HS. Since I know our group wont be arriving for EEMH, but possibly get there by 730am. I selected TSMM for 930, then went ahead with Star Tours @ 1040 and then MV3D for 12p which we may scan and drop as not sure how interested we are in it. We have Fantasmic dessert party that night so depending on our progress with the morning and RnR, ToT and Alien SS, my touring plan seems like we could head back to resort for pool and relaxation around noon and then come back for evening FP if we are able to secure any and the Fantasmic Dessert party. AK on 60+2 we got KS at 930, then EE @ 1040, and FOP at 5p. I went ahead and added late lunch at rainforest cafe as our kids have never been and will be a nice break. Any thoughts, ideas or inputs are always welcome. countdown 53 days !!!