Should our first EVER day in MK be on an early close day??

[abh413]

MK closes early on Nov 10th (our first day in a park) for MVMCP (we are NOT going). Should we do MK this day? We don't have hoppers.

This is our first EVER family trip to Disney... Nov 9-14!! We are a family of 4 with an almost 3 year old son & an almost 5 year old daughter. I'm down to crunch time for our FastPass selections. I've been researching since May so that I can be prepared.

We want to do MK (2 days), AK (1 day) & HS (1 day). We are definitely doing MK on Nov 11th & have our ADR at Crystal Palace for 8:20 am.

****So should we do MK (10th) - MK (11th) - AK (12th) - HS (13th)? Or switch AK to the 10th? Or something else?****

*Is there a better day during our week to try for a A & E fast pass?

*Will the crowd level be low enough to outweigh the early close for MK on the 10th?

Thank you in advance for any & all help/perspective!

 

[Figment Mom]

If an A&E FP is really important to you, then when your window opens I'd try for that and see which day you can get one and plan your MK day around that. You are more likely to get one later in your trip but with just 4 park days it might not make too much of a difference (as opposed to going for 10 days and being more likely to get one on day 10).

With young children I don't think there's really a problem to make your first day an early close day. You'll all be tuckered out!

I like making our first day MK. To me it's the heart of WDW.

 

[Iloveyoumost]

As of midnight last night A&E FP are gone through 11/12. Considering you still have a few days it's unlikely there will be any on your 60 day mark, but keep checking!

 

[maclondon]

heres what easyWDW says - MK is most recommended

Monday November 10

Animal Kingdom: 9am – 6pm (Highly Recommended)

Epcot: 9am – 9pm (Not Recommended)

Illuminations: 9pm

Hollywood Studios: 9am – 8pm (Not Recommended)

Evening Extra Magic Hours: 8pm – 10pm

Fantasmic: 6:30pm

Magic Kingdom: 9am – 7pm (Most Recommended)

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3pm, Main Street Electrical Parade: 9pm, Wishes Fireworks: 10pm

Animal Kingdom is highly recommended. Hollywood Studios will be attracting the resort guest crowd and it’s early enough in the week that few people will be visiting Disney’s least popular theme park this early in their vacation or over a short holiday trip. We’re also coming off a morning Extra Magic Hour yesterday that will be more attractive to resort guests.

Epcot isn’t recommended with this being the last day of the International Food and Wine Festival continuing to bring in crowds. Today would be better than any day over the weekend, each which will be busier with the Marathon and holiday crowds. You can still do very well by arriving by 8:15am and taking care of the priorities first thing. Move up through World Showcase as close to 11am as possible to beat the impending crowds.

Hollywood Studios will be busy due to the evening Extra Magic Hours that are popular with Disney resort guests and the likelihood that the close will be extended, which will attract off-site guess as well. The morning will be an okay time to tour, but crowds will increase around 11am as more and more Disney resort guests arrive. Unfortunately, I’m not too fond of evening Extra Magic Hours at Hollywood Studios. There are only a few attractions open and the waits for Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours will likely be just as long as they were during the day. In addition, 9,000+ people will exit Fantasmic at 7pm, right as evening Extra Magic Hours gets underway. The Fantasmic Theater is located right on Sunset Boulevard, across from the entrances to Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. While not everyone seeing Fantasmic will be a Disney resort guest, many of them will be, and a ton will be headed to Tower of Tower and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster because they truly believe it’s the best time to get in line. Unfortunately, they’ll find themselves lined up with a few thousand of their new best friends. If you’re staying for evening Extra Magic Hours, your best bet is always to save these headlining attractions for the very end of the night and visit Toy Story Mania last. While you could theoretically have success if you arrive prior to Park opening and head straight for the headliners, the same will be true later in the week and you won’t have to deal with the significantly heavier afternoon and evening crowds. Tomorrow is a much better day to visit.

While the traditional advice is to avoid Magic Kingdom on holidays, we don’t need to be too concerned about Veterans Day with the short hours of operation and lack of nighttime entertainment during regular Park hours. We’re coming off an extremely popular day at Magic Kingdom yesterday, with longer hours of operation, evening Extra Magic Hours, and both evening spectaculars. Today, we have Mickey’s Christmas Party and the 9am to 7pm hours that accompany it. Historically, Veterans Day Monday is an excellent day to visit and there’s nothing this year to indicate that will change. The abbreviated schedule will cause many people to wait until tomorrow, Wednesday or Saturday to visit and we shouldn’t see elevated crowds specifically due to the holiday. I have no qualms about recommending it wholeheartedly. As always, plan to arrive prior to Park opening, head to the most popular attractions immediately after Park opening, use FastPass+ in the afternoon, and visit the less popular attractions in the afternoon when lines to the headliners are longer. 9am – 10:30am in particular will see incredibly low crowd levels and afternoon crowds won’t be unmanageable.

 

[maclondon]

http://www.easywdw.com/calendar/november-2014-walt-disney-world-crowd-calendar/#more-13384
has all the details for your trip

I'm planning on using these recomendations when i go next may

 

[jimandami]

If you can't get A&E FP+, I would absolutely recommend a party day as your first day because there really is a noticeable difference in crowd levels. You will be able to get so much more done on that lower crowd day that to me, it's worth an early close.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would absolutely choose MK on an early closing day. The benefits that you gain from the lower crowds far outweigh the shorter hours, IMO, especially on a first day. Maybe because we are not that RD to close family, we are always out of our first park before 7 anyway. I would get to the MK plenty early, have a CS lunch, and maybe a snack to tide you over before a later dinner outside of the park. If you skip TS meals in the park, you will have plenty of time, and then can have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening with your family, and be rested to start early agin in the morning.

My family never tries to "get it all done in a day" and I am glad, because I am convinced that we would be "that" family who melts down and crashes if we did.

 

[mom2rtk]

I would absolutely choose MK on an early closing day. The benefits that you gain from the lower crowds far outweigh the shorter hours, IMO, especially on a first day. Maybe because we are not that RD to close family, we are always out of our first park before 7 anyway. I would get to the MK plenty early, have a CS lunch, and maybe a snack to tide you over before a later dinner outside of the park. If you skip TS meals in the park, you will have plenty of time, and then can have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening with your family, and be rested to start early agin in the morning.

My family never tries to "get it all done in a day" and I am glad, because I am convinced that we would be "that" family who melts down and crashes if we did.

our most magical days have been early close days. Low crowds trump everything else. Keep in mind that those non-party days are not just average for that time of year, they are pumped up with crowds that wanted to avoid the early close days.

Either use that evening to chill out at the resort, or make plans to watch the fireworks from outside the park later (TTC, Contemporary viewing deck, maybe Poly beach, depending on construction).

 

[KingLlama]

We'll be there those exact days, and yes, we're headed to MK on Monday. Seems the consensus is that crowds may be a bit lower because of the party that night.

We're not doing the party at all that week, so that night, we'll be headed over to Epcot for the final night of the Food and Wine Festival.

Bummed that it sounds as if A/E may be hard to get, even for that week. Thought the lower crowd might help, but I'll still take a shot at it. No biggie if it doesn't work out.

 

[ghtx]

I would absolutely choose MK on an early closing day. The benefits that you gain from the lower crowds far outweigh the shorter hours, IMO, especially on a first day. Maybe because we are not that RD to close family, we are always out of our first park before 7 anyway. I would get to the MK plenty early, have a CS lunch, and maybe a snack to tide you over before a later dinner outside of the park. If you skip TS meals in the park, you will have plenty of time, and then can have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening with your family, and be rested to start early agin in the morning.

My family never tries to "get it all done in a day" and I am glad, because I am convinced that we would be "that" family who melts down and crashes if we did.

Especially since OP's kids are so young, they might not want to stay much later than 7pm anyways.

Oct 2012 we went to MK on a MNSSHP day but didn't go to MNSSHP. We were super happy with the short queues throughout the afternoon. Right before the 7pm close we rode BTMRR twice in a row with basically no queue, then took the steam train back to the park exit. It was great!

 

[wen8jr]

First ever trip - then YES! do MK for the "WOW" factor.

MK isn't our favorite park but I don't feel like we are truly at Disney until we walk up Main Street with the castle in the background.

As others have said, it will probably be a low crowd day and you will get to enjoy more as well but I would get there early if I could. We are going on a party day in Oct. for this very reason.

 

[abh413]

Thank you for the advice! I have about 24 hours to get my FP wish list figured out. Once I get this step done, I think I will be able to relax some... I hope.

 

[g-dad66]

We will be there those exact same days, and this is our plan:

Mon, Nov 10: MK
Tue, Nov 11: AK
Wed, Nov 12: HS
Thu, Nov 13: EP
Fri, Nov 14: MK

Since our grandkids on this trip are boys only, we don't face the Anna and Elsa problem.

I agree with previous posters that your last day (Nov 14) might be your best chance for an A&E FP+, and since it is also an early-close day (like Monday), it should be a good day for MK. I agree with others that Monday will also be a good day for MK.

 

[jworthy]

We will be at MK on the 10th.....can't wait

 

[letsgoreds]

I usually avoid MK on Mondays, but am a fan of MK on party days. With little ones, definitely try to have earlier nights, maybe every other day. MK your first day, all the way!

 

[KingLlama]

Looks like I'll have some competition when our FP window opens tonight at midnight.



Just be aware that starting around 10:00 p.m., I'll be throwing back Pixi Stix and 5-Hour Energy drinks. You guys are TOAST.

See you on the 10th!

 

[TisBit]

If you have a full first day (its not a travel day plus park day) then I think it i doable. I would try to make it for rope drop and take advanatage of lower ride times in the morning. As the day goes on ride times will get bad and the crowds will be bad before the party starts. Then, later in the trip go back and do the night shows. This also allows your kids to get some pool time in back at the resort or go to a themed restaurant at downtown disney.

 

[JoeyEmmaMomma]

I'd do MK.

 

[g-dad66]

Looks like I'll have some competition when our FP window opens tonight at midnight.



Just be aware that starting around 10:00 p.m., I'll be throwing back Pixi Stix and 5-Hour Energy drinks. You guys are TOAST.

See you on the 10th!

11:23 here in CDT (but 12:23 in Orlando), and just finished FP+ picks for trip beginning on November 9.

Had my FP+ runnin shoes on.

 

[abh413]

I decided to go ahead and do MK on 11/10. I checked all the days but there were no A & E to be found. I did get 7DMT at a decent time. Hopefully I made good decisions on the rest.