Skip HS in April?

[ENJDisneyFan]

We can easily spend a full day at DHS, with or without TSMM. We typically use our FP for RNRC, so no FP for TSMM isn't a big deal. Just do it at RD.

OP, you said your kids love rides. If that's the case, DHS has 2 of the best (IMO) rides at WDW in ToT and RNRC. You can also do Star Tours, TSMM (standby of course), see a few shows, meet characters, shopping, etc. They might also enjoy eating at Sci Fi, which is always on my kids must do list.

 

[rteetz]

Like I said.... I agree. and I'm doubly saddened that we picked the wrong dates to even bother trying. As a longtime parks fan, I'm bothered by this kind of thing- and FWIW, April spring break is a sold out situation for our airfare,so I can't imagine it being a slow time at the parks. For a park that already has SO little left,I'm just so disappointed.

Again the ride isn’t closing just no FP. There was a time before FP was a thing.

 

[jkh36619]

HS has become an evening park for us. Hit a couple of rides and catch Fantasmic.

 

[tabrizia]

I am planning a last minute trip (okay 55 days away, but it seems like last minute to me), April 1 - 7. The first thing I did was drop HS from our plans. There just isn't enough in there to justify spending a full day there. I figure we'll go back in a few years after the Star Wars area is opened and visit then. Until then my kids would far rather do AK, MK or EPCOT.

 

[kniquy]

We are going mid April and have pretty much said forget it for the TS ride. We do love most what is left for rides (can't pass up ToT) so we are planning on a noon - until close day. If you have park hoppers then hit HS at rope drop, do what you want for rides and then schedule FP for another park in the afternoon. If no park hoppers then you might want to skip -- it really all depends on what you and your traveling party want to do. I guess a pro/con list and see how many total days you have and how many days you want to dedicate to each park.

 

[Donalyn]

We decided to only to HS on our arrival day on April 5th. We were able to get a FP for TSMM for that day and it is still showing on MDE. But I'm hoping that a lot of people decide to avoid the park that day because there just aren't many things for everyone to do, with only 4 rides open (and one with reduced capacity).

 

[kniquy]

very few things to attract young kids right now

there are quite a few rides at Epcot that kids can do - FEA, spaceship earth, figment, the land, nemo, mexican ride. The down fall is that if there are adults who want to tour the countries that is where the kids lose interest, but there are plenty of fun things to do - getting "passport" stamps from each country, pic a pearl (in japan i think). If you are going around easter they have an easter egg hunt that the kids can do.

plan one park per day fun for them

If people want to do HS rides then plan a morning at the resort/pool and then head over for noon - there are quite a few shows to see at HS, but not a lot of rides for very little kids. You will have to have some meetings with your traveling party. I am planning for a party of 7. We have had a number of meeting to sort through the - must do, would like to do, and don't care if we do or not. This has helped me plan (yes all the planning is on my shoulders) because initially i was trying to pack in way too much stuff. I (and my family) want to enjoy the parks, have time to stop for pictures, snack, shops and still take in a number of rides. Just know planning for a large group is not an easy task. Let everyone know to put their expectations low so that there won't be any disappointment. Also there is nothing saying that a portion of your group can't go to HS and the other portion go to MK -- then you meet back up in the evening for dinner and activities at the resort. Sometimes traveling parties feel like they have to do everything together.

 

[jkh36619]

there are quite a few rides at Epcot that kids can do - FEA, spaceship earth, figment, the land, nemo, mexican ride. The down fall is that if there are adults who want to tour the countries that is where the kids lose interest, but there are plenty of fun things to do - getting "passport" stamps from each country, pic a pearl (in japan i think). If you are going around easter they have an easter egg hunt that the kids can do.

If people want to do HS rides then plan a morning at the resort/pool and then head over for noon - there are quite a few shows to see at HS, but not a lot of rides for very little kids. You will have to have some meetings with your traveling party. I am planning for a party of 7. We have had a number of meeting to sort through the - must do, would like to do, and don't care if we do or not. This has helped me plan (yes all the planning is on my shoulders) because initially i was trying to pack in way too much stuff. I (and my family) want to enjoy the parks, have time to stop for pictures, snack, shops and still take in a number of rides. Just know planning for a large group is not an easy task. Let everyone know to put their expectations low so that there won't be any disappointment. Also there is nothing saying that a portion of your group can't go to HS and the other portion go to MK -- then you meet back up in the evening for dinner and activities at the resort. Sometimes traveling parties feel like they have to do everything together.

I laughed. I don't know why.

 

[Tomh]

I am stunned and speechless right now...and I want to cry. WHY WHY WHY would they do this to an already decimated park? I was just trying to plan a day there,and I really don't know what to do at the moment. Epcot has very few things to attract young kids right now,and I was thinking HS might have some fun for young kiddos,and now I'm forced to wonder if our (long-ish) planned trip is gonna be a wasteland of not enough to do. I mean this quite seriously,as I'm currently trying to plan Fp for a large family group including young kids. The group didn't want to spend the outlandish extra on hoppers,so I was desperately trying to plan one park per day fun for them. I feel for sure that after this long planned (and pricey) trip, the rest of my extended family won't ever want to return. I myself am considering,for the first time in many years, not returning for a few years at least,until there is enough to warrant those high park ticket prices. Not to mention, April is high season and spring break for so many,why would they do that?

Be there when the park opens, go to TSMM first, and ride standby. As long as you are in that front group of people, your standby wait should be reasonable.

 

[rg35]

Epcot has very few things to attract young kids right now,and I was thinking HS might have some fun for young kiddos,and now I'm forced to wonder if our (long-ish) planned trip is gonna be a wasteland of not enough to do.

This is the wrong approach to WDW. Not every park is going to be the Magic Kingdom. Our kids (9 year old Triplets) over the last three years have LOVED going around the world showcase at Epcot and getting their entire passport completed and trying different treats from around the world and looking in the different shops (Japan is a big favorite). There are also character meet and greets around the World Showcase in addition to shows and entertainment.

It's a matter of what you want to expose kids to and get them excited about. Obviously all kids are different, but we kind of set the expectations early on that all the parks are different with different kinds of attractions to enjoy and experience. I think it's more of a "grownup" problem to get psyched out but that's because they want every park to be exactly like the Magic Kingdom. Kids are pretty adaptable, but they feed off of adults.

But there's simply no way to say that there is not enough to do at WDW and if that is your mindset the trip will be a failure.

It also helps to not make the Magic Kingdom the first park to visit, especially if it's their first trip. Do the other parks first, save MK as the headliner because then there won't be the expectation that every other park will be like the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Stephanie HD]

Like I said.... I agree. and I'm doubly saddened that we picked the wrong dates to even bother trying. As a longtime parks fan, I'm bothered by this kind of thing- and FWIW, April spring break is a sold out situation for our airfare,so I can't imagine it being a slow time at the parks. For a park that already has SO little left,I'm just so disappointed.

Personally, I think Disney should have considered allowing a base ticket to get you into any one park PLUS HS. I completely understand that Disney is a business and, of course, makes decisions based off of the dollars and cents, but they are under major construction. And I'm not hating on Disney World at all. I think it's amazing that they are doing so much development. In the end, it'll be great. In the meantime, giving people with base tickets the opportunity to go into HS for a couple of hours without wasting the whole ticket would have been nice. At least until Toy Story Land is open.

 

[magicmountainmama]

We just returned from a week at WDW & actually spent 2 days at Hollywood, well more like 1.5. My kids are big Star Wars fans though & wanted to go back to HS on our last day, rather than back to AK, even though I’d booked FOP FP for that day expecting that they’d want to ride it again. Nope, they wanted to see the March of the First Order

 

[disneygirlsng]

I would never skip HS. There is still a ton to do there and I can EASILY spend a full day there, if not 1.5-2 days if I had the time to do so (my trips are usually 4-5 days long, so just one day at each park with maybe a 2nd day at AK or MK). My last trip I was there the whole day and there were at least 4-5 things I wanted to do that we didn't get to. Plus, as said, TSM won't be closed at that time anyway.

 

[abnihon]

We’re doing it.
Staying at Beach Club so will go early for Jedi Training then back to BC for pool break. Then back to HS for dinner & F! (Must-do for my son!)
Also may try and see shows we haven’t done like Muppets, Indy and Beauty and the Beast and maybe catch Character Palooza.

 

[friedela]

I would never skip HS. There is still a ton to do there and I can EASILY spend a full day there, if not 1.5-2 days if I had the time to do so (my trips are usually 4-5 days long, so just one day at each park with maybe a 2nd day at AK or MK). My last trip I was there the whole day and there were at least 4-5 things I wanted to do that we didn't get to. Plus, as said, TSM won't be closed at that time anyway.

Glad to read this! Our first park day is HS and I am wondering why people are saying there isn't anything to do. Our entire itinerary for the day is packed with barely any wiggle room, I'm hoping we have time to see the characters. We are doing Jedi Training and can't wait to see the march of the first order, plus the shows, dinner at Sci Fi, and our FP's.. to me it looks like a pretty full day! I couldn't imagine skipping this park, my son would be heartbroken he loves Star Wars.

 

[Octoberbaby]

After seeing TSMM might be closed, I’m wondering if there’s any point to going to HS in April. We went in 2015 and a lot has closed since then. We will have regular tickets. I’m wondering if it’s worth an extra day or if we should do two days at Animal Kingdom.

We are skipping it in March, and skipped it this past October. We probably won't return until everything is completed...the last straw was when GMR closed. I love AK, so I could spend two days there.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Personally, I think Disney should have considered allowing a base ticket to get you into any one park PLUS HS. I

What I would love to see is pulling random people who do go to HS into soft openings in TSL. They could still have AP and DVC events at night but it would be nice for Disney to show some love to the people who still go despite the construction (pick me, pick me, pick me!!!).

Not likely, I know, but I can dream.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

If I didn't have an AP, I'd skip HS altogether this April. TSMM is the only ride currently there that I even like, and I don't want to wait in the standby line for it. With the AP, I'm going to HS for lunch at Sci Fi, and then will probably move on (unless there is a soft opening for Toy Story Land).

 

[MickeyWaffles]

As many have said, it’s up to you. We go to HS when we have hoppers. Usually we share our second visit to Epcot with HS (not half and half, 3/4 HS, 1/4 Epcot.)

We weren’t planning to get hoppers this time to save a little $$$.

We are choosing to skip HS this year UNLESS there is a DVC preview of Toy Story Land during our May trip. And if that happens we will upgrade to hoppers and do a half day at HS. If not, no hoppers and no HS.

 

[hsmamato2]

there are quite a few rides at Epcot that kids can do - FEA, spaceship earth, figment, the land, nemo, mexican ride. The down fall is that if there are adults who want to tour the countries that is where the kids lose interest, but there are plenty of fun things to do - getting "passport" stamps from each country, pic a pearl (in japan i think). If you are going around easter they have an easter egg hunt that the kids can do.

If people want to do HS rides then plan a morning at the resort/pool and then head over for noon - there are quite a few shows to see at HS, but not a lot of rides for very little kids. You will have to have some meetings with your traveling party. I am planning for a party of 7. We have had a number of meeting to sort through the - must do, would like to do, and don't care if we do or not. This has helped me plan (yes all the planning is on my shoulders) because initially i was trying to pack in way too much stuff. I (and my family) want to enjoy the parks, have time to stop for pictures, snack, shops and still take in a number of rides. Just know planning for a large group is not an easy task. Let everyone know to put their expectations low so that there won't be any disappointment. Also there is nothing saying that a portion of your group can't go to HS and the other portion go to MK -- then you meet back up in the evening for dinner and activities at the resort. Sometimes traveling parties feel like they have to do everything together.

thanks for the detailed encouragement...it's pretty rare when I get that upset over closings/fp issues etc at the parks, but the responsibility I feel for a large group is getting to me I was going to send my bro into hs on his first ha;f day,and then again another day with the group, I may send them into Epcot their first half day,and let them take the kids on the turtle talk etc stuff for a few hours,and save HS for another day,since there's a more limited options overall with FP and timing.