Solo Single Day 4-Park Trip on Thursday 5/18/17

[RoboFlyer]

All right. I've looked at touring plans, I've booked my FastPasses, but I'm not an expert. Frankly, I haven't been to Disney since 1999 and I was 15 years old and missed out a LOT. (Went in 97 and 99 - neither time did I do Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, or many other of the classic attractions. What was wrong with me?)

Anyway, I'd like to get some insight into seeing as much as possible in a single day at (potentially) all four parks by myself.

I know. This is a bad idea. I shouldn't even attempt it. I should do one park and try to get back to do more. But I'm not rolling that way and I don't know when I'll be able to come back. So I'm going to take my one day and see what I can accomplish and I figure being a solo trip will help me.

For starts: I'm a ride person. I'd prefer to do rides over shows or parades. I'd like to experience them at a glance at least and in a perfect world I'd do everything.

Secondly, I love Star Wars and want to soak in a lot of the Star Wars stuff. I picked up the Disney Rewards Chase Visa partially for the Star Wars picture bonus, but I'm not really sure what that means. I just get a free photo with a character during the specified hours if I show my card?

My current FastPass bookings are Peter Pan at 935-1035, Splash Mountain 1050 - 1150, and Space Mountain 1150 - 1250, while trying to fit in other rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, etc. between those.

Soon after Space Mountain I was going to head over to Epcot and try and do Test Track single rider and Soarin' if possible. I obviously won't have time to really soak in the atmosphere of Epcot this time around.

Then I was going to head over to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the evening doing stuff there and finishing off with Star Wars Galactic Spectacular.

So my question for you all is: does this seem reasonable? If so, is there any chance of me sliding into Animal Kingdom for a bit to hit up Expedition Everest before heading to Hollywood Studios? I will have my app open and ready to go so that I can try to lock in some later in the afternoon FastPasses if possible. And I'll be ordering my Magic Band soon as well to help things along.

What other recommendations might you have for me about can't-miss experiences?

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[BrianL]

This is doable. I "accidently" went to all four parks in one day on the last day of my recent solo trip. I passed through Epcot multiple times. You might invest in the express transportation to facilitate the hopping. Also, I like to walk between HS and Epcot and can handle that pretty quickly, so stack those two together. If you are planning AK, I'd go there from MK before EP/HS. I might actually start at AK, but I see you have FPs for MK already.

If I were trying it with a plan, I would:

AK - Rope Drop
Bus to
HS
Walk to
EP
Monorail to
MK - until close

You'll no doubt have a lot of fun though. Have a great time!

 

[adamreisinger]

I'm all about attempting the 4 Parks, 1 Day challenge, and it seems like you've got a solid plan in place. I'd definitely recommend springing for the express transportation option. It's $19 for one day, and will save you a ton of time going through security lines.

I'd say try and score a Soarin FP immediately after you get in line at Space Mountain. It seems unlikely, but you never know. Even now, currently in the 30-day FP window, there's plenty of spots still available, so you might get lucky with a same-day spot. Since you have the Disney Visa card, you might also want to check out the character photo spot in Epcot, maybe right after you do Soarin. It's on the same side of the park (though not directly in The Land -- it's up at Imagination) and usually doesn't take too much time. At Epcot, the photo is usually with Minnie and Pluto, and at DHS it's with Kylo Ren.

Assuming you leave MK by 1pm, arrive at Epcot by 1:30, then finish everything you want at Epcot by 4, you might have time to do a quick stop at Animal Kingdom before finishing the night at DHS, but that might result in you missing the window for the Disney Visa Kylo Ren photo. I forget the exact hours he's there, but it's not the full park time. That said, Kylo is also a standard M&G character in Star Wars Launch Bay, so even if you miss the Disney Visa photo op, you can get in line for a regular one.

If you do decide to skip AK, you could always take the back exit at Epcot and ride a boat over to DHS, which would give you an opportunity to check out some of the World Showcase, and the specialty items available at the Flower & Garden Festival.

Most importantly, have fun! Don't get too tied down to your plan. Be flexible, enjoy the moment, and you'll have a great time.

 

[RoboFlyer]

Thanks for the responses so far!

I hadn't looked into the Express Transportation yet but it definitely seems like it's a must for what I'm attempting to do so that will be purchased immediately. Can it be purchased in advance or does it have to be in the park? Was hoping to just add it to my ticket but don't see that as an option online.

And you're right on the money Adam about the Animal Kingdom stopover. I'll have to weigh the pros and cons of missing that photo op because I think it does stop at 4 or 5.

Thanks again for the helpful responses!

 

[adamreisinger]

Thanks for the responses so far!

I hadn't looked into the Express Transportation yet but it definitely seems like it's a must for what I'm attempting to do so that will be purchased immediately. Can it be purchased in advance or does it have to be in the park? Was hoping to just add it to my ticket but don't see that as an option online.

And you're right on the money Adam about the Animal Kingdom stopover. I'll have to weigh the pros and cons of missing that photo op because I think it does stop at 4 or 5.

Thanks again for the helpful responses!

I don't believe you can buy the Express Transportation option in advance, but you can get it right at guest services when you first enter your first park of the day.