Strategy Feedback for Epcot & MK (One day each with G+ & EE)

[sageblue]

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or feedback on my strategy outlined below!

I haven’t been to WDW in close to ten years, and my boyfriend hasn’t been for over 25. We will be at Epcot all day Saturday, 6/3 and MK all day Sunday, 6/4

I have been fervently reading and watching videos in preparation. Some facts and context:

• We are happy to pay for G+ each day: I know for Epcot it probably isn’t necessary, but I’d rather spend time enjoying topiaries, food, and cocktails than waiting in lines.
• We are staying at Dolphin, so we’ll do EE both days.
• We are not all that interested in ILL+: VQ for GotG seems relatively doable and 7DMT and Tron don’t interest me enough to spend money for them. If it happens that I can get on 7DMT without too much trouble, and I can get a VQ for Tron, that’s great; if not, we can try next time, whenever that is!
• I am interested in riding some favorite rides more than once as efficiently as possible, including Test Track, Soarin’, Space Mountain, and BTMR.

OK, now for the plans:

Epcot

• 6:45am: set up favorites and then buy Genie+
• 7am: VQ Guardians; LL Frozen (a lot of what is below will depend on when these end up being)
• EE rope drop at 8:30am: Remy, then see how long Test Track line is and try to do it via Standby, perhaps as single riders
• 9-11am: go from Test Track to Soarin’ for Standby; do random things in the non-World Showcase end of the park
• 11am: try for LL for Test Track
• Future LL priorities: Soarin’, Mission: Space
• Afternoon and evening: music, topiaries, food, cocktails, exploring World Showcase, shopping, fireworks

MK

• 6:45am: set up favorites and then buy Genie+
• 7am: VQ Tron, LL Jungle Cruise (a lot of what is below will depend on when these end up being)
• EE Rope Drop at 830am: Space Mountain, maybe something else in Tomorrowland
• General Rope Drop at 9am: Head to BTMR on Standby (I know…a lot of walking)
• Future LL priorities: Peter Pan, Space Mountain, BTMR, Haunted Mansion, Pirates
• Morning and afternoon: pick up LLs for random stuff, parades and do what’s easiest
• 7:50pm: Fireworks Dessert Pre-Party
• After fireworks: Try to do 7DMT

So, what do you think? And, thanks again!

 

[g-dad66]

Given your priorities, I think you have a well-designed plan.

 

[kylenne]

Sounds good for the most part. But I would actually book Test Track as your first LL on the Epcot day instead of Frozen. Test Track is something of a wild card and can be down at park open due to finicky mechanical issues, so having it as an LL is basically an insurance policy. If it is down, they'll give you a multiple experience pass so you can ride it at any time, kind of like a bonus LL. If you're in the first wave of folks on Remy, Frozen will not be a bad standby wait at all for your second ride (EE guests will still be beelining for Remy when you get off of it) and it's almost always up at park open. I also like this plan better for IG starts because Test Track is where everyone rope dropping from the front of the park will head first.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I agree with PP on Epcot, I'd move TT up over FEA as that LL will be gone faster than Frozen and it's more likely to be down. I can't recall how many times it's down first thing in the morning; only to find out after you've high tailed it over there from World Showcase. You're spot on for RD Remy from the international gateway and when you're done there, just cruise over to FEA and go standby for FEA. If the line seems too long for you, bypass it and aim for a FEA LL later.

At MK, definitely smart to try for JC first and PP second as those are gone fast. Your other LL choices are good as well. If you do decide to switch things up, you can also RD 7DMT instead of SM if you don't want to wait until after fireworks but usually it's pretty easy to get on 7DMT at park close and ride with little wait. The bulk of everyone at EE for MK is going to fantasyland so it's nice to do tomorrowland and not have to contend with the bulk of the crowds. We end up doing a lot of backtracking in MK, even before G+ just because that's how we tour and we don't really mind it.

For not having been in the parks for quite some time, you've got a good solid plan. So long as you're ok with changing stuff up on the fly since G+ is fluid, you'll have a great time.

 

[sageblue]

Thanks for pointing out that TT has its issues: I like the idea of having an “insurance policy” for it. I will keep tabs on the weather though, in case there’s a good chance of thunderstorms and I want to do TT before the storms roll in.

 

[sageblue]

Given your help with my itinerary, I wanted to check back in to let you know how things went! In a word, it went perfectly! Here’s my blow-by-blow account:

Epcot (parentheses details Drinking around the World items, many of which were shared)

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure get on at 8:22am
• Frozen Ever After complete at 9:00am
• Soarin’ Around the World complete at 9:39am
• Test Track (LL) complete at 10:10am
• Mission: SPACE complete at 10:35am
• Walked around to front of park and light shopping
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends (LL) complete at 11:15am
• Stop for festival food at 11:35am
• Journey into Imagination with Figment (LL) complete at 12:05pm
• Living with the Land (LL) complete at 12:35pm
• Festival food at 12:50p
• Frozen Ever After (LL) complete at 1:20pm
• Norway snack 1:30pm
• Festival snack (taco vampiro) at 1:40pm
• Shopping at 1:50pm
• Enter Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (VQ) at 2:05pm; exit at 3:00pm
• Coca-Cola at 3:05pm
• Spaceship Earth (LL) complete at 3:25pm
• Festival snacks at 4pm, 4:40pm (including margarita)
• Mexico during rain storm; Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros (LL), complete at 5:25
• China and Reflections of China at 5:30p (cantaloopy)
• Germany at 6:15 (potato pancake; sparkling wine; drumming act)
• American Adventure at 6:40 (jack, lemonade and peach)
• Japan at 7:10 (violet sake)
• Morocco at 7:40 (cider flight; kebab)
• France at 7:55 (orange slush)
• Remy (LL) complete at 8:20
• Canada (Ottawa apple; Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360) at 8:30
• Great Britain (Cider and Black and Tan) at 8:55pm
• Fireworks

Magic Kingdom

• Main Street at 8am
• Moving into Tomorrowland at 8:25am
• On Space Mountain at 8:40am
• Big Thunder at 9am
• Pirates of the Caribbean at 9:25am
• Coffee at 9:40
• Big Thunder at 10:00am
• Jungle Cruise (LL) at 10:30am
• Small World (LL) at 11am
• Lunch at Casey’s at 11:30am
• Peoplemover at 12pm
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (LL) at 12:30
• Tron (VQ) enter at 12:55pm, exit at 1:45pm
• Carousel of Progress at 2pm
• Mad Hatter Tea Party at 2:25pm
• Peter Pan (LL) at 2:35
• Haunted Mansion (LL) at 3pm
• Space Mountain (LL) complete at 4pm
• The Barnstormer (LL) at 4:20pm
• Dumbo (LL) at 4:30pm
• Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (LL) 4:40pm
• Railroad 5pm
• Popcorn at 5:25pm
• Big Thunder (LL) 6:05pm
• Pecos Bill at 6:15pm
• Parade at 6:30pm
• Country Bear Jamboree at 6:45pm
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (LL) at 7:15pm
• Dessert party at 7:50pm
• Fireworks at 9pm
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train complete at 10:15pm

Let me know if you have any questions!