Strategy for Short Trips

[samara]

We're doing a long weekend trip and I'm getting twitchy. I've never done less than a week at Disney. I know we're not going to do everything we normally do and I've been trying to prioritize. I would love to hear any strategies that others have found good for short trips!

 

[blemon]

We have only gone for 3 days in the past. One year 2 days at MK and 1 day Epcot. The next time we did 1 day at MK and 2 at Epcot. We know now that we really only need 1 day at Epcot. There are some must-do things but mostly it's walking around and eating (ha ha). For our long MK day we got there before an early res at BOG and stayed until the fireworks were over. It was a LONG day. I don't know if I want to do that again but we made it through.

We are planning another short trip and realize that we just can't do many characters because they are unpredictable with time. We'll only do a couple of our favorites or someone we have not yet seen.

I'm trying to realize that this will not be our last trip and we will go again someday.

 

[annemce118]

I have a three day trip coming up in December, and I plan to use the park hopper. I choose my favorite attractions at each park. I don't need to be at one park all day.

 

[gap2368]

I do short trips all the time ( someone days some 3 days) for me it depends on what you want to do for me if I am there for a 3 days trip then MK one day AK one( if I get done with everything then I might go to EPCOT ) day and half day at EPCOT and HS but I do go down ever 30-45 days on average so there is always ( knock on wood) have another trip planned so if I do not do something there is next time

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We're in the same boat, we usually stay 7 nights and will be staying 4 nights in February. Will be doing 2 days hopping in the Disney parks and 1 day at Legoland (my son has been asking and asking to go there). I'm just focusing on our favorite attractions at each park and seeing the new things at AK. Making our adrs has been challenging, I keep rethinking my choices.

 

[Shanti]

We're doing a long weekend trip and I'm getting twitchy. I've never done less than a week at Disney. I know we're not going to do everything we normally do and I've been trying to prioritize. I would love to hear any strategies that others have found good for short trips!

We don't try to do it all during short trips. We focus on what we really want to do, in just one or two parks, and forget the rest. We relax and enjoy the resort, too. Weekend trips can be great, especially when serving as a very needed break from a high-pressure job or school. Give up the idea that there are any "must-do" activities at Disney, and just relax and enjoy what you really want to do and have time for. Have fun!

 

[Dr.Mickey]

Our best tip for a short weekend? Leave the kids at home! We are doing a 3 night (two park days) trip in January, with plans for dinner at Disney Springs on arrival, and a day each at AK and Epcot. We plan to leisurely see all the things the kids rush us past...or not. It doesn't matter! It will be a very different trip

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

We have gone on short trips a number of times now.
Once we only had a party ticket for MK and a 1 day park hopper for HS and Epcot.
Although usually on these short trips we have a party and a 2 day park hopper.
We've gone enough that we know what we want to do and what we can skip.
If there's time we'll squeeze in a few things we left out due to scheduling.
You just have to be willing to accept that you will not fit everything in and "let it go" lol.

 

[cgattis]

Did a weekend trip for DD15th birthday. Did four parks in two days, open to close (in August--fun!!). Hit our favorites, her favorites (Carousel of Progress LOL), and the new stuff, which at that time was Star Wars fireworks. Did most anything she wanted (like meeting Sophia LOL), shopped more than usual, and did no TS but lots of snacks (which we are often too full from TS to try). It was very different than our usual trips but we had a great time!!

 

[Haley R]

We normally stay for a week, but we've only done 3-day tickets. We've never bought anything higher than that. Last year we did MK for one whole day plus EMH from 12-2am, whole day at Epcot, and on our last day we did a half day at AK and finished that night with MK. Our favorite park is MK so we try to go there twice. I think you have to decide which parks you want to see the most. We are going for 3 days again next February and we are only doing MK and AK without park hopper tickets. One of the main reasons we do MK twice is so we can focus on rides one day and then our second day we try to meet characters and re ride anything we really like (all 3 of the mountains).

 

[Disneylover99]

Pick 3 "must do's" per day. Everything else is gravy.

 

[bashuck]

We're doing a long weekend trip and I'm getting twitchy. I've never done less than a week at Disney. I know we're not going to do everything we normally do and I've been trying to prioritize. I would love to hear any strategies that others have found good for short trips!

I'd base it on how you handle your normal week long trip and not deviate too much from those as I imagine you normally do it that was for a reason. Our family is an arrive at the park a little after 9, stay a few hours, each lunch and go back to the resort for pool time and sometimes a short nap and then go back out around 4:30 to a different park where we stay until 9. If we switched it up to rope drop to park close 2 straight days we could certainly get a lot done but it would be too hectic for us to enjoy. I imagine we'd just do the normal routine except stay out later the last night. Hope it goes well.

 

[Spork24]

Attitude is everything, don't focus on how much you accomplish in terms of attractions. Just do what you like and have fun.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We've done many short trips and we really try to focus on a few things and pick one or two must-do's per day. For example, we went down Memorial Day weekend of 2016 with the express purpose of doing the safari sunset ride, see the Tree of Life awakenings, try Tiffins and see the Jungle Book show that was being presented at the time. We also went down one weekend with the main goal of going to Club Villain. There have been some short trips where we only go into one park (EP for Festival of the Arts for example).

 

[samara]

Thank you all so much for the great replies! It seems like I need to just focus on a few things I want to do per day, relax, enjoy what we do get done, and realize that this will not be our last Disney trip! I also like the advice of not trying to change up our usual touring routine. That makes sense to me.

Thank you

 

[adelaster]

We're doing a long weekend trip and I'm getting twitchy. I've never done less than a week at Disney. I know we're not going to do everything we normally do and I've been trying to prioritize. I would love to hear any strategies that others have found good for short trips!

If you are going from seven days to three, don't pressure yourself to "do everything we normally do"! Talk to your companions about what the most important few things are and make them happen. Really narrow it down so you have time to enjoy those things and leave space for unexpected/organic experiences in between.

 

[richmo]

I think you're already in the right mindset in realizing you're not going to be able to do it all. I'd say just try to Fastpass your favorites for as early in the day as possible (especially at MK, since you can often get several more as the day goes on). Beyond that, just relax and have fun!

 

[Tigger's ally]

Well, I suggest doing what ride you must see the first day. We are on a short trip now and on our last day and we had fast passes for FOP today at ten. So far,the whole Pandora section has been down. Was the main reason we came back after whole family trip in May. Still holding out hope it opens but regretting making this our last day.. Arghhhhhhhhh

 

[kniquy]

Park hoppers might be helpful. I guess you need to narrow down what is a priority must do. Rope dropping everyday would help with getting a lot done without use of FP and if you had hoppers your could rope drop one park until noon, grab lunch then do FP for the afternoon at another park. If i only had 3 days i would probably do Epcot, MK and AK. HS is easier to put off especially when you know in a year or so star wars land will be open.

 

[Shellyb84]

We've done several 2 night weekend trips. We pick a few things we really want to do, but otherwise we just go with the flow, spend time at the resort and pool, just wander around parks or resorts. We have APs so we hop around. Last time we went for a weekend (Labor Day, just DH and I) I didn't even set my alarm (very unusual for me at Disney!). We're going again next weekend, and I think we may just get on whatever bus comes first.