Stressed ! My magic kingdom day..help

Meka003

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Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
135
We leave in August and I have a general plan for everyday but Magic Kingdom is overwhelming me !!! Its so big and so much to do and I dont want to be back tracking...I have redone the schedule 5 times...Im calling in reinforcements...give your best.

Background- 2 adults ( havent been in 12 years ) 2 kids ( 6 and 2 )
We will also be spending half a day at MK on our last day if stuff needs to overflow

Breakfast 8:20 CRT
Lunch 12:45 BOG
Dinner 6:30 BOMA

would like to be done by 2-3pm in the park for the 2 yr old to nap ( we might go back to MK after dinner)

I know I am asking a lot and appreciate any help we book our fast passes Wednesday this week !
 
We only went to MK one day and spent all day there (8:00 am - 12:30am with a break from 4-7) and we didn't even scratch the surface of stuff to do and see. We just did our 3 fast passes, got 2 or 3 more and stood in line for a few rides.

I wouldn't try to pre plan a lot because it will be hot and miserable. That slowed us down a lot
 
To maximize time I'd cancel one of your ADRs as you're going to be spending a lot of time in restaurants instead of the park.

I was going to cancel BOG to free that up but I figured since it was a QS and we will have to eat lunch somewhere to keep it ...If I cancel that one ....should we just do snacks to hold us to dinner ?

We have another BOG lunch on our last day if we need to use it but we will cancel one of them...
 

If you are planning on going back into MK after dinner I'd drop Boma unless you are staying at AKL. Boma has always taken me an hour and a half to eat there so that's quite a bit of time especially when you add in the travel time back to MK.

The heat is going to get to you so your break is a really good idea. I would have each person pick their top 3 rides in MK (with you choosing for your 2 year old!) and use that list as the base plan. There is no way you will get through everything but at least you'll hit the highlights for your family.

It may help you to check out easywdw.com for his MK touring plans.
 
Take a deep breathe and realize you won't even begin to see or come close to seeing everything.That being said pick your absolute must dos and focus on them and then take the rest as you can. It is going to be very hot so plan a few indoors attractions or swimming in the afternoon while the 2 year old naps. Then plan a FP or 2 for the evening time. Don't stress about what you are missing out on... Super enjoy what you are seeing and can fit in and next time see some of what you missed. Happy vacation!
 
I would also agree with dropping Boma. Food portions are big at WDW. We never managed three normal sized meals in one day. Normally, toast for breakfast, 1 table service ADR and 1 snack and we had plenty!
 
You did not say the gender of your kids, but for that age there is lots in New Fantasyland for either gender. I would say this will likely be your primary focus in the park. If there is anything that you or DH want to ride that isn't good for the kids you can use rider swap, but keep in mind that if it is a long ride (say Splash) then you will be taking that time hit x 2 away from something else you could be doing. If you think you will be back, it might be better this trip to focus on rides the whole family can do for the most part.

PPs are right that you won't hit everything. That said ... there's a lot you can get done. I'll give a general strategy and then also a recommendation to sign up for a free account at touringplans.com -- that will allow you to make customized plans (I'm guessing the reason you're not going with a pre-made cheat sheet is that none of them seem to fit what you want). You don't have to follow the plan, but it will give you an idea of how much you'll be able to do and tell you if you're trying to cram in too much. With kids that age I would set the walking speed to "Very Relaxed", this will give you time to maneuver through the crowds, bathroom breaks, etc. Just a note, the banner for the paid account is big, and the link for the free account is tiny ... but it is there.

Your point about keeping the BOG lunch since it is actually a QS is a good one, especially since you can order in advance which should (hopefully) speed the process a bit.

All of the below is what I would do ... it may or may not reflect what you want to do ... but hopefully it may be helpful ;)

A sizeable portion of the rope drop crowd is going to head straight for NFL, and I suspect you will not be done at CRT in time to get the drop on them. There are two options:
---- If you do plan on doing some big-line rides with rider-swap in Frontierland / Adventureland / Tomorrowland then now would be a good time to get them done as the waits should still be very short (and much of the crowd is in NFL).
---- If you don't plan on doing any rider-swap attractions, then the only rides outside of NFL that you would gain an advantage for with the early hour are Jungle Cruise, Buzz, and the Speedway. If your kids are interested in both Buzz and the Speedway, then I would head for Tomorrowland when you get done with breakfast and try to knock both of those off relatively quickly. If you only want to do one, I would stick with starting in NFL.

As far as a strategy for NFL; I would make FP+ starting at 10-ish. If you do end up in Tomorrowland this will probably put you back in NFL around 10:15 - 10:30 depending on what you do. In NFL, if you're not doing M&G I would get FP for Enchanted Tales with Belle, SDMT, and Peter Pan's Flight. I would get the SDMT one last (assuming that you get 10-11, 11-12, 12-1) as it's closest to BOG. I have no idea where the FP kiosks are, if everything times just right you can finish your SDMT and send someone to a kiosk to get a fourth FP, especially since you will probably use rider-swap with this so the adult who has already ridden can head to the kiosks with 2 y/o**. There are four attractions that would probably be the most desirable for you in terms of maximizing line-skipping (see below). Everything else should be do-able standby if you keep an eye on wait times. After lunch, I would wander away from NFL to do some of the no-line / low-line attractions elsewhere -- this might be a good time to head to Frontierland / Adventureland or to Tomorrowland if you didn't do it earlier. What you got for 4th FP may figure into this decision.

On Fourth FP+; the other attractions that fall in your kids age / range of interest where you could save quite a bit of time with FP+ are Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, the Speedway, and Jungle Cruise. Of course, if you can't get those, even skipping a 15 minute line is still skipping a line. Remember that people report there is often more availability on the app than the kiosk; if you don't see something attractive at a kiosk take something anyway and try to change it.

** Unless your 2 yo is over 38 inches (which they might be if they'll actually be closer to 3 or you guys are tall) then you'll need to use RS for 7DMT. I may have seen reports that you only need one FP for both of you to ride using RS, but I'm kind of fuzzy on the details there. If so then you will need to make sure both "third fastpasses" are used up in order to book a fourth before lunch. Of course, that would also provide an opportunity earlier to do something (Space Mountain?) for which you would need to use Rider Swap.

I know everyone else is recommending to skip Boma, but honestly I would say this is up to you. I would only skip it if you think there is a really significant chance you will make it back to the parks. If you think it's likely that your kids will be "parked out" for the day, then I would take the lovely sit-down meal with amazing food, and have some relaxing time around it to go out to the animal viewing areas at AKL. Only you know your family, but for my family doing Boma and not going back to the parks would significantly increase the quality of our park time on subsequent days. If quantity of food / cost is an issue then you might consider sharing at lunch, b/c the food at Boma is well worth the trip.
 
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We leave in August and I have a general plan for everyday but Magic Kingdom is overwhelming me !!! Its so big and so much to do and I dont want to be back tracking...I have redone the schedule 5 times...Im calling in reinforcements...give your best.

Background- 2 adults ( havent been in 12 years ) 2 kids ( 6 and 2 )
We will also be spending half a day at MK on our last day if stuff needs to overflow

Breakfast 8:20 CRT
Lunch 12:45 BOG
Dinner 6:30 BOMA

would like to be done by 2-3pm in the park for the 2 yr old to nap ( we might go back to MK after dinner)

I know I am asking a lot and appreciate any help we book our fast passes Wednesday this week !

With the short amount of hours to work with, you will definitely have to just pick your top Must Dos for everyone and see what you can get done. Probably start in Fantasyland, I would think that has the greatest concentration of rides for the whole family to do. As an outline, maybe something like:


Peter Pan's Flight

it's a small world

Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Jungle Cruise

Country Bear Jamboree

Mickey's PhilharMagic

Enchanted Tales with Belle


Be Our Guest Restaurant

Train to Main Street

Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square

Leave by 3pm.
 
Another vote for dropping Boma unless you're staying at AKL. Thats just... A TON of food in one day! What time is park opening that day? By the time you're finished with breakfast, crowds will be getting heavier, so I DO recommend that you do rope drop on your half day before leaving. You can do SO MUCH in that first hour if you are at RD. Our first one, we rode most everything in Fantasyland in 45 minutes but that was also during the expansion so a few things were closed.
 
I would drop CRT, as that is something you won't do every time you go, takes up a lot of time, and your little princess may not remember her experience there!...either that, or try to move your BOMA time closer to 4. so you can let your daughter rest in the stroller there, and get back in plenty of time! Just mind parade times for a speedy exit from the park!
 
You did not say the gender of your kids, but for that age there is lots in New Fantasyland for either gender. I would say this will likely be your primary focus in the park. If there is anything that you or DH want to ride that isn't good for the kids you can use rider swap, but keep in mind that if it is a long ride (say Splash) then you will be taking that time hit x 2 away from something else you could be doing. If you think you will be back, it might be better this trip to focus on rides the whole family can do for the most part.

PPs are right that you won't hit everything. That said ... there's a lot you can get done. I'll give a general strategy and then also a recommendation to sign up for a free account at touringplans.com -- that will allow you to make customized plans (I'm guessing the reason you're not going with a pre-made cheat sheet is that none of them seem to fit what you want). You don't have to follow the plan, but it will give you an idea of how much you'll be able to do and tell you if you're trying to cram in too much. With kids that age I would set the walking speed to "Very Relaxed", this will give you time to maneuver through the crowds, bathroom breaks, etc. Just a note, the banner for the paid account is big, and the link for the free account is tiny ... but it is there.

Your point about keeping the BOG lunch since it is actually a QS is a good one, especially since you can order in advance which should (hopefully) speed the process a bit.

All of the below is what I would do ... it may or may not reflect what you want to do ... but hopefully it may be helpful ;)

A sizeable portion of the rope drop crowd is going to head straight for NFL, and I suspect you will not be done at CRT in time to get the drop on them. There are two options:
---- If you do plan on doing some big-line rides with rider-swap in Frontierland / Adventureland / Tomorrowland then now would be a good time to get them done as the waits should still be very short (and much of the crowd is in NFL).
---- If you don't plan on doing any rider-swap attractions, then the only rides outside of NFL that you would gain an advantage for with the early hour are Jungle Cruise, Buzz, and the Speedway. If your kids are interested in both Buzz and the Speedway, then I would head for Tomorrowland when you get done with breakfast and try to knock both of those off relatively quickly. If you only want to do one, I would stick with starting in NFL.

As far as a strategy for NFL; I would make FP+ starting at 10-ish. If you do end up in Tomorrowland this will probably put you back in NFL around 10:15 - 10:30 depending on what you do. In NFL, if you're not doing M&G I would get FP for Enchanted Tales with Belle, SDMT, and Peter Pan's Flight. I would get the SDMT one last (assuming that you get 10-11, 11-12, 12-1) as it's closest to BOG. I have no idea where the FP kiosks are, if everything times just right you can finish your SDMT and send someone to a kiosk to get a fourth FP, especially since you will probably use rider-swap with this so the adult who has already ridden can head to the kiosks with 2 y/o**. There are four attractions that would probably be the most desirable for you in terms of maximizing line-skipping (see below). Everything else should be do-able standby if you keep an eye on wait times. After lunch, I would wander away from NFL to do some of the no-line / low-line attractions elsewhere -- this might be a good time to head to Frontierland / Adventureland or to Tomorrowland if you didn't do it earlier. What you got for 4th FP may figure into this decision.

On Fourth FP+; the other attractions that fall in your kids age / range of interest where you could save quite a bit of time with FP+ are Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, the Speedway, and Jungle Cruise. Of course, if you can't get those, even skipping a 15 minute line is still skipping a line. Remember that people report there is often more availability on the app than the kiosk; if you don't see something attractive at a kiosk take something anyway and try to change it.

** Unless your 2 yo is over 38 inches (which they might be if they'll actually be closer to 3 or you guys are tall) then you'll need to use RS for 7DMT. I may have seen reports that you only need one FP for both of you to ride using RS, but I'm kind of fuzzy on the details there. If so then you will need to make sure both "third fastpasses" are used up in order to book a fourth before lunch. Of course, that would also provide an opportunity earlier to do something (Space Mountain?) for which you would need to use Rider Swap.

I know everyone else is recommending to skip Boma, but honestly I would say this is up to you. I would only skip it if you think there is a really significant chance you will make it back to the parks. If you think it's likely that your kids will be "parked out" for the day, then I would take the lovely sit-down meal with amazing food, and have some relaxing time around it to go out to the animal viewing areas at AKL. Only you know your family, but for my family doing Boma and not going back to the parks would significantly increase the quality of our park time on subsequent days. If quantity of food / cost is an issue then you might consider sharing at lunch, b/c the food at Boma is well worth the trip.



THANK YOU !!! Great tips ! I was unaware that for the 4th FP that you could switch it to something possibly better on the app !

I really want to keep BOMA , my DH is really looking forward to it. We are staying at the Poly so maybe after dinner one of us might just take the 6 yr old back for a handful of rides. Our 2 yr old will most likely still be under 38 inches so that it a great plan on the FP.

Both of them will be happy and I know we will have a great time no matter what , I just wasnt sure what are the most fun things for them and how long each one will take. I will check out touring plans too !
 
I am at DW right now for my first trip in over 20 years (first time ever planning a trip)!!! Here are my suggestions:

1. Drop a meal reservation. We are on the dining plan with one table service, one quick service, and one snack a day. We are big eaters and we are having trouble fitting all of the food in. I can't imagine trying to sit down for three meals a day.

2. Use the touring plans website. I had no idea how to manage the parks on this trip and that site has saved me. I've even used the app at the parks when something has changed. Best $13 I've spent in a while.

Hope that helps!
 
OP, where you staying? That may help. Next...........relax.........this is Disney. You need to consider what is most important to you........Is BOMA a "must do"? If so..........that's what you work around. I would imagine CRT is pretty important for your little ones............so that is a keeper. That gets you out into the park touring on or about 10am.

Depending on your FP+ selections walk towards the back of Fantasyland to say Dumbo........then work your way west..........Note that August can be busy so plan you FP's carefully.......again try not to criss-cross the park (as best you can). Work your way to Adventureland (Is BOG a must do.........if so move to Adventure land after lunch)..........do what's fun there.........and as you get closer to 3pm (Parade time in Frontierland) hop on the train for a ride to the MK entrance (keeping in mind it goes west to east so that would the long way around). Just don't forget the parade starts in Frontierland at 3pm. Your out of the park, back to hotel (which one?), and off to Boma (car or cab it). Anything you feel you missed do on that 1/2 day you spoke of.

Most of all.........don't put so much pressure on yourself............its the "MAGIC KINGDOM"

Have a wonderful vacation!!

Doug :goofy:
 
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Too much time in restaurants, not enough time in the park. I'd cancel CRT since that will eat into your prime RD touring time.. AKL is beautiful and Boma has a great reputation and you/your kids will be wiped out by 6. I wouldn't count on anyone having the energy to return to the park, not even your DH, just plan to take your time and enjoy it and AKL. Take a taxi back to the Poly.
 


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