Thoughts about my schedule (may 11 - may 17)

[ReLo]

Hi,

I also posted this on the Disney board, but because I will also visit Universal I hope can some input also.

I will be in Orlando friday may 11 till thursday may 17 after a congress in Miami. I will stay at the Hampton Inn near Universal. It will be a solo trip in commando style without sit down meals. The rides and some shows are must does, the parades can and will I skip. I have a 7 days base ticket for Disney & a 7 days 2 parks ticket for Universal.

I put together the following schedule and I hope you could give your thoughts about it.

Friday May 11
Leave Miami around 4:00 am and drive to Orlando. Hope to arrive around 8:00 / 9:00 am in Orlando, have breakfast at an IHOP (you don't have them in the Netherlands and I really like it) and go to Island of Adventures. Check in at the Hampton Inn after IoA closes at 20:00. Must do: everything except the kid things

Saturday May 12
Visit Universal Studios (be there around 8:30 for 9:00 opening). Start with Mummy (absolute must do), Shrek and Jimmy Neutron (both new for me) and MiB. From there the other attractions and maybe some shows.
Leave around 18:00 to go to Magic Kingdom to do some outdoor attractions (Big Thunder and Splash Mountain) in the dark and Wishes (22:00).

Sunday May 13:
Visit Animal Kingdom (be there around 8:30 for 9:00 opening). Start with EE (absolute must do). From there the other attractions and maybe some shows.
After closing (18:00) go to Downtown Disney for some Dinner

Monday May 14:
Visit Disney Stufios (be there around 8:30 for 9:00 opening).This is an EMH night, but I hope to hit the major attractions in am before the crowd. Studios close at 22:00 for the non EMH guests. Visit the second performance Fantasmic at 22:30

Tuesday May 15
Visit the Magic Kingdom (be there around 8:30 for 9:00 opening).

Wednesday May 16
Visit EPCOT (be there around 8:30 for 9:00 opening). Hit Soaring first (FP for second time), TT and Mission Space (use single riders line!). Then the rest of Future World. Hit the attractions in WS (can skip the movies). Not really interested in shopping so can skip that Leave after Illuminations.

Thursday May 17
Check out Hampton Inn. Go to a Disney or Universal Park (depending on which park I missed attractions or where I want to ride favorites again) till around 14:00. Drop off car at Hertz around 15:00 and check in for my 19:00 flight. Nine hour flight to catch up sleeping and arrive around 9:30 in Amsterdam Netherlands

Thanks for your input!

ReLo

 

[robvia]

The drive from Miami to Orlando will take 4 hours with no stops. Plan on 4 and a half hours. If you stop and eat at IHop, you won't get the parking garage until 10am. I'd eat doughnuts and milk from a cooler on the way up, and visit Ihop another day. You'll arrive around 08:30am.

Most people have a plan where they visit one park each day. You don't have to do this. You can visit one park in the morning, go back to your room and rest, and visit another park at night. That way you visit each park more than once.

The plan to arrive at 08:30am is good, but it's even better if you arrive at 08:00am and you're first to the gate. Many people line up early in the morning so they can go into the park first.

Many rides have a single rider line, you can use this at night when lines are longer. Another neat trick to do is line up in row 2 for the roller coasters. If a front seat is available take it.

 

[ReLo]

Thank you for your input.

The reason I want to eat at IHOP on the friday morning is because it is a budget trip for me and on friday morning my company will pay the bill. The other mornings I have free breakfast at the Hampton Inn.

I was not planning on doing major breaks during the drive to Orlando, only stop to get some coffee and a donut at a Starbucks.

I think I can always split the day between parks, but it depends how much i have done in the morning because I feel it would take time and I'm not the person to spend time at the hotel for midday breaks.

Your suggestion about taking a free front row seat if possible sounds good but can you just do it, or do you have to ask one of employers if you can take the seat?

ReLo