Thoughts on Enchanted Forest Strategy

[cosmicmommy]

I am WAAAAAAAAAAY early here on my trip, but I am a huge planner. I have 3 boys who will be 8.5, nearly 7 and a few days from 5. It will be me and the 3. Special needs aside (my middle boy), how does this look for an attack plan for Enchanted Forest? (I have Storybook Circus planned on a different day). For what it's worth, we will be heading down into Tomorrowland following this layout. All parades are planned for our 2nd MK day. All times are assumptions based on what ADR/FP+ I am going for and currently listed schedules/approximate wait times/ride lengths for attractions. We will have a DAS pass, but I am trying to plan without figuring it in, so we won't have disappoinments. I am also trying to minimize walking, which is why my plan pretty much follows along in order. I should mention we will be there the last couple days of Feb/1st day of March next year, which is Mardi Gras week. This plan is made considering park hours for M/T/W, but this is only the first half of Monday. I may push it out to W/Th/F that week since most school only get M/T off for Mardi Gras and we get the whole week. Just starting to plan and I don't have kids' input yet because they don't know about the trip yet and won't until December (their Christmas gift from me this year is the trip).

8:00 AM – Breakfast at Be Our Guest (Enchanted Forest) – 4 Quick Service Credits

9:00 AM – Rope Drop – Enchanted Tales with Belle (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

9:30 AM – Meet Gaston at Gaston’s Tavern (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

10:00 AM – Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

10:30 AM – Meet Ariel at Ariel’s Grotto (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

11:00 AM –Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (11:00 AM FastPass+) (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

11:30 AM – Snack at Pinnochio’s Village Haus (Enchanted Forest) – 3 Snack Credits (Converted from 1 Quick Service)

12:00 PM – It’s A Small World

12:30 PM – Meet Peter Pan in Fantasyland (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

1:00 PM – Peter Pan’s Flight (1:00 PM FastPass+)

1:30 PM – Prince Regal Carrousel

1:45 PM – Mickey’s PhilHarMagic (Slip by Castle Couture for Pixie Dust)

2:00 PM – Sign up for Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom (Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe)

2:30 PM – Meet Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall (Rapunzel/Snow White) (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

3:00 PM – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (3:00 PM FastPass+)

3:30 PM – Mad Tea Party

4:00 PM – Meet Alice in Wonderland at Mad Tea Party (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

4:30 PM – Meet Merida at Fairytale Gardens (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

 

[gap2368]

This is a very ambush schedule I meet PP last trip I got there 15 minutes before he showed up and I still waited 35 minutes after he got there and I was close to the end of the line and the line for his next set was all ready 5 deep

Also you do not have a scann your MB for your photo in fact 7DMT dose not even have one

 

[gap2368]

now that I have my computer here is what I think.

8:00 AM – Breakfast at Be Our Guest (Enchanted Forest) – 4 Quick Service Credits

make sure you are fast eaters and look at the menu before had so you know what you like

9:00 AM – Rope Drop – Enchanted Tales with Belle (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)


the only time you will need to scan for this is if you or your kids are part of the show


9:30 AM – Meet Gaston at Gaston’s Tavern (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

not sure when he starts to meet but they only meet for about 45 minutes and the line can get long even before they come out and sometimes the line closes before they get out.

10:00 AM – Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

if every thing goes to your plane this should be doable the line should not be too long at 10

10:30 AM – Meet Ariel at Ariel’s Grotto (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

see note about the other meet and greet ( but I do not think she takes long breaks since there is a FP for her

11:00 AM –Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (11:00 AM FastPass+) (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

good FP chose as the line at RD can be 30 minutes and goes up from there and no were to scan your MB

11:30 AM – Snack at Pinnochio’s Village Haus (Enchanted Forest) – 3 Snack Credits (Converted from 1 Quick Service)

it would take you 15 to 20 minutes just to order

12:00 PM – It’s A Small World

the line could be 30 minutes at this point then the ride is 10 and if the boats get backed up then well

12:30 PM – Meet Peter Pan in Fantasyland (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

I think you will be much latter then this if you do every thing I think you are really looking at 1:30

1:00 PM – Peter Pan’s Flight (1:00 PM FastPass+) another good one but the sue is really good the line get long fast

1:30 PM – Prince Regal Carrousel

this line can get long but there is not wait time for it I got out one time after waiting a good 20 minutes and I was no were near the front

1:45 PM – Mickey’s PhilHarMagic (Slip by Castle Couture for Pixie Dust)

great afternoon break

2:00 PM – Sign up for Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom (Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe)

are you going to play some if so you will need more time

2:30 PM – Meet Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall (Rapunzel/Snow White) (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

count on at lest a 45 minute wait if lucky 30

3:00 PM – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (3:00 PM FastPass+)

the whole line is interactive so you may not need a FP for this

3:30 PM – Mad Tea Party

4:00 PM – Meet Alice in Wonderland at Mad Tea Party (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)

agin get there early and be prepared to wait maybe even 2 sets this lat

4:30 PM – Meet Merida at Fairytale Gardens (Scan MagicBand for PhotoPass)


if you are getting a DAS card ( or thinking of it ) this would mean you have someone with a disability in your group I see you running form one thing to another and have no breaks really built in I would sought anyone could do this let alone someone with 3 kids and a specie needs person

Good luck

 

[baler31]

The SOTMK has closed at the Christmas Shop. You must sign up at fire station now. Just be prepared for everything to not go as planned and be flexible, schedule is very tight.

 

[cosmicmommy]

There are a lot of built-in things we can skip if we get off-schedule. This is just general thoughts for now. It's fun to plan. Once my kids know about the trip, I am going to have them make a list of their top 3 rides and make sure we hit those, then drop out the others if we get off-schedule.

Yes on the DAS - my middle baby is SPD and an Aspie so he can get overwhelmed in lines and will be needing to keep his ear muffs on for a lot of the dark rides. We are going to combine the use of the DAS and FP+ to access the attractions, so we may be able to "wait" in one line while we use a FP+ for another attraction.

The meet and greets are extremely flexible - there are only a couple that are must-dos because I made sure to include a lot of character dinners. Meet and greets will be the first thing to go if necessary.

 

[gap2368]

There are a lot of built-in things we can skip if we get off-schedule. This is just general thoughts for now. It's fun to plan. Once my kids know about the trip, I am going to have them make a list of their top 3 rides and make sure we hit those, then drop out the others if we get off-schedule.

Yes on the DAS - my middle baby is SPD and an Aspie so he can get overwhelmed in lines and will be needing to keep his ear muffs on for a lot of the dark rides. We are going to combine the use of the DAS and FP+ to access the attractions, so we may be able to "wait" in one line while we use a FP+ for another attraction.

The meet and greets are extremely flexible - there are only a couple that are must-dos because I made sure to include a lot of character dinners. Meet and greets will be the first thing to go if necessary.

I am glade you did not think you would have to do all of this I like your idea of letting your kids deside on rides since you have 3 maybe each get one ride at the park if they all have the same one then each get one more

 

[MermaidMommy]

I would change this plan around completely. There's no reason to go to Enchanted Tales first, plus it's such a long attraction that you'll miss out on the benefit of being at rope-drop early. (And, FYI, you won't scan your band at all for PhotoPass there.)

(Also, it's Cinderlla/Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall right now. No one knows what will happen after Anna and Elsa move. Currently, Snow White meets on Main Street).

First, if you finish at BoG early, there's a very good chance you can ride SDMT before the park opens. If you can, that's great. From there, go to PP. Even if you don't go to SDMT, go to PP first. This is what I would do:

PP
Meet princesses at Fairytale Hall -- if you go in the afternoon, you could have a 60 minute wait or more, even for Rapunzel/Cinderella.
Pooh
**You could add in Dumbo and Barnstormer here on your way to Ariel**
Teacups -- (personally, I would do this later, but it would mean some backtracking, so you might want to leave it here)
Meet Ariel
Under the Sea
It's a Small World

You could get through all that in the first two hours. Then FP ETWB and SDMT, and pick something else to FP. Add the carrousel and Philharmagic whenever.

Gaston doesn't start meeting until 10, currently. I would plan on meeting him in the afternoon. Just make sure to be in line 15 minutes before his meet and greet starts. He meets for 30 minutes at a time, and his line often gets cut before he even comes out.

Merida will have a huge line in the afternoon, so you need to decide if you want to wait for her.

Also, I would strongly recommend purchasing Kenny the Pirate's Character Locator, since characters are a priority. It's around $6, I think, and it will tell you the exact times of each character's meet and greets. Characters don't meet all day -- some just meet in the morning or afternoon, for example -- and some of the times you have listed for meet and greets might not be possible.

 

[cosmicmommy]

Yeah, that's just more or less my ideal track plan if everything works out perfectly. It may work, it probably won't. Characters aren't a priority since I have worked in 4 character dinners that will hit a variety of characters (Cinderella, Pooh, Lilo/Stitch, Donald et al) and Chip/Dale at the campfire. This summer, I am going to show my boys all the classic Disney movies and see which ones are their favorites.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

This is amazing. I love that you have everything on the hour or half-hour. Somethings will take longer, but others will be shorter so I think it will all even out.

For many of the experiences you will not need to scan your Magic Band for pictures or your Memory Maker card. I know at Enchanted Tales they give cards with the access code pre-printed on them. When you log into your Disney account there is a place to add that code and upload those pictures to your account. Slightly annoying to delete all the pictures of complete strangers, but at least you KNOW you have all of the pictures from your time with Belle. This is the same process for the Jedi Training Academy at DHS.

Also, for 7DMT the pictures are automatically linked to your Magic Band. You don't have to do anything after the ride. Just check to make sure the pics show up in your account.

We also watched the classic Disney films before our trip and it really enhanced the experience for the kids. Our Chip and Dale campfire was rained out, but it sounds like such a fun evening! Have a great trip!

 

[glassslippergirl]

You seem very enthusiastic about your planning, but, honestly, this schedule would be my vacation nightmare-- fun neatly apportioned in half-hour intervals. I'd keep the order (probably not with ETWB first) and drop the times. First, you're only setting yourself up for failure. But second and most importantly, part of the charm of WDW with kids is that it's a world created with them in mind; there's a lot to take in (not just attractions and meet and greets). Outside of Winne the Pooh, there's a cute little play area that my DS absolutely loved. He played there for 20 minutes, and we just watched smiling. Your plan will discourage these beautiful moments that really make the memories. What if your boys get off the teacups and want to go again? Third, I don't even see time for a bathroom break here, and let's face it, when a kid has to go...

Have fun with your planning and on your trip. I would love to get a WDW trip for Christmas!

 

[cosmicmommy]

The plan isn't set out to be to the minute. The times are really a general guide for me to know if we're ahead of schedule, on-schedule or behind-schedule and if we need to drop something or if we have time to mill around for a bit, also if we have time to duplicate something. I'm pretty flexible on times - if the kids wanna go again on something, they'll be given a choice - do this twice and miss this or go do this other thing instead and come back to this again later if we have time. I should mention that Storybook Circus is allotted for on our second day in MK.

I did a schedule similar to this for Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and ad-libbed along the way. It seems precise because I need to feel like I have compartmentalized everything before going into an unknown, but I know how to swing it on the fly, especially with my Aspie.

Thanks for the input everyone! I have a very good friend leaving tonight for her trip with her 3, but she'll have her DH along to help out. I don't have one of those, LOL.

 

[MermaidMommy]

Just a question: Have you thought about how you are going to handle the seating arrangements on the rides? I'm asking because you have to be 7 to ride without an adult, and under 7's can only ride with someone 14 or older. So, you'd have to always ride with DS5. DS6 would have to ride with you as well, unless you coach him to say that he's actually 7. But, that does mean that DS8 and DS 6 would have to ride without you most of the time. Will that be a problem for your special needs son? I just didn't want you to get there and find out that you cant split up into various combinations of two and two.

 

[cosmicmommy]

Just a question: Have you thought about how you are going to handle the seating arrangements on the rides? I'm asking because you have to be 7 to ride without an adult, and under 7's can only ride with someone 14 or older. So, you'd have to always ride with DS5. DS6 would have to ride with you as well, unless you coach him to say that he's actually 7. But, that does mean that DS8 and DS 6 would have to ride without you most of the time. Will that be a problem for your special needs son? I just didn't want you to get there and find out that you cant split up into various combinations of two and two.

I have considered that. We have always taught the kids that once they get close to an age, they're basically that age, so he will just be considered 7 and his age stated as so and will ride with DS8 on any ride that requires a rider to be 7. He is very close to his brothers so he should feel okay with them if he's going to ride at all and he is actually the size of an average 7 year old now, so it won't be a safety issue. I plan to ride behind them with DS5 when we have to be split up or aren't in line (like Space Mountain). On rides where it doesn't matter, I figured I would rotate between the two older boys on who rides with me. I have been watching for those rides - I know Barnstormer is one. Which others require you to be 7?

 

[MermaidMommy]

There's a difference between height restrictions and being able to ride alone. ALL rides require kids to be 7 to ride without an adult. It doesn't matter how tall they are. There aren't any exceptions to the rule. Sometimes, parents will be able to convince a cast member to make an exception, if it's a ride that you'll be sitting directly behind them on, but that's a lucky break. You need to be prepared for the fact that rotating between your kids won't be possible.

 

[cosmicmommy]

I am fine with riding with DS5 on everything where we won't all be together. My middle and oldest can ride together. I am actually putting him on the reservation as 7 anyway since we will be celebrating his birthday while down there, even though it's not during the trip.

 

[MermaidMommy]

Is the rule 7 on ALL rides?

Yes, unfortunately.

 

[cosmicmommy]

Yes, unfortunately.

We'll make it work. Sometimes being a single parent sucks, but I will figure out how to make it work.

 

[MermaidMommy]

We'll make it work. Sometimes being a single parent sucks, but I will figure out how to make it work.

I'm sure you can make it work! But, at least now you know, so you can prepare your two oldest. It would've much worse to have to figure it out while you were there. Hope you have a great trip, and keep asking questions if you need to!

 

[cosmicmommy]

I'm sure you can make it work! But, at least now you know, so you can prepare your two oldest. It would've much worse to have to figure it out while you were there. Hope you have a great trip, and keep asking questions if you need to!

I'm sure I will - y'all will be sick of me by the time I go. LOL If it tells you anything, I firmly decided we were indeed going to Disney a month ago and I have changed my hour by hour plans 3 times already. I know all of this will change and become firmer and more up-to-date as time passes and hours are released/confirmed, ADRs are made and FP+ rezzies are done. Once I have everything in place for what times the shows and such are actually happening and EMH and all that fun stuff, I will tailor a plan based on the kids' wants (and needs) - and then I will probably revise it half a dozen times in the month before we go.

 

[VillainFavs]

Totally hijacking here, but had to pop in just because I had no idea what "Enchanted Forest" meant! I thought I was pretty up on all things Magic Kingdom and had never heard it referred to as that. Just always thought of it as part of Fantasyland! Learn something new every day....