thoughts on itinerary (long)

[harperwi]

O.k., I've tweaked and fine tuned this plan a lot, and now I'd like to know what y'all think of it.

Driving down. Arrival: Saturday 8/23 around 4 or 5 p.m.

Saturday: check in AKL. sleep or swim for an hour or two to recover from trip.
Drive to TTC, bus to WL, PS at Whispering Canyon
Boat to MK - Spectro at 8:30 - FITS at 9:30

Sunday: EMH at MK until crowded.
Mono to Epcot, Ice Cream Social @ 3.
Back to AKL when tired. No Illum. (Illum Cruise is Wed)

Monday: MGM - lunch @ Sci-Fi.
TL around 3 or 3:30 until it closes at 6.
MK for dinner until FITS at 8:30.

Tuesday: Crystal Palace Breakfast.
MK until after lunch.
BB around 3 or 3:30 until it closes at 6.
MGM for dinner until Fantasmic! @ 8:30 (reverse of yesterday)

Wednesday: AK - lunch @ Rainforest.
Back to AKL after lunch for swim or nap.
MK in the afternoon until Illum. Cruise @ 8p.m.

Thursday: EMH @ MK until crowded.
Walk to Contemp. for Water Mouse mid-day.
AK from 3 to 5
Cocoa Beach until sundown.

Friday: Favorites Day. Whatever the boys want to do again. End our last night with 2nd Fantasmic!

Saturday: Favorites in the morning. Depart for home mid-day.

I know it's very busy, but we're all pretty hyper guys. It's just the "Boys Club" going this time: Me, Kevin (29), and his boys (7 & 10). The boys will be there for the first time. We also really enjoy visiting the MK at least part of each day we're there.

So with all that in mind...What do you think?

Jon

 

[Magic2000]

Looks like a great plan!!! The boys are going to love it! We like to spend a lot of time at MK too!

 

[XStAnt]

Your itinerary looks pretty good. My only suggestion would be for Wednesday. In the afternoon you go to MK and then to an Illuminations cruise at Epcot. Why not just go to Epcot that afternoon and stay for your cruise. You hardly have any time in Epcot and it's less time traveling. I know you said you like to spend part of every day in MK but that's a lot of running around. You have lots of pther time in MK and not much in Epcot. The boys will probably love TT, MS, Maelstrom, HISTA, Body Wars, etc.

You may also be pressed for time on Monday and Tuesday leaving the water parks at 6:00 and trying to get dinner at MK or MGM before the 8:30 show. I'm assuming you're planning a quick counter service meal. It can be done, I just think there might be some rushing.

You may also want to consider doing something else on one of those nights (you have FITS planned for 2 nights). Give some consideration to doing the luau, HDDR, or Cirque on one of those nights. It's just a suggestion not a recommendation.

 

[harperwi]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm anxious to hear from more too.

The point you make about a lot of running around is a great one. It's the thing that concerns me most actually. As for our Fantasmic! nights, I believe we'll probably get our counter service dinner on Sunset Boulevard right before we go find our seats. That's what we did in 2001, and it worked well. We were even able to get in TOT and RNRC once each before dining.

Thanks for your insight - you actually commented on some of the specific things I've been contemplating, and some of the things that are most likely to change as I review and revise the next 35 days

Anyone else?

 

[pnelson]

On your arrival day, it seems like if you're arriving at 5 pm, then swimming for an hour or two (say 7 pm), then going to dinner, it doesn't seem like you would have time for Spectro by 8:30. In order to get a good spot, you usually need to be sitting a good 45 minutes before the parade. Also, I wouldn't drive to the TTC, I would just take a bus directly to MK, then hop the boat to the WL lodge from there.

Also, we really felt like the ice cream social was a ripoff-but that's just my opinion. It was probably the most expensive ice cream cone I've ever had and it wasn't even that good.

Also, what are your plans for Cocoa Beach-We plan on going there for two nights in November. It seems like with Cocoa Beach an hour away, and you staying at AK until 5, then it's already going to be dusk by the time you get there!

My son will also be 10 when we go!

 

[harperwi]

Our PS at Whispering Canyon is for 6:20 p.m. I expect that we'll arrive at the AKL around 3 p.m., but I say 4 or 5 to be safe. If we are running behind, I will cancel the WCC and order pizza for the room or something easier. Spectro is more of a priority for us than WCC that first night, since Spectro is only offered once that week.

The Ice Cream Social is on our list so we get to interact with Mickey on our first full day there. The kids have already seen pictures of the cones with the gummy worms, so I'm afraid that's on the schedule to stay now *GRIN*

Finally, we're only visiting Cocoa Beach so the kids get a chance to enjoy the ocean. We'll depart right from the AK, so we should be there around 6, and we'll head back when it gets dark or we're worn out. We adults did the quick late afternoon trip to the ocean too, and we felt it was the right amount of time. Sunset is around 7:45 or 8, so we should have a good hour or so to play in the sand and surf. I suspect the kids will be pretty wiped that day by the time we get there anyway.