time issues?

[i_dont_like_gloves]

hello.

Was just wondering if 4 nights/5 days would be enough time for 2 wdw first-timers to see the magic kingdom, mgm studios and epcot? (bearing in mind that our flight from london will arrive at orlando international around early afternoon on the first day)

we dont want to go to any water parks and have kind of figured that we may not have enought time for ALL of the parks so we have also ruled out the animal kingdom.

thanks

 

[skipperkim]

Commando style, yes. Relaxing, no. I've done 3 parks in one day. Well, we just ate at MK-CHH, rode the monorail to Epcot walked thru Epcot, and then rode the boat to MGM to see Fantasmic. It's very possible to do a park a day. You'll need to have each day planned, such as which park you want to do each day. I'd even plan where we'd eat. Check out allearsnet for menus if need be. After all, time is money when one is at WDW. I'm not saying plan down to the minute, but make a list of rides and shows you want to do. There are many guides online and ones you can buy that will tell you what to do when depending on how long you are in the that park one day.

 

[MisMikiNikiLynne]

I would agree with skipperkim that you would have to go fast and see just the essentials. Keeping in mind that flying in from London on day 1 and going through customs and having a bit of jet lag...
Have a great time and possibly ad a few more days to your itinerary...
Be sure to get ADR's if there is somewhere special that you want to eat.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Will you be staying On Site and what are the dates of your trip?

 

[i_dont_like_gloves]

we are staying on site (either boardwalk, world dolphin or port orleans french quater. no sure yet!)

and we will be going late may/early june next year.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I think, with a plan, you will be able to see all four parks. I would hate for you guys to come all that way and not see the Animal Kingdom.

I would concentrate on going to one park per day and plan on spending all day at that park.

I don't know if you are aware of it or not but you can actually arrive at and go to a certain point within the theme park all prior to park opening. Say, for instance, the official park opening time is 9:00 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., you should be able to enter the park. At a certain point, you will see Disney castmembers asking park guests to stop or they will be holding a rope. When the park officially opens, the castmembers will drop the rope and the guests are allowed to continue on through the park. This is what Disney refers to as "rope drop".

Disney also has Extra Magic Hours (EMH) for Disney resort guests.

Since you are staying onsite, you, along with other Disney resort guests, will be allowed to enter certain parks (on certain days) one hour prior to park's official opening time. This will allow you to ride and see attractions prior to other non-Disney guests.

You will also be allowed, to stay in the parks after the park's official closing time. When we were there in June, 2006 and June, 2007, we were allowed to stay in the park 3 hours after park closing. We were able to do LOTS of things over and over again.

When it gets closer to your travel time, go to www.disneyworld.com and check out the park hours on the calendar. You will also see the Extra Magic Hours calendar.

I would also suggest that you spend some time on these boards or over at www.allearsnet.com checking out the various rides and attractions that are best fitted to your party. Make a list of the things you really want to see and a list of things you would like to see if you have the time.

Also, find a good park map for each theme park. They can be found on these boards and on www.allearsnet.com. Familiarize yourself with where your 'must sees' are in the parks.

Fastpasses are available for the major rides at each of the theme parks. Read all you can about Fastpasses because they will save you a ton of time if used correctly.

There are lots of really good guidebooks out there too. My favorites are the Unofficial Guidebook to Walt Disney World and Birnbaum's Official Guide to Walt Disney World. The Unofficial Guide has very detailed descriptions of the rides, ride wait times, etc. But, I have found that the Unofficial Guide is sometimes harsh in their thinking so take some of what you read in stride. I counter-balance the harshness with the Birnbaum's book. It is sappy and happy but it does provide some helpful information on planning your days.

You should be able to find both of these guidebooks on www.amazon.com or on www.booksamillion.com.

I also like to tell first timers to know, before going, that you will never be able to see and do everything Walt Disney World has to offer. We have been 12 times in the past 10 years and this year was our first time to ride the Liberty Belle steamboat, to see the American Adventure and there are still some shows in Epcot's World Showcase that we haven't seen.

With all of the above, I sincerely believe you could see most of all four theme parks in your time frame. You're going to come home from your WDW vacation tired but you won't regret it.

Please let me know if you have other questions. I would be glad to try and answer them.

Lisa

 

[Minnie&Nana]

The above post and suggestions are excellent The one thing I might not agree with is spending all day in one park. Being able to park hop that time of year is essential and will give you loads of flexiblity

And yes, it can definitely be done, without commando touring! We have done it many times..

Plan right, give yourselves some R&R time (it will make the visit seem longer, I promise)...like going back to the resort mid day or breaking up the day and visiting the monorail resorts. Try to avoid the last weekend of May as it is a very busy time - it is a federal holiday in the U.S. and in June some nights are Grad Nights for high schoolers, so can be very crowded, but there will be nights that the parks are open very late and the later, the less crowds. Otherwise early June is a wonderful time to visit - tho it will be very hot and humid, but you can survive the heat

Also, consider Tour Guide Mike - go to the them park planning board as there is a link for him there. Although he will recommend not attending the early and late extra hours, that should not be an absolute as sometimes it really allows you to see some thing esp in the morning) then leave and go on to another park.

We're all happy to help - you've come to the right place!

Enjoy the planning!!!

And since you've spent loads of time at DLP you are quite familiar with Disney already