Touring Plan Challenge

[Quinn222]

Touring Plan Challenge
Here’s the deal. My mother, sister and I are going up to WDW for 2 and a half days in April for the Flower and Garden show. My mom is nearly eighty but in good health. We don’t ride thrill rides.
We’d like time for a break at the hotel in the afternoons. We know what we’ll have time for is limited so I’m trying to figure out what to include on this trip and how to manage it.

Thursday –
2 hour drive to WDW, go to CSR, then to where? (arriving around 11am probably)

Thursday 6:30pm reservation at Kona Café. See Wishes from beach or attempt to get to MK to see it?

Friday – 6:30pm reservation at Boma

Saturday – dept. WDW no later than 2pm.

Things we absolutely will do:
Flower and Garden show at Epcot, Ride Soarin

Things on the ‘would like to do list.’
This is a choose items list. I know we won’t be able to do most of this stuff but since we’ll be going back in the fall and again in December so we can do what we miss then.

Epcot -
Energy Adventure

Animal Kingdom-
Safari ride, Bird show, Lion King, Some of the animal trails

MGM-
Great Movie Ride, Backstage Tour, Beauty and The Beast? Is it good?

MK
Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, TTA, Small World, Peter Pan, railroad circuit

Also, a monorail circle.

So, any suggestions for how to manage our 2 1/2 days and what we might be able to see while there? We have APs so hopping is not a problem. Bear in mind though I'll have a senior with me so commando touring is out.

 

[snowy76]

My

Since you're getting in by lunchtime, I would spend the afternoon at MK. You'll be close to the Poly for dinner (take the monorail from MK so you can cross that off your list) and then you can gauge whether you want to do Wishes from inside the park or not.

Spend the next day at Epcot (if Soarin is one of your must-do's you will have to Fastpass it). Break in late afternoon since you're staying at CSR and it's relatively close to AKL. End the day with dinner at Boma.

Saturday, do MGM or AK -- I don't think you'll have time for both unless you decide to do just one or two attractions at each.

 

[Quinn222]

That sounds like a possibilty. We'd take the bus from CSR to MK and then monorail to Poly. How to get back from poly to CSR after wishes though? Boat or monorail back to MK and then bus back to CSR? Or monorail to Epcot maybe and bus from there?

My sister suggested doing the garden show the first day since WS doesn't open until eleven anyway. I'm so confused! We were at Epcot in Dec. so we don't have to do the whole WS thing again, just the flower and garden stuff.

 

[snowy76]

That sounds like a possibilty. We'd take the bus from CSR to MK and then monorail to Poly. How to get back from poly to CSR after wishes though? Boat or monorail back to MK and then bus back to CSR? Or monorail to Epcot maybe and bus from there?

My sister suggested doing the garden show the first day since WS doesn't open until eleven anyway. I'm so confused! We were at Epcot in Dec. so we don't have to do the whole WS thing again, just the flower and garden stuff.

Getting back to CSR after Wishes... you could either of the things you suggest. Is there someone in the group who is new to the monorail? Doing the monorail to Epcot might be a fun extra little excursion. Going back to MK and taking the bus might be easier on the senior in the group. That'll be one of those things where you know best. Or leave both ideas open and leave it up to the group depending on how they feel that night.

I'm no expert on the flower show, but at Epcot, it's only the WS that doesn't open until 11... Future World opens at 9. Not sure of your exact trip dates but it may even open at 8 if it's EMH. So on day 2, you could go relatively early, ride Soarin and Energy Adventure (which are in FW) with time to spare before WS opens.

 

[suevee]

I would spend Thursday at MK, especially since you have dinner reservations at Kona. Also I like to spend my first day at MK.

On Friday I would spend the morning at AK, have a early lunch at Tuskers, Flametree, or Rainforest cafe. The Lion King show is better that Beauty and the Beast IMHO. Have a break in the afternoon, depending on my elder.

Then spend Friday afternoon/night and Saturday morning at Epcot enjoying the Flower Festival. I would reconsider my Boma reservation and look into one of the restaurants at Epcot to maximise the park time on Saturday. Or make my Boma reservation for 5 instead of 6:30 if possible, so I would have a few hours at Epcot in the evening.

I would save MGM for another time.

 

[Quinn222]

How do either of these options sound?

Day one:
Drive to Orlando, Arrive for opening at Animal Kingdom
Ride Safari
Do some animal walks
See Flights of Wonder and Lion King
Go to CSR, check in. Relax for a while.
Take car to Poly, valet park. Dinner at Kona Café
Monorail to MK for Spectromagic and Wishes.
Pick up car at Poly, back to CSR

Day Two:
Bus to Epcot. Get FP for Soarin.
Do whatever we want while waiting for Soarin. Ride Soarin.
Check out as many flower displays as we feel like until about two.
Back to hotel, maybe go to the pool.
Car to AKL, dinner at Boma. Do a little animal viewing.
If we have any energy left go to Epcot for Illuminations after dropping car at CSR.

Day Three:
Back to Epcot to catch anything we might have missed in the way of flower and garden stuff. Depart by two for drive home.

OR:
Day one:
Go to CSR first and check in and then get to Epcot in time for WS to open and do the flower show there.
Back to CSR, relax a bit.
Take car to Poly, valet park. Dinner at Kona Café
Monorail to MK for Spectromagic and Wishes.
Pick up car at Poly, back to CSR

Day Two:
Bus to Epcot. Get FP for Soarin.
Do whatever we want while waiting for Soarin. Ride Soarin.
Check out as many flower displays as we feel like until about two.
Back to hotel, maybe go to the pool.
Car to AKL, dinner at Boma. Do a little animal viewing.
If we have any energy left go back to Epcot for Illuminations after dropping car at CSR.

Day Three:
Arrive for opening at Animal Kingdom
Ride Safari
Do some animal walks
See Flights of Wonder and Lion King
Depart by three for drive home.

 

[snowy76]

Both of these ideas sound good, and very doable. My personal preference would be the first one... I love Epcot and usually save my favorite for last Plus, it seems that by day 3 you'll have hit most of the things you wanted to do on this trip... your 3rd day sounds like it'll turn out to be nice and leisurely, just doing whatever strikes you. Sounds heavenly to me!

 

[Quinn222]

Thanks for the input. It's hard to believe how hard it is to plan 2 and a half days. I know if we don't plan ahead though we wont do some things we otherwise could do.

 

[snowy76]

Hey, I just wish I WAS close enough to plan a weekend trip!
Half the fun is in the planning, though, I think! Have a great time!