Touring Plan Help Appreciated :)

[AliceAndJohn]

Hi everyone,

On the advice of people who read my last thread I decided to post our touring plans as they stand.

I'll start with some information about us and our trip. This is the long awaited honeymoon for my husband and I; we have been saving for 2 years to afford this trip and will be celebrating 18 months married and 4 years together whilst we are in the magic. Neither of us have been to a Disney park before or been to America (we live in the UK). We love spending time together and all our holidays/ days out involve doing things rather than laying around sunbathing.

As for our trip it is a 21 night trip staying at Pop Century. As I said it is our honeymoon and it is just the two of us.

Day 1: arrive in Orlando at 17.05 and get Magical Express. Check into hotel around 7-ish (do people think that it realistic?). If we're hungry grab something g to eat then get an early night.

Day 2: (October 31st): 7am reservation for Cinderella's Royal Table. 2.30 reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Day 3: 11 am reservation at 50's Primetime Cafe. 4.30 Fantasmic Package.

Day 4: 7.30 reservation at Chef Mickey's. 4.30 reservation at Rose and Crown Pub.

Day 5: No reservations instead we plan on stuffing ourselves at the food and wine festival.

Day 6: No reservations, this is currently budgeted as a relaxed day and going back to things we love.

Day 7: Animal kingdom! 8am reservation at tusker house. 5.45 reservation at rainforest cafe animal kingdom.

Day 8: 8.15 reservation Akershus.

Day 9: 4.15 Be our Guest. 8pm Whispering Canyon Cafe

Day 10: No plans

Day 11: (car hire starts) Showcase of Citrus.

Day 12: SeaWorld. Behind the scenes tour and Dine with Shamu

Day 13: Universal Orlando- Wizarding World here we come!

Day 14: Kennedy Space Center.

Day 15: Visit the Millennium Mall.

Day 16: (car hire ends). 2pm reservation Via Napoli

Day 17: Resort day. 10am reservation Supercalafragalistic breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Day 18: Downtown Disney day. 2.30 reservation T-REX. 7.30 reservation Raglan Road.

Day 19: no plans

Day 20: Reservation 4.10 Le Cellier

Day 21: 8.10 Breakfast with Pooh and Friends Crystal Palace. Check out and Leave :'(

So far I haven't got any fast pass ideas. But there is plenty on our Disney bucket list. We'd like to play the mini golf and Disney Quesg , visit the open water park Blizzard Beach, relax at the Belle Vue Lounge, see all of the parades and shows, hear the voices of liberty, take a cartridge ride, see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights and see a outdoor movie.

I'd love to hear peoples comments and if anyone has any tips I'd be much appreciative. Thanks x

 

[com_op_2000]

Day 13: Universal Orlando- Wizarding World here we come!

Book a nights stay at one of the on-site US/IoA hotels. Just take an over-nite bag with you and do both parks back-to-back. This way you can get
two days of the front-of-the-line access within both parks. It will save you a lot of time, when at those parks, as the lines for HP rides can run hours.

 

[officialkt]

As part of my build up to going to WDW in September I'm finding Twitter very useful...following Dis and Wdw gives me lots of updates as to whats going on.
In addition my favourite to follow is Kennythepirate..annoyingly he only lives twenty minutes
from Wdw and is there all the time...its just nice to see his
photos and look forward to been there yourself plus his info is useful.

Finally although I'm only going back to Wdw next trip I was there at Christmas with
my kids and I really felt Universal had the most exciting rides..in particular Transformers
and Harry Potter..for Potter you have to go straight there first thing as it fills up and they close it off. Really you need two days for both parks...but now they've
finished Diagon Alley I've read you need a two park ticket to do the train ride.
You might want to check that out to see if I'm right.

You will love Florida..their roads are bigger than our motorways and how many Mcdonalds
on one street.?..whats that all about..?

 

[gules]

I'm guessing you want to do like... everything while you're there, since you're in from England. How do characters factor into this? Are you looking to meet some and get photos/autographs? Also, how about foods that you like? Are you interested in any of the Disney-only things such as the Sunrise Safari, etc, or any of the tours?

You should get a schedule for movies shown at your resort at check-in. Find a movie and a time you like and show up at the designated area! I don't know if Blizzard Beach will be open since it will be Oct/Nov... I'm not interested in water parks, so someone else might know more about this. And DisneyQuest is quite easy to fit in. If you really want to see all the fireworks and parades, also consider the Wishes Dessert Party (eat sweets and see the most popular fireworks in style).

Important: Do you have park hoppers? What is your plan for laundry/clothing?

Here are some suggestions to your schedule, based purely on ride popularity:

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Day 1: arrive in Orlando at 17.05 and get Magical Express. Check into hotel around 7-ish (do people think that it realistic?). If we're hungry grab something g to eat then get an early night. You'll probably get in between 7-8. Early dinner at your resort and turning in might be for the best after a long plane ride. Make sure to drink lots of water so you're rehydrated for the next day (or else you'll feel even more tired or even headachy).

Day 2: (October 31st): 7am reservation for Cinderella's Royal Table. 2.30 reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern. Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. MSNSSHP allows you to dress up, but you can't enter the park in costume until a certain time (usually 4 or 5 PM). If you want to dress up (and tons of adults do) you'll have to go back to your room and change and then re-enter. It looks like you're in MK here. Grab FP+s for 7 Dwarves Mine Train, Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain if you can. These are some of the more popular ones. If you want to meet Anna and Elsa, replace one of the Mountains with that. If you are interested, go ahead and register for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game.

Day 3: 11 am reservation at 50's Primetime Cafe. 4.30 Fantasmic Package. This looks like an HS day. Try to get FP+s for Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, and Rockin' Roller Coaster. Mark on your times table any shows you really want to watch so you can plot out times. I personally love 50s Prime Time, but get ready for the CMs to be affably rude to you-- telling you to eat all your veggies, asking you to set the table, etc. It's part of the atmosphere. The place is usually quite loud/lively, which is what I like about it.

Day 4: 7.30 reservation at Chef Mickey's. 4.30 reservation at Rose and Crown Pub. I would shift your breakfast res down about an hour if you can. Going from one hotel to another without a car is time-consuming, and the buses won't start running until an hour before park open. Take my advice and save some potential stress by giving yourself a little extra time to get there. This sounds like an Epcot day, so aim for FP+s at Soarin, Test Track, and Mission Space or Spaceship Earth. SE is the one in the giant ball, so it's a bit of a classic. Mission Space is popular but not for those who get motion sick.

Day 5: No reservations instead we plan on stuffing ourselves at the food and wine festival. Excellent idea. Take my advice and go through the menu and mark what you SUPER want to try and what you'd just LIKE to try. There is a lot of food, so even splitting one boat between the two of you will be quite the task. Go slow and steady and be careful on the alcohol. FP+ anything you want to do again (NOT MISSION SPACE!) and if you want a lazy day, just walk into and out of the various locales around the world. There are demonstrations and music periodically throughout the day.

Day 6: No reservations, this is currently budgeted as a relaxed day and going back to things we love. Excellent idea. If you find yourselves tired of classic ride-type things, I suggest HS or Epcot. At HS there are plenty of shows and things you can just look at and soak in the history of Disney. At Epcot, the Innoventions pavilions have some fun games you can play at any kind of pace. You can also use this day to try anything you missed due to being stuffed at Food and Wine.

Day 7: Animal kingdom! 8am reservation at tusker house. 5.45 reservation at rainforest cafe animal kingdom. I'm not a fan of the Rainforest Cafe, but if you have your heart set on it then by all means go. FP+ Expedition Everest and anything else that catches your eye. If you're doing Kali River, bring a poncho and consider doing it last-- you will get wet. Kilimanjaro Safari should be done either early in the day or just before sunset to see the most animals. Early is best as they are more active in general and are tempted out by breakfast, the sun, and treats.

Day 8: 8.15 reservation Akershus. This sounds like Epcot? Catch up on anything you missed before. Consider doing the Agent P mini-game just for fun. You have to not mind feeling rather silly and communicating with cartoons on an old cell phone. It IS, however, an interesting experience.

Day 9: 4.15 Be our Guest. 8pm Whispering Canyon Cafe MK Again. If you didn't get to it, do one of the other FP+s you missed. Also consider Splash Mountain (wear a poncho and get ready for water!), Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. Play more SoMK if it caught your fancy. At the very least it helps you familiarize yourself with the park. Since you're going to be in the area for dinner, try to reserve your carriage ride for before or after dinner.

Day 10: No plans Play catch-up in one of the parks you didn't get enough of yet. This will probably be MK, as there is a lot and it's easier to take it bit by bit. If you're tired of being in the park, consider switching buses around and peeking in on some of the deluxe resort hotel lobbies. Especially fancy are the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Grand Floridian. You can go to Boardwalk to lounge. If you're into night life, you can also check out Jellyrolls (bar and dueling pianos) or Atlantic City Dance Hall (drinks and dance). If you are here, the Water Parade comes through the nearby bit of the lake, but I can't remember what time. OR... If you haven't yet, plan to hire your carriage ride and have a great time! OR... Go to DisneyQuest and have fun!

Day 11: (car hire starts) Showcase of Citrus. No idea what this is.

Day 12: SeaWorld. Behind the scenes tour and Dine with Shamu Sounds good! It's been a while since I've been there, so I can't recommend anything.

Day 13: Universal Orlando- Wizarding World here we come! Get the 2-park pass and if you want to hit ALL the Harry Potter stuff, go to one park rather early and another near park close. Or do what someone else said and buy Express Passes. This may get pricey. If you like roller coasters, there are a few good ones too (one music-themed, and I personally like the Hulk). Spiderman 3-D ride is popular, and the Men in Black ride is pretty fun. Consider that this is better done in a 2-day spread. If you shift your other plans around for this, do what someone else suggested and get an on-property hotel for Universal, as it comes with the Express Pass.

Day 14: Kennedy Space Center. Nice.

Day 15: Visit the Millennium Mall. I'm not a mall person myself, but if you are then by all means!

Day 16: (car hire ends). 2pm reservation Via Napoli Consider this day for mini-golf after your lunch res.

Day 17: Resort day. 10am reservation Supercalafragalistic breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Take this opportunity to see the Osbourne Family Lights, as you will be there anyway!

Day 18: Downtown Disney day. 2.30 reservation T-REX. 7.30 reservation Raglan Road. It's possible to fit DisneyQuest in this day. The problem here is that you have 2 ressies at rather awkward hours. If you want to just blow the day in DTD, I'd suggest moving your lunch res up an hour or two, going to DisneyQuest between lunch and dinner, and then doing more perusing in shops after dinner.

Day 19: no plans If you didn't get time, DisneyQuest or Mini-golf here. If you want to shop, this is a good time to do so at DTD! Also use this time to catch any parades you wanted to see but missed.

Day 20: Reservation 4.10 Le Cellier If you haven't seen Illuminations or the Voices of Liberty, make time today to do it.

Day 21: 8.10 Breakfast with Pooh and Friends Crystal Palace. Check out and Leave :'( Boo, leaving! Depending on the time you're leaving, you might have a little bit of time to say good-bye and/or pick up last-minute souvenirs. Double and triple-check your luggage to makes sure you're not missing anything!


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If you can give me more specific information about your likes and all, I can help you a bit more. Also a good idea is to make a priorities list of what you want to see/do most and work down from there. You have so much time that you can shift plans around if you decide a line is too long or you just HAVE to do something again. Consider getting a Dole Whip in MK (Adventureland) and eating at least once at the Poly, maybe for breakfast.

Also, make sure you have comfortable shoes and bring some painkillers. Eventually you will feel the strain of walking around the parks, although this has never really stopped me. And be sure to keep hydrated!