Trip planning help - August 2017 staying off-site

[FourLeafClover]

Family of 6 - 2 parents, 4 kids (13, 9, 9, 7)
1 week in Orlando - August 22-26 (yeah lower crowds, boo humidity and hurricane threats)
Driving, staying off-site (condo in BellaVida, Kissimmee)
First trip for most everyone and unfortunately possibly the one and only

My rough outline so far:
Mon - arrive for dinner, eat, get groceries
Tue - Legoland (this is a must, huge Lego family)
Wed - Universal (Harry Potter is the only thing DD cares about)
Thu - either MK or rest day
Fri - Park hop between Epcot and AK?
Sat - MK if rest day Thur
Sun - Second day at Universal before departing for Clearwater

I am thinking to arrive at parks each day before rope drop, use a touring plan, head back to condo for several hours, return late afternoon for a few more rides and the evening show

I am concerned about:

(1) travel time to Kissimmee (30 minutes?) - is going back to condo for a few hours each day realistic?

(2) how much time should I plan for parking, getting through security, and into parks?

(3) Is it realistic to park hop Epcot and AK?

(4) Will the Pandora craziness continue through summer and will it be possible to ride FOP (I still have no FPs)?

Thanks for reading this far!

 

[MischaOz]

I would skip the rest day and do one park each on Thurs, Fri and Sat. Park hoppers really aren't worth it if you're only going to hop once (just my opinion), and if you're taking afternoon breaks you shouldn't need a rest day.

Depends where you're staying in Kissimmee. We stay in Windsor Hills and it is really close, 10mim to AK, 15 to EP, maybe 20 to MK if you count traffic.

Hope you have a great trip!!

 

[FourLeafClover]

We will be in BellaVida, so further out unfortunately. I have not been to Epcot or AK since 1999, so a lot has changed!

 

[Tomh]

I don't know, for me, between the rest days, and mid day breaks (I'm not sure you are really accounting for how long it is going to take to have an offsite mid day break) and time spent park hopping, I wonder if you are really going to get anything done in Disney.

At MK, it takes the better part of a half hour to get from somewhere in the park out to your car. Another 30 minutes to drive to your condo, and then several hours, plus another half hour to drive back to the parking lot, then another half hour to get from the lot back into the park, maybe closer to 45 depending on security screening time. You are burning 2 hours just getting back and forth to the condo, making your 3 hour break take 5 hours.

I know my son at 7, and daughter at 13 had no problem staying in the parks all day, and with such a short trip, plus Universal time planned, that is exactly what I would do. If the need arises for a mid day break, sit down for a nice long meal, or go relax at one of the monorail resorts for a bit. I would skip the mi day breaks, and the park hopping, and just do one park a day in order to experience as much as you can.

(1) travel time to Kissimmee (30 minutes?) - is going back to condo for a few hours each day realistic? I don't think so, of course, your mileage may vary. Even when staying onsite, I wasn't thrilled with the amount of effort / time needed to take a mid day break, and the actual rest that it gave. Largely, I found it to be a waste of time that left me more tired than I would have been without it. Staying offsite, I expect that would be even worse.

(2) how much time should I plan for parking, getting through security, and into parks? At EPCOT, DHS, and AK if you are there reasonable early, it shouldn't take more than 15 to 20 minutes. At MK . . . at least 30, and possibly more like 45 minutes or even longer.

(3) Is it realistic to park hop Epcot and AK? It can be done, but it is going to eat up a good bit of your time, and you will need to return to EPCOT to retrieve your car at the end of the day. If AK is closing at 11, and EPCOT closes at 9, that might be problematic.

(4) Will the Pandora craziness continue through summer and will it be possible to ride FOP (I still have no FPs)? I just tried to book FoP FP+ at 60 days out, promptly at 7:00 in the morning for August 13, and there was not a single time slot left, even for just one FP. Judging by that, I would say it is still going to be popular. If you are dead set on riding, then I would say you are probably going to need to ride standby at rope drop.

 

[minniegirl19]

Since your kids are older as PP said I would plan a mid day meal and push through without any breaks and not having a rest day. Maybe do mk Epcot then AK and on the Epcot day sleep in an extra hour or two so it's not 3 super early mornings in a row. If this is the only time your family will go to Disney I'd push it to the limit to maximize your time and money

 

[Parker Clan]

I'm at 60 days today and booked our FP since staying on site & can report we are going third week of Aug as well and there were barely any times for FOP! We wanted a morning FP but the only times available were evening, NBD for us we easily adjusted but I'm assuming the craze will still be there in August!

 

[Nick6300]

I'm at 60 days today and booked our FP since staying on site & can report we are going third week of Aug as well and there were barely any times for FOP! We wanted a morning FP but the only times available were evening, NBD for us we easily adjusted but I'm assuming the craze will still be there in August!

Did you check anything past 8/24? Evening like 4-6 or 7-9pm?

 

[Nick6300]

We regularly stayed in Kissimmee. We never took mid-day breaks because of all of the time involved, but instead took power naps at designated spots at ea. park (i.e Hall of Presidents/Carousal at MK, Finding Nemo at AK, Little Mermaid at HS, SSE/Ellen at EP, isolated park benches). We left an hr before park openings (hence less traffic than 5pm) but only allotted about 15min to get to park, and about 5min to walk (not wait for ride from parking lot, but early enough not to be in back of lot) and go through bag check/security. We're typically at gate waiting to be let in at about 25 min since leaving hotel. MK you have to allot more time because of the distance but mainly because having to park at Ticket & Transport. Center and then having to take a ferry/monorail to MK. It would take a lot of time for a mid day break from MK, staying in Kissimmee. I like the idea of not hopping if you can go to a park ea. day for Thurs-Sat. Thurs is likely to be the least busiest for MK of the 3 days. Thurs tends to be an EP early EMH day, Fri - MK, Sat - AK.

 

[FourLeafClover]

Thanks everyone - this is very helpful. My last trip we stayed onsite and only went to MK (with 2 of my 4 kids, one of whom was an infant) so this is a whole new world!
See that I said 3rd week of August - really the third FULL week, so 8/22-8/26

I'll try and plan the days without breaks - unfortunately, I have been unable to get ANY ADRs anywhere on any days, even though the crowd calendars are 5/10
Perhaps because free dining in available that time or perhaps because we are a party of 6, but we can't eat anywhere and will have to either keep checking like crazy or do quick service

 

[Monykalyn]

Definitely keep checking for the ADR's-as park hours update there will probably be lots of drops in reservations. Remember too-that if you really need a break from parks can take transportation to Disney Springs for a long or later lunch in the heat of the day. Will still eat up a chunk of day, but an option if you really want a sit down meal in the AC.