Trip to be envious of! May 10-17 (empty parks!)

[JeremyGNJ]

Trip with myself, wife and 11 yr old daughter. We have memory maker so we have pics of all the M&G’s and rides. (which allowed me to take videos of the M&G’s). Pay close attention to May 12th!

Saturday May 10th
Arrival day. Hotel pool and Downtown Disney at night

Sunday May 11th
Since we’re going to DHS for the first day of Star Wars Weekend, we used this day to hit popular rides at DHS since it will be mobbed on Friday. Therefore, I setup my FP+’s for the evening, even though we’re going to EPCOT first.

EPCOT
Arrive – Rope Drop
Ride – Soarin
Ride – Living with the Land
Ride – Nemo
M&G – Chip & Dale
Ride – Mission Space
Misc – Saw some Flower & Garden Stuff
Misc – Saw some innoventions stuff (man this needs a refresh!)
M&G – Duffy the Bear
Ride – Mexico Ride thing with Donald
Ride – Maelstorm
Food – Some alcoholic drinks from China
Misc – Looks around some countries
Food – Tokyo Dining for Sushi
M&G – Belle in France
Misc – Skipped some countries since we’re coming back and saw some more Flower&Garden stuff
M&G – Disney Visa M&G – Mickey and Goofy
Misc – Innoventions
Leave – About 3:30pm

Back to Offisite Hotel
Rested a bit and put on some more sunblock. About 45 mins at hotel

Disney Hollywood Studios
Arrive – Approx 5pm
Misc – Shops & just looking around
Ride – Star Tours FP+ (didn’t need it)
M&G – Character Paloosa
M&G – Mater and Lightning McQueen
M&G – Finnias and Ferb
Ride – Toy Story FP+
Misc – Some shops & looking around
Ride – Rocking Roller Coaster (used standby, only 10-min wait tops)
Ride – Tower of Terror FP+
Ride – Star Tours
Ride – Muppets 3D
Misc – Browsed some shops on the way out
Leave – 8:30 Park Closing

Monday May 12th
This is an all Magic Kingdom day. Original Plan was to take a break, but we ended up not leaving…and we had a day that everyone would be envious of!!!

Magic Kingdom
Arrive – 8:30 for Rope Drop
Misc – Didn’t rush too much getting to Fantasy Land, enjoyed the feel of it, marveled at the immediate 300min wait for Anna and Elsa
Misc – Was some contest winners riding the MineTrain, was trying to feel out our chances of soft opening with the CM’s
Ride – Barnstormer Twice without getting off (my daughters request as first ride)
Ride – Litter Mermaid FP+ (didn’t need it)
Ride – Peter Pan 10-15 mins wait tops
M&G – Tinkerbelle’s Nook
M&G – Anna and Elsa FP+
Ride – Big Thunder Mtn FP+ (moved this up to immediately after we got out of A&E)
M&G – Princess Tianna
Misc – Train to Fantasy Land
Ride – Barnstormer (again!)
Ride – Tea Cups
Ride – Buzz Lightyear FP+
Ride – Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
Ride – Splash Mountain (10-15min wait tops) Saw best part of Festival of Fantasy while riding this!
M&G – Woddy & Jesse
Ride – Haunted Mansion
M&G – Cinderella’s Step Sisters
Ride – Tomorrowland Speedway
Ride – Buzz Lightyear (standby 5 mins wait tops)
Ride – Space Mountain FP+
Misc – Saw part of some kind of parade
Ride – Swiss Family Treehouse
Ride – Pirates of Caribbean
Misc – Train to Fantasy Land (again)
Ride – Space Mountain FP+
Misc – Enjoying and browsing shops
Food – “Be Our Guest” 8:10pm
M&G – The beast. Approx 10:00pm
Misc – Exit and see some left over fireworks
Ride - Pooh
Depart – 10:30pm

Tuesday May 13th
Morning - Typhoon Lagoon
Afternoon – Break at hotel
Evening – Disney Quest (nearly empty…waited for PoTC for maybe 8 minutes)

Wednesday May 14th

Animal Kingdom
Arrive - Maybe 5 minutes after Rope Drop
Ride – Expedition Everest (no wait)
Ride – Expedition Everest (again…no wait)
Ride – Asian walking tour
Misc – Enjoy and Browse
M&G – Baloo & King Louie
Ride – Safari FP+
Ride – Africa Walking Tour
Ride – Nemo The musical – FP+ (didn’t need it)
Ride – Expedition Everest (again!) FP+
Ride – That thing in Dino Land
Leave - Approx 1pm

Break
Lunch Offiste
Rest at hotel

Epcot
Arrive – Approx 5:30pm
M&G – Disney Visa Meet and Greet
M&G – Classic Character Spot FP+
Ride - Spaceship Earth (walk on)
Misc - Flower & Garden stuff
Misc – Enjoyed some countries starting with Canada
Misc – Off Kilter for 10 mins or so
M&G – Pooh & Tigger
Food – Grey Goose Slushies in France
Misc – Relaxed browsing and enjoying the scenery
Misc – Illuminations 9pm
Misc – Shopping for souvenirs
Leave – Approx 10pm

Thursday May 15th
Was supposed to be a second water park day, but tons of rain in the forecast. Instead it went like this:

Morning – Hotel Pool
Afternoon – Souvenir shopping off-site
Afternoon – Wonder Works
Evening – 2 Hour Dinner at Jonnie’s Hideaway

Friday May 16th
This is our plan for tomorrow:

HollyWood Studios
Arrive – Rope Drop
Misc – Enjoy 1st day of Star Wars weekend
Food – StarWars Breakfast 10:20am
Misc – Enjoy 1st day of Star Wars weekend

Break
Break to hotel….shower, put on some nice clothes for last night

Magic Kingdom
Dinner at California Grill 7:20pm (maybe MK first depending on our timing from SWW)
FP+ for Ariel M&G
FP+ for Wishes
FP+ for Electric Light Parade

 

[dramadrew]

Sounds like a fun trip! I had a full day at MK too where I did like 85% of the attractions. What characters did you meet during characterpalooza?

 

[JeremyGNJ]

Sounds like a fun trip! I had a full day at MK too where I did like 85% of the attractions. What characters did you meet during characterpalooza?

Max, Queen of Hearts, Capt Hook, 2x Green army man (both hilarious!), Geppetto, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Minnie Mouse

 

[KelleyK75]

Joining in. Sounds like a great trip and definitely envious of no lines!

 

[bjscheel]

Remind me when and where Characterpalooza is now. We've done it late afternoon in the animation building but I seem to remember it is elsewhere now. We need to see Max!

Also, I would love to go early/mid May, seems like good crowds and weather, but not possible when I have a high schooler in track.

 

[dramadrew]

Remind me when and where Characterpalooza is now. We've done it late afternoon in the animation building but I seem to remember it is elsewhere now. We need to see Max!

Also, I would love to go early/mid May, seems like good crowds and weather, but not possible when I have a high schooler in track.

Times vary and can depend on how many and times of Fantasmic. Kenny the Pirate is usually the most up to date about the times: Characterpalooza

It now takes place on the Streets of America. If you're facing the San Francisco backdrop, the come out from the right hand side and pass the Singing in the Rain umbrella photo op. The set of characters are never the same and sometimes if there's a second set, there can be a new set of characters. Unfortunately I had the same set.

When I went last Friday, I met the Evil Queen, Genie, Minnie Mouse, Mulan, and Captain Hook. Also there was the Green Army Man and Belle.