Week After Turkey Day Shenanigans

[DisneyGB]

If I was to only ride it one way I would have to say from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade. Reason being you get the whole train station feel and with running thru the brick wall at gate 9 3/4. Im not sure if the movie was better either way but the station is a much better experience in Universal Studios Hogsmeade

As far as olivanders, they are the same more or less to us, again and not to sound like a broken record but Diagon Alley one is just so much more immersive. That is the one we do, last time my daughter was picked for the wand. It was a cool memory, but was forced to buy a second wand for her "because she had to have the new one that chose her" lol

I'm glad we're hitting Diagon Alley first (that's the one in Universal right, not Islands of Adventure?) -- It sounds like that one is a little more immersive and we won't feel restricted with our time there since we'll just be arriving. Hopefully we can catch it not super crowded at first open.

Thank you so much for your help!! There's just not as much information out there about Universal. If anyone has any other tips on Universal must-dos or anything, please feel free to let me know! (Don't know if that's allowed on these Disney boards though...)

 

[Babs1975]

Could anyone use 5 fast passes to 7 Dwarfs for Tues. Nov. 29th 2:50-3:50? Pm me.

Aw man! We come in for the party at 4...if only they were a little later, I'd be all over them! Even with a 15 minute grace period, I don't think we can make it!?!?

 

[Babs1975]

I'm glad we're hitting Diagon Alley first (that's the one in Universal right, not Islands of Adventure?) -- It sounds like that one is a little more immersive and we won't feel restricted with our time there since we'll just be arriving. Hopefully we can catch it not super crowded at first open.

Thank you so much for your help!! There's just not as much information out there about Universal. If anyone has any other tips on Universal must-dos or anything, please feel free to let me know! (Don't know if that's allowed on these Disney boards though...)

You will LOVE all the Harry Potter stuff. We went 2 years ago for the day and it was amazing. AMAZING! If you are fans of the books and movies, it is like you are there. Leave lots of time for just standing and staring! It's very uncrowded early in the morning. We went there first and it was great for the first hour or so. The crowds get crazy after awhile. My kids got the wands and that was so much fun.

 

[CCxmas]

@CCxmas did you get your magic bands?

No yet unless they came today. Been too busy getting g ready for Halloween!!

Okay so they are sitting in my mailbox. I'm too lazy to go get them. So excited to see them!!

 

[Meeko5]

Ok all what's your RD strategy? Are you up and there before gates open? Try to arrive later?

Do you arrive well before RD? Right at park open? Have a favorite side of the entrances you use?

I need tips! I am really hoping to make RD this trip, we arrived right at park open most days last year (with the exception of our PPO BOG) and it worked out ok, but with 2 EMH days (DHS and MK) and some AM EMH days I need to have a better plan.

 

[JamieOak]

Ok all what's your RD strategy? Are you up and there before gates open? Try to arrive later?

Do you arrive well before RD? Right at park open? Have a favorite side of the entrances you use?

I need tips! I am really hoping to make RD this trip, we arrived right at park open most days last year (with the exception of our PPO BOG) and it worked out ok, but with 2 EMH days (DHS and MK) and some AM EMH days I need to have a better plan.

I have 2 early mornings. Gotta be at the gate of AK at 7:30am for our Wild Africa Trek and gotta be at the gate of MK at 7:30am for EMM. The rest of the days we are planning on being there for 9am openings. WDWPrepSchool reports that typically the parks actually open earlier than their scheduled time. So I was planning to be at the gates about 30 minutes prior to opening. Obviously I have no favorite entrances since we are basically first timers, so hopefully someone else can chime in there.

 

[CCxmas]

We have never done RD. MY DD is a late sleeper. I also have conference to go to in the mornings so we wont do any RD unless it's on Sunday. I have 2 thoughts on this.. Wake her up early and go to RD thinking she might for sure nap since we go to MVMCP that night. That has backfired on me in the past. Woke her early for her hearing test couple weeks ago and she was ready to go 100 mph ALL DAY LONG. She didn't nap yesterday and went full steam Trick or Treating. We got home at 9p and she declared she wasn't ready for bed but was fast asleep by the time we got downstairs. Sunday is the only day that I really need her to nap so we can enjoy the party.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Regarding rope drop: go to this link and look at the first two pictures - http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/epcot-rope-drop-touring-plan-test-track-to-soarin-102816/

That's my rope drop strategy for this time. We hit rope drop exactly once last time and I intend to do better. But "hitting rope drop" for me means being at the gate about 45 minutes before park opening if we have plans to do high priority attractions first thing. If you're talking about MK and you're planning to go straight to Buzz or PoTC, you're fine walking in at the back of the rope drop crowd. If you're aiming for 7dmt or PP, you'd better be near the front.

 

[CCxmas]

Speaking of MVMCP, did y'all see that Judy and Nick from Zootopia are going to appear at the party?

 

[Iowamomof4]

Speaking of MVMCP, did y'all see that Judy and Nick from Zootopia are going to appear at the party?

Did YOU see they're going to be doing a meet & greet? Or maybe that's what you mean.

 

[GoldenOwner]

We are rope droppers (by that, I mean *I* am a rope dropper and I expect my little kids to be up anyway). My plan is to arrive around 30 minutes before park open. In our experience (granted it's been 5 years), we were usually turned loose about 10-15 minutes prior to posted opening times. We've got 4 early mornings (3 PPO breakfasts and 1 AM EMH that we are planning to do) out of our 8 night stay. The other 4 mornings are 3 9AM rope drops and one "when ever we get there" morning.

 

[JamieOak]

Regarding rope drop: go to this link and look at the first two pictures - http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/epcot-rope-drop-touring-plan-test-track-to-soarin-102816/

That's my rope drop strategy for this time. We hit rope drop exactly once last time and I intend to do better. But "hitting rope drop" for me means being at the gate about 45 minutes before park opening if we have plans to do high priority attractions first thing. If you're talking about MK and you're planning to go straight to Buzz or PoTC, you're fine walking in at the back of the rope drop crowd. If you're aiming for 7dmt or PP, you'd better be near the front.

Thanks, apparently my 30 minutes early was wrong! 45 minutes early it is.

Edited to add...we are going to be using the IG entrance at Epcot, so I'm assuming that we would be OK arriving a little later to RD for Epcot mornings.

 

[Melwhit16]

We have never done rope drop and didn't even know for the longest time that there was a welcome show. This year we will all be up to see the opening show whether they like it or not!!
Now if you want to talk late nights until 3am park trips those I have lots of stories about!

 

[Melwhit16]

No yet unless they came today. Been too busy getting g ready for Halloween!!

Okay so they are sitting in my mailbox. I'm too lazy to go get them. So excited to see them!!

What???? How long is your driveway?? Go get those magic bands!!!

 

[Iowamomof4]

Thanks, apparently my 30 minutes early was wrong! 45 minutes early it is.

Edited to add...we are going to be using the IG entrance at Epcot, so I'm assuming that we would be OK arriving a little later to RD for Epcot mornings.

My experience with RD from the IG: We arrived that morning and were let in. I don't recall exactly what time we got there, but we made our way to the line for TT where people were being held in the breezeway next to Electric Umbrella. We were quite a ways back, so when they finally let everyone go to TT, we took a chance and went through the single rider line. We didn't care about doing the car design thing, we just wanted to ride the ride. We walked right in and got in the front row of a car, all three of us got to sit together. All the people who went through regular standby were still working on their cars and we were done with the ride and moving on to something else! It was great!

Now, this was September and it was a low crowd day so who knows what it'll be like when we're there?

 

[Meeko5]

Regarding rope drop: go to this link and look at the first two pictures - http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/epcot-rope-drop-touring-plan-test-track-to-soarin-102816/

That's my rope drop strategy for this time. We hit rope drop exactly once last time and I intend to do better. But "hitting rope drop" for me means being at the gate about 45 minutes before park opening if we have plans to do high priority attractions first thing. If you're talking about MK and you're planning to go straight to Buzz or PoTC, you're fine walking in at the back of the rope drop crowd. If you're aiming for 7dmt or PP, you'd better be near the front.

I'm hoping to hit SDMT first on our PPO BOG day, then go to PPF next to see the queue. I have FP for both of them that day also just in case. From there we will finish out fantasyland (and probably ride barnstormer a dozen times since it's the only coaster the little one can do and I expect him to love it!)

The 2nd MK day is 8am EMH and we will hit tomorrowland first - big kid can ride space a few times, little one can do the speedway since he's big enough. And the Astro orbitor since that's a slow moving line. Then buzz over and over I'm sure. Both kids love that one!

 

[Candycane83]

I've never been to rope drop and the times I've been to a park early was for PPO. Will be trying to RD at least twice this time and have 3 PPOs too. Not sure how we're going to handle it. DS has gone back to waking up at 6:30am now but for one of the RDs I'm going to try for, it is also EMH. I think my strategy will be to get there early but not that early to get trampled. LOL!

 

[Meeko5]

And oh we will for sure be RDing DHS both mornings there - Sunday the 27th is EMH too so we will be zombies but Jedi training is a top priority so I want to have our best chance at getting a good time.

I told DH he and the little one can plan to come a little later, and that DS7 and I will plan to be at the bust stop by 7am come hell or high water.

 

[CCxmas]

Did YOU see they're going to be doing a meet & greet? Or maybe that's what you mean.

Well I read that they would be at the dance party and that they would do a meet and greet. I would love the meet and greet. DD has been asking if she can meet Judy Hops at Disney.

 

[Meeko5]

Also so glad we have TT/soarin FPs with child swap - and a FEA FP for another day so we can arrive a little late to Epcot and not be rushed. Same with AK!

We will need a few later mornings for DH not to turn into a grump. He's a 3rd shifter and it's hard to be up and ready so early!