What Days For Each Park?

[have2getaway]

This is a return trip for us. It will be me, DH, and our 3 boys age 9. On our last trip, I thought I had a good handle on which days were best to visit each park, but once we got there, it didn’t seem like it was the best plan. We are visiting Universal Sunday and Monday and will have Tuesday through Sat. for Disney park visits. We also would like to try to plan time to stroll and perhaps eat at the Boardwalk. We will have park hoppers, it just curious what everyone finds are the best days for each park? TIA

 

[mesaboy2]

This is a return trip for us. It will be me, DH, and our 3 boys age 9. On our last trip, I thought I had a good handle on which days were best to visit each park, but once we got there, it didn’t seem like it was the best plan. We are visiting Universal Sunday and Monday and will have Tuesday through Sat. for Disney park visits. We also would like to try to plan time to stroll and perhaps eat at the Boardwalk. We will have park hoppers, it just curious what everyone finds are the best days for each park? TIA

Pretty impossible to answer without knowing what your goals and preferences are. What does “best” mean to you—low crowds, mild weather, seasonal activities? Even then, there are no “best days for each park”. I recommend you look at what each park has to offer for your group and plan your schedule around that.

 

[epcotobsessed]

I studied the crowd calendars like crazy our first few trips and then I gave up - I did not find any of them to be helpful or accurate, so now we just do what we feel like/can get the best FPs for. If one park is crowded, I have never, ever found any of the others to be less crowded (based on using Park Hoppers and checking wait times on the MDE app). I think the best thing to do is to make a plan that makes sense for you.

 

[have2getaway]

Pretty impossible to answer without knowing what your goals and preferences are. What does “best” mean to you—low crowds, mild weather, seasonal activities? Even then, there are no “best days for each park”. I recommend you look at what each park has to offer for your group and plan your schedule around that.

Sorry! We want to go when there will be lower crowds, but also the best day to optimize evening events. When we went in Jan., we found it was hard to plan ahead for nightly events, because they run less frequently.

I studied the crowd calendars like crazy our first few trips and then I gave up - I did not find any of them to be helpful or accurate, so now we just do what we feel like/can get the best FPs for. If one park is crowded, I have never, ever found any of the others to be less crowded (based on using Park Hoppers and checking wait times on the MDE app). I think the best thing to do is to make a plan that makes sense for you.

Thanks you! I think I’ll do the same. It should be easier this time around as we made the decision to go earlier and in time to schedule dining/FP’s earlier.

 

[sharonabe]

Sorry! We want to go when there will be lower crowds, but also the best day to optimize evening events. When we went in Jan., we found it was hard to plan ahead for nightly events, because they run less frequently.

And that's the other variable: WHEN are you going? If you're dates are any time from late Aug through Dec, then you need to plan around the various party dates at MK. Days that have a party are great to do MK during the day and then hop somewhere else around 3:00. To see HEA, you would want to start somewhere else and then hop to MK just for the fireworks. And then there's Food & Wine at EP during the fall. Weekends are perceptively more crowded at EP during F&W, so we don't do EP on the weekends if we're going then.

There's also the EMH variable. Are you early morning people and you KNOW you'll get up and get to the park before early EMH begins or are you late night people and you want to take advantage of the late EMH nights? It's difficult to do both and get enough sleep to enjoy your days. Decide which one you want to do and plan to hop from the early EMH or to the late EMH.

 

[Skippyboo]

Kenny the Pirate’s website has crowd calendars that say which park is the best and worst. Some people like going to the EMH parks in the morning while others say to avoid that park and go a different park.

 

[have2getaway]

And that's the other variable: WHEN are you going? If you're dates are any time from late Aug through Dec, then you need to plan around the various party dates at MK. Days that have a party are great to do MK during the day and then hop somewhere else around 3:00. To see HEA, you would want to start somewhere else and then hop to MK just for the fireworks. And then there's Food & Wine at EP during the fall. Weekends are perceptively more crowded at EP during F&W, so we don't do EP on the weekends if we're going then.

There's also the EMH variable. Are you early morning people and you KNOW you'll get up and get to the park before early EMH begins or are you late night people and you want to take advantage of the late EMH nights? It's difficult to do both and get enough sleep to enjoy your days. Decide which one you want to do and plan to hop from the early EMH or to the late EMH.

We are going Jan. 12 to Jan 20th, 2019. MLK weekend will be at the end of our trip. We are early morning people and like to plan morning ADR’s to allow early entry into the park. We do like to watch the evening firework events.

 

[sharonabe]

We are going Jan. 12 to Jan 20th, 2019. MLK weekend will be at the end of our trip. We are early morning people and like to plan morning ADR’s to allow early entry into the park. We do like to watch the evening firework events.

Since you have hoppers, I would plan to use the early EMH and make your morning ADR for around 10:00-10:30. But if you'd rather start the morning with breakfast, then avoid the early EMH parks and make your plan that way. Just be aware that at least at MK, they often add early hours and your PPO breakfast can become an opening time breakfast.