When a vet feels like a newb

[babyruth]

A studio at copper creek opened and I grabbed that! I’m flipping the plans to onsite first to take advantage of park weekdays and offsite after. Will do our resort and shopping time on the weekend…

My family is ok with skipping the water park.

This is why I talk it out with y’all!

Now we have never stayed at copper creek and I have no idea what to expect for park transportation especially how long it takes from the room to get to the bus boat whatever. Time for more videos!

 

[scrappinginontario]

A studio at copper creek opened and I grabbed that! I’m flipping the plans to onsite first to take advantage of park weekdays and offsite after. Will do our resort and shopping time on the weekend…

My family is ok with skipping the water park.

This is why I talk it out with y’all!

Now we have never stayed at copper creek and I have no idea what to expect for park transportation especially how long it takes from the room to get to the bus boat whatever. Time for more videos!

I would also recommend checking out Copper Creek threads on the DVC Resorts Board. Often a lot of great info there.

 

[disneyfan150]

The park prodigy Facebook page has a good chart. I usually print it a few days after prices get released (check in the app) and I do have another list by day as prices change by day.

You just mean prices are different each day - not that prices on the same day fluctuate once they are set - correct?

https://theparkprodigy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Disney-World-Multi-Pass-Tier-Chart.pdf

Thank you for this list!

One more question, what day of the week did you go to the water park? I have bought the Hopper Pass with water parks and more several times and have never made to a water park. I decided that this trip I will try one - but maybe not.

 

[Disturbia]

You just mean prices are different each day - not that prices on the same day fluctuate once they are set - correct?

Thank you for this list!

One more question, what day of the week did you go to the water park? I have bought the Hopper Pass with water parks and more several times and have never made to a water park. I decided that this trip I will try one - but maybe not.

Yes I meant prices fluctuate day to day (not same day). You can google thrill data lightening lane historical prices to get an idea of what days they go down/up.

We made the mistake of going to the free water park on a Sat (day we got off our cruise). You might have better luck going weekdays.

This was our first time going to the water parks (we’ve been going at least once a year since 2013). It was blizzard beach and it was at capacity and parking lot full when we arrived. No one on our party wants to go back.

Do take plenty of refillable water bottles. Fountains were overflowing and dirty in the kids section (not usable had milk and debris). The auto refill station near bathrooms was not shaded and dispensed warm water. They need some vending machines honestly. I would highly recommend buying their refillable cup if you are planning on staying for 4+ hours.

 

[Disturbia]

Btw Wed Aug 20 has extended evening hours 6-8 pm at AK. Mon is still at Epcot.

Do check hours a few days before your trip. They sometimes add an hour to regular park days.

 

[AprilsZoo]

And accept you cannot control the weather. Especially in Aug- you are going rain or shine. They don't cancel and refund unless it's like tropical storm expected. (But if you chose not to go you can use the value of your non-refundable ticket toward another ticket in the future)

Just to clarify— it’s the value of a *wholly unused* ticket that you can apply toward a future ticket. You can’t have used any days at all. So if your first day you had good weather and enjoyed a day at a water park, but the rest of the days were awful and you decided not to go to any of the parks…. Then those days are wasted. And even if you are really flexible on travel dates, and can find lodging for additional days, you could still be screwed. Once you begin using the ticket, your “clock” starts on your countdown to the ticket’s expiry date… which is usually only a couple days longer than the number of days the ticket is for. (For example, a 3 day ticket expires 5 days after the first use, iirc.)

And another secret-that’s-not-a-secret of note is that you can apply the ticket’s full retail value, regardless of whether it was purchased thru Disney directly, or thru an authorized discount reseller. If you used an authorized reseller, then obviously getting credit for the full retail price will work in your favor later if you are using an expired ticket toward a new one, or upgrading to one with more days, or putting it towards an annual pass (if available).

I just wanted to clarify that, because it’s a common misunderstanding that unused *days* can be applied from a partly used ticket. That’s because a decade or so ago (maybe slightly more), there was a ticket type that had non-expiring days and those tickets could be “prorated” (for lack of a better term) and exchanged for current ticket types…. But it is almost always a worse value to do that so it’s not recommended. (There’s other threads explaining why, so I’m not gonna get into that.)

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would highly recommend buying their refillable cup if you are planning on staying for 4+ hours.

Refillable cups are no longer available at the water parks.

https://wdwnt.com/2025/05/breaking-disney-discontinues-water-park-refillable-mugs/

They have been removed from both water parks as they were no longer available at Blizzard Beach when it reopened.

 

[babyruth]

Btw Wed Aug 20 has extended evening hours 6-8 pm at AK. Mon is still at Epcot.

Do check hours a few days before your trip. They sometimes add an hour to regular park days.

First, the Disturbia song by rhianna is on repeat in my head for the past few days. Thanks for that lmaooo

Second - sigh. The changes make it hard to build a trip plan and be ready to make ADRs. The preparation is something about the trip I love doing. But my spreadsheet is a mess!

So since starting this thread I have moved to CCV for 8/19-22 and Renaissance Disney springs for 22-25. The 19 and 25 are burnt travel days due to flight times. The 20 being AK could work since it’s a lighter park. The 22 needs to be Disney springs / transit between hotels day.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Just to clarify

Your clairification… was not. We were discussing party tickets. Not park tickets. OP is debating the party, they have already decided on their day plans.

 

[Disturbia]

Refillable cups are no longer available at the water parks.

https://wdwnt.com/2025/05/breaking-disney-discontinues-water-park-refillable-mugs/

They have been removed from both water parks as they were no longer available at Blizzard Beach when it reopened.

I saw the fountains in April. Apparently they closed them in May!!! Wow. This is bad news in the heat. It was 40 mins to get a water bottle and ice cream (no shade). The booths are so understaffed.

Big Blue pool it is.

 

[Disturbia]

First, the Disturbia song by rhianna is on repeat in my head for the past few days. Thanks for that lmaooo

Second - sigh. The changes make it hard to build a trip plan and be ready to make ADRs. The preparation is something about the trip I love doing. But my spreadsheet is a mess!

So since starting this thread I have moved to CCV for 8/19-22 and Renaissance Disney springs for 22-25. The 19 and 25 are burnt travel days due to flight times. The 20 being AK could work since it’s a lighter park. The 22 needs to be Disney springs / transit between hotels day.

I chose that name because every name I would type was taken and I was upset looking at other people’s names and thought of that movie (Shia Labeouf movie)

Regarding spreadsheets:

You mean I’m not the only one who managed to get my extended family to stonewall me when I told them next step is hourly planning.

I only had plan A, B and C based on potential Jollywood and MCMCP days (going in Nov). Checkout day has to have Topolinos breakfast (non negotiable)

I didn’t scare them with the following yet.
Checking thrill data I came up with a day 1 plan:

strategy:
1. 9-10 am IASW (ride quickly and rebook ride 4 Tiana? Ride standby rides+modify LLs to earlier times
2. 7-8 pm PPF (tier 1)
3. 2-4 pm POC

Lunch at 1 pm Peco Bill
Afternoon parade 3:00 pm
Dinner 5:30 pm (1.5 hr) Skipper Canteen (no way you can get CRT for 4+5 ppl)
Starlight 9 pm
Fireworks 10 pm (18 mins)

Rant: Why in the world is Winnie the Pooh booking into pm only on day 8 (from today!). It’s a fast loading ride.

LL booking list in order of priority/sellout risk

1. Day 6 HS LLMP+ROTR
2. Day 1 MK LLMP
3. Day 3 MK Tron
4. Day 4 MK SDMT
5. Day 5 Epcot LLMP+GOTG
6. Day 2 AK FOP

 

[Disturbia]

Are you thinking of buying any of the after hours events? HS might be worth the money (Aug 20 has availability)

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/search/?searchQuery=After hours

 

[babyruth]

Are you thinking of buying any of the after hours events? HS might be worth the money (Aug 20 has availability)

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/search/?searchQuery=After hours

My 11 yo isn't much of a night owl but this does look more interesting than the halloween party. I am basically obsessing over the value/moderate resorts at the moment as so many folks have suggested ditching the offsite plan completely.

 

[Disturbia]

My 11 yo isn't much of a night owl but this does look more interesting than the halloween party. I am basically obsessing over the value/moderate resorts at the moment as so many folks have suggested ditching the offsite plan completely.

Aug is hot. It wouldn’t be too bad for 2 people (we take mid day breaks and teen and I stay back to ride thrill rides and we send the kids back with dad).

You do have AK extended evening which is incl in a deluxe resort stay; AK has limited rides that interest pre teens; although our teen loves Everest and rides it multiple times and would 100% choose AK EETPH vs HS After hours; big Avatar fan vs Star Wars-; doesn’t care for ROTR or MFSR - MFSR now has a double rider (similar to a single rider) option. ROTR also has a single rider option btw.

Our teen and her 8 year old brother love MNSSHP at MK as they have allergies and usually get so many Enjoylife bars and Free2b sunbutter cups.

 

[babyruth]

Ohhhhhh really! My daughter has peanut and shellfish allergies. Luckily I got distracted by a busy work afternoon so I had a few hours break from ruminating on resorts. But I really do have to decide soon.

Aug is hot. It wouldn’t be too bad for 2 people (we take mid day breaks and teen and I stay back to ride thrill rides and we send the kids back with dad).

You do have AK extended evening which is incl in a deluxe resort stay; AK has limited rides that interest pre teens; although our teen loves Everest and rides it multiple times and would 100% choose AK EETPH vs HS After hours; big Avatar fan vs Star Wars-; doesn’t care for ROTR or MFSR - MFSR now has a double rider (similar to a single rider) option. ROTR also has a single rider option btw.

Our teen and her 8 year old brother love MNSSHP at MK as they have allergies and usually get so many Enjoylife bars and Free2b sunbutter cups.

 

[Disturbia]

Ohhhhhh really! My daughter has peanut and shellfish allergies. Luckily I got distracted by a busy work afternoon so I had a few hours break from ruminating on resorts. But I really do have to decide soon.

Yes we counted 10 full size Enjoylife chocolate bars (those are expensive). The kids got to choose and they didn’t just choose chocolates. Since we had 2 kids with allergies we ended up with one bag full of allergy safe gummies, smarties, lollipops, stickers and one full of chocolates (we had about 4-5 tokens per kid).

 

[Disturbia]

The chocolate cake at Steakhouse71 is made in house and the chef assured us is peanut free (we usually get a slice or two to go as well).

Same at the cake bake shop, she was able to have the millionaire and red velvet cake (they are made separately but they do carry peanut products in the same showcase).