Which park to skip?

[musika]

This post is purely conjecture since we're not allowed to leave our city currently let alone our country... but hey, a gal can dream.

For our next trip, whenever that may be, we're thinking about adding a couple of days on at US at the end of our trip. To do so we're going to have to cut something from the Mouse end or we will run out of days. We generally go for one week, don't have PHs, and hit one park per day with a rest day plus travel days. We could go for a couple of extra days as long as the flights work. For US I would be planning on staying deluxe onsite for 2-3 nights and therefore would have express passes.

My tentative plan is:
Day 1 - Travel day (generally arrive early evening)
Day 2 - Park day
Day 3 - half Park day or Water Park day (we've never been to either, DS was always too small to make it worth it)
Day 4 - Park day
Day 5 - Transfer day (I want to stay onsite in both places so we would need to switch part way). US Day?
Day 6 - US/IOA day
Day 7 - US/IOA day
Day 8 - Homeward bound

We have been to WDW twice already. 2 kids, currently ages 9 and 5, but likely to be at least 10/6 by the time we get there again or 10/7. DS5 was 40 inches on our last trips so has never ridden any of the larger coasters with a size limit, though he did make it on all the 40 in limit rides.

Is it sacrilege if we cut MK? Should we get PH's and 3 day tix? I'm most interested in HS (MMRR wasn't open the last time we were there, and we have some Star Wars fans in the bunch) and Epcot (Hoping GOTG would be open by our next visit, and kids are big Ratatouille fans). DD9 loves animals but aside from Everest for DS who's never ridden it, I can't see a pressing reason for us to go to AK. I personally love Avatar but DH can't ride it and DD was too scared the last time we were there to try.

I also found last time we were there we tried to cram too much in and we were all unhappy souls. Of course the kids will be older and more capable (last trip they were 7 and 4) but I really want to make an effort to slow down and not try and hit everything.

So, whatcha think?

 

[kylenne]

You’re coming from overseas, have 2 young kids, and want to skip MK? You do you but that sounds weird to me.

Epcot is easily hoppable esp. on a HS day.

You don’t need 3 days at Uni.

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

I would get the PH because you have been to the parks before and know exactly what you want to ride at each one. It will allow you a little more flexibility in your plan. I don’t think it is awful that you don’t want to do MK again, although it does have the most rides geared toward your little ones. You know what your family likes, and stick to those. If you haven’t done the water parks, I would definitely do either Volcano Bay on your transfer day, or Blizzard Beach on your half day. At 9 and 5, they will love it!

 

[Twitterpaited]

I am guessing that GOTG and most of the updates to Epcot won’t open until late spring/summer 2022.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Personally I would get park hoppers and do your favorites at each park. I can't imagine skipping MK, but you know your family best.

 

[musika]

You’re coming from overseas, have 2 young kids, and want to skip MK? You do you but that sounds weird to me.

Epcot is easily hoppable esp. on a HS day.

You don’t need 3 days at Uni.

Canada, but sometimes it feels like overseas. LOL. True about Epcot/HS being hoppable. We have a couple of huge HP fans - two full days at Uni would cover it?

 

[musika]

I am guessing that GOTG and most of the updates to Epcot won’t open until late spring/summer 2022.

There's no way we are going to be there much before then anyway given the current state of affairs with the border. I'd hazard a guess we're looking at early 2023.

Personally I would get park hoppers and do your favorites at each park. I can't imagine skipping MK, but you know your family best.

I'm leaning towards hoppers too, though we haven't done that before. I'm also not loving the idea of skipping MK but at the same time, there's just so. much. and I have a very bad habit of overstuffing our days and it led to bad outcomes last time.

 

[gatorlisa]

We have a couple of huge HP fans - two full days at Uni would cover it?

In my opinion, yes, two full days for US/IoA is more than enough. I'm a big HP fan. Even did the whole buy a wand and play with all the spells in the two lands thing. Got to spend plenty of time in the HP lands, ride everything else but Hulk and Rip Ride Rockit (because I don't like them, not because we didn't have time) and a full two days was still plenty of time.

 

[Dug720]

My always skip park? Studios.

Easy as I detest Star Wars and will never consider it true Disney.

 

[Kerr84]

Canada, but sometimes it feels like overseas. LOL. True about Epcot/HS being hoppable. We have a couple of huge HP fans - two full days at Uni would cover it?

Especially if you have express pass! Two days is plenty.

 

[musika]

Hmm now to decide on a water park!

 

[MomOTwins]

I’d just add one more day to WDW and one fewer day at US. We did that on our last trip—one day at each park at WDW, then on transfer day we woke up, had quick breakfast, and got an Uber to our US hotel, dropped off bags and went straight to the parks. US is compact so doesn’t take as long to get to parks as WDW. Spent rest of the day at US then a full day after. We still basically felt like we had two full days.

 

[musika]

Just an update more for my own benefit than everyone else's lol... We've decided on Park hoppers to help maximize our time and have narrowed down our Water park selection to either TL or BB (Volcano Bay voted out due to ride intensity). DD has become quite the little planner and here's the schedule we've come up with so far:

Day 1: Arrive, get settled (usually early evening). Likely staying at Pop so might go on a short skyliner jaunt.
Day 2: AK in the am, back to resort for a swim, hop to HS for a couple of hours.
Day 3: MK (planning on fireworks)
Day 4: Rest day/half day at BB/TL?
Day 5: HS, back to resort, hop to Epcot to close out the night with fireworks
Day 6: Transition day to US, probably hit the outlet store, maybe city walk, chill at the resort
Day 7: US
Day 8: US
Day 9: Homeward bound

Any thoughts? My dear 9yo is very excited even though this is 12 months or more away. We've identified our top 4-5 "can't miss" things at each park in an effort to not try and boil the ocean this time.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

What do your kids think? Did you ask them?
When we make family vacations we let everyone plan ... even my 5 year old had input.

We use to try and do both parks on vacations and moved to if we are in town for Universal that's what we concentrate on.
Universal is nice especially when you can do it in half days.
A few times we went to a Halloween party and a christmas to get our Disney/ MK in.

 

[auntlynne]

How fun that your daughter is planning. It will be a great asset to carry her through life. planning really can be half the fun.

Sounds like a great trip.