Which parks on which days?

[useakiss]

I'm in the process of mapping out the 9 day-trip I'm planning to WDW from Sept. 2-10. I'll be 50 and traveling solo, and staying at PO-French Quarter. I'm not in as good of shape as I wish (who is?), so I do plan to have time built in for breaks, relaxing at the pool/water parks, and several table-service meals. With the 180-day milestone for making dinning reservations approaching, I'm trying to figure out how to plan where to be each day. My problem is that I'm seeing so much conflicting advice on which days are best for each park. I've looked at different crowd calendars and each seems to say something different.

What's your best advice for nailing down which park to be in for AM/PM?

How do you plan in breaks for relaxing or park-hopping so far in advance?

What have you found to be the most reliable for crowd calendars?

I know that the AM/PM extra hours for resort guests rotates from park to park, but are they always the same days or do they change this far out?

Do you visit the parks that have extra early/late hours on that day or do you actually avoid them? (I've seen that advice, too.)

I imagine that with them starting the Food & Wine Festival two weeks earlier this year (to fall over my vacation), this is going to have an unpredictable impact, too. Do you anticipate a big change from existing models?

 

[holden]

We generally avoid parks with EMH. If we do take advantage of them we only do AM. Lots of people like to sleep in on vacation.

If we hop we usually book FP for our second park of the day. In this case we would probably do AM EMH, hit our favorite rides and then hop to another park to use our FP.

I think EMH are pretty consistent. What you see listed now shouldn't change too much.

Food & Wine crowds increase as the day goes on. We try to hit the booths when they open at 11 and leave Epcot in the late afternoon.

We don't plan breaks. We just take them if we need to. We tend to go full force until we drop. We sleep like babies at the end if the day! Track your steps. You'll be amazed!

 

[useakiss]

I'm a morning person--I'm generally awake by 6 am whether or not I want to be, so I think I'd actually benefit from the EMH more than the evening ones.

Interesting strategy with the FP and park hoping--so hitting some rides first-thing before it's too crowded, and then relying on the FP for when the lines are longer? Can you spread out your FPs if you're park hoping, or do they have to all be in the same park for that day?

 

[brockash]

I'm in the process of mapping out the 9 day-trip I'm planning to WDW from Sept. 2-10. I'll be 50 and traveling solo, and staying at PO-French Quarter. I'm not in as good of shape as I wish (who is?), so I do plan to have time built in for breaks, relaxing at the pool/water parks, and several table-service meals. With the 180-day milestone for making dinning reservations approaching, I'm trying to figure out how to plan where to be each day. My problem is that I'm seeing so much conflicting advice on which days are best for each park. I've looked at different crowd calendars and each seems to say something different.

What's your best advice for nailing down which park to be in for AM/PM?

How do you plan in breaks for relaxing or park-hopping so far in advance?

What have you found to be the most reliable for crowd calendars?

I know that the AM/PM extra hours for resort guests rotates from park to park, but are they always the same days or do they change this far out?

Do you visit the parks that have extra early/late hours on that day or do you actually avoid them? (I've seen that advice, too.)

I imagine that with them starting the Food & Wine Festival two weeks earlier this year (to fall over my vacation), this is going to have an unpredictable impact, too. Do you anticipate a big change from existing models?

We used to always do EMH's, however we now avoid them. We just prefer to not have to get up earlier, or stay super late to get lower crowds. -It's just not nearly as big of an issue end of Aug./Beginning of Sept. as busier times.

We plan our rest day around the weekend. I'd never do a rest day on a Tues.-Thurs. and really prefer not to do them on Mon./Fri. either, so it usually ends up being on Sat. for us. The EMH days generally stay the same (use last years Sept. calendar to get the most updated info. on Sept.) -Don't go back any farther as they changed the EMH days before that, and don't use hours from a busier month as they often have more EMH's during busier times.

With Food & Wine, stay away from Epcot on the weekends for sure, and I'd really try to stay away from Mon./Fri.'s too. It seems to get packed with locals, however it may not be as bad this year since it's the first year it's so early.

There's also a good chance the MNSSHP will be going on while you're there. When the hours come out, any MK day that closes at 7pm will probably mean there's a good chance for a MNSSHP (usually only on Fri.'s & Tues.'s in Sept.)

 

[bryanb]

With a 9-day trip and park hoppers, I wouldn't feel the need to plan as stringently. I'd build in some flexibility around your schedule so that you can relax when you want to, and go full-throttle when you want to. This is especially useful when you're solo!

I agree with you, that if you're a morning person, I would definitely plan the FP+ reservations to be later in the day. Depending on when you wish to take a break, I'd say between 11:00am to 6:00pm is a good time for FP+ because the lines are at their longest. Earlier if you wish to try for more FP+ reservations after you've used up your first three. Your first three do have to all be in the same park, even if you're hopping.

I love staying at Epcot resorts during F&W too! There are so many good things to eat and drink, and limited stomach space, so I'll usually pop into Epcot on most days even for just a short while to sample more things.

 

[christianweecare]

I'm a morning person--I'm generally awake by 6 am whether or not I want to be, so I think I'd actually benefit from the EMH more than the evening ones.

Interesting strategy with the FP and park hoping--so hitting some rides first-thing before it's too crowded, and then relying on the FP for when the lines are longer? Can you spread out your FPs if you're park hoping, or do they have to all be in the same park for that day?

We are rope droppers. You cannot make FP for 2 parks at one time. You must exhaust your first 3 at only one park whether it is for your first park or your second. We normally have AP's but only park hop to hit late night activities like Fantasmic or Illuminations (example). IMO, park hopping wastes so much time.

 

[chris benton]

Don't overthink this. I know it's hard not to.

If you are an early riser, then AM EMH is an easy way to narrow down which park to visit on some of your days. If you do not plan on using the am emh, then avoid that park. If you do plan on using am emh, then go to that park. If you have a hopper ticket, use am emh, then leave if the park starts getting crowded later, and go to a less crowded park after your break. You'll probably notice that the am emh days have the crowd calendar spikes. Those spikes are irrelevant if you use the emh, then bug out to better park. (The ppl without hoppers have to stay.)

If you're going in early Sep, and you can handle 90+ degrees all day, then plan your breaks by ear. I'm a firm believer in sticking to a planned break before feeling the effects of the heat. Plus, you're paying for that nice hotel pool. I'm a firm believer in using the pool during the hottest time of the day, and not spending that time in lines during the busiest time in the parks.

From what I've read, F&W just means avoid WS on weekends. I wouldn't worry about it otherwise, but again, that's just from what I've read, and probably what I'd employ for my planning.

 

[bryanb]

By the way, Port Orleans French Quarter is awesome too! For a moderate resort, I love the theming and the size of the resort makes it more relaxing. My favorite thing about the location is taking the boat transportation down the Disney Springs. It's a great break in the middle of the day, and you can enjoy some relaxing scenery under the shaded canopy.

 

[useakiss]

That boat taxi was definitely at the top of my list of reasons for picking it. I think it'll provide an excellent way to escape the parks and relax on a boat ride before indulging on some adult beverages! I also just find the landscaping and smaller space more appealing. This is my first resort, and I will probably check out some of the others during my stay for future reference.
I'm not planning on park visits for my arrival/departure days (no idea yet when arriving or leaving), so I'm going to spend those two days exploring Disney Springs or visiting a couple of the luxury resorts, depending on time availability.
I couldn't justify splurging so much on the luxury resorts when I'm solo, but it's on my bucket list for maybe a shorter trip or if I'm with someone to split the cost.

 

[stinkpickle]

I'm a morning person--I'm generally awake by 6 am whether or not I want to be...

This will be a huge advantage.

 

[loves to dive]

I've found going solo means no plans. If you have park hoppers, you might find yourself at Epcot most days because of F&W. They have loads of little seminars and such during that time. I've never had a problem booking an ADR day of and most FPs book either morning of, night before of while standing in line for a ride. You are going to be there for plenty of days so it will be a great opportunity to actually stop and smell the roses. The best part about going solo is doing what you want, when you want so take advantage of it and try not to book too much or over plan anything.

 

[disneykelly]

My last 7 night solo stay was late November early December. I did a bunch of preplanned reservations and events, and afterwards found that it made the trip more stressful than it was worth.
By setting up table service, concerts and parties, I was unable to be as spontaneous as I would have liked.
It felt like I was always watching the clock to make sure I would be wherever on time.
My two personal opinions is limit the advanced dining reservations to one or two or three, max. This way, you have more flexibility to change your mind and do something on a whim.
The other is don't park hop. As another has said, this tends to eat a great deal of time up, even if you plan to use the express service.
If you do want to park hop, I would vote for doing your fastpass in the late morning (assuming you rope drop) and then by the time those are done, you can head back to the resort for a breather.
When you are done with the break you can either elect to hit another park or just do something non park for the evening.
Whatever you do, go at a pace that doesn't burn you out!

*edit to add*
As for which parks on which days, I would avoid emh parks on their days.
I also have learned that the weekends and Monday are bad for Magic Kingdom.

 

[loves to dive]

My last 7 night solo stay was late November early December. I did a bunch of preplanned reservations and events, and afterwards found that it made the trip more stressful than it was worth.
By setting up table service, concerts and parties, I was unable to be as spontaneous as I would have liked.
It felt like I was always watching the clock to make sure I would be wherever on time.
My two personal opinions is limit the advanced dining reservations to one or two or three, max. This way, you have more flexibility to change your mind and do something on a whim.
The other is don't park hop. As another has said, this tends to eat a great deal of time up, even if you plan to use the express service.
If you do want to park hop, I would vote for doing your fastpass in the late morning (assuming you rope drop) and then by the time those are done, you can head back to the resort for a breather.
When you are done with the break you can either elect to hit another park or just do something non park for the evening.
Whatever you do, go at a pace that doesn't burn you out!

*edit to add*
As for which parks on which days, I would avoid emh parks on their days.
I also have learned that the weekends and Monday are bad for Magic Kingdom.

See, I would say a park hopper is a must. If you are in a park and it's just too crowded for you, hop on a bus and go somewhere else. You are there for plenty of time and the buses are a great place to rest. Seriously, sometimes I just get on the next bus to arrive and go wherever it takes me, could be a resort, could be a park (never DS or a water park, I don't do either).

 

[eeyoresmom]

Early September is not going to be crowded especially for someone going solo. If you think you will do morning emh I would make my early lunch adr's in that park then dinner in the park that had emh the day before.

 

[gap2368]

I'm in the process of mapping out the 9 day-trip I'm planning to WDW from Sept. 2-10. I'll be 50 and traveling solo, and staying at PO-French Quarter. I'm not in as good of shape as I wish (who is?), so I do plan to have time built in for breaks, relaxing at the pool/water parks, and several table-service meals. With the 180-day milestone for making dinning reservations approaching, I'm trying to figure out how to plan where to be each day. My problem is that I'm seeing so much conflicting advice on which days are best for each park. I've looked at different crowd calendars and each seems to say something different.

1What's your best advice for nailing down which park to be in for AM/PM?

2 How do you plan in breaks for relaxing or park-hopping so far in advance?

3 What have you found to be the most reliable for crowd calendars?

4 I know that the AM/PM extra hours for resort guests rotates from park to park, but are they always the same days or do they change this far out?

Do you visit the parks that have extra early/late hours on that day or do you actually avoid them? (I've seen that advice, too.)

I imagine that with them starting the Food & Wine Festival two weeks earlier this year (to fall over my vacation), this is going to have an unpredictable impact, too. Do you anticipate a big change from existing models?

with 9 days ( if that is how many park days) then you will have a lot of time to enjoy the park at a slower pass, do you have park hopper? if so then maybe go to the park with morning EMH and then go back to the resort for a swim break, or maybe have a nice lunch at another park and call it an early day or have a late morning and do a park that has Evening EMH.

a few things I find do not over plan have your favorite ( I would limit ADR to 3 or 4 unless this is just very hight on your todo list) have your 3 FP and then maybe 2 or 3 other must do like if Disney springs shopping, seeing a resort or what ever

now to your question

1 I try to go early in the mornings but I am a morning person more then a night person ( but I can be a night person I just say I can sleep after Disney)

2 I find that one day for a 5 or longer trip I need one I have a kind of a general idea of what I want to do and I just plan for a break most of the time I will leave the park around 1pm I will go to the pool to swim then rest/nap in my room and then head back to the park about 6.

3 I do not I just go to what ever park I feel on what ever day. I go to Disney so often some times I just have a day or two notice and will just do one park for my week long trips I just do what I want. I find you can look at a few crowed calendar and all can be different and some can be right one day while that one is wrong the next day so my advice is do not worry about it too much

4 that would be nice if they were the same but they change them so no way to tell. and the hours will change right up to your trip and some times they change the say off I can not tell you how many time I have heard on the loud speaker the magic kingdom will be opened latter today.

 

[useakiss]

I am getting the park-hopper and the water park add-ons. I intend to soak my feet while drifting on the lazy rivers!
Okay, I'm getting the general idea (and seems wise) to cut back on how many reservations I make. Since it's been decades since the last time, I'm wanting to try everything new, and I know better than to try to do everything in one trip. I've got a spreadsheet (hello OCD!) listing the restaurants I'm interested in, and I am slowly narrowing them down now. I'm doing the Dining Plan, so I do want to make sure I use all my points up by the time I leave. I've got a couple of 2-point signature meals planned (Tiffins, Flying Fish, and probably California Grill), but that will still leave me with 3 table-service meals (probably Skipper Canteen, The Crystal Palace for my character meal, and maybe Kona Cafe). That means I'm still looking at 5 reservations if I want to get into them (last time I checked, Skipper Canteen is still same-day only).

I'll be honest, when I made the initial reservation and included the dining plan, I wasn't taking into account how often I might want to eat at the F&W thing. I'm sort of regretting the decision now but would hate to pay a fee to change it. Does anyone know if there's a penalty for backing out of the meal plan while it's still in the deposit phase?

Also, does traveling solo make it easier to get into a restaurant if you don't have reservations?

 

[gap2368]

I am getting the park-hopper and the water park add-ons. I intend to soak my feet while drifting on the lazy rivers!
Okay, I'm getting the general idea (and seems wise) to cut back on how many reservations I make. Since it's been decades since the last time, I'm wanting to try everything new, and I know better than to try to do everything in one trip. I've got a spreadsheet (hello OCD!) listing the restaurants I'm interested in, and I am slowly narrowing them down now. I'm doing the Dining Plan, so I do want to make sure I use all my points up by the time I leave. I've got a couple of 2-point signature meals planned (Tiffins, Flying Fish, and probably California Grill), but that will still leave me with 3 table-service meals (probably Skipper Canteen, The Crystal Palace for my character meal, and maybe Kona Cafe). That means I'm still looking at 5 reservations if I want to get into them (last time I checked, Skipper Canteen is still same-day only).

I'll be honest, when I made the initial reservation and included the dining plan, I wasn't taking into account how often I might want to eat at the F&W thing. I'm sort of regretting the decision now but would hate to pay a fee to change it. Does anyone know if there's a penalty for backing out of the meal plan while it's still in the deposit phase?

Also, does traveling solo make it easier to get into a restaurant if you don't have reservations?

if you want to do a sit down place you need to make ADR because you may not get in even if you are alone.

I agree with the dinning plane and food and wine you will have a lot to eat I might change/ cancle the dinning plane if I were you if you want to eat food at food and wine.

 

[useakiss]

Well, let me ask--how do you pay for food at F&W? Can you use quick-service or snack points, or is it all on a cash/room charge basis?

 

[gap2368]

Well, let me ask--how do you pay for food at F&W? Can you use quick-service or snack points, or is it all on a cash/room charge basis?

I am pretty sure food and wine is just cash, gift cards, credit cards and I think you can use your MB. I normally get a gift card ad put X amount of many on it so I do not spend more then I want ( it is very easey to do with $5 $4 there) I never get the dinning plane because you get so much food with it I can not eat enough to make it worth while for me.

 

[useakiss]

I guess, when I signed up, I was thinking of all the days I wouldn't be at Epcot, and that I really wanted to try some of those signature restaurants, and the plan seemed the most economical way to do it. I also signed on because I thought it'd make me feel less guilty about splurging at these places since it's basically a fixed price.

But yeah, I'm having doubts now that I'd actually get my money's worth out of it, particularly with the F&W competition.

I need to find out if there's a penalty for canceling the meal plan. It's still more than 180 days away so I would hope not.