Would you squeeze in just 1 hour at MK on arrival night?

[mcd531]

As I have planned based on crowds, ADRs, no park hopper…we won’t see MK until day 4 through 6. We have an ADR for the Fantasmic dinner package our first full day so I don’t want to change that. The only way to do MK the first full day would be to add the hopper and then go to HS. But I don’t really want to do that.

SOOOO….if I flight is scheduled to arrive at 5:15 p.m. and MK closes at 7:00 due to MNSSHP, do you think we could squeeze in just one hour to see the MK first? Or save it? DD will be 8 and this is our first trip to WDW! Maybe the Magical Express could take us directly to MK

 

[smitch425]

As I have planned based on crowds, ADRs, no park hopper…we won’t see MK until day 4 through 6. We have an ADR for the Fantasmic dinner package our first full day so I don’t want to change that. The only way to do MK the first full day would be to add the hopper and then go to HS. But I don’t really want to do that.

SOOOO….if I flight is scheduled to arrive at 5:15 p.m. and MK closes at 7:00 due to MNSSHP, do you think we could squeeze in just one hour to see the MK first? Or save it? DD will be 8 and this is our first trip to WDW! Maybe the Magical Express could take us directly to MK

ME will only take you to your resort. There is no way you will get to MK before the park closes. Crowd calendars are not something we have ever paid attention to. We actually go to the "park to avoid" every single day. I would go to MK sooner than day 4, especially for a first trip.

 

[Reddog1134]

If I had an AP or an "extra" day on my ticket, I would do it.

If I felt I was wasting a day on my ticket then I would wait.

 

[DisK]

If you arrive at 515, and you're taking magical express, I don't see any way you'd get to the MK in enough time to enjoy it. My opinion.

 

[lustergirl]

When your flight arrives it will take you about a hour or so to get to your resort and not leaving you anytime to visit MK your first night.

 

[DisMama5]

If your flight was a little earlier I would say go for it but if your landing at 5:15, it'll take you an hour+ to even get to your resort, check in etc. So I don't think you would make it for the 7pm closing unfortunately

 

[GillianP1301]

If you have carry on bags only and take a cab, you may be able to squeeze in an hour, even that would be tight. Assuming you have checked bags and you are doing ME, then I agree with the others, I don't see you getting to the MK gate much before 7pm, unfortunately.

 

[Redwitch]

Personally, MK is my third or fourth favorite park. But I know for some it is the tops. One way of looking at it, if you feel it is the best - Save the best for last! That way everything else "won't pale in comparison."
You will enjoy the park more on a lower crowd day and will accomplish a lot more. I would not even try to get to MK for an hour on a party night. Main Street is a mad house with people coming and going; it is hard to even move. My advice is look forward to your MK day later in your vacation.

 

[MuddyTires]

Funny, touring plans has a new blog post this morning on how long it takes to get from the airport to WDW. Might want to check it out.

http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/05/13/disney-world-arrival-day-faq/

 

[MrsDuck]

I don't think it's possible...

 

[Boudin]

Here are some fun things to do when arriving late:

Ask the desk person at your hotel where's a good place to go watch the fireworks. Depending on where you are staying, a lot of the resorts have great views of either wishes or illuminations from right on your hotel pool deck. It's free, fun and will get the kids fired up. If you can time it right, the boat that runs to Wilderness Lodge is a fantastic place to watch Wishes. The reflections off the lake are breathtaking.

Catch Disney transportation and resort hop. It's awesome to just go walk through the lobbies and pool areas and check them all out. They are all fantastic, and you can call it research for future trips

Go catch dinner and a little shopping at Downtown Disney.

These are great "appetizers" to kick your week off and you won't have to burn a park ticket.

 

[mcd531]

Here are some fun things to do when arriving late:

Ask the desk person at your hotel where's a good place to go watch the fireworks. Depending on where you are staying, a lot of the resorts have great views of either wishes or illuminations from right on your hotel pool deck. It's free, fun and will get the kids fired up. If you can time it right, the boat that runs to Wilderness Lodge is a fantastic place to watch Wishes. The reflections off the lake are breathtaking.

Catch Disney transportation and resort hop. It's awesome to just go walk through the lobbies and pool areas and check them all out. They are all fantastic, and you can call it research for future trips

Go catch dinner and a little shopping at Downtown Disney.

These are great "appetizers" to kick your week off and you won't have to burn a park ticket.

Thanks! Great ideas! We are staying at POP so I'll need to look into the boat and fireworks timing. As of now, we are doing HS Sat, Epcot Sun, AK Mon, MK Tues Wed and Thurs (based on ADRs and BBB), and then park of choice on FRI.

 

[KimK2006]

As PP's have said, I doubt you could even make it by 7 by the time you take ME, check in and take the bus to MK. Even if you could make it for an hour, it seems like a waste of money or a park day.

MANY years ago, I remember reading in UG it was good NOT to go to MK first with little kiddos as they compare all other parks to MK. We did NOT follow that advice and went to MK 1st day and MGM on the 2nd day. DD (who was 3ish) only wanted to go back to MK since there was more "fun" things for her age there. If she didn't know any differently, she wouldn't have kept asking to go to MK. Your DD is older, so it might be a different experience with her, but she might appreciate the other parks more by NOT going to MK first.

 

[skateshome]

ON a side note.....we discovered this past week that going to the park at 8:00pm is fantastic if it's open unitl 11 or 12. Even with a 6/7 year old in tow.
By 9:00 we were walking onto anything we wanted with Zero wait time.
We rode 9 rides in 1 1/2 one night. It's how we will be doing it going forward. Early morning, skip all of mid day, back at night.

 

[ktlm]

Thanks! Great ideas! We are staying at POP so I'll need to look into the boat and fireworks timing. As of now, we are doing HS Sat, Epcot Sun, AK Mon, MK Tues Wed and Thurs (based on ADRs and BBB), and then park of choice on FRI.

I think there is a 0% chance if you are staying at POP that you could get ME to POP from the airport and then a bus from POP to MK, and even be at MK before the time they close at 7:00.

With a 5:15 landing, you are looking at arriving at POP in the 6:15 to 6:45 range.

If there is a park that is open late that night or has late EMH hours, you might want to try that. Otherwise, I would say explore DTD a little or just have a swim night at the resort.

 

[jade1]

Your bags will show up in your room, will they allow you to take a cab to CR for $50 and walk over? Maybe no cabs allowed without a ressie. Maybe TTC and monorail.

 

[ziravan]

For the same price as adding park hopper, about $60 bucks, you could buy tix for MNSSHP and stay till midnight. Plus, you wouldn't use a day on your park tickets. MNSSHP is a separate event and doesn't require using your myw pass.

 

[skateshome]

Your bags will show up in your room, will they allow you to take a cab to CR for $50 and walk over? Maybe no cabs allowed without a ressie. Maybe TTC and monorail.

If you go this route book a towncar. $67 one way. A cab is $100. We just paid it last week.

 

[TandLMommy28]

I've been told the rule of thumb is to expect it to take you three hours from the time your plane lands until you can be in a park--and that's if everything goes completely smoothly. There's no way you will make it to MK by 6:00 unless you don't check any bags, rent a car and ignore all speed limits to get there as fast as you can. And even then, I highly doubt you will make it.

On our last trip, we waited in line for ME for over an hour. It was a Saturday morning, yes, but it was also value season.

 

[TandLMommy28]

For the same price as adding park hopper, about $60 bucks, you could buy tix for MNSSHP and stay till midnight. Plus, you wouldn't use a day on your park tickets. MNSSHP is a separate event and doesn't require using your myw pass.

I agree, why not just go to the party?