How to Avoid the Rush ?

[dumboears]

:dumbo:


O.K; I have done a little research, but would love to hear any advice from those more experienced at traversing the large crowds. I only have 4 days / 4 non hopper parks + Dinning (it was a Disney deal) for April 5 - 10. I already know that everything can not be done in these so few days, but I would love for my 2 grandsons (8yrs - 9yrs) to get the most ’Magic Disney’ time as possible. I have already made my ADR for the parks so the days I choose will not change, but I would like to see what you think on what I have so far. Yes - free advice.

I choose parks that did not have EMH for that day because my thoughts were - while you’re at the early hours for one park you won’t be in line when my park opens. I also chose park days that are ‘traditionally’ lower in attendance. Will be skipping amusement type rides sticking with pure Disney attractions. My plan was to arrive 30 minutes before rope drop then leave for a break in the afternoon. The biggest problem I am having is after the first few attractions I am not sure what to do next. Never, ever have I planed out a vacation out like this. I have always believed that the parks were best viewed spontaneously.

My Plan (please tell me what you think)

Monday = Epcot
1st FP to Soarin’
2nd Test Track
3rd Mission: Space
4th Wonder / Energy
5th FP to Honey I Shrunk
6th Lunch res. 12:50 (LeCellier)
7th Soarin’
8th Nemo & friends
9th Honey I Shrunk
10th Figment Journey
On into the Showcase - visit Spaceship Earth on reentry to the park. Dinner res. 7:40 Crow & Rose hopefully to watch Illuminations. This was the easy one.

Tuesday = Studios (MGM)
1st FP to Toy Mania
2nd Tower of Terror
3rd R&Rcoaster
4th Movie Ride
5th FP to Star Tours
6th Indiana Jones ?show time?
7th Muppets 3D
8th Lights, Motors, Action ?show time?
9th Backlot Tour
10th Toy Mania
11th Little Mermaid ?show time?
12th Star Tours
All of this could change due to show times and queue waits. Dinner res. 7:40 @ Prime Time (only res. I could get 60 days ago H & Vine and Melrose were already booked up). Plan on seeing the second show of Fantasmic.

Wednesday = Magic Kingdom
1st FP to Space Mnt.
2nd Buzz Lightyear
3rd Stitch’s Great Escape
4th Monsters Inc.
5th Space Mnt.
This is where I am having a problem. Should I cross the park to the other mountains for any available FP or should I try and grab FP to Peter Pan / PhilharMagic and go to the Haunted House. Start my way through Fantasyland and hope for a mid-day break. Saving both Frontierland and Adventureland for latter in the evening / night. The park will be open from 7am till 1am though I don’t plan on staying past the fireworks / parade. I have Diner res. At the Grand Floridian @ 5:15. Hope they let me back in.

Thursday = Animal Kingdom
1st FP Everest
2nd Kili. Safaris
3rd Pangani Trail
4th Tough to be a Bug
5th Lion King ?show time?
6th FP Dinosaur (if available)
7th Primeval Whirl & Boneyard
8th Finding Nemo ?show time?
9th Dinosaur
10th Everest
11th Kali Rapids
12th Maharajah Trek
This is my first visit to AK so I really don’t know what to expect. I have chosen the Kili Safaris first because I know that the animals will be more active in the cooler morning hours. Everything else I’m just winging it. Diner res. @ Yak & Yeti 6:30

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get as much advice as I could. With only ten days to go ( starting to feel like a 10yr. myself :balloon:) I just want to be prepared for that Magical Journey.

Thanks.

[jaredkari]

Wow looks like you got it planned to the minute. I guess my only place where I might differ with you is take advantage of the early EMH I really do think they are worth it. People generally on vacation don't want to get up early so that extra hour you got gives some time before the masses arrive. Also, on this point my wife will say I am full of it because I am always rushing from one attraction to the next, but don't worry if you don't get everything done. If there is a street show or something unexpected that the kids want to do let them do it. But on the other hand I am usually just like you and try to get as much done as possible. It is WDW and it will be great no matter what. Have fun :mickey:

[mrsgaribaldi]

I would do Toy Story more than once. We went early and would get the FPs and then ride 2 or 3 times before the wait got real long. It's very easy to do when you first get there and I think the kids will love it. I know I do:blush::mickey:

[GoofyforFun]

I would look at MK again..... Not sure what rides the boys like. or how long they can make it for a long day. but there are some things to do .
Some people get on the the train and go back to frontier land and do the MTS. and then work to the Adventure land POTC,etc. Then LS, FL
I know Tomorrowland is excellent at night lit up??? astro orbirter and of if you can get on the TTA while the fireworks are going on is cool.
A must for me is Mickey's PhilharMagic sit down and relax before your off again.
we have done all different ways to get the most out of the park???? Straight back to Dumbo ( not crowed then can even ride it twice) for the classic ride and make you ways around from there.

Just relax and enjoy. :mickey:

[DANAM]

I'm worried about epcot we have tried to knock these 3 out in the am and never have been able to do it. Even during EMH when where there before the park opens and we seperate and I grab FP when my husband does MS. We wheren't even there during peak season.
I would do soarin' first because it seams to fill up fast and the FP go fast. Then MS if possible and grab a FP for test track before you get on MS or vise versa. You may not be able to get on before lunch but try to walk as quick as possible and make sure your group knows the drill before you jet off.
Hope everything works out for you!!!

[Meteora]

Wow, that's a thorough plan. My family has become pretty expert at dodging crowds, since we usually go during Christmas week. My advice would be to use your plan as a guideline, but don't be afraid to be spontaneous. If you're passing rides that have very short waits, don't be afraid to hop on those and delay things a bit.
Also, especially in Epcot, if you have more than one adult in your party, you might want to head to the ride you intend to go on next and send one person (a fast one) to get fast passes. That tends to be a bit quicker/easier than the entire party going. Epcot is particularly difficult because Soarin' and TT are far enough apart to make for some good time spent in just grabbing a fp and moving on.

For the MK, I would go with what the lines are like by the time you get to Fantasyland and also what people would like to do the most. You can always ask your grandsons if they would prefer to get a fastpass for Splash or for Peter Pan.

As for AK, depending on how much your grandsons like roller coasters, you might even want to grab a fp to use later and hop on the standby line. I know my sister, who loves coasters, has to do Everest twice or she's not happy. Primeval whirl is sort of meh, IMO. I wouldn't prioritize it too much; it's definitely what should go if you don't have time for everything.

[WDW_Obsessed]

Wow, you've done some great research ans planning. My advice would be the same as others...that you may want to be a little more flexible with your plans, and keep the list of "must do's", but maybe not be as rigid about which order you do them in. Also, the fast pass you get will give you a specific time (an hour long window) as to when you can return, so you may be able to see some other attractions during that time, and you also may have to alter your schedule a bit to work around your designated return time with the fp.

Also, I personally think that the EMH mornings are worth getting up for. Our family can easily get in several big attractions we want to see in that hour as the crowds during that time are usually much lower. You also get the first fp's of the day, and sometimes Toy Story Mania or others can have return times of late afternoon even by 10 am. However, it should be noted that only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open for the MK EMH's. Not everyone likes the EMH's, but I personally don't miss them.

Also, my other suggestion is to eat lunch at off-peak times. We try to eat at 11-11:30 (usually right when lunch places open) or at 2ish when the crowds have died down a little. It can often get very busy at lunch time.

I hope you have a fantastic time, and I'm sure you will. Relax and enjoy the vacation! :mickey:

[illini]

Well, since you're planning on using a touring plan, I *highly* recommend getting The Unofficial Guide to WDW (check it out from the library if you must, better to buy it, though). There are tons of touring plans in there and I promise they are much, much more efficient than anything you will come up with on your own. The amount of research that has gone into them is astonishing. They'll include some things you don't want to do-- just skip them.
Seriously, if you're going to follow a touring plan you might as well fork out the $20 and get the best one there is. Their research shows that the MK plan saves something like 3 hours over regular touring at busy times.

[MOJoe]

The thing to remember is, that if you are one of the first few in the park, you can walk on virtually any ride. So it is important to either get a FP for, or ride the big headliner attractions immediately, and not waste time on the fast loading rides, movies or walk through attractions.

With this in mind, i would tweak your MK plan by cutting out Monsters and Stitch, and get as many Fantasy Land rides out of the way first. In fact, if you think your grandkids are going to want to ride Dumbo, that may need to be the very first thing you do. From there you can do the other mountains, then come back through Adventure Land. Next, use your SM FP, and the circle back around and pick up the other attractions you skipped, which should include Monsters, Philharmagic and HM. This plan has worked for my family. By using it, we can cover all of MK by 1 p.m.
Good luck, and have fun!

[big blue and hairy]

Don't listen to right-wing radio...oh...not that Rush...sorry....:D

:sulley:

[c&d]

I may be reading your times wrong but it looks like you're expecting certain times on the rides that you FP. Soarin' after lunch, what happens if your FP is while your scheduled for lunch?

I would also make sure you have some down time. It looks like you've got packed days and it might be exhausting for the boys if they're not used to doing all that walking and then coupled with all the excitement of being there.

[beksy]

One thing I would consider in AK is your timing for Kali River Rapids. On this one, expect to get soaked! You mentioned resting in the afternoon so you might want to do this one right before you take your break or do it as your last ride of the evening. When we went on it, I was dripping when I got off and then had ADRs 15 minutes later. It was not a comfortable meal! That is the only ride I've ever felt the need to plan on just due to getting wet on it. It is a lot of fun though! :thumbsup: Your plan looks good. We really like 50's Prime Time so I wouldn't worry about it. Just remember to relax and take the time to enjoy the magic around you. This will end up meaning more to you than hitting all the rides that you have planned. The kids keep growing but the rides will probably be around for awhile. :mickey:

[BMan62]

Don't listen to right-wing radio...oh...not that Rush...sorry....:D

:sulley:

I was thinking the exact same thing!!! :thumbsup:

[dumbo ears]

looks like you have thought a lot about it. It looks like a good plan.