Help Please: WDW in week n a half...rides, route, fp

[Makeup]

Hello All...

We will be in WDW parks on 3/26 to 3/29. Plan is to hit:
HS - 3/26 mon
AK - 3/27 tue
MK - 3/28 wed
Epcot - 3/29 Thu

My kids are 7(girl) and 5(boy). We'd like to maximize our time and the attractions. I understand crowd level will be high as it is spring break for a lot of schools. I was wondering what route i should take inside the parks(i.e., in MK i want to go to fantasyland first so kids can get on all the kiddie attractions)? Which rides to get FP on? Which rides to do first?

Planning on getting to the parks early. If it gets too crowded mid day, and the kids are getting cranky, I may go back to the hotel(off property but we have rental car) for some RR/naptime for 2-3hrs. Then go back to the park late afternoon.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Tink#64]

:welcome: I'm surprised no one else has replied to this thread with all the experience of my fellow Intercotees! OK, let's see what I can share of the basics. My first first advice, and I must say my only must do advice for anyone is plan to arrive at parks by or before opening time! (Always pick up a map & aTimes Guide as you enter the park - certain shows, parades, etc, you need to know this info!) This is paramount in my opinion to a good day! Then your plan should revolve around your must do list! After 7 trips, (my ds's are now 14 & 16 but they were 4 & 6 our first trip)we know what our must do's & our fav's are and I plan the must do's/major attractions in the early am, by lunchtime all parks are crowded and if you've done most of the must do's on your list for each park by that time then you can slow down. My family knows the drill, no shopping until afternoons on our way out of the parks. Also save any shows or low capacity rides until afternoon! If this is your first trip, be sure to stop at guest services anywhere & see where to get your free "Our 1st Visit" pins!

DHS for us would look like this: Arrive before opening, still a mad dash to TSM - an absolute blast for ALL ages & the parks current most popular attraction (imho), we've experienced entry before scheduled park opening with access only to the lines - both sb & fp for TSM! The Indiana Jones show generally doesn't start until later in the am - say 11:00 check the times guide to see when & where it fits in your schedule. From there, onto ST's or GMR. I'm sorry, if you need explanation for the attraction abbrevaiations I'll be happy to spell them out. Finish in that park of the park & head to Muppets! LMA if you're intersted, then BLT, VOLM if great for all! Walt:One Man's Dream is so nice, but can do whenver you need a break! I'm unsure if you'll be visiting the attractions on Sunset Blvd. ToT, & RnR. Will you be watching Fantasmic? It's pretty cool! We shop our way out of the park! We generally don't take a break on our DHS day as it's the smallest park & lots of sitting in the A/C! You could be done & have an early evening & rest for tomorrow!

AK: I'll say upfront - our least fav park, but lot's of must do's. When DS's were young, Kilimajaro was 1st on the list, now it's EE! I like to get Dinoland out of the way in the early AM as it's blacktop & get's very hot. The general concensus, I believe is that this is the hotest park! All that foilage holding in the humidty & more time out of the A/C! Primeval Whirl, Triceratops Spin, DInosaur all in Dinoland! It's tough to be a bug in the Tree of Life is an absolute treasure & a must do! This is on Discovery Island. Check your times guide for the Festival of The Lion King, this alone is worth coming to AK for me!

Wow , this has gotten realy long! Sorry. Alot of info to pack into one post!

MK: Fantasland first! With that said I understand that StoryBook Circus had soft opening yesterday so I'm not sure if it's offically open or not! Consult your map & times guide. I understand that's where Dumbo now resides & maybe a must do for your DS & DD! I belive, most if not all of the attractions in FL are FP other than Dumbo (moved!). Then you're going to need to know what most interests your group! We now go to TL first for BL, & SPMtn, then FL. Buzz & Monster's Inc. - Comedy Laugh Floor are fav's of ours! Next we head to HM in Libert Square then onto Frontireland & BTMRR & Splash Mtn. Adventure land holds POC, Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room is an absolute favorite of ours! Kiddo's will be drwan to The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, just like Dumbo & Triceratop Spin - a slow moving cycle ride! :D A little back tracking, but we like to do COP & TTA in the afternoon, slow, but favorites, high capacity, so wait time is usually never a problem! Shop your way out Main St!

Epcot: WOW! Hug park! We make 2 days of Epcot, our first being Future World and a second day coming in the early afternoon staying thuru IllumiNations for the World Showcase. You'll need to study that one carefully, trying to do it all in one day would be doable, but a BIG day! Note - save SSE for your way out of the park! Long lines in the morning, usually better later in the day! We always start with TT or Soarin & FP the other! Then on to Nemo & Friends in the Living Seas. Journey into your imagination with Figment has always been one of very fav's! So cute! Innoventions - gosh you can spend hours in the 2 pavillions! COnsult the guide for what interests you! So many interactive & hands on things there! Don't miss Maelstrom in Norway - very cool boat ride with a trol & the Mexio pavillion has a boat ride with the 3 Cabellero's. Other pavillions have shows & some other live performances. We love shopping, eating & drinking our way around The World.

I know I've saif way more than a mouthful here, but the main thing to me is: Arrive EARLY, pick up a map & a Times Guide, whether your making reservations or "priority Seating" arrangements or not, have an idea of where you want to eat in each park or land based on the menu's! Some restaurants have way more picky kid friendly menu's than others! It helps to have an idea! Other than DHS, we take a 3+ hour break from the parks each day - usually 2 - 3 o'clock'ish & head to hotel for some pool time or just RnR! We head back to a park around 7'ish for whatever night time fun, parades, fireworks, etc. Try to do your must do's in the ealry part of the day, then everything else is just icing on the cake. Be flexible, everyoe gets tired, hungry, cranky! Be willing to change your plans to save the day! We've been 7 times & still haven't done everytrhing on our lists! That's why I'm always thinking about the next trip! :D

I'm so excited for you! I hope you make many magical memories! You can always private message me if you have any specific questions! Huge tip I learned on this board, an over the door shoe bag is awesome for all of your day to day toiletries! I have a great packing list I can share (sponged from somwehere else!) DH & I carry refillable water bottles and all 4 of us wear pouches for autograph books (spiral bound index cards are great for this! Don't forget to bring your own Sharpie!), camera's, snacks that don't melt or crumble, sunglasses, etc. I make an index for each park, complete with park hours, parade times, eatery preferences etc., PRICELESS!

Sending you some :pixie: for a magical trip!

[gaffz70]

Just wanted to add....
I know when my kids were that age, the favorite part of their trip was meeting the power rangers, buzz & woody and lightening McQueen in HS. There is a pamphlet when u enter that list their appearance times.the one year we had no idea what we were doing, stopped at the buz and woody area for a snack, my kids were luckmenought to be asked to open Al's toy barn doors and let out buzz & woody - they still talk about it today.

[wdwfansince75]

If you are a map nut (as I am), download maps of each park (or use one of the many guidebooks for maps)...For best results, try to be at park for opening and rope drop...Suspect that at this time of year, traffic will be heavy...Plan your must do's at each park...Considering ages of kids, make sure you check height limits for rides...Disney strictly enforces height limits..Plan to do Must Do's early in the day..and get Fast Passes, especially for those that you may revisit..

For AK, note that crowds decrease dramatically in the afternoon, well before closing...It is a half day park for most of the Park Hoppers....But there is a full day of pleasure! Start with the Safari Ride...Do not miss the Trails, if your kids are up to it, but do not do them back to back...Do not miss the Flights of Fancy, and try to catch both big shows. Dinoland can actually be done anytime...although when we go, usually in the heat of summer, it can get very hot and humid. Also do not miss affection station...makes it a great break for the kids...EE, even if your kids are tall enough, is intense...as is Dinosaur...but if your kids are tall enough and up to it, both should be done with Fast Passes. Kali River Rapids is a very wet ride...only do it if the weather permits..you (and the kids) will be wet after the ride. It is fun, but not a must do.

For DHS, plan to head first for Toy Story Midway Mania (along with about 75 % of the people entering the park when you do)...one go ahead to get a fast pass, while the other, and the kids, take their time...Then do the standby line for Toy Story. The Queue is worth at least one trip, and at opening, you can usually do standby in under 20 minutes...and you will have a fast pass for later...Then, head to Star Tours...because R&RC, ToT, and TSMM are the target rides at opening, Star Tours doesn't seem to get a line until people have done the other three...I did ST multiple times, with no lines, while waiting for my TSMM FP time. Muppets usually doesn't get crowded until later in the AM...by then, your TSMM FP time should be approaching. Since you plan on spending the day at DHS, consider getting another FP for TSMM as soon as you are eligible...If there are still any available at that point.

For MK, head first to Fantasyland...up Main Street, and through the Castle...turn left, and do Peter Pan as soon as you can...consider getting a fast pass as you approach the ride for the first time...Let Small World wait until later in the day...Head for Pooh after Peter Pan.

For MK, make sure you know whether your kids are tall enough for the Mountains. If they are tall enough, and want to do Space Mountain, consider one of you taking the 4 tickets to the SM fast pass machines while the other does the rest of Fantasyland. Most kids love the teacups...a good one for one of the adults to skip, by heading for the FP line. Note the return time window...Disney now strictly enforces the window time...if the return time is before lunch, do SM before following the rest of this touring plan.
If your kids insist on the Speedway, do it then...if they insist on Dumbo, consider doing it then (remember, it is now relocated...most guidebook maps still show it at its old location, near the carosel)...If the kids are up to it, do the Goofy rollercoaster....then head to the nearby train station, and take the train to Frontierland..Let the kids rest their legs as the train takes you across the park....head to Pirates and Jungle Cruise...best strategy is to grab a JC FP before doing Pirates...If it is now time for lunch, Pecos Bills is a good spot...Do the rest of Adventureland, including the Magic Carpets...and then, head for Haunted Mansion...Note that there are several passages from Adventureland to Frontierland/Liberty Square...

Note that my family never follows my plans...but we rarely miss anything...and we may impulsively decide to head for Pirates, the People Mover, or Carrosel of Progress, just to cool off and sit down, at anytime. We usually do Splash Mtn and Big Thunder using fast passes, or late in the day...and late in the afternoon, the lines for Country Bears and the Tiki Room are usually short enough to just pop in, when your schedule allows. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover) is always a short wait, and a relaxing ride...In the PM, Small World lines are relatively short...good time to re-visit Fantasyland, to do IASW, Philharmagic (the 3D Movie), and the Carosel...and try for another FP for either Peter Pan or Pooh

As for EPCOT, with kids that young, consider holding off commiting to a full day there, until you have done the other three...other than Soaring, while we love all the other rides, my family would probably want to do a second day at Magic Kingdom...EPCOT is huge! Should you choose to do EPCOT, rather than a second day at MK, do Soaring (via the standby queue) first...and grab Fast Passes for a second ride...do Nemo (and Crush), then head to Imagination ride...skip the 3D movie...If it is now time for your FP on Soaring, head back....or head to Mexico and Norway, and do those rides...Save Spaceship Earth til the afternoon, or do it on your way out of the park...If Test Track is on your list, do it with fast passes as your schedule allows.

Have fun...And enjoy the park through your kids eyes...Hard to believe, but all 4 of our kids are now older than I was on our first visit...and I have enjoyed WDW through both my own eyes, and the eyes of DW, our 4DK's, and 7 of our 8 DGK's...our youngest DGK hasn't been there yet, but we are looking forward to many more trips!

[faline]

Since you are staying offsite and can't take advantage of the early extra magic hours, I'd suggest looking at the schedule and avoiding any park that is hosting the early extra magic hour in the morning. That may mean you need to rearrange the days on which you are visiting which park.

Also, if any park has extra magic hours in the evening, the next morning might be a good time to plan to visit that park.

[Makeup]

thank you thank you thank you! Appreciate all your responses!

I did order the free maps from the Disney website. I need to familiarize myself where the attractions are and strategize our routes from there.

I have one week left and I still have a lot to think about and plan(i think)! I did make a spreadsheet already of the rides(and restaurants) that we're thinking of hitting, but I need to add your suggestions. ADRs are booked also. I already made an xls of things to pack(and we're packed, except for shoes!) and grocery list when we get there.

I'm getting nervous and anxious. and excited. i don't know which one i am!

[angie12210]

Head over to your local Barnes and Noble or whatever book store is near you and pick up a copy of The Unofficial Guide-Walt Disney World. They have excellent trip guides in the back of the book for what ever your situation is. With/without kids, Adults, One/Two day touring of every park etc.... I use these every time I go and they save us a ton of time. As far as groceries go check out Garden Grocer. Order your groceries and they will deliver to your hotel. The service charge is sooo cheap and well worth every penny. Good luck and have fun.

[j2k]

How did your plan go? Do you wish you would've done something different? This thread has given me lots to think about and plan for our upcoming trip.