A Long Time Ago - A September 2019 PTR

aaylasecura

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 24, 2010
Hello All!

I've been on countless Disney trips (well actually I have a count and it's 9, not including my time in the College Program) and this is the first time that I'm going to do trip reports.

I'll be staying at Pop Century from September 8 - 14, 2019 for my first solo trip to WDW. I titled this PTR "A Long Time Ago" because it's been four years since my last trip to WDW. It also happens to now coincide with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

I'm excited because I booked with free dining for a return to my favorite festival, the Food and Wine Festival.

I'll do some more posts later about all of the details of my trip. But for now, just happy to introduce myself and be here!

Kindly,
AaylaSecura
 
Getting to Florida
I'm starting my vacation with an all-day drive to Florida on September 7th. I have an eight hour drive down I-95. Historically, I've made my trip down to Florida overnight. Since, I was traveling with other people, it was a feasible idea as we would take shifts driving while the others slept. However, since it's just me, I think the daylight hours are going to work more in my favor.

I'm planning to leave my home no later than 10 a.m. I'll drive for about 4-4.5 hour to reach exit 106 on I-95. This is the exit for Pooler Parkway. Right off this exit is a very nice shopping center. There's a Walmart, large assortment of fast, casual restaurants, and gas stations I feel safe at. I have a new car this year and I'm still unsure about it's long distance mpg. I've taken it to Washington DC, but can't remember at what points I needed to stop for gas. I'm hoping I can make it all the way to exit 106 as Savannah, GA is the ideal half-way point for my trip.

After my rest stop, I'll hop back on the road straight through to Orlando. I'm expecting to pull into Orlando between 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., traffic pending. No matter what, I always seem to hit traffic around Jacksonville, FL. Doesn't matter what day of the week it is or time of day, Jacksonville, FL just seems to bring the traffic. I haven't booked a hotel or AirBNB yet for Saturday night, but that's the plan. I'm waiting for a really good coupon from Hotels.com or AirBNB to snag the right hotel. I've done some searching to know ideally where I'd like to stay and what I'll be paying, but I keep seeing horrible reviews for the hotels that are in my price range. Like, I just want to stay somewhere that's clean and safe. Is that too much to ask? Ugh, I'll find something that fits my fancy eventually.

Depending on how tired I am, I might venture into Downtown Disney on Saturday night. It'll be a great way to get the magic started early...and get Disney Springs out of the way. I make a commitment to check it out on every trip, but I'm not a huge shopping person, so Disney Springs is a little lost on me. When I was in the college program, it was just a convenient place to go see a movie. Anyways, maybe a walk through World of Disney will get the happiness started just right. However, after driving all day, I might only want to veg in front of the TV for an hour before I drift off to sleep. Eh, we'll see.
 
My Touring Itinerary
So, I'm a minute-by-minute planner. Yeah, yeah - don't give me the it ruins the spontaneity speech. I really like the way that I plan my vacations because my mornings have a definite plan, I come back to the hotel to nap, then I wander around for the evening just grabbing fastpasses as they're available and stopping for street entertainment. I'll post detailed itineraries for each park at another time, but for now, here's my plan.
  • Sunday, September 8
    • Morning Park: Animal Kingdom (7 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
    • Afternoon Park: Blizzard Beach (1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.)
    • Evening Park: Hollywood Studios (8 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
  • Monday, September 9
    • Morning Park: EPCOT (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.)
    • Late Afternoon/Evening Park: Hollywood Studios (3:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
  • Tuesday, September 10
    • Morning Park: Magic Kingdom (7 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
    • Late Afternoon/Evening Park: EPCOT (4:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
  • Wednesday, September 11
    • Morning Park: Hollywood Studios (6 a.m. - 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
    • Late Afternoon/Evening Park: Magic Kingdom (4:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
  • Thursday, September 12
    • Morning Park: Magic Kingdom (8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
    • Late Afternoon/Evening Park: Animal Kingdom (4:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.)
    • Possible Additional Evening Park: Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios (8 p.m. - 10 p.m.)
  • Friday, September 13
    • Morning Park: EPCOT (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
    • Afternoon Park: Typhoon Lagoon (1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.)
    • Evening Park: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (6 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
  • Saturday, September 14
    • Morning Park: Random (until 12 p.m.)
Here's the total hours I have planned at each park:
  • Magic Kingdom: 24 hours (possibility of 26)
  • EPCOT: 13.5 hours
  • Hollywood Studios: 14 hours (possibility of 16)
  • Animal Kingdom: 9 hours
  • Blizzard Beach: 1.5 hours
  • Typhoon Lagoon: 1.5 hours
 
Dining Reservations
My 180 day window opened on March 11th. I was soooo excited for that day when it finally came. Now, I made all of these reservations before the extra, extra magic hours announcement. That means I may be inclined to make a few changes down the road as a refine my daily itineraries. But, here's what I have for now.
  • Sunday, September 8
    • Breakfast: Offsite...most likely at hotel
    • Lunch: Satu'li Canteen
    • Dinner: California Grill, 6 p.m.
  • Monday, September 9
    • Breakfast: 'Ohana, 7:30 a.m.
    • Lunch: Food & Wine Festival
    • Dinner: 50's Prime Time Cafe, 6:05 p.m.
  • Tuesday, September 10
    • Breakfast: Crystal Palace, 8:30 a.m.
    • Lunch: Somewhere quick service...probably Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
    • Dinner: Chefs de France, 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday, September 11
    • Breakfast: Cape May Cafe, 7:35 a.m.
    • Lunch: Somewhere quick service...probably ABC Commissary
    • Dinner: 1900 Park Fare, 6 p.m.
  • Thursday, September 12
    • Breakfast: Chef Mickey's, 7:30 a.m.
    • Lunch: Be Our Guest, 11:50 a.m.
    • Dinner: Yak & Yeti, 7:15 a.m.
  • Friday, September 13
    • Breakfast: Garden Grill, 8:15 a.m
    • Lunch: Food & Wine Festival
    • Dinner: Skipper Canteen, 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 14
    • Breakfast: Everything Pop!
    • Lunch: Offsite
    • Dinner: Offsite
 


Day 1 Touring Plans

Because my first day of parks is still a weekend day, I decided to avoid the big three (MK, EP, & DHS) and stick with Animal Kingdom as my main park for the day. Now, I'm a minute for minute planner so I can anticipate everything I can fit into the day, then leave room for surprises.

5 a.m. - Wake Up & Get Ready
5:45 a.m. - Breakfast (either at my hotel or grab something nearby)
6:15 a.m. - Drive to Animal Kingdom, Park, & Walk to Gate
7 a.m. - Walk to Pandora - The World of Avatar
7:10 a.m. - Avatar Flight of Passage
7:30 a.m. - Expedition Everest
7:45 a.m. - Primeval Whirl
8 a.m. - It's Tough to be a Bug!
8:15 a.m. - Explore Discovery Island
9 a.m. - Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki's Planet Watch
9:10 a.m. - Explore Rafiki's Planet Watch
9:40 a.m. - Wildlife Express Train to Africa
9:55 a.m. - Kilimanjaro Safaris (FP+ Window: 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.)
10:30 a.m. - Kali River Rapids (FP+ Window: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.)
10:55 am. - Na'vi River Journey (FP+ Window: 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)
After I get off this ride, I'll look for a FP+ for DHS in the 7:45 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. window
11:15 a.m. - Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
11:40 a.m. - Maharajah Jungle Trek
12:05 p.m. - Lunch @ Satu'li Canteen
12:35 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

After I finish Animal Kingdom, I'm going to head straight to Blizzard Beach! I don't intend to spend too much time there as there are only a handful of slides I want to ride, so I'm only budgeting 1.5 hours at the water park.

12:55 p.m. - Drive to Blizzard Beach
1:05 p.m. - Park, Walk to Gate, & Find a Beach Chair
1:20 p.m. - Explore Blizzard Beach
My attractions of interest include Chairlift, Teamboat Springs, Runoff Rapids, Toboggan Racers, Snow Stormers, Downhill Douple Dipper, and Cross Country Creek
2:50 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

After I finish at Blizzard Beach, it's time for the much anticipated room check-in and NAP!!!!! I'm going to sleep soooo hard because I will have been up since 5 a.m. Between 3 p.m. - 5:15 p.m., that's nap time and shower/get ready for dinner time. If I can get out of Animal Kingdom a little earlier than anticipated, then I'll be able to get out of Blizzard Beach a little earlier than anticipated, and earn myself a little more nap time. If I can get in at least an hour of sleep, I'll be functional for the evening.

Now, I have a first night tradition of going to dinner at California Grill. For every trip that I've taken in September, somehow, I've had my first night coincide with MNSSHP. This means that fireworks are MUCH later than normal (okay, it's only like an hour and and hour in Disney time can go quickly or slowly depending on what you're doing). So, I scheduled dinner at a regular dinner time and I'll catch the new MNSSHP fireworks when I attend the party later in the week.

5:15 p.m. - Drive to Contemporary Resort, Park, & Walk to Check-In
6 p.m. - Dinner Reservation at California Grill

I know what you're thinking: why are you giving yourself 45 minutes to get to the Contemporary Resort? Well, it's a 15 minute drive from Pop Century, which means it'll actually be 20 minutes by the time I figure out the new Magic Kingdom entrance traffic flow (it's been 4 years since my last visit and I heard they changed it for getting to the resorts), then I have to go through the security kiosk, find a parking spot, walk back to the entrance to the Contemporary from parking in the middle of nowhere, and get up to the 2nd floor, getting distracted by all of the memories on the way (I stayed at Bay Lake Tower once and absolutely love the mural inside the Contemporary on the 4th floor, so I have to go stare at it for a few minutes).

After dinner, I'm going to brave the weekend crowds and attempt to do a few things at DHS. I've planned my DHS morning for later in the week so the weekend crowds go back to work, but seeing how SWGE will be in it's second-ish week of opening, I know that park is still going to be nuts.

7:30 p.m. - Drive to Hollywood Studios, Park, & Walk to Gate
8:15 p.m. - Explore DHS with no plan except trying to bounce from FP+ attraction to FP+ attraction
If the crowds are really just too much, I'll slip into Fantasmic! for the 8:30 p.m. show.
9:30 p.m. - Find a spot to watch Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
10 p.m. - Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular

Phew! That's a lot to do for arrival day, but I like to hit up everything early in my week so that I can back to places that were too crowded or I missed completely later in the week.
 
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Day 2 Touring Plans

Now that we're into the weekdays, I'm ready to hit a popular park - EPCOT! That's my main park for my second day. Here we go with day two!

5:30 a.m. - Wake Up & Get Ready
7 a.m. - Drive to Polynesian Resort, Park, & Walk to Check-In
7:30 a.m. - Breakfast Reservation at 'Ohana
8:15 a.m. - Drive to EPCOT, Park, & Walk to Gate
9 a.m. - Walk to Soarin' Around the World
9:10 a.m. - Soarin' Around the World
9:30 a.m. - Test Track
9:50 a.m. - Mission: SPACE (FP+ Window: 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.)
10:20 a.m. - Journey into Imagination with Figment
10:35 a.m. - Living with the Land (FP+ Window: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.)
11 a.m. - The Seas with Nemo & Friends
11:20 a.m. - Spaceship Earth
11:50 a.m. - Frozen Ever After (FP+ Window: 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)
After getting off this ride, I will look to schedule a FP+ at DHS in the 3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. window
12:05 p.m. - Lunch @ Food & Wine Festival
12:50 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

Unlike Day 1, after I'm done at EPCOT today, it's straight back to my hotel room for a nap. I've got another late-ish night ahead of me and I want to be refreshed for my afternoon park. I'll also fit in another shower because ew, sunscreen. I have nap/rest time scheduled until 3:45 p.m. Then, the plan is to hang out at DHS until park closing.

3:45 p.m. - Drive to Hollywood Studios, Park, & Walk to Gate
4:15 p.m. - Explore DHS with semi-definite plans, including bouncing from FP+ attraction to FP+ attraction
(including 5 p.m. Beauty & The Beast - Live on Stage)
5:50 p.m. - Walk to 50's Prime Time Cafe, Check-In
6:05 p.m. - Dinner Reservation at 50's Prime Time Cafe
7:30 p.m. - Explore DHS with no plan except bouncing from FP+ attraction to FP+ attraction
10 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

That's another early start and another late finish. However, I'm getting up earlier and staying up later for Day 3! Ah!
 
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Day 3 Touring Plans

Ah! The marathon of waking up early and staying up late continues for day 3! I actually really don't mind doing this because I take a mid-day nap everyday of my vacation, stretching the hours of my day comfortably. Also, it gets me out of the parks during the heat of the day and the prime time for children having meltdowns because it's nap time. I know what you're thinking, wouldn't you rather be in the parks while the kids are napping. Nope! There are plenty of parents who push kids past their limits during their Disney vacation and I hate being around that. Anyways, day 3 is going to start off at the Magic Kingdom.

5 a.m. - Wake Up & Get Ready
6:15 a.m. - Drive to Magic Kingdom, Park, & Walk
7 a.m. - Walk to Tomorrowland
7:10 a.m. - Space Mountain
7:30 a.m. - Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
7:45 a.m. - Tomorrowland Speedway
8 a.m. - Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
8:20 a.m. - Check-In for Breakfast at The Crystal Palace
8:30 a.m. - BREAKFAST - The Crystal Palace

After Disney released the EEMH, I became worried about keeping this breakfast ADR. I was seeing all over the DisBoards that people were dropping their ADRs becauses they were no longer PPO. After thinking about it, I decided it doesn't bother me. Referencing an earlier post, I've budgeted 26 hours to be in the Magic Kingdom to experience the rides, foods, shows, and other entertainment. So, taking 45 minutes out of my morning to spend some time with my friends from the Hundred Acre Woods is well worth it.

9:15 a.m. - Walk to Adventureland
9:20 a.m. - Jungle Cruise
9:40 a.m. - Pirates of the Caribbean
10 a.m. - Splash Mountain (FP+ Window: 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.)
10:25 a.m. - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (FP+ Window: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
10:50 a.m. - The Hall of Presidents
11:35 a.m. - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (FP+ Window: 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)
After getting off this ride, I will look to see if I can snag one more FP+ for Magic Kingdom around noon. If not, I will look for something in EPCOT in the 4 p.m - 5 p.m. window
11:55 a.m. - Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (possibly replaced with a FP+ attraction)
12:40 p.m. - LUNCH - Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
1:10 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

During this morning, I will spend a little longer than usual inside the park. I usually like to grab lunch around 12:15 p.m., but because there is so much to do inside the Magic Kingdom, I'm going to push it a little closer to 1 p.m.

After I leave the Magic Kingdom, it's back to Pop Century for a nap. I'll nap until about 3:30 p.m., get up and refresh, then make my way to EPCOT for the evening.

3:45 p.m. - Drive to EPCOT, Park, & Walk to Gate
4:30 p.m. - Explore EPCOT with no plan except bouncing from FP+ attraction to FP+ atrraction
5:45 p.m. - Walk to France Pavillion, Check-In for Dinner
6 p.m. - DINNER - Chefs de France
7:30 p.m. - Explore EPCOT with no plan except bounding from FP+ attraction to FP+ attraction
8:45 p.m. - Find a place for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
9 p.m. - Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
9:15 p.m. - Explore EPCOT until park closing
11 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

While I may not stay at EPCOT all the way until 11 p.m., it gives me the opportunity to ride Soarin', Test Track, and Frozen Ever After another time with lighter crowds, in addition to exploring the World Showcase pavilions in evening lighting.
 


Some Thoughts from Opening Day of SWGE at DL
So my trip is booked only two-ish weeks after SWGE opens at WDW. I most certainly didn't plan this. I was hoping that my planning my trip at the beginning of September, I would be avoiding the whole SWGE opening. But, then Disney decided fall starts a few days before Labor Day and here we are.

Anyways, I've been watching social media accounts from non-disney sources all day. I have to say, I'm feeling a lot better about things. Specifically, I was looking at Touring Plans instagram and twitter around lunch time today. One of their staff members was posting photos of the crowds waiting to get into SWGE for the 8 a.m. reservation time. Holy cow were there a lot of people. The merchandise line...yeah, that was long. Then I found a post of the staff member riding its a small world...at 10 a.m....with a boat to himself! I really want to attribute this to and congratulate Disney on their reservation system for the opening. All of the reports I read were saying that people waited maybe 10 minutes to get their wristbands (then of course they had to wait to get into the land). With this reservation system, crowd levels in other areas of DL stayed low because well, you should only be there if you were interested in DL proper.

I'm taking this as a good omen for my trip. Like, yeah, things in SWGE are going to be ridiculous. But outside of that, it's going to be fairly normal...maybe a little busier than historic Septembers. I know the real testament/predictor for the crowds in the opening month of SWGE is what DL looks like June 24th and onward (when the reservation system ends). But until then, I'm sending positive energy into mine and everyone's vacations during the opening month of SWGE. After that, well, you kind of took that risk yourself haha.

Also, can we just talk about the dedication ceremony for a hot minute? I know WDW doesn't have to top that because they're only competing against themselves, but you brought out Harrison, Mark, Billy Dee, and George. What surprises could you possibly have left for WDW? Also, Bob, please memorize your speeches. You look a little silly always reading off a teleprompter. Just sayin'.
 
Day 4 Touring Plans

Wow, it feels like I've planned so much already that I should be on day 5 or 6 now. But instead, it's day 4. Today is the day I tackle Hollywood Studios and try to ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. Now, I have to say, our of all of the days, day 4 is the most tentative. Once Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge open, I will be monitoring crowd levels like crazy. I won't start monitoring them until Tuesday, September 3rd. The Labor Day weekend has to finish for me to really get a feel for what crowds will be like when I'm there the following week. While I don't "have a bad feeling about this," I do know that Hollywood Studios is going to be more crowded than usual, so I hope my time calculations are correct. Either way, I'm sticking with the FP+ windows I've decided on.

4 a.m. - Wake Up & Get Ready
5:15 a.m. - Drive to Hollywood Studios, Park, & Walk to Gate
6 a.m. - Walk to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
6:10 a.m. - Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

Ugh, now this is where the EEMH through a real kink in my plans. I originally made a breakfast ADR for Cape May Cafe at 7:35 a.m. This would have ample time to get to Hollywood Studios for a 9 a.m. opening. However, now it's right in the middle of prime park hours. I'm thinking of moving it later to 9 a.m., but that means I'll be hungry for lunch later and that'll throw off plans later in the day. For now, I'm leaving my ADR where it is and if I start to get panicky, I'll try to grab an 9-ish reservation instead.

7 a.m. - Walk to Park Exit
7:10 a.m. - Drive to Beach Club Resort, Park, & Walk to Building
7:25 a.m. - Check-In to Cape May Cafe
7:35 a.m. - BREAKFAST - Cape May Cafe
8:15 a.m. - Drive to Hollywood Studios, Park, & Walk to Gate
8:35 a.m. - Walk to Toy Story Land
8:45 a.m. - Toy Story Midway Mania
9:10 a.m. - Alien Swirling Saucers
9:25 a.m. - Slinky Dog Dash (FP+ Window: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.)
9:45 a.m. - Walt Disney Presents
10:10 a.m. - Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FP+ Window: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.)
10:30 a.m. - Muppet*Vision 3D
11:05 a.m. - Star Tours - The Adventure Continues (FP+ Window: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.)
After getting off this ride, I will look to schedule a FP+ at Magic Kingdom in the 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. window
11:25 a.m. - LUNCH - ABC Commissary
12 p.m. - Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
12:30 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit

It's time again for the mid-day nap break. Today's nap starts just a smidge earlier, because hey, I've been up since 4 a.m. Right now, I'm planning to nap until 3:45 p.m. But, I'm also planning to stay at Magic Kingdom until midnight. Because I'm also going to go to MNSSHP on Friday evening, I will eithe extend my nap until closer to dinner time and head straight to the Grand Floridian, or I might leave Magic Kingdom earlier than midnight.

3:45 p.m. - Drive to Magic Kingdom, Park, & Walk to Gate
4:30 p.m. - Explore Magic Kingdom with no plans except to bounce from FP+ attraction to FP+ attraction
5:30 p.m. - Walk to Park Exit
5:40 p.m. - Monorail to Grand Floridian Resort
5:50 p.m. - Check-in for Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
6 p.m. - DINNER - 1900 Park Fare
7:30 p.m. - Monorail to Magic Kingdom
7:40 p.m. - Explore Magic Kingdom with no plans except to bounce from FP+ attraction to FP+ attraction
12 a.m. - Walk to Park Exit

It's going to be a long day, but totally worth it if I get to ride Smuggler's Run!!!
 
Disney Changes Things Again
Well, if anyone has read the articles that came out over the past few days, Disney is making changes to their Fastpass+ tiers at Hollywood Studios for the opening of SWGE and beyond. Based on reports of guests who can make FP+ reservations right now (this was the first article I checked out), all rides have been moved to tier 1 and all shows are left in tier 2. There is still no FP+ for Smuggler's Run, which was expected.

I have to say, I'm super pissed. I enjoy a handful of the shows at DHS, but have never booked a FP+ for them, and quite frankly, never will. The seating isn't necessarily better and getting in earlier isn't particularly necessary. Maybe Voyage of The Little Mermaid is the exception, but I've seen that show once and that's all I really need in my life.

Let's also talk about how it appears they are removing (hopefully temporarily) FP+ from Star Tours. That's my favorite ride at that park. It's not in SWGE. Why are you punishing me?!?

I'm really going to have to rethink my entire DHS strategy. With the the new tiers, I'm pretty much going to have to lock into a Slinky Dog Dash FP because that's one of my have to's for this trip. I've heard nothing but amazing reports about it. I'm not even sure what to pick for tier 2. Out of the six things listed in the article, I only do three of them (Beauty & the Beast, Indiana Jones, & Muppet*Vision). I'm definitely not going to bother making reservations for anything that happens on a time table (i.e. Beauty & the Beast) because I can't move up those fastpasses as they're tied to the showtimes.

One thing I know is that I'll definitely be moving my ADR for that morning to much later (and by much later I mean between 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.) or cancelling it altogether. Those extra three hours in the park with only other resort guests are going to end up being much more valuable than I thought.
 
I'm back.

I had to take a short break from vacation planning due to work. But, I've been keeping up with Disney news, and OMG have there been a lot of announcements for things closing!!! Anyways...

Today was FP+ selection day. Here's what I managed to snag:
  • Sunday, September 8, 2019
    • Kali River Rapids - 9 a.m.
    • Na'vi River Journey - 10 a.m.
    • Kilimanjaro Safaris - 11:15 a.m
  • Monday, September 9, 2019
    • Mission: SPACE - 9:15 a.m.
    • Living with the Land - 10:15 a.m.
    • Frozen Ever After - 11:15 a.m.
  • Tuesday, September 10, 2019
    • Splash Mountain - 9:10 a.m.
    • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - 10:10 a.m.
    • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - 1:05 p.m.
  • Wednesday, September 11, 2019
    • Voyage of the Little Mermaid - 9:10 a.m.
    • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - 10:10 a.m.
    • Star Tours, The Adventures Continue - 11:10 a.m
  • Thursday, September 12, 2019
    • Space Mountain - 9:15 a.m.
    • Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - 10:15 a.m.
    • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - 11:20 a.m.
  • Friday, September 13, 2019
    • Mission: SPACE - 9 a.m.
    • Spaceship Earth - 10 a.m.
    • Soarin' Around the World - 11 a.m.
I experienced a super glitch reservation system this morning. There was a point when the system was reporting I had five same day fastpasses reserved. When I would go in and modify a fastpass, it wouldn't cancel the old one and just made me a new one. Once I finished tinkering with everything, I logged out and back in again, and the system appeared to have righted itself. Phew! Although it would have been cool to have five same day fastpasses. The system was also super glitchy when I first started making my selections. Basically, Animal Kingdom on 9/8 wasn't working, so I had to keep coming back to it. When I finally got it working, of course all of the Flight of Passage fastpasses were gone. Oh well, I'll just have to EMH rope drop it. No biggie.

I'm probably going to change out the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fastpass on 9/10 for something else since I also have one on 9/12 at a time that fits better with my touring plans. Ooh, maybe I'll grab a Haunted Mansion FP. Probably won't need it, but it'll be nice to have. Now I just have to go back and adjust all of my daily plans to match when I was able to grab fastpasses for, and the adjustments I need to make on 9/8 as the system wasn't working well with what I wanted. Oh, and I also have to adjust 9/8 because that is now going to be the first day it's closed for it's extended refurbishment. Don't think I'll go to Typhoon Lagoon twice because there just isn't that much to do, so I'll probably just extend my nap time that day and give myself some more time to unpack and get ready for dinner at California Grill.
 
Looks like your trip is coming together. UGG about the technical issues on your fastpass day. Hopefully with the extra, extra magic hours you will be able to get a lot done in the morning before the rest of the crowds arrive each day.
 
Updated Plans - Day 1 (Sunday, September 8, 2019)

Now that my FP+ reservations are secured, I'm going back into my daily plans and touching things up, or quite frankly just finishing them because I hadn't done days 5, 6, & 7 yet. Here's a condensed look at my day 1 plans.

4:30 a.m. - Wake Up
5:45 a.m. - Breakfast Offsite
6:15 a.m. - Drive to Disney's Animal Kingdom
7 a.m. - Disney's Animal Kingdom

Avatar Flight of Passage
Expedition Everest
Primeval Whirl
It's Tough to be a Bug!
Discovery Island
Rafiki's Planet Watch
Kali River Rapids (FP+)
Na'vi River Journey (FP+)
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails
Kilimanjaro Safaris (FP+)
Maharajah Jungle Trek
12 p.m. - Lunch @ Satu'li Canteen
12:45 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
1:15 p.m. - Unpack & Nap
4:45 p.m. - Wake Up
5:15 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Contemporary Resort
6 p.m. - Dinner @ California Grill
7:30 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Hollywood Studios
8 p.m. - Disney's Hollywood Studios

No plans, just roam where FP+ is available or waits are short
10 p.m. - Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
10:15 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
10:45 p.m. - Bed Time


Right now Touring Plans is forecasting a Level 3 for Animal Kingdom and a Level 10 for Hollywood Studios, with WDW at a Level 2 overall. I know it might be super crazy when I get to DHS in the evening, but I'm only there to play for a few hours so I'll just roam and explore. Based on the trend that's happening at Disneyland, SWGE might be super crowded and every other area may have super low wait times. Even if I just see the new Racing Academy, catch one ride, and do a little nighttime photography, that'll be enough to satisfy. Worst case, I hop over to the new Gran Destino Tower and get a drink at the bar or chill at the pool at Pop Century.

I still haven't booked my offsite hotel for the night of Saturday, September 7th yet. For my job, I book hotel stays for a lot of people when we send them to training, so I'm waiting until I have enough rewards nights on Hotels.com to book a room for free. But based on what I've been seeing listed right now, there's still plenty of good availability. I'll probably end up staying near the convention center or off 192. Won't be able to book until the second week in August though as that's when I'll have enough rewards nights. Still, not worried.
 
Updated Plans - Day 2 (Monday, September 9, 2019)

Here are my updated plans for day 2:

5:45 a.m. - Wake Up
6:45 a.m. - Drive to Disney's Polynesian Resort
7:30 a.m. - Breakfast @ 'Ohana
8:15 a.m. - Drive to EPCOT
9 a.m. - EPCOT

Soarin'
Test Track
Mission: SPACE (FP+)
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land (FP+)
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Spaceship Earth
Frozen Ever After (FP+)
12 p.m. - Lunch @ Food & Wine Festival
Active Eats (Mac & Cheese)
Brazil (Cheese Bread)
Islands of the Caribbean (Empanada)
12:45 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
1:15 p.m. - Nap
3:15 p.m. - Wake Up
3:45 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Hollywood Studios
4:30 p.m. - Disney's Hollywood Studios

No plans, just roam where FP+ are available or waits are short
6:05 p.m. - Dinner @ 50's Prime Time Cafe
7:35 p.m. - Disney's Hollywood Studios

No plans, just roam where FP+ are available or waits are short
8:30 p.m. - Fantasmic!
10 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
10:45 p.m. - Bed Time


Right now, Touring Plans is forecasting a Level 1 for EPCOT and Level 9 for Hollywood Studios, with WDW being at Level 4 overall. This is great news for my morning as I should be able to walk right onto some of the less popular rides. Once again, for the evening, this is just bonus time, so I'll go where the FP+ winds send me.
 
Updated Plans - Day 3 (Tuesday, September 10, 2019)

Here are my updated plans for day 3:

5 a.m. - Wake Up
6 a.m. - Drive to Transportation & Ticket Center
7 a.m. - Magic Kingdom

Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast @ Crystal Palace
9:15 a.m. - Magic Kingdom

Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean
Splash Mountain (FP+)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (FP+)
The Hall of Presidents
Haunted Mansion (FP+)
Carousel of Progress
12:40 p.m. - Lunch @ Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
1:25 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
2 p.m. - Nap
3:15 p.m. - Wake Up
3:45 p.m. - Drive to EPCOT
4:30 p.m. - EPCOT

No plans, just roam where FP+ are available or waits are short
6 p.m. - Dinner @ Chefs de France
7:30 p.m. - EPCOT

No plans, just roam where FP+ are available or waits are short
9 p.m. - Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
11 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
11:45 p.m. - Bed Time

Right now, Touring Plans is forecasting a Level 1 for Magic Kingdom and Level 2 for EPCOT, with WDW at a Level 2 overall. I imagine I'll be able to fit in 2-3 more rides at MK than planned if the crowds are really that low. I'm not trying to overwork myself there because I'll have the evening Magic Hours on Wednesday and the Halloween Party on Friday. So as long as I hit up the things that will be closed during those extended hours, I'll be peachy keen.
 
Right now, Touring Plans is forecasting a Level 1 for Magic Kingdom and Level 2 for EPCOT, with WDW at a Level 2 overall. I imagine I'll be able to fit in 2-3 more rides at MK than planned if the crowds are really that low. I'm not trying to overwork myself there because I'll have the evening Magic Hours on Wednesday and the Halloween Party on Friday. So as long as I hit up the things that will be closed during those extended hours, I'll be peachy keen.

WOW! I can't even imagine what a level one or 2 would look like. I would love to go and experience WDW during a slow time. Since I teach, I have to plan my vacations during the busiest times of the year, summer break, Christmas break or around holidays. I do wonder though if these levels will be accurate since SWE will be open at that time. It seems low to me.
 
I do wonder though if these levels will be accurate since SWE will be open at that time. It seems low to me.

That really is the question now, isn't it. Based on what's happening in Disneyland, there might be minimal impacts to other parks. The fact that POP still has standard rooms available for the duration of my stay keeps me optimistic.
 
I hope you are planning to write a TR upon your return. I want to hear all about how your trip compares to your plans.
 
Updated Plans - Day 4 (Wednesday, September 11, 2019)

Here are my updated plans for day 4:

4 a.m. - Wake Up
5 a.m. - Drive to Disney's Hollywood Studios
6 a.m. - Disney's Hollywood Studios

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Midway Mania
Alien Swirling Saucers
Tower of Terror
Star Tours
9 a.m. - Bus, Boat, or Walk to Disney's Beach Club Resort
9:40 a.m. - Breakfast @ Cafe May Cafe
10:15 a.m. - Bus, Boat, or Walk to Disney's Hollywood Studios
10:35 a.m. - Disney's Hollywood Studios

Tower of Terror (FP+)
Star Tours (FP+)
Lightning McQueen Racing Academy
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Muppet*Vision 3D
1:20 p.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
2 p.m. - Lunch @ Landscape of Flavors
2:40 p.m. - Nap
4:30 p.m. - Wake Up
5 p.m. - Drive to Transportation & Ticket Center
6 p.m. - Dinner @ 1900 Park Fare
7:30 p.m. - Boat or Monorail to Disney's Magic Kingdom
7:45 p.m. - Disney's Magic Kingdom

No plans, just roam where FP+ are available or waits are short
9:15 p.m. - Happily Ever After Fireworks
9:35 p.m. - Disney's Magic Kingdom

No plans, just roam where FP+ are available or waits are short
12 a.m. - Drive to Disney's Pop Century Resort
12:30 a.m. - Bed Time

Right now, Touring Plans is predicting a 6 for Hollywood Studios and 4 for Magic Kingdom with WDW at a 3 overall. I know that DHS is listed as busy because of SWGE, but I think I can handle a 6. Especially since I plan to be in and out of SWGE in the dawn hours. MK is probably listed a little high because EMH days generally push people to that park. But I'll have until midnight to play, so I'm not worried. I probably won't stay until midnight, but I've done it before so I wanted to keep the possibility open. If the weather is decent, I can really jump from ride to ride. If the weather sucks, I'll probably call it a night early.
 

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