Anyone else having issues planning park strategies for 2016??

[Rivergirl2005]

I feel the same!!! This is my first time going with FP+, so I feel like I need to really educate myself on that component. We are going June 20-27, so I know ROL will be open, hoping for frozen and soarin. I'm hoping soarin is at least June since Shanghai will open around that time and maybe they will premier the ride all at the same time. Idk wishful thinking but I just keep thing positive since FP dates are not until late April.....but really really want frozen and soarin!!!!

 

[PrincessRileysMom]

I guess we can add in the new Star Wars fireworks/stage show and stormtrooper processional to the list of unknowns. My wife sent me a text saying we have to do both of these. LOL. I am getting more and more excited about all of the changes that we will see between last summer and this summer but again this adds another thing to plan when times are finally announced.

I guess it is a nice problem to have!

And this is the reason why I added another park day to our trip. I figured for just a little bit more it's worth it but there goes my resort day! ha ha

 

[Magickingdomprince]

Im going in may and everything is "set to open late may" I'm going may 24th-2ed so IM HOPING I can make it lol

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Sorry, but where planning is concerned I don't really stress out about the kind of WDW changes you list, except maybe the few times they dramatically changed EMH days on me.

Now major price hikes, I'm with you.

 

[Blissful123]

We're going to be there the first week of May! And this is our first time on-site. So I already feel like i'm flying by the seat of my pants. lol

 

[walker0829]

Luckily two things are working in our favor for our May trip-

1. It's a complete surprise for DS4. Last year we told him super early as a carrot to eat(and grow to ride the big kid rides). This year he won't know we are going until we get on the MDE bus.
2. At 4, what he doesn't know won't hurt him and as much as I'd like to take him on the Frozen ride because he loves that movie, he won't even know he's missing it if it's not open. Same with most of the other stuff. Nothing he rode last year appears to be down so I think we're in good shape.

 

[michelepa]

Luckily two things are working in our favor for our May trip-

1. It's a complete surprise for DS4. Last year we told him super early as a carrot to eat(and grow to ride the big kid rides). This year he won't know we are going until we get on the MDE bus.
2. At 4, what he doesn't know won't hurt him and as much as I'd like to take him on the Frozen ride because he loves that movie, he won't even know he's missing it if it's not open. Same with most of the other stuff. Nothing he rode last year appears to be down so I think we're in good shape.

I agree! Many posters encourage parents to involve older kids in first time planning but thankfully I didn't take that advice because as certain rides closed for refurb and certain characters were deleted or because I couldn't fit in a water park my DD was none the wiser as to what she was missing and had an awesome time without one sigh of disappointment

Well, I did get stung on one thing. I told her I was going to reserve the wishes dessert party explained the event and she was so excited that when Disney decided to double the price and give you nothing extra I couldn't go back on my word since she really wanted to go.

So no matter how much you want to tell them about the trip plans I definitely wouldn't~it's difficult enough dealing with our disappointment let alone our kids as well.

 

[ArielSRL]

With my 4.5 yr old, he forgets what I tell him! He knows we are going to Disney but he tends to forget all the details. Probably won't work when he's a bit older, but this time it does. And since the only time he's gone was when he was 9.5 months old, he has no memories of anything I'm talking about anyway!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

My kids so love our WDW trips that they are disappointed when something we expected to do won't be available, but it's not enough to put any real kind of damper on the trip for us.

Drives me nuts with planning, but they're more than fine no matter what!

 

[pmaurer74]

I feel the same way. We have no clue for sure what we are doing when because of all the uncertainty. It is driving me nuts!

 

[michelepa]

Yeah i guess it also makes a difference how many times you're willing to take that Disney trip.

This will be our last for a long time!!

In 2016 we will be there for spring break to watch DS play high school baseball at ESPN but no plans to return after August to the parks at Disney- thankfully.

Hoping to hit Universal and Discovery Cove next summer and be completely finished with Orlando for awhile

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Yeah i guess it also makes a difference how many times you're willing to take that Disney trip.

This will be our last for a long time!!

In 2016 we will be there for spring break to watch DS play high school baseball at ESPN but no plans to return after August to the parks at Disney- thankfully.

Hoping to hit Universal and Discovery cove bext summer and be completely finished with Orlando for awhile

Yeah. We're DVC and started out with one long trip per year. Then we began adding in shorter runDisney trips in 2013. In 2016 we will have done 6 days in Disneyland for the SW Light Side races, 5 days in WDW in Apr for the SW Dark Side races, and 11 days in Aug for our longer trip -- very Disney-heavy year!

We're considering Wine & Dine races in 2017 + our longer annual trip.

I have to say that we are not close to Disney'ed out yet! We're so excited about Star Wars Land, interested in all the AK changes including Avatar land, and expect we'll like Toy Story land as well. And in the meantime, there are still enough incremental changes to keep us happy.

I can't even BRIBE the kids to take some Disney days to go to Universal. At least not so far. And honestly, none of the other parks besides Disney and Universal are at all interesting to me.

If we bailed on Disney for a while, we'd go somewhere else altogether. Make our NYC trips longer, check out New Orleans, go to Europe...

Until then, I'm still here on DIS hoping to get heads up on the various changes affecting Apr & Aug!!

 

[Mambo Junkie]

It's crazy. I've just listed a bunch of ADR cancellations on the Restaurant Reservation board because I've changed my plans so much. With the almost positive Frozen EA won't be open 1st of May, I've cut back to 1 Epcot Day, plus (forgive me WDW fans) they are doing a David Bowie tribute that Friday at Hard Rock, but I have ressies for Dining with an Imagineer that day, so I added another HS day for Minnie's Fantasmic Dine. Plus, trying to plan to not plan so we have lots of down time. We're not early risers; this time we have 2 pre park opening ADRs but trying to have a late morning follow a commando day. (2 little ones) I'm pretty much employing every trick to maximize our experience, all the while trying to make it seem unscheduled and easy. For instance, 8 am BOG ADR to hit 7DMT, Peter Pan, and a couple other attractions before a noon exit to hang out by the pool. Maybe come back that evening, maybe not. No Princess M&G fps, we're doing character dinners/breakfasts/lunches. Only 1 ADR per day, except the BBB day, with lunch in the castle with princesses, and BOG that night. That's our designated princess day.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Yeah. We're DVC and started out with one long trip per year. Then we began adding in shorter runDisney trips in 2013. In 2016 we will have done 6 days in Disneyland for the SW Light Side races, 5 days in WDW in Apr for the SW Dark Side races, and 11 days in Aug for our longer trip -- very Disney-heavy year!

We're considering Wine & Dine races in 2017 + our longer annual trip.

I have to say that we are not close to Disney'ed out yet! We're so excited about Star Wars Land, interested in all the AK changes including Avatar land, and expect we'll like Toy Story land as well. And in the meantime, there are still enough incremental changes to keep us happy.

I can't even BRIBE the kids to take some Disney days to go to Universal. At least not so far. And honestly, none of the other parks besides Disney and Universal are at all interesting to me.

If we bailed on Disney for a while, we'd go somewhere else altogether. Make our NYC trips longer, check out New Orleans, go to Europe...

Until then, I'm still here on DIS hoping to get heads up on the various changes affecting Apr & Aug!!

Last trip we cancelled a whole MK day to go to US. My sister in law was with us, and this was a once in a lifetime trip for her, so we took her to US to see HP. This trip we've added 4 days to do other things, plus staying offsite for part of it. I find when I stay onsite we tend to not leave WDW.

 

[ArielSRL]

Yes I think that can be a difference. A co-worker is a DVC owner and makes at least one, if not two or three, trips each year and she really isn't stressing about the closures and opening dates, etc. For my family, it's much different. It will be a couple, if not more, years before we get back. Plus it's my boys first trip (basically as my oldest was 9.5months for first trip) so I want a good schedule so we all have a good trip. Hard to have a good schedule when so much is in limbo!

 

[ArielSRL]

Right now we have 1.5 Epcot days but I'll change the half if FEA and Soarin' aren't up and running for our trip.

 

[GaryDis]

DH has decided that MNSSHP isn't worth the cost (and costume policy isn't a factor). With F&W starting early, and the current calendar showing Wishes just on Sat, that makes planning our days tricky. At least PH are already a commitment.

 

[belleincanada]

We have been to WDW the last two years in July and because we have a four year old, I try to plan everything ahead of time to make sure we get to everything we want to and also make sure that we take breaks so she doesn't have a meltdown. Planning hasn't been an issue the past few years as we were waiting for maybe one or two things to change and add to plans but this year it feels like there are new announcements almost weekly that keep altering our plans or causing us to wait on making some plans until right before we go. Anyone else going before the end of the year that feels this way?


Sadness & Joy M&G in Epcot rumored to be happening and now rumored to be cancelled

Well, we've got one answer!
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...aymax-in-newly-expanded-epcot-character-spot/

 

[adennis0421]

All of these unknowns have made me so happy I decided to post-pone our summer trip to December. It will be my husband's first trip since he was a kid and my two dd's first trip. I go yearly in January for work and always extend a couple days to hit the parks. I've already started my planning, but so much is blank because of all the new things coming. I'll need to read everyone's trip reports at the end of May and June before my ADR window opens!

 

[jsbowl16]

Well, we've got one answer!
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...aymax-in-newly-expanded-epcot-character-spot/

I just saw that on another thread and my four year old will be very excited. Now I want to know if they will be a part of the Character Spot Fastpass since it says they are being added to Character Spot. It seems like every time I get an answer, I have another question. LOL!