Plan for parks to visit

[JMP2]

I know there's no "right answer", but I'd like to solicit somesome opin. I will be going to WDW for 6 days (5 days with tickets plus 1 day with MNSSHP). What are some recommendations on which parks to visit twice, order, etc. We're staying at CSR (2 kids - 10 and 12). First time to parks for kids, second for me (last was ~30 years ago ). I was thinking of the following:

Sunday- Hollywood Studios
Monday- Epcot
Tuesday- resort, 4 PM MNSSHP
Wednesday- Hollywood Studios
Thursday- Animal Kingdom
Friday- Magic Kingdom

Thanks!

 

[indoshakespeare]

Any reason you want to do Hollywood Studios twice?

 

[glocon]

I would do magic kingdom twice instead of HS.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

Agreed with others, I probably wouldn’t go to HS twice. You’re already going to MK twice (once with park ticket, once for MNSSHP) so I’d do a second day at Epcot instead. AK and HS are really easily done in one day.

I’d have the HS and AK days toward the end of the trip for FP’s if you’re trying for FoP or SDD.

My overall strategy (and this is just me, many people do the opposite and it works out) is to not go to a park that’s having morning EMH. We don’t get up early enough for the EMH to be of any use. Parks with morning EMH tend to be busier than the others. When I pick which park on which days that’s where I start. Then I whittle it down by not going to MK on a party unless it’s to go to the party.

 

[sharonabe]

I know there's no "right answer", but I'd like to solicit somesome opin. I will be going to WDW for 6 days (5 days with tickets plus 1 day with MNSSHP). What are some recommendations on which parks to visit twice, order, etc. We're staying at CSR (2 kids - 10 and 12). First time to parks for kids, second for me (last was ~30 years ago ). I was thinking of the following:

Sunday- Hollywood Studios
Monday- Epcot
Tuesday- resort, 4 PM MNSSHP
Wednesday- Hollywood Studios
Thursday- Animal Kingdom
Friday- Magic Kingdom

Thanks!

Did you purchase park hoppers or just base tickets? That makes a difference in my planning.

Friday is also a party night at MK, so it's a great day for getting in a lot of rides, but it also means your last day is a short one and you will miss the Happily Ever After fireworks show as the fireworks at MNSSHP are different. Missing HEA isn't necessarily a reason to change things around, but not being in a park on my last night would be for me.

Depending on when you're going, Sun could also be a party night, so if HEA is important, keep that in mind if you decide to switch things up.

 

[chris benton]

I don't agree with others about Hollywood. I have different tastes. I love Hollywood. If you want to go twice, use your judgement.
For my family's tastes, AK is a half day, Hollywood is 1.5 days minimum for us. We are hoppers and stay in the EP area, because we love hitting Hollywood for the rides and shows. It just depends on your tastes. Do what makes sense for you. You are paying for it.

Planning park days for us is pretty simple. We are early risers, so any park with AM EMH, is a given. From there, we pick parks to make the jigsaw puzzle of what we'd like to do complete. Special consideration is given to try to hit a park that had EMH the previous day, EMM at Hollyweird, and early closures at mk. Our perfect day last trip, was EMM at DHS, followed by hopping to MK for our 1st prescheduled 11am fastpass. Mk was closing at 4pm that day for a cm party. We absolutely CRUSHED fastpasses all day long, and hit Hoop De Doo for dinner. We were zombies on the bus ride back to the resort after HDDR, but that was the...dare I say it?

Best Day Ever.


So - suggestion:
If there is a party day at MK, that keeps crowds away, so you might be able to get in rides with lower waits/ more fastpasses. My suggestion would be to think about doing a special dinner like Hoop De Doo if you do MK on a party day since the park will close early, and you'll be able to grab a boat.

 

[yulilin3]

I know there's no "right answer", but I'd like to solicit somesome opin. I will be going to WDW for 6 days (5 days with tickets plus 1 day with MNSSHP). What are some recommendations on which parks to visit twice, order, etc. We're staying at CSR (2 kids - 10 and 12). First time to parks for kids, second for me (last was ~30 years ago ). I was thinking of the following:

Sunday- Hollywood Studios
Monday- Epcot
Tuesday- resort, 4 PM MNSSHP
Wednesday- Hollywood Studios
Thursday- Animal Kingdom
Friday- Magic Kingdom

Thanks!

first of all
Exciting trip with lots of options. Maybe if you could tell us a bit more about your family, do you guys like thrill rides, more show people, more slower/not so intense rides?
I love DHS it's my favorite park and can easily be entertained for 2 days but it depends on what you as a family are looking for.

 

[JMP2]

Any reason you want to do Hollywood Studios twice?

No reason. I am using a travel agent. She's been great and recommended that as a schedule, but I am also open to other ideas. The trip was just going to be 5 days at parks and easy to decide with 2 days Magic Kingdom and 1 day at the other. I saw that MNSSHP was going to be happening while we are there, so I decided we would do that as well. That then led me to not wanting to "double" up on a day by having a regular park pass and the MNSSHP used on the same day, plus 6 days at parks is better than 5 anyway.

Did you purchase park hoppers or just base tickets? That makes a difference in my planning.
.....so if HEA is important, keep that in mind if you decide to switch things up.

Thanks! Those are some good points. I have not gotten park hoppers yet, and may use the money for other things. I thought I read that you can add park hoppers pretty much whenever, so I was thinking of just adding them if we're there and think it would really be something we wanted.
Given that I certainly do not remember HEA (plus it was likely different way back when) and my kids have never seen it, it is probably one of the things we would be a little sad if we missed.

Planning park days for us is pretty simple. We are early risers, so any park with AM EMH, is a given. From there, we pick parks to make the jigsaw puzzle of what we'd like to do complete. Special consideration is given to try to hit a park that had EMH the previous day, EMM at Hollyweird, and early closures at mk. Our perfect day last trip, was EMM at DHS, followed by hopping to MK for our 1st prescheduled 11am fastpass. Mk was closing at 4pm that day for a cm party. We absolutely CRUSHED fastpasses all day long, and hit Hoop De Doo for dinner. We were zombies on the bus ride back to the resort after HDDR, but that was the...dare I say it? Best Day Ever.
So - suggestion:
If there is a party day at MK, that keeps crowds away, so you might be able to get in rides with lower waits/ more fastpasses. My suggestion would be to think about doing a special dinner like Hoop De Doo if you do MK on a party day since the park will close early, and you'll be able to grab a boat.

It looks like the calendar for EMH is still a couple weeks out from the dates we'll be there. I was mainly trying to come up with a park "plan" to figure out ADRs that I can book next week. I do think my kids would like Hoop De Doo from what I've seen about it. That is a great suggestion if we end up going to a park that closes early. Taking a boat there would be even better.

first of all
Exciting trip with lots of options. Maybe if you could tell us a bit more about your family, do you guys like thrill rides, more show people, more slower/not so intense rides?
I love DHS it's my favorite park and can easily be entertained for 2 days but it depends on what you as a family are looking for.

I think we'd like most of the thrill rides at the parks. We go to Cedar Point a few times a year - my daughter is fearless and will go on anything (and I sit there asking myself why I didn't say no ); my son likes the wooden roller coasters and basically anything that doesn't involve lots of inversions. I know my kids would enjoy the shows and slower rides as well. The only thing that is not high on the list is probably character meet and greets. We went on a Disney cruise a couple years ago, and they have tons of pictures and autographs (not that we'll turn new ones down, it just won't be a "must do" for us).

Thanks all!

 

[sharonabe]

I think we'd like most of the thrill rides at the parks. We go to Cedar Point a few times a year - my daughter is fearless and will go on anything (and I sit there asking myself why I didn't say no ); my son likes the wooden roller coasters and basically anything that doesn't involve lots of inversions. I know my kids would enjoy the shows and slower rides as well.

I suggest you get the family together and look at what's at each park. You need to decide which one deserves a second day. I like your plan of doing MK one day and MNSSHP for the 2nd MK day. But you have an extra day that needs a park. Everyone is different. My family would do two days at EP, but that's MY family. Go look at the rides and shows at each park and decide for YOUR family.

 

[yulilin3]

I suggest you get the family together and look at what's at each park. You need to decide which one deserves a second day. I like your plan of doing MK one day and MNSSHP for the 2nd MK day. But you have an extra day that needs a park. Everyone is different. My family would do two days at EP, but that's MY family. Go look at the rides and shows at each park and decide for YOUR family.

Excellent advice. There are so many things to do.
HEA is new so you definitely have not seen that, probably the best night show on property, epcot will have Epcot Forever which el debut this summer/ fall, you might want to check that out

 

[Magical2017]

We looked at crowd calendars but ultimately did AK towards the end of the trip due to there being a slightly higher chance of getting FP. That was what orhers on the board recommended. We then switched Adrs.

I like to begin and end a trip with the MK but it really doesn't matter. I just want two days at MK.