Tell Me About Later in the Day Planning..

[SwanVT2]

DD is not a morning person (12). We want to go to MK and so we can make more of the day without her being exhausted by after lunch (which is what has happen on previous trips and we get back to hotel by 3), how can we start a later/mid morning day at MK, get the important rides (I will purchase G+ and LL) and make it to fireworks? When I was a kid, I went 6am-falling asleep on the bus after fireworks, but DD and I are very different! As an adult, I am a morning person but am willing to accommodate for DD so we can finally see fireworks! Our MuST DO Rides are 7 Dwarves, Haunted (this is her favorite and she will want to do more than once), Thunder and Tiana. Friar Nook's looks good for a quick service lunch, so maybe we could have a sit down dinner or get a fireworks and dessert package? Thanks for any tips!!

 

[pittsburghmarc]

DD is not a morning person (12). We want to go to MK and so we can make more of the day without her being exhausted by after lunch (which is what has happen on previous trips and we get back to hotel by 3), how can we start a later/mid morning day at MK, get the important rides (I will purchase G+ and LL) and make it to fireworks? When I was a kid, I went 6am-falling asleep on the bus after fireworks, but DD and I are very different! As an adult, I am a morning person but am willing to accommodate for DD so we can finally see fireworks! Our MuST DO Rides are 7 Dwarves, Haunted (this is her favorite and she will want to do more than once), Thunder and Tiana. Friar Nook's looks good for a quick service lunch, so maybe we could have a sit down dinner or get a fireworks and dessert package? Thanks for any tips!!

When are you going, ie park hours? Two parades, etc?

 

[SwanVT2]

Last week of February 2025. We don’t need to see the parade as we have done this. Thanks!

 

[mommyk8]

If you are staying on site. Book 7dmt ILL. If you want to ride Tron you can decide if you want to try for a VQ at 7am or 1pm. Book your first G+ selection and then modify them into the afternoon. At 11am you can book another G+, you may need to modify this also. Then a 3rd at 1pm. You may be better entering MK before the first parade and hitting some rides with shorter lines and continue to stack G+ for later in the evening.

 

[CarolynFH]

DH and I are old and like to take our time getting ready in the morning, eating breakfast, visiting other attractions around Orlando, etc., so on our last few visits we haven't made it to a park until late afternoon, like 4 PM or later. So we buy G+ in the morning and also buy IL$ for the rides we want in the parks we plan to visit. I book a G+LL for the ride I think will be hardest to get at that park - for MK it's either Peter Pan or Jungle Cruise (we can't ride Space Mountain anymore, but if we could, that might be my first choice). I set my watch to remind me when it's been 2 hours, and at that time I modify the first LL or I book a new one. I do that throughout the day so that we'll have LLs for several of our favorite rides stacked up by the time we arrive. Don't forget that you can overlap LL times - that makes a huge difference compared to FP+! My best day was a Sunday when we had tickets to Cirque du Soleil. By the time we entered MK around 4:30 we had 4 rides booked from 4:30 to 6:40, and I booked Pirates for 5:30 while in line for Jungle Cruise. We finished the night with a 9PM Mine Train IL$ I had booked at 7 AM.

 

[SwanVT2]

If you are staying on site. Book 7dmt ILL. If you want to ride Tron you can decide if you want to try for a VQ at 7am or 1pm. Book your first G+ selection and then modify them into the afternoon. At 11am you can book another G+, you may need to modify this also. Then a 3rd at 1pm. You may be better entering MK before the first parade and hitting some rides with shorter lines and continue to stack G+ for later in the evening.

What is a Vq?

 

[SwanVT2]

DH and I are old and like to take our time getting ready in the morning, eating breakfast, visiting other attractions around Orlando, etc., so on our last few visits we haven't made it to a park until late afternoon, like 4 PM or later. So we buy G+ in the morning and also buy IL$ for the rides we want in the parks we plan to visit. I book a G+LL for the ride I think will be hardest to get at that park - for MK it's either Peter Pan or Jungle Cruise (we can't ride Space Mountain anymore, but if we could, that might be my first choice). I set my watch to remind me when it's been 2 hours, and at that time I modify the first LL or I book a new one. I do that throughout the day so that we'll have LLs for several of our favorite rides stacked up by the time we arrive. Don't forget that you can overlap LL times - that makes a huge difference compared to FP+! My best day was a Sunday when we had tickets to Cirque du Soleil. By the time we entered MK around 4:30 we had 4 rides booked from 4:30 to 6:40, and I booked Pirates for 5:30 while in line for Jungle Cruise. We finished the night with a 9PM Mine Train IL$ I had booked at 7 AM.

Wow that is great! Thank you!

 

[woody5]

This strategy is exactly what we did over spring break. It worked great. I paid for 7 dwarfs and Tron so I could pick the time that worked best for us. DGD (15) doesn’t function well early morning.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

What is a Vq?

Virtual Queue.

 

[CarolynFH]

What is a Vq?

VQ = Virtual Queue, lets you be in the standby line without actually standing in a physical line. Read the first two posts of this thread (I promise it's up to date!) and then start at the end and follow along, and ask whatever questions you have there.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/everything-virtual-queue-please-read-posts-1-and-2.3886917/

 

[Tatebeck]

Yep, as others have said, ideal strategy is:

• Buy genie+, book hardest to get ride that you want to ride right at 7:00 am
• Then book any ILL rides you want for the evening.
• Book a new Genie+ selection every 2 hours after park opening (11:00, 1:00, etc if the park opens at 9 for example)
  • This "Stacks" rides for the afternoon/evening for you
• Don't forget you can modify a Genie+ selection anytime after you make it and it wont change your next booking time as long as there is a time available. Usually this means pushing the time back since it books the earliest time available first. This let's you plan your evening for less walking or around reservations.
  • For example, last trip I kept modifying a haunted mansion selection to push the return time back until just after fireworks would end, and modified a jungle cruise selection until the time was pushed back until just before a dinner reservation at skipper's canteen so we could do both while in the area.

 

[Tbiafore]

Yep, as others have said, ideal strategy is:

• Buy genie+, book hardest to get ride that you want to ride right at 7:00 am
• Then book any ILL rides you want for the evening.
• Book a new Genie+ selection every 2 hours after park opening (11:00, 1:00, etc if the park opens at 9 for example)
  • This "Stacks" rides for the afternoon/evening for you
• Don't forget you can modify a Genie+ selection anytime after you make it and it wont change your next booking time as long as there is a time available. Usually this means pushing the time back since it books the earliest time available first. This let's you plan your evening for less walking or around reservations.
  • For example, last trip I kept modifying a haunted mansion selection to push the return time back until just after fireworks would end, and modified a jungle cruise selection until the time was pushed back until just before a dinner reservation at skipper's canteen so we could do both while in the area.

Does this strategy work with a large party of 15 people?

 

[Tatebeck]

Does this strategy work with a large party of 15 people?

Yep, as long as you all buy the genie+, etc. and are all linked in the Disney app so one person can select everything (or smaller groups if you want to ride different things)

 

[Thinkentt]

Starting later at Magic Kingdom sounds like a plan! With Genie+ and Lightning Lane, you can book important rides like 7 Dwarves and Haunted Mansion for later in the day. Consider a sit-down dinner or a fireworks and dessert package for a memorable end to your day! Enjoy!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I would get up right before 7 am and purchase G+. I would then get a LL for PP or JC. They tend to get to afternoon the quickest. It may take a few refreshes but you’ll get it quickly. Then I would buy ILL for Tron and 7DMT at times I wanted.

If you’re in the park by 1 pm go for Tron VQ and you’ll get to ride twice.

I would then just continue stacking LL every two hours and go from there.

When you know you’ll be in the park I would book my LL right before then for a ride that has availability as we walk in. That way you can just start rolling them if possible.

We started late at DHS 3 times last trip and used G+ and stacked LL. We would also purchase ILL if we wanted. It was great. We’d walk in with 5-6 some evenings.

 

[kylenne]

DH and I are old and like to take our time getting ready in the morning, eating breakfast, visiting other attractions around Orlando, etc., so on our last few visits we haven't made it to a park until late afternoon, like 4 PM or later. So we buy G+ in the morning and also buy IL$ for the rides we want in the parks we plan to visit. I book a G+LL for the ride I think will be hardest to get at that park - for MK it's either Peter Pan or Jungle Cruise (we can't ride Space Mountain anymore, but if we could, that might be my first choice). I set my watch to remind me when it's been 2 hours, and at that time I modify the first LL or I book a new one. I do that throughout the day so that we'll have LLs for several of our favorite rides stacked up by the time we arrive. Don't forget that you can overlap LL times - that makes a huge difference compared to FP+! My best day was a Sunday when we had tickets to Cirque du Soleil. By the time we entered MK around 4:30 we had 4 rides booked from 4:30 to 6:40, and I booked Pirates for 5:30 while in line for Jungle Cruise. We finished the night with a 9PM Mine Train IL$ I had booked at 7 AM.

G+ priorities for MK are pretty much Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan. Space is super easy to get and doesn’t tend to run out.

 

[Shughart]

Yep, as long as you all buy the genie+, etc. and are all linked in the Disney app so one person can select everything (or smaller groups if you want to ride different things)

I believe the biggest group you can book is 12. You're going to have a hard time booking bigger rides with large group. Try splitting your group up into smaller groups for harder to get rides. Ideally 4 or less.

 

[Tatebeck]

I believe the biggest group you can book is 12. You're going to have a hard time booking bigger rides with large group. Try splitting your group up into smaller groups for harder to get rides. Ideally 4 or less.

Ah, best split into 2 or 3 groups then. Group together people who value the same rides in case you have to split up for a couple rides or there was only 1 good time slot for a ride, etc.