I haven't been to WDW since 2002. I know that they have added alot of attractions and rides since then. Can someone tell me about how much time is usually needed at each park. In the past MK took all day of course, Epcot, MGM, and AK were half days. I am trying to add water parks to the days that would typically be a half day at one of the parks. Your help is appreciated.
Also, if you have older kids, are you splitting the party or trying to stick together?
Are you staying in a Disney resort and using Disney transportation?
Did you purchase Hopper passes? Also, when are you planning to go? In May or September, you could probably do more in less time due fewer people, but in the peak of summer the crowds will be much larger.
Without all that info, I would argue that no park is a half day. Some folks say Animal Kingdom, but since it closes early (usually) I would disagree. It is almost impossible to do everything good at every park in less than a day. And some parks, like Epcot can take several days and you'll still miss something.
My family and I usually try to go in early May or late September to avoid crowds, but I understand that is not always easy for families to do.
Again, I personally think there is a wealth of exploration at each park and have never spent money on a park hopper. We usually go to one park a day, take the afternoon off to swim and rest, then go back to that same park for a nightcap.
However, I will see if I can work something up for you and post it tomorrow, sort of a "must see" itinerary for each park, which might help you plan.
For some general info about planning, take a look at this discussion link.
More tomorrow!
Magic Kingdom - lots for the whole family to do together, but your older kids may be looking for a few more thrills if you are just in it for the rides. You'll want to hit Space Mountain first thing when the park opens, then Buzz Lightyear, then proceed around the park in a counter clockwise fashion thru Fantasyland (try to skip things like Dumbo, the tea cups, and the Carousel – they are slow loaders that will bog the party down and are similar to midway rides at any amusement park), Frontier Land (get fastpasses for Splash Mt, then get in line and ride Thunder Mt – by the time you are done with Thunder MT your fastpasses should be ready!), and Adventure land (make sure to grab a Dole Float at the Aloha Isle snack shop in Adventure Land). Hit rides for the first few hours, then go back and hit a few shows like Mickey's Philharmagic and the Monsters Inc. Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club (they move lots of people pretty quick). Your older kids may be done by mid afternoon, but the younger set will likely never want to leave. Please note: Pirates of the Caribbean will be closed June 5th -18th for a refurb.
Epcot - the front half of the park is pretty much all rides, the back half is exploration (with a few exceptions). I don’t think Epcot can be traversed in a single day, however you can give it a shot. I would do Future World (rides) on one day, then visit the World Showcase (shows) on another.
FutureWorld (Epcot front half) - your best bet is to start the day off by getting fastpasses to Soarin’. Don’t ride yet, instead, head over to the other side of the park and ride Test Track and Mission Space (I like the spinning version best). Then your fastpasses should be ready, so go ride Soarin’ (you might want to grab another fastpass to ride Soarin’ again later). Living With the Land and the Circle of Life are in the same pavilion with Soarin’ and are well worth your time. Sunshine Seasons Food Fair is in the Land pavilion as well and is a great place to eat lunch. Next, head over to the Seas Pavilion. Make sure to see Turtle Talk With Crush and visit the exhibits at the main tank. Honey, I Shrunk The Audience is a fun 4D show and is a good bet after the Seas. Finally, you can hit Spaceship Earth (the big ball in the center of Future World) and call it a day. One note, the is a place called Ice Station Cool where you can sample Coke products from around the world for free. A fun place to visit if you have the time.
World Showcase (Epcot back half) – most people travel around the world showcase in a clockwise fashion, so you should go counterclockwise starting with Canada. There are Kidcot Funstops in each area which your younger kids will enjoy. Mostly exploration here, and food. We like to grab a candy bar in each area to try the different flavors of chocolate! Some folks like to try beers in each area (and then check themselves into detox when finished!). Make sure to see the movie in Canada as it has been recently updated, and also see the American Adventure (similar to the Hall of Presidents at MK – but better). In Norway ride Maelstrom, but try to skip the movie that comes after – it is out of date and hokey. Near Japan there is a stand that sells Kaki Gori snacks. They are excellent. If you are planning to eat at one of the World Showcase full service restaurants, make sure to get reservations well in advance of your trip. Illuminations is a great night time fireworks extravaganza, so you should probably make plans to see it if at all possible. Maybe combine the show with dinner reservations at the Rose & Crown Pub in the UK (ask for veranda seating).
Disney Hollywood Studios – Lots to do here, but you must start by grabbing fastpasses to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, then heading next door and riding the Rock N Roller coaster. By the time you get done with the coaster, your fastpasses for TZ should be ready. From there you probably need to head over to the newest attraction, Toy Story Midway Mania. I am not sure when the attraction opens, but when it does the lines will be out of sight. You probably need to grab a fastpass and do some other stuff while you wait. Some things not to miss, imho: The Great Movie Ride, The Little Mermaid (the young ones will love it), Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show, and Star Tours. If you have not seen it previously, the Indiana Jones stunt show is fun and informative. One thing my family does is tour the park for about a half day, accomplish most everything listed so far, then come back later in the evening just for the Beauty & Beast show and Fantasmic (sometimes we’ll sneak in a repeat of the Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller coaster if there lines are not too bad). Do make sure you catch Fantasmic as it is a show worth the price of admission.
Animal Kingdom – Best strategy for success is to send one member of your family off to get fastpasses for Expedition Everest, while the rest of the tour heads to Dinoland. The little ones can snag a few rides on Triceratop Spin (a Dumbo-like ride) while everyone else rides Primeval Whirl (okay) and Dinosaur (excellent). If you have time before your Everest fastpasses, hit the Finding Nemo show – it is outstanding. If not, then hit it later in the day. Other attractions that should not be missed: Kali River Rapids (you will get soaked), Kilimanjaro Safaris, It’s Tough To Be A Bug (4D show), and Festival of the Lion King. There is also a Pocahontas show that the younger kids will really enjoy. There are two walking trails to visit, and if you only do one of them, I recommend the Maharaja Jungle Trek over the Pangani Trails. Animal Kingdom is a different kind of park. It is a bit more relaxed and ripe for exploration. Take your time and enjoy the sights and sounds. I could easily spend a full day in this park, just exploring, but if you are trying to save time, you should be able to accomplish everything I have listed by mid afternoon. One last note, watch for DeVine (Asia), a cast member dressed as a walking vine – very cool.
As for the water parks, I have not been to either but from what I can tell both are expertly themed and outstanding for the whole family. As with any water park, arrive early, hit the slides before the crowds arrive, then go to the larger pools and lazy river type stuff once the parks get more congested. Someone with more experience should be able to give you a rundown of these parks.
Lastly, I cannot stress enough how important it will be to arrive as early as possible. The best time to tour is right when the park opens, before the 11 AM crowds arrive. You can get more done before 11 in most cases than you can the rest of the day! The last hour before closing is also a pretty good time to hit some of the main attractions.
Well, I hope this info helps. Have a great time, and make sure to check the WDW websites for any late breaking park info (ride closings, gate opening times) right before you go.
Enjoy!
The age disparity with your kids may cause some issues -- the older ones are probably going to want to ride some of the more thrilling rides that the little ones won't be able to, and the younger ones are going to want to spend time doing things that the older kids will likely think of as boring or a waste of time.
I don't like to do half-days at the parks, because each one has at least one ride that I want to be there right at opening to ride or get a Fastpass for (I try to never spend more than 15 minutes in a line... sometimes I succeed!). I cannot stress enough how important it is to be at the parks at opening -- I would rather lose an hour or two of sleep than spend an extra SEVERAL hours standing in line.
My family usually spends seven days at the parks, giving us two days in MK, two in Epcot, one at Disney Studios, one at AK, and one to re-do favorite things, go to Downtown Disney, hang out at the pool, whatever. I do disagree with James about Epcot, though -- if you don't care much about shopping, eating, drinking, and just general wandering, Epcot can pretty easily be done in a single day. Most of the people in my family prefer to give it two, but we love wandering around the World Showcase.
My personal absolute must-dos, and must-do-if-there's-times:
Magic Kingdom:
Must do: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Wishes
MDITT: Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, Mickey's Phillharmagic, Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World
Extra Credit: Dole Whip Float, the toppings bar at Pecos Bill, and the Main Street Bakery
Epcot:
Must do: Soarin', Test Track, Illuminations
MDITT: Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Ellen's Energy Adventure, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, The Seas, the various shows in the World Showcase
Extra Credit: The patisserie in France, the Tangerine Cafe (counter service in Morocco), the green tea plum wine smoothie in China (no joke, the best alcoholic beverage I have ever had), and the Fiesta Margarita (a seven-layer frozen concoction) in Mexico. Why yes, I do tend to leave Epcot both bloated and tipsy, why do you ask? ;)
Disney Studios:
Must do: Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Rollercoaster
MDITT: Fantasmic (I personally think it's the least interesting of the three shows, YMMV), The Great Movie Ride, one of the stunt shows, the Beauty and the Beast, Star Tours, Muppet-Vision 3D, Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Extra Credit: the desserts at Starring Rolls
Animal Kingdom:
Must do: Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Festival of the Lion King, Maharaja Jungle Trek, Finding Nemo
MDITT: Flights of Wonder, It's Tough to be a Bug, Primeval Whirl, Pangani Forest Trail
Extra Credit: Flame Tree BBQ, wandering around the Oasis
Extra extra credit at WDW: If you have the time, money, and inclination, go see Cirque du Soleil. It's an amazing show, but expensive.
As to the water parks... I've never actually been to one, but I would think that you would be able to choose one of them, rather than going to both, unless you really love water parks.
Have a great time!
Two things are for sure (since we both stressed them):
1) Get to the parks EARLY;
2) Get a Dole Whip Pineapple Float for $3.99 at Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom!
Everything else is just gravy!
I would recommend you visit the Disney website since there are a number of things going on in June - Star Wars weekends at DHS; Pirate and Princess party at the MK (unless you plan on attending, the park closes early those days). You will be able to plan your days based on the events and special times.
That being said, I agree that if you haven't visited in a while, it'll be tough to do 1/2 days at any of the parks and I'd follow the advice given for the most part. Where I disagree is Soarin' - do it first thing PLUS get a fastpass. This way, you'll be sure to get it done and if you decide not to use your fastpasses, you can give them to other guests (the looks of joy on their faces will make you feel like you're a Dream Squad member).
If you think there might be issues because of the age differences, and you have cell phones, you might re-consider splitting up the group. Pre-arrange to meet at a specific time and place and stay in touch by phone. We've done this a few times and it really works out great and no one grumbles or whines. Also, a few rides (Rock'n'Rollercoaster, Everest) offer Single Rider options, so if you have coaster fans, the wait times are MUCH shorter in this line. (This is a great option if you don't get fastpasses) They probably won't be able to sit together, but can meet up at the end of the ride.
Assume it will be hot and humid (I'm an hour and a half north of Orlando and we're already in the high 70's). Taking a break during the day is a great idea and one I highly recommend. The kids will have a blast at the pool and you might decide to forgo the waterparks and just relax at your hotel.
Since you're staying at a Disney resort, take full advantage of the Extra Magic Hours, get to the parks early and most important, don't stress out. You'll have a wonderful time.
