DH just sprung on me (ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, our trip is not ‘til March) that he would really like to leave the last day of our trip open. That way DD can pick which park she wants to spend more time at. So, I’m feeling like I’m back at square one.
We are not planning to get park hoppers, I’m trying to plan a fairly relaxed pace, DD will be 10. How would you split up 7 days in the parks? (My original plan was 2 days each park, but HS-just 1day there.) Would you go ahead and get FPP for that last day, just in case?
DH is thinking one day at AK, I’m thinking one day at Epcot (we’ve spent the most time at Ep as we go to F&W every few years.)
Or would you disregard this suggestion and just go with my original idea, 2 days at all parks except HS?
Help!
I’m interested in this information as well! I am planning the same amount of the time the last week in February. We are doing park hoppers but still not sure how to schedule FPP. I will be looking for notifications!
Bump.
Probably asking questions in the night-when they come up-is not the best way to get an answer. I know you guys must have an opinion about this😉
If we were doing 7 days, we’d most likely do this:
2 days MK
2 days Epcot
1 days AK
1 day HS
Then the final day, kind of make a spontaneous decision as to what we’d all want to go back and do most.
There is certainly no harm in scheduling a FPP for that seventh day if you can. You are under no obligation to actually use it. If you change your mind, you can always cancel it and try to get a different FP for whichever park you decide.
Now, I also wouldn’t necessarily make that seventh day necessarily be the LAST day. I might plan this (just as an example):
Day 1: MK
Day 2: Epcot
Day 3: AK
Day 4: HS
Day 5: TBD
Day 6: Epcot
Day 7: MK
I might do this if we knew we wanted to end with a MK day, etc.
We always do 6 days. This trip 2MK-2EP-1AK-1HS. Your “free day” could fit into that plan as well.
Last trip we did 3 days MK-1EP-1AK-1HS. I realized afterwards that we had to skip quite a bit in EP, so I set up differently this time.
It does seem to me there’s more in MK and EP to do, and that HS of course has the least to do.
I’ve always arranged the park days according to which have EMH, we love EMH. Our littles are early risers anyways, and early to bed guys, so that works very well for us. Also we love to be so far ahead of the big crowds.
For our 8 day ticket in February we did:
- arrival day, evening at MK
- late start, HS
(i wouldn’t do a late start now because of Toy Story) - AK
- MK
- EP
- EP
- MK
- We left this day up in the air, to decide the day of. We all decided on AK
Hope this helps with your planning!
I’m going to do pretty much the same thing in November '19. 7 days with no park hopper. The one thing we will do though is add MVMCP.
My plan is
2.5 days MK (with an evening at MVMCP)
1.5 days EP (with and evening at MK for MVMCP)
2 days HS
1 day AK
The reason I am anticipating 2 days at HS is TSL and the anticipation of Star Wars Land opening during that time. When we went in 2016, we did 7 days and had 4 at MK and 1 at each of the rest. My daughters were both 6 at the time, so when we go again, they’ll be 9.
It’s different for every family. My perfect split is like yours.
2- MK
2- EP
2- AK
1- HS
With all the Tier 1 rides at Epcot, can you achieve what you want to do in one day?
Have you thought about asking DD10 what she wants to do? I’d spin it in such a way that with planning, you’d be able to get FPP. If you don’t plan it, then you can’t guarantee FPP and will not necessarily get to do what you want to do.
What @SillySams is saying makes good sense re fpps for the “free” day. It almost falls into the dreaded category of “winging” day, ugh.
It could be a fun project of sorts, to discuss the rides in each park with your kiddo, then see which ones are important to her. That way you can see which park she might like to do as a 3rd or (AK) as a 2nd.
I’ve been practicing doing 30 day fpps this week, to get prepared for 60 day window coming up. Not an easy task to get your fave fpps, doing that night b4 or day of.
Slinky, 7Ds, Peter Pan, FOP in particular are tricky to get right now, even at 60 days I’m hearing.
How do you practise getting FPs?
Partly it will depend on how many people you have - and how bad the Disney site is that day.
I am going in Sept on a solo trip. I got FOP at 10am on my 60+6 day & SDD on my 60+5 day, earliest I could get was 12:30, but I continued to check and one came up the other day for 11:15.
I got FOP at 6PM for my 60+1 day, but I am sure that is because I was trying for something in the evening, that is always easier than the morning. I didn’t have any trouble with 7Ds, 2 days, both in the morning.
The one day at EP or AK really depends on what kind of rides your DD likes. At AK the Lion King show is amazing - I also love the Nemo show, They also have some great street shows.
You didn’t mention if you DD wants to see characters, there are some unique ones at AK and others at EP that you can’t see other places.
I will actually jump in and say that I have trouble with HS in one day because of all the shows that I wanted to see, but I certainly wouldn’t give up a second day in one of the other parks for it LOL
@Twynyrodyn- Practicing fpps @30 days is easier than it sounds, and really cool. For instance, my 1st 60 day window is 8/1. But as soon as I set up all (9) of our tickets on MDE Disney site, I was allowed to look up & book fpps as if we were going w/i 30 days.
Of course, each time I finished practicing, I made sure to cancel the fpps I’d booked.
I’d heard they’d changed some things, and things were a bit wonky for some folks making fpps this year. So I’m glad I did the practice. Now at 7am on 60 day window, I’ll be more versed in how to navigate the new fpp system.
Thank you so much. I had no idea that one could do this.
You are so welcome, Twyny. Hope I didn’t divert the thread too much, my apologies to @Kkerr.
I think this is a great idea, asking her what to do? Letting her know what we can accomplish with one day versus 2 days at Ep & AK. She’s not super adventurous, but is pretty much saying she wants to try everything. (Obviously we can’t do everything, & none of us really like commando type touring.)
No apology needed-it’s good to know.
I think part of what is going on is DH doesn’t understand how much planning has to go into FOP now. I’ve always been the one to plan our trips and it’s hard for him to wrap his mind around how FPP works (I tried to explain to him about getting FOP FP not being likely at day 60 and we went around in a circle, I don’t think he gets that there are a limited number available).
Haha @Kkerr76. I also meant to tell you, your cat is adorable, I bet he/she is a character!
I’m traveling w 8 other fam members this yr, all of whom are completely oblivious & planning to stay that way, re disney. Whoosh.
Puzzled sounding Ddil when I said looks like impossible to get 9 adrs for SciFi this yr (didn’t bother to go into- well, you guys decided 4 mos ahead not 6- plus extra crowds HS this yr- plus 9 of us this yr) . Sigh.
ADR request has been sitting patiently with TP for 4 months now, I think we’ll live w/o SciFi this yr if necessary haha.
Those guys think I’m some kind of a Disney Wizardess. Ah, how the mighty have fallen!
Yup, he’s always like “you’re crazy”, but then who enjoys the trip after I do all the planning?
Yes, my cat is a character, she’s a nut & we love her!
When we do 7 days, we schedule 2 MK, 2 Epcot, 2 AK, and 1 HS. We have also left our 2nd to last day free and chosen a 3rd E or 3rd AK day. We always end on RD to close MK!