We didn’t go to Epcot on our last trip. I haven’t been in 15 years. We will be there on a Monday during Food and Wine. It is our first park day of the trip. My ADR’s are Akershus at 10:25 and GG at 4pm. Not the times I wanted and hoping to get a later GG but I haven’t had any openings for 6 pp so far (and my son really wants to eat with both princesses and chip n dale).
We are planning on rope dropping TT (9am open) . fp Frozen and hopefully 4th fp soaring. My boys are 3 and 5 so no single rider line. We wanted to do illuminations but the kids and my parents can’t handle a 12 hour day. Will a short afternoon break be worth it (staying at Pop, no one naps)? Should I get my frozen fp before or after breakfast? My boys are also excited about Nemo, Turtle Talk and mission space.
Thanks for any advice!
I would try to get FEA as early as possible . Be careful with TT first thing in the morning , sometimes there is a delay in opening. Will you visits World Showcase?
I was thinking doing world showcase at night before illuminations. I actually think it would be better for us to just stay through the afternoon and leave early but my husband wants fireworks.
The heat will be a factor for you if you stay all day. I would recommend doing an afternoon break and coming back for the evening. There is limited shade when walking around the World Showcase and most of the shops (with the exception of the one in Japan) are fairly small. @PrincipalTinker is right on point about Test Track. We have tried to rope drop it three times and it has been down all of those times first thing in the morning. I would probably lean more towards rope dropping Soarin if you already have a fast pass for FEA. If not that strategy, then rope drop FEA and then head to Soarin. While you are in The Land pavilion, I recommend riding Living with the Land. I thought it would be a snooze for my kids, but they really loved it. At one point my youngest yelled out to a Behind the Seeds tour group, “You have the most amazing garden in the world!” Isn’t that the truth!
Another “must see” if your kids are into characters are Joy and Sadness and Baymax. See them early as their lines, especially Joy and Sadness, will build.
Thanks! I havent picked fastpasses yet. Do you think test track would be a better pick then frozen?
I would probably rope drop FEA, run/walk swiftly to Soarin’, and then save my TT fast pass for mid-to-late morning.
I’d suggest a FEA FPP close to 10:00, so you can ride right before your Akershus reservation. That’ll save you a walk across the park. Make something else for 9:00 (probably Mission Space based on what you listed above) and another for right after your meal. You won’t really need FPP for MS at 9, but the idea is to use up your first three FPP as early as possible and start looking for more Tier 1s. Soarin seems to be a lot easier to get these days and you might even snag a TT FPP if you keep checking often enough. Really, though, if you arrive prior RD you could ride TT, Soarin, and FEA without any FPP most days and be done right around when your Akershus meal is scheduled.
As for a break, I always suggest them. Even for kids that don’t nap, just being off their feet, in air conditioning (or cooling off in a pool) and not over-stimulated for a short time can make a difference. Of course, every kid is different, but most benefit from a little time away from the parks, particularly if you’re hoping to see fireworks.
My only advice is that your break will need to be fairly early with a 4pm GG reservation, esp if taking Disney transportation. If taking the busses, you’ll want to leave your hotel to go back to the park by 3pm. Which means to get a decent break you’ll want to leave Epcot in the morning around noon. With you Akershus reservation (will likely take 60-75 minutes) that is not a lot of park time really before leaving for your break.
I can’t speak to a Monday, but Food and Wine can get crazy busy on weekends. Like, you don’t want to even step food in World Showcase once the crowds pick up for F&W…around noon or so. On a Monday, I expect it will not be the same, at least until closer to the evenings. But as a result, my recommendation would be to do World Showcase early on to get ahead of F&W crowds, then move to FutureWorld.
I can’t speak to Illuminations. We did it once, years ago, and didn’t feel it was worth the crowds with the kids to do it again. Since we get to Epcot early, we are usually tired and ready to go before Illuminations, anyhow.
With your kids at that age, my personal recommendation is not to actually tell/sell your kids on what there is to do there. Kids will be amazed to experience it WITHOUT expectations. But WITH expectations, at that age, you could end up with disappointment if things do not play out how you originally plan. (For older kids, it is fine, but at that age, I’d make plans entirely yourself and then have them experience them.) Just my advice from a father of 5 kids!
We RD soaring had a mid morning FP for FEA and got a 4th TT FP for after dinner. Our third FP was in the afternoon at Character Spot, so I couldn’t start trying for the 4th until then. My 4 year old loved Nemo and Turtle Talk, Test Track, and Soaring but hated Mission Space.
We had a PPO breakfast at Akershus, then walked right on FEA at 9:00, did Elsa and Anna M&G then off to Soarin’ by 9:40. We also walked in Living with the Land right after. We did FP for TT starting at 10. I’m so glad we did that. It was down until 9:45 and when we got there around 10:30 the wait was 120 min!!
We’re @EP on an EMH day. FPPs for TT in morn, b/c it’s often down as mentioned^. If TT is down when we arrive, they’ll give us FPPs in exchange, that can be used another time that day.
So we’re RDing FEA (TP predicts 4min wait). Then to Soarin (6min wait predicted). Granted, that’s during an emh day, but I’m hearing that strategy works pretty well most days, tho maybe a bit more of a wait.
During the hottest months, an afternoon break especially with little ones, is always a good idea. We actually take the break even in cooler months, and even when travel with adults. We swim very often, always rest up in room, sometimes nap.
Then in the evening we’re reenergized, ready for more fun!