Our first day of our 6-day trip is Nov 17th; we’re going to AK (EMH RD), waits look short on TP, we want to do Nemo and FotLK for sure. (We don’t care how good our seats are, so long as we get in).
Will be with DSs 3 and 5, staying at VWL.
Question: Should we pass on FPP for AK and maybe make some for MK (only open until 7 pm that night) in case we decide to hit MK in the evening? Looks like we’ll be done at AK by around 2:30 pm or so, maybe go to hotel and hop to MK at 5 for a couple hours??
Sorry to ask such a dumb question, I just hate to “waste” FPP opportunities when it looks like we really, really don’t need them.
I would book the FPP for AK and bag the idea of going to MK. Several reasons:
With young kids, I think that AK will take you longer than you think. There are so many things that will interest them there, and attractions like the trails, Conservation Station, and Wilderness Explorers can take a lot of time if they are into it. Plus, a second ride on KS is always worth it.
Even if you do finish early, why go over to MK for just a couple of hours? You are staying at VWL, take advantage of it! Explore the resort, enjoy the pools, or just chill out in the DVC lounge areas.
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I would also say that since it’s a party night if you try to go after four you’ve goth both day and party crowds to deal with so getting in and out will eat up a lot of that time. Use the extra time to check out some things you might otherwise skip at AK like Rafiki’s, Characters, trails, etc…
I would also discourage you from hopping to MK. Nemo and FotLK are both great shows, as is Flights of Wonder. Just because of scheduling, it takes most of a day to fit all 3 in. Even if the kids can’t/won’t ride EE or Dino, there is no reason that the adults shouldn’t, and child swap makes this fairly easy to do. I’m pretty sure that the DSs will enjoy/want to spend time in the boneyard. Make it a slower-paced relaxing day, and when you’ve had enough fun, go back to the resort for some exploration and rest before the evening’s activities.
Thanks so much for all the thoughts, everyone! Will follow this wise advice. 
(I <3 TP forum.)
Just to pile on. We did 2 long mornings at AK with an almost 6 and almost 2 year old. We did to KSafaris twice, and had a lunch at Tusker House, but we missed SO much, and one of those days was an EMH AM. AK is awesome for young kids. If your older one gets into Wilderness Explorers, which mine did, it can be a huge time suck, but is also tremendously enriching. Even with an 9-1:30 day and an 8 - 1:00 day, we didn’t get to see a single show. Your kids will also like the Boneyard, which they could spend hours in. I couldn’t have easily planned another long morning at AK with minimal trouble.
Awesome. I’m loving all this input. 