You all are no joke when it comes to planning. I am constantly in awe with the color coding, rope-dropping speediness that Liners showcase every day.
We…are not that family.
We are people who like to sleep in on vacation and mosey to where the wind takes us. Often eschewing months long planning on my part so our DS12 can ride Splash mountain or Test Track a hundred, billion times in the Single Rider line. My DH often won’t have the patience to sit that long and will walk around while I’m left on a bench, waiting at the exit to spot his little body running from exit back up to entrance.
This year is different, like many of you have already experienced. There are now BG’s which weren’t in play since our last visit (the week before TSL opened) and FP’s + or otherwise are no longer in play. Park reservations are now required and ADR’s have shrunk to 60 +10 days for staying on site. Now add the unknown of the 50th and post Covid crowds and now the announcement of Remmy’s opening 10/1.
I have a problem I’d love advice on. With the lack of planning and a severe case of mommy only FOMO, what would you do in this position. The following is theoretical only. If we have a good year with our new company, we want to treat ourselves for being house bound-isolated the last year (1 year next week!)
We have 2 weeks at BLT (W-W) early December, this year. I’ve stumbled over park reservations, but I’m having a hard time solidifying them. We tend to focus on MK, Epcot, HS, with hopping usually between HS and Epcot and vice versa. I have 1 day allotted for AK (I’m the only one who liked it). Weekends we previously would do UOR for their paid Express Pass to avoid the crowds. Crowds are our biggest no-go, tied only with waking early. We probably wouldn’t be entering most parks until around 2pm.
To help make sure I get my must-do’s, I’ve talked my DH into getting a VIP tour. I’m asking for 1, he’s now saying he wants 3. His logic is, instead of spoiling us and ruining any future visits, he would like to avoid World of Dreams, instead telling me I could have 3 separate regular private VIP days. So 21 hours as opposed to 12. (Silly man, I was only asking for 7!) No food or alcohol included in the 21 (I think)
How would you split up the tours/days? Would you do it on the weekends, thereby moving UOR to weekdays instead, negating Express passes? Which days would you go to which parks? Common sense lends towards 1 tour each for MK/Epcot/HS, except I’ve never been on FoP and want to try that (the other two won’t touch it as they get massive motion sickness).
So maybe MK, and HS get their own day, and Epcot/AK share one? And which attractions are must do’s and which ones are ok to pass? I had a good idea, but that was all before TSL and Batuu so I’m only going on current and recent trip reports. And what about meals? Like must do TS spots that reservations have been particularly tricky to procure? Last detail we are hoping to do multiple MVMCP’s if those find their way back as well. At least 2.
I’m not trying to show off or be a prick, I’m genuinely asking for how my favorite planners would use 3, 7 hour VIP days, after 2-ish pm between all 4 parks to avoid crowds and get the most experiences in with a family who likes to drag their heels/do things on the fly/ on their time instead of actual planning out full TP’s.
This might all be moot anyway if FP’s, and subsequently tours, aren’t available by then. Yes, I understand I am lucky. As someone who once called a '78 Beetle “home”, this is not lost on me. I’m also not going to pass this opportunity up for my child as a “thank you” for isolating with us this past year.
Thank you for any and all suggestions = )