WDW January 2023 planning

Just posted the beginning of this in UOR. We will be in the world 1/27 to 2/4. We have 7 day park hoppers. I will have DAS and we might get G+ for HS or MK days. We are staying at AKL with a savanna view.

Our main priorities are to enjoy AK and ride/visit things we missed on our June 2021 visit where it was as hot as the sun. I got the 7 day tickets because they weren’t that much more than 6 day ones from UT and I figured it would let us do some half days if we wanted.

When we got our tickets I was not completely prepared to make our APRs so just guessed at some to at least get every day filled. Now I have time to look over things and switch some around if needed. We want to do AK thoroughly (we love zoos etc) and we plan on doing the Elephant-gentle giants and a Starlight Safari at AKL. We missed TT and now of course Remy and GotG have opened. We will be in DL in October 2022 so will likely get SWGE out of our system there if possible to make WDW more manageable. We will have, as we did last time, 2 ECVs.

We aren’t foodies but we want to do eat at the following places: Boma(B and L or D); Skipper Canteen (L or D); Space 220 Lounge(L/D).

This is what I currently have:

1/27 HS (travel from UOR)
1/28 AK
1/29 MK (with hop to EP)
1/30 rest
1/31 AK
2/1 HS
2/2 AK
2/3 EP
2/4 leave

I’m thinking I should switch 2/1 and 2/3 but not sure about anything else. We do want to see the preshows we didn’t get to last time when they weren’t running.

Also, we will likely take a Lyft from UOR to WDW but am not sure about from WDW to MCO. (We are getting a shuttle from UOR when we arrive). I know the 2 main options are Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer.

Any guidance you wonderful people can give is appreciated. Thanks!

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Are you planning on using the Deluxe evening hours at all on your trip? If so you might want to switch your Monday and Wednesday around.

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Yes! Thanks for that observation. I’ll double check my thinking :joy::woman_facepalming:. I knew I was missing something. This is why I love you and need you all!

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:rofl: You can always hop to those parks, but I noticed you had Monday as a no park day so wanted to call that out. Assuming parks/days stay the same then.

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Thanks! Like I said I wasn’t expecting to be able to make APRs right away but figured I’d better get my 7 in, just in case since I could! Any thoughts on putting days at the same parks together vs spreading them out like I have now?

I’m really hoping @OBNurseNH will weigh in on AK day placement. Together or spread out? I’m also hoping in January Awakenings happens, it’s really the only night show I’m super interested in with Harmonious coming in second.

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I’ll try to take a look a bit later!!

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I generally like to spread my days out vs go to the same one back to back.

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Good thing is it gets dark so early that it should be running.

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I have successfully switched some APRs around availability isn’t an issue yet thank goodness.

F 1/27 HS
S 1/28 AK
S 1/29 AK
M 1/30 EP
T 1/31 rest
W 2/1 MK
T 2/2 AK
F 2/3 HS
S 2/4 leave

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Would appreciate it when you have time. :blush: No rush.

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I’m sorry I didn’t get to look at this last night!

I think the biggest determining factor will be when you can get Caring for giants booked. Starlight Safari would be a nice way to end a day at AK but you could go, conceivably, whenever it’s available - note that it will be a tough one to get based on my past experience.

I think your lineup looks good. HS is stable at 6s and 7s for the duration, so it really doesn’t matter too much which day you choose. You have 3 AK days which sounds delightful, and although I was a little worried to see you going on a Saturday I’m happy to see that the other two days are lower crowds. Only one MK day though, huh? Maybe a hop with part of one of the three AK days? Even loving AK as much as I do I think 3 full days there might be a little bit excessive to the exclusion of others. And 1.5 days of EP is a little light as I’ve grown to enjoy that park but does feel sufficient.

I don’t think switching 2/1 and 2/3 will make any difference - both parks are stable with the same CL on both days. I’d be curious about why you were thinking of this.

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Thank you so much for the feedback! Not all days are going to to all day. I figured probably 2 of the AK will be a half day with either hopping or sitting in our room watching animals from there. It was sooo hot when we were there in 2021 we could not enjoy AK as much as we think we could if it had been cooler. Honestly your sacred space literally saved us on that trip. I think the rearranging to account for the deluxe extra hours will work for now. You’re right about getting the giants and starlight safari as potential things to switch for. We could do MK from early hours to deluxe extra hours but I think we will hop or get a nap in the middle of the day. MK while awesome is are least important and most of the things we want to do there are second tier.

We love both HS and EP but if we do the TP GSC at the end of March we will be able to do anything in those or MK pretty easily. :crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers: Since we would add stays at CR and/or YC. Also, we aren’t planning on DS in January unless we really feel a strong need since bussing there from AKL is like the longest route.

Also, I seem to remember you mentioning something to someone about a promo for Lyft? I would definitely be interested as we have never used a ride share and will probably do so for between UOR and AKL.

Thanks! I’m enjoying your pre safari thread.

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I can share my referral code when you’re there. Just hit me up. I think if I send it too soon it will expire or something.

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That’s reasonable and sounds good thanks! Do you know if I make a leading reservation can I book the caring for giants and starlight safari along with ADRs? Or would non ADR stuff get messed up?

I don’t believe in leading reservations, any more than I believe in line jumping in the parks.

You’ll have to ask someone else about that.

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Fair enough. Thanks. Haven’t done it yet, just getting information on my options.

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Booking extras also work like adrs where you can book for the length of your reservation. Assuming they are loaded in the system in time.

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So do Starlight Safari get booked at the same time ADRs? And so would your recommendation be to prioritize it first before any ADRs?

I am not sure if Starlight is one of the ones that gets 60+10 bookability or if it’s 60 days from desired tour. When I booked it it was released just about 5 weeks before we traveled as part of its return; it sold out for my dates that same day.

What ADRs are you booking? I think you’ll have to weigh what is your priority, regardless of what they are, but especially if they are hard to get ones.

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