Hi! I need a distraction so I’m planning a trip to Disney
I’m traveling with DS6, DS9, and DH. We have non-hopper passes and one day at AK.
What would you do and why? The fishing charter is a must-do for my crew. Our priorities at AK are Everest, spotting animals and KS. Maybe FoP but I’m not sure I want to pay for it.
Arrive at AK at park open. Stay until noon. Leave and go to Blizzard Beach (weather permitting)
Fishing charter at 10am. Arrive at AK at 1pm and stay until close (estimating 6-7pm)
Neither. Have a full day at AK. Do your fishing charter AND blizzard beach on a rest day.
Neither. Have a full day at AK. Skip Blizzard Beach
I’ll play! What time of year? If it’s a low-ish crowd time of year, you can actually do a lot at AK in the afternoon. I think a lot of folks go in the morning and then leave mid-day. If that is the case, I would vote fishing charter in the morning and arrive at AK at 1:00 PM. But if it’s a really busy time of year, that might not work as well.
Is this for 2025? Because you get complimentary admission to the water park on arrival day. Do that, have a full day at AK, and do the fishing trip on the rest day
Couldn’t tell you. I have never made time to go to one. Too much other stuff I’m far more interested in.
Though I might check it out on arrival day for free
Since it’s January I would say do the fishing thing in the morning and get to AK in the afternoon/evening - that should work fine unless it’s MLK weekend
Neither. It’s fun (IMO)!
If you feel like you HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING, it’s maybe stressful. But we just kind of go with the flow. Eat. Sip.
I went to TL twice this year and really enjoyed it.
Full day at AK and hopefully Tree of Life Awakenings! (Or if not that, get a late ADR and walk out of the park after dark, bonus points for being near Pandora.) Do extra animal things like Disney play app for the trails, Wilderness Explorers, Rafiki Train, and both the bird shows. Oh, also the shows in Africa (drummers, acrobats).
Dubious about water park in Jan, but the Disney parks are quite fun if it’s warm enough. I didn’t go on our last trip, so it’s been a while, but I would say restful but also physical (stairs, carrying rafts, etc).
Depending on your dates, AK might close at 6. I got an email today from TP and it closes at 6 during my dates starting on 1/17. So if you save it for an afternoon you might not have much time.
The guys did a fishing excursion on one of our trips. I’m trying to recall if it was afternoon on a park day or morning on a resort day.
For January I think AK in the afternoon gives you plenty of time. An ADR at park close gives you a pleasant walk out.
Are fish ectothermic? Would they bite better in the warmer part of the day? The guys’ fishing trip was in December but it was plenty warm until the day we left when the high was only in the 60s. The guys were saying the excursion was ok but I think they thought it was too easy to catch the fish. It was 1994.
If you stay to park close, get in line at the last minute. AK shuts down much earlier than other parks. Spend more time in Pandora after dark. And using standby queue you get to see the animatronic and other queue decor.
As goes with planning, I’ve already decided to pivot to the following. I think I might want a full day at AK and that DS6 might really love Wilderness Explorers (he’s my kid that has seen every episode of Wild Kratts and could talk about the basilisk lizard or pangolin forever)
And DH was not thrilled about the idea of spending a rest day at a water park (too many people and lines )
So today, it’s looking like (day-by-day)
MK
HS
Rest w/Topolinos breakfast
AK
Blizzard Beach with evening at MK (and if weather is bad - just a full day at MK)
Fishing and Rest
EPCOT
Oh, also the shows in Africa (drummers, acrobats).
